After a homeowner was sent to the hospital with severe burns when a natural gas explosion damaged his home, the city threatened him with fines for not mowing his lawn.
The post City Slaps Burn Victim with Violation for Not Mowing Lawn While He Was in the Hospital appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
An anti-GMO mosquito activist was in Washington DC to deliver a petition to the EPA when she was found dead, floating in the pool of her hotel. Police are refusing to release details surrounding the case.
The post Anti-GMO Mosquito Activist in DC to Deliver Petition to EPA Found Floating Dead in Hotel Pool appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
An anti-GMO mosquito activist was in Washington DC to deliver a petition to the EPA when she was found dead, floating in the pool of her hotel. Police are refusing to release details surrounding the case.
The post Anti-GMO Mosquito Activist in DC to Deliver Petition to EPA Found Floating Dead in Hotel Pool appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
Texas National Guard prepares to deploy
NOW: Officials discuss the Texas National Guard preparing to deploy to the border. MORE: https://bit.ly/2uSplV9
Posted by FOX 10 Phoenix on Friday, April 6, 2018
PHOENIX (AP) – President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants to send 2,000 and 4,000 National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border to help federal officials fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
Trump’s comments to reporters on Air Force One were his first estimate on guard levels he believes needed, and would be a lower number of troops than the 6,400 National Guard members that former President George Bush sent to the border between 2006 and 2008.
Trump said he plans to keep the guard members there until a “large portion of the wall is built.”
Earlier Thursday, Ronald Vitiello, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s acting deputy commissioner, cautioned against a rushed deployment.
“We are going to do it as quickly as we can do it safely,” Vitiello told Fox News Channel.
He said that guard members would be placed in jobs that do not require law enforcement work, an apparent reference to undertaking patrols and making arrests.
The National Guard in Texas expressed support, but said in a statement that deployment remained in “very early planning stages.” The Republican governors of New Mexico and Arizona have also backed the deployment. It remained unclear Thursday how Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown would respond to Trump’s call.
In Washington, Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie told reporters at the Pentagon that it has not yet been determined how many, if any, of the troops participating in the border security operation will be armed.
With troops in all states, the National Guard has been called on by past presidents and governors to help secure U.S. borders, and the Texas contingent said it had “firsthand knowledge of the mission and operating area” that will allow it to move seamlessly into the new role.
Trump ordered the deployment because “we are at a crisis point” with illegal immigration, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen of the Department of Homeland Security said.
“We’d like to stop it before the numbers get even bigger,” she said.
Nielsen said guard members would provide support to border officials, “help look at the technology, the surveillance, in some cases we’ll ask for some fleet mechanics” and free up agents trained in law enforcement for other duties.
Arrests along the U.S. border with Mexico jumped to 50,308 in March, a 37 percent increase from February, and more than triple the same period last year. Border arrests rose 10 of the last 11 months after falling in April 2017 to the lowest since the Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003.
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The post Texas National Guard Starts Deployment to the Border appeared first on Oath Keepers.
(RT) Residents across Oklahoma and Texas were jostled from their daily routines after hearing a loud boom Tuesday afternoon. Many were left scratching their heads and watching the skies for the source of the explosive phenomenon.
While the US Geological Survey has not reported any earthquakes in the region, the National Weather Services in Norman, Oklahoma has said it is possible that the deafening boom was the result of “a ‘bolide’ or the breaking up of a meteor.”
A flurry of baffled residents shared their comments online, trying to make sense of the afternoon shocker. One nearby resident offered his account of the mysterious heavenly “green light” he spotted that afternoon.
“Meteor flew over Oklahoma City today at about 16:20, with a sonic boom and some shaking in nearby Norman! Was beautiful green and orange streak in the daylight,” he tweeted.
Chief Meteorologist for KFOR-TV OKC Mike Morgan was completely befuddled by the extraterrestrial visitor and asked others to clarify.
One resident’s speculation revolved around reports that China’s first space observation station was due to fall into Earth’s orbit at any moment.
“I was wondering if the meteor reports in North Texas and Oklahoma were actually Tiangong-1, but it looks like we’re still a week or so from that possibly happening,” he said.
Oklahoma is no stranger to unexplained booms, which have been attributed to an assortment of different causes. Last year, Midwest City residents were perplexed by large underground booms comparable to underground explosions, one witness stated.
“It turns out, this is a really neat deal. It has to do with water underground,” said Meteorologist John Slater. “With these cold fronts coming through, the water just freezes rapidly. And as it turns out, when it freezes, it expands.”
On January 25, 2014, News On 6 speculated that F-16 fighter jets from the 138th Fighter Wing division in Tulsa peppered the area with sonic booms powerful enough to rattle furniture and windows. However, the cause of the disturbances still remains a mystery.
Another shockwave dubbed the “Bama Boom” was felt across cities in Alabama on November 14, 2017. No explanation was offered other than either a hypersonic aircraft or meteorite shower.
The post Mysterious Loud Boom Shakes Oklahoma, Locals Report Green and Orange Flashes appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
Last night, a bomb meant for Austin, Texas exploded at a FedEx facility in Schertz, Texas. This is the fifth in a series of deadly bombs that have targeted Austin, the capital of the state.
The first three bombs were in packages delivered to people’s homes, resulting in two deaths and injuries to two more people. The fourth bomb was detonated by a tripwire and seriously injured two men.
The first package exploded March 2, killing Anthony Stephan House, 39, when he picked up a package on the front porch of his northeast Austin home. The second bomb went off March 12 inside a home in east Austin. Draylen Mason, 17, was killed and his mother was hospitalized. The third blast came a short time later in a neighborhood south of downtown. A 75-year-old woman picked up a package on her front porch when it exploded, seriously injuring her. The last Austin blast occurred late Sunday, when a blast, possibly set off by a tripwire, injured two men in southwest Austin.
The first three attacks involved suspicious packages left on doorsteps in Austin. The package Sunday apparently was left on the side of a road in the city. The latest explosion took place at a FedEx facility about 65 miles from Austin. (source)
Each bomb has been somewhat different, and increasingly sophisticated. The Washington Post reports:
Police have declined to describe the bombs in detail, saying only that they appear to be the sophisticated work of a person or people who know what they are doing — and noting that the bombmaker has been able to assemble and deliver the devices without setting them off. After telling residents to remain wary of unexpected or suspicious packages, authorities are urging broader caution.
“We’re even more concerned now that if people see something suspicious, they just stay away from it altogether and contact law enforcement,” said Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge of the Houston division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Because if they move that package or if they step on that tripwire, it’s likely to detonate.”
Milanowski said bombs using tripwires are activated when any pressure is applied to the wires, and he said that can include people “tripping over it or picking up the package.” (source)
After the tripwire bomb, residents were cautioned to stay indoors.
Dan Defenbaugh, a former FBI official who spent decades investigating bomb cases, said the use of a tripwire Sunday “dramatically changes the tactics involved.”
The shift in method — from a bomb targeting an individual or their family to a device that could kill a random passerby — evokes past attacks that created climates of fear, such as the Washington-area sniper shootings that gripped the D.C. region for weeks in 2002 as victims were shot at random. And, as during the Unabomber’s campaign of sending explosives through the mail, the Austin attacks thus far defy explanation and have come without any threat or warning.
“Once a bomb builder makes a device, they usually make it the same way each and every time,” said Defenbaugh, who managed the Oklahoma City bombing investigation. “That’s not happening here. I’m also troubled by the fact that there hasn’t been an extortion demand or communication.” (source)
The attacks have taken place in various neighborhoods around the city, as shown by this map from WaPo.
Officials haven’t identified a pattern to the bombings, at least not publicly.
At this point, there is no clear motive for the bombings. Initially, it was thought that the motivation could be racial, as the first victims were black and Hispanic. But the tripwire victims were both white males, which has caused investigators to reconsider their original supposition.
Last night, a fifth bomb exploded just northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The package was reportedly bound for Austin. One person was injured and treated at the scene.
According to AlertsUSA, this most recent event has triggered the implementation of Department of Homeland Security emergency protocols across the postal and shipping sectors.
The Postal and Shipping Sector is one of 18 critical infrastructure sectors established under the authority of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7).Several government departments and agencies have formed the Postal and Shipping Government Coordinating Council (GCC) which works closely with sector stakeholders to enable assessment of national, cross-sector critical infrastructure protection and resilience programs.Sector-specific assets include: over 400 high-volume automated processing facilities; over 40,000 local delivery units; many and varied collection, acceptance, and retail operations; over 50,000 transport vehicles including vans, trucks, tractor trailers, and aircraft; and information and communications networks.
This morning’s explosion at a Schertz, TX FedEx facility has triggered a variety of emergency protocols (some seen, most not) for acceptance, processing & delivery locally, as well as on a regional and national level.
The intensity of the emergency protocols will vary from location to location, but the entire sector is now on high alert.
Given the unknowns and the ongoing nature of the threat, these emergency protocols are likely to be observed by other carriers beyond FedEx. (source)
As is true with most acts of terror, situational awareness is the key to keeping yourself and your family safe. You should stop and think before touching or opening any package:
If you have any doubt that the package is safe, you should call 911 and let them know of your concerns. Be on your toes and caution children not to touch any packages without your permission. Obviously, those in the Austin area should be particularly careful.
The post DHS Emergency Protocols in Place After a Bomb Exploded at a Texas FedEx Facility appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
After a family filed an official complaint with the U.S. Border Patrol regarding agents who were trespassing on their land, the agents returned and set up a surveillance camera on the property.
The post Man Files Complaint Against Border Patrol for Trespassing—So They Put a Spy Camera On His Property appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
Churches all over Texas were compelled to tell their retired law enforcement professionals, and others, who made up their volunteer teams, that they could no longer serve. Now, only active duty LEO’s, and/or level 4 (armed, 40 hours training) security officers could participate. Not surprisingly, many or most law enforcement retirees, with thousands of hours of training and experience, refused to become a private security guard for that purpose. Several of those honorably retired law enforcement professionals testified at various hearings during the past two legislative sessions. Additionally, not many of the approximately 24,000 evangelical Christian churches in Texas could afford to pay for this scheme… and the results were: a) Churches ignored the opinion and continued to operate their teams, b) They complied, or, c) They disbanded their armed teams or never formed one.
The post Texas Churches May Establish and Maintain Their Own Security Teams appeared first on Oath Keepers.
Image source: Pixabay.com
A Texas woman might face time in jail after being slapped with two felonies because she posted something she heard from an acquaintance on her Facebook page.
“In my opinion, this is the government’s attempt to silence my client,” Priscilla Villarreal’s attorney, Sergio Lozano, told The Texas Monthly.
Villarreal was arrested by Laredo, Texas, police on Dec. 13 and charged with “misuse of official information.”
Her crime was posting on Facebook the fact that a U.S. Border Patrol agent had committed suicide. Police claim that Villarreal violated the law because she asked Laredo Police Officer Barbara Goodman about the suicide, and then put the information on Facebook. Villarreal posted the information before the department released it to the public.
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“Information provided by Officer Goodman pertaining to the case in question was used by Priscilla Villarreal in her Facebook page ‘Lagordiloca News Laredo TX,’ immediately notifying her followers of the incident,” the complaint against Villarreal states.
Her Facebook page has 86,482 followers and is described as one of the most popular news sources in Laredo. “Lagordiloca” means “night crawler” in Spanish.
Villareal drives around Laredo on the Texas/Mexico border at night looking for news. Often, that includes posting live streaming video of police interactions with citizens.
“This is something that should trouble all news outlets in any medium, because otherwise, how do you get this information from the entities?” Lozano asked. “Whoever gets to it first gets the most readers, or ‘likes,’ or whatever. The Laredo Morning Times has subscribers, they sell ads, so why is Lagordiloca being treated differently?”
What is your reaction? Share it in the section below:
A potentially deadly mass shooting in a church of 100 people was foiled this week by a hero citizen who then became the victim of trigger-happy cops who shot the wrong man.
Amarillo, TX — As news of the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida dominated the airwaves this week, a massive hostage situation—which was quickly turning into a mass shooting situation—was foiled by a hero in a church. That hero, however, is now in the hospital after police showed up to the scene and shot him.
The situation was well on its way to becoming one of the deadliest shootings in history as the gunman took over 100 people hostage inside the Faith City Mission church on Wednesday.
“They said there was a gun in the building everyone started running all different ways,” said Clay Murdock, a student at Faith City Mission.
According to WLOX, Murdock said he tried to get as many people inside their sound room as possible.
“We’re standing in there and everyone starts praying,” said Murdock. “I went outside to see what was going on if I could get more people in there and right when as I went outside the guy was standing right in front of me with the pistol.”
Murdock then ran outside.
According to the Amarillo police, the initial call came in around 8:45 a.m. and indicated that there was an armed suspect inside who was holding 100 people hostage.
Sergeant Brent Barbee told reporters that when officers breached the building, they encountered an individual who had a handgun.
“The officers fired shots that struck the man,” said Barbee. “After some additional investigation, they’ve learned that the man that [had] the gun may have taken the firearm away from the original suspect in the call. The man who originally had the gun has been taken into custody.”
Later that day, police clarified that they indeed shot the wrong man.
APD investigating shooting at 401 SE 2nd. UPDATE https://t.co/NIAQedSsL7
— Amarillo Police Dept (@AmarilloPD) February 14, 2018
“The initial investigation indicates that the man the officer shot had originally been in a struggle with the original suspect and had taken away the gun from the suspect. The initial suspect has been taken into custody and is not injured. No other persons were hit by gunfire. This is very early in the investigation and more details will be available at a later time,” read the report.
As Amarillo.com reports, the hero of the story is a student at Faith City Mission church. After he and the private church security officers wrestled the shooter to the ground and got the gun away from him, one or more Amarillo police officers opened fire on the student.
“Members of the security team took the gunman down and one of our students was able to wrestle the gun away,” she said. “Our thoughts are with our injured student and we praise God for his protection while honoring the heroic actions of our security team, students and everyone else involved — which prevented the situation from becoming far worse.”
The student was taken to a local hospital. The gunman, Joshua Len Jones, 35, of Amarillo was taken to jail unharmed.
Faith City Mission Executive Director Jena Taylor said the student, who was not identified, had surgery Wednesday but was in stable condition and remains hospitalized, reports Amarillo.com.
“One of our staff members visited the student that was shot and he is resting well after surgery,” Taylor said.
Predictably, this story received no coverage in the mainstream media as it is showed brave citizens in a positive light while highlighting the fact that cops shot and nearly killed the hero.
Please share this story with your friends and family to spread a bit of good news in what has surely been a tragic week of reporting.
Despite numerous headlines indicating a tax bill deal early next week, Republican Senator John Cornyn just told media that there "may be a tentative tax bill deal today." Algos liked the news and immediately bid stocks higher (despite no knowledge of what is in the "deal").
“It’s possible,” John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, tells reporters of tax bill, according to Bloomberg.
The Senate has “ping-ponged” offers back and forth with House and is making good progress, he says.
And stocks popped on it...
Of course, its also "possible" that the deal is not done today... and that"s why we were intrigued to see "high tax" stocks underperforming...
The main areas of contention: AMTs and treatment of SALTs (Republicans were planning to tweak corporate rate from 20% to 21-22% to pay for some of the changes but this idea is facing fierce resistance from the business community – Washington Post).
Brady Says Compromise Likely Coming Friday (reported at 1035ET)
House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, who’s overseeing the House-Senate conference committee for tax negotiations, said the panel will likely come to an agreement on final legislation by Friday.
“We are on track for this week,” Brady told reporters, referring to a so-called conference report.
Conference reports generally go point-by-point through areas of disagreement and say how each was resolved. For example, if the House position on a provision is the one they’ve agreed on, the report will say that with respect to that provision, the conferees propose that the Senate recede from its position and concur with the House’s position.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told GOP members the goal is for the House to vote on the tax bill next Tuesday, Dec. 19, according to Representative Lamar Smith of Texas.
Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma said he heard that the goal was Tuesday, but there wasn’t an announcement about it directly.
“The time frame of a vote next week is very realistic,” said Representative Tom Reed of New York. -- Erik Wasson
The “fireman prophet,” who claims to have predicted the outcome of the 2016 election in 2011 says that president Donald Trump has angels assigned to him, which will also protect his family, and the recent impeachment vote was destined to fail.
Mark Taylor, known as the fireman prophet and co-author of The Trump Prophecies, says impeachment attempts on President Donald Trump will be futile.
In November of 2016, the world witnessed the impossible. Nearly every household in America was tuned in to the election feeds, and every update pointed to a loss for the Republican Party. But when the map of the states flipped red in the final hour, there were a select few who weren’t surprised. They had always known Trump was going to win. He was chosen for such a time as this. The prophecy had said so.
This prophet, this reserved man of God, was retired firefighter Mark Taylor. The word given by the Holy Spirit was delivered on April 28, 2011 in the middle of the most debilitating sickness a man could ever experience. –The Trump Prophecies book description
Taylor said that in 2011, God told him that then-businessman Donald Trump would be president and despite his many enemies, God would still protect him. “They will say things about this man, the enemy, but it will not affect him and they will say it rolls off of him like a duck. For even as the feathers of a duck protect it, so shall my feathers protect this next president.” – Mark Taylor 2011 The Trump Prophecies
Taylor says that the recent failed impeachment vote is evidence that God protects Trump. On Wednesday, 58 Democrats in Congress voted to try and impeach President Trump, but the House overwhelmingly voted to kill the resolution as most Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the move. Representative Al Green, D-Texas, brought the resolution to a vote, accusing Trump, among other things, of being bigoted and a racist. After his resolution was read aloud, the House voted 364-58 to table the resolution.
But Taylor says he knew this would happen, and there should be no reason to fear. Taylor said months ago, “Rest assured, they may try these things but none of that’s going to succeed because this man has been anointed and appointed by God. He’s not going anywhere so I want to put that out there for the people because there’s a lot of fear out there. There’s no reason to be walking in fear right now,” he continued. “What I want to encourage people to do is to stay engaged in the fight. This is not a time to lay down the weapons of your warfare.” Taylor says that Trump is not going anywhere.
And Taylor continues to see signs from God in the everyday occurrences of party politics in America. Taylor said, “Interesting thing about today’s impeachment vote – it was by a 306 margin; Donald Trump won the election by 306 electoral college votes. You think that’s a sign? Yes.”
Mary Colbert, Taylor’s co-author says, “Mark prophesied before he [Trump] was elected, they will try to impeach him but it will not work, so God already gave us a headline warning that they’re really going to try to do this. That is not going to happen. He [Trump] has angels assigned to him and his family. You try to harm this man, God help you!” Colbert added.
Texas representative, Al Green, a liberal lawmaker, says he’ll force the House to vote Wednesday on impeaching President Donald Trump. Despite suggestions from the Republicans and Democrats that he let it go, Green says he’s going to move forward anyway.
Green says in a letter that he’s wanting a vote on impeachment because “we now have a bigot in the White House who incites hatred and hostility.” But, even other Democrats agree that there is no evidence of impeachable offenses. House minority leader Nancy Pelosi even said that any impeachment effort should await hard evidence Trump has committed an impeachable offense.
According to USA Today, Green’s resolution accuses Trump of causing “harm to American society.” It cites his support for banning Muslim immigrants and comments defending participants in a white supremacists’ rally after this year’s riot in Charlottesville, Virginia. Green also argued that Trump’s conduct in the White House (while admittedly not criminal) had amounted to “high misdemeanor” and warranted removal from the Oval Office. “For too long, we have allowed our civility to prevent us from confronting the invidious incivility of President Donald J. Trump,” he said.
Tonight, I released the Articles of Impeachment. Tomorrow, the House will vote on the impeachment of Donald J. Trump. (Stay Tuned) #RepealAndReplaceTrump https://t.co/8PUe4zboCX
— Congressman Al Green (@RepAlGreen) December 5, 2017
But his impeachment vote doesn’t have a chance at succeeding. Even if a majority of the House votes to impeach the president, the Senate would need a 2/3 majority in order for the motion to pass. Republicans control both houses right now.
Other Democrats have warned the prematurity of this vote could hinder any future chances of impeachment. Isn’t it fascinating how now Democrats are suddenly concerned with the Constitution and Trump’s alleged violations thereof? They gave Barack Obama unbridled power and now that it’s in the hands of someone they dislike, they melt down.
“In doing this, hatred disguised as acceptable political correctness has festered in our body politic and polluted our discourse to our detriment,” Green said. “It divides and damages the social fabric of our country in ways that obstruction of justice cannot. It causes unparalleled destruction to our society in the long- and short-term that will not easily heal.” Green had pressed for a vote on articles of impeachment back in October, but pressure from fellow Democrats stopped him from moving forward.
For more information on the executive powers that Democrats awarded Obama, and Trump inherited, click here.
Oath Keepers Security Volunteers on Duty Outside First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas
We still have Oath Keepers volunteers on the ground in Sutherland Springs, TX, helping provide security for the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs as they recover and rebuild after the horrendous mass shooting on November 5. A secondary mission for our team is to offer free security assessments to South Texas churches, and to offer free training for their security teams (helping them form a team if they have none, or helping them train the team they have).
Our men have been on the ground for the past week, at the invitation of the church pastors, and have done a superb job in helping to preserve the privacy and security of the church and its members as they go through the heart wrenching grieving, memorial, and healing process. And we will be part of the long term solution to help prevent this from happening again, which will also help to defend our gun rights by denying the enemies of the Second Amendment the victims they need to push their agenda.
We still need volunteers, per our CALL TO ACTION.
If you can’t volunteer, please help support those who can. You can DONATE to help us continue this vital mission.
Not everyone can attend these events, but we could use your help with the ongoing expenses. Our unpaid volunteers need to be reimbursed for gas money spent on travel and food, and we have also spent money on airfare and a rental car to bring in one of our key team leaders, retired Washington D.C. Metro police officer and Army Ranger veteran, Brian Krogmann, who flew in from Arizona.
We appreciate all who have supported our recent disaster relief efforts in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and we will do our best to not stretch our donors too thin. But the anti-gunners are doing all they can to use this tragedy, as well as the recent Las Vegas mass shooting, to further erode and destroy your right to bear arms. When the pastors of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs reached out to us and asked us for help, we didn’t hesitate because it was the right thing to do. And by stepping up when called, we will also be part of the long term solution of increased security for churches, not just in Texas, but all across the nation.
Because of this operation, we can now speak with direct knowledge of what happened there in Sutherland Springs since we have seen the aftermath with our own eyes, and we have spoken directly with the church members and their pastors. We have also had the honor to meet and speak at length with the man who put a stop to the killing, Stephen Willeford. And all of that will make a real difference as we counsel and advise churches across the nation on what they must do to prevent the same thing from happening to them – they must have robust armed security that is prepared for active shooter attacks like this.
We all know that until churches go from being soft targets to being hard targets, terrorists and madmen will take advantage of that softness to work their evil. Oath Keepers is playing a direct, key part in making that necessary change, across this nation. Please donate to support this effort.
If you prefer to send a check, the mailing address is:
Oath Keepers
5130 S. Fort Apache Road, Ste. 215
Las Vegas, NV 89148
A donation of any amount will be greatly appreciated by our Oath Keepers on the ground in Sutherland Springs, TX and will help us in our mission to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment, going forward.
Thank you,
Oath Keepers
The post Please Help Support Our Church Security Team in Sutherland Springs, TX appeared first on Oath Keepers.
The Texas Bullion Depository took a step closer becoming operational earlier this month when officials announced the location of the new facility. The creation of a state bullion depository in Texas represents a power shift away from the federal government to the state, and it provides a blueprint that could ultimately end the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.
Gov. Greg Abbot signed legislation creating the state gold bullion and precious metal depository in June of 2015. The facility will not only provide a secure place for individuals, business, cities, counties, government agencies and even other countries to store gold and other precious metals, the law also creates a mechanism to facilitate the everyday use of gold and silver in business transactions. In short, a person will be able to deposit gold or silver in the depository and pay other people through electronic means or checks – in sound money.
Earlier this summer, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Austin-based Lone Star Tangible Assets will build and operate the Texas Bullion Depository. On Nov. 3, the company announced it will construct the facility in the city of Leander, located about 30 miles northwest of Austin. According to the Community Impact Newspaper, the Leander City Council has approved an economic development agreement with Lone Star. Construction of the depository is expected to begin in early 2018. Lone Star officials say it will take about a year to complete construction of the 60,000-square-foot secure facility located on a 10-acre campus.
The depository will operate out of Lone Star’s existing facilities during construction. It will provide services nationwide beginning in early 2018, with international services to be offered in the future phases, according to Community Impact.
“This state-of-the-art facility will provide tremendous benefits to the citizens of Leander and will give Texans a secure facility right here in the Lone Star State where their gold and precious metals will be kept safe and close at hand,” Hegar said in the press release.
The Texas Bullion Depository has already established an online presence. You can visit the depository website HERE.
According to an article in the Star-Telegram, state officials want a facility ‘with an e-commerce component that also provides for secure physical storage for Bullion.’ Officials say plans for a depository should include online services that would let customers accept, transfer and withdraw bullion deposits and related fees.
By making gold and silver available for regular, daily transactions by the general public, the new law has the potential for wide-reaching effect. Professor William Greene is an expert on constitutional tender and said in a paper for the Mises Institute that when people in multiple states actually start using gold and silver instead of Federal Reserve notes, it would effectively nullify the Federal Reserve and end the federal government’s monopoly on money.
“Over time, as residents of the state use both Federal Reserve notes and silver and gold coins, the fact that the coins hold their value more than Federal Reserve notes do will lead to a ‘reverse Gresham’s Law’ effect, where good money (gold and silver coins) will drive out bad money (Federal Reserve notes).
“As this happens, a cascade of events can begin to occur, including the flow of real wealth toward the state’s treasury, an influx of banking business from outside of the state – as people in other states carry out their desire to bank with sound money – and an eventual outcry against the use of Federal Reserve notes for any transactions.”
University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus called the development of a state gold depository a step toward independence.
“This is another in a long line of ways to make Texas more self-reliant and less tethered to the federal government. The financial impact is small but the political impact is telling, Many conservatives are interested in returning to the gold standard and circumvent the Federal reserve in whatever small way they can.”
The Texas gold depository will create a mechanism to challenge the federal government’s monopoly on money and provides a blueprint for other states to follow. If the majority of states controlled their own supply of gold, it could conceivably make the Federal Reserve completely irrelevant.
State bullion depositories are one of four steps states can take to help bring down the Fed.
A good guy with a gun in the uber-lefty city of Austin, Texas, used his Glock 43 to stop a sexual assault in progress while out on an early morning hike. Meanwhile, in the news that’s not news, leftists continue to cry for more restrictions on guns.
According to The Blaze, Josh Williams, 39, almost left his handgun at home when heading out to the hiking trail on a dark morning back in September, but he felt the nagging sensation that he should take it anyway. His gut instinct turned out to be the right call because while on the trail at 5:30 a.m., Williams heard a woman scream loud enough to get past his music-blaring earbuds.
As Williams approached the area where the scream originated from, he shined his flashlight on a man who was sexually assaulting a woman. “I came up, pulled my gun and told him to get off of her,” Williams recalled. He then asked the man to get on his knees and asked to see his hands. “That way I knew he didn’t have a weapon. And at that point, he was no threat, so I didn’t feel the need to shoot him,” said Williams.
The assaulter took off, but police were able to later apprehend 22-year-old Richard McEachern and charge him with sexual assault. A good description of his appearance by the victim and Williams aided the police.
That was the first time Williams had ever pointed his weapon at another person, but it confirmed for him the importance of the Second Amendment, and the victim was incredibly glad that Williams gut instinct told him to bring his gun with him that morning.
“It’s dark, and I don’t know what’s out there, so I have it to protect myself and other people. That’s what it’s all about anyway — to help other people with it, not just myself. I didn’t think I’d ever have to pull it. Did I want to? No, not at all. But just … right place, right time,” Williams recounted.
By Andrea E.
Oath Keepers was requested by leaders of First Baptist Church to help with the tragedy. A small group of volunteer Oath Keepers are assessing the situation, assisting with security and beginning to formulate training plans to help church congregations protect themselves from this kind of attack in the future.
Some of our followers and members have asked what we are doing here and what we are guarding against. As expected, the media is out in full force. We are here to help ensure the victims’ families, congregation and the town are left to grieve in peace. We are here to help prevent a copy-cat incident. We are here to provide peace of mind that they are protected from any more acts of evil. Oath Keepers have also found themselves pressed into other duties including removing bullet riddled church pews, doors and a playground. We have been a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on for this small tightly knit community.
Oath Keepers on our security detail in Sutherland, Texas
The First Baptist Church was cleaned up and painted as a memorial to twenty six members of the congregation. Each chair represents a church member and where they were sitting on Sunday, November 5th. The memorial was opened to families at 5 PM on Sunday, November 12th. The memorial is scheduled to be open all week.
Photo credit: Andrea E.
When Oath Keepers participate in a mission like this one, they do so as volunteers.
If you can donate to help with travel expenses, etc, that would be greatly appreciated.
We currently have Oath Keepers in Sutherland Springs, Texas from several states, including Arizona, Montana, and Florida.
Please donate HERE. Thank you very much!
The post First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas appeared first on Oath Keepers.
Investigators work at the scene of a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, Nov. 5, 2017.
Alleged Sutherland Springs, Texas gunman Devin Kelley was lethally shot, reportedly fleeing from the First Baptist Church crime scene, the deadliest mass-shooting in state history.
Lots of questions remain unanswered, including motive, multiple gunmen possibly involved, and why church worshipers were attacked.
When these type incidents happen, cable TV channels report on them round-the-clock, blocking out most other stories, coverage pronouncing alleged assailants guilty by accusation, alternative views suppressed.
Print media stories are just as disturbing – biased, not fair and objective. Below are biased Tuesday headlines from America’s three leading broadsheets:
The New York Times:
“Air Force Error Allowed Texas Gunman to Buy Weapons”
“Texas Gunman Broke Child’s Skull and Assaulted Wife in Troubled Life”
“Witnesses Describe Shooting in Texas Church”
“One Minute They Were a Family Praying in Church. The Next, Eight of Them Were Dead”
Similar Times reports were published Monday, much more likely to come – from the Times and other media scoundrels.
Washington Post:
“Air Force failure enabled Texas gunman to obtain firearms”
“Ex-service member should have been barred from buying guns, but FBI was not alerted to his history”
“Gunman had hurt people and animals years before mass shooting”
“Texas massacre followed domestic dispute involving gunman’s family, officials say” – no evidence cited.
“The lives lost in Sutherland Springs, Tex”
“In Sutherland Springs, Texas, a mass shooting draws desire for more – not fewer – guns”
“After Texas church massacre, a push for armed guards and gun-packing parishioners”
“Photos: The scene in Sutherland Springs”
“The blood of innocents is on our hands” – a call for gun control.
“Yes, President Trump, it’s a guns situation”
“How to protect yourself during a mass shooting”
An astonishing 11 reports in one issue on this topic alone.
Wall Street Journal:
“Texas Gunman Had a Violent Past”
“Massacre Leaves Families With Unspeakable Losses”
“Shooting Pierces Pastoral Quiet of Small-Town Life”
“How Dare the GOP Pray for Texas”
America’s three leading broadsheet had a cumulative total of 19 articles and commentaries on this topic on a single day.
Worst of all, they misinformed readers, failing to provide fair, unbiased coverage, the way they always operate, mocking legitimate journalism, absent on their pages, a consistent record of deception, notably on vital issues.
There’s plenty of blame to go around, including against Google and YouTube, circulating dubious videos about the mass shooting incident, linking Devin Kelley to Antifa extremists.
Whether true or not is irrelevant. Abhorrent practices of its adherents don’t include mass shootings. No evidence explains Kelley’s political beliefs or if he’s associated with the movement.
State-sponsored social media disinformation proliferates. So does scoundrel media fake news – despite Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter policies claiming to counter it.
Kelley is called a terrorist. He’s dead, unable to tell his side of the story, what’s most important to know.
Some reports claimed he carried an Antifa flag, urged a communist revolution, and was hostile to conservative churches – no evidence presented.
Much about the Texas mass shooting remains unknown. Automatic guilt by accusation is unacceptable everywhere.
The post Media Vilification of Alleged Texas Shooter appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
By now, everyone has heard about the horrific shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in which a man dressed in tactical gear entered the First Baptist Church and opened fire. 26 people were killed and 20 others were injured.
Of course, the tears were still wet on people’s cheeks when the anti-gun folks began screaming for gun control. Chelsea Handler, struggling to be relevant, made this ignorant Tweet:
If these folks had their way, none of us would be allowed to be armed…except, of course, the criminals who wouldn’t follow the laws anyway. The New York Times published an op-ed solemnly titled, “It’s Not Too Soon to Debate Gun Control” immediately on the heels of the shooting. Okay. If that’s what you want, then here’s my side of the debate. And it’s based on facts, not on emotional rhetoric.
Let’s be honest. The person to blame for this tragedy was the shooter.
It’s essential to note that the shooter was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force for assaulting his wife and child, and due to this, it is illegal for him to have a gun.
Huh. What a shock. A criminal who broke the law (by lying on his background check) and got a gun.
Let me just emphasize that the shooter circumvented our existing gun laws and got a gun anyway.
Because people who are going to commit a crime like shooting 46 people do not worry about silly things like lying on a background check.
What the gun-control people are missing is that it was a neighbor with a gun who ended this cowardly attack on unarmed churchgoers. This is the part of the story that gun control advocates don’t want you to hear. It’s the part that they conveniently ignore while screaming that guns are the problem.
If it hadn’t been for two brave men and judicious marksmanship, Kelley’s killing spree could have continued. There could be more dead bodies in Sutherland Springs, Texas this morning.
Because the police didn’t show up until this situation was long over.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, church neighbor Stephen Willeford “grabbed his rifle and engaged the suspect.” Willeford was alerted by his daughter, who called him and said that a man in body armor was shooting people in the church.
He grabbed his gun and bravely headed down to confront the killer.
The local said that while Willeford has no military experience, he is an excellent shot, and when he came face to face with Kelley, he didn’t hesitate; he shot in between Kelley’s body armor, hitting him in his side.
The 26-year-old had dropped his Ruger assault rifle and climbed in an SUV to flee the scene.
He said that Kelley had taken a hostage in the passenger seat as he fled. (source)
What would have happened if Willeford hadn’t taken action?
Authorities said the armed neighbor may have saved countless lives by opening fire on Kelley and forcing him to flee the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs during his 11:30 a.m. massacre. (source)
Another report said that Kelley had “several guns” in his SUV. What was Kelley planning to do once he left the church? We’ll never know because of two brave men.
The story didn’t end there in the church parking lot, though.
Another local resident, Johnnie Langendorff, happened to drive through the intersection when Willeford and Kelley were exchanging gunfire. He picked Willeford up, and the two men pursued the shooter.
“The shooter of the church had taken off, fled in his vehicle, the other gentleman came and said we need to pursue him. And that’s what I did…
He got a little bit of a jump on us. We were doing about 95 (mph) down (Route) 539 going around traffic and everything. Eventually he came to a kind of a slowdown and after that we got within just a few feet of him and then he got off the road.
He just lost control. That is when I put the vehicle in park and I was still on the phone to dispatch (police). The other gentleman jumped out and has his rifle drawn on him. He didn’t move after that.”
Police arrived within five to seven minutes to the location where the shooter stopped. (source)
Let me repeat, it took police FIVE TO SEVEN MINUTES to get to the location where the shooter stopped. This was after the two men had chased him for a distance and after a man engaged the shooter and after he had opened fire on a church. So we have to be talking about at least 10 minutes. At least.
Kelley must have realized there was no escape and shot himself after he ran off the road.
The man who killed at least 26 people in a Baptist church in a rural Texas town on Sunday died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt told CBS News in an interview on Monday morning….
“There was some gunfire exchanged, I believe, on the roadway also, and then (the shooter’s vehicle) wrecked out,” said Tackitt. “At this time we believe that he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after he wrecked out.” (source)
So tell me again about how civilized people should call the police and wait for help. Tell me about how dangerous it is for Americans to have guns and take the responsibility for their own safety.
Maybe today, I wouldn’t be writing about dead children. A two-year-old. A six-year-old. An 8-year-old. A fourteen-year-old.
Maybe I wouldn’t be writing about 26 people who were mowed down by a criminal who had a gun illegally. Maybe when Kelley stopped to reload, someone could have stopped him.
Instead, the people in that church were powerless victims.
The post Here’s the Story about the Texas Church Shooting Gun Control Advocates Don’t Want You to Hear appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
Several people have been shot after a gunman opened fire inside a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, authorities told media. The shooter has been killed by police.
