Author Archives: Doug Knowles

Lincoln County approves 2nd amendment sanctuary status

Lincoln County commissioners also approved a resolution opposing legislation imposing rules that exceed federal laws on private firearm transfers.

Lincoln County commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve a resolution to become a 2nd Amendment sanctuary county in reaction to proposed state gun legislation.

Commissioner Elaine Allen cast the lone nay vote, saying while she concurred with many of the comments from the audience, she did not support the idea of a sanctuary status.

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FBI gains access to popular home DNA kit database | Fox News

In its privacy statement, FamilyTreeDNA makes it clear that your personal information is never shared with third parties without additional consent. Your genetic information will never be shared with “pharmaceutical or insurance companies, employers, or third-party marketers without your express consent.” The terms of service got updated in December to state (in Section 6.B.xii) that law enforcement can make use of the database to “identify the perpetrator of a violent crime.” Sexual assault, rape, homicide, and the remains of a deceased all fall under that category.

Bennett Greenspan, president and founder of FamilyTreeDNA’s parent company Gene by Gene, released a statement explaining, “We came to the conclusion that if law enforcement created accounts, with the same level of access to the database as the standard FamilyTreeDNA user, they would not be violating user privacy and confidentiality.” The company later further clarified by stating, “In order for the FBI to obtain any additional information, they would have to provide a valid court-order such as a subpoena or search warrant.”

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#Editorial: Efforts to repeal Marsy’s Law need to begin now | 4TH ST8

We asked in an editorial published shortly before the November election whether the constitutional amendment on the ballot in Nevada and other states — known as Marsy’s Law and sold as a victim rights measure — could prevent the release of names of crime victims and crime reports that keep the public aware of public safety issues and how well justice is being delivered by our elected and appointed police, prosecutors and judges.

Marsy’s Law is being pushed nationwide by the wealthy family of Marsalee “Marsy” Nicholas, who was killed in 1983 by her ex-boyfriend. Family members were miffed when they walked into a grocery store and saw the ex-boyfriend, who had been released on bail without their knowledge. Whether bail would have been granted even if they were informed of the hearing is a matter of conjecture.

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Chase Bank Shuts Down Proud Boys Leader’s Personal Bank Account – BLP

Enrique Tarrio, who is the Chairman of the Proud Boys fraternal organization, had his personal Chase bank account shut down abruptly earlier this week.

In a letter obtained exclusively by Big League Politics, the bank informs him that he must shut down all of his accounts by April 1st, 2019, without giving a reason.

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Nevada files appeal of plutonium ruling | PVT

CARSON CITY — Nevada is appealing a federal judge’s ruling to allow the future transfer of nuclear material from South Carolina to a federal site in Nye County.

The state filed a request for a preliminary injunction to stop the Department of Energy from shipping a metric-ton of weapons grade plutonium from South Carolina into the state in November, but a judge last week denied that injunction.

On the day of the judge’s ruling, the Energy Department disclosed that it had delivered half a metric ton of the material, which is used as the core material in nuclear weapons, into the state before the initial lawsuit was filed.

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Newspaper column: Nevada still has a role to play in nuclear deterrence | 4TH ST8

After learning this past week that the Department of Energy had secretly shipped a thousand pounds of weapons-grade plutonium to the Nevada National Security Site in Nye County before the state had filed a federal lawsuit in November seeking to block such shipments, Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak and the state’s entire Democratic delegation to D.C. flew into paroxysms of apoplexy, accusing the Trump administration of deception and dealing unfairly with the state.

Sisolak put out a statement declaring, “I am beyond outraged by this completely unacceptable deception from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Department led the State of Nevada to believe that they were engaging in good-faith negotiations with us regarding a potential shipment of weapons-grade plutonium, only to reveal that those negotiations were a sham all along. They lied to the State of Nevada, misled a federal court, and jeopardized the safety of Nevada’s families and environment.”

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Editorial | Bundy prosecutors keep flogging a false scenario « 4TH ST8

In a section of the 88-page brief filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that argues that prosecutors were simply trying to balance disclose of data against “protecting witnesses and victims from real and on-going threats,” prosecutors note that “in June 2014, Jerad and Amanda Miller, two extremists who had been at Bundy’s property in April, murdered two Las Vegas police officers as they ate lunch, then draped a Gadsden flag over one of the officers and shouted this was the start of ‘a revolution,’ and later killed a civilian as well.”

What they continue to neglect to mention is that the Millers were a couple of leftist, anti-authoritarian lunatics who showed up at the Bundy ranch standoff with BLM agents trying to confiscate his cattle but were told by the Bundys to leave because of their “very radical” views.

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Bunkerville standoff figure wants to interview Trump adviser Stone | LVRJ

A conservative internet talk show host and figure in the 2014 Bunkerville standoff wants to interview President Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone while Stone is under federal indictment.

But Pete Santilli, whose YouTube channel has 33,000 subscribers, must first get permission from U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro to conduct the video interview, according to his Las Vegas lawyer, Chris Rasmussen.

“Santilli looks forward to his audience being able to hear Roger Stone’s side of the events that led up to his arrest, and friendship with President Trump,” Rasmussen said in an interview Thursday.

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Judge to remove restraining order on county ordinance opposed by ranchers | Local | idahostatejournal.com

POCATELLO — An Arimo ranching couple says they will soon lose access to feed some of their livestock, following a district judge’s decision Monday afternoon to allow the county to go forward with a road-use restriction.

Effective Feb. 11, Sixth District Judge Robert Naftz said he will dissolve the temporary restraining order he issued in late January on behalf of ranchers Sherrilyn and Dennis Munden, blocking enforcement of a road access restriction included in a new county ordinance.

The ordinance, approved in January, specifies that a 2-mile stretch of Garden Creek Road the Munden’s have used to haul feed to bulls, steers and horses is part of a designated snowmobiling route and is closed to other forms of traffic.

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Learning From The Hammond’s Federal Lands Saga | Agweb.com

Dwight and Steven Hammonds are back on the ranch, after a long and lengthy battle over grazing rights and property management. But even after a pardon and release from prison, the journey back to reinstating their grazing permits has just begun.

Ethan Lane, executive director of the Public Lands Council talked with host Chip Flory about the saga on AgriTalk during the 2019 Cattle Industry and NCBA Tradeshow.

The Hammonds were back-burning on private property, a normal ranching method to lower wildfire risk and control timber encroachment, when some federal lands caught on fire.

“That’s an important part of this,” Lane said. “It was a normal farming and ranching practice.”

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Justice Department files 88-page appeal to reverse stinging defeat against Bundy clan in Nevada standoff – Washington Times

The Justice Department filed an appeal Wednesday of its devastating defeat against Cliven Bundy in the Nevada standoff, disputing the federal judge’s decision last year to throw out the case based on prosecutorial wrongdoing.

The 88-page motion, filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenged Chief U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro’s blistering finding of “flagrant” misconduct, which prompted her to declare a mistrial in December 2017 and dismiss the charges a month later.

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CBS rejected this patriotic pro-flag Super Bowl ad from veteran-owned Nine Line

A patriotic pro-flag Super Bowl commercial from veteran-owned and -operated Nine Line Apparel company was reportedly rejected by the network that televised the big game on Sunday, and it has left many in the community wondering why.

Nine Line posted its 45-second commercial to YouTube on Saturday ahead of the Super Bowl, which was broadcast by the CBS network. The commercial already has more than a quarter million views on YouTube.

Watch it here:

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Editorial: Universal public service has constitutional flaw « 4TH ST8

For the past year a national commission has been studying the issue of whether all young Americans should be required to perform public service — either military or some form of civilian service — and whether women should be required to register for the draft as men are currently required to do, even though the draft has not been used since 1973.

The National Commission on Military, National and Public Service is chaired by former Nevada Congressman, emergency room physician and Army Reserve Brig Gen. Joe Heck. He was interviewed on NPR public radio this past week about the status of the commission’s endeavors.

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Southern California deserts need protection, Congress says as it crafts legislation for off-roading, wilderness land – San Bernardino Sun

Republicans and Democrats disagree on a lot of issues, but protecting deserts in Southern California doesn’t seem to be one of them.

Legislation was introduced this month in both chambers of Congress, by members of both major parties, with the goal of protecting 716,000 acres of regional desert, adding a swath nearly as big as Rhode Island to regional land that’s already under protection. New protected zones would include off-highway vehicle recreation areas and wilderness, and an expansion of several National Parks.

The identical bills, sponsored by Rep. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, in the House of Representatives and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, in the Senate, are the result of years of work with the off-roading community, conservationists and local governments. For different reasons, all of those interests want to see the protections in place.

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Grant County gets to keep its ban on the United Nations. But the Oregon county has other ideas, too | NW NN

In 2002, Grant County, Oregon banned the United Nations by citizen initiative. The referendum wasn’t close: 58 percent of voters said to keep the United Nations out of Eastern Oregon. The sponsors asserted the United Nations sought to impose “world taxation,” take away guns and private property and bring about “one world controlled education.”

That same year, Grant County voted to petition Congress for title to all federal lands inside the county. A decade later, county commissioners passed a measure forbidding the U.S. Forest Service from closing roads or trails.

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Cliven Bundy’s cattle still graze on federal land 5 years after standoff | Video

LAS VEGAS – A year after a judge dismissed charges against rancher Cliven Bundy, two of his sons and another man, an appeal is coming.

Federal prosecutors announcing this week they are challenging a decision by a U.S. District Court judge to declare a mistrial and dismiss the case against the four men related to the armed standoff near Bunkerville, Nevada back in 2014.

The vast valley surrounding the Virgin River sprawls for miles in every direction. Recent rains have left the range lush with vegetation.

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Oregon to Become First State to Require In-Home Surveillance of Newborns?

If you kill your baby in the womb, the government can have nothing to say about it but if you allow the child to live, the government is gonna’ be ALL up in your business.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown is pushing to make the state the first to require universal home visits for newborn children.

If your internal “uh-oh” alarms are not sounding loudly, please check your batteries.

The bill was introduced last month and orders the Oregon Health Authority to “study home visiting by licensed health care providers.”

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Investigators Release Report Clearing Zinke Of Wrongdoing Almost A Month After He Left Office | Daily Caller

Federal investigators released a report Thursday finding “no evidence” former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke committed misconduct while rolling back the borders of a national monument in Utah.

The report comes nearly a month after Zinke left office, in part because he was the focus of an unusually high number of federal investigations for someone of his position. Zinke announced he was leaving the Trump administration in mid-December 2018.

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Governor Who Endorsed Infanticide Received $2 Million From Planned Parenthood – Big League Politics

Research reveals nearly $2 million in campaign contributions from the taxpayer funded pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood sent to Northam, who endorsed a bill that would allow new mothers to determine whether they wanted to keep a child after delivery, essentially legalizing infanticide.

Northam received $1.996 million from Planned Parenthood Virginia over the course of five years, with most of the donations coming in during his 2017 election campaign. These include massive cash injections of $338,852, $278,247, $255,641, and other similar amounts in the final days before the election.

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NOMINATIONS: Meet the long-shot contender to lead Interior — Tuesday, January 29, 2019 — www.eenews.net

The Mountain States Legal Foundation claims two former Interior secretaries among its alumni, and conservative activists are pushing to add a third individual to that group: former foundation President William Perry Pendley.

Pendley, who had helmed the conservative law firm since 1989, left his post late last year without fanfare.

“BTW, no longer with @MSLF but NEVER retired; busy as ever!” Pendley posted to his Twitter account on Dec. 9, referring to the foundation.

But a few days later, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced his resignation from the Trump administration, and Pendley’s name became among those floated to replace the former Montana lawmaker.

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#BREAKING Weapons-grade plutonium secretly sent to facility north of Las Vegas | LVRJ

WASHINGTON — Weapons-grade plutonium was sent to a federal facility north of Las Vegas from South Carolina in November, before the Silver State filed a federal lawsuit to stop the shipment of the bomb-making material, the general counsel for the National Nuclear Security Administration disclosed in a court filing Wednesday.

The revelation drew a quick rebuke from Gov. Steve Sisolak who said he was “beyond outraged” at the deception of the U.S. Department of Energy.

“They lied to the State of Nevada, misled a federal court, and jeopardized the safety of Nevada’s families and environment,” Sisolak said in a statement.

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Facebook pays users to sideload data-gathering VPN in apparent violation of Apple privacy policies

Importantly, Facebook relies on the three software testing platforms to enable sideloading of the Research app, effectively bypassing Apple’s App Store and its stringent guidelines. Facebook does not disseminate Research through Apple’s TestFlight, presumably because the system involves an app review process and 10,000 user limit.

The entire operation smacks of deception and appears to fly in the face of Apple’s good faith developer agreements. In particular, Research asks users to install an Enterprise Developer Certificate and VPN, granting root access to a bulk of iPhone’s transmitted data, the report says. As noted by TechCrunch, Apple’s developer guidelines place restrictions on the Enterprise Developer Certificate, noting companies are to use the privilege only for internal apps distributed to employees.

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Activists making ‘water drops’ for migrants near border say government intimidation is rising – Washington Post

This month, four volunteers from a similar organization in Arizona, called No More Deaths, were convicted of misdemeanor charges of abandonment of property and entering a wildlife refuge without a permit after leaving food and water in a remote national wildlife refuge infamous for migrant fatalities. The Pima County medical examiner has documented 137 migrant deaths in this area since 2001, although No More Deaths advocates say they believe the number is much higher.

Each volunteer could receive up to six months in federal prison and a $500 fine for crimes that Judge Bernardo P. Velasco wrote eroded a “national decision to maintain the Refuge in its pristine nature.”

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Grazing Permits Restored for Hammond Family | Drovers

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has restored grazing permits for the Hammond family from Oregon after losing the right to graze following federal charges that were later pardoned.

The announcement was made on Jan. 28 that Hammond Ranches would be able to graze their BLM allotments again. The BLM had stripped the right to graze after Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted of felony arson in 2012. They were sentenced to five years imprisonment under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.

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