“Incompetence at the Drug Enforcement Agency may be contributing to a shortage of medications such as morphine and the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam. That’s the takeaway from a scathing 80-page report from the Government Accountability Office, which blames the DEA for an increasing shortage of prescription drugs that contain controlled substances.
The DEA is in charge of regulating these drugs because they pose risks for potential addiction and abuse. The agency is required to set quotas that drug manufacturers rely on to know how much they can produce.
The problem is that the DEA isn’t providing manufacturers with the quotas on time — and hasn’t for more than a decade, according to the GAO.
The auditors said that between 2001 and 2014, the DEA failed to report the quotas to manufacturers on time. The drugmakers say that delayed their production process and often resulted in shortages.”
“A reminder from a rather unusual source that the apple does not fall far from the tree, politically speaking. Gawker’s John Cook told C-SPAN’s Washington Journal this morning that the main issue with Hillary Clinton’s attempt to evade oversight and accountability through the exclusive use of a private e-mail system was that it circumvented the law. That “scheme” goes directly to the top, Cook argues, as Barack Obama “tolerated” Hillary’s evasion of the “Freedom of Information law,” not a guideline or rule. “It goes not just to Hillary Clinton,” Cook states, “it goes to Barack Obama and his hypocrisy, and failed, false commitment to transparency.””
“U.S.-trained and armed Iraqi military units, the key to the American strategy against ISIS, are under investigation for committing some of the same atrocities as the terror group, American and Iraqi officials told ABC News. Some Iraqi units have already been cut off from U.S. assistance over “credible” human rights violations, according to a senior military official on the Pentagon’s Joint Staff.
The investigation, being conducted by the Iraqi government, was launched after officials were confronted with numerous allegations of “war crimes,” based in part on dozens of ghastly videos and still photos that appear to show uniformed soldiers from some of Iraq’s most elite units and militia members massacring civilians, torturing and executing prisoners, and displaying severed heads.
The videos and photos are part of a trove of disturbing images that ABC News discovered has been circulating within the dark corners of Iraqi social media since last summer. In some U.S. military and Iraqi circles, the Iraqi units and militias under scrutiny are referred to as the “dirty brigades.”
“As the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces] and militias reclaim territory, their behavior must be above reproach or they risk being painted with the same brush as ISIL [ISIS] fighters,” said a statement to ABC News from the U.S. government. “If these allegations are confirmed, those found responsible must be held accountable.””
_________________________
“The conundrum President Barack Obama faced when he reluctantly came to the conclusion that the United States would not be able to avoid confronting the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was how to combat this fundamentalist militia without committing American troops to the fight.
The Iraqi Security Forces melted away in the face of the advance by ragtag ISIS fighters and the Kurdish Peshmerga, while effective, have a limited geographic range of operations. The only reliable militants in the region, then, are the Shiite factions in Iraq. Despite the fact that these groups remain loyal first to Tehran before Baghdad, the United States embraced an alliance of necessity with these groups and sanctioned their role in pushing ISIS back.
Not everyone was perfectly comfortable with allowing Shiite militias to not only serve as the primary force combatting a Sunni militia movement but also to occupy the Sunni towns and cities that it liberated from ISIS control. But some of this strategy’s critics feared that these forces might spark the kind of apocalyptic, region-wide sectarian conflict that ISIS wanted and American military planners long feared. The critics were right.”
“In what may be a glimpse of more troubles ahead for Hillary Clinton, a federal judge on Friday ordered the State Department to release the passenger manifests of overseas flights the likely 2016 presidential hopeful took while serving as secretary of state.
Did she take Clinton Foundation donors with her as a thank you for their support? Some are wondering.
The Citizens United conservative advocacy group filed a federal lawsuit after it repeatedly requested the flight information under the Freedom of Information Act, only to have the requests repeatedly rebuffed since July, according to The New York Times.
“Inflation-adjusted federal tax revenues hit a record $1,185,613,000,000 in the first five months of fiscal 2015, but the federal government still ran a $386,537,000,000 deficit during that time, according to the latest Monthly Treasury Statement.”
“In constant 2015 dollars, the $1,185,613,000,000 that the federal government collected from October through February in fiscal 2015 was $94,803,620,000 more than the $1,090,809,380,000 it collected in October through February in fiscal 2014.
That $1,090,809,380 that the federal government brought in in October through February of fiscal 2015 is now the second-highest-ever federal tax intake through February.”
“Birmingham has been chosen as one of six cities nationwide to serve as a pilot site for a national initiative on restoring relationships between law enforcement and citizens.
Attorney General Eric Holder made the announcement today. The $4.7 million National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice was announced in April and is a partnership between federal officials and criminal justice experts focused on providing training, policy and research to address distrust between citizens and law enforcement.
The other pilot cities are: Ft. Worth, Gary, Indiana, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Stockton. The initiative comes after several high profile fatal police-involved shootings.”
“The Department of Justice started the initiative as part of the My Brother’s Keeper program, which seeks to create opportunities for all young people throughout the country – regardless of background – to improve their lives and reach their full potential.”
The best thing Eric Holder can do to restore trust between citizens and police is go away.
#1 Sometimes regulatory agencies are so busy looking for new things to regulate that they can’t do the job they are assigned. The higher grades are in the projects that advance the scope of the agency. Doing the job is routine papershuffeling. No advancement there.
Not ideal. But that’s the way it works.
Are any of you aware of some kind of controversy concerning a photo portrait of a soldier in dress uniform, with his baby cradled in the American flag? The ends of the flag drape over the soldier’s arms, with the baby nestled in the drooping middle. I hope this link gets you to it…
I only know about it because one friend (very patriotic & conservative) shared the photo, & mentioned the controversy. She thinks it is a beautiful representation of what our soldiers fight for – hope & a future for their children, & for all our children. Others think it is desecrating the flag.
One person commented that if it’s okay for athletes to wrap themselves in the flag, this photo shouldn’t be such a problem. Someone else noted out that people should judge it by its obviously respectful intent.
Turns out the photo I shared is not the original one. The original one, that caused all the controversy, was of a female soldier. I’ll try to find that somewhere.
I was raised in a time (and being a good Girl Scout) when using the flag as clothing or other uses was simply in violation of formal flag etiquette. So it still seems a little bit jarring to me, but I realize those rules have generally been tossed out.
I suspect things began to relax during the Vietnam era and with the flag burning that became more common during protests.
I can’t say that I have strong feelings about it, one way or the other. But using the flag as clothing (or as a hammock) just wouldn’t have been done not so long ago.
I heard a discussion on the radio about the photograph but it wasn’t anything I pursued for more information. I’m in the “whatever” mode these days, I’m afraid.
“Decoration
Never use the flag for decoration. Use bunting with the blue on top, then white, then red.
Salute
All persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the armed forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.
Over a Street Union (stars) face north or east depending on the direction of the street.
Half Staff
On special days, the flag may be flown at half-staff. On Memorial Day it is flown at half-staff until noon and then raised.
Do not let the flag touch the ground.
Do not fly flag upside down unless there is an emergency.
Do not carry the flag flat, or carry things in it.
Do not use the flag as clothing.
Do not store the flag where it can get dirty.
Do not use it as a cover.
Do not fasten it or tie it back. Always allow it to fall free.
Do not draw on, or otherwise mark the flag. “
“Other Things Not to Do with the Flag
Out of respect for the U.S. flag, never:
dip it for any person or thing, even though state flags, regimental colors and other flags may be dipped as a mark of honor.
display it with the union down, except as a signal of distress.
let the flag touch anything beneath it: ground, floor, water, merchandise.
carry it horizontally, but always aloft.
fasten or display it in a way that will permit it to be damaged or soiled.
place anything on the flag, including letters, insignia, or designs of any kind.
use it for holding anything.”
You see, I understand all that. But I also looked at the intent of the photo portrait, & didn’t see it as “desecration” as some do. It seems some people are very upset about the photo.
I might say it is improper use of the flag, but I don’t think the intention was bad, just maybe uninformed.
I don’t think most people are aware of the etiquette that once existed, so in that sense I suppose they can have a pass.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see the flag as anything “sacred” — I supported the court decision years ago to allow people to burn the flag under the 1st Amendment (though I thought doing that was offensive). But it has been interesting to watch the changing perspectives over a fairly short time.
Guess since I was brought up by parents who were quite patriotic (my dad was a WWII sailor, my mom our Girl Scout troop leader), the flag always had a special respect that was taught to me from early on.
These days, I think those “rules” are all pretty much out the window. So be it. I don’t feel offended by any of this, only mildly surprised by how things have changed (I have the same reaction when I see replica flag bandannas on dogs, for example).
I assume much of today’s flag use in clothing etc. is done out of ignorance of the past etiquette that people in my generation were raised with, not as a way to offend.
I still remember during the late 1960s or early ’70s when a young guy in some other state was actually arrested when he was stopped because he hung a U.S. flag inside the back of his van’s rear window. His punishment was to stand for hours holding the flag in front of the station, or something like that, as I recall.
That’s how I see it, too, Donna, it is more from ignorance than from disrespect. But so many people these days love to be outraged at any little thing.
I remember when I finally broke down and bought a flag to hang outside my own house following 9/11, I chose a Betsy Ross style (with the stars displayed in a circle).
Love this country and what it stands for — but I’m not sure those principles are the same now as they were in the beginning sometimes. 😦 Maybe they just stand for such different kinds of things now that its citizens have (increasingly) lost their moral moorings.
Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett leaked to the press details of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail address during her time as secretary of state, sources tell me.
But she did so through people outside the administration, so the story couldn’t be traced to her or the White House.
In addition, at Jarrett’s behest, the State Department was ordered to launch a series of investigations into Hillary’s conduct at Foggy Bottom, including the use of her expense account, the disbursement of funds, her contact with foreign leaders and her possible collusion with the Clinton Foundation.
Six separate probes into Hillary’s performance have been going on at the State Department. I’m told that the e-mail scandal was timed to come out just as Hillary was on the verge of formally announcing that she was running for president — and that there’s more to come.”
Wandering Views 
Here comes a news dump…
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/dea-is-causing-shortages-of-painkillers-and-other-drugs/ar-AA9JfyD
“Incompetence at the Drug Enforcement Agency may be contributing to a shortage of medications such as morphine and the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam. That’s the takeaway from a scathing 80-page report from the Government Accountability Office, which blames the DEA for an increasing shortage of prescription drugs that contain controlled substances.
The DEA is in charge of regulating these drugs because they pose risks for potential addiction and abuse. The agency is required to set quotas that drug manufacturers rely on to know how much they can produce.
The problem is that the DEA isn’t providing manufacturers with the quotas on time — and hasn’t for more than a decade, according to the GAO.
The auditors said that between 2001 and 2014, the DEA failed to report the quotas to manufacturers on time. The drugmakers say that delayed their production process and often resulted in shortages.”
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2.
http://hotair.com/archives/2015/03/13/reminder-from-gawker-hillarys-corruption-is-obamas-too/
“A reminder from a rather unusual source that the apple does not fall far from the tree, politically speaking. Gawker’s John Cook told C-SPAN’s Washington Journal this morning that the main issue with Hillary Clinton’s attempt to evade oversight and accountability through the exclusive use of a private e-mail system was that it circumvented the law. That “scheme” goes directly to the top, Cook argues, as Barack Obama “tolerated” Hillary’s evasion of the “Freedom of Information law,” not a guideline or rule. “It goes not just to Hillary Clinton,” Cook states, “it goes to Barack Obama and his hypocrisy, and failed, false commitment to transparency.””
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3. The problem with aiding anyone in this conflict is that they’re all bad. Either way, you’re taking the wrong side.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/dirty-brigades-us-trained-iraqi-forces-investigated-war/story?id=29193253
“U.S.-trained and armed Iraqi military units, the key to the American strategy against ISIS, are under investigation for committing some of the same atrocities as the terror group, American and Iraqi officials told ABC News. Some Iraqi units have already been cut off from U.S. assistance over “credible” human rights violations, according to a senior military official on the Pentagon’s Joint Staff.
The investigation, being conducted by the Iraqi government, was launched after officials were confronted with numerous allegations of “war crimes,” based in part on dozens of ghastly videos and still photos that appear to show uniformed soldiers from some of Iraq’s most elite units and militia members massacring civilians, torturing and executing prisoners, and displaying severed heads.
The videos and photos are part of a trove of disturbing images that ABC News discovered has been circulating within the dark corners of Iraqi social media since last summer. In some U.S. military and Iraqi circles, the Iraqi units and militias under scrutiny are referred to as the “dirty brigades.”
“As the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces] and militias reclaim territory, their behavior must be above reproach or they risk being painted with the same brush as ISIL [ISIS] fighters,” said a statement to ABC News from the U.S. government. “If these allegations are confirmed, those found responsible must be held accountable.””
_________________________
http://hotair.com/archives/2015/03/12/good-news-americas-boots-on-the-ground-in-iraq-committing-war-crimes/
“The conundrum President Barack Obama faced when he reluctantly came to the conclusion that the United States would not be able to avoid confronting the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was how to combat this fundamentalist militia without committing American troops to the fight.
The Iraqi Security Forces melted away in the face of the advance by ragtag ISIS fighters and the Kurdish Peshmerga, while effective, have a limited geographic range of operations. The only reliable militants in the region, then, are the Shiite factions in Iraq. Despite the fact that these groups remain loyal first to Tehran before Baghdad, the United States embraced an alliance of necessity with these groups and sanctioned their role in pushing ISIS back.
Not everyone was perfectly comfortable with allowing Shiite militias to not only serve as the primary force combatting a Sunni militia movement but also to occupy the Sunni towns and cities that it liberated from ISIS control. But some of this strategy’s critics feared that these forces might spark the kind of apocalyptic, region-wide sectarian conflict that ISIS wanted and American military planners long feared. The critics were right.”
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4. The next shoe to drop.
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2015/03/14/prelude-to-next-hillary-scandal-judge-orders-state-dept-to-release-clinton-passenger-manifests-186744
“In what may be a glimpse of more troubles ahead for Hillary Clinton, a federal judge on Friday ordered the State Department to release the passenger manifests of overseas flights the likely 2016 presidential hopeful took while serving as secretary of state.
Did she take Clinton Foundation donors with her as a thank you for their support? Some are wondering.
The Citizens United conservative advocacy group filed a federal lawsuit after it repeatedly requested the flight information under the Freedom of Information Act, only to have the requests repeatedly rebuffed since July, according to The New York Times.
A federal judge agreed enough is enough.”
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5. Record tax receipts, and still running a nearly 400 billion dollar deficit. Waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ali-meyer/1185613000000-federal-taxes-hit-record-through-february-gov-t-still-runs-386b
“Inflation-adjusted federal tax revenues hit a record $1,185,613,000,000 in the first five months of fiscal 2015, but the federal government still ran a $386,537,000,000 deficit during that time, according to the latest Monthly Treasury Statement.”
“In constant 2015 dollars, the $1,185,613,000,000 that the federal government collected from October through February in fiscal 2015 was $94,803,620,000 more than the $1,090,809,380,000 it collected in October through February in fiscal 2014.
That $1,090,809,380 that the federal government brought in in October through February of fiscal 2015 is now the second-highest-ever federal tax intake through February.”
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6. Bring on the brown shirts…. Looks like Obama’s dream is coming to fruition.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/03/birmingham_1_of_6_pilot_sites.html
“Birmingham has been chosen as one of six cities nationwide to serve as a pilot site for a national initiative on restoring relationships between law enforcement and citizens.
Attorney General Eric Holder made the announcement today. The $4.7 million National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice was announced in April and is a partnership between federal officials and criminal justice experts focused on providing training, policy and research to address distrust between citizens and law enforcement.
The other pilot cities are: Ft. Worth, Gary, Indiana, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Stockton. The initiative comes after several high profile fatal police-involved shootings.”
“The Department of Justice started the initiative as part of the My Brother’s Keeper program, which seeks to create opportunities for all young people throughout the country – regardless of background – to improve their lives and reach their full potential.”
LikeLike
The best thing Eric Holder can do to restore trust between citizens and police is go away.
#1 Sometimes regulatory agencies are so busy looking for new things to regulate that they can’t do the job they are assigned. The higher grades are in the projects that advance the scope of the agency. Doing the job is routine papershuffeling. No advancement there.
Not ideal. But that’s the way it works.
LikeLike
Are any of you aware of some kind of controversy concerning a photo portrait of a soldier in dress uniform, with his baby cradled in the American flag? The ends of the flag drape over the soldier’s arms, with the baby nestled in the drooping middle. I hope this link gets you to it…
I only know about it because one friend (very patriotic & conservative) shared the photo, & mentioned the controversy. She thinks it is a beautiful representation of what our soldiers fight for – hope & a future for their children, & for all our children. Others think it is desecrating the flag.
One person commented that if it’s okay for athletes to wrap themselves in the flag, this photo shouldn’t be such a problem. Someone else noted out that people should judge it by its obviously respectful intent.
LikeLike
Oh! The photo showed up!
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I heard about the photo. But never understood to commotion.
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Turns out the photo I shared is not the original one. The original one, that caused all the controversy, was of a female soldier. I’ll try to find that somewhere.
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Nope. It was another male soldier, not a female. Here’s the original…
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/local/2015/03/13/patriotic-pic-mansfield-mans-flag-wrapped-baby/70274514/
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I was raised in a time (and being a good Girl Scout) when using the flag as clothing or other uses was simply in violation of formal flag etiquette. So it still seems a little bit jarring to me, but I realize those rules have generally been tossed out.
I suspect things began to relax during the Vietnam era and with the flag burning that became more common during protests.
I can’t say that I have strong feelings about it, one way or the other. But using the flag as clothing (or as a hammock) just wouldn’t have been done not so long ago.
I heard a discussion on the radio about the photograph but it wasn’t anything I pursued for more information. I’m in the “whatever” mode these days, I’m afraid.
LikeLike
Here’s what the controversy is over. While it’s a nice sentiment, it violates flag etiquette.
http://www.vfw.org/Flag/
“Decoration
Never use the flag for decoration. Use bunting with the blue on top, then white, then red.
Salute
All persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the armed forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.
Over a Street Union (stars) face north or east depending on the direction of the street.
Half Staff
On special days, the flag may be flown at half-staff. On Memorial Day it is flown at half-staff until noon and then raised.
Do not let the flag touch the ground.
Do not fly flag upside down unless there is an emergency.
Do not carry the flag flat, or carry things in it.
Do not use the flag as clothing.
Do not store the flag where it can get dirty.
Do not use it as a cover.
Do not fasten it or tie it back. Always allow it to fall free.
Do not draw on, or otherwise mark the flag. “
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Yep.
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More,
Click to access flagdisplay.pdf
“Other Things Not to Do with the Flag
Out of respect for the U.S. flag, never:
dip it for any person or thing, even though state flags, regimental colors and other flags may be dipped as a mark of honor.
display it with the union down, except as a signal of distress.
let the flag touch anything beneath it: ground, floor, water, merchandise.
carry it horizontally, but always aloft.
fasten or display it in a way that will permit it to be damaged or soiled.
place anything on the flag, including letters, insignia, or designs of any kind.
use it for holding anything.”
I assume anything covers the child. 🙂
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Boots on the ground? We’re already there – and one has already died: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/andrew-doiron-canadian-soldier-killed-in-iraq-honoured-at-ottawa-funeral-1.2994416
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You see, I understand all that. But I also looked at the intent of the photo portrait, & didn’t see it as “desecration” as some do. It seems some people are very upset about the photo.
I might say it is improper use of the flag, but I don’t think the intention was bad, just maybe uninformed.
LikeLike
I don’t think most people are aware of the etiquette that once existed, so in that sense I suppose they can have a pass.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see the flag as anything “sacred” — I supported the court decision years ago to allow people to burn the flag under the 1st Amendment (though I thought doing that was offensive). But it has been interesting to watch the changing perspectives over a fairly short time.
Guess since I was brought up by parents who were quite patriotic (my dad was a WWII sailor, my mom our Girl Scout troop leader), the flag always had a special respect that was taught to me from early on.
These days, I think those “rules” are all pretty much out the window. So be it. I don’t feel offended by any of this, only mildly surprised by how things have changed (I have the same reaction when I see replica flag bandannas on dogs, for example).
LikeLike
I assume much of today’s flag use in clothing etc. is done out of ignorance of the past etiquette that people in my generation were raised with, not as a way to offend.
I still remember during the late 1960s or early ’70s when a young guy in some other state was actually arrested when he was stopped because he hung a U.S. flag inside the back of his van’s rear window. His punishment was to stand for hours holding the flag in front of the station, or something like that, as I recall.
LikeLike
As for the baby picture, I guess I just shrug it off. It neither inspires nor particularly offends me.
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That’s how I see it, too, Donna, it is more from ignorance than from disrespect. But so many people these days love to be outraged at any little thing.
LikeLike
I remember when I finally broke down and bought a flag to hang outside my own house following 9/11, I chose a Betsy Ross style (with the stars displayed in a circle).
Love this country and what it stands for — but I’m not sure those principles are the same now as they were in the beginning sometimes. 😦 Maybe they just stand for such different kinds of things now that its citizens have (increasingly) lost their moral moorings.
LikeLike
Pass the popcorn, this is getting good. 🙂
http://nypost.com/2015/03/14/obama-adviser-behind-leak-of-hillary-clintons-e-mail-scandal/
“It’s the vast left-wing conspiracy.
Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett leaked to the press details of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail address during her time as secretary of state, sources tell me.
But she did so through people outside the administration, so the story couldn’t be traced to her or the White House.
In addition, at Jarrett’s behest, the State Department was ordered to launch a series of investigations into Hillary’s conduct at Foggy Bottom, including the use of her expense account, the disbursement of funds, her contact with foreign leaders and her possible collusion with the Clinton Foundation.
Six separate probes into Hillary’s performance have been going on at the State Department. I’m told that the e-mail scandal was timed to come out just as Hillary was on the verge of formally announcing that she was running for president — and that there’s more to come.”
LikeLike