What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread.

Here’s a few to start off.

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But…but…. the Sequester…..  They had to cancel those tours it was so bad.

Or was it all just a fraud?

From NationalReview

“We are now firmly ensconced in the brutal Age of the Sequester, and things in America are grave. The federal government, we learned on Wednesday, is so strapped for cash that the president has been forced to cut off the People’s access to the home he’s borrowing from them. He didn’t want to have to do this, naturally — “particularly during the popular spring touring season.” But then Congress just had to go and acquiesce in measures that the president himself had suggested and signed into law. How beastly! We axed 2.6 percent from a $44.8 trillion budget, and now the president can’t even afford the $18,000 per week necessary to retain the seven staff members who facilitate citizens’ enjoying self-guided tours around the White House.

The executive mansion is not in that much trouble, of course. It’s certainly not in sufficiently dire straits for Air Force One ($181,757 per hour) to be grounded, or to see the executive chef ($100,000 per year) furloughed, or to cut back on the hours of the three full-time White House calligraphers ($277,050 per year for the trio), or to limit the invaluable work of the chief of staff to the president’s dog ($102,000 per year), or to trim his ridiculous motorcade ($2.2 million). If Ellen DeGeneres wants another dancercize session or Spain holds another clothing sale, the first family will be there before you can say “citizen executive.” Fear ye not, serfs: Austerity may be the word of the week, but the president is by no means in any danger of being forced to live like the president of a republic instead of like a king.”

“The current annual cost of the White House — just in household expenses, not the policy operations for which it exists — is $1.4 billion: Annually, presidential vacations cost $20 million (the low estimate for one presidential vacation to Hawaii is $4 million, but the true cost is probably five times that); the first family’s yearly health-care costs are $7 million; more than $6 million is spent on the White House grounds each year. Transporting the president cost $346 million last year. But as Michelle Obama might say, America is basically a downright mean sort of place, so the tours will just have to go. One hopes at least that the calligraphers were recruited to sign the docents’ pink slips.”

Yeah, pretty much.

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Catholic Bishops are claiming that the new Violence Against Women Act undermines religious liberty.

From CNSNews

“The new act expands its coverage beyond women to homosexuals,  bisexuals and transgenders, and includes language refering to “sexual  orientation” and “gender identity.”

“These two classifications are unnecessary to establish the just  protections due to all persons,” the bishops said in their statement.  “They undermine the meaning and importance of sexual difference. They  are unjustly exploited for purposes of marriage redefinition, and  marriage is the only institution that unites a man and a woman with each  other and with any children born from their union.”

The bishops also objected to the fact that the new act does not  include conscience protections for organizations providing care to  victims of human trafficking. Because of this, they say, the law  undermines religious liberty.”

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The Ninth Circuit get’s one right, but only partially.

From CNetNews

“U.S. customs officials must have a reasonable justification before snatching your laptop at the border and scanning through all your files for incriminating data, a federal appeals court ruled today.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Homeland Security’s border agents must have “reasonable suspicion” before they can legally conduct a forensics examination of laptops, mobile phones, camera memory cards, and so on.

Today’s opinion (PDF) is a limited — but hardly complete — rejection of the Obama administration’s claim that any American entering the country may have his or her electronic files minutely examined for evidence of criminal activity. Homeland Security has said the electronic border searches could detect terrorists, drug smugglers, and people violating “copyright or trademark laws.””

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This one is just wrong. She’s an old woman for cryin’ out loud.

From News7WSVN

“A South Florida woman claims a security guard forced her to exit the  Metrorail last month for refusing to stop singing religious hymns.

The incident involving 82-year-old Emma Anderson and the guard occurred Feb.  20 at the Brickell Metrorail station, was caught on cell phone video. The  footage shows the guard approaching Anderson, who was singing loudly on a corner  seat and tapping her thigh with a rolled-up piece of paper to keep time with the  music.

The guard asked Anderson several times to stop singing before grabbing her  cart and escorting her off the train. “You’re getting off here, let’s go,” the  guard is heard telling Anderson, who was heading to the Brownsville station.”

And the poor woman fell while being tossed. Yes, there’s video.

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This last one? HYPOCRISY ALERT!!!

Especially considering how he and his wife have spoken out against these sort of weapons. I guess he just means WE shouldn’t have them, but it’s fine for our ruling class elites, like them.

From Breitbart

“Mark E. Kelly, gun-control proponent and husband to former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, recently purchased an AR-15 (an “assault weapon,” he called it)—which he now says he intended as an illustration of the need for more stringent gun laws.

Kelly reportedly bought the AR-15 and a 1911-style semi-automatic pistol at a gun store in Tucson, Arizona.”

“Kelly and Giffords founded their own advocacy group to restrict gun rights, Americans for Responsible Solutions, in January. On its website, ARS wrote: “High capacity magazines are a deadly factor in gun violence.” A 30-round magazine is considered a high-capacity magazine.”

And then, like most weasels, he makes up a story days later to cover it up. Says he only bought it to turn over to the Tucson PD. Sure, ‘cuz people do that all the time. 🙄

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