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Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 26, 2016 45 Comments
Legal Insurrection readers and authors were recently having a robust discussion on the the British exit from the European Union and its potential impact on the U.S. Perhaps the biggest #Brexit effect with be on state independence movements. For example, Louis J. Marinelli, a Californian political activist and leader of the California independence movement, is using the European developments to drive a harder push to have California split from the United States.
His dream of seeing a free, independent California Republic was buoyed by Thursday’s shock result of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union—known as Brexit. Marinelli, president of the "Yes California" movement, was inspired by the Brexit vote, as “Leave” supporters in England and Wales overwhelmed “Remain” backers in Scotland and Northern Ireland—prompting discussions of whether Scotland will hold another referendum to leave the U.K behind and retain EU membership.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on June 25, 2016 23 Comments
Governor David Ige of Hawaii has signed into law a bill that requires gun owners in that state to be registered in an FBI database that will automatically notify police if an Hawaii resident is arrested in another state. Fox News reports:
Hawaii signed a bill Thursday to become the first state to enter gun owners into an FBI database that will automatically notify police if an island resident is arrested anywhere else in the country. Gov. David Ige said in a statement that the legislation is about community safety and responsible gun ownership. He said it will help law enforcement agencies protect Hawaii residents and visitors.

Posted by Mike LaChance on June 25, 2016 11 Comments
Irving Kristol once famously described a conservative as a liberal who has been mugged by reality. In the case of film star Kelly McGillis, it was a home invasion which changed her mind about concealed carry. Bearing Arms reports:
After Home Invasion, Kelly McGillis Is Going to Conceal Carry Her ‘Top Gun’ Actress Kelly McGillis exploded into the American consciousness in the 1980s with riveting roles as a young Amish widow and mother in Witness (1985), Tom Cruise’s love interest in Top Gun (1986), and as Jodie Foster’s attorney in The Accused (1988).

Posted by Mark Finkelstein on June 25, 2016 31 Comments
Could there have been bona fide reasons for Brexit? Not if you believe Joy Reid. On her MSNBC show today, Reid suggested that old and rural voters, who tended to vote Leave, had "hijacked the future of the young." She also blamed voter discontent on Prime Minister David Cameron's "austerity" program. Guess Reid reckons that people would have been happier with a UK that looked like Greece. Ron Insana chimed in to suggest that older voters were "re-romanticizing" their past, leading Reid to see a symmetry with Trump campaign, which she claims is being driven by the "nostalgia voter."

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 24, 2016 12 Comments
The Marine Corps discovered officials misidentified Harold Shultz, a private first class from Detroit, MI, in the famous Iwo Jima picture. The investigation also found that John Bradley, a Navy hospital corpsman, did not raise the flag. Bradley's son "wrote a best-selling book about his father’s role in the flag-raising that was made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood." Schultz always knew he was in the picture, but never spoke about in public.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 24, 2016 14 Comments
Maine's First Lady has joined the working class ranks. Recently, she picked up a summer job waiting tables to supplement the household income. "People expect something different of you because of who I'm married to," Maine's First Lady Ann LePage told local news. Governor LePage makes $70,000 per year in exchange for his stewardship of Maine, making it the lowest paid governorship in the country. The average two-person family income in Maine is about $17,000 more annually than the governor's salary. First Lady LePage is saving her summer earnings to buy a car.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 22, 2016 2 Comments
World #4 golfer Rory McIlroy has announced he will not play at the Rio Olympics due to the Zika outbreak. He released this statement:
"After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration for this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. "After speaking with those closest to me, I've come to realise that my health and my family's health comes before anything else. "Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low, it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take. "I trust the Irish people will understand my decision. The unwavering support I receive every time I compete in a golf tournament at home or abroad means the world to me. "I will continue to endeavour to make my fans and fans of golf proud with my play on the course and my actions off it."
Scientists have connected Zika to birth defects, including microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Numerous athletes have withdrawn from the Olympics because of Zika while some have expressed doubt they will play, but have not made up their mind yet.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 22, 2016 4 Comments
Francis William was born four months early weighing just over a pound and a half. Doctors gave him a 15% chance of survival. "We had a choice -- do everything or do nothing," said his Mom. "We wanted to give him a chance." Francis William's Dad wanted to know if his son had a real chance of survival. "I didn't want false hope, like please be honest with me, how is he really doing? I pulled one of the doctors aside and he says, let me just tell you, the numbers are all against Francis." The NICU nurses left a handful of markers for the family to create something colorful on the white board used for status updates in Francis William's room. His Aunt used her creativity to construct a "Finding Nemo" drawing. That innocuous little drawing lead the family to a greater story of hope.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 21, 2016 69 Comments
On Memorial Day weekend, we covered the accident with Harambe that led to the shooting of a rare gorilla to protect a boy who fell into the Cincinnati's zoo enclosure. Now, in time for Father's Day, there is troubling news related to the awful death of Lane Graves. The 2-year old was attacked by an alligator at the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon located across the lake from the Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 19, 2016 9 Comments
I have been following the antics of 17 state attorney generals who formed (AGs United for Clean Power), which intends to promote the progressive climate change agenda by targeting the fossil fuel industry using racketeering statutes. Recently, thirteen Republican members of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee Republicans sent letters to 17 state attorneys general and eight environmental groups requesting documents related to the groups’ coordinated efforts to deprive companies, nonprofit organizations, scientists and scholars of their First Amendment rights and their ability to fund and conduct scientific research free from intimidation and threats of prosecution. Now, a coalition of Republican AGs, headed up by Alabama's top cop, Luther Strange, issued a letter promising retaliation in kind, directed at "AGs for Clean Power. Call this rebuke fighting fire with fire!

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 19, 2016 5 Comments
The state of Rio, not the city, continues to topple as the governor declared a "state of public calamity" only 50 days before the 2016 Summer Olympics kick off. The state spent over $2.8 billion alone "on a 10-mile extension to Rio’s subway to link a series of wealthy beachside neighborhoods in time for the Olympics." But now they cannot afford to pay for public expenses. Maybe they shouldn't rely on the government for everything? But I digress. From The Wall Street Journal:
By declaring a state of calamity, interim Gov. Francisco Dornelles authorized his subordinates to adopt “exceptional measures necessary for the rationalization of essential public services” to meet Rio’s commitments for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The move further allows the government to skip the bidding process to hire some contractors and loosens minimum spending requirements on mandatory items like education and health care. An official in Brazil’s Finance Ministry said the decree would also enable Rio to obtain federal resources more quickly.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 17, 2016 7 Comments
Despite of the evil that overrides the headlines, there is still good in this world. Meet Greg Zanis, a man from Illinois who built and delivered 49 white, wooden crosses for the victims of the Orlando terrorist attack. ABC News reported:
Greg Zanis built 49 wooden crosses then drove 1,200 miles from Illinois to Florida to place them outside the Orlando Health Medical Center. "My message today is love your brother, love your neighbor. Don’t judge ‘em." Zanis says he plans to pass along the messages people write on the crosses to the victims’ families.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 17, 2016 12 Comments
The ISIS-inspired terror attack in Florida has impacted the entire nation. From the American political outback called California, one of the most unexpected responses came from West Hollywood. The community woke up to find images of posters of "Gay Pride" flag (designed with a new, conservative twist) plastered along the streets.
Stickers and posters featuring a rainbow-colored version of the Gadsden flag and the hashtag #ShootBack were raising eyebrows in West Hollywood on Thursday morning in the wake of the massacre at a gay nightclub in Florida. The signage was affixed to electric boxes, light poles, trash cans and other fixtures near West Hollywood City Hall, the Pacific Design Center and along Santa Monica Boulevard. Several were hung near the Abbey Food & Bar, a well-known gay lounge. The posters featured a coiled, striking rattlesnake, similar to the yellow Gadsden flag that reads “Don’t Tread On Me” and often is used by the Tea Party movement. The West Hollywood signs were rainbow-colored, like the gay pride flag.
Welcome to the Tea Party, home of constitutionally inspired activism since 2009!

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 14, 2016 8 Comments
Qatar has released a Dutch woman after holding her for three months because she had the nerve to be raped and report it. Blunt, but true. This is life for women who live under Sharia law. The woman only known as Laura reported her rape to officials, but they in turn arrested her for adultery because she had sex outside of marriage:
The woman, on a vacation with a friend, went out for drinks at a hotel bar in the Qatari capital in mid-March, lawyer Brian Lokollo previously told The Associated Press. While at the bar, she believes someone “messed with her drink” and her memory became hazy, Lokollo said. She later awoke alone, her clothes torn and the victim of a rape, he said. She was immediately detained after reporting the attack, Lokollo said. She previously appeared three times in court, he said.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 14, 2016 7 Comments
Equality Florida's GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $3 million to help the victims and families from the pulse gay club massacre. Over 69,000 people have contributed, including a $100,000 donation from the company:
"We are beyond moved by the support from all corners of the world and all walks of life," Equality Florida wrote. "We do not know the total costs for the victims of this horrific hate crime, therefore are working to raise as much as possible and disperse the funds as fast as possible."

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 14, 2016 17 Comments
A few American birthdays today -- the U.S. Army (1775) and Old Glory (1777). In 1777, the American flag was adopted by our Second Continental Congress. In 1916, President Wilson issues a proclamation officially requesting June 14 be a day celebrating, "emblem of the Union." He wrote:
I therefore suggest and request that throughout the nation and if possible in every community the fourteenth day of June be observed as FLAG DAY with special patriotic exercises, at which means shall be taken to give significant expression to our thoughtful love of America, our comprehension of the great mission of liberty and justice to which we have devoted ourselves as a people, our pride in the history and our enthusiasm for the political programme of the nation, our determination to make it greater and purer with each generation, and our resolution to demonstrate to all the world its, vital union in sentiment and purpose, accepting only those as true compatriots who feel as we do the compulsion of this supreme allegiance. Let us on that day rededicate ourselves to the nation, "one and inseparable" from which every thought that is not worthy of our fathers' first vows in independence, liberty, and right shall be excluded and in which we shall stand with united hearts, for an America which no man can corrupt, no influence draw away from its ideals, no force divide against itself,-a nation signally distinguished among all the nations of mankind for its clear, individual conception alike of its duties and its privileges, its obligations and its rights.
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