795: Trump Head

Ted Cruz cheating

Darryl May

Coaching little league?

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 15:02

AC'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--KF5SLNGovernments are reading your email.Slow them down with encryption.My public key:pubkey.curry.com'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--'--

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 05:46

HTTPS Everywhere is produced as a collaboration between The Tor Project and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Many sites on the web offer some limited support for encryption over HTTPS, but make it difficult to use. For instance, they may default to unencrypted HTTP, or fill encrypted pages with links that go back to the unencrypted site. The HTTPS Everywhere extension fixes these problems by using clever technology to rewrite requests to these sites to HTTPS. Information about how to access the project's Git repository and get involved in development is here.

Webmasters and prospective contributors: Check the HTTPS Everywhere Atlas to quickly see how existing HTTPS Everywhere rules affect sites you care about! HTTPS Everywhere is governed by EFF's Privacy Policy for Software.

Problems Installing: Some people report that installing HTTPS Everywhere gives them the error: "The addon could not be downloaded because of a connection failure on www.eff.org." See this FAQ entry for help.

Read More About HTTPS Everywhere >>

Questions and CaveatsSadly, many sites still include a lot of content from third party domains that is not available over HTTPS. As always, if the browser's lock icon is broken or carries an exclamation mark, you may remain vulnerable to some adversaries that use active attacks or traffic analysis. However, the effort that would be required to eavesdrop on your browsing should still be usefully increased. Update: in recent versions of Firefox, Mozilla has removed the broken padlock indicator. Now, the only difference between a secure and insecure HTTPS deployment is the blue or green tint on the left of the address bar for secure deployments Answers to common questions may be on the frequently asked questions page. HTTPS Everywhere can protect you only when you're using sites that support HTTPS and for which HTTPS Everywhere include a ruleset. If sites you use don't support HTTPS, ask the site operators to add it; only the site operator is able to enable HTTPS. There is more information and instruction on how server operators can do that in the EFF article How to Deploy HTTPS Correctly.

Development And Writing your own RulesetsWebmasters and prospective contributors: Check the HTTPS Everywhere Atlas to quickly see how existing HTTPS Everywhere rules affect sites you care about! You can help us test forthcoming site support and new features by installing the development branch of the extension. HTTPS Everywhere uses small ruleset files to define which domains are redirected to https, and how. If you'd like to write your own ruleset, you can find out how to do that here. Information about how to access the project's Git repository and get involved in development is here. Send feedback on this project to the https-everywhere AT eff.org mailing list. Note that this is a public and publicly-archived mailing list. You can also subscribe. Send new rewrite rules or fixes to existing rewrite rules to the https-everywhere-rules AT eff.org mailing list. Note that this is a public and publicly-archived mailing list. You can also subscribe.

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Fri, 29 Jan 2016 20:21

Posted by Neal Mohan, VP Product Management, Display and Video AdsJerry Dischler, VP Product Management, AdWords Since 2008 we've been working to make sure all of our services use strong HTTPS encryption by default. That means people using products like Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Drive will automatically have an encrypted connection to Google. In addition to providing a secure connection on our own products, we've been big proponents of the idea of ''HTTPS Everywhere,'' encouraging webmasters to preventandfix security breaches on their sites, and using HTTPS as a signal in our search ranking algorithm.This year, we're working to bring this ''HTTPS Everywhere'' mission to our ads products as well, to support all of our advertiser and publisher partners. Here are some of the specific initiatives we're working on:

We've moved all YouTube ads to HTTPS as of the end of 2014.Search on Google.com is already encrypted for a vast majority of users and we are working towards encrypting search ads across our systems.By June 30, 2015, the vast majority of mobile, video, and desktop display ads served to the Google Display Network, AdMob, and DoubleClick publishers will be encrypted.Also by June 30, 2015, advertisers using any of our buying platforms, including AdWords and DoubleClick, will be able to serve HTTPS-encrypted display ads to all HTTPS-enabled inventory.Of course we're not alone in this goal. By encrypting ads, the advertising industry can help make the internet a little safer for all users. Recently, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) published a call to action to adopt HTTPS ads, and many industry players are also working to meet HTTPS requirements. We're big supporters of these industry-wide efforts to make HTTPS everywhere a reality.Our HTTPS Everywhere ads initiatives will join some of our other efforts to provide a great ads experience online for our users, like ''Why this Ad?'', ''Mute This Ad'' and TrueView skippable ads. With these security changes to our ads systems, we're one step closer to ensuring users everywhere are safe and secure every time they choose to watch a video, map out a trip in a new city, or open their favorite app.

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Fri, 29 Jan 2016 23:53

Now I think I finally get why Google wants HTTPS everywhere.

A lot of pages have Google code embedded in them.This code sends data back to Google.Suppose Comcast wanted to track users in addition to Google, or in place of Google.Now as the text of my page passes through their router, they simply modify the Google code, and leave the rest of the page alone. They wouldn't want to alert anyone to what they're doing, so they'd keep it as innocuous as possible. They probably would leave the Google code in, at least at first, so as to not arouse suspicion.They can do this because a lot of the sites that include Google code don't use HTTPS.This assumes Comcast can't crack the HTTPS. I have no info either way on that.Disclaimer: I never wanted to have to understand this stuff.

More: They probably couldn't care less about pages that have no code in them.

Also: Of course it's not just Comcast. All the mobile providers. In Europe, Asia, everywhere. And it's Facebook too. They have a browser coming too.

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Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:13

College students given five-step checklist on how to kiss without committing sexual assault

USC 'Consent Carnival' addresses sex ed in the age of affirmative consent

The old adage ''a kiss is just a kiss'' may not stand up to scrutiny anymore.

On Thursday, the University of Southern California's student government hosted a ''Consent Carnival'' that aimed to teach students how to properly hook-up under the ''yes means yes'' state law that requires so-called affirmative consent throughout any sexual encounter.

With that, a ''Kissing Booth'' at the event offered Hershey Kisses glued to little sheets of white paper that essentially explained how to properly kiss without committing sexual assault. The five-step checklist states on the front ''what exactly does it mean to '... 'consent' to a kiss?'' and on the back states that ''consent is'':

Affirmative: We're really excited to share this kiss with you and we're letting you know!

Coherent: We're present and able to recognize exactly what's happening when we give this kiss to you.

Willing: We made the decision to give you this kiss ourselves, without pressure or manipulation from you or anybody else.

Ongoing: Should you come back for another kiss, check in to see if we'd still like to give you one.

Mutual: Sure, we offered you a kiss, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it. Coming over to our table doesn't forfeit your right to say no.

RELATED: Legally mandated 'yes means yes' sex standard affirmatively baffles NYU students (VIDEO)

With increasing talk about sexual assault on college campuses, the Queer and Ally Student Assembly in conjunction with the Women's Student Assembly at USC organized the event, which included carnival games, food and prizes in its attempt to bring awareness to the idea of sexual consent.

Terms such as transgender, autonomy and pansexual were defined as part of various games meant to teach students about sexuality as well.

According to the USC Sexual Assault Resource Center, consent ''requires positive cooperation, and must be unambiguous,'' as well as affirmative, free and voluntary. It is also required before engagement in any sexual activity.

Carnival volunteer Denise Ross, a student at USC, said she hopes that through the carnival ''folks will have a basic knowledge of different identities and that they will have ownership of their own bodies, and others will have respect for that.''

But not all students agreed the carnival hit its mark.

Freshman student Quinn Blades told The College Fix in an interview that the idea of a ''Consent Carnival'' was ''a little odd, and it seemed like they were trying to make fun out of this very serious topic.''

Other students said they believed the Consent Carnival did not address a key issue: hooking up while drunk.

''I was surprised that they did not talk about alcohol at all, because it is definitely a major cause of many sexual assault cases,'' student Caroline Westchester told The College Fix. ''I think a lot of people don't want to bring it up because that would be blaming the victim, but I think it's important to acknowledge.''

Under the California ''yes means yes'' law, a person who is incapacitated by drugs or alcohol cannot give consent.

Student Katie Hardin said she believes funding on sexual assault issues would be better spent on resources for students directly impacted by such occurrences instead of ''events that many people would find uncomfortable and not want to attend.''

Funding for this event was provided by the student government at the private, Southern California school and supported by on-campus groups, including USC Residential Education.

Organizers stressed that all information about sexual assault and consent is available to the students on the USC Sexual Assault Resource Center website and there are many counselors available for those who believe they have been sexually assaulted.

RELATED: Sex partner must say 'yes' every 10 minutes or it's rape, 10th graders taught in California

Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter

IMAGE: Shutterstock

About the Author

College Fix reporter Allison Hansen is an undergrad at the University of Southern California, majoring in communication and minoring in political organization and history of the Americas. She is a reader, blogger, and avid tourist of her new hometown of Los Angeles.

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Archived Version

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 21:08

Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption The summer of 2015 saw severe heat waves over Europe for the third time in 15 years The past 30 years in Europe have likely been the warmest in more than two millennia, according to new research.

The study used tree ring records and historical documents to reconstruct yearly temperatures going back 2,100 years.

Scientists say that past natural variability in temperatures was greater than previously thought.

As a result, climate models may be underestimating the frequency and severity of heat waves in the future.

According to the study, Europe has seen an increase in summer warming of 1.3C between 1986 and 2015.

In this period there has also been an increase in severe heat waves, most notably in 2003, 2010 and 2015.

The 2003 event was linked to the extra deaths of thousands of elderly people due to heat stroke, dehydration and increased air pollution.

Extending the recordIn 2014, researchers from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that the period between 1983 and 2012 was likely the warmest 30 years of the last 1,400 in the Northern Hemisphere.

But this new, large-scale study, involving 45 researchers from 13 different countries, attempts to put the European temperatures experienced in the past three decades into an even broader context.

They have understood for many years that the last 1,000 years was cooler because of the Little Ice Age, which lasted from the 14th to the 19th Century.

Image copyrightIOPThey wanted to go as far beyond that as they could to better understand natural variability.

To do this, the researchers used recently developed statistical reconstruction methods, as well as a number of what they term "high quality proxy records", to estimate the European mean temperature variation since 138 BC.

"We've got 2,000 years of reconstruction where we have values for every year and the big surprise was that there wasn't a single 30-year period that was as warm as the last 30 years; that was unexpected," said Prof Danny McCarroll from Swansea University, UK, who was part of the research group.

Projecting forwardThe researchers then used modern climate models to predict past temperatures and compared the results with their newly reconstructed record.

"The modern models don't reconstruct the full range of climate change in the past, so they are underestimating the natural variability of the climate," said Prof McCarroll.

"When they predict forwards, they predict the effect of CO2 but they have to sit natural variability on top of it. If they underestimate that they underestimate the extremes - so the recurrence of heat waves are likely to be underestimated by these models."

Even though the new reconstruction has a wider range of natural variability in summer temperatures than previous attempts, the temperature data recorded in the past 30 years still sits outside it, pointing towards the same inference as made by the IPCC - that the recent warming is mainly caused by humans.

Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Researchers say that the warming of the past 30 years is mainly down to human impacts "The last 30 years lie beyond the bounds of natural variability," said Prof McCarroll.

"Climate modellers are always reticent to say a weather event is because of anthropogenic effects - but if you see those 30 years in the context of 2,000 years, and it's so unusual, it really suggests it is because of the greenhouse effect."

The team found that the first century was the warmest in their analysis, slightly hotter than the 20th Century but according to team, the difference between the two was not statistically significant.

There were plenty of warm summers during Roman times, but conditions in Europe cooled between the 4th and 7th Centuries. The medieval era was generally warm.

The research has been published in the journal of Environmental Research Letters.

Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc and on Facebook.

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Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:11

On May 31, 2012, parish officials were notified of areas of bubbling spots in the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou waterways. Early on, it was determined that the bubbling was caused by a release of natural gas and not ''swamp gas''. Monitoring for carbon monoxide, H2Sm and Lower Explosive Levels (LEL) at the bubbling spots began on June 22, 2012. During this monitoring, no dangerous levels were detected. Residents within the community experienced and reported tremors and the parish requested the assistance of USGS in determining the locations and probable cause(s) for this seismic activity. USGS immediately detected seismic activity through their monitors and began recording this data; however, no probable cause was able to be detected.

Early in the morning on Friday, August 3, 2012, Assumption Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness Director John Boudreaux was notified by local industry that a sinkhole had formed overnight in the swamp in the area. The hole was discovered after a strong diesel smell was experienced in the proximity of the sinkhole. On that same day, parish officials called for a mandatory evacuation of residents in the community and parish officials requested the assistance of state agencies in the activities involved in this emergency.

This site has been created in an effort to provide information relative to this incident. If you have any questions regarding this site and the accessible data compiled, please contact Erin Watson at 985-772-1745 or erinwatson@assumptionla.comPARISH BLOG

A blog has been created to provide residents with a central location to retrieve the most current information regarding Assumption Parish. Currently, the blog will be dedicated to disseminating information to residents in the Grand Bayou and Bayou Corne areas relative to the bubbling in the bayous and the slurry that formed on last Friday. To access the blog, visit http://assumptionla.wordpress.com/. If you have any questions regarding the blog or would like to make a recomendation, please contact Erin Watson at 985-772-1745 or via email, erinwatson@assumptionla.com.

Information compiled and provided by the Assumption OHSEP and responding agencies:

Seismic Monitor MapBubbling Locations MapSinkhole Map (distance from community)EPA Flight Summary

Quick LinksParish BlogSituation SummariesPress Releases/Media

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Archived Version

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:08

Answer: Fox's debate. But it was the second lowest rated debate of the season. So Trump is certain to take credit for hurting the channel's total viewership.

Fox News Channel's Trump-less debate had an 8.4 household rating, according to early Nielsen data from so-called metered markets.

This means 8.4% of American metered market homes with TV sets were watching the face-off.

By comparison, two of the cable channels that showed parts of Trump's event, CNN and MSNBC, had about a quarter of Fox's audience combined.

So Trump's rivals clearly came out ahead in the raw ratings.

The most recent GOP debate, televised two weeks ago on the harder-to-find Fox Business Network, had a household rating of 7.4.

So Thursday's debate was bigger -- but not by much. The other five GOP debates of the cycle have had household ratings ranging from 8.9 to 15.9.

That's why Trump can claim victory. (His campaign had no immediate comment about the ratings on Friday.)

Related: GOP candidates take cue from Trump's anti-Fox playbook

Actual viewership numbers will be available later in the day on Friday. Fox News likely had 11 million to 13 million viewers for the debate.

But one thing is ultimately unknowable: How many more viewers would have watched if Trump had been center stage?

Fox averaged a record-smashing 25 million viewers last August during the first debate of the season. Trump clashed with moderator Megyn Kelly that time -- and avoided a rematch by skipping Thursday's debate.

No one in the TV news business expected Fox to surpass the 25 million mark this time. Still, the early household ratings might be seen as disappointing. This was a high-stakes debate just a few days before the Iowa caucuses. And there was incessant "will he or won't he debate?" coverage for days leading up to the main event, which should have given Fox a lift.

Then again, from Fox's perspective, Trump's competing event should have lifted CNN and MSNBC more than it did.

Fox will likely celebrate the fact that Thursday's debate was higher-rated than the one two weeks ago. But its sister Fox Business Network was handicapped by weak distribution. (Its 7.4 household rating translated to 11 million total viewers.)

Perhaps a more fair comparison would be CNN's December 15 debate, which had a 12.2 household rating and 18 million total viewers.

CNN and Fox News are on a relatively even playing field in terms of reach into cable homes.

And Thursday's debate didn't come close to matching December's totals.

Related: Trump vs. Fox - A war of words

Fox News also live-streamed the debate; no streaming data has been released by the network.

Heading into Thursday night, Trump knew that his decision to forgo the debate was a test of his ratings magnetism.

Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski predicted that only "1 or 2 million people" would watch a Trump-free debate.

When the final ratings come in, both Trump's camp and Fox News will be spinning the numbers in their favor.

If the debate did not draw as many viewers as Fox promised advertisers it would, the channel may have to give them extra ads for free later. These are known as "make-goods" in the TV industry.

But on Thursday a Fox executive told the Wall Street Journal that he was not expecting that to happen.

Fox's ratings held pretty steady between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET -- which means the audience was loyal even though Trump was absent.

Some viewers were likely watching the debate on the big screen while keeping an eye on Trump's event via their smart phones.

It will be difficult to measure the total reach for Trump's event, since coverage was spread across multiple TV channels, web streams and social networks.

It was shown in full on C-SPAN, but that channel is not rated.

On the web, there were indications that Trump dominated political conversations even without being present at the debate.

Twitter said 36% of #GOPDebate candidate mentions were about Trump, way ahead of Ted Cruz's 16% and Marco Rubio's 13%.

On the other hand, according to Google, "debate live stream" beat out searches for "Trump live stream" by 170% on Thursday night.

CNNMoney (New York)First published January 29, 2016: 8:35 AM ET

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Archived Version

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 17:41

Jan. 28, 2016 3:29 p.m. ET Donald Trump earlier this week said he would skip Thursday night's Fox News debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Since then, the Republican presidential candidate has been taunting Fox on social media, suggesting that his absence will hurt Fox's ratings and advertising revenue.

''The 'debate' tonight will be a total disaster - low ratings with advertisers and advertising rates dropping like a rock,'' Mr. Trump said Thursday on Twitter. ''I hate to see this.''

But it turns out Mr. Trump's absence, while a public relations controversy for Fox, won't likely have a significant financial impact on the cable TV network or advertisers, ad buyers said.

Fox sold much of Thursday night's ad inventory in the so-called scatter market, where ad time is sold closer to the airing of a program instead of in an advance deal, according to ad buyers.

Such ad deals generally do not carry a ratings guarantee, meaning a TV network isn't on the hook to compensate marketers with free ad time if viewership falls short of what was expected.

To be sure, there are some risks for Fox. Big buyers can sometimes negotiate to have a guarantee included in their scatter deals. And some advertisers did buy ads in the advance ''upfront'' market, where guarantees are part of deals, a person familiar with the situation said.

In a statement, Fox News said, ''The debate is completely sold out. No rates have changed and there are no advertisers who have backed out. Prices don't change once the orders have been placed.''

In an interview, Paul Rittenberg, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox News and Fox Business, said he doesn't anticipate having to give free ad time, or ''make-goods,'' to advertisers who locked in audience guarantees. ''I think a lot of people are going to tune-in,'' he said. ''If we have advertisers who have a problem we'll address it.''

He added that advertisers with guarantees are ''well ahead of the game,'' since past debates have had higher-than-expected viewership.

''We're not going to lose any money from this,'' Mr. Rittenberg said.

Some ad buyers agreed. ''I don't believe that Fox will take a big financial hit,'' said Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer of GroupM, the largest ad-buying firm in the world.

Ad time in Thursday's debate went for as much as $260,000 for 30 seconds, the person familiar with the situation said. However, spots sold after Mr. Trump pulled out went for roughly $200,000, which is still a premium rate for a debate.

Fox News is owned by 21st Century Fox,FOX2.50% which until mid-2013 was part of the same company as Wall Street Journal owner News Corp.NWSA1.17%

Mr. Trump plans to skip out on the debate after protesting that anchor Megyn Kelly will again be a moderator. He lashed out at her after the first GOP debate for a line of questioning about his views on women, saying she is biased. Fox News has come to her defense, and has said it doesn't want a candidate to dictate who can be a moderator at its debate.

Mr. Trump said he will hold a competing event Thursday night, a fundraiser for veterans. CNN and MSNBC, Fox's cable news rivals, have said they plan to dip in and out of coverage of his event, which could potentially siphon some viewership away from the debate.

There's little doubt Mr. Trump has given the debates a ratings boost, especially at the first one Fox News held last August. Interest in the brash New York businessman was a major reason that debate brought in an audience of 24 million. Viewership since then has gone down, and the last debate on the Fox Business Network on Jan. 15 drew about 11 million viewers.

Ad prices for the earlier debates have also been robust. A 30-second spot on the Nov. 10 debate that aired on Fox Business cost roughly $120,000, a big increase from the network's typical ad rates, according to one buyer.

Advertisers ''like the entertainment that Trump has brought to the debates,'' said one ad buyer. ''It really helped the ratings.''

Still, it's possible that the drama surrounding Trump's absence could create interest and buoy viewership on Thursday, some ad buyers said.

Write to Suzanne Vranica at suzanne.vranica@wsj.com and Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com

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Archived Version

Source: Mashable

Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:39

What's This?

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a event at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.Image: Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

By Seth Fiegerman2016-01-30 11:00:51 UTC

Note to Donald Trump: the media is declaring war on you.

The Huffington Post this week began placing a note at the bottom of all its articles about Donald Trump, informing readers that real estate magnate and current frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination is in fact "a serial liar, rampant xenophobe" and "racist," among other critical labels.

Each of the descriptions includes a link to the publication's coverage backing up the claim.

Image: Screengrab, Mashable

The publication has since confirmed its intention to add this addendum to "all future stories" about the presidential candidate.

"No other candidate has called for banning 1.6 billion people from the country! If any other candidate makes such a proposal, we'll append a note under pieces about them," a spokesperson for The Huffington PosttoldPolitico.

The Huffington Post previously made headlines of its own earlier in the campaign cycle by placing all articles about Trump's candidacy and controversial comments in its entertainment section, rather than filing it under politics.

After Trump called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States, however, The Huffington Post reversed this strategy, but promised greater scrutiny of the candidate.

"As today's vicious pronouncement makes abundantly clear, it's also morphed into something else: an ugly and dangerous force in American politics," founder Arianna Huffington wrote in a post at the time. "So we will no longer be covering his campaign in Entertainment. But that's not to say we'll be treating it as if it were a normal campaign."

The move follows several other open rebellions against Trump from major news outlets. The National Review, a conservative magazine, enlisted a passel of thinkers to write essays for its cover package, "Against Trump." Yesterday, Fox News faced down Trump as he tried to convince the network to dump anchor Megyn Kelly as a moderator for the debates, revealing he had tried to convince the network to pay $5 million to charity to get him onstage.

The rebellion, it seems, is just starting.

Topics: Business, Donald Trump, Election 2016, Huffington Post, Media, Politics

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Archived Version

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 22:10

Over the past decade, the Wounded Warrior Project has emerged to become one of the celebrated charities in the country'--but with its prominence comes deeper scrutiny and criticism.

It's a broad but closely held sentiment within the veterans' advocacy community: grumbling and critiques about the fundraising behemoth WWP has become, and whether it has been as effective as it could be.

In interviews, critical veterans' advocates and veterans charged that the Wounded Warrior Project cares more about its image than it does about helping veterans; that it makes public splashes by taking vets on dramatic skydiving trips but doesn't do enough to help the long-term wellbeing of those injured in combat.

These criticisms come from a broad cross-section of veterans and their advocates, the vast majority of whom refused to speak on the record due to the sway the Wounded Warrior Project carries.

''They are such a big name within the veterans' community. I don't need to start a war in my backyard,'' a double-amputee veteran who served in Iraq told The Daily Beast.

But granted anonymity, the vet gave voice to what is at the very least a perception problem for the WWP: ''They're more worried about putting their label on everything than getting down to brass tacks. It's really frustrating.''

The same veteran spoke of waking up in the hospital after an IED hit his supply truck'--WWP, he said, had given him only trivial merchandise: a backpack, a shaving kit and socks.

''Everything they do is a dog-and-pony show, and I haven't talked to one of my fellow veterans that were injured'... actually getting any help from the Wounded Warrior Project. I'm not just talking about financial assistance; I'm talking about help, period,'' he said.

Some gripe in interviews with the Beast about how the charity has become more of a self-perpetuating fundraising machine than a service organization. WWP certainly is successful at fundraising: It had revenues of more than $300 million, according to its most recent audited report, up from approximately $200 million the year before.

''In the beginning, with Wounded Warrior, it started as a small organization and evolved into a beast,'' said Sam, an active-duty Army soldier who works with Special Forces. It's ''become so large and such a massive money-maker,'' he says, that he worries the organization cares about nothing more than raising money and ''keeping up an appearance'' for the public with superficial displays like wounded warrior parking spots at the Walmart.

Sam said he's not interested in becoming involved with the Wounded Warrior Project after he leaves active-duty service'--he prefers small nonprofits that are ''just trying to survive'' with a smaller budget and narrower mission.

''They're laser-focused on making money to help vets, but forgetting to help vets,'' said one veterans' advocate. ''It's becoming one of the best known charities in America'--and they're not spending their money very well.''

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The organization also engages in branded partnerships for everything from ketchup to paper towels to playing cards'--something that rubs other veterans' groups the wrong way.

''It's more about the Wounded Warrior Project and less about the wounded warrior,'' said a second veterans' advocate.

Here are the charity's self-reported results: As of September, the Wounded Warrior Project said it was serving more than 56,000 wounded vets and nearly 8,000 family members.

To date, the WWP's benefits team has helped 6,600 veterans submit benefit claims, and their Warriors to Work program helped place 1,900 veterans in jobs. The organization offers peer mentoring, employment assistance services, physical health and wellness activities, and long-term support initiatives.

But of the more than 56,000 veterans the group counts as ''alumni,'' meaning that they have been registered with the organization, many don't directly engage with WWP.

Less than two-thirds (62 percent) of alumni participated in at least one WWP activity or service in the past year, according to a survey of alumni the group shared with the Beast. But according to their internal database, 78.9 percent of alumni have been involved with ''engagements and interactions'' with WWP this year.

The Wounded Warrior Project has also gotten mixed results from charity watchdogs: Charity Watch gave Wounded Warrior a C+ in 2013, up from a D two years prior. Charity Navigator gave it three out of four stars.

WWP claims to currently spend 80 percent of its budget on programs for veterans. But their formulation includes some solicitations with educational material on it as money spent on programs.

A 2013 collaboration between the Tampa Bay Times and the Center for Investigative Reporting reported that the charity spent just 58 percent of donations directly on veterans' programs. That year, the figure WWP self-reported was 73 percent.

In contrast, a veterans' charity like Fisher House, which received four stars from Charity Navigator and an A+ from Charity Watch, spent close to 95 percent of its budget on its programs.

There is also a distinct bitterness, especially from smaller advocacy groups, about the level of executive compensation doled out to the group's leadership: For example, CEO Steven Nardizzi makes an annual salary of $375,000, according to their most recent tax report.

WWP counters that its volunteer Board of Director studies similar organization to determine executive compensation, and that their CEO's compensation is approximately one-tenth of 1 percent of its budget. Nardizzi himself has dismissed charity ratings as unhelpful in the past.

Ken Davis, a veteran who served in Iraq before being injured, is considered among the ''alumni'' of the Wounded Warrior Project'--even though he said he no longer wants to be associated with it.

''I receive more marketing stuff from them, [and see more of that] than the money they've put into the community here in Arizona,'' he told the Beast. ''It's just about numbers and money to them. Never once did I get the feeling that it's about veterans.''

He could have used a ride to a VA facility for health care, he said. But rather than receive practical assistance from the WWP, he got a branded fleece beanie.

''They're marketing, they're spending money'--but on what?'' Davis asked.

Outside defenders of the Wounded Warrior Project, in interviews with the Beast, suggested that critics were merely jealous of the charity's success, and that the disapproving criticisms were merely a function of fear that WWP was eating up their donor dollars.

''There's a certain level of jealousy, that [WWP] have such cachet, and on a daily basis people will associate [other prominent veterans' groups] as Wounded Warrior. That rubs people the wrong way,'' said one such defender in the nonprofit sphere.

As for the administrative costs of the charity, the nonprofit worker continued, ''There is a fundamental misunderstanding in the public sphere about what it really costs to run an effective nonprofit.''

For its part, the Wounded Warrior Project dismisses much of the criticism.

The branding of products will ''help to create awareness of the challenges and needs of this generation of veteran... help fund the 20 free programs and services we provide to injured veterans, their families and caregivers, and inform veterans of the programs and services we provide so that they can register as Alumni to take part in them,'' their spokeswoman said.

As for the comfort packages and merchandise, Roberts notes that it reflects the group's origins: WWP started with just six friends packing backpacks to provide items to wounded services warriors at Walter Reed Medical Center. And the group also says employees are empowered to provide direct assistance to veterans such as rent, utilities, food, and emergency repairs.

The Wounded Warrior Project is certainly not a scam, nor an ill-meaning charity. Even its fiercest detractors admit that WWP has the right motives, even if they believe WWP can be a lot more effective.

But as the Wounded Warrior Project has grown to become one of the nation's most prominent veterans' groups, it still has room for improvement.

Can it claim to serve 56,000 vets when at least one-third haven't engaged with the group in the past year? Or claim to be maximally effective if it spends more of its budget on administrative costs than the top-ranked charities in the field do?

At the very least, the Wounded Warrior Project has a perception problem among a broad group of fellow veterans advocates and vets themselves.

''You have an organization that is spending God knows how many millions of dollars saying that they're helping people, but they're not,'' said Davis, an Iraq veteran.

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Fri, 29 Jan 2016 21:15

What happens when a nonprofit that was started to help veterans becomes the neighborhood bully?

For a charity supposedly devoted to helping veterans, the Wounded Warrior Project spends an enormous amount of time suing or threatening to sue small nonprofits'--spending resources on litigation that could otherwise be spent on the vets they profess to serve.

At issue is the Wounded Warrior Project's brand: The charity has become particularly litigious over the use of the phrase ''wounded warrior'' or logos that involve silhouetted soldiers. At least seven such charities have discussed their legal problems with The Daily Beast.

The Wounded Warrior Project has become, in the words of those it's targeted for legal action, a ''bully,'' more concerned about its image and increasing the size of the organization than actually providing services to wounded warriors.

''They do try to bully smaller organizations like ourselves... They get really territorial about fundraising,'' said the president of one charity with the name ''wounded warrior'' in their title.

He asked to remain anonymous out of fear that the Wounded Warrior Project would launch legal action against his group if he spoke out. His group hasn't been sued, but he said individuals from the WWP had pressured him to change their name. ''They're so huge. We don't have the staying power if they come after us'--you just can't fight them.''

The Wounded Warrior Project's latest target is the Keystone Wounded Warriors, a small, all-volunteer charity based in Pennsylvania.

How small? Keystone Wounded Warriors had a total annual revenue of just over $200,000 as recently as 2013. That's less than the $375,000 that Wounded Warrior Project Executive Director Steven Nardizzi was personally paid in 2013.

The Keystone group was forced to spend more than two years and some $72,000 in legal fees to defend itself from the legal actions of the Wounded Warrior Project, which brings in annual revenues of close to $235 million, according to the outfit's most recent tax forms.

''That's money that we could have used to pick up some homes in foreclosure, remodel them, and give them back to warriors. We spent that money on defending ourselves instead,'' said Keystone Wounded Warriors Executive Director Paul Spurgin, a Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran.

''The lawsuit was just the coup de grce,'' he added. ''They want us gone.'' At issue is their similar logo and names'--Wounded Warrior Project complained that it will ''suffer irreparable damage to its business, goodwill, reputation and profits.''

The Wounded Warrior Project did not respond to multiple requests for comment. But in an interview with local Virginia news channel WTKR, Nardizzi said that most organizations simply change their names when asked.

The Wounded Warrior Project has a history of legal attacks against those it perceives to be infringing on their brand. However, the term ''wounded warrior'' is a generic term in the military community for an injured service member. The Army has a Wounded Warrior Program. A band at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is called the MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band.

And ''the Marine Corps' own battalion'... their unit for service members who have been wounded is called the Wounded Warrior Regiment,'' pointed out Ann Barnwell, a spokeswoman for Hope for the Warriors, a veterans charity that was threatened for five years between 2007 and 2012 by the Wounded Warriors Project over its logo.

At the time, both organizations had logos featuring the silhouettes of servicemembers. Hope for the Warriors eventually did change their emblem. They say that was not in response to legal threats, but rather the modernize their image.

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Wounded Warrior Project is a gigantic organization that has yielded a plethora of complaints from the veterans community. Many vets have been critical that, despite hundreds of millions in revenue, the Wounded Warrior Project does not effectively spend its money to help veterans. The group has received mixed results from charity watchdogs: Charity Watch gave Wounded Warrior a C+ in 2013, up from a D two years prior. Charity Navigator gave it three out of four stars.

''Have you seen their 990 [tax form]? We often get confused with them'--they're not looked upon very highly by [the veterans community],'' said David Brog, executive director of the Air Warrior Courage Foundation, which has not been threatened with litigation by the Wounded Warrior Project.

Many of the charities that Wounded Warrior Project threatens are more highly rated. Three of the charities interviewed for this story, for example, received four stars from Charity Navigator. The others were either not large enough or had not been around long enough to be rated by the charity watchdog.

A substantial cadre of veterans feel that the Wounded Warrior Project is more concerned about organizational growth than getting at the roots of problems vets face. They cite statistics that of the 56,000 veterans that WWP supposedly serves, more than a third haven't engaged with the group in the past year. The lawsuits and threats of legal action against small nonprofits seeking to do good for veterans reinforce that perception.

Keystone Wounded Warriors Executive Director Paul Spurgin is dumbfounded as to why the massive Wounded Warrior Project would spend the resources to sue them. Spurgin is a Marine Corps veteran who served two tours in Southeast Asia in the 1960s. (Wounded Warriors Project head Steve Nardizzi, on the other hand, has never served.)

The Keystone Wounded Warriors co-founder said he spent two years negotiating with the Wounded Warrior Project to come to a sensible conclusion to their disagreements over the name and logo. Then the Wounded Warrior Project filed a lawsuit'--forcing the much smaller Keystone Wounded Warriors to offer a settlement agreement.

''It's the big guy beating up on the little guy... We won't make the same as we did last year. What's it really about? If they keep blowing up [in fundraising] 50 percent every year, and we're going to go backwards this year, what is the point?'' Spurgin said. ''The money that we get in donations to help warriors'--is that going to make or break them? '... [They're] whining about a small number of legitimate nonprofits. I'm at a loss: We all should be working together.''

Retired Colonel John Folsom formed ''Wounded Warriors'' in 2003 while he was stationed in Landstuhl, Germany, and is a 30-year veteran of the Marine Corps. He has argued that his group, which receives four stars on Charity Navigator, was granted nonprofit status before WWP was.

Their organization has spent, in Folsom's estimation, over $300,000 in legal fees to defend itself from the Wounded Warrior Project over a protracted, five-year process. Folsom's organization eventually lost the lawsuit and were forced to change its name to ''Wounded Warrior Family Support,'' on the grounds that it was benefitting from the Wounded Warrior Project's national advertising. The smaller group had to pay $1.7 million to WWP.

''It was very derogatory'... [the Wounded Warrior Project's lawyers] argued that John's program was a scheme, that it was fraudulent, that he had benefitted from the wonderful advertisements of the Wounded Warrior Projects, to scam the public,'' said Woody Bradford, a former ''Wounded Warriors'' board member who represented the group in court.

Folsom didn't even want to talk about the lawsuit, saying that he would lose his temper if he spoke about it on the record.

''We survived. We're here. We were never going to be a big player with huge advertising'... our focus was to have a presence locally,'' Bradford said. ''They had the power and they used it. It was was brutal. We adopted the idea that each of us should be able to render services to [vets]. We were a grassroots, on-the-ground kind of [organization].''

The Wounded Warrior Ski Patrol is yet another group that has caught the wrong end of WWP's litigious behavior. The group, which supports the recovery of vets by taking them on snow sports activities, was served with a letter demanding it cease and desist using the name ''wounded warrior.'' Fortunately for the Ski Patrol group, a patent attorney on the organization's board was able to push back and argue that the WWP had no legal ownership over that term.

Wounded Warrior USA, a small Colorado charity with a $15,000 operating budget, had a Wounded Warrior Project lawyer reach out to them to demand they change the free clipart they were using as a label on coffee packages they were using for fundraising. ''They got really nasty with us,'' said Wounded Warrior USA founder Dave Bryant.

''They've tried to go after every organization with 'wounded warrior' and bully them,'' said the head of one veterans charity, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he didn't want his group to be targeted. ''We're not going to spend a dime or a moment confronting the bully in the neighborhood. We're going to focus on the actual wounded warriors.''

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Fri, 29 Jan 2016 08:25

Zika freakout: the hoax and the covert op continue

by Jon Rappoport

January 29, 2016

(To read about Jon's mega-collection, Power Outside The Matrix, click here.)

Thanks to reporters and researchers Jim Stone, Kathy Ford, the fullerton informer, Jim West, Martin Maloney, and Claus Jensen, who have moved this story forward and exposed the scam.

If you want to hide anything on this planet, twist it into a (fake) story about a virus. You're home free.

This is my second article on the Zika-virus scam (article archive here). I've been to these rodeos before: HIV, West Nile, Swine Flu, SARS, Ebola. In each case, a virus is blamed for illness and death that actually arises from other causes.

The Zika virus, now being blamed for the birth of babies with very small heads and impaired brains, has been around for a long time'--late 1940s, early 1950s'--and suddenly, without warning or reason, after inducing, at best, mild illness, it's producing horrendous damage? This is called a clue. A clue that scientific liars are lying. Furthermore, many of the women who are giving birth to deformed babies test negative for the presence of the Zika Virus.

So, what is causing babies to be born with very small heads and brain damage? While researching my first book in 1987-8, AIDS INC., I concluded: don't assume there is only one cause for illness. That can be very misleading. Various factors can combine to produce disease and death.

For example, in the case of this ''Zika'' phenomenon:

One: Pesticide use in Brazil:

Brazil, the center of the ''Zika'' crisis, uses more pesticides than any nation in the world. Some of these are banned in 22 other countries. And as for babies born with smaller heads, here is a study from Environmental Health Perspectives (July 1, 2011), ''Urinary Biomarkers of Prenatal Atrazine Exposure'...'':

''The presence versus absence of quantifiable levels of [the pesticide] atrazine or a specific atrazine metabolite was associated with fetal growth restriction'... and small head circumference'... Head circumference was also inversely associated with the presence of the herbicide metolachlor.'' (emphasis added)

Atrazine and metolachlor are both used in Brazil.

Two: The TdaP vaccine:

This is a case of suspicious correlation. A study posted in the US National Library of Medicine, ''Pertussis in young infants: a severe vaccine-preventable disease,'' spells it out:

'''...in late 2014, the [Brazilian] Ministry of Health announced the introduction of the Tdap vaccine for all pregnant women in Brazil.''

Obviously, pregnant women are the target group; they are giving birth to babies with smaller heads and brain damage, and the recommendation for them to take the vaccine was recent; 2014.

Barbara Loe Fisher, of the National Vaccine Information Center, writes:

''Drug companies did not test the safety and effectiveness of giving influenza or Tdap vaccine to pregnant women before the vaccines were licensed in the U.S and there is almost no data on inflammatory or other biological responses to these vaccines that could affect pregnancy and birth outcomes'...The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists influenza and Tdap vaccines as either Pregnancy Category B or C biologicals which means that adequate testing has not been done in humans to demonstrate safety for pregnant women and it is not known whether the vaccines can cause fetal harm or affect reproduction capacity. The manufacturers of influenza and Tdap vaccines state that human toxicity and fertility studies are inadequate and warn that the influenza and Tdap vaccines should 'be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.''' (emphasis added)

Three: Genetically engineered mosquitoes that have already been released in Brazil to ''combat'' dengue fever'--a project implemented by Oxitec, a company supplied with grant money from Bill Gates:

A town in Brazil has reported continuing elevated levels of dengue fever since the GE (genetically engineered) mosquitoes have been introduced to combat that disease.

The scientific hypothesis is: the trickster GE bugs (males) will impregnate natural females, but no actual next generation will occur beyond the larval stage. However, this plummeting birth rate in mosquitoes is the only ''proof'' that the grand experiment is safe. No long-term health studies have been done'--this is a mirror of what happened when GMO crops were introduced: no science, just bland assurances.

Needless to say, without extensive lab testing, there is no way to tell what toxic elements these GE mosquitoes may actually be harboring, in addition to what researchers claim. That's a major red flag.

Wherever these GE mosquitoes have been introduced, or are about to be introduced, the human populations have not been consulted for their permission. It's all being done by government and corporate edict. It's human experimentation on a grand scale.

Four: Pesticide manufacturing in Brazil:

Reuters, May 19, 2015, ''Brazil prosecutors seek $16 million from pesticide makers'':

''Brazilian prosecutors said on Monday they would seek at least 50 million reais ($16.6 million) from multinational pesticide manufacturers for alleged safety violations at a collection facility for used pesticide containers'... Those manufacturers, prosecutors said, include the Brazilian units of BASF, DuPont, Monsanto, Nufarm, Syngenta, Adama, FMC and Nortox'... The charges come as scientists, regulators, public health officials and consumers increasingly complain that Brazil's ascent as an agricultural powerhouse has led to unsafe and excessive use of pesticides. Reuters reported in April that at least four foreign manufacturers sell pesticides in Brazil that they are not allowed to sell in their home markets.'' (emphasis added)

How convenient for these corporate giants to evade blame for horrific birth effects'--out of nowhere a virus is touted as the cause.

Five: Severe and endemic malnutrition, lack of basic sanitation, and grinding poverty:

These are major factors in all illness and death, in the areas where they are prevalent (e.g., major parts of Brazil). Suppression of the immune system is the result, and anything that then comes down the pipeline, germs or manmade toxic substances, become catastrophic to the body.

Six: anti-mosquito sprays:

The Guardian, January 26, 2015, ''Brazil is 'badly losing' the battle against Zika virus, says health minister'':

Sprays are now being given out to 400,000 pregnant women in Brazil. Naturally, the sprays are toxic. What better way to multiply the attack on mothers and their unborn children? For example, widely used organophosphates in sprays can be highly disruptive to the nervous system.

Some or all of these six elements I've listed, in combination, form a sustained attack on human life.

And as I keep stressing, the virus becomes the formidable cover story that conceals the truth.

And don't forget the Rio Olympic Games, coming up in August. There are multiple scenarios which could play out in front of a global television audience. Will Zika be pushed as some sort of worldwide pandemic? Will a Zika vaccine be magically ''discovered'' and rushed into production, in time to show (as an advertisement) lines of people dutifully trudging up to receive shots?

Every fake epidemic is, in part, designed to create fear and induce blind compliance to medical and government dictates. The germ is positioned as the ''tiny terrorist'' in this stage play.

In my first book, AIDS INC. (1988), I indicated that covert medical ops are the most dangerous, because they appear to be politically neutral, they fly under no flag, and they claim to forward only humanitarian aims. But in fact, modern ''Rockefeller Medicine'' is built as a vast partner in the Globalization of the planet. Its vision is a universal in-utero-to-cradle-to-grave system for the human race: every human walks a bleak lifelong path of disease-diagnosis after diagnosis, receiving toxic drugs and vaccines at every turn, which weaken his body and mind, and make him unable to consider what is happening outside his perimeter of suffering or resist political totalitarianism.

Medical freedom means: the freedom to refuse medical care, and it's based on knowledge of destructive effects. This freedom must win, against any odds.

''Official science'' is a contradiction in terms, and a grand illusion.

Jon Rappoport

The author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here.

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 03:06

MoreFlorida Mayors Tell Marco Rubio to Take Climate Change SeriouslyRecord Heat Wouldn't Be Happening Without Human Influence, Study SaysFor thousands of years, humans have taken every precaution to avoid mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, from Malaria to Zika. But while techniques for fighting the insects have improved dramatically over time, scientists say long-term climate change could soon make protecting humans from mosquitoes much more difficult.

The link between climate change and mosquito-borne illness centers around how rising temperatures may expand the area in which mosquitoes can thrive. Most such illnesses can only be transmitted at temperatures between approximately 16°C (61°F) and 38°C (100°F), according to a World Health Organization report. Perhaps more significantly, the time it takes for mosquitoes to develop decreases significantly the closer temperatures are to around 30°C (86°F). The average global temperature is expected to rise by at least 2°C (3.6°F) by 2100 even if countries take dramatic action to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. In some areas, that shift will be much more dramatic.

Shifts in precipitation levels caused by climate change could also have an effect on where mosquitoes can successfully reproduce. Mosquitoes breed in still water habitats and remain for a week after heavy rainfall.

Still, researchers say that the many variables at play make it difficult to predict exactly how global warming will affect mosquito populations in any given area. A 2013 study in the journal PNAS describes the ''complex feedbacks'' between climate and mosquito-borne illness as highly ''location-specific.'' Some areas where policy makers have never had to worry about mosquitoes will likely face diseases unthinkable just decades ago. Other areas may become too hot for mosquitoes to thrive as they have in the past. ''It's hard to predict the details of this,'' said Durland Fish, Yale University professor of forestry and environmental studies. ''We don't have very good climate change models at the local level.''

Regardless of where temperature and precipitation changes occur most dramatically, researchers say wealthier communities are more likely to be prepared. Poor urban communities, often dotted with abandoned buildings and little government oversight, tend to be home to locations where mosquitoes can breed unfettered in large numbers. And when mosquitoes do breed, they have quick access to millions of people living in a relatively small space. Mosquito populations would likely increase in those areas if temperatures hit the optimal range for mosquito breeding or if precipitation increases dramatically.

On the other hand, climate change may make little difference in places like the United States where public health systems know how to combat mosquito-borne illness. Malaria, for instance, killed thousands of people each year in the U.S. as recently as the 1920s, but a massive public health response that included large deployment of pesticides and the draining of breeding sites largely eliminated the disease from the country (with the exception of those bitten abroad). Good breeding temperatures will do little damage if sites to breed have been eliminated and health officials responds quickly to an outbreak.

''You may have the potential range, but then there are other factors: socioeconomic conditions, the types of houses that interfere with these conditions,'' said Professor Mercedes Pascual of the University of Chicago. ''And the imported cases of these diseases are caught by the public health system. In places where that breaks down, all these transmission systems are geometric: one case leads to two, etc.''

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Sat, 30 Jan 2016 19:51

Joanna Moncrieff, senior lecturerDivision of psychiatry, University College London, London W1T 7NF, UKj.moncrieff{at}ucl.ac.ukNew evidence from clinical study reports reveals misclassification, misrepresentation, and under-reporting of serious harm

People in the United Kingdom are consuming more than four times as many antidepressants as they did two decades ago.1 Despite this, we still do not fully understand the effects of these drugs, nor can we be confident about their risk-benefit ratio.

Unresolved problems include the nature and frequency of potential serious adverse effects such as self harming or suicidal actions, suicidal ideation, and aggression. In the linked paper, Sharma and colleagues use clinical study reports to explore such adverse effects.2 Clinical study reports are prepared by pharmaceutical companies for obtaining marketing authorisation. Guidelines on the contents and presentation of clinical study reports exist,3 but requirements are not mandatory. Consequently, although clinical study reports usually contain more data than published articles,4 the level of detail varies. Moreover, what is reported in the body of the clinical study reports may differ from data in appendices, such as individual patient listings of adverse events or narratives of serious adverse events.

The analysis of clinical study reports by Sharma and colleagues reveals misrepresentation of adverse events. Comparing the ''results'' reported in the reports with data from individual patient listings or patient narratives revealed misclassification of deaths in people taking antidepressants and misrepresentation of suicidal events. More than half of the suicide attempts and instances of suicidal ideation were coded as ''emotional lability'' or ''worsening of depression,'' for example. Summary reports published on Eli Lilly's website were even more incomplete, listing only 10% of the suicide attempts revealed in the corresponding clinical study reports, and no instances of suicidal ideation.

Over half of the clinical study reports selected by Sharma and colleagues had no individual patient listings, these data having been withheld. This begs the question of how many more adverse events would have been revealed if individual patient listings were available for all trials, and raises concerns about why this information is allowed to be withheld.

The current review is consistent with other evidence pointing to an increase in suicidal behaviour and ideation among children and adolescents taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).5 The paper by Sharma and colleagues is the first large scale, quantitative analysis to show an increase in aggressive behaviour in this age group. The analysis did not detect an increase in suicide, suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, or aggression in adults, and meta-analyses of data on adults remain conflicting.67 Early case reports, published before the issue became controversial, document occurrence of these effects in adults, however, and provide evidence of the mechanism of these effects. These reports describe a state of agitation, somewhat similar to the akathisia produced by antipsychotics, associated with intense and violent suicidal preoccupation.8 However, as Sharma and colleagues show, recording of ''akathisia'' in antidepressant trials remains inconsistent and unreliable, hence we have little idea of the frequency of this effect.

Although ''activation'' effects (or akathisia) are recognised, there is little acknowledgment that antidepressants have mind-altering properties that are independent of their supposed effects on underlying mental disorders. One study revealed various changes to emotions and behaviour in patients taking antidepressants that were associated with suicidal ideation.9 Evidence suggests that withdrawal syndromes can be severe and sometimes prolonged.10 With some exceptions,11 however, we lack the detailed exploration through animal behaviour and healthy volunteer studies that might clarify the range, nature, and duration of the alterations that antidepressants induce.

Despite their widespread use, antidepressants are only modestly more effective than placebo in trials of depression. Measures of global clinical improvement suggest the difference is not clinically relevant or even detectable.12 Moreover, placebo controlled studies do not distinguish whether the effects of a drug are attributable to the targeting of putative underlying mechanisms or a consequence of the drug's mind-altering effects. The blunting of emotions produced by SSRIs may directly affect depression rating scale scores, for example, and their psychoactive and physical effects may influence patient expectations, promoting an amplified placebo effect.13

With doubts about the efficacy and effectiveness of antidepressants and evidence that they can produce such serious adverse reactions as suicidal and aggressive tendencies, regulators and the public need access to more comprehensive and reliable data. The results reported in clinical study reports, on which decisions about market authorisation are based, are likely to underestimate the extent of drug related harms. We need access to original data from trials, but we also need more research to describe the whole range of antidepressant induced behavioural, emotional, and physical alterations with acute treatment, long term use, and withdrawal.

FootnotesResearch: doi: 10.1136/bmj.i65Competing interests: I have read and understood the BMJ policy on declaration of interests and declare the following: I have no competing financial interests. I am co-chair of the Critical Psychiatry Network.

Provenance and peer review: Commissioned; not externally peer reviewed.

References'†µ'†µSharma T, Guski LS, Freund N, G¸tzsche PC. Suicidality and aggression during antidepressant treatment: systematic review and meta-analyses based on clinical study reports. BMJ 2016;352:i65.

'†µInternational Conference on Harmonisation. Structure and content of clinical study reports, E3. Report No. E3. ICH, 1996.

'†µWieseler B, Wolfram N, McGauran N, et al. Completeness of reporting of patient-relevant clinical trial outcomes: comparison of unpublished clinical study reports with publicly available data. PLoS Med 2013;10:e1001526.

'†µWhittington CJ, Kendall T, Fonagy P, Cottrell D, Cotgrove A, Boddington E. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in childhood depression: systematic review of published versus unpublished data. Lancet 2004;363:1341-5.

'†µ'†µ'†µ'†µ'†µ'†µ'†µ'†µ

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 07:20

Image copyrightScience Photo LibraryStrains of HIV are becoming resistant to an antiretroviral drug commonly used to prevent and fight the virus, research has suggested.

HIV was resistant to the drug Tenofovir in 60% of selected cases in some African countries, according to the study, which covered a 17-year period.

The research, led by University College London, looked at 1,920 HIV patients worldwide who had treatment failure.

Lead author Dr Ravi Gupta said the results were "extremely concerning".

The work, which took four years to complete, was started in 2012 and compared certain patients with HIV in Africa with those in Europe from 1998 to 2015.

Splitting the sample size roughly into two groups the study found that in Africa 60% of patients were resistant to Tenofovir, whereas in Europe the figure was only 20%.

The paper, which has been published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, said poor administration of the drug, in terms of regularly taking the right levels of Tenofovir could be explanation for the discrepancy.

"If the right levels of the drug are not taken, as in they are too low or not regularly maintained, the virus can overcome the drug and become resistant," Dr Gupta told the BBC News website.

"Tenofovir is a critical part of our armamentarium against HIV, so it is extremely concerning to see such a high level of resistance to this drug," he added.

The paper also suggested that Tenofovir-resistant strains of HIV could be passed on from person to person.

"We certainly cannot dismiss the possibility that resistant strains can spread between people and should not be complacent. We are now conducting further studies to get a more detailed picture of how Tenofovir-resistant viruses develop and spread," Dr Gupta said.

HIV is the world's most deadly infectious disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr Gupta said a global effort and an cash investment would be needed to provide better facilities and monitoring in poorer African countries and that it was in everyone's interests to make this happen.

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Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:52

DHS dives into the deep, dark, social webWHAT: A request for information about open-source and social media analytics, issued by the Department of Homeland Security.

WHY: DHS is looking to industry for ways to probe all corners of the Internet while respecting civil rights. The RFI, released Jan. 25, asks industry to showcase "privacy, civil rights and civil liberties-protecting" open-source tools that can help DHS track and analyze social media and web activity.

It addresses probing the "dark web" (anonymity-seeking, often illegal websites) and the "deep web" (sites that are not indexed by search engines and dynamically generated private sessions such as email access), which could raise a host of privacy concerns. The RFI asks vendors to demonstrate a slew of capabilities, including their ability to encrypt, store and delete data.

In a bid to better process the ever-growing torrent of global personal information, DHS' request solicits information on how effectively platforms can ingest large amounts of data and geolocate users, and how many languages a given tool can process. DHS is also interested in systems that can create visual representations of connections inside the data, such as social maps, language types and even word clouds.

The RFI is a joint exploration by DHS' Science and Technology Directorate and its Social Media Task Force and asks that only original product manufacturers respond.

Responses are due electronically by 3 p.m. EST on Feb. 9.

As many as 30 respondents will be invited to Washington to demonstrate their technology to DHS on Feb. 26, while others might have an opportunity to do so in a webinar.

Click here to read the RFI.

Posted by Zach Noble on Jan 29, 2016 at 9:56 AM

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Source: FCW: The business of federal technology

Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:50

Defense

Carter calls on Cybercom to intensify online push against ISISBy Sean LyngaasJan 29, 2016Nearly a year and a half into the United States' military campaign against the Islamic State group, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has called on U.S. Cyber Command to intensify the online fight against the terrorist group, Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook said.

Carter and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Cyber Command on Jan. 27 to deliver the message and take stock of the military's ongoing cyber operation against Islamic State.

Left unsaid was how effective cyber operations have been and what else U.S. military hackers could be doing. Cook did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

A month ago, the Los Angeles Times reported that Carter was considering stepping up cyberattacks on Islamic State's digital infrastructure and said Cyber Command had "developed an array of malware" to attack the group.

Cyber Command is a supportive command that works in tandem with others. In the case of the campaign against Islamic State, Cyber Command can complement airstrikes coordinated by U.S. Central Command with a suite of digital tools to unmask terrorist operatives or disrupt their communications.

Spokeswoman Lt. Col. Kara Soules would not comment when asked how the command's offensive capabilities have matured since the start of the campaign against Islamic State.

"As a matter of operational security, U.S. Cyber Command does not discuss specific plans, options, capabilities or operations," she said, adding that the command "provides a broad range of cyber options to the nation's leaders and provides daily support to joint force commanders."

Adm. Michael Rogers, head of Cyber Command, said last week that the command is at a tipping point in maturing its offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. The command is developing more tangible capabilities "that you will see us start to apply in a broader and broader way," said Rogers, who is also National Security Agency director.

The Army component of Cyber Command is a case in point. When Lt. Gen. Edward Cardon took the helm of Army Cyber Command in September 2013, he only had two teams of cyber specialists that were at initial operating capability; today, he has 33 such teams with at least that capability. The maturation of those cyber forces "is going to add significantly to the capabilities of the Department of Defense," Cardon said in a Jan. 29 appearance at the Institute of World Politics in Washington.

"One of the things that Cybercom did was create the ability to have a more holistic view on warfare," Bob Stasio, a former Army signals intelligence platoon leader in Iraq and now a fellow at the Truman National Security Project, told FCW. The maturing command "has a full-spectrum range of capabilities."

Cyber aspirations spring eternal

As Cyber Command has honed its hacking skills, Islamic State's digital operatives have reportedly sought to do the same.

The organization's bloody emergence on the world stage was accompanied by an adroit social media machine, which generated speculation about the group's capabilities in cyberspace. Not long after the U.S. began bombing Islamic State targets in August 2014, cybersecurity experts interviewed by FCW judged the organization's capabilities in cyberspace to be more aspirational than operational.

The intervening months have seen episodic demonstrations of Islamic State's cyber activity, incidents that show an eagerness to disrupt but not much sophistication. For example, in January 2015, Islamic State sympathizers breached the Twitter and YouTube accounts of Central Command, displaying messages threatening violence against U.S. soldiers and posting military documents. But that was an act of vandalism rather than a sophisticated attack.

"There are beginning to be some indications that [Islamic State is] looking to expand their offensive cyber capabilities as well," said John Cohen, former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, citing published reports.

But going on the cyber offensive could leave the group vulnerable. Islamic State's computer operatives are "no different than any other would-be attacker [in that] they use compromised systems for command and control and to obscure their real locations," said Tony Cole, vice president and global government CTO at FireEye, a network security firm.

Like almost all other hackers, Islamic State operatives "leave tell-tale signs of their identity through the use of the same tools, processes, domains and actions -- sometimes with minor variations -- and many other indicators of compromise that will eventually identify them," Cole told FCW.

Cyber Command hasn't been the only agency trying to dismantle Islamic State in cyberspace. The Justice Department announced this week that an alleged Islamic State supporter who is accused of hacking the personal information of U.S. service members had made an initial court appearance in Virginia.

About the Author

Sean Lyngaas is an FCW staff writer covering defense, cybersecurity and intelligence issues. Prior to joining FCW, he was a reporter and editor at Smart Grid Today, where he covered everything from cyber vulnerabilities in the U.S. electric grid to the national energy policies of Britain and Mexico. His reporting on a range of global issues has appeared in publications such as The Atlantic, The Economist, The Washington Diplomat and The Washington Post.

Lyngaas is an active member of the National Press Club, where he served as chairman of the Young Members Committee. He earned his M.A. in international affairs from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and his B.A. in public policy from Duke University.

Click here for previous articles by Lyngaas, or connect with him on Twitter: @snlyngaas.

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Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:47

People

Soltani exits White House after clearance denialBy Adam MazmanianJan 29, 2016Ashkan Soltani is stepping down from his post as senior adviser to White House CTO Megan Smith after failing to obtain a security clearance.

Soltani, formerly chief technologist at the Federal Trade Commission and a journalist of considerable renown, announced the news on Twitter in the evening on Jan. 29.

"Last week the White House Office of Personnel Security notified me that I would not receive the security clearance necessary to continue to work at the White House," Soltani said in a letter attached to his tweet. "I'm told this is something that happens from time to time, and I won't speculate on the reasons," he said.

Soltani's friends and colleagues outside government were less constrained about speculating on possible motives.

Soltani was a key member of the Washington Post team that published stories based on intelligence community documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. He earned bylines on stories about how the NSA taps directly into cables at data centers run by Google and other Internet giants, and how most of the data captured via NSA dragnet programs do not pertain to intended surveillance targets.

Barton Gellman, the Pulitzer-prize winning reporter who led the Post's Snowden coverage tweeted, "Looks like the natsec bureaucracy choked on a clearance for [Soltani]. Big loss of talent & integrity at the WH."

Christopher Soghoian, a technologist and security expert with the American Civil Liberties Union noted that, "Ashkan's WaPo Snowden stories forced Yahoo to turn on HTTPS & revealed spying on Google data center links. I suspect NSA hasnt forgiven him."

Cryptographer and privacy activist Matt Blaze, who teaches computer science at the University of Pennsylvania called it, "A loss for the American people."

Soltani had been brought to the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House to work on data privacy and technology ethics issues of the sort he had specialized in while at the FTC.

"I was honored to serve at the FTC and the White House. I wish the CTO and her amazing team success in the important work ahead," Soltani wrote.

A spokesperson at OSTP told FCW in an email that Soltani had been on detail to the White House from the FTC, and the detail was at an end, and could not comment further on a personnel matter.

About the Author

Adam Mazmanian is executive editor of FCW.

Before joining the editing team, Mazmanian was an FCW staff writer covering Congress, government-wide technology policy, health IT and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to joining FCW, Mr. Mazmanian was technology correspondent for National Journal and served in a variety of editorial at B2B news service SmartBrief. Mazmanian started his career as an arts reporter and critic, and has contributed reviews and articles to the Washington Post, the Washington City Paper, Newsday, Architect magazine, and other publications. He was an editorial assistant and staff writer at the now-defunct New York Press and arts editor at the About.com online network in the 1990s, and was a weekly contributor of music and film reviews to the Washington Times from 2007 to 2014.

Click here for previous articles by Mazmanian. Connect with him on Twitter at @thisismaz.

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Sat, 30 Jan 2016 19:44

In an event that may very well be the spark to the outbreak of Europe's civil war, A young, beautiful social worker, Alexandra Mezher, 22, was brutally stabbed to death by Muslim migrants at the child migrant centre where she worked.

Alexandra Mezher, 22, a Swedish social worker who was allegedly stabbed to death by a 15-year-old asylum seeker at a shelter for refugee children. Gothenburg, Sweden.Collect of Alexandra Mezher. Picture supplied by her best friend.

As I predicted for months, the Europeans will either go quietly into the dark, destructive night or they will fight back. The weak, the scared are hiding in their homes and then their are the fighters.

Swedish towns have become terror hubs. Lawlessness is rampant, violent crimes skyrocket. There is this now constant state of violence, terror and fear.

It begins, appropriately enough, at a major train station. I say appropriately because it was at scores of railway stations in Europe that the New Year's Eve terror attacks took place. Mass sexual attacks, raping and robbing of non-Muslim women. Christians in Sweden have been warned in blood-chilling messages, 'convert or die' beheadings threatened, 'We will bomb your rotten corpses afterwards'.

Swedish police warn Stockholm's main train station is now overrun by migrant teen gangs 'stealing and groping girls.' Hundreds of Muslim migrant youth are living on the streets in Stockholm. They attack security guards at the main station.Police say they sexually assault girls and 'slap them in the face when they protest'.

Swedish police warns that Stockholm's main train station has become unsafe after being 'taken over'

The all-male migrant teen gangs are spreading terror in the centre of the Swedish capital, stealing, groping girls and assaulting security guards, according to Stockholm police.

Members of the gangs, some as young as nine, roam central Stockholm day and night, refusing help provided by the Swedish authorities.

The Swedish police have warned that they do not have the resources to to deal with the increasing level of violence. The chief of the Swedish army General Anders Br¤nnstr¶m told men under his command they could expect to be fighting a war in Europe against skilled opponents ''within a few years''. He is wrong. it will be sooner than that. Sweden, a country which has not been at war in over 200 years.

And even if the Swedish police had the resources, it would hardly matter. The EU, Germany and most Western European governments are supporting the invaders not their citizens. Police did nothing to protect the victims or stop the attacks on New Year's Eve. The German government erased the CCTV videos of the mass attacks.

German police have been advised not to prosecute migrants for crimes. EU, Merkel et al are blocking reports of this mass invasion of Europe. They have enlisted the clueless clown Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. They are criminalizing criticism of the marauding Muslim hordes. Dutch cops are policing anti-mass migration comments, threatening social media users of ''sedition'' for opposing government policies. Once a country imposes censorship of the press and of speech then nothing can be won without violence. What would you do?

For years, voices like my colleagues and mine '-- rational, clear voices '-- we ridiculed and silenced. Now it is too late for reason and the worst of elements will rise.

'Hundreds-strong' mob of masked men rampage through Stockholm station beating up refugee children in revenge attack for female asylum centre worker killed by Somali 'boy'

Black-clad masked men targeted refugees at Stockholm train stationThe mob, linked to football hooligans, targeted unaccompanied minorsBefore attack they handed out racist leaflets with message 'Enough now'They also refer to alleged murder of Swedish aid worker Alexandra MezherShe was stabbed to death breaking up fight between two migrant boysSee more news on the migrant crisis at www.dailymail.co.uk/migrantcrisis

By Sara Malm and Gianluca Mezzofiore For Mailonline, 30 January 2016A mob of black-clad masked men went on a rampage in and around Stockholm's main train station last night beating up refugees and anyone who did not look like they were ethnically Swedish.

Before the attack, the group of 200 people handed out xenophobic leaflets with the message 'Enough now'.

Swedish media reported that the thugs, allegedly linked to Sweden's football hooligan scene, were targeting unaccompanied minors with a 'foreign' background.

Before the attack, a group of people started handing out leaflets with the message 'Enough now'

All over the country, reports are pouring in that the police can no longer cope with preventing and investigating the crimes which strike the Swedish people,' reads the leaflet.

'In some cases, for example, in the latest murder of a woman employed at a home for so called 'unaccompanied minor refugees' in Molndal, it goes as far as the National Police Commissioner choosing to show more sympathy for the perpetrator than the victim,' it continues.

'But we refuse to accept the repeated assaults and harrassment against Swedish women.'

'We refuse to accept the destruction of our once to safe society. When our political leadership and police show more sympathy for murderers than for their victims, there are no longer any excuses to let it happen without protest.'Alexandra Mezher, 22, a Swedish social worker who was allegedly stabbed to death by a 15-year-old asylum seeker at a shelter for refugee children+5

Alexandra Mezher, 22, a Swedish social worker who was allegedly stabbed to death by a 15-year-old asylum seeker at a shelter for refugee children

'When Swedish streets are no longer safe to walk on for normal Swedes, it is our DUTY to fix the problem,' the leaflet reads.

'This is why, today, 200 Swedish men gathered to take a stand against the north African 'street children' who are running rampage in and around the capital's central station.'

'Police have clearly showed that they lack the means to stop their progress and we se no other way than to hand down the punishment they deserve ourselves.'

'The justice system has walked out and the contract of society is therefore broken '' it is now every Swedish man's duty to defend out public spaced against the imported criminality.'

'Those who gathered today are neither your politician, your journalist or your policeman. We are your father, your brother, your husband, your colleague, your friend and your neighbour.

'Swedish men and women deserve safety in their everyday life and we are therefore calling on all others who also see the problem to follow in our footsteps, both in Stockholm and in other places around the country. For a better future together'

On Saturday, a 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault for punching a police officer in the face.

Three youngsters have also been arrested on Friday night for disturbing public order.

Last week, Swedish police warned that Stockholm's main train station has become unsafe after being 'taken over' by dozens of Moroccan street children.

The all-male migrant teen gangs are spreading terror in the centre of the Swedish capital, stealing, groping girls and assaulting security guards, according to Stockholm police.

Members of the gangs, some as young as nine, roam central Stockholm day and night, refusing help provided by the Swedish authorities.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3423968/Mobs-hundreds-masked-men-rampage-Stockholm-central-station-beating-refugee-children.html#ixzz3yl07ihzBFollow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Stay on top of what's really happening. Follow me on Twitter here. Like me on Facebook here.

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 03:09

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 05:18

The Pentagon wants to spend billions on three new Air Force One planes to replace the existing two Boeing 747s currently used by the president.

The existing planes have been in service since 1991 and the military argue that they're getting too old and need to be replaced.

They've requested $102 million from Congress this year to help buy the planes, with the figure growing to more than $3 billion over the next five years.

Scroll down for video

The Pentagon is set to spend billions on three new Air Force One planes to replace the existing two Boeing 747s currently used by the president, pictured above

The military has requested $102 million from Congress this year to buy the planes, with the figure growing to more than $3 billion over the next five years

Those numbers don't include the final three years of the project, reports CBS News.

While some may question whether taxpayers can afford to buy the new planes, Air Force Col. Amy McCain argues that they can't afford not to.

'It's the only 747-200 left in the United States that is flying. So it costs a lot more time and money to keep that airplane flying than it used to. It's actually cheaper in the long run to replace it,' she said.

'The top priority is an affordable aircraft that will meet the presidential requirements,' said McCain, who is in charge of ordering the new Air Force One.

'We're buying up to three. It depends on all the availability of having two airplanes available for the president at any one time.'

The Air Force hopes to sign the first contract with Boeing later this year. The goal is to have the new planes flying the president by 2023.

The Air Force hopes to sign the first contract with Boeing later this year for the next Air Force One and the goal is to have the new 747s flying the president in 2023

At six stories tall and two-thirds the size of a football field, the Air Force One is the most recognizable aircraft in the world

At six stories tall and two-thirds the size of a football field, Air Force One is the most recognizable aircraft in the world.

In January the Air Force announced its intention to use Boeing's 747-8 airframe.

The long-range, wide-body aircraft is made in Everett, Washington. It comes with a longer fuselage, greater wing span and new engines and avionics. It will be heavily modified with all of the latest technological and security gear.

Once the new planes are introduced, the current Air Force One will go to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, home to nine previous presidential aircraft.

Once the new planes are introduced, the current Air Force One will go to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, home to nine previous presidential aircraft

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Source: Dark Web & Cyber Security

Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:41

NOTE: The following materials are for information purposes only and may not be copied, reproduced, or transmitted without the explicit permission of SITE Intelligence Group and specific attribution to SITE Intelligence Group.

DetailsJihadist NewsCreated: 29 January 2016

A jihadi Telegram account suggested lone wolf jihadists use drones to take down commercial airliners. Register to read more ...

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Fri, 29 Jan 2016 12:40

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Fri, 29 Jan 2016 21:04

The militia-patriot movement in America has embraced radio communications in a big way. Within the past decade, the methods and communications gear have evolved from basic CB or FRS radios, to now include VHF-UHF FM, HF SSB, and HF digital communications. This article focuses on some of the radio gear and channel frequencies utilized by various groups. Radio comms now play an active role in armed confrontations, as part of rump militia training, in outreach, and in organizing groups.

Militant in Oregon 2016 using VHF UHF radio

Photo shows armed militant in Oregon using a VHF-UHF radio. A closer look at the radio display shows the channel frequency is'...

The original source of this article is RadioMaster Reports.

Zoom enhanced image: VHF-UHF radio of militant in Oregon 2016 shows Baofeng UV-5R tuned to Channel MURS 3

An enhanced zoom into the above image shows the militant radio is easily recognizable as a Baofeng model UV-5R. There is a blue A/B button on the left side of this radio (obscured by the upper receiver of the assault weapon) that selects which of the 2 displayed channels is active. Showing on the display, the channel name CPOINT2 is at top, and the lower line shows the active channel name MURS 3. The triangular symbol '–º at the lower left of the alpha numeric characters indicates the active talking channel: MURS Channel 3 ( 151.9400 MHz FM simplex ), which has become the nationwide primary MURS channel for the militia patriot community. MURS is the longest range VHF radio service that can be legally utilized by anyone without the need for a radio license.

Listening To Militia Radio FrequenciesSWL Short Wave Listeners, UTE utility radio listeners, Ham operators, and radio scanner buffs enjoy tuning into unusual activities on the radio spectrum. When a militia activates its radios for a training exercise or mission in any given area, it is likely to pop up on the receiver of some radio listener. There are thousands of radio aficionados everywhere, they are in every county in America. Many tend to mutually share information about unusual activity and the frequencies they hear it on. This RadioMaster Report includes such information, along with validation imagery, some data gleaned from internet sources, and some captured through real time monitoring by anonymous sources close to the scenes.

Armed militants at Missouri 2015 demonstration with Wouxun KG-UV6D VHF-UHF radios

Militia Frequency List '' Short Range MILITIA PATRIOT CHANNEL FREQUENCY LIST - SHORT RANGEBAND| CHANNEL |FREQUENCY MHZ| DESCRIPTION=== | ======= | ============| ======= ======= ======== ====UHF |HAM U975=| 446.9750 FM | MILITIA HAM SIMPLEXUHF |HAM U025=| 446.0250 FM | PATRIOT HAM SIMPLEXUHF |FRS 3 ===| 462.6125 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRS COMMONVHF |MURS 3 ==| 151.9400 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT MURS PRIMARYVHF |HAM 42 ==| 146.4200 FM | PATRIOT HAM SIMPLEX VHF |HAM 485 =| 146.4850 FM | MILITIA HAM SOUTHEASTERN SIMPVHF |HAM 53 ==| 146.5300 FM | PATRIOT MILITIA HAM SIMPLEXVHF |HAM 55 ==| 146.5500 FM | PATRIOT HAM SIMPLEX HF =|HAM 10 M | 028.3000 USB| MILITIA HAM EASTERNHF =|HAM 10 M | 028.3050 USB| PATRIOT HAM NATIONWIDE CB =|CB 3 AM =| 026.9850 AM | MILITIA PATRIOT CB COMMONCB =|CB 3 USB | 026.9850 USB| MILITIA AM USB OR LSBCB =|CB 14 AM | 027.1250 AM | MILITIA CB SOUTHEASTERN LOCAL CB =|CB 32 LSB| 027.3250 LSB| MILITIA CB SSB SOUTHEASTCB =|CB 36 USB| 027.3650 USB| MILITIA PATRIOT CBCB =|CB 37 USB| 027.3750 USB| PATRIOT CB SSB NATIONWIDEThe source of this frequency list is RadioMaster Reports.Militant in the Oregon 2016 standoff show of force displays a tactical vest outfitted with radio and accessories. Baofeng UV-5R with add-on throat microphone earpiece and big PTT button.

Typical SDR (software defined radio) USB dongle as utilized in the interception of VHF-UHF FM signals such as MURS-FRS-GMRS transmissions, set up on a remote hilltop

Typical handheld beam antenna capable of long range interception and radiolocation of militia patriot tactical radio traffic

Militant in southeastern area during 2014 field training exercise with Baofeng UV-5R and earbud

Florida militant radio operator at field exercise in command tent with Icom IC-7000 HF-VHF-UHF and Baofeng radios

No Big SecretSome radio users in the militia patriot community want to keep their frequencies a big secret. But more knowledgeable radio techs don't see the need for it, since all VHF-UHF FM transmissions can easily be received with a common scanner or Ham radio. A nearby scanner listener simply pushes the seek button and the frequency is displayed on their screen within a few minutes. Using a modern consumer-grade scanner (in the $100 range), the process of intercepting a local transmission frequency is nearly instantaneous (less than 1 second). Spectrum analyzers, band scopes, or scanner features such as Close Call or Signal Stalker make finding a militia frequency simple. Newer SDR software defined radio dongles (in the $50 range) that plug into the USB port or bluetooth of a smartphone, pad, or laptop can display the radio frequency spectrum visually in real time. The SOI standard operating instructions of patriot militia radio operators teaches never to give away secret channels, to keep some compartmentalized or covert frequencies, and to fly under the radar whenever possible. Some channels frequencies are considered public, others are considered private, and others are reserved as part of a rotating pool of tactical channels for missions. Anyone using plain old VHF-UHF FM who thinks they can have their own secret channels or maintain frequency comsec is creating a false sense of security that deceives only themselves. Radios send RF signals in all directions, not just to those who are the intended receivers of the transmission. Even a small HT can be picked up by a scanner at a safe distance a few miles away. With a handheld beam antenna or a mobile unit parked on a hilltop, a militant VHF UHF tactical net can be monitored up to about 10 or 20 miles away, depending on terrain. Aerial drones or UAV can easily receive tactical militia communications at visually and audibly undetectable distances away from the action. The average militia individual can't afford the $7,500+ price tag of a 5 watt VHF HT radio that has high levels of encryption combined with frequency hopping capability; anything less than that (such as DMR or P25) is easily intercepted and decrypted in realtime. Some militant groups or individuals are known to posses Motorola iDEN DirectTalk type PTT 900 MHz handsets and similar low power HTs (900 MHz or 2.5 GHz) which use FHSS frequency hopping spread spectrum. But these devices often are: undependable to keep paired/connected, easily jammed, too low-powered for ground clutter terrain at tactical distances, or easily decrypted by governmental interception systems. Instead of investing in costly advanced radio technology, militia members train to use Brevity Code words when communicating in the clear and often try to obscure the true meaning with terse phrases or slang terms that only other team members should know. Whether in the heat of an action or during common training drills, human nature often exposes the weak points in code-word verbal obfuscation. Savvy radio scanner fans listen in and catch on rapidly to comsec jargon codes.

Stock image of Baofeng model UV-5R, a VHF-UHF handheld transceiver, popular among militia

Baofeng: The Militia RadioBeginning around 2012, the Baofeng VHF-UHF handheld transceiver (HT) rapidly became the field communication device of choice for militias. This Chinese-made import HT is extremely cheap, at around $25 to $35 per unit. Out of the box, it is capable of being easily field-programmed for Ham, MURS, FRS, GMRS, Marine, and other land-mobile radio services. It transmits and receives FM and FM-narrowband in the frequency range of 136 to 174 MHz on VHF and 400 to 520 MHz on UHF. Militants really go for the low cost, and the wide array of accessories such as: extended battery packs, range-extending antennas, headsets, and speaker-microphones. The ubiquitous nature of the Baofeng model UV-5R (and its variants) can be seen in many of the following images of militant activities.

Militant at Oregon 2015 mine standoff using a Baofeng UV-5R radio with the add-on optional AA cell battery pack

Militia Radios In ActionDuring the mid-2015 militant mine standoff in Oregon, radio techs assisted the militia with maintaining VHF-UHF radio communications. Both MURS and FRS radios were utilized. MURS Channel 3 and FRS Channel 3 were the calling channels. Several other frequencies were utilized for tactical and control point contacts. The volunteer radio techs programmed radio channel frequencies using Chirp cloning software with a common channel plan that was utilized by those individuals who owned Baofeng and other brands of VHF-UHF radios. MURS channels were favored by those who had capability, due to its longer range, while more common FRS (Channel 3) radios were utilized by those who didn't have capability for MURS. Multiple monitoring reports from these and various other militia sites indicate continued use of these channels for interoperability and initial calling purposes. Generally speaking, all FRS and GMRS channels are widely utilized by militia and patriot groups in their tactical and localized activities and during field exercises.

Militant in Oregon 2016 using Baofeng UV-5RB with add-on NSKI model NA-771 VHF-UHF antenna to extend the distance

Some of the militants from the mid-2015 Oregon mine standoff action went on to attend protests during December 2015 in eastern Oregon, and then later showed up with their Baofeng radios (utilizing the same or similar channel programming) on MURS Channel 3 at the 2016 Oregon standoff.

Whether paired with sidearms or long guns, accessories add flair to the look and feel of battle-rattle gear. Accessories really make the outfit.

Oregon 2016 standoff '' last of the armed militant holdouts dug in and communicated using VHF-UHF HT radios

Extending The Reach of Mobile MilitiaThe trend toward equipment standardization on VHF-UHF HT radios for tactical use in the militia community has led to a modular approach for vehicular mobile units. Simply by attaching an external magnet mount antenna (in the $15 range) to the top of the car or truck, the handheld transceiver becomes the heart of a versatile mobile radio system.

Accessories such as external VHF UHF magnet mount antenna and battery charger / battery eliminator with 12VDC cigarette lighter adapter, form a versatile inconspicuous vehicular mobile station with extended range

Cigarette lighter plug charger cables provide continuous 12 Volt DC power (in the $15 range), and the car battery has enough power to run a militia HT radio for many days without even starting the car engine. This vehicular mobile antenna setup extends the range of the militia VHF radio from 2 miles to about 5 miles, and provides effective communications to handheld or base units within a large area of operations.

Militia convoys may talk car-to-car, or engage in mobile patrols ranging much further from the base station, due to the increased communication distance. This alleviates the need for militia vehicles to maintain a conspicuous visual distance apart while travelling in convoy. The mobile radio system enables militants to coordinate a rendezvous point or carry out a mobile tactical maneuver quickly on the fly.

Michigan militia using VHF UHF radio in vehicle with external antenna

Mobile VHF UHF radios capable of 40 Watts transmit output provide more dependable communication at longer distances. Linear amplifiers which increase a handheld's transmitter output power in the vehicle are also available. A militia radio officer in such an equipped vehicle, parked on a hilltop with a relatively inexpensive radio setup, thus becomes a very effective command and control asset (or radio relay station) covering a 30 mile diameter area of operations.

Militant in Oregon 2016 with Baofeng walks near a militia vehicle equipped with a quarter-wave VHF magnet-mount antenna capable of operation with a Baofeng or other transceiver on MURS, HAM 2 meters, marine, etc

CB Radio Use By Patriot CommunityMilitant Oregon 2016 standoff vehicle has CB radio

CB radios using AM and SSB on 27 MHz are still utilized for car-to-car/car-to-base by some militia mobile units. CB has remained popular over the years due to its superior distance range in hilly terrain, the ability to communicate within the rural community, and the ability to communicate with or monitor truck drivers when travelling. CB is also utilized for patriot culture and militia community morale; it includes extreme long distance skip talking at distances of 300 to 3000 miles. But, due to the erratic nature of ionospheric propagation in the upper HF spectrum, CB is not usually dependable on a daily basis for militia operations via skip at such long distances.

Militant in Oregon 2016 standoff waves around a Baofeng UV-B5 during a major network media circus tour

Most militia groups tend to have a local focus, and CB lends itself well to coverage of an entire rural county. The 27 MHz radio airwaves are not crowded anymore, since most of the older casual users in the suburban and urban population have long ago stopped using CB. An SSB CB radio in a vehicle can easily cover a distance of 10 to 15 miles car-to-car.

Michigan militia show of power at rally in 2016 using Baofeng UV-5R on MURS and GMRS

This makes CB SSB an attractive ancillary communication method for those militia units projecting force over a wide rural area of operations in forested terrain that is not very suitable for FM simplex VHF-UHF line-of-sight propagation.

Radios As Symbolic PowerCalifornia militants at 2014 rally show UHF VHF radios with speaker microphones

In addition to the utility of free instantaneous off-grid communication, HT radios have turned out to be a great prop that exudes a powerful air of militia authority.

Militant in Oregon 2016 standoff flaunts a Baofeng UV-B5 radio

The 16-inch long flexible VHF quarter-wavelength antennas (in the $10 range) are sold as an aftermarket accessory to attach to Baofengs and other HTs. These antennas are perfectly suited to be waved around for emphasis and are tremendously useful as a pointer for press cameras during network media circus tours. The wiggle of the antenna adds exciting visual accent to the look and feel of social media videos.

Prominent display of a Baofeng radio on the front of tactical vest rigs is just as important as the properly slung gun in the militia fashion accessory ethos. When a gun is not being actively displayed, the radio has surpassed the role of the knife in taking the gun's place as a power statement.

Militant armed bodyguard in the Oregon 2016 standoff swaggers along whipping a Baofeng antenna

The symbolic power of the radio stems from its ability to instill fear: it has the potential to project unseen levels of armed militia force to bear, upon a simple voice command, or at the touch of a button. The radio is not so stylish if worn under clothing or attached to the back of the vest. When no tactical rig is being worn, the HT may be grasped firmly and prominently in the hand while walking, to add vital purpose to the gait.

Militia Guard and Sniper Nest CommsMilitant snipers in commandeered fire lookout tower at Oregon 2016 standoff talking on VHF-UHF radio. A government repeater antenna is visible on the side of the tower.

Militant at Oregon 2016 standoff in commandeered fire watchtower uses Baofeng UV-5R radio and Simmons 20-60x60mm spotting scope

Militant 2016 Oregon standoff guard on fire watchtower with Baofeng

Militant gate guards in Oregon 2016 standoff use Baofeng model UV-5R V2+ radio with Nagoya NA-771 antenna to communicate with security perimeter and lookout tower (commandeered track vehicle in background is roadblock)

Militant Oregon 2016 standoff resupply wish list shows Midland radio (FRS) and Ham radio, along with batteries and other common items

Militia Logistics Resupply CommsA logistics resupply wish list issued by the Oregon 2016 standoff militants includes Midland FRS radios from Walmart, a HAM radio, and batteries. These items were part of a generic list of other common items such as warm blankets, flashlights, snacks, first aid, domestic essentials, and food items. It also shows that FRS bubble pack radios were treated as a common commodity during the armed confrontation.

The contents of this wish list and the fact that it appeared on the second day of the armed standoff tends to indicate that these particular militants were neither preppers nor survivalists. They forgot to bring sleeping bags and food; but they remembered to bring ammo and Baofengs.

Militant at Oregon 2016 standoff using a commandeered government radio on a VHF government frequency to communicate about logistics resupply with a compatriot in a commandeered government vehicle

Police capture Oregon 2016 standoff militant on resupply run with commandeered government vehicles containing VHF radio on government frequency

Government VHF repeater antenna on fire watch tower at Oregon 2016 armed militia standoff

Commandeering Of RadiosOregon 2016 standoff militants commandeered government buildings and vehicles. The facility included a radio base station on a government VHF frequency (about 170 MHz), a repeater on the fire watch tower, and many vehicles with VHF mobile radios. The militants utilized the government VHF radios to communicate around their immediate area of operations and to arrange resupply logistics runs to nearby towns.

In one instance, it appears that the legitimate government users of that radio system may have overheard the militants talking about their resupply convoy to the supermarket and reported the vehicle location to police. The police ended up arresting one of the militants and taking the vehicles away.

Militia Frequency List '' VHF Common TACTICAL Channels MILITIA PATRIOT ALTERNATIVE TACTICAL FREQUENCIES VHFBAND| CHANNEL |FREQUENCY MHZ| DESCRIPTION=== | ======= | ============| ======= ======= ======== ====VHF |MURS 1 ==| 151.8200 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT ALTERNATEVHF |MURS 2 ==| 151.8800 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT ALTERNATEVHF |MURS 3 ==| 151.9400 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT PRIMARYVHF |MURS 4 ==| 154.5700 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT SECONDARYVHF |MURS 5 ==| 154.6000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT ALTERNATEVHF |RED DOT =| 151.6250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT ALTERNATEVHF |PURPLEDOT| 151.9550 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT ALTERNATEVHF |MARINE 3 | 156.1500 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT ALTERNATEVHF |MARINE 72| 156.6250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT ALTERNATEThe source of this frequency list is RadioMaster Reports.

Michigan militants at 2016 rally with VHF UHF Midland GXT FRS-GMRS radio RadioShack Pro-651 scanner Baofeng radio, etc.

Militant in training exercise with FRS radio

Militant at Oregon 2016 armed standoff uses FRS radio

California militant showing loadout gear with Baofeng UV-5R with earphone and PTT microphone accessory set

Pennsylvania militant showing loadout gear with Baofeng UV-5R V3+ utilized on GMRS frequencies

Militia radio operator on hilltop position at a 2014 California rally action

Militia Frequency List '' Short Range UHF Common Tactical FRS GMRS MILITIA PATRIOT COMMON TACTICAL FREQUENCIES UHFBAND| CHANNEL |FREQUENCY MHZ| DESCRIPTION=== | ======= | ============| ======= ======= ========UHF |GMRS 15==| 462.5500 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 1 ===| 462.5625 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRS GMRSUHF |GMRS 16==| 462.5750 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 2 ===| 462.5625 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRS GMRSUHF |GMRS 17==| 462.6000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 3 ===| 462.6125 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRS GMRSUHF |GMRS 18==| 462.6250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 4 ===| 462.6375 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRS GMRSUHF |GMRS 19==| 462.6500 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 5 ===| 462.6625 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRS GMRSUHF |GMRS 20==| 462.6750 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 6 ===| 462.6875 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRS GMRSUHF |GMRS 21==| 462.7000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 7 ===| 462.7125 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRS GMRSUHF |GMRS 22==| 462.7250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |GMRS 15A=| 467.5500 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 8 ===| 467.5625 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRSUHF |GMRS 16A=| 467.5750 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 9 ===| 467.5875 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRSUHF |GMRS 17A=| 467.6000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 10 ==| 467.6125 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRSUHF |GMRS 18A=| 467.6250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 11 ==| 467.6375 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRSUHF |GMRS 19A=| 467.6500 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 12 ==| 467.6625 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRSUHF |GMRS 20A=| 467.6750 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 13 ==| 467.6875 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRSUHF |GMRS 21A=| 467.7000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRSUHF |FRS 14 ==| 467.7125 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FRSUHF |GMRS 22A=| 467.7250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT GMRS(Common bubble-pack FRS-GMRS radios)The source of this frequency list is RadioMaster Reports.

Militant at Nevada 2014 standoff uses VHF UHF radio to coordinate forces

Other Possible Militia FrequenciesMany militias pride themselves on law and order; they often make prominent public statements about their respect for the law. For militia patriots who don't have a Ham Radio License, and who don't want to run afoul of the law, there are only 3 types of channel frequencies available:

CB (40 channels on 27MHz) see list here.FRS/GMRS (14+ channels on 462 and 467MHz) see list below.MURS (5 channels on 151 and 154 MHz) see list above.Coast Guard remote radio tower in the Nevada desert

Any other channel frequencies that militia may program into their radios are considered either freeband or bootleg operation. A good example of bootleg operation is the use of Marine VHF boat channels, which are widely bootlegged on by the general public. However, the Coast Guard monitors and records some of the Marine VHF channels from their remote monitoring sites. While most Coast Guard remote sites are near the coasts and major bodies of inland waters and navigable rivers, there are other government monitoring sites which are far inland. Around big urban harbor coastal areas, Marine channels are recorded and monitored 24/7 by the Coast Guard.

Militia VHF-UHF Freeband ChannelsSome frequencies that militia can easily program into Baofeng radios are the Business Band Itinerant VHF channels in the 151 to 158 MHz range and UHF channels in the 457 to 469 MHz range. Some of these are commonly called the Color Dot or Star Channels, or they are widely known for their Motorola event business radio channel numbers. These channels are often utilized by retail stores (such as Costco or Walmart), private security services, taxi, towing, businesses, and various radio rental services. It is possible for militia to freeband on these channels for covert or tactical purposes occasionally without drawing too much attention.

MILITIA PATRIOT CHANNEL FREQUENCY LISTSHORT RANGE TACTICAL VHF UHF FREEBAND BAND| CHANNEL = |FREQUENCY MHZ| DESCRIPTION====| ========= | ============| ======= ======= ======= UHF | BROWN DOT | 464.5000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDUHF |YELLOW DOT | 464.5500 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDUHF |==== J DOT | 467.7625 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDUHF |==== K DOT | 467.8125 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDUHF |SILVER STAR| 467.8500 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDUHF |= GOLD STAR| 467.8750 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDUHF |= RED STAR| 467.9000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDUHF |= BLUE STAR| 467.9250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF | RED DOT 1 | 151.6250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |PURPLE DOT2| 151.9550 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 3 | 152.8850 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 3A| 154.5700 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 4 | 152.9150 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 4A| 154.6000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 5 | 151.7000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 6 | 151.7600 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 7 | 152.9450 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 7A| 151.8200 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 8 | 151.8350 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 8A| 151.8800 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 9 | 151.8050 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 9A| 151.9400 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 10| 151.5125 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 11| 151.6550 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 12| 151.6850 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 13| 151.7150 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 14| 151.7450 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 15| 151.7750 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 16| 151.8650 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 17| 151.8950 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 18| 151.9250 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 19| 152.7000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 20| 154.4900 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 21| 154.5150 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 22| 154.5275 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 23| 154.5400 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 24| 153.0050 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 25| 154.6550 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 26| 158.4000 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBANDVHF |BUSINESS 27| 158.4075 FM | MILITIA PATRIOT FREEBAND*BUSINESS BAND ITINERANT CHANNELSThe source of this frequency list is RadioMaster Reports.

Militant at Nevada armed standoff 2014 unboxing a truckload of Baofeng UV-5R radios

Militia Frequency List '' Long Range MILITIA PATRIOT CHANNEL FREQUENCY LIST - LONG RANGEBAND| CHANNEL |FREQUENCY MHZ| DESCRIPTIONCB =|CB 37 USB| 027.3750 USB| PATRIOT CB SSB NATIONWIDEHF =|HAM 10 M | 028.3050 USB| PATRIOT HAM NATIONWIDE TECHHF =|HAM 10 M | 028.3330 USB| MILITIA CONSTNL SIGNAL CORPSHF =|HAM 20 M | 014.1100 USB| PATRIOT DIGI CONTESTIA 4/250HF =|HAM 20 M | 014.2420 USB| PATRIOT HAM HF =|HAM 20 M | 014.3300 USB| MILITIA NEVADA STANDOFFHF =|HAM 20 M | 014.3150 USB| MILITIA HAMHF =|HAM 20 M | 014.3420 USB| PATRIOT HAM HF =|HAM 40 M | 007.1100 USB| PATRIOT DIGI CONTESTIA 4/250HF =|HAM 40 M | 007.1100 CW | PATRIOT HAM CW USBHF =|HAM 40 M | 007.2420 LSB| PATRIOT MILITIA HAM HF =|HAM 40 M | 007.2350 LSB| MILITIA HAM HF =|HAM 40 M | 007.2750 LSB| MILITIA HAM EASTERNHF =|PIRATE 40| 006.9000 LSB| MILITIA PIRATE BROADCASTHF =|HAM 80 M | 003.5450 CW | PATRIOT HAM CW HF =|HAM 80 M | 003.5880 USB| PATRIOT DIGI CONTESTIA 4/250HF =|HAM 75 M | 003.8180 LSB| PATRIOT MILITIA HAMHF =|HAM 75 M | 003.8600 LSB| PATRIOT MILITIA EASTERN HAMHF =|HAM 75 M | 003.8880 LSB| MILITIA HAM SOUTHEASTERNHF =|HAM 75 M | 003.9300 LSB| MILITIA HAM HF =|HAM 75 M | 003.9500 LSB| PATRIOT HAM DISRUPTED NETSHF =|HAM 75 M | 003.9950 LSB| PATRIOT HAM NETSThe source of this frequency list is RadioMaster Reports.Militia Patriot Ham Radio HF ActivityOregon 2016 standoff militant leaders travel in Ham Radio equipped vehicle with Nevada Amateur Radio callsign license plate and Little Tarheel brand HF screwdriver antenna capable of wide area regional communications

KTVZ television twitter video clip of Oregon 2016 standoff militants in Ham Radio HF-VHF-UHF equipped vehicle with Little Tarheel brand HF screwdriver antenna on right side

Militant 2016 Oregon standoff Ham Radio vehicle showing Little Tarheel brand HF screwdriver antenna

A southern militia radio operator in a field training exercise communicates using a Yaesu model FT-857 with LDG Z-100Plus antenna autotuner. The Yaesu is a 100 Watt radio capable of HF-VHF-UHF.

Militia radio techs are commonly recruited from the ranks of amateur radio operators. The level of involvement and commitment to the cause varies quite a lot. Some patriot-minded amateur radio operators participate actively in militia training or field exercises. A relatively small number of ham operators are willing to risk stiff fines or loss of their amateur radio license by using ham radios to assist armed standoffs, or while actively using radio communications to facilitate militant-related crimes. A larger number of hams tend to volunteer in a more aloof way to help set up radios or program the channel frequencies for friends who are militia or patriot group members. Most ham operators are cognizant of the rules against using codes or ciphers on ham radio. However, some militia-associated ham nets flout that rule and have been monitored using codes to try to obscure the meaning of messages on the air. The cipher rules don't apply to MURS, however; a fact which contributes to the popularity of MURS channels among militants.

A number of amateur radio patriot nets, militia nets, and calling frequencies exist on the HF (high frequency shortwave) bands. The most active HF frequencies are included in the Long Range list above. These frequencies cover wide regional areas using ionospheric propagation, and many involve SSB single sideband voice mode using radio station setups with 100 Watts to 2 kiloWatts of transmit power and large antenna systems. Portable HF stations or mobile HF vehicle radios are utilized for long distance field communications. Regular scheduled nets for militia and patriots groups mostly happen in the evening, with their schedule times usually posted on their group websites. Most of the nets use SSB, but there are several which use ham radio digital modes such as Contestia 4/250 or PSK31. A few nets use CW morse code.

Some of the SSB late night patriot nets on the 75 meter band (3.9MHz) tend to be raucous opinionated bull sessions which may often encounter intentional interference, jamming, or harassment by other ham radio operators. Extreme long-winded political or religious diatribes may commonly be heard on the 75 meter nets. Very little useful communication goes on with these nets, but they serve the important cultural purpose of stoking the fires of discontent and encouraging us-versus-them groupthink.

On the other hand, there are militias and patriot groups which engage in more organized HF nets for the purpose of emergency SHTF communications training. These tend to be less boisterous and more centered on discussions of how to relay messages or set up stations, or the subject of prepping. Some of the militia nets use obscure acronyms or innocuous-sounding names for their nets and try to blend into the woodwork with normal ham radio activity on the air. Most casual HF radio shortwave listeners (SWLs) and Hams would probably not notice these hiding-in-plain-sight militia HF nets, simply by listening to their mundane conversations on the air.

Militia Bootlegging On Ham Radio FrequenciesVHF UHF RDF Antenna with real-time Radio Direction Finding capability

Many militia have also programmed their radios on Ham Radio frequencies. Militia use of those Ham Radio frequencies to transmit without a license is probably not too smart. It is way more stupid than freebanding on Marine or Business Itinerant frequencies. Hams are everywhere; they tune in and monitor Ham band frequencies all the time; hams have frequency-vigilante groups who make it their patriotic mission to track down frequency-lawbreakers.

Ham Radio frequency-vigilante groups geolocate any transmitter from many miles away

Hams tend to be extremely protective of their own frequencies, and many have RDF Direction Finding equipment or beam antennas that can easily geolocate militia bootleg transmissions. Also, Hams have a nasty tendency to file monitoring reports to the government, which leads to hefty fines and costly legal processes for the perpetrators. But, there are 3 really big common sense reasons for militia not to use ham radio frequencies:

Ham operators are very likely to notice militia operating on VHF-UHF Ham Radio Frequencies, and they often record the transmissions and send those recordings to the government. This isn't a good situation for those militia wanting to keep a low profile comsec status.Ham Radio laws forbid the use of any cipher or code meant to obscure a message. Hams will record anything suspicious and report it. This kind of examination under a microscope can't be good for militia comsec.Hams have extremely powerful radios that can easily jam militia tactical HT reception from miles away. Some Ham operator with a huge kilowatt radio may lie in wait, then decide to jam militia bootleggers at an opportune moment, thus blinding the militia comms in the heat of a mission. The pitiful Baofengs are no match against this kind of electronic warfare attack. It is like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Militia won't win that battle.Ham Radio kiloWatt transmitter

Militia Patriot '' Shortwave BroadcastsShortwave stations, including both legitimate commercial radio stations and pirate radio stations, have aired militia patriot oriented programming. Shortwave has the potential to reach wide regional areas via ionospheric propagation of the radio waves. The most popular frequency range for clandestine shortwave pirate radio stations is 6.850MHz to 6.995 MHz just below the 40 meter Ham band, using AM Amplitude Modulation, LSB Lower Sideband, or USB Upper Sideband. The widely published militia patriot clandestine broadcast channel is 6.900 MHz, but few bonafide militia pirate radio stations have actually been monitored broadcasting on it. It is thought that it may only be activated in the event of some sort of uprising or SHTF scenario, since there is no need for it while the internet provides an excellent outlet for militia patriot podcasting and social media.

Logo of a militia parody pirate radio station

In early 2001, a Kentucky militia station using the self-assigned callsign KSMR broadcasted programming called ''The Militia Hour'' at a power level of 800 Watts on 3.260 MHz LSB and 6.890 MHz LSB. The program included coded group messages, in the clear militia messages, and a militia slant on the news. The militia station, run by a militia member who was a Ham radio operator, planned to also operate on 12.181 MHz USB but there were no reports at the time of it being active on that frequency. The station operator used threats of armed force when FCC notified the owner to get off the air. Some other non-militia pirate radio stations which operated on nearby frequencies were not fond of the increased FCC focus on their operations due to the militia station, and humorous parody broadcasts imitating the style of the militia station were heard. After the KSMR militia station had been on the air for a few months, the radio operator of it was pulled over in an unrelated local traffic stop for having a tail light out. He responded by opening fire on deputy sherriff officers, and fled the state. He was on the run for over a year before being featured on the ''America's Most Wanted'' television show, which led to his capture in 2002 and eventual prison sentence.

MILITIA PATRIOT SHORTWAVE BROADCAST FREQUENCIESHF|CHANL |FREQUENCY MHZ| DESCRIPTION HF|WWCR *| 003.2150 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 003.1950 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|PIRATE| 003.2600 LSB| KENTUCK MILITIA KSMR DEFUNCTHF|WWCR *| 004.8400 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 005.0700 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 005.8900 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 005.9350 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 006.1150 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 006.8750 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|PIRATE| 006.8900 LSB| KENTUCK MILITIA KSMR DEFUNCTHF|PIRATE| 006.9000 LSB| MILITIA CLANDESTINE BRDCASTSHF|WWCR *| 007.4650 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 007.4900 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 007.5200 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 009.3500 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 009.9800 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 011.5800 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 012.1600 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 013.8450 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCASTHF|WWCR *| 015.8250 AM | PATRIOT COMMERCIAL BROADCAST*COMMERCIAL STATION* SOME PATRIOT MILITIA PROGRAMSThe source of this frequency list is RadioMaster Reports.Beam antenna

RadioMaster Reports wishes to thank several sources, which shall remain anonymous, for their contribution of monitoring reports, imagery, and detailed information for this article.

Disclaimer: Content provided in RadioMaster Reports is included for the sole purpose of providing educational information on a passive basis. This information may be useful to the public in the event of emergencies. Users of this educational information are solely responsible for their actions.

(C)2016 RadioMaster Reports

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Archived Version

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 22:22

Amazon.com Inc. is ramping up its investment in podcasts and other radio-style shows to expand the types of programming it offers via Audible, the audio book company it acquired in 2008.

Audible has recruited well-known comedians, along with radio and podcast producers for the initiative, and job postings suggest a significant global push. Maria Bamford and Jonathan Katz are taping episodes of ''Bedtime Stories,'' a show in which comedians rewrite fairy tales, according to their manager Bruce Smith.

Entertainment plays a crucial role in Amazon's effort to push beyond its core business of selling books, laundry detergent and televisions online. The Seattle-based company's original films and TV shows have won critical acclaim and helped increase the appeal of its $99-a-year Prime service, which includes delivery discounts along with video and music streaming. Audible has more than 250,000 audio programs including books and plays, with downloads available for iPhones, Androids and other smartphone systems.

''Amazon is doing to Audible what it's done to Prime Video -- investing in original programming,'' said Nick Quah, an executive at the Graham Holdings Co.'s Panoply podcast network who also writes a newsletter about the industry. ''Amazon is hiring a ton of really good producers and managers out of public radio to acquire podcasts and develop shows of their own.''

Audible declined to comment on its plans, including the types of shows and formats it's working on and how they'll be marketed. The company offers a $14.95 a month subscription to its catalog of audio books and entertainment. North American media sales at Amazon, including books, grew 8 percent in 2015.

Service SweetenerPodcasts and other radio programs are a sweetener for existing members and to entice new ones. Audible sells products individually, along with monthly subscriptions that include access to a certain number of titles, reinforcing Amazon's push to engage online shoppers with gadgets and entertainment offerings.

Radio-style programs could also be a good extension of Amazon's voice-activated speaker Echo, which already plays customized news from National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp. Amazon is targeting households with gadgets that make it easier to order things you need and enjoy on-demand entertainment. Echo owners bought three times as many items as the typical Amazon shopper in 2015, according to data from Slice Intelligence.

Audible is recruiting for almost 100 positions worldwide, including software engineers, user experience designers, marketers and lawyers to help negotiate licensing and distribution agreements, based on posted listings. Most of the U.S. positions are in Newark, New Jersey, with global openings in London, Berlin, Singapore, Bangalore, Beijing and Sydney.

Eric Nuzum, a former NPR executive, is overseeing development and production of original programming for Audible. He has hired producers from WNYC, a New York public radio station, and the show ''Fresh Air.'' The company will host a recruiting fair in Jersey City, New Jersey, next week.

In a November interview with Merrill Brown, a professor at Montclair State University, Nuzum compared Audible's push into original programming with cable channels like HBO that used shows of their own to sell additional subscriptions.

''Audible has come to the conclusion that having their own original programming is strategically very important,'' Nuzum said, adding that he would look to audio dramas and podcasts.

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 06:20

"They say that 80,000 people will go back to their countries. But which people, which country?"

Sweden is preparing to send back nearly half of all the asylum seekers that entered the country last year, and is ready to charter planes to take rejected applicants back home.

Up to 80,000 people could be involved in an operation the interior minister is calling a ''very big challenge''.

''We're not planning to deport anyone, but we're planning that those people that don't get their asylum approved should return to their country of origin,'' said Swedish Interior Minister Anders Ygeman.

Currently 45 percent of asylum applications are rejected. In 2015 Sweden took in 163,000 people. Do the maths and it is clear many refugees will be leaving Sweden.

''I don't think it is real, because they say that 80,000 people will go back to their countries. But which people, which country? I don't know. I think it is only talk,'' said an Iraqi Kurd.

''We have left our country to come to Europe, a place of human rights, women's rights, children's rights. This decision from the Swedish government does not help us,'' said an Iraqi man.

On Monday a 22-year-old female caretaker was stabbed to death by a 15-year-old in an asylum seekers' teenage centre. This and similar incidents have led some Swedes to harden their hearts, and Stockholm to end its previous open doors policy. It has introduced border controls and much stricter document and identity checks.

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Archived Version

Sun, 31 Jan 2016 06:18

Spain's Princess Cristina is to be the first ever member of the Spanish royals to go on trial after a court sensationally ruled she would have to face charges in court ranging from money laundering to fraud.

Cristina had appealed against her case being heard and may have hoped she could strike a behind-closed-doors deal to avoid a public expose of her actions. Now it will all come out in public.

She has stood by her husband Inaki Urdangarin, despite King Felipe, her brother, demanding she divorce, although she also insists she did not know what her spouse was up to at their charitable foundation. She has also resisted Felipe's attempts to strip her of her title.

However she is named as an accomplice along with her husband and 16 other people, and faces a possible eight years in prison if found guilty, less than half the penalty Urdangarin could face.

It is a big moment for Spain, which has signally failed to prosecute those, like builders or bankers, thought responsible for the economic collapse. Secretive deals have been struck to keep their misdeeds out of the public eye. But Cristina's may now be exposed.

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Archived Version

Sun, 31 Jan 2016 06:10

In this week's Perspectives we look at reports on the first visit to Europe by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani after the lifting of international sanctions against his country. Major trade deals were signed with Paris and Rome, but Rouhani was also met with protests from human rights activists as Portugal's RTP reports.

In Italy, Rouhani's visit was partially overshadowed by the row over the covering up of some famous nude statues in the Musei Capitolini. The government has ordered an investigation to find out who was responsible for what seemed to be an act of self-inflicted censorship as Switzerland's RSI investigated.

And Italy's Rai Tre said that during a private meeting at the Vatican, Pope Francis called upon Tehran to play a key role in stopping the spread of terrorism and weapons trafficking. A message Rouhani seemed willing to take into consideration, as Iran tries to improve its global image.

Finally, tourism is among the sectors of the Iranian economy that will most likely hugely benefit from the new era of relations with Europe. A trend is already underway, as several European tourists are expressing interest in visiting the once-pariah state as France 3 reports.

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 06:06

"It is inconceivable that people are targeting asylum seekers with hand grenades"

Hand grenade thrown at asylum centreAttacks against migrants have rocketedJustice minister pledges actionGermany's Justice Minister has pledged to take steps to crack down on offences against migrants.

It comes after an unidentified attacker threw a hand grenade at an asylum seeker's home in the south-west town of Villingen-Schwenningen..

''The degree of violence against refugee homes is frightening, if now hand grenades are being thrown into buildings in the middle of Germany.''

''This has to be investigated, the perpetrators must be severely punished. We do not want to see dead people as a result of such acts.''

''The federal criminal authority announced that there were more than a thousand acts against refugees and their homes, this is frightening.'' said Heiko Maas.

The police have formed a special task force to search for whoever threw the grenade towards the house at 1:15 am.

The device had been primed with explosives but it is not clear whether a detonator had been attached.

Forensics experts are investigating.

It was just luckThe device did not explode and nobody was injured in the early morning attack against the home for asylum-seekers in the town of Villingen-Schwenningen.

''It was just luck'' said regional police spokesman Thomas Kalmbach.

''A new level of hate and violence''Germany took in nearly 1.1 million asylum-seekers last year and there have been multiple attacks on residences, although most have been unoccupied.

The number has increased six-fold from 28 in 2014 to 173 in 2015.

Arson attacks have also risen from six in 2014 to 92 in 2015.

However, Maas said the grenade attack marks a new level of ''hate and violence''.

He is summoning his state counterparts to coordinate local and federal measures to prevent and prosecute anti-immigrant crimes.

What they are saying''Using a military weapon against refugees marks a new development.''- German Judicial Police spokesperson.

''It is inconceivable that people are targeting asylum seekers with hand grenades, which are military weapons.''*State governor Winfried Kretschmann*

''We need to do everything we can to ensure xenophobic crimes are more rapidly solved and punished more severely.'' '' German Justice Minister Heiko Maas.

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 06:02

"As long as the mosquito keeps reproducing, each and every one of us is losing the battle against the mosquito. So we have to mobilise, so we do not lose this battle"

The race is on to find a vaccine, as the mosquito-born Zika virus takes hold in the Americas.

It is being linked to severe birth defects. Around four thousand suspected cases of microcephaly have been reported here in Brazil.

Zika is now present in 23 countries and territories in the Americas, with Brazil hardest hit.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is thought to be the sole species transmitting the virus.

But scientists are also investigating whether another more common type, the Culex, might be spreading it too.

''We're losing the battle against the mosquito. As long as the mosquito keeps reproducing, each and every one of us is losing the battle against the mosquito. So we have to mobilise so we do not lose this battle,'' said Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian President.

The World Health Organization predicts as many as four million people could become infected in the Americas.

There is no treatment for Zika infection and a vaccine suitable for widespread use is months, if not years away, developers are warning.

Most of those who get Zika show no symptoms, making it tough for pregnant women to know if it's in their system.

The WHO '' criticised over its response to West Africa's Ebola epidemic '' is holding an emergency meeting on Monday, to decide on what action to take.

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 05:49

More than 35 people, including several children, have drowned and 75 have been rescued after a boat carrying migrants and refugees to Greece sank of the coast of Ayvacik, Turkey on Saturday.

Rescue efforts were continuing in the afternoon.

One man was detained by police on suspicion of human trafficking and organising the voyage.

''I swear I didn't do it. I had six relatives on that boat. I don't even know whether they are dead or alive. I was also on that boat,'' he told media at the scene.

Nearby, further rescues were carried out by the Italian Coast Guard on Friday night. Coast guard cutters picked up 31 people drifting on rafts near Kos, and 15 people stranded on a rock near Samos.

55,528 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea in Europe so far in 2016, according to the latest figures (published 29 January) from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The IOM also reports 244 people dead or missing in 2016, as of 29 January.

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Sun, 31 Jan 2016 05:46

Frauke Petry, one of the leaders of right-wing German opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD), has sparked outrage with provocative comments about refugees.

''Border guards must prevent illegal border crossings and even use firearms is necessary,'' Petry told German newspaper 'Mannheimer Morgen', in an interview published on Saturday.

No police officer wanted to shoot at a migrant, Petry said, adding ''I don't want that either but, ultimately, deterrence includes the use of armed force.''

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to be trying to be try to appease critics of her open-door policy on refugees.

''I hope that during the winter time, when refugee numbers are low, we will make visible progress. The numbers need to be reduced further, and they must not increase again in Spring,'' she said during an address at a regional Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party conference in Neubrandenburg on Saturday.

Merkel also repeated calls for a Europe-wide solution to address the crisis.

While the popularity of Merkel's conservative bloc has been slipping due to her policy on refugees, the AfD party's support has risen to double digits.

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See more in the cross-post on the NewsBusters blog.

While Thursday night's GOP debate was still on-going, NBC's Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd appeared on MSNBC's The Last Word and hyped that Donald Trump events like the one he held instead of attending the debate have a ''sort of like this rock concert feel'' while the latest Republican presidential debate felt like it was ''low energy'' instead.

After joking that Rick Santorum was desperately trying to not stand directly behind the Trump campaign podium at the so-called event for veterans, Todd mentioned that he was there for awhile before coming back to the debate site and noticed that ''[i]t had a rock concert atmosphere.''

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Sat, 30 Jan 2016 19:45

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Sat, 30 Jan 2016 18:25

Legally mandated 'yes means yes' sex standard affirmatively baffles NYU students (VIDEO)

Lawmaking is put to the test where the rubbers meet the road (sorry, bad pun).

New York University students interviewed on camera by Shelby Emmett, of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, proved that Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and supportive lawmakers failed to design an intelligible ''affirmative consent'' law.

Supporters of the supposedly simple ''yes means yes'' standard for sexual consent knew they couldn't get a bill through the Legislature that micromanaged sex too closely in the statutory language, so they left much of the law subject to individual interpretation.

RELATED: Law professors line up against New York's new campus sexual-assault law

This is evident when NYU students are asked to define the reach of terms such as ''clear permission'' and ''sexual activity'':

[S]tudents were split about whether something as ubiquitous as kissing counted. Answers ranged from a shaky ''I think so?'' to a firm ''definitely'' to a non-committal ''no, not really.''

What's interesting about the student answers is they aren't even consistent by gender '' not all women consider ''kissing'' a sexual act (requiring prior consent), and some men think it is.

One female student said she considered it ''cheesy'' when a guy asks if he can kiss her '' which is legally required to be consensual under some interpretations of the new law.

RELATED: Northeast states consider measures to prejudge students accused of rape

Another female student says that even verbal consent can be negated by body language, because ''people can say something and not really mean it.''

Students were ''stumped'' when asked how they would prove they had a partner's consent if challenged later. And let's not even start with the fuzzy-to-the-point-of-hirsuite line between ''intoxicated'' (OK) and ''incapacitated'' (rape).

Because the law isn't clear, some students are practicing extra caution

As we've noted before, a University of Albany male student told The New York Times that he asks for consent ''once or twice during sexual encounters with women he knows well, and four or five times during more casual or first-time hookups.''

Of course, because consent can be revoked at any point '' using cues that may be imperceptible to one partner '' anything less than a steady stream of ''yes'' to continue sex (which must also be ''enthusiastic'' at some colleges) is technically rape on campus in New York.

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About the Author

Associate Editor

Greg spent several years as a technology policy reporter and editor for Warren Communications News in Washington, D.C., and guest host on C-SPAN's ''The Communicators.'' Previously he led media and public relations at Seattle's Discovery Institute, a free-market think tank. Greg is developing a Web series about a college newspaper, COPY, whose pilot episode was a semifinalist in the TV category for the Scriptapalooza competition in 2012. He graduated in 2001 with a B.A. from Seattle Pacific University, where he co-founded the alternative newspaper PUNCH and served as a reporter, editor and columnist for The Falcon.

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Reacting more as a supporter than an impartial observer, NBC anchor Lester Holt, during an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, admitted he ''winced'' when he heard someone call her ''dishonest.'' He then worried: ''Do you get your feelings hurt sometimes?''

From the interview, conducted in Iowa, excerpted on the Friday, January 29 NBC Nightly News:

LESTER HOLT, ANCHOR, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: I want to ask you about a moment at the town hall the other day. A young man, a Bernie Sanders supporter, stood up and said young people don't trust you.

TAYLOR GIPPLE, CNN's TOWN HALL ON JAN 25: I've heard from quite a few people my age that they think you're dishonest.

HOLT: And when he said that I winced. And I was wondering, you've obviously been in tough battles, political battles, but do you get your feelings hurt sometimes?

Holt's next question: ''What frustrates you the most about perceptions about you?''

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Perhaps Americans should be more worried about the seemingly frail and sickly Bill and Hillary Clinton, and less so about their 74-year-old rival Bernie Sanders.

During an appearance in Fairfield, Iowa Friday, KTVO reports Clinton was ''much more direct today in attacking his wife's chief opponent in the race, Bernie Sanders,'' than at a Thursday rally.

''Who will do the most to make you a part of the future that the president painted in the State of the Union,'' Clinton said, his voice quivering. ''How are we going to do it and who's the best change maker to do it?

''It's not close. Hillary is the best change maker to do it,'' Clinton said, his hand shaking as he pointed at the audience.

The once nubile Clinton is showing his age. It's not 1992 anymore.

KTVO reports 350 people turned out to see the former president, but notes ''many'' of them were Sanders supporters who turned out to see the former president.

The news station also tweeted out this photo, again claiming 350 in attendance.

(Does that look like 350 people to you?)

The Clinton campaign has been plagued by low turnout at events, certainly an indication of enthusiasm '-- or lack thereof.

The Globe Gazette reported there were so many people at Bernie Sander's rally in Mason City Wednesday night, some had to stand outside in the freezing cold and watch through the windows.

Sam Frizell of Time Magazine appeared on MSNBC Thursday and reported Clinton also appeared in Mason City Wednesday night and couldn't match Sanders's crowd.

Clinton had 300 attend while Sanders had 1,100 '-- nearly four times the former president's total.

(C) 2016 The American Mirror. All Rights Reserved.

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WWP RESPONSE TO FALSE NEWS REPORTS

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is a leader in nonprofit transparency and the public reporting of the organization's independent financial audits. We are an open book. We owe that to those who support us and to those we serve - wounded warriors.

The chair of Wounded Warrior Project's Audit Committee, Richard M. Jones, a prominent tax attorney and certified public accountant, is the Executive Vice President, General Tax Counsel, and Chief Veteran Officer at CBS Corporation. Mr. Jones stands by our financial statements, our reporting methods, our public filings, and our independent audits.

CBS News did not reach out to Mr. Jones prior to airing a story with false information about our finances.

Wounded Warrior Project provides more than 20 needs-specific, free programs and services to more than 83,000 wounded veterans, who we call Alumni, and more than 15,000 family support members. We are constantly expanding our services to better support warriors. We just launched the Warrior Care Network' to help provide world-class mental health care for wounded veterans. Warrior Care Network represents a $100 million investment to ensure warriors struggling with the hidden wounds of war get the help they need. We have already committed $110 million to our long-term support initiatives '' the Independence Program and Long-Term Support Trust '' two programs that directly help the most severely injured veterans.

To be clear, Wounded Warrior Project is trusted by nearly 100,000 veterans, their caregivers, and families, to provide them with critical care programs and services every day. Alumni regularly praise our organization for making a life-altering impact. The demand for our services continues to grow as evidenced by the more than 1,200 new registrations we receive from the wounded each month. And, we are proud to welcome so many of our Alumni as WWP staff. Their belief in - and passion for - who we are, what we do, and why it matters, is evidenced in their very lives.

Many people like to talk about the need to support wounded warriors - Wounded Warrior Project is actually doing it - every day and in record numbers.

WHY WE PROTECT OUR NAME AND LOGO

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) takes our commitment to protecting our name and logo seriously. This is an obligation we have to our alumni and their families, our donors, and the nonprofit industry. Usage of a confusingly similar name and logo by other nonprofits, has raised issues with donors believing they are supporting the efforts of WWP, when they were not.

Most important of all, WWP has a responsibility to our warriors '' to be there for a lifetime. Our logo belongs to the warriors and families we serve, and therefore WWP acts to protect the goodwill associated with our trademark. As a veterans service organization that now serves over 70,000 warriors and their families, we cannot be selective in protecting our trademarks. Our mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors permeates every aspect of our organization, which is why we defend and safeguard the representation of our nations' heroes.

Scams using the WWP name hurt us, our supporters, and the warriors we're all working to support. Unfortunately, military families are often a target for fraud in general, including fake charities using certain buzzwords to gain trust and donations.

The time and expense required to respond to these scams detract from our efforts on behalf of injured service members and their families. These scams can also compromise personal information that is potentially harmful to warriors, their families, and WWP supporters.

NEVER provide personal or financial information to unknown individuals.It is a federal crime for a person to pose as a WWP representative for the purpose of fraudulently soliciting, collecting, or receiving money.WWP FUNDRAISING EFFORTS DO NOT INCLUDE:

Door-to-door solicitations,Magazine sales,Cold-call telemarketing, orStorefront fundraising.If you encounter an alleged WWP representative in ANY of these scenarios, it might be a scammer trying to gain your trust and solicit a fraudulent donation. We urge you to contact us at fraudalert@woundedwarriorproject.org to verify any potentially fraudulent fundraising effort.

CURRENT SCAM ALERTS (UPDATED 1/21/16)

Craigslist.org Employment and Check Fraud

A ''Mark Smith'' based in California is sending fraudulent checks to individuals usually in response to an online classifieds ad, such as Craigslist, for goods or services.

Mark Smith is not a WWP teammate, vendor, partner, or other authorized representative.WWP pays only its vendors, contractors, and legitimate employees, and does NOT send unsolicited checks in the mail.This account is DEPOSIT ONLY, meaning upon deposit the recipient could be left with a substantial overdraft from their own bank and potentially be charged with fraud themselves.Job seekers report receiving offers for unsolicited positions in response to Craigslist job postings under various titles including front desk receptionist. These job offers typically include a ''paid to drive concept'' for Wounded Warrior Initiative or Wounded Warrior Concept, ''a subsidiary of woundedwarriorproject.org.'' Respondents then receive a fraudulent cashier's check via mail in exchange for wrapping their vehicle with the WWP logo. The scammer requests a MoneyGram or gift cards in return for the overpayment or ''rental fee'' to wrap the vehicle. Authorities investigating this scam, which spans over 15 states, have determined the perpetrators typically go by the names Andy Morgan and Douglas Pierce. The scammers use the names of WWP executive vice president John Roberts with email address exec_drivewarriors@outlook.com, and WWP chief development officer Adam Silva as ''Director Planning And Research,'' with email address project@woundedwarriorprojecthires.com

There is no Wounded Warrior Initiative or Wounded Warrior Concept, and these are not part of WWP or its programs.''Morgan'' and ''Pierce'' are neither partners of WWP nor authorized or licensed WWP vendors or representatives.This is NOT the real John Roberts or Adam Silva from WWP, nor are those valid WWP email addresses.WWP does not advertise potential job openings or solicit job candidates via Craigslist.All legitimate WWP job opportunities are listed on our website under ''Cool Careers."The second employment-based scam offers job seekers to wrap their vehicles with advertising logos for energy drinks such as Monster, XTC, Zipfizz, Bud-Light Energy Drinks or Samsung. The job seeker/victim receives a fraudulent check with WWP banking information, sent UPS 2nd Day Air from Illinois, usually from ''Dave.'' The victim is advised to cash the check, keep a portion as their first week pay, and send the remaining balance to a third party (usually by money order) for the cost of the wrap. After the check bounces, the victim is left with a substantial overdraft while the scammers have received money from the victim's bank.

Monster and other companies have previously confirmed they do not offer any car wrap services and are aware of this scam. Regional and federal authorities have been notified as this scam spans several states and involves online fraud, making it a federal crime.WWP pays only its vendors, contractors, and legitimate employees, and does NOT send unsolicited checks in the mail.If you are the victim of these scams, or if you receive a check purporting to be from WWP and you are unsure of its origins, please contact fraudalert@woundedwarriorproject.org.

Informing the bank the check is drafted from is helpful in resolving these issues. The Federal Trade Commission provides links on how to report fraudulent checks, at www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0159-fake-checks.

Men Claiming to Be WWP Partners Fraudulently Selling T-Shirts to Military Exchanges Nationwide

Two men going by the names Timothy Ryan/Ray Walker and Zarek Tucker, operating as partners of ''Wounded Warrior Project Tennessee,'' are selling T-shirts with the WWP logo on them to military exchanges nationwide, using the name ''Freedom Shirts.'' WWP has received inquiries from several service members and exchanges in Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Tampa and Pensacola, Florida, and Belleville, Illinois. Walker and Tucker are neither partners of WWP nor authorized or licensed WWP vendors, and their sales do not benefit WWP.

Recently, Walker and Tucker have solicited the ''donation'' of vacation homes and material goods such as groceries, claiming these generous offerings benefit those assisting warriors on military bases, or warriors directly.

WWP has reported Walker and Tucker to local authorities and exchanges in Pensacola and Knoxville, and the Tennessee state attorney general. As activities span several states, the FBI is now actively investigating the matter.

Door-To-Door Scammer Promises Gift Cards for Donations to WWP

WWP has been made aware of an individual, occasionally going by the name ''Brian Campbell,'' operating in and around the Atlanta, Georgia area. This person fraudulently represents themselves as a WWP employee, carrying a clipboard and wearing a suit, tie and badge. This person solicits cash donations in exchange for gift cards to Big Lots or other retailers, providing bogus receipts. As a reminder, WWP fundraising efforts donotinclude door-to-door solicitation or the promise of gift cards in return for donations. Cobb County law enforcement has been notified of this individual and is currently investigating.

Telephone Scam

WWP has had several callers report a telephone scam to us. The phone number shows up as (888) 888-3011 on caller ID. Promises of cash prizes and the return number (855) 345-6102 are typically given by ''Eric.'' Upon calling back either phone number, calls were then routed to Wounded Warrior Project.

This may be what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) refers to as ''caller ID spoofing.'' The FCC is aware of the problem and is taking steps to identify the perpetrators, and asks anyone who receives these calls to file a complaint with the FCC. You can find out more on caller ID spoofing and file a complaint here: fcc.gov/guides/caller-id-and-spoofing

Wounded Warrior Family Support Found Liable for Stealing

A three-judge panel has denied an appeal and upheld the original verdict in a battle between two charities that support returning American veterans and were using similar names. Read more.

MISCONCEPTIONS & SMEAR CAMPAIGN

Any statements to the contrary are false and untrue. WWP has always supported the Constitution of the United States of America, including the Second Amendment. We recognize these are freedoms our service members fought and sacrificed to protect. Our mission focus is on supporting our nation's wounded veterans and providing therapeutic and beneficial programs, including hunting and outdoor activities. We have a long history of facilitating and sponsoring activities that involve firearms. We value the contributions we receive from fundraisers and donors, including the firearm and sporting industry and organizations.

On April 28, 2015, Gordon ''Alex'' Graham issued a retraction to his Veterans Today articles and postings to his Asknod.com blog, both of which contained false and untrue information about Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). In addition to his retraction, Mr. Graham issued an apology to WWP and all veterans for his ''false, misleading and defamatory'' statements.

In his retraction and apology, Mr. Graham admitted that his actions were not only false, but also harmful to the wounded servicemen and women we serve, and acknowledged the truth: that WWP positively impacts wounded veterans with our lifesaving services. Follow the link below to view the court documents.

On Friday, June 20, 2014, the federal court hearing our case entered a judgment against Dean Graham and his organization Help Indiana Vets, Inc. (HIVI), and permanently enjoined both from making defamatory statements about WWP. What this means is that Dean acknowledged he made false and defamatory statements, the court entered a judgment accordingly, and Dean/HIVI are no longer permitted to make defamatory statements about Wounded Warrior Project. Follow the links below to view the court documents.

View GuideStar's official release

Washington, D.C.'--December 22, 2014'--We understand that GuideStar's data was used as reference in some recently published blog posts and circulated email chains about the Wounded Warrior Project.

GuideStar is inaccurately attributed as saying ''the Wounded Warrior Project might as well be run by the Mafia.'' To be clear, neither GuideStar, nor any of its employees, said this quote. It is inaccurate and against our policy to comment on specific organizations.

Additionally, the author inaccurately states that GuideStar is ''a group that investigates charities.'' GuideStar does not investigate charities. We provide data and information to the public and allow them to use that information to make better educated decisions about the nonprofit sector.

Beyond these discrepancies, the author has used the data behind his overall assertion incorrectly. The statement that the Wounded Warrior Project ''only used 3.5% of the money it received for the purpose intended,'' fails to include the almost $70 million that was used on direct program expenses that year. It should be noted the following year that spend increased to $117 million.

Furthermore, GuideStar does not believe that so called overhead ratios are a fair proxy to judge the impact that a nonprofit organization has on advancing its mission. The amount spent on ''administrative'' versus ''program'' expenses has no correlation on the amount of impact that organization is having. And it's the impact a charity makes that really matters.

GuideStar has asked the author to correct this statement ASAP.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you suspect fraud, immediately contact your state or local consumer protection office. These agencies have the best available resources to investigate and prosecute these matters. You can locate your state or local office online at: usa.gov/directory/stateconsumer/index.shtml

We'd also appreciate a heads-up! If we get several of the same alert, we can then post it to this page. Email fraudalert@woundedwarriorproject.org.

Reporting potential fraudulent activity to WWP is integral to protecting the integrity of our organization, and empowers us to continue helping service members and their families.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For more on veteran and military family charitable solicitations, visit: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0121-charitable-solicitations-vet-military-families. Also, check back here often for updated information on current scams and fraud alerts.

You can also report any incidents of consumer fraud or deception directly to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/charityfraud or call (877) FTC-HELP.

If you believe an organization or website may not be operating for its claimed charitable purpose, contact your state attorney general or the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org.

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Fri, 29 Jan 2016 12:27

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Thu, 28 Jan 2016 21:48

Former NBA star and now TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley appeared on the Wednesday broadcast of the ''Dan Patrick Show'' on NBC Sports.

Barkley told host Dan Patrick that he feels ESPN is ''framing the narrative'' of Super Bowl 50 into ''black versus white, good versus evil'' since the matchup's starting quarterbacks are Peyton Manning and Cam Newton.

''ESPN has already started their crap about black versus white, good versus evil and I know a lot of those fools over there got radio talk shows,'' he said. ''It really annoys the hell out of me. We really just can't appreciate the greatness of Peyton [Manning]. And clearly, Cam is on the track to become one of the greatest players ever. You can already see them framing the narrative 'black versus white, good versus evil.'''

The NBA Hall of Fame player also added he would not be a fan of how his fellow former Auburn star celebrates and enjoys himself on the field.

''Let me tell you something, as much as I love Cam Newton, if I played against him, I would put a hit on him, no question,'' Barkley stated. ''They rub it in pretty good.''

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent