Free Republic

Some what of a vanity post as I'm looking for stories, gossip, rumors about an supposed organization refered to as the 3%. The web site linked on this post kinda shares the same sentiment, but it doesn't seem to be the same as the 3% was original described to me. This 3% secret organization was described to me as an unofficial group of Veteran/Active duty, mostly Veterans I suppose. I have no affiliation or interests with the linked blog.

We wrote on Monday about some new research showing how woefully confused most people are about inequality, not just in the U.S. but around the world. People tend to be very, very bad at accurately answering questions about the shape of the income distribution in their country, the share of people living in poverty, and the typical incomes made by workers at the top and bottom. ....

SASSY Carly Fiorina Has a Unique Way of Dealing with Chuck Todd. The link takes you to the DC home page where the piece is proceeded by the super title "SASSY" while the article itself doesn't include that reference. I just find it interesting choice of words. Sassy? Has Ted Cruz been Sassy? I bet bitchy and hysterical will be used too at some point. I know it was meant lovingly but others might not see that way.

The National Security Agency's massive data collection program has prompted lawsuits, internal reviews and a fierce congressional debate over whether to scrap it. But Director of National Intelligence James Clapper apparently forgot the program even existed during a key hearing two years ago. ....

Dashcam video released Thursday shows a black suspect being kicked in the face by a white Delaware police who was charged last week with assault. The video, recorded August 2013, was released by Dover police after a federal judge ruled last week that it was no longer considered confidential. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed on behalf of the suspect by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The District of Columbia’s police chief told a city council panel Thursday she would support Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposal to shield all body camera footage from Freedom of Information Act requests. Police chief Cathy Lanier cited privacy concerns and logistical problems with redacting sensitive information from body camera footage as her main reasons for backing the proposal.

A police officer said to me, "Ninety-eight percent of the people in the world are sorry S.O.B.'s and the two percent that are good are cops." He didn't include anyone above the rank of sergeant in the two percent and only about half of them were included. An extreme statement? Yes! A unique attitude? No! That officer succinctly stated a common conclusion of a prevalent value system in police-the tribal value system in the world of police stress. Ethics in law enforcement related to police stress has become a popular topic in police literature and courses, and I am glad....

UPDATE: Shortly after the publication of this item, The Washington Post changed the story in question from "Prisoner in van thought Gray was ‘trying to injure himself'" to "Prisoner in van heard 'banging against walls.'” The Post also added a correction regarding Donta Allen's age and updated the article to include his comments disputing the police report. We welcome those changes. Our original item follows:

A passion for exploration is the fuel to an innovative economy, says astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. In an interview with CNBC's On the Money, the host of the new National Geographic Channel show StarTalk — based on Tyson's podcast and Sirius XM radio show of the same name — described the dynamic implications of scientific discovery. ....

Some people protest police brutality in ways that only remind us of why we need police. That’s how I feel about the Baltimore rioters who some news reports described as “protestors [SIC].” The label falsely flatters the thugs and hooligans who set fires and attacked police, merchants and journalists after the otherwise respectful funeral on Monday for Freddie Gray, 25, who died under mysterious circumstances in police custody.

Video at link -- it the link to shep smith reporting works.

Is nonconformity and freethinking a mental illness? According to the newest edition of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it certainly is. The manual identifies a new mental illness called “oppositional defiant disorder” or ODD. Defined as an “ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior,” symptoms include questioning authority, negativity, defiance, argumentativeness, and being easily annoyed.

Please skip to comments. The headline explains it best.

Since Colorado voters legalized pot in 2012, prohibition supporters have warned that recreational marijuana will lead to a scourge of “drugged divers” on the state’s roads. They often point out that when the state legalized medical marijuana in 2001, there was a surge in drivers found to have smoked pot. ...]

LOS ANGELES – The wife of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling is owed $2.6 million by a woman her husband showered with gifts, a judge ruled Tuesday. Judge Richard Fruin Jr. awarded Shelly Sterling most of the nearly $3 million she had sought. Sterling had claimed that money used to buy V. Stiviano a house, luxury cars and expensive gifts was her community property. ...]

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The white South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of a black man can be heard telling his supervisor twice that he didn't understand why the man ran away, according to dashcam video.

[ ... Dufresne is by no means out of the woods for her exploits. Neither is Respess. They both still face criminal charges for their roles in a threesome with the same, unidentified student. ... ] [I read it was a marathon session at 9 hours.]

[ .... " Bayh, though, suggested the friction now could give way to better times soon for Democrats. “I do think with a new president, potentially new leaders, certainly for Democrats in the Senate --who knows about the House -- there may be a season for governing where people might actually find more common ground,starting all over with a blank sheet of paper,” Bayh said. “That would be a good thing for the country.”

"[..... Currently, the NCAA is coming under close scrutiny for the “one-and-done” recruiting policy schools are using to secure highly-touted freshmen, and McCaskill used her congratulatory tweet to the Blue Devils as an opportunity to criticize the collegiate athletic body. .....]"

ABC News made it official this morning: Diane Sawyer will interview Bruce Jenner about his transition on April 24. “Bruce Jenner’s far-ranging, exclusive interview with ABC News Anchor Diane Sawyer airs Friday, April 24, on a special edition of 20/20. The two-hour special, Bruce Jenner – The Interview, airs on the ABC Television Network at 9 PM ET,” the network announced. The May sweep begins this year on April 23. The interview with Sawyer will be the first discussion of Jenner’s transition by a major news outfit.