Statement by the NATO Secretary General on North Korea

Source: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

I strongly condemn that North Korea has conducted a sixth nuclear test today. This is yet another flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions, including UNSCR 2321 adopted in November 2016.

NATO is concerned by Pyongyang’s destabilising pattern of behaviour, which poses a threat to regional and international security.

The regime must immediately cease all existing nuclear and ballistic missile activities in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner, and re-engage in dialogue with the international community.

I urge North Korea to respect its international obligations, and to abandon all threats and actions which contribute to tension and insecurity.

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2017 Has Makings of Banner Year in Fight Against Forced Unionism

Source: National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation

Washington, D.C. - September 4, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and the National Right to Work Committee, issued the following statement on the occasion of Labor Day 2017:

“This Labor Day, many Americans will enjoy a well-deserved three day weekend. After the festivities, vacations, and beach trips have ended, however many critical fights for employee freedom loom on the horizon.

“Even though polls consistently show that 8 in 10 Americans support Right to Work laws, which makes union membership and financial support strictly voluntary, every day millions of workers are forced to fund a labor union as a condition of employment. These workers are forced to face an ugly choice: pay dues to union officials they may not support or be fired.

“On this Labor Day, every American should pause to consider these victims of compulsory unionism which is embedded in many state and federal laws. Fortunately, help is on the way and they don’t stand alone.

“In over 250 cases over the past year National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys have provided free legal representation to workers who have had their rights violated. These cases show the desperate need for additional protections against Big Labor’s forced dues powers.


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“One individual standing up for his rights is Illinois state worker Mark Janus. In June, he asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case challenging mandatory union payments as a violation of the First Amendment. The Supreme Court could agree to take the case this September with a ruling coming by the end of June 2018.

“If Janus’ Foundation-provided staff attorneys are successful, 2017 may be the last Labor Day that teachers, police officers, firefighters and millions of other government employees are forced by law to fund union activities as a condition of working for their own government.

“Meanwhile, Right to Work laws continue to expand with Missouri and Kentucky being added to the list of 28 states with laws to protect workers from being fired for not paying money to a labor union. Kentucky is already seeing unprecedented levels of job creation and investment specifically because of its new Right to Work status. Unfortunately for Missouri, union bosses there have launched a campaign to block the law, meaning workers may have to wait until November 2018 to be free of forced union dues.

“Despite these big victories for worker freedom, more work remains. In addition to pushing for state Right to Work laws the National Right to Work Committee is building support in Congress for a National Right to Work Act that would eliminate portions of federal law which authorize forced dues. And even where Right to Work protections exist, workers are frequently required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer on their own merits.

“Not satisfied with these unique coercive powers, union officials continue to spend billions of dollars – much of it from the paychecks of workers who would be fired for not paying – on politics and lobbying seeking to expand their powers even further. This reminds us that even as we make historic strides, there is much work is left to do.

“On Labor Day, we should celebrate the hard-working men and women that make America the great nation it is. Properly celebrating America’s workers must include respecting each worker’s individual right to decide for themselves if joining and financially supporting a labor union is right for them. Here at the National Right to Work Committee and National Right to Work Foundation we will not rest until that freedom is fully protected.”

National Nurses Opposes Trump Threat to End DACA Program

Source: National Nurses United (NNU)

Washington, D.C. - September 4, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- National Nurses United (NNU) has repeated its call on the Trump administration to withdraw its threat to terminate the highly successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that has enabled young people who came to the U.S. undocumented as children to remain in the U.S.

News reports today quoted the President saying he would make a decision on DACA “sometime today or over the weekend.”

The young people who have been protected from being torn apart from their families and their communities by DACA should have the right to continue to contribute to our society,” said NNU Co-President Deborah Burger, RN.



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Some 800,000 young people covered by DACA, implemented under the Obama administration, are permitted to apply for work permits that need to be renewed every two years. If the program is terminated, they would face the threat of deportation.

“At a time when the words and actions of this administration have encouraged white supremacists and others who foment racial hatred and division, targeting these law abiding young people who work, study, and have become valuable members of our diverse nation, would send a dreadful message to our nation,” said Burger.

“Revoking DACA would also be an abrogation of the President’s call in a speech in Reno this week for ‘national unity’ and healing ‘the wounds that divide us’,” said Burger. “Ending this humane program would exacerbate and inflame those wounds. After Charlottesville, the message of terminating DACA could not be worse.”

“Millions of families in our nation have already been traumatized by the escalation of deportations of peaceful, law abiding undocumented immigrants,” Burger continued. “We see more and more people, who work and pay taxes, fearful of getting the health care they need when they are sick, or interacting with other components of civil society. That is wrong, and immoral.”

Ending the DACA program would also repudiate a promise President Trump made in April when he said young beneficiaries of the program could “rest easy” because the priority of his deportation policy was on targeting criminals. “That would be an unconscionable reversal, similar to the ones we’ve seen in the President’s reversal on his promises not to support cuts in Medicare or Medicaid,” Burger noted.

Instead of threatening young people in the DACA program, NNU supports a comprehensive federal program of humane immigration reform, premised on a path to citizenship for those who reside in the U.S., and an end to arbitrary raids and deportations of non-violent immigrants.

Cities to President Trump: Save DACA, Focus on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Source: National League of Cities



Washington, D.C. - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Following reports that President Donald J. Trump may end the successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, National League of Cities (NLC) President Matt Zone, councilman from Cleveland, issued the following statement:

“America’s cities and towns are a cultural mosaic of multiple nationalities and backgrounds, an outcome of our nation’s proud history of welcoming immigrants. That’s why we urge President Trump to continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program has provided nearly 800,000 hardworking young immigrants with the opportunity to contribute to our economy and build their lives here without the constant threat of deportation.

“If DACA is terminated, not only would the U.S. GDP potentially decrease by $460 million — countless families would be torn apart and lives upended. Instead, the president should focus on comprehensive immigration reform that includes stronger border enforcement and a pathway to citizenship.”

In 2016, NLC’s membership adopted Resolution #17 to the National Municipal Policy, calling for comprehensive immigration reform and voicing support for legislation like the Dream Act that can “facilitate state efforts to offer in-state tuition to undocumented students and provide certain students with a path to U.S. citizenship.”

Three International Space Station Crewmates Safely Return to Earth

Source: NASA



Washington, D.C. - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who set multiple U.S. space records during her mission aboard the International Space Station, along with crewmates Jack Fischer of NASA and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, safely landed on Earth at 9:21 p.m. EDT Saturday (7:21 a.m. Kazakhstan time, Sunday, Sept. 3), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.

While living and working aboard the world’s only orbiting laboratory, Whitson and Fischer contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science, welcomed several cargo spacecraft delivering tons of supplies and research experiments, and conducted a combined six spacewalks to perform maintenance and upgrades to the station.

Among their scientific exploits, Whitson and Fischer supported research into the physical changes to astronaut’s eyes caused by prolonged exposure to a microgravity environment. They also conducted a new lung tissue study that explored how stem cells work in the unique microgravity environment of the space station, which may pave the way for future stem cell research in space.

Additional research included an antibody investigation that could increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs for cancer treatment, and the study of plant physiology and growth in space using an advanced plant habitat. NASA also attached the Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass Investigation (ISS CREAM) on the outside of the space station in August, which is now observing cosmic rays coming from across the galaxy.

The crew members received a total of seven cargo deliveries during their mission. A Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle launched to the space station in December 2016 delivering new lithium-ion batteries that were installed using a combination of robotics and spacewalks. Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft arrived at the station in April on the company's seventh commercial resupply mission. Three SpaceX Dragon spacecraft completed commercial resupply missions to the station in February, June and August. And, Russian ISS Progress cargo spacecraft docked to the station in February and June.

Whitson’s return marks the completion of a 288-day mission that began last November and spanned 122.2 million miles and 4,623 orbits of the Earth – her third long-duration mission on the station. During her latest mission, Whitson performed four spacewalks, bringing her career total to 10. With a total of 665 days in space, Whitson holds the U.S. record and places eighth on the all-time space endurance list.

Fischer, who launched in April, completed 136 days in space, during which he conducted the first and second spacewalks of his career. Yurchikhin, who launched with Fischer, now has a total of 673 days in space, putting him seventh place on the all-time endurance list.

Expedition 53 continues operating the station, with Randy Bresnik of NASA in command, and Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) serving as flight engineers. The three-person crew will operate the station until the arrival of NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba, and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos. Vande Hei, Acaba and Misurkin are scheduled to launch Sept. 12 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Sues Justice Department for Records About Top FBI Official Ties to Top Clinton Ally

Source: Judicial Watch



Washington, D.C. - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Judicial Watch announced that it today filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit on behalf of Jeffrey A. Danik, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, against the U.S. Department of Justice for records concerning FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe (Jeffrey A. Danik v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:17-cv-01792)). Danik worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation for almost 30 years.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia in support of Danik’s October 25, 2016, and February 28, 2017, FOIA requests for records about McCabe’s “conflicts of interest” regarding his wife’s (Dr. Jill McCabe’s) political campaign, and McCabe’s reporting to the FBI of any job interviews or offers. Specifically, the two FOIA requests seek:

Text messages and emails of McCabe containing “Dr. Jill McCabe,” “Jill,” “Common Good VA,” “Terry McAuliffe,” “Clinton,” “Virginia Democratic Party,” “Democrat,” “Conflict,” “Senate,” “Virginia Senate,” “Until I return,” “Paris,” “France,” “Campaign,” “Run,” “Political,” “Wife,” “Donation,” “OGC,” Email,” or “New York Times.”

In 2015, a political action committee run by McAuliffe, a close friend and political supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton, donated nearly $500,000 to Jill McCabe, wife of McCabe, who was then running for the Virginia State Senate. Also, the Virginia Democratic Party, over which McAuliffe had significant influence, donated an additional $207,788 to the Jill McCabe campaign. In July 2015, Andrew McCabe was in charge of the FBI’s Washington, DC, field office, which provided personnel resources to the Clinton email probe.

“I am saddened by how the FBI’s reputation has been tarnished by the poor judgement and ethics of its leadership,” stated Mr. Danik. “I know I’m not the only retired (or serving) FBI special agent who is concerned about Mr. McCabe’s conflicts of interest on the Clinton email matter. The agency seems to be illegally hiding records about this scandal, which is why I’m heading to court with Judicial Watch.”

“We’re honored to help Mr. Danik hold accountable the FBI—the agency he served for decades,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “We believe Mr. McCabe’s text messages and emails will be particularly enlightening to the public seeking answers about the Clinton email debacle.”

In July 2017, Judicial Watch filed three FOIA lawsuits seeking communications between the FBI and McCabe concerning “ethical issues” involving his wife’s political campaign; McCabe’s communications with McAuliffe; and McCabe’s travel vouchers.

FREEDOM TO PRAY ENCOURAGES PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR HURRICANE HARVEY VICTIMS

Source: Joni and Friends



Long Beach, CA - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Freedom to Pray, a nonprofit organization advocating for the participation in prayer groups through free prayer calls, is encouraging individuals of all faiths to unite on Sunday, Sept. 3, for the National Day of Prayer for Hurricane Harvey victims as declared by President Trump.

“The widespread devastation experienced by the people of Texas won’t be solved in days or weeks or months. This recovery will be long and arduous,” said David Butts, president of Harvest Prayer Ministries and chairman of the National Day of Prayer Board of Directors. “The one thing we can all do in times of crisis is pray. As God’s children, we have the right to freely bring the urgent needs of Hurricane Harvey survivors before Him. Let us unite this Sunday, America. Let us lay aside our differences and lift up the people of Texas in prayer.”

Freedom to Pray is calling its supporters, churches and congregations to come together in prayer for the Hurricane Harvey victims and their families this Sunday. The National Day of Prayer for Hurricane Harvey Victims, as declared by President Trump, follows other historic presidential prayer declarations dating back to President Lincoln. Most recently, President George W. Bush proclaimed Friday September 14, 2001, as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001.

Freedom to Pray asks individuals to join us as we pray for:

Flood waters to recede;

Individuals mourning the loss of loved ones;

Those suffering from extreme physical loss of property;

The volunteers and brave first responders working around the clock to ensure individuals are safe; and

The unity of this community and our nation as we support – through financial gifts, volunteerism and prayer – the victims of Harvey.

“Prayer has the ability to help us persevere and see love through a lens of devastation,” said Butts. “We have seen the power of prayer and know, most of all, it can bring healing to all the people suffering in the wake of Harvey.”

Freedom to Pray is a nonprofit advocating on behalf of individuals who are being forced to end their participation in prayer groups through free conference lines due to T-Mobile’s $0.01 per minute fee, as explained here. For additional information, visit FreedomtoPray.org.

Federal Judge Denies Chicago Motion In SAF-Backed Gun Shop Case

Source: Illinois State Rifle Association



Bellevue, WA - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- A federal court judge in Illinois has denied a City of Chicago motion for summary judgment and refused to dismiss a case challenging a ban of firearms sales within city limits that is backed by the Second Amendment Foundation.

It is the latest in a string of court battles between Chicago and SAF, causing SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb to observe, “We’ve already beat Chicago three times, in the McDonald case before the Supreme Court, and both Ezell 1 and Ezell 2 before the federal court of appeals. I’m reminded of the folk song by Peter, Paul and Mary that asked, ‘When will they ever learn’?”

The case involves a proposed gun shop called Second Amendment Arms (SAA), owned by R. Joseph Franzese, who submitted an application for a business license in July 2010. The city contends that the application was for an address in an area not zoned for commercial use, but Franzese argues that he was not advised about the zoning and that it had been advertised as commercial property. Besides, he contended that the city’s prohibition on gun sales “would have blocked (their) efforts no matter where (they) chose.”

“The City of Chicago under Rahm Emanuel is trying to be too clever by half,” Gottlieb said. “We would have thought by now that they would have ceased this pattern of spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on stubborn litigation, but the city seems determined to be dragged kicking and screaming into compliance with the Second Amendment.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr., set Sept. 28 as the next date to discuss damages for the plaintiff in this case, which is known as Second Amendment Arms v. City of Chicago.

“Since losing its gun ban fight in the Supreme Court’s 2010 McDonald ruling,” Gottlieb noted, “Chicago has been digging its heels in deeper and deeper, throwing every kind of legal roadblock it could in an effort to delay what seems inevitable. The city has got to follow the law and the constitution, and as long as they keep fighting, we’ll keep suing.

“That’s what winning firearms freedom one lawsuit at a time is all about,” he concluded.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

Foxx Praises Exit of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Student Loan Servicing

Source: Committee on Education and the Workforce



Washington, D.C. - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement praising the Department of Education’s decision to end its Memorandum of Understanding with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding the oversight of student loan servicing:


“Congress bestowed the powers to oversee student loans and student loan servicing solely to the Department of Education, and it was a mistake for the Obama administration to have the Department of Education let the CFPB abuse its privilege on these matters. The Department of Education has made it clear that its partnership with the CFPB is doing more harm than good when it comes to how it can best serve students and borrowers.

“Specifically, the department has shown that a partnership with the CFPB was complicating and undermining its efforts to act in the best interest of borrowers and students. I am pleased that the department is taking its authority back from the CFPB, and remains committed to serving borrowers and students first.”

Click here to read the full letter from the Department of Education.

Police Have Collected Data on Millions of Law-Abiding Drivers Via License Readers

Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation

San Francisco, CA - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the ACLU won a decision by the California Supreme Court that the license plate data of millions of law-abiding drivers, collected indiscriminately by police across the state, are not “investigative records” that law enforcement can keep secret.

California’s highest court ruled that the collection of license plate data isn’t targeted at any particular crime, so the records couldn’t be considered part of a police investigation.

“This is a big win for transparency in California,” attorney Peter Bibring, director of police practices at the ACLU of Southern California, which joined EFF in a lawsuit over the records. “The Supreme Court recognized that California’s sweeping public records exemption for police investigations doesn’t cover mass collection of data by police, like the automated scanning of license plates in this case. The Court also recognized that mere speculation by police on the harms that might result from releasing information can’t defeat the public’s strong interest in understanding how police surveillance impacts privacy."

The ruling sets a precedent that mass, indiscriminate data collection by the police can’t be withheld just because the information may contain some criminal data. This is important because police are increasingly using technology tools to surveil and collect data on citizens, whether it’s via body cameras, facial recognition cameras, or license plate readers.

The panel sent the case back to the trial court to determine whether the data can be made public in a redacted or anonymized form so drivers’ privacy is protected.

“The court recognized the huge privacy implications of this data collection,” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Jennifer Lynch. “Location data like this, that’s collected on innocent drivers, reveals sensitive information about where they have been and when, whether that’s their home, their doctor’s office, or their house of worship.”

Automated License Plate Readers or ALPRs are high-speed cameras mounted on light poles and police cars that continuously scan the plates of every passing car. They collect not only the license plate number but also the time, date, and location of each plate scanned, along with a photograph of the vehicle and sometimes its occupants. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) collect, on average, three million plate scans every week and have amassed a database of half a billion records.

EFF filed public records requests for a week’s worth of ALPR data from the agencies and, along with American Civil Liberties Union-SoCal, sued after both agencies refused to release the records.

EFF and ACLU SoCal asked the state supreme court to overturn a lower court ruling in the case that said all license plate data—collected indiscriminately and without suspicion that the vehicle or driver was involved in a crime—could be withheld from disclosure as “records of law enforcement investigations.”

EFF and the ACLU SoCal argued the ruling was tantamount to saying all drivers in Los Angeles are under criminal investigation at all times. The ruling would also have set a dangerous precedent, allowing law enforcement agencies to withhold from the public all kinds of information gathered on innocent Californians merely by claiming it was collected for investigative purposes.

EFF and ACLU SoCal will continue fighting for transparency and privacy as the trial court considers how to provide public access to the records so this highly intrusive data collection can be scrutinized and better understood.