PEST-CONTROL GIANT TO PHASE OUT USE OF BEE-KILLING CHEMICALS BY 2021

This decision comes after careful consideration regarding the range of possible threats to honeybees and other pollinators. While agencies in the United States are still evaluating the overall impact of neonics on pollinator populations, it’s time for Ortho to move on.”

We encourage other companies and brands in the consumer pest control category to follow our lead,” he said.

Ortho is a division of Marysville, Ohio-based Scotts Miracle-Gro Co.

The announcement comes on the heels of other actions taken by companies and states. Aldi Süd, a German supermarket chain with stores in the U.S., has already announced a ban in Europe, taking action against neonics such as neonicotinoids imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in France recently approved plans to totally ban the bee-killing chemicals, going above and beyond European Union (EU) restrictions.

http://www.infowars.com/pest-control-giant-to-phase-out-use-of-bee-killing-chemicals-by-2021/

MINN. LAWMAKERS TO DISCUSS CONTROVERSIAL BATHROOM BILL

The legislation is similar to what’s now law in North Carolina.

The Minnesota House bill states that “restrooms, locker rooms, dressing rooms and other similar places, which shall remain reserved for males or females as they are biologically defined.”

The actual language of the bill defines “a person’s sex is either male or female as biologically defined.” Transgender people said gender is only “assigned” at birth but can change over a person’s life.

http://www.infowars.com/minn-lawmakers-to-discuss-controversial-bathroom-bill/

Comey: ‘No outside influence’ on Clinton email investigation

FBI Director James Comey pledged Wednesday that there is “no outside influence” on the bureau’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s private email server.

I love the FBI because we aspire to, and I think we are, three things: We’re honest, we’re competent, we’re independent,” Comey said at Kenyon College in Ohio while responding to an audience member’s question, according to Politico.

“I’ve stayed close to that investigation to ensure that it’s done that way. That we have the resources, the technology, the people and that there’s no outside influence. So, if I talk about an investigation while it’s going on, there’s a risk that I’ll compromise both the reality and the perception that it’s done honestly, competently and independently,” he added.

Comey told lawmakers in early March that he was closely monitoring the case and insisted it would remain independent. He said earlier this week that “the urgency is to do it well and do it promptly,” adding that doing it ” ‘well’ comes first.”

The investigation continues to haunt Clinton’s presidential campaign as she looks to solidify her status as the presumptive Democratic nominee with a win in New York later this month. Rival candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has notched several recent wins, including a victory in Wisconsin earlier this week.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/275439-comey-no-outside-influence-on-clinton-email-investigation

SENATORS QUIETLY STICK GREEN ENERGY SUBSIDIES INTO FAA BILL

South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune worked with Democratic Sens. Bill Nelson of Florida and Ron Wyden of Oregon to get lucrative tax subsidies for things like wind power, fuel cells and geothermal heat pumps much to the chagrin of conservative groups.

“We’re disappointed that consistent support exists among Senators to extend corporate welfare to the so-called ‘green energy’ industry. It’s unfortunate to see lawmakers sneak these provisions through the backdoor using unrelated must-pass measures — especially only months after extending major wind and solar subsidies in an end-of-year deal,” Christine Harbin, director of federal affairs at Americans for Prosperity, said in a statement.

Conservatives are furious with Thune and others who want another bill extending green energy tax credits after passing a massive $680 billion tax package in December that included a slew of green energy subsidies — including a $23.8 billion investment tax credit for building solar panels.

http://www.infowars.com/senators-quietly-stick-green-energy-subsidies-into-faa-bill/

New Jersey Lawmaker: Punish People for Texting While Walking

Jared Schumacher is among the hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans who routinely use electronic devices to text, listen to music or do other tasks as they walk outdoors.

But if a “distracted walking” measure recently proposed by a state assemblywoman eventually becomes law, the Trenton man and others like him could be facing fines or even jail time.

“I admit that I’m usually listening to music, talking on my phone or texting while I’m walking around,” the 20-year-old said while responding to a text as he walked along a street in the state capital last weekend. “I’ve never hurt myself, but I’ve seen people walk into poles or trip over a big crack in the sidewalk.”

Experts say distracted walking is a growing problem around the globe, as people of all ages become more dependent on electronic devices for personal and professional matters.

They also note pedestrian deaths have been rising in recent years. Eleven percent of all fatalities in 2005 involved pedestrians, but that number rose to 15 percent in 2014.

The rise in deaths coincides with states introducing bills that target pedestrians and/or bicyclists. For instance, a bill pending in Hawaii would fine someone $250 if he or she crossed the street with an electronic device. In recent years, similar bills have failed in states including Arkansas, Illinois, Nevada and New York.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/concerns-distracted-walking-grow-injuries-mount-37948798

 

NEW JERSEY LAWMAKER: PUNISH PEOPLE FOR TEXTING WHILE WALKING

But if a “distracted walking” measure recently proposed by a state assemblywoman eventually becomes law, the Trenton man and others like him could be facing fines or even jail time.

The measure recently introduced by New Jersey Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt would ban walking while texting and bar pedestrians on public roads from using electronic communication devices unless they are hands-free. Violators would face fines of up to $50, 15 days imprisonment or both, which is the same penalty as jaywalking.

http://www.infowars.com/new-jersey-lawmaker-punish-people-for-texting-while-walking/

France Clears Bill That Could Force Apple to Unlock Terror Data

French lawmakers backed a plan to impose penalties including jail time on technology executives who deny access to encrypted data during a terrorist investigation, giving security services and prosecutors the power to force companies such as Apple Inc. to cooperate.

An amendment providing the new power was submitted by the opposition party The Republicans and, while the government hasn’t officially supported the measure, it was included in Justice Minister Jean-Jacques Urvoas’s bill to overhaul legal procedures and fight organized crime in the wake of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks that killed 130 people in Paris.

The lower of chamber of parliament cleared the bill on first reading by 474 votes to 32.

“The rule aims to force phone makers to give investigators data and it will be up to the manufacturer to use whatever technique is necessary,” Republican lawmaker Philippe Goujon, who proposed the amendment, said in an interview. “The target is to have them cooperate. The aim is not to break the encryption — the principle is that manufacturers should cooperate.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-08/france-votes-on-bill-that-could-make-apple-unlock-terrorist-data

West Virginia Lawmakers Want Welfare Drug Testing

Poor people who want welfare in West Virginia may soon be subject to drug testing.

The state legislature this week approved a measure that would screen welfare applicants for drug use and then require urine samples from anyone whose screening results raised suspicions. (This kind of screening process typically happens via a written questionnaire, although the West Virginia bill doesn’t specify the point.)

If Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) signs the bill into law, West Virginia will join 13 other states that have passed welfare drug testing bills in the past five years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“Our concentration has been more on helping people get the services they need if they’re addicted to drugs,” Tomblin said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “At the same time, we’ll just look at this bill when it comes down here.”

Statehouse drug testing proposals have gotten a lot less punitive since 2011, when federal courts invalidated a Florida law that required urine samples from all welfare applicants and allowed the state to deny them benefits if they failed. Similar to laws in other states, West Virginia’s proposal would only target people who meet a standard of “reasonable suspicion” and would only deny assistance if someone refuses to enroll in a treatment program after failing a test.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/west-virginia-welfare-drug-testing_us_56e18f68e4b0860f99d7f72f?

Tags: West Virginia, Drug Testing, Welfare Drug Testing, TANF

CALIFORNIA SHOOTER’S SPOUSE VISA APPROVED DESPITE QUESTIONS, LAWMAKER SAYS

The new questions over the granting of the visa to Malik, raised by Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, suggest she was the beneficiary of a lapsed government vetting process now under intense scrutiny after the Dec. 2 attack that killed 14 people at a holiday party in the Southern California city.

“In order to obtain a fiancée visa, it is required to demonstrate proof that the U.S. citizen and foreign national have met in person. However, Malik’s immigration file does not show sufficient evidence for this requirement,” Goodlatte said in a statement.

California Shooter’s Spouse Visa Approved Despite Questions, Lawmaker Says

AS LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER REFUGEES, SYRIAN IMMIGRATION QUIETLY TOPS 100,000 SINCE 2012

Some 102,313 Syrians were granted admission to the U.S. as legal permanent residents or through programs including work, study and tourist visas from 2012 through August of this year, a period which roughly coincides with the devastating civil war that still engulfs the Middle Eastern country. Experts say any fears that terrorists might infiltrate the proposed wave of refugees from United Nations-run camps should be dwarfed by the potential danger already here.

As Lawmakers Clash Over Refugees, Syrian Immigration Quietly Tops 100,000 Since 2012