Poll shows 29 percent of voters think 'armed revolution' might be needed

Published May 02, 2013

FoxNews.com

We knew distrust of government was high. But a new poll shows that suspicion reaching new levels. 

According to a survey from Fairleigh Dickinson University, nearly a third of registered voters -- 29 percent -- believe an "armed revolution" might be necessary in the next few years in order to protect liberties. 

The poll from the university's PublicMind explored perceptions regarding Congress' latest gun control push as well as the Sandy Hook mass shooting. That legislative push, launched in the wake of the Connecticut shooting, fizzled last month after the Senate blocked a bill that would have expanded background checks. 

The poll showed 50 percent of voters still believe Congress should pass laws to protect the public from gun violence, while 39 percent say the opposite. But there is a huge partisan divide. Among Republicans, 65 percent don't see new laws as necessary. 

And the survey could help explain why applications for gun permits have hit record highs and retailers report ammo has been flying off the shelves. Not only are gun owners worried about new gun laws, but the poll suggests some voters think a revolution could be on the horizon. 

Asked whether an armed revolution might soon be necessary to protect liberties, 29 percent said yes. 

Another 47 percent said no, while the rest were either unsure or declined to answer. 

Of those who said yes, 44 percent were Republicans. Most of those who said yes also did not support more gun control legislation. 

The poll of 863 registered voters was conducted April 22-28. It had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points. 

Click to read the poll. 

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Companies line up to drill after survey shows Dakota oil, gas fields far bigger than believed

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WASHINGTON –  Energy companies are lining up for their shot to drill in the Dakotas and Montana after a new government report revealed that a massive geological formation stretching across the states contains twice the oil and three times the amount of natural gas than was originally believed.

While the new estimate is drawing smaller companies to the game, the larger players like Schlumberger, Halliburton and Continental Resources are pushing forward with ambitious multi-year plans to stake their claim in the industry.

Continental recently announced a five-year plan to triple its production by 2017. The company’s growth is based on success in North Dakota and Montana as well as in parts of Oklahoma.

The dash to drill follows news from the government on how much more oil and natural gas there is to tap.

“These world-class formations contain even more energy resource potential than previously understood, which is important information as we continue to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of oil,” newly confirmed Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Tuesday in a statement.

The new U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are 7.4 billion barrels of oil, 6.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 0.53 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations in the Williston Basin Province of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.  

Since 2008, close to 450 million barrels of oil have been produced in the area and if the government estimates are correct, that leaves billions of barrels of oil and trillions more cubic feet of natural gas left for the taking.

That’s good news for North Dakota -- a state that’s already reaped big benefits from the oil boom and has one of the strongest state economies in the country coupled with an exceptionally low unemployment rate. Tax revenues from natural gas and oil hit $1 billion last year in North Dakota and the state is on track to double that number next year.  

Republican Sen. John Hoeven believes numbers from the new USGS survey will draw even more developers to the area.

“This will mean a lot of jobs,” he told FoxNews.com. “Financially we are already very strong, we have no debt, but this will mean a lot more. Stores, restaurants, movie theaters – we’ll have to build and we’ll have to hire workers.”

The competition to court employees is already on at the McDonalds in Dickinson, N.D. where prospective hires are being lured in with $300 signing bonuses, Hoeven said.

Calls to McDonalds Corp. for comment were not immediately returned.  

Some environmental experts like John Harju, associate director for research with the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, believe the possibilities are even greater than what the government forecasts.

“Like any of these USGS estimates, think of them as a milemarker that’s well behind you in the rearview mirror,” he told the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota.

Still, not everyone is as gung-ho as Hoeven about drilling for natural gas, and the controversial process known as fracking used to access it.

The government hopes to calm some opposition to natural gas by releasing a set of draft rules to regulate hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The process involves injecting a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals deep into rock formations to release trapped oil and gas.

Supporters say the drilling method should continue and is credited for the country’s domestic energy boom. They say fracking gives the country a chance to cut its dependence on foreign oil.

Environmental groups have long objected to the practice and say it pollutes the groundwater and kills crops and livestock. They also argue that fracking releases heat-trapping methane gas into the air.

But in mid-April, the Environmental Protection Agency dramatically lowered its estimate of how much methane leaks during natural gas production. The agency said that tighter pollution controls put in place by the industry from 1990 to 2010 cut the country’s average of methane emissions by more than 850 million metric tons overall, or about 41.6 million metric tons annually. That’s a 20 percent decrease from previous EPA estimates – a decrease that took place as natural gas production in the country grew by nearly 40 percent in the past two decades.  

It is not clear exactly when the government will release its fracking regulations, but it is expected in the next few weeks.

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New video shows Egyptian police allowing deadly attack on Coptic cathedral

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Newly-emerged video appears to show Egyptian police standing idly by - and even helping attackers during a deadly assault earlier this month on a Coptic cathedral where Christians were mourning five men killed in an earlier clash with Muslims.

The video shot April 7 and first obtained by MidEast Christian News, shows a men shooting guns, wielding machetes and hurling stones and possibly Molotov cocktails as mourners carry caskets out of St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abbassia District of Cairo as uniformed police watch, unmoving. At one point, a police officer appears to help a gunman take aim at a courtyard full of mourners who had spilled out of the church. The attack left two Copts dead and another 84 people injured, including 11 police officers.

"There is a general feeling among citizens about the absence of law and the prestige of the state."

- Report on religious vilence in Egypt

When it was over, the only arrests made were of four Copts. Christians, who were already outraged over a three-day attack that began April 4 attack in Khosous which saw the four men killed and homes, a nursery and a church burned, said the events show how elusive justice is for Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the nation's population.

"Two Copts were killed during the attack on the Cathedral; four more died in Khosous, yet not one of their attackers has been arrested," said Andrew Johnston, advocacy director for Christian Solidarity Worldwide. “These arrests come at a time when the Coptic community in Egypt is still coming to terms with an unprecedented attack on the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the violence in Khosous. Such discrepancies in the discharge of justice contribute to impunity, and can only foster more sectarianism.”

Tensions between Egypt's Christians and the majority Sunni Muslims have grown dramatically since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in 2011 and replaced by the Muslim Brotherhood-led government of Mohammed Morsi.

"There is a general feeling among citizens about the absence of law and the prestige of the state," said a report released Wednesday by the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights. "Such a feeling could push the citizens to the violence and sectarianism without fearing from any deterrence, " reads a passage from the report.

"The recent incident proved the shrinking of the role of the state to control the actions of the individuals especially those people who think that they talk on the behalf of God," the report continued. "There is a need for implementing the law strictly to treat such incidents.”

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US working diplomatic channels to resolve N. Korea standoff, amid shows of strength

• 

• • 

    Are current threats from North Korea different?

  • 

    US not taking any chances with North Korea

  • 

    US deploys advanced missile defense system to Pacific

As the Pentagon flies B-2 bombers over the Korean Peninsula and strengthens its missile-defense posture in the region, U.S. officials are steadily working the diplomatic channels around North Korea -- in a bid to dial down tensions before things get "hotter." 

Analysts largely consider the biggest threat from North Korea's daily provocations to be the possibility the regime could go too far in needling South Korea, prompting a military response that drags the U.S. and other allies into a broad conflict. Some have described that scenario as an "accidental" war -- meaning diplomacy is key in preventing that outcome. 

Newly minted Secretary of State John Kerry is dabbling in several agenda items including trying to unfreeze Middle East peace talks, but is planning a round of meetings with North Korea's neighbors next week. He's also held talks with South Korean and Chinese officials in recent days.

Analysts say urging South Korea to show restraint while urging China to pressure Pyongyang should be at the top of the agenda. 

The State Department confirmed Thursday that Kerry had a phone call on Wednesday with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi to discuss North Korea as well as Kerry's upcoming visit to the region. Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said China's role in pressuring North Korea has been the subject of "intense conversations" between Kerry and his Chinese counterparts. 

She added: "It will be a central focus of the secretary's diplomacy when he's in Beijing, to see what more we can do to get the attention of the leadership in the DPRK." DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea. 

Kerry plans to visit Beijing on April 13 as part of a tour across the Middle East and Asia. He'll be in Seoul, South Korea, on April 12 and Tokyo, Japan, on April 14. 

Nuland described the visit as "very timely" and one that will give Kerry an "opportunity" to address North Korea's threats. Kerry earlier this week met with South Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Yun Byung-se in Washington. 

The latest development out of North Korea has been indications the regime is moving its mid-range missile launchers -- possibly signaling a looming test. South Korea claimed the North moved a missile to the east coast, shortly after North Korea claimed the military had been cleared to launch a nuclear attack on the U.S. 

The State Department has indicated it will not engage North Korea directly until it makes serious moves to come into compliance with international obligations. Kerry suggested Tuesday that U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies is ready to engage when North Korea gets "serious about trying to resolve this issue." 

Until then, North Korea's ally -- China -- is seen as perhaps the best avenue for affecting North Korea's behavior. Nuland said Thursday that the U.S. has enjoyed "good unity" with both China and Russia on North Korea, citing recent sanctions passed on the U.N. Security Council. 

Diplomacy may be getting a second look as a way to dial down tensions after the Obama administration reportedly hit pause on its high-profile show-of-force strategy.   

In recent days, the U.S. has flown B-52 and B-2 bombers, as well as F-22 jets, over the region. The Pentagon moved two guided-missile destroyers to waters off the Korean Peninsula, and is positioning other missile-defense assets in the region. 

But The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration is pulling back on the demonstrations, out of concern that it could lead to "miscalculations" by the North Koreans. 

Nuland stressed Thursday that the brinkmanship can be walked back. 

"This does not need to get hotter," she said. "We can change course here if the DPRK will begin to come back into compliance with its international obligations, will begin to cool things down." 

Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the U.S. is in "close contact" with Seoul and Tokyo and is "regularly reaching out to Beijing and Moscow to encourage them to do more to restrain the North Koreans." 

He said it's "not a mystery" that China has influence over North Korea, and the U.S. is urging China to use that position to help change course. 

"That is also true of our interactions with the Russians," he said. "This is a broad diplomatic effort that includes coordination with our allies in Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as with China and Russia and others." 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Tuesday also called new Chinese Minister of National Defense General Chang Wanquan and discussed North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons. 

Gordon Chang, author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World," told Fox News it's important for the U.S. to "reassure" South Korea with the shows of strength. But he also urged more tough talk with China. 

Jim Walsh, an international security analyst and research associate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Security Studies Program, said the reassurances have to be "strong" but not so over the top "that the other side freaks out and does something stupid." 

He said the U.S. should continue talking to the Chinese and "trying to lower the temperature on this so people don't mess up."

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View the original article here

US working diplomatic channels to resolve N. Korea standoff, amid shows of strength

• 

• • 

    Are current threats from North Korea different?

  • 

    US deploys advanced missile defense system to Pacific

  • 

    How dangerous is North Korea?

As the Pentagon flies B-2 bombers over the Korean Peninsula and strengthens its missile-defense posture in the region, U.S. officials are steadily working the diplomatic channels around North Korea -- in a bid to dial down tensions before things get "hotter." 

Analysts largely consider the biggest threat from North Korea's daily provocations to be the possibility the regime could go too far in needling South Korea, prompting a military response that drags the U.S. and other allies into a broad conflict. Some have described that scenario as an "accidental" war -- meaning diplomacy is key in preventing that outcome. 

Newly minted Secretary of State John Kerry is dabbling in several agenda items including trying to unfreeze Middle East peace talks, but is planning a round of meetings with North Korea's neighbors next week. He's also held talks with South Korean and Chinese officials in recent days.

Analysts say urging South Korea to show restraint while urging China to pressure Pyongyang should be at the top of the agenda. 

The State Department confirmed Thursday that Kerry had a phone call on Wednesday with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi to discuss North Korea as well as Kerry's upcoming visit to the region. Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said China's role in pressuring North Korea has been the subject of "intense conversations" between Kerry and his Chinese counterparts. 

She added: "It will be a central focus of the secretary's diplomacy when he's in Beijing, to see what more we can do to get the attention of the leadership in the DPRK." DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea. 

Kerry plans to visit Beijing on April 13 as part of a tour across the Middle East and Asia. He'll be in Seoul, South Korea, on April 12 and Tokyo, Japan, on April 14. 

Nuland described the visit as "very timely" and one that will give Kerry an "opportunity" to address North Korea's threats. Kerry earlier this week met with South Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Yun Byung-se in Washington. 

The latest development out of North Korea has been indications the regime is moving its mid-range missile launchers -- possibly signaling a looming test. South Korea claimed the North moved a missile to the east coast, shortly after North Korea claimed the military had been cleared to launch a nuclear attack on the U.S. 

The State Department has indicated it will not engage North Korea directly until it makes serious moves to come into compliance with international obligations. Kerry suggested Tuesday that U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies is ready to engage when North Korea gets "serious about trying to resolve this issue." 

Until then, North Korea's ally -- China -- is seen as perhaps the best avenue for affecting North Korea's behavior. Nuland said Thursday that the U.S. has enjoyed "good unity" with both China and Russia on North Korea, citing recent sanctions passed on the U.N. Security Council. 

Diplomacy may be getting a second look as a way to dial down tensions after the Obama administration reportedly hit pause on its high-profile show-of-force strategy.   

In recent days, the U.S. has flown B-52 and B-2 bombers, as well as F-22 jets, over the region. The Pentagon moved two guided-missile destroyers to waters off the Korean Peninsula, and is positioning other missile-defense assets in the region. 

But The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration is pulling back on the demonstrations, out of concern that it could lead to "miscalculations" by the North Koreans. 

Nuland stressed Thursday that the brinkmanship can be walked back. 

"This does not need to get hotter," she said. "We can change course here if the DPRK will begin to come back into compliance with its international obligations, will begin to cool things down." 

Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the U.S. is in "close contact" with Seoul and Tokyo and is "regularly reaching out to Beijing and Moscow to encourage them to do more to restrain the North Koreans." 

He said it's "not a mystery" that China has influence over North Korea, and the U.S. is urging China to use that position to help change course. 

"That is also true of our interactions with the Russians," he said. "This is a broad diplomatic effort that includes coordination with our allies in Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as with China and Russia and others." 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Tuesday also called new Chinese Minister of National Defense General Chang Wanquan and discussed North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons. 

Gordon Chang, author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World," told Fox News it's important for the U.S. to "reassure" South Korea with the shows of strength. But he also urged more tough talk with China. 

Jim Walsh, an international security analyst and research associate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Security Studies Program, said the reassurances have to be "strong" but not so over the top "that the other side freaks out and does something stupid." 

He said the U.S. should continue talking to the Chinese and "trying to lower the temperature on this so people don't mess up."

View the original article here

'The Bible' creators, History Channel deny show's Satan resembles President Obama

Published March 18, 2013

FoxNews.com

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  Some viewers said it looked like actor Mehdi Ouzaani (left) was made up to look like President Obama (right) for his role as Satan (center).Cinemamarocain.net / History / Reuters

The creators of the miniseries "The Bible" and the network that airs it are denying reports that the character Satan intentionally resembles President Barack Obama.

The couple behind the show, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, dismissed what they called “foolish” reports that their show’s villain looked like the President.

“This is utter nonsense. The actor who played Satan, Mehdi Ouzaani, is a highly acclaimed Moroccan actor,” they said in a statement sent to FOX 411. “He has previously played parts in several Biblical epics– including Satanic characters long before Barack Obama was elected as our President.”

Downey added: "Both Mark and I have nothing but respect and love our President, who is a fellow Christian. False statements such as these are just designed as a foolish distraction to try and discredit the beauty of the story of The Bible.”

The History Channel set out to put an end to the rumors, saying the show aims to feature “a diverse cast of respected actors.”

“History channel has the highest respect for President Obama,” the network said in a statement. “It's unfortunate that anyone made this false connection. History’s ‘The Bible’ is meant to enlighten people on its rich stories and deep history.”

After Sunday night’s episode, scores of viewers took to Twitter to note a resemblance between the show’s Satan character and President Barack Obama.

“That guy playing Satan in ‘the Bible’… does resemble the president,” one user wrote. “I would hope it wasn't intentional, but who knows.”

Another quipped: “Did anyone else notice that Satan spoke like Nacho Libre and looked just like Obama? #thebible”

View the original article here

Video shows Jodi Arias singing, performing headstand minutes before murder charge

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Minutes before Jodi Arias was charged with the brutal murder of her boyfriend, she was caught on video singing, laughing, asking about her makeup and doing a 20-second headstand.  

The June 15, 2008, video catches her just 15 minutes after sobbing through a four-hour police interrogation. Her attitude dramatically changes.

Once the prosecutor leaves the room Arias is seen talking to herself, laughing and playing with a garbage can. She then does a headstand against the wall.

Arias, who testified for 18 days over nearly six weeks, has cited self defense, masked intruders and memory loss in justifying the 2008 killing of her boyfriend, Travis Alexander.

A psychologist testified Thursday that jurors should see Arias' unusual behavior in context.

“A large percentage of individuals who are in such settings do not remember or have cloudy or foggy memories of what has transpired,” Richard Samuels testified. “We are more concerned with survival.”

Samuels said he specializes in “sexually violent perpetrator evaluations, psychosexual risk assessments, sexual harassment and gender discrimination matters.”

He said he has met with Arias a dozen times and eventually diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“There are many people that never remember the actual events,” Samuels said.

In the 2008 video, Arias is heard singing a song with the lyrics, “it might change my memory.”

Arias initially told authorities she had nothing to do with the murder, but her defense now argues the killing was in self defense. During testimony, Arias has described an abusive childhood, cheating boyfriends, dead-end jobs and a shocking sexual relationship with Alexander, and she contends he had grown physically abusive in the months leading up to his death, once even choking her into unconsciousness.

Samuels testified that Arias lied initially about her involvement because she was in denial “where a person cannot deal with the fact that something they did is so opposite from everything else in their life.”

Alexander suffered nearly 30 knife wounds, was shot in the head and had his throat slit before prosecutors say Arias dragged his body into the shower.

Arias testified she remembered Alexander attacking her and that she ran into his closet, retrieved a gun he kept on a shelf and fired in self-defense. She has testified that she has no memory of the stabbings.

Arias’ grandparents had reported a .25-caliber handgun stolen from their Northern California home about a week before the murder – the same caliber used to shoot him – but Arias said she didn’t take it. Authorities think she took it with her.

Arias has acknowledged trying to clean the murder scene, dumping the gun in the desert and leaving Alexander a voicemail on his cellphone hours later in an attempt to avoid suspicion. She said she was scared to tell the truth.

No witnesses have been able to confirm Arias allegations about Alexander’s violence, gun ownership and sexual desire for young boys.

She has acknowledged lying repeatedly but insists to jurors that she is telling the truth now.

The trial is set to resume Monday. She could get the death penalty if convicted.

“If I am convicted, that’s because of my own bad choices,” Arias said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Dita Von Teese shows off first 3D printed gown

This printer can handle curves.

Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese modeled a very revealing gown recently with a unique twist: It was printed rather than sewn.

The gown was built by 3D printing company Shapeways, using a cutting edge 3D printer that builds solid objects by layering lines of a variety of materials -- Nylon, in this case. The gown was designed by Michael Schmidt and 3D modeled by architect Francis Bitonti based on the Fibonacci sequence.

It was assembled from 17 pieces, dyed black, lacquered and adorned with over 13,000 Swarovski crystals to create a sensual flowing form.

“The entire dress was designed on an iPad, refined over Skype, rendered digitally by Francis and sent to Shapeways for printing, an entirely virtual endeavor,” Schmidt said, according to Wired.

Von Teese showed off the gown Monday, Mar. 4, at the Ace Hotel in New York, before a crowd of fashonistas.

Two days earlier, on Saturday, March 2, an interactive bespoke jewelry bazaar paired jewelry designers with CAD modelers to let people create custom jewels.

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Whitney Houston file released by FBI, shows agency investigated singer's fan mail

The FBI has released its files on a trio of investigations the agency conducted on behalf of Whitney Houston.

The records, released Monday, reveal the agency investigated an alleged attempted extortion of the singer back in 1992.

Documents included in the 128-page file about Houston detail a time when someone the star “[considered] to be a friend” threatened to go public with personal information about the singer.

In one letter sent to Houston, the “friend” boasts to have already received several offers for the personal information about the singer that are “in the six figures range.” He then notes he would “expect a similar offer from you” if he decides not to go public with the information.

The FBI interviewed Houston about the alleged extortion, but the records from that conversation are heavily redacted.

Eventually, agents and prosecutors determined no extortion crime occurred.

The records also shed light on the FBI’s investigation into a seemingly obsessive Whitney fan. The unnamed fan sent Houston more than 79 letters, some of which are included in the file. He also sent letters to her family, friends and business associates, according to the documents.  

In one letter, the fan expresses his desire to meet Houston. “I might hurt someone with some crazy idea…” he writes.

He also threatens to take his story to The National Enquirer, in the hopes of getting the star to acknowledge him publicly.

After the investigation, agents also found no evidence of criminal threats in the fan mail. Copies of the letters were sent to the FBI in 1988 and 1999.

The Houston file covers the height of the Grammy-winning singer's popularity but does not contain any new personal details. The file was released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by FoxNews.com and other media.

Houston drowned in a hotel bathtub on the eve of the 2012 Grammy Awards.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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The 'One'? HTC shows off its new flagship phone

NEW YORK –  HTC, the struggling Taiwanese maker of smartphones, is taking a page from longtime partner Microsoft as it launches a new phone under the One brand.

The phone runs Google's Android system, but HTC is grafting its own home screen on the phone, one that's similar to that of Microsoft's Windows Phone software.

HTC Corp.'s BlinkFeed interface consists of large tiles that update automatically with information and photos from news sites and social networks.

The phone will go on sale in late March. HTC says U.S. partners will include AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile, but specific availability dates and prices weren't available.

The new phone features two speakers, at the top and bottom of the screen, producing a stereo effect when the phone is turned on the side for movie viewing.

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