Mercyvill

. In Case You Missed It, the First Foreign Policy Debate of 2016 Just Happened (ABC News) The vote was on the American response to ISIS , but many senators had Iowa and 2016 on the mind. More than two-thirds of the Senate voted Thursday to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels, but nearly all of the senators discussed as possible 2016 presidential candidates opposed President Barack Obama’s plan to combat ISIS, the militant group cutting a swath of terror in Syria and Iraq. Twenty-two senators -- twelve Democrats, nine Republicans and one Independent -- voted against the Title X measure included in the c

. In this Sept. 10, 2014 photo, Ana and John Conley, parents of defendant Shannon Conley, exit the U.S. Federal courthouse following their daughter's plea hearing, at the U.S. Federal Courthouse, in Denver. Shannon Conley, a 19-year-old suburban Denver woman who federal authorities say intended to wage jihad has pleaded guilty under a deal that requires her to give authorities information about others with the same intentions.

I don't understand what's going on with the Secret Service.  For as far back as I can remember, they were one of the most respected agencies in federal law enforcement.  Not perfect, mind you, but they had a generally excellent reputation, and I'm sure many extraordinary agents are still on the job.  But for the past few years, it's been one bad story after another for the Secret Service - from advance teams tarrying with ladies of the evening in Columbia, to Friday's bizarre fence-jumping incident, reported by POLITICO:

Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 3 Premier League Aston Villa Arsenal Mesut Ozil 32, Danny Welbeck 34, Aly Cissokho 36 o.g. Arsenal's Danny Welbeck scores the second goal against Aston Villa in the Premier League match at Villa Park. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters Aston Villa went into this game believing they could go top of the league with a victory. They came out of it chastened, their presumption mercilessly exposed, grateful only that they had not been asked to play against Borussia Dortmund.

Newcastle 2 Hull 2 Premier League Newcastle Papiss Cisse 73, Papiss Cisse 87 Hull Nikica Jelavic 48, Mohamed Diame 68 Newcastle's Papiss Cissé celebrates his first goal against Hull City with manager Alan Pardew at St James' Park. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA When Papiss Cissé fractured a kneecap in April he was expected to be sidelined until Christmas. The Senegal striker resolved to beat the clock but only days ago Newcastle United’s medical staff were talking about a return in three weeks.

. Uniformed Secret Service officers walk along the lawn on the North side of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The Secret Service is coming under intense scrutiny after a man who hopped the White House fence made it all the way through the front door before being apprehended. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) The small army of Secret Service agents guarding the White House carry a wide range of weapons and get training on how to repel sophisticated armed assaults – so why did no one shoot the intruder who jumped the fence on Friday and got all the way to the mansion’s doors?

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