Blog Heap of Links for the day 14 January 2016

A Muslim refugee from Iraq and ISIS sympathizer was arrested after planning bomb attacks at two Houston malls.… Omar Faraj Saeed Al-Hardan was granted legal permanent residency status in the United States in August 2011.…

…On Monday the Supreme Court declined to hear a petition from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) that sought to force the Department of Homeland Security to release details of a secret “killswitch” protocol to shut down cellphone and internet service during emergencies. …

When most people visit BackgroundAlert, they are surprised by the amount of personal information that is available for anyone to search.

Simply enter someone's name and BackgroundAlert will instantly search over 37 billion public records from thousands of federal, state and commercial databases to provide you with a background report with tons of personal details.

With the click of a mouse you can now have access to anyone's criminal records, arrest history, marriage records, divorce records, address history, known relatives, associates, licenses, sex offenders search, mug shots and the list goes on and on.…

The Oklahoma attorney general's office and a frequent critic of smart meters both took issue Wednesday with a plan by Public Service Co. of Oklahoma to charge extra to customers opting out of the new electric meters. …The utility wants to charge a one-time fee of $183 and monthly charges of $28 to opt out of its smart meter program. Assistant Attorney General Dara Derryberry told the commission those fees were excessive, both when compared to smart meter opt-out programs in 11 other states and in a recent proposal by Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. The average one-time fee was $56, while the average monthly fee was $11, she said.…

Wait What? Rep. Gohmert: Kerry, Ash Carter Called Iran To Help When U.S. Sailors’ Boats Had Trouble, Allowing Them To Be Captured

Congressman Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) introduced a Resolution of Condemnation and Censure against President Obama today.

The resolution states that “President Barack Obama has failed to fulfill his duty in article II, section 2 of the Constitution of the United States, that he has failed to ensure a strong national defense, has failed to fulfill his duty in article II, section 3 of the Constitution of the United States, and that his foreign policy has led to increased global instability.”…

Planned Parenthood Says Speaker Ryan Was Showing “Disrespect” By Inviting Catholic Nuns To SOTU……

As you try to make good on your New Year’s vow to get organized, Marie Kondo, the self-described "crazy tidying fanatic" who has sparked the world with her joy for decluttering, has a new book to help you clean up your act.…

An Oklahoma judge has rejected an abortion rights group's legal challenge to a new state law opponents claim restricts abortions and abortion providers.… The law encompasses four abortion-related topics: minors and parental consent; tissue preservation; inspection of clinics and legal liability for abortion providers.…

I believe the simplest explanation is that the Iranians approached the U.S. Navy boats in international waters, that the sailors asked higher-ups for instructions–and that they were ordered not to resist, and to do as they were told, even at the risk of their vessels, their dignity, and their rights as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention (III).…

A man named Walid Mustapha Chalhoub is on trial in a Quebec court for extortion, drugging and raping underage girls, pimping, and other offenses related to the “grooming” of teenagers. The alleged perp allegedly told a young girl that he would burn down her house and expose the video of her having sex to the world if she didn’t comply with his demands.

In other news, a car mysteriously exploded today on the M11 near Cambridge in England, creating a fireball and killing the driver of the car. RAF explosives experts were rushed to the scene, and the southbound lanes of the motorway were closed. Police say they are not ruling anything out. …