In April, Townhall reported illegal border crossings had doubled in light of amnesty talk on Capitol Hill and potential cutting of Border Patrol hours.

"We've seen the number of illegal aliens double, maybe even triple since amnesty talk started happening," an agent told Townhall, who asked to remain unnamed due to fears of retaliation within Customs and Border Protection [CBP], something he said is common. "A lot of these people, although not the majority, are criminals or aggravated felons.  This is a direct danger to our communities."

Data obtained by Townhall and reported within CBP from February 5 through March 1, 2013 shows 504 illegal aliens were spotted exploiting the Tucson/Nogales area, 189 were caught on CBP intelligence cameras.  Of those 504, only 174 were apprehended and 32 of the 189 on camera were carrying large drug load packs for Mexican cartels. Some were armed with AK-47 style weapons.

Now, the Arizona Daily Star is reporting after an eight year drop, illegal immigration from south of the U.S. border is on the rise again.

The number of people apprehended along the Southwest border is rising for a second fiscal year after an eight-year decline.

As of April 2, 192,298 people have been detained this fiscal year, compared with 170,223 during the same period last year, unofficial data shows.

The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.

Apprehensions in the Tucson Sector - the busiest section of the border - are down 1 percent so far this year to 64,514. But the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, arrests are up 53 percent to 59,147. Apprehensions are used as an indicator of how many people are crossing into the United States.

Most of the recent growth in apprehensions is due to more Central Americans attempting to cross, unofficial data shows.

Just last week the Senate Judiciary Committee defeated all efforts to secure the border before granting amnesty.

A bloc of 12 pro-immigration senators blocked a GOP amendment to freeze the proposed legalization of 11 million illegals until the border is secured, highlighting a fundamental political divide on the first day of voting on the far-reaching Senate immigration bill.

“The bill is … legalization first and enforcement later, and just opposite what the people think they’re getting, and opposite to what many members of Congress think is in the bill before us,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, the leading Republican on the Senate’s Judiciary Committee.

The defeat, however, gives critics an obvious argument during national debates over the immigration bill. Numerous polls show strong public demand for a secure border with Mexico.

After a long trial and ten days of jury deliberation, abortionist Kermit Gosnell from the "House of Horrors" has been convicted of murdering three babies in the first degree. This means he will face at least three life sentences and could face the death penalty. Gosnell was found guilty of murdering Baby A, Baby C and Baby D. He was found not guilty of murdering Baby E. Gosnell was charged with four counts of first degree murder.

LifeNews has more:

Baby Boy A was the biggest baby that Kareema Cross had ever seen delivered at Gosnell’s abortion “House of Horrors” clinic in the four years she worked there. He was delivered to 17-year old Shaquana Abrams at 29.4 weeks gestation, according to an ultrasound record. Baby Boy A was so large, he did not fit into the plastic shoe box that Gosnell tossed him in. Cross said she saw the baby pull in his arms and legs while Gosnell explained the movements as “reflexes” telling her the baby really didn’t move prior to cutting the baby’s neck. Baby Boy A was so large, Gosnell joked that “this baby is big enough to walk around with me or walk me to the bus stop.” Cross and fellow employees Adrienne Moton and 15-year old Ashley Baldwin were all so “startled” by the size of the baby that they all took photos of the baby with their cell phones.

Baby C was an intact baby of over 25-weeks gestation. Kareema Cross testified that she saw Baby C breathing and described the up and down chest movements she observed for 20 minutes. She told the court she saw Lynda Williams lift the baby’s arm and watched as the newborn drew it back on its own power. Afterwards, Williams inserted surgical scissors into the baby’s neck and “snipped” the spinal cord. Gosnell was said to be in the room at the time. This baby’s murder charges were unintentionally dismissed in the place of Baby F, but were reinstated after Judge Minehart discovered his error.

Baby D was described by witnesses as 12-15 inches long with the head the size of a “big pancake” when he was delivered into a toilet. Kareema Cross testified that she saw the baby struggling, using swimming motions in an attempt to get out of the toilet bowl. Adrienne Moton pulled the baby out and “snipped” the neck, as Gosnell had taught her to do, while the mother watched. Gosnell has also been charged with Criminal Solicitation of Moton to commit murder of Baby D.

Baby E was estimated to be at least 23 weeks gestation and maybe more. After Baby E was delivered, teen Ashley Baldwin heard the baby cry and called Kareema Cross for help. Cross described the baby’s cry as a “whine.” Baldwin said that Gosnell when into the room then came out with the baby — which now had an incision in its neck — and tossed it into the waste bin.

We are still waiting to hear the verdict for the charge of third degree murder.

He also faces a third-degree murder charge related to the death of a woman, Karnamaya Mongar, 41, of Virginia, from a botched legal abortion. Gosnell, who has been in jail since his January 2011 arrest.

And the other charges.

The abortionist faces 258 counts total and other charges against him include one count of infanticide and one of racketeering, 24 counts of performing third-trimester abortions and 227 counts of failing to follow the 24-hour waiting period law before an abortion so women can consider its risks and alternatives.

Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins has released a statement:

"There are no victories here and this is far from over. The women and children Gosnell killed are still dead. The families he destroyed with his lies are still suffering. Abortion is still legal in America and is being perpetrated in the same corrupt and dirty ways Gosnell did it for 40 years. Our generation has only just begun our quest to obtain justice for the 55+ million baby girls and baby boys who have killed by legal abortion and to save untold millions more from the same fate," Hawkins said. "Gosnell's filthy practices are simply business as usual for the abortion industry and its Goliath, Planned Parenthood. We know there are other Gosnells out there. It's time to expose these front alley butchers."

The pro-life Susan B. Anthony list isn't celebrating and reminds everyone that Gosnell is not alone.

“The greatest tragedy is that Kermit Gosnell is not alone. Exploitation of women and complete disregard for their health and well-being are problems endemic to the entire abortion industry,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement. “There are numerous examples of negligence and even death in abortion facilities across the country. Now is the moment to realize that abortion is neither safe, nor rare. Abortion is a brutal, painful procedure, both for the child that it kills and the woman that it wounds. We must protect children both inside and outside the womb who experience unspeakable pain from abortion. Congress must address its role in protecting nationwide the human rights of children. Legislation to ban late-term abortions in the nation’s capital, as well as the recent action taken to investigate abortion industry oversight across the country are the vital first steps. But Congress should not and must stop there. The few inches that separate a child in the womb from a child outside the womb should never determine whether its intentional ‘demise’ is permitted by law or whether a ‘right’ to kill it no longer exists.  Americans overwhelmingly oppose late-term abortions and the law should follow their instinctive resistance to this dehumanizing and degrading practice.”

The sentencing portion of the Gosnell trial will take place next week.

UPDATE (GB) - The immediate, emotional reactions from the prosecution and defense tables:

RT @kirstenpowers10: CNN reporter on air now says the prosecutor was sobbing after verdict read.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) May 13, 2013

#Gosnell looked shocked and bewildered when convicted of multiple counts of first degree murder.#nrlc

— Jacki Ragan (@JSR1353) May 13, 2013

Gosnell's in-trial smirk is gone. 


UPDATE II - Gosnell's attorney said his client received a "fair trial."


UPDATE III (GB) - Surprise: Planned Parenthood weighs in with a sanitized tweet that doesn't mention Gosnell's younger victims.  Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania was aware of the horror shop Gosnell was running and did nothing.  The abortion lobby has consistently opposed efforts to increase regulation, health inspections and oversight at abortion clinics.


UPDATE IV (GB) - Guilty, guilty, guilty...

#Gosnell was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of patient Karnamaya Mongar, who died of an overdose of sedatives.

— jdmullane (@jdmullane) May 13, 2013

The abortionist #Gosnell also guilty of infanticide in death of Baby A, and conspiracy in deaths of babies C and D.

— jdmullane (@jdmullane) May 13, 2013

Jury found Phila abortionist #Gosnell guilty of "corrupt organizations," and conspiracy to perform abortions past Pa.'s 24 week limit.

— jdmullane (@jdmullane) May 13, 2013

#Gosnell also found guilty on most of the more than 200 counts of Pa.'s "informed consent" law requiring a 24-hour wait.

— jdmullane (@jdmullane) May 13, 2013

Gosnell is eligible for the death penalty.  The sentencing phase of the trial begins in July, according to NBC News.


UPDATE V - The one murder count Gosnell skated on:

#Gosnell found not guilty in death of Baby E, who was heard emitting a single baby sound before neck was cut.

— jdmullane (@jdmullane) May 13, 2013

They couldn't definitively prove that this child was slaughtered outside of the womb, so "not guilty" it is, under our barbaric laws.  Many forms of late-term abortion remain legal in the United States, thanks to the obsessive efforts of the abortion lobby, and in the face of widespread public opposition:

Gallup also notes that overwhelming majorities of Americans oppose late-term abortions; 80 percent reject third trimester abortions, and 64 percent do the same in the second trimester.

Some in the media are still referring to the murdered babies in this case as "fetuses."

Katie already flagged the major elements of President Obama's joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron.  ABC News' Rick Klein offered a succinct observation about Obama's dichotomous approach to the two major scandals dominating today's headlines:

Two poles of presidential response: Outrage with the story on #IRS, outrage against the story on #Benghazi.

— Rick Klein (@rickklein) May 13, 2013

The president expressed (qualified) strong disapproval about the IRS' ideological seek-and-destroy mission, but inveighed against the legitimacy of Benghazi as a newsworthy story.  I'd like to follow up on a few of the president's comments: (1) We now know that the IRS targeted conservative groups as far back as 2010, and that the IRS brass became aware of the practice between 2011 and 2012.  Can the president tell Americans that no one inside his administration was aware of this situation prior to last Friday?  Obama claimed that he himself only learned of this outrage through "the same news reports" the general public has seen.  Color conservatives skeptical.

(2) The president softened his denunciations of the IRS story with the caveat of "if, in fact, this happened...."  Isn't he aware that the IRS has publicly confessed, and apologized for, "inappropriate" conduct?

Why are we in patented Obama indefinite "wait-and-see," "fact-gathering" phase for IRS story when they've admitted their wrongdoing?

— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) May 13, 2013

Mary Katharine has seen this dodge before.  In her forthcoming Townhall Magazine column, she dissects the "work in progress presidency," in which Obama's "patented fact-gathering phase" is frequently invoked to deflect questions about inaction or problematic reports.  See: Closing Guantanamo Bay, Obamacare implementation, Benghazi, Fast & Furious, Syrian "red lines," etc.

(3) What are "so-called talking points"?   Either the administration drew up talking points to inform the public about a deadly terrorist attack, or they didn't.  And we know that they did because those "so-called talking points" were modified and revised 12 times, then relayed to the public on every Sunday morning chat show.

(4) The president repeated his mouthpiece's line that the talking point revisions are a "no there there" non-story.  Even some mainstream media journalists were floored by that approach:

"There's no there there." Wow. Doubles down on shifting stories.

— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) May 13, 2013

Fournier sees an Obama credibility crisis brewing.  Team Obama continues to insist that the White House's talking points were based upon the "best assessment" of the US intelligence community, which we know to be false.  CIA director David Petraeus rejected the heavily-bowdlerized final memo as "useless," and the Assistant Sec. of State emailed a Libyan official the day after the attack and clearly stated Ansar al-Sharia's involvement.  That was four days before Susan Rice (speaking on Obama's behalf) told the American people that the terrorist attack was actually the "direct result" of a "spontaneous" protest sparked by a YouTube video -- which was never mentioned in any version of the CIA's talking points.  Democratic whistle-blower Gregory Hicks called the YouTube clip a "non-event" in Libya.  Stephen Hayes asks a good question, as does Philip Klein:

CIA Dir Petraeus called the #Benghazi talking points useless disappointed WH was using them. And Obama says they were consistent w/PDBs?

— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) May 13, 2013

So why did Obama repeatedly talk about the video at UN two weeks after attacks?

— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) May 13, 2013

Hayes rightly wonders if journalists, Congressional investigators and the public will have access to those presidential daily briefings, now that Obama has asserted that they aligned with Susan Rice's false talking points.

(5) "We dishonor [Benghazi's victims] when we turn things like this into a political circus," an irritated Obama intoned.  Is Patricia Smith turning her son's death into a "circus" and "dishonoring" him by demanding truthful answers to questions, especially after she was misinformed by high-ranking White House officials? 

(6) Obama channeled Jay Carney by condemning Republican attempts to "politicize" Benghazi.  Is Dennis Kucinich a Republican?  Did the White House press corps and numerous editorial boards morph into partisan right-wingers when no one was looking?

(7) Finally, the government of the man standing next to Obama today withdrew its diplomatic team from Benghazi in June of 2012, due to escalating attacks against Western targets in the city.  Why didn't the Obama administration follow suit, particularly after its compound was bombed twice?  It turns out Sec. Clinton wanted to go in the opposite direction and make it a permanent post, which is why Amb. Stevens was in Benghazi that day.  In light of the vastly different British and American judgment calls, why was our security presence so lacking, and why were urgent petitions for more protection shot down?  Was the president involved in these discussions, and if not, why not?  After all, Libya was a country in which he chose to go to war -- without Congressional permission, no less.

Breaking news from MSNBC: You're all racists and you "need to be held accountable"!

Philip Klein over at the Washington Examiner has taken the time to go through the IRS inspectors general report exposing the agency specifically targeted conservative groups and has listen the key words that were flagged. –”Tea Party”

–”Patriots”

– “9/12″

– “We the People”

– “Take Back the Country”

– “Political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding government, educating on the constitution and bill of rights, social economic reform/movement”

–"Issues include Government spending, Government debt, or taxes”

– Education via advocacy/lobbying to “make America a better place to live.”

– “Criticiz(ing) how the country is being run.”

This list is extensive and took more than a simple "flag tea party stuff" order to complete. It's clear someone at the IRS, or from another agency or sector of government, heavily researched specific tea party issues, which mainly includes limiting government spending and the growth of government.

Here are some groups close to the terms flagged above:

-FreedomWorks 9/12 March on Washington

-Tea Party Patriots

-Tea Party Patriots subgroup 'We the People'

-TeaPAC Taking America Back!

 

Speaking to reporters during a joint press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron Monday, President Obama called the controversy surrounding the editing of Benghazi talking points a "sideshow."

"The whole issue of talking points, frankly throughout this process has been a sideshow," Obama said. "There's no there, there."

Despite openly blaming a YouTube video in the immediate aftermath of the Benghazi attack, Obama said Monday at the time of the attack his administration wasn't sure who was responsible for the deaths of four Americans, including U.S Ambassador Chris Stevens.

"Immediately after this event happened we were not clear who exactly carried it out, how it occured or what the motivations were," Obama said. "Nobody understood exactly what was taking place during the course of those first few days."

Last Wednesday, Whistleblower and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Libya Gregory Hicks said in sworn testimony that he spoke to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at 2 a.m. on the night of the attack and told her, "We are under attack." He didn't mention a protest because there wasn't one. Hicks also said he was shocked when he heard UN Ambassador Susan Rice blame a YouTube video and a spontaneous protest on Sunday talk shows five days after the attack occurred.

ABC News reported late last week that the Benghazi talking points were edited 12 times and that all references to terrorism and al Qaeda were scrubbed. The initial version of unedited talking points were from the CIA and included warnings about terrorism, al Qaeda and a lack of security at the consulate in Benghazi. The best assessment sent from the intelligence community included multiple warnings about the deteriorating security situation in Benghazi. The final talking points with scrubbed references to terrorism and al Qaeda were edited by the State Department after communication and a meeting in the White House.

Obama admitted that the securing for diplomats in Benghazi at the time of the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2012 was not sufficient and that recommendations about how to keep State Department personnel safer are being implemented.

Speaking to reporters at a joint press conference Monday, President Obama said if the targeting of conservative groups by the IRS is true, it is "contrary to our traditions" and that "people have to be held accountable."  Obama said he would not comment on specific findings by the IRS inspector general about specific targeting.

"If in fact IRS personnel engaged in the practices being reported on then...that's outrageous," President Obama said. "I’ve got no patience with it, I’ve got no tolerance on it."

The IRS apologized for inappropriately targeting groups with the words "tea party," "patriot" and those teaching about the U.S. Constitution late last week.

“We don’t want the IRS every being perceived to be biased or anything less than neutral,” Obama said.

Obama was asked about when he first found out about the IRS targeting of conservative groups. He responded by saying he found out through media reports.

"I first learned about it through the same news reports other people learned from," Obama said.

 

 

H/T DaTechGuy

This story dropped late on Friday, perhaps because HHS sources hoped it would slip through the cracks over the weekend and disappear.  In light of the swirling Benghazi developments and the burgeoning IRS scandal, this wasn't a bad bet.  But this stunner from the Washington Post is too important to allow to simply glide past unexamined:

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has gone, hat in hand, to health industry officials, asking them to make large financial donations to help with the effort to implement President Obama’s landmark health-care law, two people familiar with the outreach said. Her unusual fundraising push comes after Congress repeatedly rejected the Obama administration’s requests for additional funds to set up the Affordable Care Act, leaving HHS to implement the president’s signature legislative accomplishment on what officials have described as a shoestring budget.

This has all the hallmarks of a shakedown.  DrewM at Ace of Spades snarkily summarizes: "Hi I'm HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. You may recall I have tremendous discretionary power over your company and entire industry. Would you like to donate to my favorite cause? You would? Thank you so much."  Obamacare vests Sebelius with an enormous amount of regulatory power; she has the ability to make life exceedingly difficult for any company that crosses her (recall her "zero tolerance" quote).  "Friendly" requests for "voluntary" donations may not seem optional for companies who sense the HHS Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.  Administration spokesmen are predictably shrugging off accusations of extortion and insisting there's "nothing improper" to see here.  Senior Republicans have a different take:

Tennessee Republican [Sen. Lamar Alexander] compared the HHS secretary's requests for donations from insurance companies to the Iran-Contra scandal. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius might have broken the law by asking insurance companies to donate to outside groups promoting President Obama's healthcare law, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said Saturday. Alexander compared the fundraising to the Iran-Contra scandal. "Secretary Sebelius’s fundraising for and coordinating with private entities helping to implement the new health care law may be illegal, should cease immediately and should be fully investigated by Congress," Alexander said in a statement.

The Post's in-house conservative Jennifer Rubin thinks this story ought to rise to the top of the Obama administration scandal depth chart:

I realize scandal investigations are backing up like cars on the Beltway in rush hour, but this one seems like it should go close to the front of the line. We have an unpopular health-care bill with gross implementation and design problems that exceeds its budget. The solution? Stiff arm the industry for “contributions.” It’s apparent that both Obamacare and the HHS secretary operating it are out of control. Congress should investigate and any monies obtained in this fashion should be returned. Then we should pause, assess where Obamacare stands and figure out if it can be implemented without inflicting harm on 300 million Americans — or should I say, any more harm.

Harry Reid recently grumbled about Republicans' refusal to pump more taxpayer money into Obamacare's implementation phase.  The GOP has stood firm against committing even one more penny to the extravagantly expensive, enduringly unpopular and logistically shambolic program.  The administration's apparent solution to this problem of their own making is to coerce private businesses into financing a bailout.


UPDATE - It's worth pointing out that Boehner and McConnell declined to offer Republican appointments for Obamacare's IPAB rationing board last week.

Remember when Democrats accused Republicans of hating sick people because they didn't want to pass ObamaCare? Remember when Democrats accused Rep. Paul Ryan of wanting to "throw granny off a cliff" because he dared to try and reform the Medicaid system in order to reduce costs and increase quality of care?

Despite making promises to decrease the cost of healthcare, afterall, the official name for ObamaCare is the "Affordable Care Act," cancer patients are about to see their treatment costs skyrocket.

Cancer patients could face high costs for medications under President Barack Obama's health care law, industry analysts and advocates warn.

Where you live could make a huge difference in what you'll pay.

To try to keep premiums low, some states are allowing insurers to charge patients a hefty share of the cost for expensive medications used to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other life-altering chronic diseases.

Such "specialty drugs" can cost thousands of dollars a month, and in California, patients would pay up to 30 percent of the cost. For one widely used cancer drug, Gleevec, the patient could pay more than $2,000 for a month's supply, says the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

And if you think paying for treatment is the biggest issue, think again. Finding a doctor is going to be the toughest part.

Most physicians have a pessimistic outlook on the future of medicine, citing eroding autonomy and falling income, a survey of more than 600 doctors found.

Six in 10 physicians (62 percent) said it is likely many of their colleagues will retire earlier than planned in the next 1 to 3 years, a survey from Deloitte Center for Health Solutions found. That perception is uniform across age, gender, and specialty, it said.

UPDATE: Just last week President Obama held a "Mother's Day" event at the White House touting cancer screenings and women's health covered by ObamaCare. He failed to mention how much it wold cost.

"Because of this law there are millions of other Americans - moms and dads and daughters and sons - who no longer have to hang their fortunes on chance. Because we are not going to inflict that hardship on the American people again," Obama said. "The United States of America does not sentence its people to suffering just because they don't make enough to buy insurance on the private market, just because their work doesn't provide health insurance, just because they fall sick or suffer an accident."

The House will vote again this week to repeal the bill.