Blog Heap of Links for the day 19 June 2015

…It is in the interest of both the U.S. and China to keep the peace .... unfortunately .... China's big problem is not with the U.S. but with its neighbors. With the exception of Russia, China is in a territorial dispute with everyone of its neighbors .... and all sides are refusing to back down.…

It’s a situation that didn’t have to be but now seems inevitable. The Obama administration was given a stable Iraq and it seemed the possible would actually happen. … Now, some are arguing that Iraq is no more.

HARTFORD, Conn. (June 18, 2015) On Tuesday, a bill that would remove the ban on industrial hemp farming in the state, setting the stage to effectively nullify in practice the federal prohibition on the same, became law without a signature from the Governor.…

The Delaware state Senate gave approval yesterday to a bill that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for private use. Governor Jack Markell immediately signed the bill.…

…in the English-speaking world—and perhaps the world as a whole—has quite a backstory… She had never written any poetry, but the plight of a young German Jewish woman, Margaret Schwarzkopf, who was staying with her and her husband, inspired the poem.…

TISHOMINGO, Oklahoma - Floodwater swept away one of Oklahoma's oldest bridges Thursday night.

The Norton Road Bridge spanned the Washita River just north Mannsville in Johnston County for 106 years. The river washed it away at about 9:45 p.m. on June 18, 2015.…

…In this case, however, the victims have been brought into the process and allowed to speak out on behalf of those they lost at the hands of Dylann Roof. Today, David French at National Review said, “This is one of the most powerful Christian witnesses I’ve ever seen.” I agree with him.…

A man convicted nearly 20 years ago of molesting three children in western Pennsylvania has been arrested as a fugitive in Oklahoma, where he was working at a Wal-Mart under an assumed name, authorities said. …arrested by Muskogee, Oklahoma…

Scientists are moving closer to developing mind reading technology after researchers at the Wadsworth Center in New York were able to record the brain waves directly associated with speech during a recent study.…

A blonde-haired boy and his pet stuff-animal tiger Hobbes were recently separated at the Tampa International Airport before boarding a flight to Houston, TX. Hobbes was found by airport employees and when the boy’s mother reported Hobbes as missing, they assured her that Hobbes would be there when the family returned back to Tampa. An airport employ decided to take Hobbes around the airport taking photos of Hobbes with different employees doing various activities. All the photos were printed in a book and presented to the boy when he returned five days later. Cue the ‘awww’.…

Contrasting two church massacres highlights the difference between a world where the right of self-defense is respected, and one in which moonbattery has prevailed so that only criminals have guns.…

…Melba King… was a 22-year-old nursing student in Des Moines in 1933… walking home one autumn night when a mugger came up behind her with a gun and demanded her money. At that moment, Ronald Reagan -- who was a Des Moines radio sportscaster at the time -- came to her rescue…

…The left is basking in the horror as they try to make political hay is as predictable as night following day. My pledge to you is that, at least for this day, you will not read about it on this post.…

The European Central Bank says that it is not sure whether Greek banks will be able to open for business on Monday. Greek depositors have been withdrawing money from banks at a record rate — more than €2 billion over the first three days of the week. The ECB says the banks will be open tomorrow (Friday), but Monday is not a certainty.

In other news, UK police in Watford, Hertfordshire arrested a white man for wearing a black burka and carrying suspicious rucksacks. One of the rucksacks featured an image of Peppa the Pig on the outside.