From CNS News

Buchanan: 'What We Are Seeing Now Is an Utter Absence of Common Sense' - The emergence of Ebola as a global threat has highlighted deeper problems: The "maximum absurdity" of people calling travel bans racist; and the failure of government to protect its citizens from a deadly disease, conservative pundit Patrick Buchanan told Fox News's Sean Hannity Tuesday night.  "You know, the post-World War II generation, the greatest generation, had common sense. What we are seeing now is an utter absence of common sense when people talking about, look, you know, we've got to open the doors to people who are good people; but they're carrying a deadly disease that's comparable to the bubonic plague!"…..

• CDC: 150 People Enter U.S. Per Day from Ebola-Stricken Countries--or 4,500 Per Month
• CDC’s Ebola Advice to Airline Crews: Watch for Passengers 'Using Restroom Many Times’
• DHS Chief: 'We're Asking Passengers to Fill Out a Declaration About What Symptoms Do You Have'
• Gov't Quarantines Homeless American--Not Travelers from Ebola-Stricken Countries

Pro-Life Groups Ask Vatican to Excommunicate Catholics Who Support Planned Parenthood - Several pro-life groups are asking the Vatican to officially declare Planned Parenthood an “enemy of the church,” which would result in the excommunication of any Catholics who are affiliated with or support the pro-abortion group. American Life League (ALL) launched the “Defend the Family Campaign” in August prior to the Vatican’s 2014 Synod on the Family, an assembly of bishops which is being held in Rome Oct. 5-19. “Planned Parenthood has torn apart the family like a pack of ravenous wolves. The pro-life movement and the Church must stand together, face this threat, and shield our families from Planned Parenthood’s continued assaults,” ALL president Judie Brown said while launching the campaign. My Take – I keep asking: Is it possible for a Catholic (or any professed Christian for that matter) to be a Democrat without being a heretic? 

• Judicial Watch President: Holder Resigned Over Judge's Fast & Furious Ruling
• Food Stamp Recipients Top 46 Million for 35th Straight Month
• White Unemployment: 5.1%, Black Unemployment: 11%
• Gov’t Spends $51K to Study How Private Yard Management Affects Bird Populations
• Union Workers Protest Obama's EPA Regs: 'Don’t Even Mention His Name'
• IG Report: Veterans Affairs Official Awarded $80K Contract to Married Lover
• CDC: Making Subsidized Housing Smoke-Free Could Save $500M Yearly

Rise of the Barbarians - On Friday night, a Huntington Beach man, 43, was walking back to his car after the Los Angeles Angels played the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series. Three men accosted him, and then proceeded to beat him senseless. He is currently in critical condition at a local hospital after police found him unconscious. I didn't find the story particularly shocking, given that I took my father and two younger sisters to the Angels-Royals game on Thursday night. Throngs packed the stadium — the team announced the attendance at 43,321. We had bleacher seats, which sold for $68. The team must have also sold standing room tickets, since behind the bleachers — lines of fans stood three deep, watching the game.  When my family and I arrived at the game, the ushers had not cleared paths through the standing-room crowd for those who wanted to get to their seats. We gently edged our way toward the seats……we now live in a society where young male barbarians are growing in number, their masculinity tied into useless aggression. More and more, young men seem to channel their aggressive instinct not into building, but into destroying — not into defending the innocent, particularly women and children, but into confrontations for no apparent reason other than demonstrating dominance. Why?.....

• Conservatives on SCOTUS Same-Sex Marriage Decision: Judicial Activism All Around
• Public Outcry Delays Vote on Minnesota Transgender Athlete Policy
• Gay Activist Group Changes Name to Include ‘Bisexuals, Transgender and Queer’
• Maryland Governor: 'WiFi Is a Human Right'
• Governors’ Report Card: No Republicans Got an 'F,' No Democrats Got an 'A'
• Oops: State Dep't Spokeswoman Can't List Gains Made by Iraqi Security Forces
• State Dept. Spokeswoman: Biden ‘Had the Iraq Portfolio and Ran Point on Iraq’
• Christian Refugees: Irbil is Our ‘Last Stand’ in Iraq
• Graham on ISIS: 'The Stronger They Get Over There, The More Endangered We Are Here'
• Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson: ‘Biblically Correct Sex is Safe’ Sex – No STDs
• Meth-Smuggling Surge Thwarted by Border Agents

Oil & Gas - The American oil and gas industry has saved our collective bacon.  On July 3, 2008, oil closed at $145.29 a barrel. Demand was strong. Inventories were low. And production was inelastic.  A few weeks ago, headlines screamed that U.S. and Gulf State aircraft had target Syrian oil installations under ISIS' control in an attempt to degrade its ability to fund its operations.  Did oil find a new high in the face of yet another round of Middle East jitters?  It did not…..