Chad’s Morning Brief: LIVE From Good Brews Coffee, Ron Paul Stops Looking for Votes, & More

Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of May 15, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty for these and many more topics from 6-9 am.

Join LFN today at Good Brews Coffee & Tea Lounge from 7-9am. Details.

1. It's All Over For Ron Paul (link)

Ron Paul said on Monday that he will not compete in primaries in any of the states that haven't voted yet. That means his campaign is basically over, though he still wants a voice at the Republican convention in Tampa later in August. According to the Washington Times:

Mr. Paul said he will continue to work to win delegates in states that have already voted and where the process of delegate-selection is playing out. He said that’s a way to make his voice heard at the Republican nominating convention in Tampa, Fla., in August.

“Moving forward, however, we will no longer spend resources campaigning in primaries in states that have not yet voted,” Mr. Paul said. “Doing so with any hope of success would take many tens of millions of dollars we simply do not have.”

He did encourage his supporters to still turn out and vote.

His decision not to compete for new votes in other states leaves Mr. Romney as the only candidate still actively fighting for voters’ support in the 11 states still to vote. That list includes the biggest prizes on the board — Texas and California.

Ron Paul had many good points and points that I believe a lot of Republicans need to listen to. His views on the Constitution can't be beat and that is something all should have paid attention to. The question is now, will Republican's embrace some of Paul's ideas. Would it be smart to do so?

2. Domestic Drones (link)

Unmanned drones and privacy. It's a topic that is slowly gaining momentum as drones become more prevalent in the United States.  Should people become concerned about their privacy when drones are in the air? Some say yes.

They are to be used purely for surveillance. But that alone has raised serious privacy concerns on Capitol Hill and beyond.

"Our Founding Fathers had no idea that there would be remote-control drones with television monitors that can feed back live data instantaneously -- but if they had, they would have made darn sure ... that these things were subject to the Fourth Amendment (protecting individual privacy)," Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, told Fox News.

Drones have already been employed domestically. In what was described as the first case where an unmanned drone was used to arrest an American citizen on U.S. soil, a North Dakota SWAT team reportedly borrowed a Department of Homeland Security drone to monitor Rodney Brossart -- who was involved in a 16-hour standoff at his North Dakota farm over six cattle that had wandered onto his property and which he claimed as his own. The SWAT team apparently used the drone to make sure it was safe to arrest him, though his lawyer has since claimed Brossart was subjected to guerrilla-like police tactics and had his constitutional rights violated.

Advocates for the use of drones say that they can only stay in the air for 30 minutes and are only used when the police need them. Some lawmakers still believe though, that standards must be developed. Thoughts?

3. Perry Defends Dewhurst (link)

Governor Rick Perry is out with a new radio ad that defends Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. According to the Texas Tribune:

The minute-long ad, called "Setting the Record Straight," features Perry alluding to conservative groups like Club for Growth that are hoping to help former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz's campaign by airing ads criticizing Dewhurst.

"You know the D.C. insiders are scared when they spend millions of dollars attacking Texas conservatives," Perry says in the ad. "Despite their D.C. double-talk, the facts are simple. David Dewhurst is a conservative fighter."

Perry praises Dewhurst for repeatedly helping to cut state spending and balance the state budget.

Do you think this will help Dewhurst? Does it make Rick Perry look bad?

4. Uh oh... (link)

Well this probably isn't good for President Obama.

When Obama announced that his position on same-sex marriage had evolved, it outraged some African-American pastors like Pastor and Del. Emmett Burns.

“He has said to his base, African-Americans, ‘I am going against your beliefs and your thoughts,’” Burns said.

He’s so opposed to same-sex marriage, he told church members he will no longer support the president and now predicts Obama will lose the election because of it.

He and many other leaders are pouring their energies into gathering the signatures needed to put Maryland’s same-sex marriage law on the November ballot.

“I think it might be a call to action for people to really express what they believe,” Father Erik Arnold of Our Lady of Perpetual Help said.

In Maryland, some of the strongest opposition to the law has come from the black community– about 30 percent of the population. Some African-American religious leaders are preaching about it

“God said in every home, there needs to be a representation of his glory through manhood and femininity,” Pastor Harry Jackson, Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, said.

5. Dumb Story of the Morning (link)

Dumb criminals and Facebook. A perfect match.

If you're a criminal, it's probably advisable to keep your Facebook presence to an absolute minimum. In fact, it's best to just avoid the site completely.

Lest we forget the genius who posted a picture of him stealing petrol from a police car. But, in another astoundingly stupid piece of news, it appears that wrongdoers just can't get enough of Facebook.

Over in Colombia, two men entered an internet café (yes, they still exist), rented some computers, surfed the net and then, instead of paying, they revealed their guns and robbed the place.

The police arrived soon after and discovered that one of the guys had forgotten to log out of Facebook. Facepalm! The police then found his address and he's now in jail.

6. Good Brews Good News of the Day (link)

Paralyzed woman finishes London Marathon.

For five years, Claire Lomas hasn't been able to walk, hasn't been able to feel her legs. But that hasn't stopped her.

She was once a professional horse rider, her blond hair flowing underneath her white riding cap. But in 2007, a freak accident paralyzed her from the chest down.

She spent all her time in a wheelchair, at least until January. That's when she started walking again, thanks to a $75,000 bionic suit.

"It's amazing after five years of sitting down to be back on my feet," she said earlier this year, "and it's fully weight-bearing and I can walk in it as well."

Each time she steps forward, her suit hisses a sound not dissimilar to Robocop. The ReWalk and two canes support her, and the suit senses when she wants to walk and shifts her weight for her. But it's not easy. Each day, when she started, she could take only 30 steps. Every moment was a chore, and because she couldn't feel where she standing, she always feared falling over.

But that didn't stop her, either. Lomas set out to walk 55,000 steps – or 26.2 miles. She set out to run the London Marathon.

She started, alongside 35,000 runners, 16 days ago. Today, in the shadow of Buckingham Palace, she finished -- to the screams of thousands of fans who came out to support her.

Everyday, Good Brews Coffee & Tea Lounge brings you the Good News of the Day! 

LFN LIVE Appearances:

Tuesday May 15: Good Brews Coffee & Tea Lounge- Details

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These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.