News Updates from CLG
7 August 2014
7 August 2014
http://www.legitgov.org/
All links are here:http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news
All links are here:http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news
Previous edition: Barack Obama's
Secret Terrorist-Tracking System, by the Numbers, that
Google relegated
to the trash bin, of course. Google subscribers: Google Filter Instructions for CLG Newsletter.
Breaking:
Snowden granted 3-yr residence permit -
lawyer 7 Aug 2014 Edward Snowden has
received a residence permit in Russia, which is valid for three years, starting
on August 1, the former NSA contractor's lawyer announced. "On the first of
August he received a three-year residence permit," lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told
reporters. He added that Snowden had not asked for political asylum. "He will be
able to travel freely within the country and go abroad. He'll be able to stay
abroad for not longer than three months," Kucherena said. The former NSA
contractor will be able to apply for the Russian citizenship in five
years.
Breaking:
US missile cruiser enters Black Sea again to 'promote
peace' 7 Aug 2014 US missile cruiser
Vella Gulf has entered the Black Sea in what the American Navy described as a
move to "to promote peace and stability in the region." Moscow has considered
any such acts as "offensive." The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS
Vella Gulf (CG 72) entered the Black Sea on Wednesday as part of the effort to
"strengthen the collective security of NATO allies and partners in the region,"
according to a statement by the US 6th Fleet...Vladimir Putin has promised
Russia will respond to NATO's expansion towards its borders.
Breaking:
Theodore Wafer Found
Guilty of Second Degree Murder in Renisha McBride Porch
Shooting 7 Aug 2014 A suburban
Detroit homeowner who opened his front door and blasted an unarmed 19-year-old
woman on his porch has been found guilty of second-degree murder. The jury
returned their verdict against 55-year-old Theodore Wafer after less than two
days of deliberations. After the verdict was read, Wafer was immediately
remanded into custody.
Canada to deploy military supplies, equipment to Ukraine: CTV
News 6 Aug 2014 Amid ongoing
[US-funded] violence in eastern Ukraine and concerns about Russia's [NATO's]
military build-up along the border, Ottawa is set to deploy a Hercules transport
plane loaded with military supplies to the troubled region, CTV News has
learned. The supplies will not include ammunition, but equipment to support
Ukrainian troops on the ground. The deployment on Thursday is expected to be the
first in a series of flights. News of the military shipment comes as Canada
announced additional sanctions and travel bans against Russian and Ukrainian
individuals and groups.
Putin
bans agricultural imports from sanctioning countries for 1
year 6 Aug 2014 A 1-year ban
has been imposed on certain agricultural produce, foods and raw materials from
countries that have sanctioned Russia. A law on economic measures to protect the
country has been signed by President Putin. The decree "on the use of specific
economic measures" is aimed at ensuring Russia's security; it has been signed in
response to sanctions imposed on the country by a number of states over the
Ukrainian crisis, the Kremlin said on its website.
Obama Weighs Airstrikes in Iraq 7 Aug 2014 President Obama is considering airstrikes or
airdrops of food and medicine to address a humanitarian crisis among as many as
40,000 religious minorities in Iraq who have been dying of heat and thirst on a
mountaintop after death threats from the [CIA's] Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria, administration officials said on Thursday. The president, in meetings
with his national security team at the White House on Thursday morning, has been
weighing a series of options ranging from dropping humanitarian supplies on
Mount Sinjar to military strikes on the fighters from ISIS now at the base of
the mountain, a senior administration official said. The administration had been
delaying taking any military action against ISIS until there is a new Iraqi
government. But administration officials said on Thursday that the crisis on
Mount Sinjar may be forcing their hand. ['The Obama-to-Obusha
metamorphosis is nearly complete.' --LRP. 'Can you take the
comment out? That transition was complete from day one.'
--MDR.]
US senator filibusters live coverage of powerful Palestinian
testimonies 5 Aug 2014 On Friday,
fifteen-year-old Tariq Abukhdeir spoke at a hearing on Capitol Hill about the brutal beating he endured at the
hands of Israeli police in early July....The purpose of the hearing was to
address Israeli impunity and US complicity in crimes against Palestinians. Tariq
was one of six panelists to address the room, which was overflowing with
congressional staffers...But just as Tariq started to detail the Israeli beating that left
him unconscious and unrecognizable, C-SPAN2, which was broadcasting the hearing
live, cut to the Senate floor.
Must see video:
Irish senator condemns Gaza massacre, "Nazi talk" by
Israelis 6 Aug 2014
Irish senator and former presidential candidate David Norris made a powerful
speech on 31 July condemning Israel's massacre in Gaza and the complicity of
American, Irish and other European governments. Norris called for the expulsion
of the Israeli ambassador. The eight-minute speech can be seen in the video
here.
UK protest group 'shuts down' factory for
supplying Israel arms 5 Aug 2014 A
group of pro-Palestine activists have allegedly shut down operations in a
Staffordshire factory that they say supplies arms to Israel...Around 10
activists from the London Palestine Action Group have taken to the roof of Elbit
systems, an Israeli company with a subsidiary based in Shenstone, near
Birmingham...According to the LPAG, Elbit systems is one of the world's leading
manufacturers of unmanned aerial drones, which many suspect the Israel Defense
Forces (IDF) have used in their ongoing offensive in Gaza.
'Help Israel avoid war crimes charges,' Netanyahu urges US lawmakers 7 Aug 2014 Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appealed to American legislators to help Israel stave off what is likely to be a concerted global push to haul the country's military and political leaders to international courts for alleged [actual] war crimes committed in Gaza, The New York Post is reporting on Thursday.
Lest we forget (historical): UN: Palestinian children tortured, used as human shields by Israel 20 June 2013 New UN human rights agency report claims Israeli forces arbitrarily arrest Palestinian children in Gaza and West Bank, subject them to degrading treatment, exploit them to scope out potentially dangerous buildings and use them as shields to deter stone throwers.
Google Play's 'Bomb Gaza' Game Lets You Kill Palestinian Women and Children 4 Aug 2014 As the death toll continues to rise in Gaza on the heels of an expired cease-fire, Android's official app store, Google Play is currently offering a game called "Bomb Gaza," where users are encouraged to drop missiles on the region to destroy "terrorists." Bomb Gaza is just another one of numerous insensitive games available on Android's official app store, including "Gaza Assault" and "Whack the Hamas". Since when has celebrating one of the most tragic conflicts become the perfect theme for a video game? [Update: Responding to public outrage, the 'app' was removed. Too bad the *actual* bombing of Gaza isn't 'removed.' --LRP]
Official: Israel to allow Gaza rebuilding in exchange for disarmament 5 Aug 2014 Israel is willing to agree to the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip in exchange for the disarmament of militant groups there, an official said Tuesday...Ofer Gendelman told Ma'an that the Israeli government linked the rebuilding of Gaza with disarming factions in the coastal enclave.
Senator says CIA trying to hide facts in torture report 5 Aug 2014 Sen. Dianne Feinstein accused the CIA on Tuesday of trying to "eliminate or obscure key facts" from a Senate report on alleged U.S. torture of terrorism suspects before it is released to the public. The Senate Intelligence Committee's report, the culmination of a years-long battle between the California Democrat and the CIA, is expected to be released within the next two weeks. Feinstein said the CIA redactions from the report's executive summary are unacceptable, and that until the snipped sections are restored, she will not allow the report to be made public.
Anti-terrorism laws more frightening than racial abuse, says Muslim group 7 Aug 2014 The Abbott government's proposed changes to anti-terrorism laws are "more destructive" than the shelved amendments to race laws, the Lebanese Muslim Association has argued. Tony Abbott attempted to appeal to Islamic communities on Tuesday by dumping changes to the Racial Discrimination Act in order to preserve "national unity" at a time when the government was seeking to toughen security laws. But the prime minister's gesture failed to satisfy the Lebanese Muslim Association, which said the anti-terrorism amendments seemed to "target the Muslim community" and "give authorities unprecedented and intrusive powers".
US terrorism database doubles in recent years 5 Aug 2014 A U.S. government database of known or suspected terrorists doubled in size in recent years, according to newly released government figures. The growth is the result of intelligence agencies submitting names more often after a near-miss attack false flag in 2009. There were 1.1 million people in the database at the end of 2013, according to the National Counterterrorism Center, which maintains the information. About 550,000 people were listed in the database in March 2010.
Invoking emergency health powers, U.S. to use Pentagon Ebola test overseas 6 Aug 2014 U.S. health regulators on Wednesday authorized the use of an Ebola diagnostic test developed by the Pentagon to help 'contain' the world's worst outbreak of the deadly virus. The diagnostic test was authorized for use abroad on military personnel, aid workers and emergency responders in laboratories designated by the Department of Defense to respond to the Ebola outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The test, called DoD EZ1 Real-time RT-PCR Assay, is designed for use on individuals who have symptoms of Ebola infection, who are at risk for exposure or who may have been exposed. The agency can evoke emergency authorization for a medical product it has not approved when there are no adequate alternatives.
CDC issues highest-level alert for Ebola 6 Aug 2014 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued its highest-level alert for a response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa. "Ops Center moved to Level 1 response to given the extension to Nigeria & potential to affect many lives," CDC chief Tom Frieden said Wednesday on Twitter. Level 1 means that increased staff and resources will be devoted to the outbreak, officials said.
W.H.O. Weighing Emergency Decree on Ebola 06 Aug 2014 Scrambling to catch up with the worst outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, the World Health Organization announced Wednesday that it was considering the declaration of an international public health emergency and would convene a panel of experts in coming days to explore the use of experimental treatments for the incurable disease. The announcements came as fears spread that a Saudi citizen may have brought the Ebola virus home to Saudi Arabia...The organization also announced 108 new Ebola cases recorded from Saturday to Monday, bringing the total to 1,711, with 932 deaths.
Liberia declares state of emergency as Ebola death toll rises to 932 --World Health Organization: 932 people have died from recent Ebola outbreak 6 Aug 2014 Liberia's president declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to combat the ongoing outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, as the country began implementing quarantine checkpoints. The country's president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, said that the scale of the Ebola outbreak represents a threat to Liberia's security. "I...hereby declare a State of Emergency throughout the Republic of Liberia effective as of Aug. 6, 2014, for a period of 90 days," she said via statement.
Bodies dumped in streets as West Africa struggles to curb Ebola 6 Aug 2014 Relatives of Ebola victims in Liberia defied government orders and dumped infected bodies in the streets as West African governments struggled to enforce tough measures to curb an outbreak of the virus that has killed 887 people...In neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia, where the outbreak is now spreading fastest, authorities deployed troops to quarantine the border areas where 70 percent of cases have been detected.
Ontario mayors violated law with secret radioactive waste meetings: probe 7 Aug 2014 Municipal politicians in a region of Ontario that is home to one of the world's largest nuclear power plants violated provincial law by holding secret meetings over the storage of radioactive waste, an outside investigation has found. The probe followed complaints about years of undocumented discussions between the mayors who sit on Bruce County council and nuclear-waste representatives searching for a permanent storage site. An investigator with a company that helps Ontario municipalities with closed-meeting procedure investigations concluded the mayors had breached the Municipal Act, which requires open meetings.
U.S. Homeland Security contractor reports computer breach 7 Aug 2014 A company that performs background checks for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday it was the victim of a cyber attack, adding in a statement that "it has all the markings of a state-sponsored attack." The computer breach at Falls Church, Virginia-based US Investigations Services (USIS) probably involved the theft of personal information about DHS employees, according to the Washington Post, which first reported the story. DHS said it had suspended all work with the company amid an investigation by the FBI.
Earthquake rips through Hawaii as two hurricanes race toward state 7 Aug 2014 As two simultaneous hurricanes raced toward Hawaii, a 4.5-magnitude earthquake rocked the islands Thursday afternoon. The quake, which hit the Waimea region of the Big Island, is considered light, and any damage or injuries were not immediately reported. The tremor comes as the islands are bracing for two back-to-back hurricanes due to hit in the coming days. It's been 22 years since the island chain has weathered a single hurricane -- let alone two.
Number of Conn. Residents Without Health Insurance Drops 50% 6 Aug 2014 The number of people in Connecticut without health insurance has dropped by 50 percent since 2012, according to research findings released Wednesday by the state's health insurance exchange. Access Health CT, the state-run online health insurance marketplace created under the federal Affordable Care Act, has enrolled more than 256,000 state residents in private health plans or Medicaid since the website launched last fall. CEO Kevin Counihan said at a press conference with the governor Wednesday that the percentage of state residents who lack health coverage dropped from 7.9 percent at the start of the open enrollment period to 4 percent.
Wife of Man Who Filmed NYPD Chokehold Is Arrested 6 Aug 2014 The wife of the man who recorded video of New York Police Department officers performing a fatal chokehold has been arrested on assault charges. Chrissie Ortiz, 30, allegedly struck a woman outside a Staten Island grocery in New York Tuesday after the two got into an argument. She faces a misdemeanor assault charge, the Staten Island Advance reports. Ortiz's arrest comes just days after her husband, 22-year-old Ramsey Orta, was arrested on gun possession charges. While being taken into custody, Orta told arresting officers, "You're just mad because I filmed your boy."
'Help Israel avoid war crimes charges,' Netanyahu urges US lawmakers 7 Aug 2014 Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appealed to American legislators to help Israel stave off what is likely to be a concerted global push to haul the country's military and political leaders to international courts for alleged [actual] war crimes committed in Gaza, The New York Post is reporting on Thursday.
Lest we forget (historical): UN: Palestinian children tortured, used as human shields by Israel 20 June 2013 New UN human rights agency report claims Israeli forces arbitrarily arrest Palestinian children in Gaza and West Bank, subject them to degrading treatment, exploit them to scope out potentially dangerous buildings and use them as shields to deter stone throwers.
Google Play's 'Bomb Gaza' Game Lets You Kill Palestinian Women and Children 4 Aug 2014 As the death toll continues to rise in Gaza on the heels of an expired cease-fire, Android's official app store, Google Play is currently offering a game called "Bomb Gaza," where users are encouraged to drop missiles on the region to destroy "terrorists." Bomb Gaza is just another one of numerous insensitive games available on Android's official app store, including "Gaza Assault" and "Whack the Hamas". Since when has celebrating one of the most tragic conflicts become the perfect theme for a video game? [Update: Responding to public outrage, the 'app' was removed. Too bad the *actual* bombing of Gaza isn't 'removed.' --LRP]
Official: Israel to allow Gaza rebuilding in exchange for disarmament 5 Aug 2014 Israel is willing to agree to the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip in exchange for the disarmament of militant groups there, an official said Tuesday...Ofer Gendelman told Ma'an that the Israeli government linked the rebuilding of Gaza with disarming factions in the coastal enclave.
Senator says CIA trying to hide facts in torture report 5 Aug 2014 Sen. Dianne Feinstein accused the CIA on Tuesday of trying to "eliminate or obscure key facts" from a Senate report on alleged U.S. torture of terrorism suspects before it is released to the public. The Senate Intelligence Committee's report, the culmination of a years-long battle between the California Democrat and the CIA, is expected to be released within the next two weeks. Feinstein said the CIA redactions from the report's executive summary are unacceptable, and that until the snipped sections are restored, she will not allow the report to be made public.
Anti-terrorism laws more frightening than racial abuse, says Muslim group 7 Aug 2014 The Abbott government's proposed changes to anti-terrorism laws are "more destructive" than the shelved amendments to race laws, the Lebanese Muslim Association has argued. Tony Abbott attempted to appeal to Islamic communities on Tuesday by dumping changes to the Racial Discrimination Act in order to preserve "national unity" at a time when the government was seeking to toughen security laws. But the prime minister's gesture failed to satisfy the Lebanese Muslim Association, which said the anti-terrorism amendments seemed to "target the Muslim community" and "give authorities unprecedented and intrusive powers".
US terrorism database doubles in recent years 5 Aug 2014 A U.S. government database of known or suspected terrorists doubled in size in recent years, according to newly released government figures. The growth is the result of intelligence agencies submitting names more often after a near-miss attack false flag in 2009. There were 1.1 million people in the database at the end of 2013, according to the National Counterterrorism Center, which maintains the information. About 550,000 people were listed in the database in March 2010.
Invoking emergency health powers, U.S. to use Pentagon Ebola test overseas 6 Aug 2014 U.S. health regulators on Wednesday authorized the use of an Ebola diagnostic test developed by the Pentagon to help 'contain' the world's worst outbreak of the deadly virus. The diagnostic test was authorized for use abroad on military personnel, aid workers and emergency responders in laboratories designated by the Department of Defense to respond to the Ebola outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The test, called DoD EZ1 Real-time RT-PCR Assay, is designed for use on individuals who have symptoms of Ebola infection, who are at risk for exposure or who may have been exposed. The agency can evoke emergency authorization for a medical product it has not approved when there are no adequate alternatives.
CDC issues highest-level alert for Ebola 6 Aug 2014 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued its highest-level alert for a response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa. "Ops Center moved to Level 1 response to given the extension to Nigeria & potential to affect many lives," CDC chief Tom Frieden said Wednesday on Twitter. Level 1 means that increased staff and resources will be devoted to the outbreak, officials said.
W.H.O. Weighing Emergency Decree on Ebola 06 Aug 2014 Scrambling to catch up with the worst outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, the World Health Organization announced Wednesday that it was considering the declaration of an international public health emergency and would convene a panel of experts in coming days to explore the use of experimental treatments for the incurable disease. The announcements came as fears spread that a Saudi citizen may have brought the Ebola virus home to Saudi Arabia...The organization also announced 108 new Ebola cases recorded from Saturday to Monday, bringing the total to 1,711, with 932 deaths.
Liberia declares state of emergency as Ebola death toll rises to 932 --World Health Organization: 932 people have died from recent Ebola outbreak 6 Aug 2014 Liberia's president declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to combat the ongoing outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, as the country began implementing quarantine checkpoints. The country's president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, said that the scale of the Ebola outbreak represents a threat to Liberia's security. "I...hereby declare a State of Emergency throughout the Republic of Liberia effective as of Aug. 6, 2014, for a period of 90 days," she said via statement.
Bodies dumped in streets as West Africa struggles to curb Ebola 6 Aug 2014 Relatives of Ebola victims in Liberia defied government orders and dumped infected bodies in the streets as West African governments struggled to enforce tough measures to curb an outbreak of the virus that has killed 887 people...In neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia, where the outbreak is now spreading fastest, authorities deployed troops to quarantine the border areas where 70 percent of cases have been detected.
Ontario mayors violated law with secret radioactive waste meetings: probe 7 Aug 2014 Municipal politicians in a region of Ontario that is home to one of the world's largest nuclear power plants violated provincial law by holding secret meetings over the storage of radioactive waste, an outside investigation has found. The probe followed complaints about years of undocumented discussions between the mayors who sit on Bruce County council and nuclear-waste representatives searching for a permanent storage site. An investigator with a company that helps Ontario municipalities with closed-meeting procedure investigations concluded the mayors had breached the Municipal Act, which requires open meetings.
U.S. Homeland Security contractor reports computer breach 7 Aug 2014 A company that performs background checks for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday it was the victim of a cyber attack, adding in a statement that "it has all the markings of a state-sponsored attack." The computer breach at Falls Church, Virginia-based US Investigations Services (USIS) probably involved the theft of personal information about DHS employees, according to the Washington Post, which first reported the story. DHS said it had suspended all work with the company amid an investigation by the FBI.
Earthquake rips through Hawaii as two hurricanes race toward state 7 Aug 2014 As two simultaneous hurricanes raced toward Hawaii, a 4.5-magnitude earthquake rocked the islands Thursday afternoon. The quake, which hit the Waimea region of the Big Island, is considered light, and any damage or injuries were not immediately reported. The tremor comes as the islands are bracing for two back-to-back hurricanes due to hit in the coming days. It's been 22 years since the island chain has weathered a single hurricane -- let alone two.
Number of Conn. Residents Without Health Insurance Drops 50% 6 Aug 2014 The number of people in Connecticut without health insurance has dropped by 50 percent since 2012, according to research findings released Wednesday by the state's health insurance exchange. Access Health CT, the state-run online health insurance marketplace created under the federal Affordable Care Act, has enrolled more than 256,000 state residents in private health plans or Medicaid since the website launched last fall. CEO Kevin Counihan said at a press conference with the governor Wednesday that the percentage of state residents who lack health coverage dropped from 7.9 percent at the start of the open enrollment period to 4 percent.
Wife of Man Who Filmed NYPD Chokehold Is Arrested 6 Aug 2014 The wife of the man who recorded video of New York Police Department officers performing a fatal chokehold has been arrested on assault charges. Chrissie Ortiz, 30, allegedly struck a woman outside a Staten Island grocery in New York Tuesday after the two got into an argument. She faces a misdemeanor assault charge, the Staten Island Advance reports. Ortiz's arrest comes just days after her husband, 22-year-old Ramsey Orta, was arrested on gun possession charges. While being taken into custody, Orta told arresting officers, "You're just mad because I filmed your boy."
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