CLG: British spies can go through Americans' telephone calls and emails without a warrant, reveals legal challenge in the UK --Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) privileged agreement with National Security Agency revealed

News Updates from CLG
2 November 2014

http://www.legitgov.org/
All links are here:http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news

Previous edition: 'US to increase security at federal buildings across America due to 'calls by terrorist organizations for attacks on homeland'.' See: Google Filter Instructions for CLG Newsletter.

British spies can go through Americans' telephone calls and emails without a warrant, reveals legal challenge in the UK --Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) privileged agreement with National Security Agency revealed 29 Oct 2014 British spies can help themselves to data collected by the NSA from the telephone calls and Internet communications of Americans without a warrant, a new court document shows. The agreement between the NSA and its British equivalent, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) means that American citizen's data can be seen and stored by the United States' closest ally without a warrant when that is 'not technically feasible'. Anything discovered in the data, once obtained, can be kept by the British for up to two years and specifically relates to 'unselected' or raw data. But, this deadline can be extended unilaterally by 'senior UK officials' if they believe it to be necessary for national security purposes.

NSA Phone Surveillance Faces Fresh Court Test 31 Oct 2014 The National Security Agency's collection of Americans' phone records will face a fresh test this coming week when a Washington, D.C., appeals-court panel hears arguments over the surveillance program. Tuesday's arguments are just one of three federal appeals-court challenges to the NSA's gathering of millions of Americans' phone records--an issue that could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The cases, which include two separate lawsuits in New York and San Francisco, were prompted by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's revelations last year detailing the scope of U.S. government surveillance.

Wyden calls foul on CIA's redactions of pseudonyms in forthcoming torture report 31 Oct 2014 U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden raised a stink Friday about the CIA's call to black out pseudonyms of agency personnel from its forthcoming - and highly controversial report on the overseas torture of suspected terrorists. The senior senator from Oregon said in a news release that he had no problem with the CIA using pseudonyms of people involved in the brutal interrogation program was "unprecedented and unacceptable." The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, on which Wyden sits, has haggled with the CIA for many months over the release its report on interrogations of suspected terrorists after 9/11. "This report is about mistakes, misdeeds and falsehoods that were repeated over a period of years," Wyden said..."A lot of officials are intent on burying the full story, but getting the truth out is the only way to keep all of this from happening again."

Al-Qaeda Backers Found With U.S. Military Contracts in Afghanistan 30 Jul 2013 Supporters of the Taliban and al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] in Afghanistan have been getting U.S. military contracts, and American officials are citing "due process rights" as a reason not to cancel the agreements, according to an independent agency monitoring spending. The U.S. Army Suspension and Debarment Office has declined to act in 43 such cases, John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, said today in a letter accompanying a quarterly report to Congress...The Obama administration has requested $10.7 billion in such funding for fiscal 2014 to cover projects from improving local government to building roads and schools.

Sweden officially recognizes Palestinian state, Israel recalls ambassador 31 Oct 2014 Sweden has recognized the occupied state of Palestine officially, according to its foreign ministry. The Scandinavian country has become the first West-European EU state to recognize the territories. Israel has recalled its ambassador in Sweden. The news follows an earlier hint by Prime Minister Stefan Lovfen in his Social Democrat manifesto, during his inaugural address in October, that this would happen. The idea was quickly met with criticism from the United States and Israel.

France investigates mystery drone activity over nuclear plants --Drones flew over seven nuclear plants across France, between Oct. 5 and Oct. 20 - EDF 30 Oct 2014 France has launched an investigation into unidentified drones that have been spotted over nuclear plants operated by state-owned utility EDF, its interior minister said on Thursday. "There's a judicial investigation under way, measures are being taken to know what these drones are and neutralize them," Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told France Info radio on Thursday, without specifying the measures. The drone sightings may renew concerns about the safety of nuclear plants in France, the world's most nuclear-reliant country with 58 reactors on 19 sites operated by EDF.

NORAD jets intercept helicopter violating R.I. air space during Obama visit 31 Oct 2014 Jets from NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, intercepted a helicopter in a temporary flight-restricted area over Rhode Island during President Obama’s visit Friday morning, federal officials confirmed. Two F-15 jets flew out of Barnes Air National Guard base in Westfield, Mass., to intercept the helicopter, said Army Maj. Beth Smith, NORAD Northern Command spokesperson.

NYPD scanning the sky for new terrorism threat 29 Oct 2014 For the last year, the country's largest police force has been increasingly concerned about a potential terror attack from the air by a drone armed with a deadly weapon. Now, they are far along in planning a response to that possible security threat, reports CBS News. "We look at it as something that could be a terrorist's tool," New York Police Department Deputy Chief Salvatore DiPace said. For the first time, he is publicly acknowledging why the NYPD is paying close attention to America's fascination with drones and the potential that they could deliver a terrorist attack.

American Who Tried to Join ISIS Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges 30 Oct 2014 A North Carolina man who was featured in a Nightly News story last month about foreign fighters attempting to join the fighting in Syria pleaded guilty on Thursday to terrorism charges. Donald Ray Morgan pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Morgan, 44, was initially held on the gun charge after his arrest at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Aug. 2, shortly after he arrived on a flight from Frankfurt, Germany. The terrorism charge was added Thursday, and he pleaded guilty to both charges.

Woman who traveled to West Africa being monitored for Ebola-like symptoms in Oregon --On Friday, patient's temperature was over 102 degrees, so she was taken in a specially-equipped medical transport vehicle to Providence Milwaukie Hospital 1 Nov 2014 An Oregon woman being monitored for possible Ebola infection has been hospitalized after registering a high temperature, state health officials said on Friday. The woman, who was being monitored after traveling to an Ebola-affected country, has been placed in isolation and is not a danger to the public, the Oregon Health Authority said. Julie Sullivan-Springhetti of the Multnomah County Health Department said the patient traveled from West Africa to the Portland area and had been self-monitoring for symptoms was hospitalized and quarantined after developing a fever, the Oregon Health Authority said.

NYC 'Actively Monitoring' 117 People at Risk for Ebola 30 Oct 2014 The city is actively monitoring nearly 120 people who have recently returned from Ebola-stricken countries out of an abundance of caution as it seeks to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, Mayor de Blasio's administration said Thursday. Marti Adams, first deputy press secretary for the administration, said most of the 117 people being monitored arrived in New York City from Guinea, Sierra Leone or Liberia Oct. 11 or later. Active monitoring means state or local health officials establish regular communication with the individuals, rather than relying on them to self-monitor and report potential symptoms.

Canada bans visas for residents of nations where there has been an outbreak of Ebola --Applications in the pipeline will not be processed 31 Oct 2014 Canada will stop issuing visas to people from the three West African nations where the Ebola is widespread, the government said on Friday. The federal citizenship ministry, explaining the move, said in an official document that 'the introduction or spread of the disease would pose an imminent and severe risk to public health'. Under the new regulations, which come into force immediately, Canada will not process visa applications from foreign nationals who have been in an Ebola-affected country within the previous three months.

Ebola: California is latest state to impose 21-day quarantine for those exposed to Ebola 29 Oct 2014 California on Wednesday became the latest state to order a 21-day quarantine for travelers who have been in close contact with Ebola patients. In an attempt to avoid the criticism lodged against New York, New Jersey and Maine that had blanket quarantine orders, however, California will allow county health agencies to impose the quarantine on a case-by-case basis...Quarantine can range from observation and monitoring to the "limitation on his or her freedom of movement," according to the California Department of Public Health.

U.S. nurses union to stage strikes over Ebola protection 30 Oct 2014 A California-based nurses union said Thursday it was organizing strikes and other protests against what it views as insufficient protection for nurses caring for patients stricken with the deadly Ebola virus. The nurses have demanded better protection when treating Ebola patients for weeks, ever since two nurses in Texas became infected with the virus while treating an Ebola patient who fell ill and died while visiting Dallas...In addition to the walkouts, nurses at other facilities nationwide would engage in protests on Nov. 12, including picketing and staging bake sales to raise money for hazmat suits for nurses, said Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of National Nurses United. [How come Israel doesn't have to hold bake sales when it needs another $500 million toward Iron Dome? Start reading.]

Red Cross 'used Hurricane Sandy and Isaac disasters as photo ops,' sending out empty emergency response vehicles for show while handicapped storm victims slept in wheelchairs --During Sandy relief, emergency vehicles were designated for 'press events' --Shelters left disabled storm victims sleeping in wheelchairs for days on end 29 Oct 2014 After Hurricane Isaac made landfall over areas of Louisiana and Mississippi in 2012, emergency response vehicles emblazoned with the logo of the Red Cross rolled in. According to one former field supervisor, dozens of those vehicles had no destination and no supplies, useless for anything but providing the appearance of disaster relief. A joint investigation by ProPublica and NPR showed that in spite of massive funding, relief efforts from the American Red Cross were disastrous, forcing smaller organizations to step in.

Yale evaluation of Sandy Hook shooter Lanza not given to Newtown schools 23 Oct 2014 Newtown school officials appear to have had an incomplete mental health history of [alleged] Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza before he entered high school, according to a draft of a soon-to-be-released report by the state Office of the Child Advocate. No copies of the draft have been distributed...Lanza, in his early teens, was prescribed the antidepressant Celexa by Yale clinicians. Included in the case files are emails between Peter Lanza and Kathleen Koenig, a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center, "regarding her treatment sessions with the shooter, as well as an evaluation by" Dr. Paul Fox, a former Connecticut psychiatrist who now lives in New Zealand. [Down the rabbit hole with him.] Once when Koenig prescribed a small dose of Celexa to Adam Lanza, Nancy Lanza called Koenig's office to report that Adam Lanza was "unable to raise his arm" and she blamed it on the medication. [Yes, Lanza stopped taking the medication, as it would be difficult to shoot 26 people with an assault rifle if you can't raise your arm.]

Federal civil rights charges unlikely against police officer in Ferguson shooting 31 Oct 2014 Justice Department 'investigators' have all but concluded they do not have a strong enough case to bring civil rights charges against Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., law enforcement officials said. When racial tension boiled over in Ferguson after the Aug. 9 shooting, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. traveled to the St. Louis suburb to meet with city leaders and protest organizers in an effort to bring calm. He assured them that the federal government would open a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. But that investigation now seems unlikely to result in any charges.

In advance of grand jury decision, schools remind parents of emergency procedures 24 Oct 2014 The Ferguson-Florissant and Clayton school districts sent letters to parents this week with reminders of emergency procedures should classes be canceled, delayed or dismissed early. Schools typically send reminders before winter begins of inclement weather procedures. But the districts want parents to be especially cognizant this year as the public awaits a decision from the St. Louis County grand jury on whether to charge Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.

Test flight of Virgin Galactic spaceship ends in fatal crash in California 1 Nov 2014 A passenger spaceship being developed by Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic company crashed during a test flight on Friday near the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other, officials said. The crash of the suborbital vehicle, undergoing its first powered test flight since January over the Mojave Desert, 95 miles (150 km) north of Los Angeles, came days after another private space company, Orbital Sciences Corp, lost a rocket in an explosion moments after liftoff in Virginia.

4 dead, 5 hurt after plane crashes into building at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita 30 Oct 2014 At least four people, including the pilot, have been killed and others are hurt after a plane hit a building at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro says a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 200 reported losing engine power just after takeoff around 9:50 a.m. Thursday. Molinaro says the plane crashed into a building on airport property while attempting to return to the runway. The plane hit the north building of FlightSafety International Cessna pilot's center, located at 1851 Airport Road.

Hole in ozone layer above Antarctica reaches size of North America 1 Nov 2014 The hole in the ozone layer reached the size of North America last month, Nasa has revealed, although it is believed to be "healing" [?!?] after treaties to reduce the damage. Along with the space agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) keeps a constant watch on the hole above the Antarctic, which reached its annual peak on 11 September. The size of this year's hole at its largest point was 9.3 million square miles (24.1 million square kilometres) - almost identical to the maximum in 2013.

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