CLG: House committee passes bill that cuts Amtrak funding after crash,

News Updates from CLG
13 May 2015

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Previous edition: Transformer explosion causes fire at nuclear power plant only 35 miles from New York City

Obama administration approves Shell drilling in the Polar Bear Seas | 11 May 2015 | The Obama administration gave conditional approval on Monday to allow [eco-terrorists] Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc. to start drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic Ocean this summer. The approval is a major victory for Shell and the rest of the petroleum industry, which has sought for years to drill in the remote waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas [aka the Polar Bear Seas], which are believed to hold vast reserves of oil and gas. The Interior Department decision is a devastating blow to environmentalists, who have pressed the Obama administration to reject proposals for offshore Arctic drilling. Environmentalists say that a drilling accident in the icy and treacherous Arctic waters could have far more devastating consequences than the deadly Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010, when an oil rig explosion killed 11 men and sent millions of barrels of oil spewing into the water.

Critics Worry Obama's Arctic Drilling Plan Could Spell Disaster | 12 May 2015 | The Obama administration’s conditional approval for Shell to resume drilling for oil in the Arctic Ocean is a major victory for the Anglo-Dutch oil giant and a crushing defeat for environmentalists. For years, Shell has eyed the icy waters of the Chukchi Sea, a remote area off the coast of Alaska considered by both environmental groups and industry officials to be one of the most dangerous places in the world to drill for oil. The closest Coast Guard station with equipment for responding to an oil spill is over 1,000 miles away, making it difficult for rescue and cleanup crews to reach the area in the event of an accident. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the agency that approved Shell's plan for drilling in the Chukchi Sea, admitted in a February report that there was a "75% chance of one or more large spills" occurring in the area over the next 77 years.

Shell: Company will bring drill rigs to Seattle terminal | 12 May 2015 | Despite a port commission request that Royal Dutch Shell delay any moorage of oil exploration vessels in Seattle pending further legal review, a Shell spokesman says his company will bring its rigs to a terminal as planned to prepare for anticipated exploratory drilling in Arctic waters. On Tuesday evening, a small group of activists in kayaks met one of two drill rigs Shell is planning to use as it arrived in Everett on its way to Seattle.

Drilling begins 3 miles from epicenter of BP oil spill | 13 May 2015 | Just 3 miles from the catastrophic BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a Louisiana company is seeking to unlock the same oil and natural gas that turned into a deadly disaster. Drilling has begun in the closest work yet to the Macondo well, which blew wild on April 20, 2010, killing 11 people and fouling the Gulf with as much as 172 million gallons of crude in the nation's worst oil spill. Federal regulators gave their blessing last month to LLOG Exploration Offshore LLC. to drill the first new well in the same footprint where BP was digging before.

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes off Japan's coast, centered about 200 miles northwest of Fukushima nuclear plant | 12 May 2015 | An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 has struck off the coast of Japan, not far from where a 2011 earthquake and tsunami claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people. The quake was reported at 1:12 p.m. Pacific time, 6:12 a.m. at the epicenter. The earthquake was centered about 200 miles northwest of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station that was hit by a 8.9 magnitude quake which [suffered meltdowns].

Nuclear fallout renders Fukushima, nearby towns uninhabitable for next few decades | 11 May 2015 | Clearing up the fallout from the Daiichi Nuclear Plant is no small task; it involves removing all traces of radiation from the entire Fukushima prefecture. That radiation remains in the dust particles in the air, and has settled on trees and in the dirt...Refugees living in temporary housing do not expect to return to their homes. Scientists and radiation specialists do not expect the land to be free from danger any time soon.

Ohio's Davis-Besse nuclear plant shuts down due to steam leak | 10 May 2015 | A nuclear power plant has been shut down after a steam leak was found in a 'non-radioactive' portion of the plant in northwest Ohio. Plant operator FirstEnergy Corp. shut down its Davis-Besse nuclear power plant near Toledo on Saturday night after the leak was discovered around 7 p.m. Saturday in a 'part of the plant that doesn't involve the nuclear reactor.'

Part of Indian Point nuclear plant still shut after transformer fire | 10 May 2015 | Part of a nuclear power plant remained offline Sunday after a transformer fire created another problem: thousands of gallons of oil leaking into the Hudson River. At an afternoon briefing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said emergency crews were out on the water near Buchanan trying to contain and clean up the transformer fluid that leaked from Indian Point 3. "There's no doubt that oil was discharged into the Hudson River," Cuomo said. "Exactly how much, we don't know."

The Pentagon pig snout is in *every area on God's green earth:* Pentagon mulls sending planes, ships near disputed South China Sea islands | 12 May 2015 | The Pentagon is considering sending U.S. military aircraft and ships to assert freedom of navigation [?!?] around growing Chinese-made artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, a U.S. official said on Tuesday. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter requested options that include sending U.S. military ships and aircraft within 12 nautical miles of reefs that China has been building up in the disputed Spratly Islands, the official said.

Isis claims responsibility for major Iraq prison break leaving 62 inmates and police killed | 10 May 2015 | The Isis [I-CIA-SIS] militant group has claimed to have broken dozens of criminals out of an Iraqi jail in a violent prison raid that left more than 60 people dead. Iraqi officials said 12 police officers died and 50 inmates attempting to escape were slaughtered, amid conflicting reports of what started the prison break. A riot erupted, following which dozens of prisoners escaped from the Al-Khalis facility about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, security and police officials have said.

The Killing of Osama bin Laden By Seymour M. Hersh | Vol. 37 No. 10 - 21 May 2015 | It's been four years since a group of US Navy Seals assassinated Osama bin Laden in a night raid on a high-walled compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The killing was the high point of Obama’s first term, and a major factor in his re-election. The White House still maintains that the mission was an all-American affair, and that the senior generals of Pakistan’s army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) were not told of the raid in advance. This is false, as are many other elements of the Obama administration's account...The most blatant lie was that Pakistan's two most senior military leaders -- General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of the army staff, and General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director general of the ISI -- were never informed of the US mission. [See also: News of Bin Laden's Death and Funeral - December 2001 --Posted by Lori Price. Translation of Funeral Article in Egyptian Paper: al-Wafd, Wednesday, December 26, 2001 Vol 15 No 4633.]

Nepal hit by 7.4-magnitude earthquake near Mount Everest | 12 May 2015 | Nepal has been hit by another strong earthquake, sending people in the capital Kathmandu rushing out on to the streets just weeks after a devastating quake killed more than 8,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes. The US Geological Survey initially said the quake had a magnitude of 7.1 and struck 42 miles (68km) west of the town of Namche Bazaar, close to Mount Everest. The quake was upgraded to a magnitude of 7.4 minutes later.

Hidden Cact-Eye: Paradise Valley Installs Cameras in Cactus | 07 May 2015 | (AZ) The City of Paradise Valley has added cactus with cameras in them over the past few days, but residents have no idea why, and the city doesn't want to talk about them. About two dozen fake cactus already serve as cover for cell towers, but some people were alarmed to see cameras being place in cactus around town. If you look close enough at the cactus as you drive through Paradise Valley, you might see some "cact-eyes" looking back. FOX 10 asked Paradise Valley Police about the cameras, but they said they were not prepared to make a statement at this time.

House committee passes bill that cuts Amtrak funding after crash | 13 May 2015 | A House panel approved a measure Wednesday that cuts funding for Amtrak, less than a day after a train derailment left at least six people dead and many more injured. The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee voted 30-21 on party lines to advance the bill after rejecting a Democratic amendment that would have increased funding for the passenger railroad by 1 billion to 2.4 billion. The derailment late Tuesday in Philadelphia is renewing focus on how the U.S. funds and maintains infrastructure. [Right, there's no funding for infrastructure, but there's billions for the US to sponsor endless terrorism in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Israel. --LRP]

Derailed Amtrak train lacked latest U.S. safety controls | 13 May 2015 | The commuter rail route where an Amtrak train left the track on Tuesday was not governed by an advanced safety technology meant to prevent high-speed derailments, investigators said on Wednesday. A system called "positive train control" (PTC) automatically slows or even halts trains that are moving too fast or heading into a danger zone. Under current law, the rail industry must adopt the technology by the end of this year. The investigation into the cause of Tuesday's crash, in which seven people were killed, has only just begun but initial examination of the train's data recorders determined the train was traveling 106 miles per hour (171 km per hour) in a 50-mph (80-kph) zone.

7 Dead in Derailment of Amtrak Train From D.C. to NYC | 13 May 2015 | Seven people are dead in an Amtrak train derailment that injured dozens and plunged screaming passengers into darkness and chaos Tuesday night. Preliminary data shows that Amtrak Train 188 was traveling more than 100 mph before it derailed Tuesday night, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed. The train, a Northeast Regional, was en route from Washington to New York with 238 passengers and five crew members aboard when it derailed as it was rounding a sharp curve in the city's Port Richmond section shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

New York City-to-Boston bus catches fire; windows blown out | 11 May 2015 | A bus from New York City has caught fire in the outskirts of Boston, snarling traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Television video showed flames and smoke spewing from the red-and-white Bolt bus parked at the roadside during the Monday evening rush hour and windows being blown out in an explosion.

Serial killer probe unnerves Connecticut suburb dwellers | 12 May 2015 | The discovery that a serial killer used the woods behind a shopping center as a dumping ground for at least seven victims has sent a chill through nearby residents, despite assurances from police that the person responsible is no longer a threat to the public. The victims -- four discovered last month, in addition to three partial skeletons found in 2007 -- were believed to have been killed a decade or more ago. They were buried in a 15-acre patch of land ringed by stores, other commercial buildings and a quiet neighborhood of green lawns and ranch-style homes.

Scientists warn against mobile phone radiation | 12 May 2015 | Scientists are warning against the constant use of mobile phones, lap tops, tablets and other wireless devices. They claim too much electromagnetic radiation is being emitted from them which could be a reason for rising cancer rates and an increase in autism and obesity. Nearly 200 experts are calling on the UN to provide guidelines as they say the radiation is damaging DNA in our cells. The scientists, from 39 different countries, are from a group called the International EMF Scientist Appeal.

Leading doctor says mobile phone radiation a hotline to brain cancer | 10 May 2015 | Radiation from mobile phones and towers is contributing to a rise in brain cancer in Australia, according to a leading physician. Dr John Tickell, who has fought his own brain cancer battle, believes that radiation is a significant contributing factor to the increasing rate of malignant brain tumours. "There is a million times more radiation today than there was 50 years ago," he said. "The World Health Organisation has upgraded cell phone radiation to B2 category, which means possibly carcinogenic. The telco-funded studies say they're safe but the FCC (US Federal Communications Commission) has not done any tests on radiation from phones in 20 years."

Judge to consider whether to dismiss case over Ohio couple's elderly rescued black bear | 05 May 2015 | A judge will hear arguments about whether to dismiss a civil case filed by a northeast Ohio couple who want to keep their toothless, [rescued] 41-year-old black bear despite not getting a required permit from the state. Jeffrey and Debra Gillium of Lodi have argued their caged male bear, named Archie, is old and unlikely to escape. They say they weren't adequately notified about the permit law and that moving or tranquilizing him would threaten his life. [Be sure to sign petition to help save Archie!]

Democrats Plot Revolt Behind Closed Door, Sink 'Trade' Bill | 12 May 2015 | Signs of trouble for President Barack Obama's trade [sic] bill surfaced early Tuesday when 14 Democrats huddled behind closed doors in a room one floor below the Senate chamber. Republicans needed just six Senate Democrats to prevail and were counting on several in the room who had voted for the bill in committee...Hours later, the Democratic rebellion had denied Republicans [and their confrere, Obama] the 60 votes needed to advance the trade bill. It failed 52-45.

Senate deals stinging defeat to Obama 'trade' agenda | 12 May 2015 | Senate Democrats on Tuesday delivered a stinging blow to [corporatist fraud and Grade 'A' sociopath] President Obama's trade corporate takeover agenda by voting to prevent the chamber from picking up fast-track legislation. A motion to cut off a filibuster and proceed to the trade bill fell short of a 60-vote hurdle, 52-45. Sen. Tom Carper (Del.) was the only Democrat to back it. Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) switched his vote from yes to no to reserve his ability to return to the measure at a later date.

Elizabeth Warren fires back at Obama...again | 11 May 2015 | Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) hit back at President Barack Obama (C-Corporatist Fraud) in a Washington Post interview published on Monday, saying she is justified in her criticism of trade negotiations that she believes could undermine the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. Obama over the weekend again asserted that Warren is "absolutely wrong" in arguing that fast-track authority for trade deals could be a boon for Wall Street. Warren again accused Obama of not being forthcoming about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact that his administration is negotiating with 11 other countries. "If the president is so confident it's a good deal, he should declassify the text and let people see it before asking Congress to tie its hands on fixing it," she said.

Insane in the membrane: Marco Rubio Pushes Extension of NSA Phone Metadata Program | 11 May 2015 | Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio continued his tough talk on national security on Sunday, saying the risk of a terrorist attack in the United States is at a post-9/11 high. Arguing for an extension of the National Security Agency's phone metadata program in light of threats like those from the Islamic State, the Florida senator wrote in a USA Today op-ed..."There is not a single documented case of abuse of this program."

Jeb Bush: I would have authorized Iraq War | 11 May 2015 | Jeb Bush said he would have done the same as his brother in deciding to go to war in Iraq if he had been president at the time. His comments, in an interview with Fox News set to air on Monday night, come in the wake of Bush's private statement that he relies on his brother, former President [sic] George W. Bush, as an adviser on some Middle East affairs. "I would have [authorized the invasion], and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody. And so would almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got," Bush said in the interview.

Big appetite: Christie buys $300K of food and alcohol with NJ expense account | 11 May 2015 | Chris Christie's expense account tells a story of appetite and ambition, one that pits government waste versus the New Jersey governor's waistline. Christie spent 360,000 from his state allowance during his five years in office. More than 80 percent of that m-ney, or 300,000, was used to buy food, alcohol and desserts, according to a New Jersey Watchdog analysis of records released by the governor's office...Christie's most notable spending spree occurred during the 2010 and 2011 NFL football seasons at MetLife Stadium, where the New York's Giants and Jets play their home games. On 58 occasions, Christie used a debit card to pay a total of 82,594 to Delaware North Sportservice, which operates the concessions at MetLife.

George Zimmerman Injured in Shooting Incident in Florida: Police | 11 May 2015 | George Zimmerman was injured in a shooting on Monday in Florida, police said. The shooting in Lake Mary involved Zimmerman and a man identified as Matthew Apperson, police spokeswoman Bianca Gillett said. Zimmerman did not fire any shots, according to police. Neither man has been arrested, and investigators are working to determine whether charges will be brought, Gillett said.

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