Wednesday, December 2, 2015

CLG: Ban on Tuna Labeled Dolphin-Safe Shows How TPP Will Crush Consumer Rights, Global climate march 2015: hundreds of thousands march around the world, Aging U.S. Nuclear Plants Pushing Limits of Life Expectancy



News Updates from CLG
01 December 2015
Previous edition: Breaking: Police hunt two possible shooters near Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs
US Special Operations Forces Expanding in Iraq to 'Battle ISIS' | 01 Dec 2015 | Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress today that the U.S. would establish a special operations "targeting force" in Iraq as part of the intensified military effort to 'fight' ISIS [I-CIA-SIS]. The special operations force would conduct raids, could free hostages held by ISIS, gather intelligence and capture ISIS leaders in both Iraq and Syria. Some U.S. Special Operations forces currently operate inside Iraq in an advise-and-assist role with Iraqi and Kurdish forces, but have not engaged in unilateral raids, U.S. officials said.
Ash Carter sending 'specialized expeditionary targeting force' to Iraq --Force is in addition to the 'less than 50' Special Operations forces Obama authorized in October | 01 Dec 2015 | Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced Tuesday that the U.S. military will send "a specialized expeditionary targeting force" aimed at conducting more raids in Iraq. A U.S. official tells CNN that decision means that there will be additional U.S. Special Operation forces on the ground in Iraq to 'fight' ISIS [I-CIA-SIS]. Carter made the remarks testifying before the House Armed Services Committee.
US senators urge 20,000 troops for Syria, Iraq | 29 Nov 2015 | Two senior US senators have called for Washington to nearly triple military force levels in Iraq to 10,000 and send an equal number of troops to Syria as part of a multinational ground force to counter explode Islamic State in both countries. Republicans John McCain and Lindsey Graham, during a visit to Baghdad, criticised President Barack Obama's incremental Islamic State strategy, which relies on air strikes and modest support to local ground forces in Iraq and Syria. They said the need for greater US involvement was underlined by this month's Paris attacks.
Putin, citing national security, signs Turkey sanctions decree | 28 Nov 2015 | President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing a raft of punitive economic sanctions against Turkey on Saturday, underlining the depth of the Kremlin's anger toward Ankara four days after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane. The decree, which entered into force immediately, said charter flights from Russia to Turkey would be banned, that tour firms would be told not to sell any holidays there, and that unspecified Turkish imports would be outlawed, and Turkish firms and nationals have their economic activities halted or curbed. [Awesome!]
Turkey boosts arms supplies to Syria terrorists in exchange for oil and antiques - Damascus | 29 Nov 2015 | Turkey has increased weapons, ammunition and equipment shipments into Syria, according to Damascus, in exchange for oil and antiquities looted by Islamic State terrorists. Meanwhile, Moscow condemned Ankara for supporting "armed thugs" operating in Syria. The new weapons shipments, allegedly paid for with smuggled oil and artifacts, are being delivered disguised as humanitarian aid, and easily pass through Turkish border controls, Syrian officials claimed.
Fukushima radioactive groundwater protection wall 'slightly leaning' | 27 Nov 2015 | Completed only last month and designed to prevent contaminated radioactive groundwater from seeping into the sea, a 780-meter protective wall built alongside the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power station is already "slightly leaning," plant operator TEPCO has announced. Tokyo Electric Power Company inspection discovered that pressure from the flow of groundwater has tilted the wall some 20cm towards the sea, Japan's largest broadcasting organization NHK World reported. TEPCO, however, remains optimistic and has said that the slight lean does not affect the wall's ability to block radioactive water. [I wouldn't believe anything TEPCO said if its tongue came notarized.]
Tepco settles suit over suicide of Fukushima dairy farmer | 01 Dec 2015 | Tokyo Electric Power Co. has agreed to make a payment to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a dairy farmer who committed suicide after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, the family's lawyers said. The settlement was reached Tuesday in the Tokyo District Court. The exact sum was not disclosed, though the family had been seeking around 128 million yen in damages. Tepco, operator of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, agreed to give money to the family of Shigekiyo Kanno, who died at age 54, but rejected the family's request for an apology in the settlement document.
Aging U.S. Nuclear Plants Pushing Limits of Life Expectancy | 29 Nov 2015 | The U.S. is set to become the first nation to decide whether it's safe to operate nuclear power plants for 80 years, twice as long as initially allowed. The majority of the nation's 99 reactors have already received 20-year extensions to their original 40-year operating licenses. Now, operators led by [eco-terrorists] Dominion Resources Inc., want to expand the time frame further...Dominion said earlier this month it will request an extension from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees the industry.
Bulgarian airport evacuated after bomb scare involving van with Belgian number plates --Parts of Sofia-Vrazhdebna Airport in the Bulgarian capital evacuated | 01 Dec 2015 | Parts of Bulgaria's main airport has been evacuated after a bomb scare involving a van with Belgian number plates parked outside one of the terminals. Police have retracted an earlier statement saying they had found a bomb in the van, and are reported to have carried out a controlled explosion at the scene. The van had been parked outside Sofia international airport overnight, with the driver, a 'non-Bulgarian national', abandoning the vehicle.
Paris-style attack could 'easily' happen here, says UK defence secretary [Yeah, especially when you 'make it so.'] | 29 Nov 2015 | Paris-style attacks could "easily" happen in UK cities such as London, Manchester or Glasgow, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has warned. Mr Fallon stepped up efforts to win MPs' backing for air strikes against Islamic State (IS) [I-CIA-SIS] fighters in Syria..."What happened in Paris and Brussels could easily happen in London," hesaid. "The threat to the UK is extremely high. An attack is highly likely so we have to respond."
Coming to a Community College Near You: Armed Security | 01 Dec 2015 | In the wake of mass shootings [aka mass employment for crisis actors] across the country, security staff at Connecticut's community colleges are expected to get approval Thursday to carry weapons on campus. "Those situations are giving increased currency for this change," Michael Kozlowski, a spokesman for the Connecticut Board of Regents, said, referring to recent shootings, including a mass shooting at a community college in Oregon. "This is part of a larger strategy of security." The regents, the governing board for the state's community colleges and four regional universities, are set to vote Thursday on a policy that would allow those certified through the Police Officers Standards Training to carry a gun during their shift.
Massive NSA Phone Data Collection to Cease | 27 Nov 2015 | The federal government's collection of bulk data from the telephone calls of virtually every American will stop at midnight Saturday, ending a raging controversy that began with disclosures about the secret program by Edward Snowden. Beginning Sunday, if the government wants to check on a specific phone number in a potential terrorism case, a request must be made to the relevant telephone company [!] for a check of its own data. The government will no longer retain the information...For now, the National Security Agency, which ran the massive government data collection program, will retain access to the data it collected before the program was ended.
COP21: Security crackdown in Paris sees climate change protesters under house arrest --24 people placed under house arrest | 29 Nov 2015 | French climate change activists have been placed under house arrest ahead of the opening of the UN climate change conference in Paris.Public demonstrations are banned in France under the state of emergency that was declared after the Paris terrorist attacks two week ago, in which 130 people were killed. "These 24 people have been placed under house arrest because they have been violent during demonstrations in the past [?!?] and because they have said they would not respect the state of emergency," he said...They must remain in their home towns, report to the local police three times a day and abide by a nightly curfew until December 12, when the climate change conference winds up.
Over 200 detained, tear gas and scuffles at banned Global Climate March in Paris | 29 Nov 2015 | Crowds gathered in the French capital on Sunday to attend a global march for the climate, despite the ban on gatherings enforced by French authorities. When one of the groups charged a police cordon, tear gas was deployed to push them back. "Huge amounts" of tear gas were fired at protesters near Place de la Republique in central Paris, according to witnesses' reports on Twitter, with objects flying in the direction of security forces. The march, which was set to take place in dozens of cities around the world, was restricted in the French capital falling under the ban on gatherings introduced after the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris.
Global climate march 2015: hundreds of thousands march around the world (updates) | 29 Nov 2015 | As the last of the day's climate marches get underway in the western reaches of North America, we will wrap up our live coverage of what has been a record-breaking day in global activism ahead of the COP21 talks in Paris tomorrow. More than 600,000 people have taken to the streets in 175 countries around the world to call for a strong deal in Paris that will see a swift transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Melbourne and London led the way, with 60,000 people and 50,000 people, respectively, joining marches.
Chicago police superintendent fired by mayor amid outcry over video of shooting | 01 Dec 2015 | The head of the Chicago Police Department was fired Tuesday amid widespread criticism over how authorities responded to the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white police officer last year. Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D-Wall Street) said he formally asked Garry F. McCarthy, the Chicago police superintendent, for his resignation on Tuesday morning, a week after video footage of the shooting was released and the officer was charged with murder. Anger has erupted in Chicago since authorities released footage of Jason Van Dyke, a city police officer, shooting Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old, last year.
Chicago threat suspect allegedly sought to avenge Laquan McDonald's death | 30 Nov 2015 | A 21-year-old man was arrested Monday, accused of threatening to kill students and staff at the University of Chicago in an apparent attempt to avenge the death of Laquan McDonald, authorities said. Jabari Dean, 21 was arrested without incident. According to a criminal complaint, Dean posted a threat on social media over the Thanksgiving weekend.
University of Chicago cancels Monday classes after threat | 29 Nov 2015 | The University of Chicago is cancelling all classes and activities on its main campus Monday following an online threat of gun violence. The university says in a statement Sunday night that a threat from an unknown person was passed on to the university by the FBI. The threat mentioned the campus quad, a popular gathering place, and a time of Monday morning at 10 a.m., the statement says.
'We saw the police before we heard gunshots, definitely' - Colorado Springs shooting witness --Sandy Hook just mentioned by Kristen Welker, MSNBC White House correspondent [?!?] --Gunman allegedly in possession of an AK47 --SWAT teams inside business - witness Brigette Wolfe --FBI asked to 'respond to scene' --More shots fired after initial attack as 'gunfire heard'By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org | 27 Nov 2015 | On MSNBC Friday afternoon, as events unfolded regarding the active shooter situation at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, Colorado, eyewitness Caren Kesterson reported from the scene. Taking shelter in a Supercuts on Centennial Avenue, Kesterson explained, repeating herself in a live interview with MSNBC's Milissa Rehberger, that the police were 'definitely' on scene, before gunshots could be heard. (Guess we won't be hearing from that witness again.) Also, Rehberger noted that the ambulances had be 'waiting for hours' before they moved.
12 injured in Planned Parenthood shooting | 28 Nov 2015 | Police are releasing a few new details about the shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs. Police say all nine people, including five police officers, who were taken to hospitals on Friday were shot but there were also three officers who were injured in other ways. All are in good condition and expected to recover.
Ban on Tuna Labeled Dolphin-Safe Shows How TPP Will Crush Consumer Rights | 24 Nov 2015 | In the last 25 years, dolphin-safe labeling of tuna managed to reduce unnecessary annual deaths of the mammals from over 100,000 to only 3,000--an astounding 97% reduction--but the World Trade Organization just effectively nullified this critical program. In order to placate Mexico as a member nation of the upcoming (and seemingly inevitable) Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the WTO deemed dolphin-safe labeling a "technical barrier to trade"--even though that environmentally-conscious label is voluntary and applies equally to domestic and foreign companies...This ruling by the WTO is the fourth and final against U.S. attempts to continue dolphin-safe labeling, despite modifications and improvements that sought to rectify any difficulty experienced by the Mexican tuna fishing industry.
Expect huge influx of foreign workers, professionals under TPP, experts say --Many regulated professions, including trades, written into [horrific] deal's fine print | 29 Nov 2015 | The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement has significant implications for the movement of workers to and from Canada, with experts predicting it will open the Canadian labour market to a new wave of foreign workers. "I think it's very facilitative [of workers coming here] for better or for worse," said Ryan Rosenberg, a Vancouver immigration lawyer...Rosenberg said he was surprised by the number of skilled occupations included in the agreement that won't require employers to perform labour market assessments to prove no Canadians are eligible for the jobs. "It's incredible how many skilled trades that are typically unionized positions are opened up to work permits [without labour market assessments]," he said.
What to Know About 'BernieCare,' Sanders's Health Overhaul | 28 Nov 2015 | The most ambitious "repeal and replace" health care plan from a presidential candidate comes from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), not from a Republican. It's called the "single-payer" plan, loosely modeled on how health care is financed in Canada and most of Western Europe. Sanders would incorporate Medicare and Medicaid programs into the new system, promising that patients would have no gaps in coverage...Health insurers and pharmaceutical companies, powerful lobbying groups now at odds over high drug prices, would unite to oppose Sanders's plan.
Employees pay 130% more for health care than a decade ago | 28 Nov 2015 | Employees of midsize and large companies in 2015 paid an average of $4,700 for their health insurance, up from 2,001 in 2005, according to recent analysis from Aon Hewitt. Because they are looking for solutions to high costs, companies are changing the design of their benefit programs, Aon Hewitt Senior Vice President Mike Morrow said, moving toward leaner plans. In fact, 38% of employers have increased their participants’ deductibles and/or copays in the last year, and another 46% may do so in the future, the report from Aon said.
Aussie fishermen save wombat from drowning | 30 Nov 2015 | Two Aussie fishermen on a day out became the surprise heroes for one lost wombat. Craig Wilson and his stepfather Bob Wilton were fishing in the central highlands of Tasmania last Friday afternoon, when they came across a wombat struggling to swim on the waters of Woods Lake, roughly 115 kilometres (71 miles) south of Launceston.
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