RSN: Obama Administration Approves Shell's Plan to Drill in the Arctic, Israel to Force Bedouin Village to Pay for Its Own Demolition, The Bin Laden Raid: The Truth Is Out There

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Charles Pierce | The Bin Laden Raid: The Truth Is Out There

Charles Pierce, Esquire
Pierce writes: "The ongoing, unquiet death of Osama bin Laden apparently is going to be the only thing we are entirely sure about regarding the circumstances of the raid on the compound in Abbottabad in 2011."
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Powerful New Earthquake Hits Devastated Nepal
Al Jazeera
Excerpt: "A deadly magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck Nepal, two weeks after a devastating quake killed more than 8,000 people in the Himalayan nation, the USGS has reported."
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The Vindication of Edward Snowden
Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic
Friedersdorf writes: "A panel of judges on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that the program Snowden exposed was never legal."
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Report: Statistics Show That Baltimore Police Seem to Ignore Injuries
Eyder Peralta, NPR
Peralta writes: "According to a report published by the paper this weekend, from June 2012 through April 2015, the Baltimore City Detention Center refused 2,600 detainees brought in by police because they were injured."
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Texas Bill Would Bar Local Officials From Issuing Same-Sex-Marriage Licenses
Sandhya Somashekhar, The Washington Post
Somashekhar writes: "Texas Republicans are pushing legislation to bar local officials from granting same-sex couples licenses to marry, launching a preemptive strike against a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling next month that could declare gay marriage legal."
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Israel to Force Bedouin Village to Pay for Its Own Demolition
teleSUR
Excerpt: "Israel has taken the Bedouin village of al-Araqib to court to force the desert settlement to pay US$500,000 in demolition costs, despite having been razed to the ground 83 times since 2010."
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Obama Administration Approves Shell's Plan to Drill in the Arctic
Cole Mellino, EcoWatch
Mellino writes: "In a review of the company's performance in the Arctic, Interior [Department] concluded that Shell had failed in a wide range of basic operational tasks, reports The New York Times. But now, Interior has decided to give shell new permits for 2015."
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CounterCurrents: India's Koodankulam Nuclear Reactor Trips Again

Dear Friend,

If you think the content of this news letter is critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/subscribe.htm. You can also follow us on twitter, http://twitter.com/countercurrents and on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/countercurrents

In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org

India's Koodankulam Nuclear Reactor Trips Again
By VT Padmanabhan & Dr Joseph Makolil

http://www.countercurrents.org/vtp100515.htm

After working hard for 111 days since 18 Jan 2015, the Koodankulam reactor one, commissioned on 31 Dec 2014 went for a second 'trip' at 6.30 in the evening on 09 May 2015. Tripping of a nuclear power plant is an unusual event, a bad word which all the operators avoid to use. Worldwide, the modern reactors undergo one trip in about two years. Since its grid connection in October 2013, KK-1 had undergone 16 trips. Fourteen of those trips happened during the commissioning drill. The first trip after the commercial commissioning happened on 14th Jan 15 and it was reconnected on 18th Jan. This is the second trip during the first four months of operation


Latifah Anum Siregar Wins 2015 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
The May 18 Memorial Foundation

http://www.countercurrents.org/mmf100515.htm

The 2015 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee has chosen Latifah Anum Siregar, a human-rights lawyer, as the recipient of the prize, for her peace movement in the conflict region of West Papua. The Committee also selected Sombath Somphone, the founder of Participatory Development Training Center, as the recipient of the 2015 Gwangju Prize fo Human Rights’ special prize


U.S. & Europe Boycott Russia's Celebration Of Its 9 May 1945 Victory Over Hitler
By Eric Zuesse

http://www.countercurrents.org/zuesse100515.htm

On 2 January 2015, the progressive Zeman — a passionate opponent of Hitler and of his Nazis and their nazism — courageously stated his intention to go to Moscow for its upcoming May 9th victory-over-Nazism celebration; but, on 8 April 2015, the Czech deputy prime minister, who leads a conservative party, caved to pressure from the U.S. Ambassador, and said that Zeman would have to do it at his own personal expense if at all; and, so, two days later, on April 10th, Zeman said that he wouldn't attend — the pressure from the U.S. was just too great


Shadows Of Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony And The Defeat Of
Nazi German Armies At The Gates Of Leningrad In WW II
By Gaither Stewart

http://www.countercurrents.org/stewart100515.htm

Even though as a rule I prefer piano or violin concertos, Chopin or Tchaikovsky, or Bruch or Beethoven, nowadays I have become fanatic about the artist Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich’s magnificent Seventh Symphony, the Leningrad, dedicated to that great city on the River Neva at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea


Urban Slums: A Death Trap For Poor Children
By Valentina Ieri

http://www.countercurrents.org/ieri100515.htm

It’s called the urban survival gap – fuelled by the growing inequality between rich and poor in both developing and developed countries – and it literally determines whether millions of infants will live or die before their fifth birthday. Save the Children’s annual report on the State of the World’s Mothers 2015 ranks 179 countries and concludes that that “for babies born in the big city, it’s the survival of the richest.”


Salman Khan Thamasha: Poor People Are In His Way
By Dr. Subramani Mani

http://www.countercurrents.org/mani100515.htm

Bollywood wants the poor people to spend their hard earned money and watch their movies and dance to the tune of their songs but the stars don’t want the people in their way when they drive their Mercedes Benzes, BMWs, Lexus SUVs or Rolls Royces on the road, pavement, park, shops or even into your homes if you are lucky to have one


Indian Media's Embarrassment In Nepal
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

http://www.countercurrents.org/rawat100515.htm

The self- respecting people of Nepal need to be congratulated for compelling the jingoist brahmanical Indian media to ponder over its follies and idiocies in reporting the painful stories of earthquake from Nepal


Oppose The Re-Launch Of Salwa Judum In Chhattisgarh
By Coordinators of CDRO

http://www.countercurrents.org/cdro100515.htm

CDRO (Coordination of Democratic Rights Organizations) expresses deep concern over recent reports regarding the re-launching of the notorious state-sponsored anti-Maoist militia, the Salwa Judum, from 25th May 2015


Chittoor Encounter Killings: Fact Finding Report
By People’s Watch

http://www.countercurrents.org/Chittoor%20Encounter%20-%20Fact%20Finding%20Report%20(English)%20-%20Public%20Release.pdf

A team of human rights activists from People’s Watch (comprising of Ms. Palaniammal, Adv, Aseervatham and Mr. Senthil Raja accompanied by members of the Citizens for Human Rights Movement (CHRM) from Vellore, Thiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri and Namakkal Districts) immediately set out on 7th April itself, to conduct a preliminary fact finding into the incident. The Governments and concerned officials of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were duly intimated about the same. During the fact finding mission, the People’s Watch team visited the scene of the alleged encounter, the concerned police stations, hospitals and post-mortem centres as well as the villages that the deceased victims belonged to and met with the family members of the victims. The findings of the fact finding team completely challenges the State’s claim of the alleged cutting down of red sanders tree and attack on policemen and foresters of the anti-smuggling task force

CounterCurrents: World's Richest 80 People Own Same Amount As World's Bottom 50%,

Dear Friend,

If you think the content of this news letter is critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/subscribe.htm. You can also follow us on twitter, http://twitter.com/countercurrents and on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/countercurrents

In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org

US Begins Training New “Rebel” Army For Operations In Syria
By Thomas Gaist

http://www.countercurrents.org/gaist090515.htm

US soldiers have begun training some 100 Syrian fighters in a “secure location” in Jordan in preparation for military intervention in Syria, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter confirmed Thursday. Other contingents will soon begin training at camps run by the US military in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar, Carter said


World's Richest 80 People Own Same Amount As World's Bottom 50%
By Eric Zuesse

http://www.countercurrents.org/zuesse090515.htm

Oxfam's recent report, "WEALTH: HAVING IT ALL AND WANTING MORE” contains shocking figures that the press haven't sufficiently publicized; so, the findings and the reliability of their sources will be discussed here. The results will then be related to the central political debate now going on in the U.S. Presidential contests for 2016, which is about equality and inequality


Israel-Palestine: Speeding Up The Countdown To Catastrophe
By Alan Hart

http://www.countercurrents.org/hart090515.htm

At the time of writing I see no reason for optimism. And that’s why I believe my headline for this article is appropriate


VE Day 70th Anniversary, German Holocaust, Bengali Holocaust
And Global Avoidable Mortality Holocaust
By Dr Gideon Polya

http://www.countercurrents.org/polya090515.htm

8 May 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe. WW2 was associated with the killing of about 110 million people worldwide through violence or violently-imposed deprivation, but the killing continued with 9 million German deaths in the 1941-1950 German Holocaust and1.5 billion mainly non-European people dying avoidably from Western-imposed deprivation since 1950 in a continuing Global Avoidable Mortality Holocaust


A Thirst For Economic Change?
By Erik Alm

http://www.countercurrents.org/alm090515.htm

In the face of global resource shortages and the alarming rate at which we are losing species, many of us share the hope that J.S. Mill so ominously communicates in one of his better-known quotes. But what will it take to catalyze the shift to an economic state that respects our natural boundaries? Perhaps the catalyst could be a life-altering dearth of a critical resource that, until recently, most of us in the United States have taken for granted: water


Not A Fond-Tale From Post-Quake-Nepal
By Farooque Chowdhury

http://www.countercurrents.org/chowdhury090515.htm

Affrighting assumptions and imaginations of an earthquake goes to sleep as time passes after the quake that hit Nepal last month. But scars of the earthquake are still there in the lives of thousands of people in Nepal as they are struggling in a system of insecurity, of which poverty is a part. These will live for indefinite period. It happens in poor societies overwhelmed with misgovernance with a façade of fairness


Shangal, The Land Of Legends In Chains
By Zanyar Omrani

http://www.countercurrents.org/omrani090515.htm

Today I came across a sort of wild plant in a local bazaar in Dirik, a plant frequently seen in every corner of Shangal. Before heading toward Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan), I spent some days in the heart of Mesopotamia among endless legends. Here is Shangal, a city which has seen many previous assaults by jihadists, according to its people


O Susannah Won't You Cry For Me?
(One Day In The Life Of Michael And Alexander Smith)
By Charles Orloski

http://www.countercurrents.org/orloski090515.htm

On July 22, 1995, Susan Smith was convicted of drowning her two sons, 3-year old Michael Daniel Smith and 14-month old Alexander Tyler Smith. Upon police questioning, she falsely testified that a “black man” carjacked her, and kidnapped children. At age 13, Susan Smith attempted suicide, and after graduating from high school in 1989, she made a second attempt to end her life. She married David Smith and gave birth to Michael and Alexander, but the relationship turned to hurricane, allegations of infidelity, and they separated several times. She is currently incarcerated at Leath Correctional Institution, Greenwood County, South Carolina. Come September 2, 1996, a family of seven people, including four children, came to see the spot where Susan Smith murdered her children. Their parked vehicle accidentally rolled into John D. Long Lake and the entire family astonishingly drowned


What Is Jihad?
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

http://www.countercurrents.org/khan090515.htm

Jihad is a fact of life. What is called ‘effort' or ‘struggle' in English is called ‘jihad' in Arabic. Jihad is not some mysterious thing. Nor is it synonymous with violence. It simply means making great efforts or striving for a particular purpose


"Slow But Steady Wins The Race": Lilawati
By Shobha Shukla

http://www.countercurrents.org/shukla090515.htm

This is the inspirational story of Lilawati-a teacher cum farmer. The mother of 7 children—4 daughters and 3 sons, of whom one son died at the age of 25 years—66 years old Lilawati lives with her retired husband, 2 sons and their wives, a widowed daughter-in-law (who is a teacher) and 5 grandsons and 5 granddaughters. Lilawati, one of five siblings, lost her parents when she was very young. Her elder brother brought up the family. Lilawati could study only till Class 5 and was married off when she was just 15 years old

CounterCurrents: Towns And Villages Totally Devastated And 90% Clinics And Schools Are Unusable In Nepal

Dear Friend,

If you think the content of this news letter is critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/subscribe.htm. You can also follow us on twitter, http://twitter.com/countercurrents and on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/countercurrents

In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org


Towns And Villages Totally Devastated And 90% Clinics And Schools Are Unusable In Nepal
By Countercurrents.org

http://www.countercurrents.org/cc010515.htm

With further rise in death toll, devastation of thousands of villages and slow pace of rescue and relief operations the survivors in Nepal earthquake are facing a desperate situation. In areas, towns and villages suffered total devastation. Today, a report said some 600,000 houses have been destroyed in 13 districts


Invest in Activism, Not Bernie Sanders
By David Swanson

http://www.countercurrents.org/swanson010515.htm

So, here I am in the role of "that jerk" telling Bernie Sanders fanatics that it's hopeless -- a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom if ever there was one. But we have limited time, energy, and money. I don't think saving the planet is hopeless. I just think the best place to put our resources is into uncorrupted, principled, policy-driven, nonviolent, creative activism -- including the activism needed to create fair, open, verifiable elections


Salute The Nation That Brought The US Empire To Its Knees
By Kenny Coyle

http://www.countercurrents.org/coyle010515.htm

On the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, April 30, 2015, the momentous events that made it possible are recalled


The May 2nd Odessa Massacre: Why Obama's Coup-Regime Still Runs Ukraine
By Eric Zuesse

http://www.countercurrents.org/zuesse010515.htm

The May 2nd Ukrainian massacre of anti-regime pamphleteers last year at the Odessa Trade Unions Building, burning these pamphleteers alive there, was crucial to the Obama Administration's solidification of its control over Ukraine. That massacre was designed to, and it did, terrorize the residents in all areas of Ukraine which had voted overwhelmingly for the man whom Obama had just ousted, Viktor Yanukovych. Especially in the Donbass region, Yanokovych had received 90%+ of the votes. In Odessa, he had received three-quarters of the votes


A Time Will Come, Muslims In India Will Have To Form Their Own National Party: Kancha Ilaiah
Interview By Ajmal Khan & Anish

http://www.countercurrents.org/ilaiah010515.htm

Professor Kancha Ilaiah had well predicted that Narendra Modi would become the next prime minister under BJP, and he has also been instrumental in raising criticism on how Indian left failed to understand the caste question. After the parliament elections, he described how the caste equations has been used in the country by BJP . As soon as BJP came into power, many decisions have already been taken by the ruling Government, which will make far reaching consequences on the lives of Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims and Bahujans. In this context, Ajmal Khan and Anish are engage in conversation with Kancha Ilaiah on contemporary politics in India, particularly on Muslim, Dalit and Bahujan politics. He argues, that Muslims will have to form their own national party or a national coalition of all the Muslim parties by retaining their political and social identity


United States Commission On International Religious Freedom Places India On Tier 2 List Of Countries
By Shehzad Poonawalla

http://www.countercurrents.org/poonawalla010515.htm

Although the Modi government has responded by stating that it "does not take cognisance of such reports", it is a fact that world over, the stifling of religious freedoms in India is becoming a debate and is reflecting badly upon us as a plural, liberal democracy. Hence, authorities including the courts, investigative agencies, statutory bodies like National Commission for Minorities and National Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Home Affairs must treat every case of religious atrocity and discrimination with seriousness so that no country or international agency can point fingers upon a vibrant democracy like ours. Mr.Modi's government must walk the talk on 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'


Illusory Superiority, Related Psychological Phenomena, And The Importance Of Cross-Cultural Exposure
By Robert Barsocchini

http://www.countercurrents.org/barsocchini010515.htm

In addition to direct conflicts of interest inherent in the structure and functioning of media, the following psychological phenomena underscore the importance, in terms of approaching truth, of reading and researching on as broad a spectrum and as cross-culturally as possible. People creating and disseminating narratives in any one society or larger group (ie “the west”), are subject to these features of human psychology; to claim or believe they are not is merely to exhibit them

CLG: What Happened to $1.3 Billion of Taxpayer Money Sent Directly to U.S. Military Officers in Afghanistan? Pentagon won't Say, Unarmed Teen Shot, Killed by Police, Cried for His Mother: 'Mommy, Mommy, Please Come'

News Updates from CLG
30 April 2015

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

Previous edition: FBI agent's sniper rifle stolen at Salt Lake City hotel, days before President Obama's Utah visit

Freddie Gray Severed His Own Spine Just Like Steve Biko Died of a 'Hunger Strike' By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org | 30 April 2015 | On Wednesday we read: A prisoner sharing a police transport van with Freddie Gray told investigators that he could hear Gray "banging against the walls" of the vehicle and believed that he "was intentionally trying to injure himself," according to a police document obtained by The Washington Post. (See: Prisoner in van said Freddie Gray was 'banging against the walls' during ride 29 April 2015.) Are we to actually believe that while in police custody, 25-year-old African American Freddie Gray severed his own spinal cord -- and crushed his own larynx, too? Recall a death decades earlier of South African anti-apartheid activist, Stephen Bantu Biko. The founder of the Black Consciousness Movement also died in police custody -- and the cause of his death was similarly reported as 'self-inflicted' -- due to an alleged hunger strike.

More than 100 arrested in clashes between cops and Freddie Gray protesters in New York as thousands take to the streets of six American cities on a third night of anger --Protests in the name of Freddie Gray were held in Baltimore, New York, Washington DC, Boston, Houston and Indianapolis Wednesday night | 29 April 2015 | Outrage over the unexplained death of a black man in Baltimore, Maryland prompted nationwide protests against police brutality on Wednesday from Houston to Boston. Baltimore has been the scene of near-nightly protests ever since the April 19 death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who is believed to have been fatally injured while in police custody. However, the most dramatic protests Wednesday night happened in New York City, where a group of activists started an illegal march resulting in the arrests of several protesters in scuffles with police officers trying to maintain order on the streets. More than 100 people were arrested by the New York Police Department, according to reports as up to 1,000 marchers blocked streets - including the entrance to the Holland Tunnel - a main passage under the Hudson River - and the West Side Highway.

Locked Out: Orioles Fans Booted From Ballgame Amid Unrest | 29 April 2105 | Baseball in Baltimore was closed to the public for one day. The only shutout in the final score Wednesday at Camden Yards came in the attendance total: Orioles 8, White Sox 2, Fans 0. MLB decided to play the game behind closed doors because of looting and rioting around Camden Yards that broke out amid tensions between residents and police. The turmoil prompting a citywide curfew came hours after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who sustained a fatal spinal cord injury while in police custody. The sounds of the game had been silenced.

Martial law is the plan: Baltimore enforces night-time curfew, 'essentially 24 hours per day' for youth | 29 April 2015 | Pepper spray has been deployed to enforce a citywide curfew in Baltimore, Maryland. While scheduled to be lifted at 5:00am, it will recur nightly for a week. Minors' movements will be restricted even further. Violating the restrictions is a misdemeanor. After the curfew kicked in in Baltimore at 10:00pm ET on Tuesday, few patches of protesters remained on the street with authorities warning that violators could face arrest.

2,000 National Guard troops fan out across Baltimore | 28 April 2015 | A force of 2,000 soldiers from the Maryland National Guard has activated to assist efforts by the Maryland State Police to prevent a repeat of last night's violence in Baltimore. Guard troops are posted at City Hall and throughout the city and various neighborhoods. The Maryland Guard's Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 175 Infantry Regiment, had set up in an area of operations including City Hall, Johns Hopkins Medial Center, and other parts of downtown under the leadership of 1st Lt. Sean Gramm and 1st Lt. Henry Hensley.

Baltimore police use flash bangs, pepper pellets to clear protesters after curfew | 28 April 2015 | Law enforcement officers in Baltimore used flash bangs and shot pepper pellets to disperse protesters who remained after a 10 p.m. curfew. Hundreds of officers created walls with shields to slowly push the remaining protesters from where they were gathered. Some plastic and glass bottles were thrown at police and at least one of the smoke bombs was thrown back toward officers. It's unclear how many protesters remained after curfew.

Hundreds gather in Chicago to protest police violence | 28 April 2015 | In the aftermath of riots in Baltimore, hundreds of protesters gathered Tuesday evening outside Chicago Police Headquarters on the South Side to voice displeasure with a number of shootings by police across the country. The peaceful protest became confrontational shortly after more than 200 people began marching east on 35th Street and King Drive. The crowd pushed back against a line of bicycle police as the protesters chanted "Whose streets? Our streets!"

Protests return in Ferguson for second night | 29 April 2015 | Protesters returned to Ferguson on Wednesday night, a day after looting, fires and gunfire broke out there during demonstrations over the death of a black man who died of spinal injuries after his arrest by Baltimore police. Several dozen people marched down West Florissant Avenue in the St. Louis suburb on Wednesday night, protesting the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray and calling for police reforms, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. They chanted "No justice; no peace. No racist police," and also referenced the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed, by a white Ferguson police officer in August.

Gunfire wounds one amid protest near Brown shooting scene in Ferguson | 28 April 2015 | A man was shot as a group of about 50 protesters took to West Florissant Avenue near Canfield Drive Tuesday night. The man was carried to the safety of a restaurant by bystanders and a Post-Dispatch photographer at the scene. Police who were at the scene to monitor the protest quickly took a person into custody in the shooting and recovered a gun. It was unclear if the shooting was related to the protest.

Washington Post: Freddie Gray Severed His Own Spinal Cord --Prisoner in van said Freddie Gray was 'banging against the walls' during ride | 29 April 2105 | prisoner sharing a police transport van with Freddie Gray told investigators that he could hear Gray "banging against the walls" of the vehicle and believed that he "was intentionally trying to injure himself," according to a police document obtained by The Washington Post. The prisoner, who is currently in jail, was separated from Gray by a metal partition and could not see him...The Post was given the document under the condition that the prisoner not be named because the person who provided it feared for the inmate's safety. The document, written by a Baltimore police investigator [sic], offers the first glimpse of what might have happened inside the van. It is not clear whether any additional evidence backs up the prisoner’s version, which is just one piece of a much larger probe.

Unarmed Teen Shot, Killed by Police, Cried for His Mother: 'Mommy, Mommy, Please Come' | 28 April 2105 | Lucia Morejon cannot escape the haunting memory she has of the final desperate words spoken to her by her teenage son after he was shot by police: "Mommy, Mommy, please come, please come." Hector Morejon, the youngest of five children, made that plea for help after he was shot by a Long Beach, California, police officer, who allegedly thought the 19-year-old was in possession of a firearm Thursday afternoon. The teen, who Lucia Morejon's attorney says was unarmed, directed the cries for help toward his mother when she saw him in an ambulance directly after the shooting. His final words to his mother came, the attorney alleges, after police denied Lucia Morejon access to her son before the ambulance drove away.

Explosion, gunshots, chemical exposure part of mock emergency in Barrie | 29 April 2015 | (Central Ontario, Canada) Barrie Police, firefighters and Simcoe County paramedics worked together this morning during a mock emergency. Set inside an abandoned house on Georgian Drive, emergency crews were told a story about a hostage situation, which turned into a volatile chemical threat, followed by an explosion and gunshots. A dozen volunteers spent the morning acting as victims, with some ending up as mock fatalities.

28 Months Later, Review of State Police Response to Sandy Hook Shooting Lags | 28 April 2015 | 28 months since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings [aka drill gone live], Connecticut state police have yet to issue an after-action report analyzing law enforcement response...Sources have said many state police radios did not work inside the school, making it difficult for officers to communicate, a potentially deadly situation with so many officers searching from different areas looking for the shooter. At one point, an officer had to go outside the school and use a cellphone to call headquarters and relay the gravity of the situation. There also were questions about the 911 calls going to the regional dispatch center in Litchfield rather than to the closest state police barracks in Southbury, and whether that affected the response times of troopers who were unfamiliar with the Newtown area.

What Happened to $1.3 Billion of Taxpayer Money Sent Directly to U.S. Military Officers in Afghanistan? Pentagon won't Say. | 27 April 2015 | The Department of Defense (DOD) refuses to detail what it did with 1.3 billion that was supposed to be used on urgent humanitarian and reconstruction projects. A report from Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko pointed out that 2.26 billion had been put into the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP)...The SIGAR report said "DOD could only provide financial information relating to the disbursement of funds for CERP projects totaling 890 million (40%) of the approximately 2.2 billion in obligated funds at that time." The other 1.3 billion of the CERP money that has been sent to Afghanistan has been spent on projects classified as "unknown" [aka protecting the CIA's opi-m pipeline].

Former commander of US nuclear force urges taking missiles off high alert, citing cyberthreats | 29 April 2015 | Taking U.S. and Russian missiles off high alert could keep a possible cyberattack from starting a nuclear war, a former commander of U.S. nuclear forces says, but neither country appears willing to increase the lead-time to prepare the weapons for launch. Retired Gen. James Cartwright said in an interview that "de-alerting" nuclear arsenals could foil hackers by reducing the chance of firing a weapon in response to a false warning of attack. Essentially adding a longer fuse can be done without eroding the weapons' deterrent value, said Cartwright, who headed Strategic Command from 2004 to 2007 and was vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before retiring in 2011.

Ukrainian Forces Open Fire on Russian Humanitarian Aid Convoy | 27 April 2015 | The Ukrainian Armed Forces [aka US-backed Nazis, terrorists, and sociopaths] have opened fire on a Russian humanitarian convoy. According to Gleb Kornilov, head of the Relief Fund and the New Russia Donbass, Ukrainian soldiers opened fire on a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Donbas, killing one person. All the people from the humanitarian convoy were taken prisoner; one of them was injured in the shooting.

Forest fires heading for Chernobyl nuclear plant - Ukraine Interior Ministry | 28 April 2015 | The Ukrainian National Guard has been put on high alert due to worsening forest fires around the crippled Chernobyl nuclear power plant, according to Ukraine Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. "The forest fire situation around the Chernobyl power plant has worsened," a statement on Avakov's Fb page says. "The forest fire is heading in the direction of Chernobyl's installations. Treetop flames and strong gusts of wind have created a real danger of the fire spreading to an area within 20 kilometers of the power plant. There are about 400 hectares [988 acres] of forests in the endangered area."

Aid reaches quake-hit Nepal villagers as death toll passes 5,000 | 28 April 2015 | Hungry and desperate villagers rushed towards relief helicopters in remote areas of Nepal Tuesday, begging to be airlifted to safety, four days after a monster earthquake killed more than 5,000 people. In a televised address late Tuesday, Koirala declared three days of national mourning for the 5,057 people known to have perished in Nepal alone. Around 8,000 people had been injured while the United Nations estimated that eight million people had been affected.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders: 'I am running for president' | 29 April 2015 | Promising to fight what he deems "obscene levels" of income disparity and a campaign finance system that is a "real disgrace," independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday he will run for president as a Democrat. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanders confirmed his plans to formally join the race Thursday. The self-described "democratic socialist" enters the race as a robust liberal alternative to Hillary Rodham Clinton, and he pledged to do more than simply raise progressive issues or nudge the former secretary of state to the left in a campaign in which she is heavily favored.

With All Eyes on California, Vermont Forces Through Vaccine Bill | 27 April 2015 | With the public focused on the lobbyist-driven California Senate Bill 277 (SB-277), the Vermont Senate quietly eliminated vaccine exemptions Thursday with an 18-11 vote. Missing the starting gun, communities across America are now facing the political push to remove the barrier between their bodies and a private company's medical product. Attempting to squeeze every last drop of credibility from the "safe and effective" argument, senators across the U.S. appear to be ignoring the voices of their people in addition to over 3 billion of payouts in the U.S. alone from The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

United Express flight with engine fire forced to land in Philadelphia | 28 April 2015 | A plane with an engine on fire was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday at Philadelphia International Airport, where it landed safely, according to the airport and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The fire broke out in the No. 2 engine of United Airlines Express Flight No. 4882, bound for Newark, New Jersey, with 75 people on board, Philadelphia International Airport said on its Twitter feed.

Lynch Sworn In as U.S. Attorney General, Succeeding Holder | 27 April 2015 | [Rudy Giuliani-backed] Loretta Lynch was sworn in as U.S. attorney general on Monday, becoming the first black woman to serve as the nation's top law enforcement officer. Lynch, who was confirmed by the Senate on April 23, replaces Eric Holder as head of the Justice Department. Her confirmation on a 56-43 vote ended a five-month wait after her nomination.

*****

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Nepal: Humanitarian Aid

Dear MoveOn member,

The death toll in Nepal has passed 5,000.¹ Each time we look at the news, this heart-wrenching number climbs higher.

The images of devastated homes, obliterated villages, and distraught families tell only part of the story. There are the remote villages tucked into the mountains we haven't seen yet—where the situation may be even more dire.

Countless people are in need of food, water, medical support, and shelter—countless because the victims are, so far, uncountable. There is no way yet to know the total extent of the disaster.

But we do know the need is great.

International relief organization Mercy Corps is an exceptionally effective, efficient organization—and its Nepal-based staff and partners are already on the ground doing critical work. Can you chip in to help them? MoveOn Civic Action will cover the credit card fees so every dollar of your donation goes to help people in desperate need.

Yes, I'll chip in now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Corinne, Ben W., Maria, and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "Frustration Grows in Nepal as Earthquake Relief Trickles In," The New York Times, April 28, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=304228&id=113763-3735812-E2h51Tx&t=1

 

 

 

CounterCurrents: Warming Climate May Release Vast Amounts Of Carbon From Long-Frozen Arctic Soils, Kissinger And Shultz On 'The Iran Deal', Population By Religions In Times To Come

Dear Friend,

If you think the content of this news letter is critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/subscribe.htm. You can also follow us on twitter, http://twitter.com/countercurrents and on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/countercurrents

In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org


Death Toll Still Rising In Nepal
By W.A. Sunil

http://www.countercurrents.org/sunil270415.htm

More than 3,700 people are dead and over 6,500 injured after a major earthquake struck Nepal just before noon on Saturday local time. The death toll is likely to rise sharply as more bodies are pulled from the rubble and rescue teams begin to reach remote villages presently cut off. Thousands of people are homeless and most people are living outside amid fears of continuing aftershocks. Thirty of the country’s 75 districts have been affected


11 Million Yemenis Face Severe Food Insecurity Amidst
Conflict As Saudi Air Strikes Derailed Peace Negotiations
By Countercurrents.org

http://www.countercurrents.org/cc270415A.htm

Conflict in Yemen has triggered food insecurity in the poverty-stricken country. The Food and Agriculture Organisation said recently: Amidst escalating conflict at a crucial time in the country’s cropping season, almost 11 million people in Yemen are severely food insecure and millions more are at risk of not meeting their basic food needs. Governorates in the far northwest and south are most severely affected by food insecurity, and around 850,000 children are acutely malnourished


Warming Climate May Release Vast Amounts Of Carbon From Long-Frozen Arctic Soils
By Countercurrents.org

http://www.countercurrents.org/cc270415B.htm

More carbon is released into the atmosphere would amplify climate warming, and that, in turn, would cause more permafrost to thaw and release more carbon, causing the cycle to continue. Recent research by scientists has confirmed the suspicion scientists were making regarding the Arctic permafrost


Kissinger And Shultz On 'The Iran Deal'
By Thomas Riggins

http://www.countercurrents.org/riggins270415.htm

For our edification The Wall Street Journal on 8 April turned over an entire editorial page to former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz so that we could understand why President Obama's negotiations with Iran over nuclear issues "will reinforce, not resolve, the world's challenges in the region." Let's take a look at what these two nonagenarians (who served under Nixon and Reagan respectively) present as the reasons for their prediction


40 Years Later, Will The End Games In Iraq And Afghanistan Follow The Vietnam Playbook?
By Christian Appy

http://www.countercurrents.org/appy270415.htm

If our wars in the Greater Middle East ever end, it's a pretty safe bet that they will end badly -- and it won't be the first time. The “fall of Saigon” in 1975 was the quintessential bitter end to a war


Mr Prime Minister, Your Words Do Not Match Your Actions
By Dr Rahul Pandey

http://www.countercurrents.org/pandey270415.htm

By legalizing forcible acquisition of all kinds of farmlands for industrial corridors and PPP projects without taking landowners’ consent, without carrying out impact assessment, and mandating citizens to seek government’s permission before lodging complaints of wrongdoing, the 2015 Bill in effect envisages the government to act as a dictator working on behalf of private industry


Composite Townships: Cantonments Of The Other Sort
By Sheikh Shahid

http://www.countercurrents.org/shahid270415.htm

The rehabilitaion of Kashmiri Pandits is not the issue of mere physical integration, but rather the integration of the entire life. It should be aimed at social, political & cultural integration as it used to be before their migration


Punchline: Politics Of Flags
By Z. G. Muhammad

http://www.countercurrents.org/muhammad270415.htm

On April 15, it was not for first time that QaumīPārc̱am of Pakistan was unfurled at a public rally in Srinagar. In Kashmir politics hoisting of flags has got so intricately woven in the peoples narrative that it has in itself become a political phenomenon having potential to change the political discourse in the state. The battle of flags, historically speaking in fact for past seventy six years has become synonymous for the battle of ideologies in the state


Biggest Fight Ever? Jack Johnson, Not “Money” Mayweather
By Mickey Z.

http://www.countercurrents.org/mickeyz270415.htm

While the Society of the Spectacle gears up for the “biggest fight of all time,” featuring renowned domestic abuser and misogynist, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, I’d like to remind folks of a truly important boxing match that took place on July 4, 1910. It featured black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson and white former champ, Jim Jeffries


Population By Religions In Times To Come
By Ram Puniyani

http://www.countercurrents.org/puniyani270415.htm

While I was working in IIT Mumbai for long years, I could see that the number of children per family is more as you go down from the professors to the peons and sweepers. Also roughly those living in Mumbai slums have higher number of children, irrespective of their religion. The situations in different countries in sub continent are not comparable on many counts. What is needed is an empathetic attitude to the deprived communities, going beyond the obvious and to solve the problem in right earnest


World Religions: Diversity, Not Dissension
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

http://www.countercurrents.org/khan270415.htm

A discussion on religion and religious harmony


Order Judicial Probe Into Andhra, Telangana Killings
By Solidarity Youth Movement

http://www.countercurrents.org/sym280415.htm

Solidarity Youth Movement demanded a judicial probe into killings in two incidents of fake encounter in Andhra and Telangana. A fact finding team led by Solidarity Youth Movement visited the families and lawyers of the killed

CLG: Declassified Report Shows Doubts About Value of N.S.A.'s Warrantless Spying, LePage's plan to negate rule on nuclear power plants could be radioactive

News Updates from CLG
27 April 2015

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

Previous edition: American, Italian Hostages Killed in January CIA Drone Strike

FBI agent's sniper rifle stolen out of car's safe through the window at Salt Lake City hotel...just days before President Obama's Utah visit --Agent's stolen backpack and gear bags were recovered at a nearby hotel, but the gun has not been found | 25 April 2015 | An FBI agent's sniper rifle was ripped out of his car's window and stolen from a Salt Lake City hotel parking lot just days before President Obama visited Utah earlier this month. The gun was inside a hard rifle case and was 'secured properly' to a truck safe with padlocks and chains while the car was parked at the Marriott Springhill Suites, according to police. Marriott Springhill Suites, the agent's hotel, is next to the city's airport and just down the street from the state's FBI office. The hotel does not have surveillance cameras, according to the police report. [And, obviously, someone was cognizant of that fact and passed it along.] The Secret Service told Fox 13 Salt Lake City the agency was notified about the stolen rifle before President Obama's visit, but could not comment if the theft prompted an increase of security.

NSA spied on EU politicians and companies with help from German intelligence | 24 April 2015 |Germany's intelligence service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), has been helping the NSA spy on European politicians and companies for years, according to the German news magazine Der Spiegel. The NSA has been sending lists of "selectors"--identifying telephone numbers, e-mail and IP addresses--to the BND, which then provides related information that it holds in its surveillance databases. According to the German newspaper Die Zeit, the NSA sent selector lists several times a day, and altogether 800,000 selectors have been requested.

Declassified Report Shows Doubts About Value of N.S.A.'s Warrantless Spying | 24 April 2015 | The secrecy surrounding the National Security Agency's post-9/11 warrantless surveillance and bulk data collection program hampered its effectiveness, and many members of the intelligence community later struggled to identify any specific terrorist attacks it thwarted, a newly declassified document shows. The document is a lengthy report on a once secret N.S.A. program code-named Stellarwind. The report was a joint project in 2009 by inspectors general for five intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and it was withheld from the public at the time, although a short, unclassified version was made public. The government released a redacted version of the full report to The New York Times on Friday evening in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

Senate Republicans stealthily introduce bill to keep NSA phone surveillance intact | 23 April 2015 | Senate Republicans have launched the opening salvo in a battle over government surveillance powers, introducing a bill to preserve intact the National Security Agency's authority to store and search domestic telephone records...In an unusual procedural move, the GOP measure to extend the NSA's so-called "bulk collection" of phone records was not considered by any Senate committee. Instead, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., backed by the Intelligence Committee chairman, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., moved at about 10 p.m. Tuesday to begin the process of asking the full Senate to reauthorize Section 215 without changes. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., criticized the late-night maneuver, saying the GOP leadership in the Senate is "trying to quietly pass a straight reauthorization of the bulk collection program that has been proven ineffective and unnecessary."

Car bombs, suicide attack kill at least 22 in Iraq | 26 April 2015 | At least 22 people were killed in explosions across Iraq on Sunday, including a suicide car bomb attack on a military post in western Anbar province, police and medical sources said. The deadliest attack came when a car packed with explosives was detonated at an army checkpoint near the town of al-Nukhaib, an outpost on the route to western neighbors Syria and Saudi Arabia, killing at least seven soldiers, the sources said. Another six people were killed and 17 others wounded when a car bomb went off near Khilani Square in central Baghdad, police and medical sources said.

More fighting, air strikes in Yemen, civilian death toll exceeds 550 | 24 April 2015 | Fighting between Yemen's warring factions raged in southern and central parts of the country and air strikes hit Houthi militia forces in Aden on Friday, but there were no fresh moves toward dialogue. Riyadh pounded targets with at least 20 airstrikes across Yemen on Thursday and 10 more on Friday. The civilian death toll from the fighting and airstrikes since the bombing started on March 26 has reached an estimated 551 people, the United Nations said on Friday. Its children's agency UNICEF said at least 115 children were among the dead.

Several U.S. probes likely of drone strikes that killed hostages | 24 April 2015 | The Central Intelligence Agency's Inspector General will conduct what could be the first of several investigations into the CIA drone strikes that killed American and Italian hostages and two U.S.-born al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] militants, U.S. government sources said on Friday. The Senate Intelligence Committee also is reviewing the attacks, a Congressional source said. Depending upon the results of the CIA watchdog's investigation, U.S. President Barack Obama could establish an outside investigative panel to examine the drone attacks, and broader U.S. drone policy, said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

David Petraeus sentenced to probation for sharing classified information | 23 April 2015 | David Petraeus, the retired US army general and former CIA director responsible for the development of the hugely influential "counter-insurgency" strategy used in Iraq and Afghanistan, was sentenced on Thursday to two years' probation and ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 for sharing highly classified information with his lover and biographer, Paula Broadwell. The fine was 60,000 more than had been expected under the terms of a plea deal; the two years' probation was as expected.

Republicans won't challenge Cuba's removal from terrorism list | 23 April 2105 | Republicans say they will not mount a challenge to President Barack Obama's plan to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. South Florida Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen met with congressional colleagues last week to map strategy to prevent the de-listing and had planned to introduce a bill this week. On Thursday, she changed course.

Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island Evacuated Over Bomb Threat --All Clear Given Nearly 4 Hours After Caller Threatened to Blow Up Statue | 24 April 2015 | The Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island were evacuated Friday following a bomb threat. Sources tell CBS2 this was the second threat made in two days with some kind of computer enhanced or pre-recorded message, CBS2 reported. U.S. Parks Police received a 911 at around 11:21 a.m., with a caller stating they were going to blow up the Statue of Liberty, a National Park Service Statue spokesperson said.

Statue of Liberty evacuated over security concern | 24 April 2015 | The Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island were evacuated Friday afternoon due to an unspecified security concern, the National Park Service said. The evacuation of the monument came shortly before 1 p.m., officials said. Law enforcement officials were conducting a sweep of Liberty Island. Update: An anonymous caller threatened to blow up the Statue of Liberty Friday, triggering an evacuation of the national monument and Liberty Island before police declared the site all clear. A 911 caller made the threat late Friday morning, "stating they were going to blow up the Statue of Liberty," the National Park Service said in a statement. Federal police, including two canine units, investigated and the dogs found "an area of interest" in a locker area at the statue's base, the agency said. Law enforcement then decided to evacuate the island.

Minnesota declares state of emergency over bird flu; Gov. Dayton authorizes National Guard call-up, if needed | 24 April 2015 | Minnesota declared a state of emergency on Thursday over a fast-spreading strain of avian flu that has led to the extermination of more than 7.3 million birds in the country. The highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of bird flu has been identified on 46 Minnesota farms in 16 counties and affected more than 2.6 million birds in the state. State health officials said they were expediting prescriptions for the antiviral dr-g Tamiflu for farm workers and others who have been in direct contact with infected flocks...Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton (D) said he had authorized the National Guard to be called up for duty if needed.

3rd bird flu outbreak hits 34,000 Iowa turkeys | 24 April 2015 | A third case of avian influenza has been identified in Iowa, this time infecting a commercial facility with 34,000 turkeys in Sac County. The operation is within the 10-kilometer monitoring zone of the state's first case, a commercial turkey facility with 27,000 birds in Buena Vista County. That case was reported last week.

California's SB277 mandatory vaccination bill passes Senate committee after votes rigged, public testimony silenced | 22 April 2015 | After California's vaccine mandate bill SB277 was halted last week with an outcry of public outrage against it, the pro-vaccine mafia machine went to work. Democratic Sens. Ben Allen of Santa Monica and Richard Pan of Sacramento helped pursue a vote rigging agenda to replace seats on the committee with pro-vaccine industry sellouts. A new DemocRAT, Sen. Bill Monning, was chosen to fill a vacant seat, and with his vote in favor of stripping Californians of vaccine exemption rights, SB277 was approved today..."This time no public testimony was allowed," reports the Sacramento Bee, confirming that the California Senate conspired to not just rig the vote, but also silence the public outrage so that Senate "representatives" didn't have to hear their constituents' testimony.

Capitol lobbyists, staff jump security line during California vaccine debate | 22 April 2015 | The controversy surrounding California's mandatory vaccine bill has brought the Capitol long lines, crowded hallways and signs asking visitors to use the stairs as anti-vaccine advocates fill committee hearings to demand the state keep its personal belief exemption in place. Now you can add a special entrance for staff and lobbyists to the list. With Senate Bill 277 facing a crucial vote on Wednesday, the Joint Rules Committee sprung into action to keep disruptions to a minimum for those who work in the building the pharma-terrorists and their henchmen.

Tokyo park closed after unusually high radiation level is detected; buried substance suspected | 24 April 2015 | An unusually high level of radiation has been detected at a park in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, the ward office said Thursday, prompting speculation that some kind of material has been buried there. The ward office has banned the public from entering the municipal park, located near Tobu Railway Co.'s Shimoitabashi Station in the Ikebukuro-honcho district and surrounded by residences. On Thursday afternoon, up to 480 microsieverts per hour were recorded at one spot on the surface of the ground near playground equipment, the municipality said.

LePage's plan to negate rule on nuclear power plants could be radioactive --Observers wonder why his attention to the issue begins with an attempt to disempower Maine voters. | 26 April 2015 | Consider yourselves warned, fellow citizens. Gov. Paul LePage [R-Grade 'A' Sociopath] is fiddling around with Maine's nuclear hot button...L.D. 1313, a bill quietly submitted by the LePage administration that would eliminate a longstanding requirement that any and all proposed nuclear power projects in Maine be put to a statewide referendum. Under LePage's new plan, scheduled for a hearing Wednesday at 1 p.m. before the Legislature's Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, voters would no longer have a say on the creation of nuclear power plants with generating capacities of 500 megawatts or less. (Just so you know, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant's Unit 1 reactor...had a generating capacity of 460 megawatts.)

Death toll in Nepal quake rises to more than 3,200 | 26 April 2015 | The death toll from Nepal's earthquake rose to 3,218 on Monday, two days after the massive quake ripped across this Himalayan nation, leaving tens of thousands shell-shocked and sleeping in streets. Aid groups received the first word from remote mountain villages — reports that suggested many communities perched on mountainsides were devastated or struggling to cope. Landslides hindered rescue teams that tried to use mountain trails to reach those in need, said Prakash Subedi, chief district official in the Gorkha region, where the quake was centered.

New quake sends new avalanches crashing down Mount Everest | 26 April 2015 | Hikers and their guides on Mount Everest had not fully recovered from the death, injuries and trauma of avalanches caused by Nepal's massive magnitude 7.8 earthquake, when another one earthquake struck on Sunday. It was not as powerful at magnitude 6.7, but the epicenter was closer to the mountain, where people are still missing, some believed to be buried in snow. The new quake sent down new avalanches of snow and rock.

Google Executive Among Hundreds Dead From Nepal Quake | 25 April 2015 | Dan Fredinburg, a Google executive who described himself as an adventurer, was among the hundreds who died in a massive earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday. Google confirmed his death. Lawrence You, the company's director of privacy, posted online that Fredinburg was in Nepal with three other Google employees climbing Mount Everest.

'Extremely Dangerous' Mile-Wide Tornado Spotted in North Texas | 27 April 2015 | A slow-moving and "extremely dangerous" tornado was confirmed Sunday night in north-central Texas, much of which was under tornado watches and flash flood warnings as a storm system swept through with large hail and damaging wind gusts, the National Weather Service said. After moving through the town of Rio Vista, the tornado moved east into rural parts of Johnson County, Emergency Management Director Jamie Moore told NBC News. The tornado was about a mile wide when it was first spotted, he said.

Cecily Strong Takes on Police Brutality at White House Correspondents' Dinner | 26 April 2015 | Saturday Night Live cast member and Chicago native Cecily Strong told some pretty brutal jokes at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night. One observation, however, about the extrajudicial killing of black men in the United States seemingly pushed the boundaries and buttons of many of those in attendance. Strong played off a string of Secret Service lapses. "Let's give it up for the Secret Service. I don't want to be too hard on those guys. You know, because they're the only law enforcement agency in the country that will get in trouble if a black man gets shot." There was a smattering of awkward chuckles, loud groans and a few boos, to which Strong responded, "Are you saying 'boo' or are you saying 'true?'"

Twelve arrested in Baltimore after march to protest black man's death | 26 April 2015 | Thousands of people marched peacefully through downtown Baltimore on Saturday to protest the unexplained death of a black man in police custody but pockets of violence erupted when a small group smashed windows and threw bottles at officers. At least 2,000 demonstrators attended the march to City Hall, the largest turnout since 25-year-old Freddie Gray died a week ago. Police arrested 12 people who ignored orders to disperse, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said.

Baltimore Mayor Asks Fans to Stay Inside Camden Yards Amid Protests | 25 April 2015 | During a game between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Saturday, protests in the city of Baltimore caused Mayor [police troll] Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to urge fans at the stadium to remain there for the time being. The gates to leave the stadium appear to have been locked at some point, as Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun later confirmed that the gates were reopened.

University of Maryland, Baltimore issues 'shelter in place' order amid violent protests | 25 April 2015 | The University of Maryland Baltimore issued a "shelter in place" order for its campus, telling students and staff not to leave buildings as protests turned violent downtown Saturday. "UMB Police have issued a shelter in place order for the UMB campus," the alert said. "Do not leave buildings. Avoid campus until further notice."

Fisherman risks own life to save baby fox from being kicked to death by thugs --A gang of thugs [terrorists] shot dead a vixen then viciously kicked her baby cub before being stopped by a passing fisherman | 24 April 2015 | A gang of vile thugs shot dead a vixen then set about killing her defenceless cub by kicking it as it lay cowering just inches from her dead mother. The poor animal was only saved when a hero fisherman risked his own life to intervene and was assaulted himself. The Good Samaritan came to blows with the brutes as they carried out the brutal attack on the defenceless baby after shooting her mum on a pitch-black country lane...The have-a-go-hero then grabbed the cub, took her home and wrapped her in a duvet with a teddy bear and hoped for the best.

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