News Updates from CLG
16 January 2016
16 January 2016
http://www.legitgov.org/
All links are here:http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news
All links are here:http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news
Previous edition: Iran Seizes U.S. Sailors Amid Claims of Spying
Breaking: Iran Complies With Nuclear Deal; Sanctions Are Lifted | 16 Jan 2016 | International inspectors confirmed Saturday that Iran had dismantled large sections of its nuclear program, as agreed in a historic accord last summer, paving the way for the lifting of oil and financial sanctions by the United States and other world powers. The announcement came just hours after Iran said it had released four Americans, including The Washington Post reporter, Jason Rezaian, as part of a prisoner swap with the United States...In a statement, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, said that "agency inspectors on the ground verified that Iran has carried out all measures required under the JCPOA, to enable implementation day to occur," using the acronym for the accord, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
IAEA announces Iranian compliance with nuclear agreement | 16 Jan 2016 | [Update, posted at 4:00 p.m. ET] Iran has completed the necessary steps in a nuclear deal, and participants can begin implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday. [Previous story] Iran's foreign minister arrived in Vienna on Saturday saying he was confident the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog would certify that his country was complying with the terms of a deal to restrict its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some international economic sanctions.
Western-imposed sanctions against Tehran to be lifted Saturday - Iranian FM | 16 Jan 2016 | International sanctions against Iran are due to be lifted Saturday, according to Tehran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The move will take effect when the International Atomic Energy Agency has issued its final report concerning Iran's nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to release a final report in the Austrian capital of Vienna, which will confirm that Iran has stuck to its end of the bargain in regard to honoring the nuclear deal, which was struck between Tehran and six world powers last year.
Iran says it has removed core from Arak reactor in key nuclear deal step | 14 Jan 2016 | Iran has removed the sensitive core of its Arak nuclear reactor and U.N. inspectors will visit the site on Thursday to verify the move crucial to the implementation of Tehran's atomic agreement with major powers, state television said on Thursday. Removal of the core from the Arak reactor will largely eliminate its ability to yield nuclear bomb-grade plutonium, and was one of the toughest issues to resolve in the long nuclear negotiations with the six powers. "The core vessel of the Arak reactor has been removed...and IAEA inspectors will visit the site to verify it and report it to the IAEA," spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation Behrouz Kamalvandi said.
Iran, US free prisoners as end of international sanctions nears | 17 Jan 2016 | Iran freed five Americans including a Washington Post reporter on Saturday as the two countries staged a series of goodwill gestures ahead of the expected announcement of the lifting of international sanctions against Tehran under a nuclear deal. U.S. President Barack Obama pardoned three Iranian-Americans charged for sanctions violations, and U.S. officials said four others would be released, in a thaw in relations between the two nations that has shaped the Middle East since Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979. The ending of sanctions would bring the Middle Eastern country of 80 million people back to the global economic stage after several years away, and increase Iranian influence in a region torn by sectarian strife.
Iran releases captured U.S. Navy crew members --Navy will investigate 'the circumstances that led to' the sailors' 'presence in Iran.' | 13 Jan 2016 | Iran on Wednesday freed 10 American sailors from two small Navy vessels that Tehran claimed strayed into Iranian waters, prompting their overnight detention as Washington opened direct contacts with Iran seeking their release. A senior defense official, speaking in Washington, said that the sailors were not harmed, but would undergo medical evaluation and a debriefing in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. Meanwhile, their vessels were taken by another American crew to Bahrain, their original destination and home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.
Unknown gunmen kill two Iraqi journalists | 12 Jan 2016 | Unknown gunmen shot to death two journalists working for the independent Al-Sharqiya TV station in Iraq today, according to the channel and news reports. The attack marks the first killings of journalists to be documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists in 2016. Correspondent Saif Talal and cameraman Hassan al-Anbaki were driving near the Diyala province capital of Baquba when unidentified gunmen intercepted their vehicle, forced them to exit, and opened fire, news reports said, citing unnamed security officials.
Turkey detains 12 academics for criticizing military campaign against Kurds --Over 1,200 academics are under investigation | 15 Jan 2016 | More than 1,200 academics are being investigating for criticizing the Turkish state and allegedly participating in "terrorist propaganda" after they signed a declaration condemning military operations against Kurdish rebels in the southeast of the country. News of the investigation was reported by Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency. Around 1,200 academics from 89 universities signed the declaration, which was titled: "We won't be a part of this crime."
Rescuers search for 12 Marines from downed helicopters | 16 Jan 2016 | Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Timothy Irish says the search continues for 12 Marines missing after their helicopters went down off Oahu late Thursday. He said Saturday that the search will likely last for several more days. Three teams of 10 Marines each are combing the shoreline for any debris that may wash up.
Burkina Faso attack: Dozens dead, scores freed after hotel siege 'Two French nationals among the dead,' CNN affiliate BFMTV reports, citing French officials | 16 Jan 2016 | Attackers raided a l-x-ry hotel in Burkina Faso overnight, shooting some and taking others hostage in a siege that lasted hours and ended with dozens of people dead. An al Qaeda[al-CIAduh]-linked terrorist group claimed responsibility for the assault at Splendid Hotel -- a popular meeting place for Western diplomats in the capital, Ouagadougou. The attack began Friday night and dragged on under the cover of darkness. Security forces circled the perimeter to assess the situation before they stormed in hours later...Witnesses said the attackers wore turbans and spoke a language not native to Burkina Faso, a former French colony. U.S. forces helped with logistical support. The United States has about 75 military personnel in Burkina Faso, including 15 assigned to the U.S. Embassy, according to a U.S. defense official. An additional 60 help train and advise the French military in the nation.
ISIS militant ordered Jakarta attack from abroad, police chief says | 15 Jan 2016 | A militant who police accuse of plotting Thursday's deadly terror attack in Jakarta instructed his cells in Indonesia to launch the attack, according to Jakarta Police Chief Tito Karnavian. Karnavian spoke to CNN one day after the violence erupted midday, killing at least two, wounding 24 and raising alarm about terrorism in the world's most populous Muslim country. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in an official statement posted online by the terror organization.
Suicide bombers attack Jakarta Starbucks, other locations | 14 Jan 2016 | At least three suicide bombers exploded themselves in a Starbucks cafe in downtown Jakarta on Thursday while two gunmen attacked a police post nearby, a witness told The Associated Press. TVOne, a local television network, reported three other explosions in other parts of the city. At least one policeman was killed in addition to the bombers. The first explosion appeared to have triggered a gun-battle between the attackers and anti-terror police squads, and gunfire could be heard more than 1 and 1/2 hours later.
Car Bomb Attack at Turkish Police Station Kills 5 | 13 Jan 2016 | Kurdish rebels detonated a car bomb at a police station in southeastern Turkey, then attacked it with rocket launchers and firearms, killing five people, including civilians, the governor's office said Thursday. Thirty-nine other people were injured.
2 Virginia men charged with terrorism offenses related to travel attempt to Syria to join ISIL | 16 Jan 2016 | Two Woodbridge, Virginia, men were charged Saturday for criminal activity in connection with an attempt by one of the suspects to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also referred to as ISIS [also referred to as I-CIA-SIS]. According to a release by the Department of Justice, 28-year-old Joseph Hassan Farrokh was arrested Friday afternoon at Richmond International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Chicago with plans to board another to Amman, Jordan with an eventual destination to Syria. Officials said 25-year-old Mahmoud Amin Mohamed Elhassan was arrested Friday evening in Woodbridge after he returned from driving Farrokh to Richmond and an interview held with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents.
Police operations underway at Sydney Opera House after its evacuation, and Manly | 14 Jan 2016 | Police operations have completed at Sydney Opera House and Manly wharf with the areas earlier evacuated and some ferry services cancelled. A New South Wales Police spokeswoman told news.com.au that police conducted the operations "in the vicinity of the Opera House and Manly...after information was received on social media"...Police earlier confirmed that two "police operations (were) underway" as people were evacuated from Sydney Opera House and at least one ferry service was cancelled and another was diverted and delayed.
Bomb threat forces evacuation of Naugatuck, CT, Walmart | 13 Jan 2016 | (CT) The Naugatuck Walmart on Route 63 has reopened after a bomb threat caused the store to be evacuated Wednesday morning. Naugatuck Police and Fire officials were dispatched to the store at 1100 New Haven Road around 11:00 am after someone called a bomb threat into the store. The building was evacuated while emergency crews combed through the store.
FBI investigating Philadelphia cop shooting as terrorism | 13 Jan 2016 | FBI Director James Comey said on Wednesday that last week's shooting of a Philadelphia police officer was being investigated as "a terrorist attack." FBI officials told CBS News while investigators have not concluded the Jan. 7 shooting was an act of terrorism, the shooting is being handled as a terrorism investigation. Late last Thursday, police said Edward Archer approached Officer Jesse Hartnett's patrol car and fired a hail of bullets at close range.
Egregious safety failures at Army lab led to anthrax mistakes | 15 Jan 2016 | A brigadier general who led an Army biodefense lab in Utah is among a dozen individuals facing potential disciplinary actions -- including loss of jobs -- for egregious failures that contributed to the facility mistakenly [sic] shipping live anthrax to other labs for more than a decade, according to the military's accountability investigation report that was provided to USA TODAY. The review found that top officials at the Dugway Proving Ground southwest of Salt Lake City had multiple warning signs of scientific and safety problems, yet they failed to take action despite earlier, serious incidents in the facility's labs during 2007-2011 involving anthrax, VX chemical nerve agent and poisonous Botulinum neurotoxin A...The review harshly singles out Brig. Gen. William E. King IV, who was in command at Dugway as a colonel from July 2009 to July 2011. King was promoted to general after leaving Dugway. Last February, King was named the commanding general of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive Command at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
President Obama declares emergency in Flint over Gov. Snyder poisoning water supply | 16 Jan 2016 | (MI) President Barack Obama on Saturday declared a federal emergency in Flint, meaning federal financial aid will be available to assist with the public health crisis [entirely created and perpetuated by terrorist Rick Snyder]. But a request from Gov. Rick Snyder (R) to declare Flint and Genesee County a disaster area was denied, Snyder said. The president's actions authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate responses and provide 75% federal funding [to bail out Snyder], though initial federal funding is capped at 5 million over 90 days. The president also offered assistance in finding other available federal assistance, a news release from the White House said.
Dozens feared exposed as Sierra Leone confirms new Ebola death | 15 Jan 2016 | A woman who died of Ebola this week in Sierra Leone potentially exposed dozens of other people to the disease, according to an aid agency report on Friday, raising the risk of more cases just as the deadliest outbreak on record appeared to be ending...The new case in Sierra Leone is especially disquieting because authorities failed to follow basic health protocols, according to the report seen by Reuters.The missed diagnosis has led to anger in some quarters. Dozens of young people gathered outside the hospital on Friday in a noisy demonstration, some holding placards accusing the health department of negligence.
Republicans now see a Trump-Cruz race, with time for a shift running out | 16 Jan 2016 | As the presidential primary moves into a more urgent and combative phase, there is growing acceptance among Republicans, including the Washington and financial elite, that Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are the two candidates most likely to become the party's nominee. Their commanding performances at the sixth debate - along with their continued dominance in national and early state polls - has solidified the conclusion of many Republicans that the campaign is becoming a two-person contest. Long expected to become a race between an outsider and an establishment candidate, it is coming down instead as one between two outsiders, with dwindling time for their rivals to change the trajectory before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1.
Ted Cruz Failed to Report a Second Campaign Loan in 2012 | 15 Jan 2016 | The Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, already facing scrutiny for not disclosing a Goldman Sachs loan he used for his 2012 Senate campaign, also failed to disclose a second loan, from Citibank, for the same race, according to a letter he sent Thursday to federal election officials. The one-page letter said that the "underlying source" of money for a series of personal loans Mr. Cruz made to his Senate campaign in Texas included both bank loans, which totaled as much as 1 million. Both loans were "inadvertently omitted" from the required filings, the letter said.
Ted Cruz Didn't Disclose Loan From Goldman Sachs for His First Senate Campaign | 13 Jan 2016 | As Ted Cruz tells it, the story of how he financed his upstart campaign for the United States Senate four years ago is an endearing example of loyalty and shared sacrifice between a married couple. "Sweetheart, I'd like us to liquidate our entire net worth, liquid net worth, and put it into the campaign," he says he told his wife, Heidi, who readily agreed. But the couple's decision to pump more than 1 million into Mr. Cruz's successful Tea Party-darling Senate bid in Texas was made easier by a large loan from Goldman Sachs, where Mrs. Cruz works. That loan was not disclosed in campaign finance reports.
Oh-but-another reason why Jeb Bush is at 3% in the polls: Jeb Bush Proposes Putting NSA in Charge of Civilian Data, Cybersecurity --The GOP presidential candidate also proposed offering liability relief [!] to tech companies that share data with law enforcement officials. | 15 Jan 2016 | At the tail end of a sixth Republican presidential debate, dominated by personal feuds and mutual condemnation of the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush made a stunning proposal: Put the NSA in charge of civilian data and cybersecurity. The proposal, which represents a major expansion of the intelligence agency's role, shocked some observers on Twitter, with some calling it akin to a "police state."
Mega barf alert *and* gag me with a chainsaw: Lindsey Graham endorses Jeb Bush | 15 Jan 2016 | Former Republican presidential candidate and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham will endorse former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for president. A spokesperson for Graham confirmed to CNN that Graham, from the crucial early primary state South Carolina, will endorse Bush's White House bid from a Charleston hotel Friday morning. According to a source close to Graham, national security has always been the most important issue for the senator and Graham thinks he has found the next commander in chief.
Poll: Who won Thursday's Republican 2016 presidential debate? | 14 Jan 2016 | Who do you think won the Republican presidential debate on Thursday night? Seven GOP presidential candidates battled each other for more than two hours in a prime-time debate carried live by Fox Business Network from North Charleston, South Carolina. Among the highlights was an exchange that lasted several minutes between frontrunners Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on the issue of whether Cruz, born in Canada to an American mother, is a natural-born citizen and eligible to run for president.
Poll: Donald Trump Widens His Lead in Republican Presidential Race --Businessman tops Sen. Ted Cruz by 13 points in WSJ/NBC poll with less than three weeks to go before the first votes | 14 Jan 2016 | Donald Trump has opened a double-digit lead over his next-closest Republican rival, less than three weeks before the first votes of the 2016 presidential race are cast, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds. A third of people who said they would vote in a Republican primary in the nationwide survey said they favored Mr. Trump to be the GOP nominee, followed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 20% support, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at 13% and retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 12%.
Supreme Court will review corruption conviction of former Va. governor Robert McDonnell | 15 Jan 2016 | The Supreme Court will decide whether former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell (R) was rightly convicted of corruption for his efforts on behalf of a businessman who bestowed money and gifts on the governor and his family. The court announced Friday that it would intervene in the long-running saga of McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, and the case provides the justices a fresh opportunity to define what kind of political conduct crosses the line into criminal behavior...In recent years, the [corporate-owned] Supreme Court has limited the legal scope of what is considered public corruption.
Planned Parenthood files U.S. lawsuit against group behind secret videos | 14 Jan 2016 | Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday arguing that a group acted illegally when it secretly recorded videos alleging the women's health organization profited from selling fetal tissue from abortions. The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco against anti-abortion group the Center for Medical Progress alleges conspiracy and fraud among other violations in connection with the recordings...The 65-page complaint alleged the group is a "complex criminal enterprise" that violated racketeering laws, set up a fake company and secured false identification to access private abortion conferences and meetings in California, Maryland and Florida.
January hurricane forms in Atlantic for first time since 1938 | 14 Jan 2016 | A hurricane has formed far out in the Atlantic ocean, the first time this has happened in January since 1938, said US officials. Hurricane Alex's maximum sustained winds were near 140kph (85mph) and residents of Portugal's mid-Atlantic Azores islands were warned to expect waves up to 18m (60ft) high and wind gusts up to 160kph (100mph). The islands' Civil Protection Service issued a weather red alert, the highest of four warnings that indicates extreme risk, for five of the archipelago's nine islands.
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