Police scan web for likely protesters at Thatcher's funeral

CLG Flu 'Oddities' RSS feed is up! 07 Apr 2013 Folks, CLG has an Flu 'Oddities' RSS feed that you can add to your blog or website. You can also subscribe to it. The CLG Flu 'Oddities' RSS feed is dedicated toward breaking news regarding avian flu and other US bioterror events. Also, the main CLG News RSS feed is here. Instructions for adding the main CLG News feed can be found here. If you have any questions on adding these feeds, please write webmaster at legitgov.org.

Breaking: At least 14 people stabbed at Texas college --Second suspect sought, then authorities said there was no second suspect. --Two in critical condition after student stabs 14 people at Texas college 09 Apr 2013 15 people were stabbed Tuesday on the campus of Lone Star Community College campus in Cypress, Texas, after a male suspect reportedly used a small knife, ran from building to building and randomly attacked individuals along the way. Police got the initial report at 11:15 a.m. A suspect was reported on the campus with a knife and there were reports of multiple stab victims. The school was placed on lockdown. The length of the attack is unclear, but the suspect was reportedly taken down by a student. Police could not immediately verify that report. [This story will be updated.]

Police scan social media to identify likely protesters for pre-emptive arrests - Thatcher funeral --Fears of civil disorder in capital as plans are revealed for partially state-funded ceremonial funeral --Meanwhile, lawyers warn against pre-emptive arrests as police scan social media to identify likely protesters 09 Apr 2013 Police are bracing themselves for the likelihood that Margaret Thatcher’s partially state-funded ceremonial funeral will attract protesters as anger mounts over her controversial legacy and the Government's decision to honour her with the help of taxpayers' money. Chatter on websites, social media and forums that are popular with protest networks has revealed multiple plans by groups to either demonstrate during the funeral itself or hold "Maggie's dead parties" on the same day... It is believed officers who specialise in public order issues are currently monitoring social media, websites and Blackberry's BBM messaging networks over the coming days for any sign of protest. The possibility of protests during the funeral has raised fears that police may adopt the controversial tactic of making pre-emptive arrests.

France 'to buy US drones' 07 Apr 2013 In the midst of France's Operation Serval in Mali, Paris is considering buying US-made unarmed surveillance drones to boost its military capabilities, a source from the defence ministry told AFP on Friday. According to French weekly newspaper La Tribune, Paris made an official request to Washington to acquire US made Reaper drones - the same unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that the US adapted for targeted kills of 'al Qaeda' fighters [and civilians] in Pakistan.

Sebring airport might become home for drones 08 Apr 2013 (FL) Drones are big business. For years, they have been primarily used by the military, which has employed unmanned aircraft like the Predator to hunt and kill. But an entirely new market is looming. Last year, Congress passed legislation mandating that the FAA figure out how to integrate the civilian use of drones into the national airspace, for uses ranging from assisting law enforcement and first responders, to farmers looking for more economical ways to check their crops. Part of that process is finding six sites around the nation for research and testing...

In Secret Deal, C.I.A. Killed Pakistani Militant in Exchange for Agency's Access to Airspace for Its Drones 07 Apr 2013 Nek Muhammad knew he was being followed. On a hot day in June 2004, the Pashtun tribesman... asked one of his followers about the strange, metallic bird hovering above him. Less than 24 hours later, a missile tore through the compound, severing Mr. Muhammad's left leg and killing him and several others, including two boys, ages 10 and 16. A Pakistani military spokesman was quick to claim responsibility for the attack, saying that Pakistani forces had fired at the compound. That was a lie. Mr. Muhammad and his followers had been killed by the C.I.A., the first time it had deployed a Predator drone in Pakistan to carry out a "targeted killing." The target was not a top operative of 'Al Qaeda,' but a Pakistani ally of the Taliban who led a tribal rebellion and was marked by Pakistan as an enemy of the state. In a secret deal, the C.I.A. had agreed to kill him in exchange for access to airspace it had long sought so it could use drones to hunt down its own enemies.

Another day, another US/NATO war crime: NATO air strike kills 11 Afghan children, officials say 07 Apr 2013 A NATO air attack in eastern Afghanistan has killed 11 children, officials said Sunday, the latest case of civilian casualties which provoke great anger in the war-torn country. The children were killed during a joint Afghan-NATO operation in the Shigal district of restive Kunar province bordering Pakistan late on Saturday... The Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, "strongly condemned the ISAF air strike in Kunar that killed 11 children," in a statement issued by his office.

Afghan officials say roadside bomb kills 9 civilians riding on a public bus 08 Apr 2013 Afghan officials say a roadside bomb has hit a public bus in a restive province bordering Kabul, killing at least nine civilians and wounding 22. Deputy Wardak provincial chief police Gen. Abdul Razaq Quraishi said Monday's explosion took place in the Sayed Abad district. A spokesman for the governor said the bus was traveling from eastern Ghazni province to the capital.

2 US service members killed in Afghanistan helicopter crash 09 Apr 2013 Two American service members were killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan, the military said. A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said Tuesday that there was no enemy activity in the area when the crash occurred and that the cause was under investigation. The helicopter went down in the Pachir Agam district of Nangarhar province, Reuters quoted Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the governor's office, as saying.

6 US nationals killed in two Afghan attacks --At least victim was US State Department employee - US official 06 Apr 2013 Six US nationals, three army soldiers and three civilians, have been killed in two separate attacks in Afghanistan, US and Afghan officials say. The officials said the Americans were killed on Saturday, making it the deadliest day for the US-led war in eight months. The officials said that three US troops and two civilians were killed when a car bomber ambushed a convoy of US-led NATO forces in the south. One Afghan doctor was also killed in the attack.

[While Fukushima keeps leaking and Tokyo does nothing:] Japan deploys missile defenses in Tokyo amid North Korea concerns --Japan deploys Patriot missile batteries around Tokyo 09 Apr 2013 Japan deployed missile-defense systems at three sites around Tokyo early Tuesday ahead of a possible missile launch by North Korea, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. The Patriot missile batteries were set up in the central district of Ichigaya and in the suburbs of Asaka and Narashino, Suga told reporters Tuesday. Suga had said Monday that the Japanese government would not publicize any missile-defense deployment, saying "It would show our strategy to North Korea."

North Korea warns foreigners to flee South Korea due to threat of nuclear war 09 Apr 2013 North Korea today warned foreigners to quit the South as desperate Kim Jong-un stepped up his preparations for all-out war. The dictator is thought to be plotting an attack on his neighbours on the peninsula and other countries after weeks of posturing and rhetoric. There are thousands of ex-pats and tourists in South Korea and a statement from Pyongyang's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee said: "The situation on the Korean peninsula is heading for a thermo-nuclear war. "In the event of war, we don’t want foreigners living in South Korea to get hurt."

Navy's New Laser Weapon Blasts Bad Guys From Air, Sea 08 Apr 2013 The U.S. Navy is set to field a powerful laser that can 'protect its ships' by blasting targets with high-intensity light beams. Early next year the Navy will place a laser weapon aboard a ship in the Persian Gulf where it could be used to fend off approaching unmanned aerial vehicles or speedboats. The Navy calls its futuristic weapon LAWS, which stands for the Laser Weapon System. What looks like a small telescope is actually a weapon that can track a moving target and fire a steady laser beam strong enough to burn a hole through steel. [Now, the good news:] A Navy video of testing conducted last summer off the coast of California shows how a laser beam fired from a Navy destroyer was able to set aflame an approaching UAV or drone, sending it crashing into the ocean. [Yup, every cloud has a silver lining.]

6.1-magnitude quake jolts Bushehr in southern Iran, kills 32 09 Apr 2013 A strong earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale has struck the town of Kaki near the southern Iranian city of Bushehr, killing at least 32 people and leaving more than 850 injured. According to the Iranian Seismological Center, the quake has hit the town of Kaki, some 90 kilometers southeast of Bushehr, at 4:22 pm local time (1152 GMT) on Tuesday at a depth of 12 kilometers. The quake was followed by at least four aftershocks which jolted Kaki and the nearby city of Khour-Mowj.

Settlers set fire to olive trees near Hebron 09 Apr 2013 Israeli settlers on Wednesday set fire into a number of olive trees east of Yatta. Locals told Ma'an that a number of settlers set fire into 10 olive trees east of Yatta near Maon settlement. The land is owned by Ibrahim Khalil Rabi. Settlers showered farmers with stones while planting and insulted them.

US naming force-fed Guantanamo prisoners --11 Guantanamo hunger strikers being force fed as of Monday - spokesman 08 Apr 2013 The U.S. government has begun notifying lawyers of Guantanamo Bay prisoners if the men they represent are being force-fed in a hunger strike that has dragged on for more than two months, though its extent remains in dispute. Cori Crider, a lawyer for Yemeni prisoner Samir Mukbel, said she received notification from the Department of Justice [sic] late last week that her client was being force-fed and was permitted to speak with him by phone Monday to confirm the report.

WikiLeaks publishes 1.7m US diplomatic records 08 Apr 2013 WikiLeaks has published more than 1.7m US records covering diplomatic or intelligence reports on every country in the world. The data, which has not been leaked, comprises diplomatic records from the beginning of 1973 to the end of 1976, covering a variety of diplomatic traffic including cables, intelligence reports and congressional correspondence. Julian Assange told Press Association the information showed the vast range and scope of US diplomatic and intelligence activity around the world.

CIA Does Not Submit Congressionally Mandated Data Mining Report 08 Apr 2013 Despite the CIA chief technology officer's stunning claim last month that "we fundamentally try to collect everything and hang on to it forever," the agency does not submit a congressionally mandated report on data mining, The Huffington Post has learned. That's because under the CIA's reading of the law, it doesn't do any data mining at all. A legal loophole allows it to skip submitting the report even though other agencies, like the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security, do.

ATF Wants 'Massive' Online Database to Find Out Who Your Friends Are 05 Apr 2013 The ATF doesn't just want a huge database to reveal everything about you with a few keywords. It wants one that can find out who you know. And it won't even try to friend you on Facebook first. According to a recent solicitation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the bureau is looking to buy a "massive online data repository system" for its Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information (OSII). The system is intended to operate for at least five years, and be able to process automated searches of individuals, and "find connection points between two or more individuals" by linking together "structured and unstructured data." Instead of requiring an analyst to manually search around for your personal information, the database should "obtain exact matches from partial source data searches" such as social security numbers (or even just a fragment of one), vehicle serial codes, age range, "phonetic name spelling," or a general area where your address is located. Input that data, and out comes your identity, while the computer automatically establishes connections you have with others.

Man sentenced to 17 years for Seattle terror plot 08 Apr 2013 A former Los Angeles resident was sentenced today to 17 years in prison in connection with the July 2011 plot to attack a military installation in Seattle, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Walli Mujahidh, 34, pleaded guilty in December 2011 to charges of conspiracy to kill officers of the United States, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and unlawful possession of a firearm. Their target, according to federal prosecutors, was the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) on East Marginal Way South.

China confirms 21 cases of H7N9 infection 08 Apr 2013 China reported three more H7N9 infections on Sunday, bringing total number of the confirmed cases to 21 as the country is gearing up to fight the disease that has left six dead. The latest confirmed H7N9 case was reported in east China's Anhui Province, where a 55-year-old male working in the live poultry trade was diagnosed with the virus, local health authorities said on Sunday night. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDCP) diagnosed the patient, surnamed Li, positive of the H7N9 avian influenza virus on Sunday.

China Reports Two More Bird Flu Cases 08 Apr 2013 China says two more people have contracted bird flu in Shanghai, and authorities in nearby Nanjing have closed live poultry markets and suspended all poultry trade to combat a new flu strain that has killed six people. Shanghai's government said Saturday that the latest cases of the H7N9 virus were found in two male patients, age 66 and 74. It said the two patients developed symptoms late last month and were diagnosed with pneumonia in the past two days.

China approves anti-flu injection with H7N9 potential 07 Apr 2013 China has licensed a new type of anti-flu injection for production that it believes may be effective in treating the H7N9 bird flu virus. According to a statement issued by the China Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, preliminary tests show the anti-flu injection is effective in curing the H7N9 flu. The drug has been researched and developed independently by the China Academy of Military Medical Science for 8 years. The total number of H7N9 infections has reached 18.

Tepco finds second pit leaking in Fukushima 08 Apr 2013 A second underground storage pool is leaking radioactive water at the disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 power plant, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday. The first pool, No. 2, was found to have leaked 120 tons of highly radioactive water on Friday. The size of the leak at the second pool, No. 3, was confirmed at 3 liters late Sunday. The leaks are likely to force Tepco to review its storage strategy for the toxic [radioactive] water, which has become its biggest enemy.

Second tank leak found at Fukushima plant --Last week, company briefly lost ability to cool radioactive fuel rods in part of plant - TEPCO 07 Apr 2013 Radioactive water has apparently leaked from another underground storage tank at Japan's heavily damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co officials say. TEPCO said in a statement released on Sunday that the volume of the latest leakage is 'small.' This comes just a day after the crippled facility said as much as 120 tons of contaminated water may have leaked from a neighboring tank.

Fukushima fallout? Starving Sea Lion Pups Still Washing Up by the Hundreds in California 05 Apr 2013 There's no indication the ocean plans to stop littering Southern California's shores with the tiny bodies of starving sea lion pups any time soon. For three months, these frail animals have been found stranded along California's waterfront. As of Apr. 4, roughly 1,100 pups have entered marine mammal rehabilitation centers in the area. They likely represent a fraction of the animals in trouble offshore. Last week, NOAA declared the mass stranding an "Unusual Mortality Event." Now, teams of investigators are assembling, ready to tackle the mystery surrounding the event. So far, no one knows what's causing the sea lion pups to starve.

Earlier Fukushima story clarification/correction: In the CLG Newsletter sent 04 April, an RT headline was included:'Almost third of US West Coast newborns hit with thyroid problems after Fukushima nuclear disaster 03 Apr 2013.' I suspected a problem with that story headline, but for some reason, I included it 'as is.' Oops! Anyway, the RT item included this statement: 'Researchers have discovered that the Fukushima nuclear disaster has had far-reaching health effects more drastic than previously thought: young children born on the US West Coast are 28 percent more likely to develop congenital hyperthyroidism.' Hence, that headline (RT's) was incorrect, as CLG reader Doug F. observed. (Thank you, Doug!) The 'almost third' figure details the likelihood of an increase in thyroid problems of newborns, not a '28 percent' actual increase in thyroid problems in newborns. CLG regrets the error.

CP oil spill in northern Ontario 100 times larger than first reported 05 Apr 2013 A northern Ontario spill of oil from a derailed train is 100 times larger than Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. initially reported. The company said Wednesday that only four barrels spilled. On Thursday, it said some oil had flowed beneath the snow and gone undetected. CP now estimates 400 barrels spilled, or 63,500 litres -- a slightly greater amount than the company's spill last week in Minnesota.

Arctic is opening up, report tells U.S. lawmakers 08 Apr 2013 Less ice and more opportunities for [US-engendered] conflict or cooperation: that's what lies ahead in the Arctic, a recent report prepared for the United States Congress shows. The report, called "Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues," tells U.S. lawmakers that "due to observed and projected climate change [global warming], scientists have concluded that the Arctic will have changed from an ice-covered environment to a recurrent ice-free ocean (in summers) as soon as the late 2030s." The character of ice cover is also expected to change, the report notes: ice will become thinner, more fragile, and more regionally variable.

Ottawa admits it approved request for foreign workers to replace RBC employees 08 Apr 2013 How an overseas outsourcing firm managed to get Ottawa’s nod to bring in foreign workers to replace 45 Canadian employees at the Royal Bank has become the centre of an official probe. On Monday, the federal government confirmed iGate, based in Fremont, Calif., was granted a positive labour market opinion (LMO), which is supposed to be issued only when an assessment determines the hiring will not take jobs away from available and qualified Canadians. While it is not clear if the temporary foreign workers from India have been working and reporting directly to RBC or iGate, the affected bank employees said they have been asked to train their replacements.

Fire destroys medical offices in Detroit following report of shooting 09 Apr 2013 A fire destroyed a Detroit building containing medical offices Tuesday morning after gunfire was reported at the facility, people who work at the building said. The Detroit Fire Department said it responded to a 911 call about the blaze at Park Medical Centers on the city's west side and that firefighters had largely extinguished the flames by late-morning. Smoke continued to rise from the building as police interviewed witnesses.

Protesters block southbound I-75 lanes in Detroit 05 Apr 2013 Protesters blocked all four lanes Friday morning of southbound I-75 near Mack in Detroit. Michigan State Police eventually pulled them over just before the I-375 split and helped direct traffic. The protesters have been on area freeways before, rallying against Detroit's [dictatorial] emergency manager.

Newtown families to join Obama on Air Force One 08 Apr 2013 After a speech in Connecticut this afternoon on the subject of gun violence, President Obama will fly back to Washington today alongside family members of victims from last year's mass shooting in Newtown, CBS News has confirmed, as the victims' relatives head to the U.S. Capitol in an effort to lobby lawmakers on gun safety laws. Mr. Obama is slated to speak this afternoon at the University of Hartford - about an hour's drive from the small Connecticut town where 20 first-graders were gunned down at school late last year - in part of an ongoing push to build support for his proposed gun safety reforms.

Big Pharma Pockets $711 Billion in Profits by Robbing Seniors, Taxpayers 08 Apr 2013 Here's an outrage that must be changed: Big Pharma has been systematically price-gouging the Medicare program for seniors and people with disabilities -- and raking in billions in excessive profits. The 11 largest global drug companies made an astonishing $711 billion in profits over the 10 years ending in 2012, and they got a turbo-charged boost when the Medicare Part D prescription drug program started in 2006, according to an analysis of corporate filings by Health Care for America Now (HCAN). The drug companies hold the power to charge America's consumers whatever they want. Worse, Medicare -- the nation's largest purchaser of drugs -- is prohibited by law from seeking better prices. In 2006, the first year of Medicare's prescription drug program, the combined profits of the largest drug companies soared 34 percent to $76.3 billion. And unlike other industries, such as Big Oil, drug companies get something even better than a tax subsidy -- they get a government program.

Republican senator aide planned to smear Ashley Judd's mental health 09 Apr 2013 An aide of Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell [himself a psychotic sack of corporate ****] has been recorded talking about attacking Ashley Judd as "emotionally unbalanced". The actress had considered running for the Democrats in Kentucky in 2014 but pulled out of the race last month. The February 2 recording obtained by nonprofit news organization Mother Jones outlines how McConnell hoped to discredit his potential opponent. "I assume most of you have played the, the game Whac-A-Mole?" McConnell can be heard saying. "This is the Whac-A-Mole period of the campaign... when anybody sticks their head up, do them out."

Secret Tape: McConnell and Aides Weighed Using Judd's Mental Health and Religion as Political Ammo 09 Apr 2013 On February 2, Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, opened up his 2014 reelection campaign headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, and in front of several dozen supporters vowed to "point out" the weaknesses of any opponent fielded by the Democrats. "They want to fight? We're ready," he declared. McConnell was serious: Later that day, he was huddling with aides in a private meeting to discuss how to attack his possible Democratic foes, including actor/activist Ashley Judd, who was then contemplating challenging the minority leader. During this strategy session--a recording of which was obtained by Mother Jones--McConnell and his aides considered assaulting Judd for her past struggles with depression and for her religious views.

Democrats lose fight in Montana Senate over ballot measures 06 Apr 2013 Over loud objections from Democrats, Montana's Republican-controlled Senate on Friday voted to put proposals on the 2014 ballot that would tighten voter registration and restrict the rights of third parties to compete in general elections. The measures, which are expected to be approved by the Republican-majority House, do not need approval from the Democratic governor. Democrats tried to stall action on the bills through a rarely used parliamentary procedure, demanding that the vote be delayed until a missing Democratic senator was found and brought into the chamber. But Republicans moved forward anyway, prompting Democrats to leap to their feet, shout objections and pound on their desks with everything from coffee mugs to copies of the Montana constitution.

Ex-Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher dies, aged 87 08 Apr 2013 Former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher has died "peacefully" at the age of 87 after suffering a stroke, her family has announced. David Cameron called her a "great Briton" and the Queen spoke of her sadness at the death. Lady Thatcher was Conservative prime minister from 1979 to 1990. She was the first woman to hold the role. She will not have a state funeral but will be accorded the same status as Princess Diana and the Queen Mother. [Margaret Thatcher labeled Nelson Mandela and the ANC 'terrorists.' In fact, Thatcher was the terrorist, along with her mentor, senile sociopath Ronald Reagan. --LRP]

Pastor Rick Warren's son commits suicide 06 Apr 2013 The Southern California church headed by popular evangelical Pastor Rick Warren says his 27-year-old son has committed suicide. Warren's Saddleback Valley Community Church in Lake Forest, California, said in a statement Saturday that Matthew Warren had struggled with mental illness and deep depression. Rick Warren is the author of "The Purpose Driven Life."

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