Breaking News and Commentary from CLG - 28 Dec 2011

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Diseased seals in Alaska tested for Fukushima radiation 28 Dec 2011 Scientists in Alaska are investigating whether local seals are being sickened by radiation from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. Scores of ring seals have washed up on Alaska's Arctic coastline since July, suffering or killed by a mysterious disease marked by bleeding lesions on the hind flippers, irritated skin around the nose and eyes and patchy hair loss on the animals' fur coats. Biologists at first thought the seals were suffering from a virus, but they have so far been unable to identify one, and tests are now underway to find out if radiation is a factor.

TEPCO says it 'no longer owns' Fukushima fallout 27 Dec 2011 In terms of sheer chutzpah, Tokyo Electric Power Co's claim that it no longer owns the radioactive isotopes that spewed out of its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March takes some beating. In defending a lawsuit from a Fukushima Prefecture golf club, lawyers said the radioactive cesium that had blighted the Sunfield Nihonmatsu golf course's fairways and greens was the club's problem. The utility has taken a similarly hard line defending claims from ryokan (inn) and onsen (spa) owners. TEPCO's lawyers used the arcane legal principle of res nullius to argue the emissions that escaped after the meltdown[s] were no longer its responsibility. "Radioactive materials (such as cesium) that scattered and fell from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant belong to individual landowners, not TEPCO," the utility told Tokyo District Court. [Anonymous? TEPCO needs to be next.]

U.S. finds new human infection with swine H3N2 flu --H3N2 case is 12th in five states reported in U.S. since this new virus first spotted in July 23 Dec 2011 U.S. public health officials have found another case of human infection with a swine-origin H3N2 virus, this time in a child from West Virginia. And they also reported finding a human infection with a new swine influenza virus never before seen in humans, in a person in Wisconsin who had contact with pigs. The investigation into West Virginia case suggests the child was infected by another person and that some amount of human-to-human spread of the [US-created] virus took place in the unnamed community where the child lives, according to details released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Under Obama, an emerging global apparatus for drone killing --No president has ever relied so extensively on the secret killing of individuals to 'advance' the nation's security goals. 27 Dec 2011 In the space of three years, the Obama regime has built an extensive apparatus for using drones to carry out targeted killings of suspected terrorists and stealth surveillance of other adversaries. The apparatus involves dozens of secret facilities, including two operational hubs on the East Coast, virtual Air Force cockpits in the Southwest and clandestine bases in at least six countries on two continents. The rapid expansion of the drone program has blurred long-standing boundaries between the CIA and the military.

Rep. Paul says defense bill assures 'descent into totalitarianism' 26 Dec 2011 GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul warned that the National Defense Authorization Act, which was passed by Congress this month, will accelerate the country's "slip into tyranny" and virtually assures "our descent into totalitarianism." One controversial provision of the NDAA mandates the detention of terror suspects and reaffirms the administration's authority to detain those suspected of having ties to terrorist organizations. "The president's widely expanded view of his own authority to detain Americans indefinitely even on American soil is for the first time in this legislation codified in law," Paul said Monday. "That should chill all of us to our cores."

NDAA mass dox By A Guest 15 Dec 2011 @doxcak3 with help from cabincr3w and p0isanon --Robert J. Portman is a Republican Senator from the state of Ohio. He has made himself a target as an advocate of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act), but we are truly disturbed by the ludicrous $272,853 he received from special interest groups supporting the NDAA bill that authorizes the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens on U.S. soil. Robert J. Portman, we plan to make an example of you...

Antisec Hits Private Intel Firm; Million of Docs Allegedly Lifted 26 Dec 2011 The Antisec wing of Anonymous revealed on Saturday that had compromised the servers of the private intelligence firm Strategic Forecasting Inc. — allegedly seizing millions of internal documents and thousands of credit card numbers from the company, more commonly known as Stratfor. Antisec breached Stratfor's networks several weeks ago, according to sources within the group that attacked the firm. Anonymous is planning to release much more information - up to 200 gigabytes worth, in parts throughout the week leading up to New Year's Eve.

Congress seeks legal framework for Internet censorship By Mike Ingram 28 Dec 2011 Two bills aimed at establishing a legal framework for government and corporate censorship of the Internet are expected to be discussed in January when Congress returns from its winter break. The first is the so-called PIPA, or Protect IP Act, introduced to the US Senate on May 12 by Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy. The second is the Stop Online Piracy Act, known as SOPA. This bill was introduced to the House of Representatives on October 26, 2011 by Republican Lamar Smith. The bills are the latest bipartisan attempt to give the government the ability to shut down the Internet or parts of the Internet.

TSA screenings aren't just for airports anymore --Roving security teams increasingly visit train stations, subways and other mass transit sites to deter terrorism. 20 Dec 2011 The Transportation Security Administration isn't just in airports anymore. TSA teams are increasingly conducting searches and screenings at train stations, subways, ferry terminals and other mass transit locations around the country. The TSA's 25 'VIPR' (Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response) teams have run more than 9,300 unannounced checkpoints and other search operations in the last year. Department of Homeland Security officials have asked Congress for funding to add 12 more teams next year.

Melee at nation's largest mall leads to more security --Mall officials ordered lockdown 27 Dec 2011 More security officers were patrolling the nation's largest mall on Tuesday after a series of fights among dozens of young adults and juveniles broke out Monday afternoon, the day after Christmas and one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Police arrested at least nine individuals for disorderly conduct after a fight that started in the Mall of America's food court spread throughout the mall, said Cmdr. Mark Stehlik with the Bloomington police department.

'US spy drone crashes in Afghanistan' 27 Dec 2011 Afghan officials say an American reconnaissance drone has crashed in Afghanistan's southeastern province of Paktia, Press TV reports. A Tuesday statement released by NATO confirmed the incident but claimed that the unmanned aircraft made an emergency landing "due to technical malfunction." [LOL!] According to locals, US-led forces have cordoned off the site of the incident. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid also claimed that members of the militant group shot down the drone in the Ahmadabad district of the province.

3 US-led soldiers die in Afghan blast 28 Dec 2011 A roadside bomb explosion has killed at least three soldiers from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in eastern Afghanistan, officials say. ISAF said in a statement released Wednesday that the soldiers were killed Tuesday.

US judge rules Iran responsible for 9/11 --'Findings:' Iran continued to provide material support and resources to al-Qaida by providing a safe haven for al-Qaida leadership and rank-and-file members. 24 Dec 2011 A US judge has signed a default judgment finding Iran, the Taliban and al-Qaida [al-CIAduh] liable for the September 11, 2001 attacks. Judge George Daniels in Manhattan signed the judgement a week after hearing evidence in the 10-year-old case. Judge Daniels signed findings of fact saying the plaintiffs had established that the attacks were caused by the support the defendants provided to al-Qaida. [9/11 was an inside job, six ways to Sunday.]

After 10 years, US blames Iran for 9/11 --Press TV interview with James Fetzer, founder of Scholars for 9/11 Truth 24 Dec 2011 A US judge has signed a judgment that finds Iran, the Taliban and al-Qaeda responsible for 9/11, counter to the FBI's official reports relating to the incident. Press TV talks with James Fetzer, founder of Scholars for 9/11 Truth in Madison about why Iran has only now been included in the list ten years after the fact and why Saudi Arabia was excluded from the list even though 15 of the alleged highjackers were from Saudi Arabia according to the FBI list. (Video and transcript.)

Iran begins trial of CIA operative 27 Dec 2011 An Iranian court has begun the trial of the CIA- trained operative who was arrested by Iran's intelligence agents last week on charges of espionage for the US. According to the indictment which was read out at court, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati has been charged with attempting to infiltrate Iran's intelligence apparatus to implicate the Islamic Republic in sponsoring terrorism. The indictment added that the defendant had been hired by CIA in May 2009 to carry out espionage missions in Iran.

'Hormuz naval drill, message to West' 26 Dec 2011 A senior Iranian lawmaker says the ongoing Velayat 90 naval drill aim to send a warning to the West that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed if Iran is threatened. "The [Iranian] Navy's military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman indicate the power and dominance of Iran's Navy in regional waters," member of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Zohreh Elahian said Monday. The lawmaker stated that military drills also aim to increase Iran's deterrence power and prove its regional dominance.

Economic Downturn Took a Detour at Capitol Hill 27 Dec 2011 The not-so-exclusive club, Capitol Hill millionaires, has grown in recent years to include nearly half of all members of Congress - 250 in all - and the wealth gap between lawmakers and their constituents appears to be growing quickly, even as Congress debates unemployment benefits, possible cuts in food stamps and a "millionaire's tax." Within the halls of Congress, the median net worth is $913,000 and climbing. Largely insulated from the country's economic downturn since 2008, members of Congress - many of them among the "1 percenters" denounced by Occupy Wall Street protesters - have gotten much richer even as most of the country has become much poorer in the last six years, according to an analysis by The New York Times based on data from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit research group.

Government of the rich, by rich and for the rich By Patrick Martin 28 Dec 2011 According to a study reported Tuesday, nearly half the members of the United States Congress are millionaires. Of the 535 legislators (100 members of the Senate and 435 members of the House of Representatives), at least 250 are millionaires and the median net worth is $913,000. Sixty-seven senators are millionaires and the median wealth of the body's 100 members is $2.63 million... The median net worth of members of the House of Representatives, excluding home equity, has more than doubled over the last 25 years, from $280,000 in 1984 to $725,000 in 2009 in inflation-adjusted dollars. During that same period, the median net worth of an American family fell from $20,600 to $20,500.

Iowa GOP moving vote-count to 'undisclosed location' 27 Dec 2011 Threats to disrupt the Iowa Republican caucuses next week have prompted state GOP officials to move the vote tabulation to an "undisclosed location," POLITICO has learned. The state party has not yet told the campaigns exactly where the returns will be added up, only that it will be off-site from the Iowa GOP's Des Moines headquarters. Activist groups including the Occupy movement have indicated that they'll attempt to interrupt rallies in the closing days before next Tuesday's caucuses.

Rick Perry's Taxpayer-Funded Security Costs Rise --The bills for Perry's omnipresent security detail continue, costing taxpayers as much as $400,000 a month. 25 Dec 2011 Gov. Rick Perry was near the height of his popularity when he barnstormed California in September to raise money for his presidential bid and to participate in his first nationally televised debate. His state-provided security guards were flying pretty high, too, spending more than $32,000 in taxpayer money for travel and lodging in San Francisco, $4,400 to dine near the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley, and another $6,400 for plane tickets to San Diego, records show.

Nebraska 'Democrat' Ben Nelson Says He Won't Run in 2012 [Good riddance, dirt-bag! Take Obusha with you into retirement!] 27 Dec 2011 DemocRATic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska announced today he won't seek re-election next year, a retirement hurting his party's bid to keep its majority in the chamber. Nelson, whose home state is predominantly Republican, is the seventh member of the Senate's Democratic caucus to decide to retire ahead of November elections in which his party is defending a 53-47 majority in the chamber. A net gain of four seats by Republicans would ensure them Senate control, regardless of the outcome of the presidential race.

ENDS

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