CLG News

Radioactive material stolen from Durham, state officials say | 06 May 2021 | North Carolina officials are alerting residents to be on the lookout for potentially hazardous radioactive material stolen out of a Durham construction site on Thursday. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), the gauge, which uses radioactive materials to test conditions of materials during construction, went missing on May 6. The gauge was being held in a "Type A" transportation container, clearly marked as containing radioactive material, when it went missing. State officials said to be on the lookout for a container is described as having a yellow plastic case with the following labels: Radiation tri-foil (Radioactive - 7); USA DOT 7A; Type A Radioactive Material; Cargo Aircraft Only.

Maricopa County Did Not Have 'Admin' Access to the 2020 Election. This Means They Ceded Ownership of Election to Their Outside System Provider | 06 May 2021 | The Maricopa County Election team claims they do not have 'Admin' access to their voting machines. If this is the case, then the County did not own the election process they ceded it to their external vendor. System administrators are individuals who have access to the systems at their highest levels. They have complete and total control and can even delete or alter system logs. By allowing Dominion to have the administration access only, Maricopa County has basically turned over the system to the Dominion voting machine system people. There is no IT control here [in Maricopa County] because that's been ceded to Dominion.

Helmand Post Transferred to Afghan Army as Withdrawal Begins | 4 May 2021 | The U.S. military has transferred an installation in Helmand province to the Afghan National Army as it begins the process of withdrawing from Afghanistan. Contingency Location New Antonik has been officially handed over to the Afghans, U.S. Central Command officials said in a Tuesday release. Since Joe Biden last month announced plans to pull all remaining U.S. forces from Afghanistan no later than Sept. 11, CENTCOM said about 60 C-17 loads of material have been flown out. Another more than 1,300 pieces of equipment were turned over to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction, CENTCOM said.

Maricopa County Admits to Withholding Routers Demanded in Senate Subpoena | 5 May 2021 | Maricopa County officials have not fully complied with the State Senate's election audit subpoenas, a decision made to avoid causing a "significant security risk" to data utilized by numerous law enforcement agencies, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said Monday. "We had previously believed that the risk would be eliminated by redacting the law enforcement data on the routers and not producing it. But we were informed that redaction did not eliminate the risk," Deputy County Attorney Joseph LaRue wrote in a letter to Senate Audit Liaison Ken Bennett... The letter from LaRue was prompted by Bennett's comments to KFYI's James T. Harris on Monday that Maricopa County officials are not in compliance with subpoenas signed by Senate President Karen Fann and Senate Judiciary Chair Warren Petersen. A judge ruled in February the legislative subpoenas are valid.

Facebook Oversight Board upholds Trump ban but calls indefinite suspension 'not appropriate' --Decision comes after Trump rolled out a new communications platform, 'From the desk of Donald J. Trump' | 05 May 2021 Facebook's Oversight Board on Wednesday upheld former President Donald Trump's ban from Facebook and Instagram, but said it was "not appropriate" for Facebook to impose the "indeterminate and standard-less penalty of indefinite suspension." "The Board has upheld Facebook's decision on January 7, 2021, to restrict then-President Donald Trump’s access to posting content on his Facebook page and Instagram account," the board announced Wednesday morning. But the board gave Facebook six months to review the "arbitrary" indefinite ban, saying in a tweet that the company "violated its own rules."

Trump slams Facebook ban as 'total disgrace,' says Big Tech companies 'must pay a political price' | 05 May 2021 | Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed the Facebook Oversight Board's decision to uphold his ban from Facebook and Instagram as a "total disgrace," saying Big Tech companies "must pay a political price." The board on Wednesday upheld Trump's ban from Facebook and Instagram but said it was "not appropriate" for Facebook to impose the "indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension." The board gave Facebook six months to review the "arbitrary" indefinite ban, saying in a tweet that the company "violated its own rules." "What Facebook, Twitter, and Google have done is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to our Country," Trump said in a statement after the decision, which he also posted to his new communications platform, "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump."

Who are the first members of Facebook's oversight board? | 5 May 2021 | Facebook Inc's independent oversight board, which on Wednesday upheld the company's ban on former U.S. President Donald Trump, currently consists of 20 members. Here is a list of the board members.

Trump Appears to Launch Communications Platform Months After Twitter Ban | 4 May 2021 | Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to launch a new communications platform, coming several months after he was suspended from Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms. The platform appears on Trump's personal website. It includes social-media-like posts from the former president that can be shared to Facebook and Twitter. It's not clear whether the website will be developed into a full-fledged social media website.

100,000 Canadians protest lockdowns in Montreal --Montreal Police were on site at the protest, handing out tickets for masking non-compliance to some protesters. | 3 May 2021 | An estimated 100,000 people gathered in Montreal on Saturday to protest draconian COVID lockdown rules, in what was the biggest Canadian anti-COVID march seen to date. The protest took place in the city of Montreal, Quebec, the largest French-speaking city in Canada, and saw protesters gather near the Olympic Stadium before taking to the streets on a planned route. According to a Rebel News report of the protest, the demonstration was "downright festive" in nature, with many people shouting cries of "Liberté."

Revealed: Chauvin juror who promised judge impartiality now says people should join juries 'to spark some change,' wore BLM shirt in 2020 | 2 May 2021 | A juror on the Derek Chauvin trial who told the court that he had no prior knowledge of the George Floyd civil case was photographed last August wearing a shirt that read "Get your knee off our necks" and "BLM." He stated last week that he saw jury duty as a means to "spark some change." Juror #52, now identified as Brandon Mitchell, reportedly told Judge Cahill on March 15 that he had no prior knowledge of the case prior to being summoned for jury duty. Speaking in a show called Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell on April 27, Mitchell said that people should say yes to jury duty as a means to promote societal change.

First genetically modified mosquitoes released in the United States --Biotech firm Oxitec launches controversial field test of its insects in Florida after years of push-back from residents and regulatory complications. | 3 May 2021 | After a decade of fighting for regulatory approval and public acceptance, a biotechnology firm has released genetically engineered mosquitoes into the open air in the United States for the first time. The experiment, launched this week in the Florida Keys -- over the objections of some local critics -- tests a method for suppressing populations of wild Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which can carry diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Oxitec, the firm based in Abingdon, UK, that developed the mosquitoes, has previously field-tested the insects in Brazil, Panama, the Cayman Islands and Malaysia.

Canada Will Require Using a Vaccine Passport for Entry | 1 May 2021 | Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu says her government supports the idea of a "vaccine passport" and will come up with a form of vaccine certification to allow vaccinated Canadians to travel internationally. Hajdu said Canada will likely be able to fast-forward its own vaccine passport program by adapting an existing app. "From our perspective we have a bit of a head start in terms of entry into Canada in that we have ArriveCAN, the app that allows for digital proof of testing, for example, now, and a variety of other documents that people have to submit to enter Canada," Hajdu said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends all local COVID emergency orders | 3 May 2021 | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday ordered all COVID-19 emergency mandates issued by local governments to be immediately lifted. DeSantis said he signed the executive order because it was the "evidence-based thing to do," the Orlando Sentinel reported. The order is to "bridge the gap" until a new law takes effect on July 1 that gives the governor the power to overrule cities and counties in the Sunshine State, he said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign bill banning social media 'deplatforming' | 1 May 2021 | Social media companies would be unable to permanently kick people off their platforms under a tough new Florida law. The bill, passed by the GOP-dominated state Legislature Thursday and awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis's signature, would make it a crime to remove state political candidates from Twitter and Facebook, and would mete out penalties of $250,000 a day for any statewide candidate who is deplatformed. Removing more local candidates would cost the company $25,000 a day. The bill also requires tech companies to give users seven days notice that they are at risk of being banned and offer them the opportunity to correct the issue.

After Killing Thousands of Elderly in Nursing Homes, Cuomo Says Unvaccinated People Will Kill Grandma | 3 May 2021 | New York Governor Cuomo on Monday announced the end to most Covid restrictions during a press conference. At one point Cuomo took a shot at people who refuse to take the experimental Covid vaccine. "Maybe you go home and kiss your grandmother and wind up killing your grandmother." Cuomo said. (Video)

Biden quadruples refugee cap to 62,500 following Democratic outcry | 3 May 2021 | Joe Biden increased the limit of refugee admissions to 62,500 for this fiscal year on Monday following intense pressure from fellow Democrats. Biden increased the refugee cap just weeks after he announced his intent to maintain a 15,000-refugee cap first imposed by former President Donald Trump. The initial limit drew outrage from prominent Democrats, who accused Biden of moving too slowly to reverse Trump-era refugee entry policies.

Houston-area nurse says she was terminated for declining the COVID-19 vaccine | 30 April 2021 | A Houston-area woman says she was a nurse at Houston Methodist for about 10 years until this week. "I knew that the date was looming over my head of me to get the vaccine and we were constantly being pressured and pressured," Michelle Fuentes told FOX 26. On April 1, Houston Methodist announced it would require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine by June 7. However, the hospital system asked employees who would not get the vaccine to submit documentation for consideration for a medical or religious exemption by May 3. ...Also, Fuentes said she wants the clinical trials to be completed before she decides to get the vaccine or not.

FDA to authorize Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for 12-to-15-year-olds by early next week, official says | 3 May 2021 | The US Food and Drug Administration is poised to authorize Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine in children and teens ages 12 to 15 by early next week, a federal government official tells CNN. Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine for teens and children ages 12 to 15. The FDA will have to amend the emergency use authorization for the vaccine, but the process should be straightforward, said the official, who was not authorized to speak about the process publicly and requested anonymity.

Rep. Mast blasts Biden administration for ending vets' Memorial Day motorcycle tradition | 3 May 2021 | Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., blasted the Biden administration for rescinding a permit for a 30-plus years Memorial Day tradition for veterans that has always been staged in the Pentagon parking lot. "Memorial Day traditions like Rolling to Remember have been granted permits by every administration, Democrat and Republican, for the past 30 years. The Biden Administration's decision to end this Memorial Day tradition flies in the face of the freedoms that so many have died to protect," Rep. Mast said in a statement to Fox News. "...But sadly right now, in Joe Biden's America, it is easier to cross the border illegally than it is to get a permit to pay our respects to our nation's fallen heroes."

Separating rumor from fact on Covid-19's origin | 3 May 2021 | By Sharyl Attkisson. The U.S.- Chinese research involved genetically engineering bat coronavirus to make it infect human airway cells in mice, in order to invent vaccines and other therapeutics. U.S. taxpayer money supported the controversial vaccine research with Chinese scientists through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Some support came from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), led by Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Powerful teachers union influenced CDC on school reopenings, emails show | 1 May 2021 | The American Federation of Teachers lobbied the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on, and even suggested language for, the federal agency's school-reopening guidance released in February. The powerful teachers union's full-court press preceded the federal agency putting the brakes on a full re-opening of in-person classrooms, emails between top CDC, AFT and White House officials show. The emails were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the conservative watchdog group Americans for Public Trust and provided to The Post. The documents show a flurry of activity between CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, her top advisors and union officials -- with Biden brass being looped in at the White House -- in the days before the highly-anticipated Feb. 12 announcement on school-reopening guidelines.

'Deplorable' professor creates 'anti-indoctrination mill' with new education startup --[CLG News Founder] Michael Rectenwald riled NYU with his tweets. Now he's recruiting academics to teach courses that push back on critical race theory. | 3 May 2021 | Michael Rectenwald got himself chased out of New York University when the self-identified communist copped to tweeting against trigger warnings, safe spaces and bias reporting under the pseudonym "Deplorable NYU Prof." The professor left two years ago with a golden parachute -- the result of a legal settlement with the private university that included a retirement package. He's not content anymore with just writing polemical books and fiction in retirement. Now Rectenwald is scouting for academics to join an educational startup, American Scholars, that is launching this summer.

Florida Gov. DeSantis Suspends Local COVID-19 Emergency Orders, Bans Vaccine Passports | 3 May 2021 | Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning COVID-19 vaccine passports and also announced an executive order that suspends all local pandemic emergency mandates effective July 1. DeSantis signed Senate Bill 2006, passed by Florida state lawmakers last month granting DeSantis the ability to override local emergency orders. The bill also includes a ban on vaccine passports that would levy fines of $5,000 per violation. DeSantis has been a vocal opponent of so-called vaccine passports, saying they would create two classes of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

Biden Admin Considering Using Private Firms to Conduct Warrantless Surveillance of U.S. Citizens - CNN | 3 May 2021 | The Biden administration is reportedly considering working with private firms to monitor "extremist chatter by Americans online" because the federal government is legally limited to what they can do without a warrant. The report said the federal government is also banned from using false identities to gain access to private messaging apps and groups. The government can scan public social media profiles. "The plan being discussed inside DHS, according to multiple sources, would, in effect, allow the department to circumvent" laws that limit what the federal government can do in surveilling U.S. citizens without a warrant, CNN reported. "A source familiar with the effort said it is not about decrypting data but rather using outside entities who can legally access these private groups to gather large amounts of information that could help DHS identify key narratives as they emerge."

Records Show Iowa State Officials Coordinated with Big Tech to Censor Election Posts - Judicial Watch | 3 May 2021 | Judicial Watch announced today that it received 624 pages of records from the office of the Secretary of State of Iowa, revealing how state officials pressured social media companies (Twitter and Facebook) to censor posts about the 2020 election... The emails show how the state agency successfully pressured Facebook to censor Judicial Watch's post about Iowa's management of its voter rolls. Judicial Watch received the records as a result of a June 2020 Iowa Open Records lawsuit that was filed after the Iowa Secretary of State failed to comply with a February 2020 request for records and communications about a Judicial Watch report regarding the accuracy of the state's voter registration rolls (Judicial Watch v. Iowa Secretary of State (No. 05771 EQCE085973)).

CNN Host: It's Time for Government and Big Business to Force Americans to Be Vaccinated | 3 May 2021 | There are alarming signs that coercion is going to be the tool of choice for the "public-private partnership" when it comes to meeting Joe Biden's stated goal of mass vaccinations. With the administration’s push to get the vaccines into the arms of every American having stalled, there is a dilemma for the one-party government... Now there will be increasing pressure placed on those who are "vaccine hesitant" to line up, roll up their sleeves, and get "the jab." Some are already demanding that it's time to simply force people to comply, or else. One of them is CNN host Michael Smerconish, who over the weekend used his show to call for such drastic measures. He made it a point to single out "rural more Republican areas" that had excess vaccine inventories citing a New York Times report.

Tens of Thousands of Pennsylvania Residents Affected by COVID Contact-Tracing Data Breach | 30 April 2021 | Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania residents could have had their personal information exposed when Insight Global, the company in charge of the state's COVID-19 contact-tracing, experienced a data breach. Data that "may have been accessible to persons beyond authorized employees and public health officials" included the names of people who may have been exposed to COVID-19, their symptoms, household composition information, emails and telephone numbers, and information needed for social-support services, Law360 reports.

Firm Overseeing Arizona Election Audit Says Court Released Security Plan to Public | 2 May 2021 | The Florida-based firm that's overseeing the 2020 election audit in Arizona's largest county on April 30 claimed that a court released its security plan to the public, despite knowing it was meant to be shielded from public view. Cyber Ninjas submitted a slew of documents to the Maricopa County Superior Court in response to a recent ruling by Judge Daniel Martin, who rejected an attempt to file the documents under seal because of their sensitive nature and ordered them filed by noon local time on April 29. But even the plaintiffs in the case, the Arizona Democratic Party, agreed that one exhibit, which gave an overview of the security for the audit, should be withheld from the public.

Two rockets target Baghdad airport base housing US troops | 2 May 2021 | Two rockets targeted an airbase at Iraq's Baghdad airport housing US-led coalition troops on Sunday, in the second such attack in 10 days, the Iraqi army said. One of the projectiles was intercepted by the C-RAM counter rocket, artillery and mortar system deployed to protect US troops in Iraq, a security source told AFP. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack which the army said caused no casualties.