CLG News

Beto O'Rourke Wrote Fantasy About Murdering Children - Report | 15 March 2019 | A new report from Reuters reveals more skeletons from former Congressman Beto O'Rourke's (D-TX) past, including disturbing writings from when he was a teenager. In a profile that also documented O'Rourke's involvement in a hacker group, Reuters reported: "It's unclear whether the United States is ready for a presidential contender who, as a teenager, stole long-distance phone service for his dial-up modem, wrote a murder fantasy in which the narrator drives over children on the street..." In writings that Reuters says still exist online, O'Rourke also reportedly wrote about murdering children by running them over with a car. “As I neared the young ones, I put all my weight on my right foot, keeping the accelerator pedal on the floor until I heard the crashing of the two children on the hood, and then the sharp cry of pain from one of the two. I was so fascinated for a moment, that when after I had stopped my vehicle, I just sat in a daze, sweet visions filling my head."

US warship quarantined for two months after rare virus outbreak infects crew | 16 March 2019 | A US warship has spent two months in isolation after dozens of crew were infected by a rare virus. The outbreak happened on the USS Fort McHenry, a Whitby Island-Class dock landing ship that has more than 700 service members on board. The ship and crew were originally put into isolation after symptoms of Parotitis appeared in December last year. Around 25 sailors who caught the virus, which has similar symptoms to mumps, were treated by on-board medics and living areas were subjected to deep cleans.

Kirsten Gillibrand officially announces White House run | 17 March 2019 | Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Sunday officially announced she is running for president in 2020. The Democratic senator, who announced an exploratory committee for a potential run in January, takes aim at President Trump and highlights a number of progressive causes in a launch video that asks "Will brave win?"

Death toll rises to 50 in New Zealand mosque shootings | 17 March 2019 | The staggering death toll from the mass shootings at two Christchurch mosques has climbed to 50, New Zealand police confirmed Sunday, as the country continued to grapple with the emotional fallout from the atrocity. The body of the 50th victim was discovered at the Al Noor mosque, where most victims were killed, when officials were removing the victims' bodies on Saturday, New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters on Sunday. The number of wounded also increased to 50, he said.

Barack Obama's brother asks if Michelle is 'Michael' | 14 March 2019 | Barack Obama's half brother, Malik, took to Twitter on Thursday to ask if Michelle is actually "Michael". "Is Michelle Michael?" Obama asked, referring to a conspiracy theory that the former First Lady is actually a man. In 2017, Alex Jones claimed to have proof that Michelle was male. The Independent reported: In a 12-minute video, the Infowars host analyses footage and photos which he believes prove Ms Obama has a penis. "Since the early days of the Obama administration, citizens across the board have studied videos and photos of Michelle Obama and said that she is a man," Jones said. "And even [Barack] Obama has called her over and over again Michael. But new shock footage has emerged that is being censored off the internet as fast as you can upload it."

Washington Senate passes bill that would keep Trump off 2020 ballot unless he releases tax returns | 16 March 2019 | Washington's state Senate passed a bill this week that would drop President Trump from the state's 2020 presidential ballot until he releases his tax returns. The bill, which advanced Tuesday to the state's House of Representatives, according to CBS News, would require any candidate on the ballot for president in the state to release five years of tax returns before appearing in a general or primary election. Senators voted by a 28-21 margin to approve the bill, according to CBS.

The Making of Juan Guaido: How the US Regime Change Laboratory Created Venezuela's Coup Leader | 29 January 2019 | GrayZone Project -- Before the fateful day of January 22, fewer than one in five Venezuelans had heard of Juan Guaidó...Even in his own party, Guaidó had been a mid-level figure in the opposition-dominated National Assembly, which is now held under contempt according to Venezuela's constitution. But after a single phone call from US Vice President Mike Pence, Guaidó proclaimed himself as president of Venezuela. Anointed as the leader of his country by Washington, a previously unknown political bottom-dweller was vaulted onto the international stage as the US-selected leader of the nation with the world's largest oil reserves...While Guaidó seemed to have materialized out of nowhere, he was, in fact, the product of more than a decade of assiduous grooming by the US government's elite regime change factories.

Trump issues first veto, warning of 'reckless' resolution | 15 March 2019 | President Trump on Friday issued the first veto of his presidency, stymieing Congress's attempt to block him from obtaining funds for his wall at the U.S.-Mexico border without lawmakers' approval. Trump vetoed a resolution of disapproval of his emergency declaration that passed the House and the Senate. In an Oval Office ceremony, Trump said Americans would be put at risk if the "dangerous" and "reckless" resolution became law.

New Zealand raising national security threat, prime minister says | 15 March 2019 | New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country's national security threat level has been lifted from low to high after the two mosque attacks in Christchurch. She says the shootings appear to have been a well-planned "terrorist attack."

At least 49 people are killed and 48 injured in multiple Christchurch mosque massacres involving an Australian terrorist, 28, who live-streamed himself opening fire on worshippers - as a man in his 20s is charged with murder --Witnesses reported hearing 50 shots from his semi-automatic shotgun at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch | 15 March 2019 | A white Australian right-wing terrorist who livestreamed his sickening shooting spree on facebook is one of four people arrested over dual mosque attacks which left 49 dead and 48 injured on New Zealand’s 'darkest day'. The gunman, who identified himself as Brenton Tarrant from Grafton in New South Wales, stormed the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on the country's South Island about 1.30pm, opening fire with a semi-automatic shotgun and a rifle on hundreds of defenceless worshippers attending Friday prayers...In the aftermath of the bloody attacks, three men and one woman were arrested, with police charging 'one man in his late 20s' with murder. One of them was arrested while wearing a suicide vest, while a man wearing military fatigues was arrested outside Papanui High School.

New Zealand shooting: Attacker planted bombs on cars ahead of carnage, police confirm | 15 March 2019 | Numerous bombs were attached to cars in Christchurch, New Zealand's police commissioner has confirmed. In a press brief, Mike Bush said that the cars had been made safe after IEDs were found on them. He said: "This speaks to the seriousness of what occurred."

Australian in custody over mosque shooting | 15 March 2019 | Australian police and intelligence agencies have joined an investigation into the Christchurch mosque shootings after it was revealed an Australian man was in police custody. Brenton Tarrant, originally from the northern NSW town of Grafton, was one of four people arrested over the shooting attacks at two mosques in the South Island city... "I can confirm that the individual who was taken into custody, I have been advised, is an Australian-born citizen," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Sydney, without naming the man.

Four arrested over deadly shootings at two mosques in Christchurch --Mosques across the country are being urged to shut their doors, with police warning they are unsure if other gunmen are at large. | 15 March 2019 | At least 40 people have been killed in mass shootings at two mosques full of worshippers attending Friday prayers in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was "one of New Zealand's darkest days" and called the shootings a terrorist attacks. Another 20 people were seriously injured, she said. Three men and one woman are in custody, but police have warned there could be other attackers at large.

40 dead following 'terrorist attack' at two Christchurch mosques --People in central Christchurch have been told to stay indoors after gunmen reportedly opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch. | 15 March 2019 | 7.30pm update - 40 people are dead after at least one gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch during packed Friday prayers. One gunman live streamed the attack and posted the video onto social media channels around the world. The horrific video shows multiple people being shot with an automatic weapon from the point of view of the shooter... Armed police have also been seen at Papanui High School. Several improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were also found attached to cars in Christchurch city. The bombs have been assessed by the Defence Force and are now safe. Four people have so far been arrested.

Trump vows 'VETO!' after bipartisan Senate rebuke on border emergency declaration | 14 March 2019 | The U.S. Senate on Thursday rebuked President Donald Trump by voting to end his border emergency declaration, as 12 Republicans joined Democrats to deliver a second blow in as many days to the president, who quickly pledged a veto. The 59-41 vote was a bipartisan repudiation of Trump's decision to circumvent Congress and take money already designated for other programs and redirect it to pay for his U.S.-Mexico border wall, which he promised to build during his 2016 campaign. "VETO!" he tweeted shortly after the vote.

Israel Strikes 100 Targets in Gaza Overnight in Response to Rockets Fired at Tel Aviv --Three projectiles launched from Gaza to southern Israel Friday morning --Israel blames Hamas for rocket fire, but organization denies | 15 March 2019 | The Israeli army attacked some 100 targets in Gaza Thursday overnight in response to two rockets being fired at Tel Aviv from the Strip the evening before, a first since the 2014 war. According to the Israeli military, the Iron Dome missile defense system was activated. It is assumed that the rockets landed in open areas due to the fact that no damage or injuries were reported. Egyptian mediators said a cease-fire took effect at 8 A.M. local time, sources in Gaza told Haaretz. However, an official announcement has yet to be made.

California governor halts death penalty: 'I couldn't sleep' | 13 March 2019 | California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday halted the death penalty, saying he was deeply troubled by the possibility of executing an innocent person even though California voters have repeatedly backed capital punishment. Newsom was convinced by statistics suggesting that perhaps dozens of the 737 inmates on the state's death row were innocent. The state has not held an execution since 2006 but appeared to be moving toward resuming them.

These 12 GOP senators voted against Trump's national emergency declaration | 14 March 2019 | When the Senate passed a resolution Thursday to repudiate President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration, it wasn't just Democrats -- a dozen Republicans joined them to shut down the President's efforts to fund his embattled campaign promise of a wall along the southern border. The vote passed 59-41 in a Senate with a six-vote Republican majority. These are the 12 Republican senators who voted to terminate the national emergency declaration:

Sen. Roger Wicker (Mississippi)
Sen. Marco Rubio (Florida) [Sack of Deep State sh*t, busy orchestrating coup in Venezuela]
Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio)
Sen. Susan Collins (Maine)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Sen. Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania)
Sen. Roy Blunt (Missouri)
Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tennessee)
Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah)
Sen. Rand Paul (Kentucky)
Sen. Jerry Moran (Kansas)

Beto O’Rourke Enters the 2020 Presidential Campaign | 14 March 2019 | Beto O'Rourke, the 46-year-old former Texas congressman whose near-miss Senate run last year propelled him to Democratic stardom, announced on Thursday that he was running for president, betting that a broad message of national unity and generational change will lift him above a slate of committed progressives offering big-ticket policy ideas...Yet Mr. O'Rourke also comes to the 2020 race with few notable legislative accomplishments after three terms in the House representing El Paso. And in a primary so far defined by bedrock policy positions, like the economic agendas of Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Mr. O'Rourke enters without a signature proposal that might serve as the ideological anchor of his bid.

State Supreme Court overturns lower court ruling, says Sandy Hook families can sue gun manufacturer Remington | 14 March 2019 | The Connecticut Supreme Court Thursday narrowly reversed a ruling by a lower court judge dismissing a lawsuit by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting against Remington Arms Company, allowing the case to proceed. In a 4-3 decision the court remanded the landmark gun case back to Bridgeport Superior Court and possibly created a path that other mass shooting victims can follow to get around the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, known as PLCAA, which has protected the manufacturers of the AR-15 assault rifle from lawsuits.

Class-action lawsuit against Yale claims 'rigged' application process deprived students of a fair review | 14 March 2019 | A college student who was denied admission to Yale University is taking the school to court, alleging in a class-action lawsuit that Yale and other prominent universities were negligent in failing to prevent the cheating and bribery scandal that came to light this week. Stanford University student Erica Olsen and her co-plaintiff, classmate Kalea Woods, argue in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, that they were deprived of the fair and unbiased reviews they paid for through college application fees, "without any understanding or warning that unqualified students were slipping in through the back door of the admissions process by committing fraud, bribery, cheating and dishonesty."

Trump signs the Farm Bill making dog and cat meat illegal in the United States | 14 Feb 2019 | Groundbreaking victory for animals in the United States and across the world, the "Dog and Cat Meat Prohibition Act" was signed into law by President Trump as a provision of the Farm Bill. The bill was spearheaded and sponsored by the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation (AHWF), a nonprofit that rescues dogs and cats from the dog and cat meat trade abroad. The Act makes it a federal offense to slaughter, trade and import/export dogs and cats for human consumption, a practice that was previously legal in 44 states.

CNN hit with $275 million defamation suit by Kentucky student | 13 March 2019 | A Kentucky teenager sued CNN on Tuesday for defamation, saying the cable network falsely conveyed to viewers that he was the "face of an unruly hate mob" confronting a Native American activist at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington in January. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann in federal court in Kentucky, seeks $275 million in compensatory and punitive damages over the videotaped incident in the nation’s capital.

Report Reveals Pentagon Spent $4.6 Million on Crab, Lobster in One Month | 13 March 2019 | The federal government has been leading a lavish life, spending $4.6 million on luxury food items such as crab and lobster tail in the final month of the fiscal year 2018, OpenTheBooks, a non-profit that seeks to bring transparency and efficiency to the federal budget, revealed. "We looked at the year, it was $22 million spent by the Pentagon on lobster tail alone, over the course of the past four years on lobster tail alone it was nearly $55 million", OpenTheBooks CEO Adam Andrzejewski told Fox Business. According to the report, entitled "The Federal Government's Use-It-Or-Lose-It Spending Spree", federal agencies spent a total of $97 billion on contracts last year, marking a 16-percent uptick from fiscal year 2017. In the final days of the fiscal year 2018, agencies boosted their spending to $53 billion, which is more than they spent in the entire month of August.

Facebook reportedly under criminal investigation for secret data-sharing deals | 14 March 2019 | Federal prosecutors are probing Facebook's illicit data-sharing partnerships, reportedly subpoenaing data from smartphone manufacturers as the regulatory walls appear to close in on the beleaguered social media firm. A New York grand jury has subpoenaed two device-makers' records as part of a criminal investigation into some of the 150+ dubiously legal data partnerships Facebook [FaCIAbook] forged with technology companies and other large corporations, according to sources familiar with the requests who spoke to the New York Times.

Federal agents uncovered the college admissions scandal by accident while working on unrelated case | 13 March 2019 | The FBI uncovered the $25 million nationwide college admissions cheating scandal by accident while agents were working an unrelated securities fraud case, two law enforcement sources told ABC News. The Boston-based agents received a tip from someone connected to the securities fraud investigation about the alleged $400,000 bribe paid to the then-head women's soccer coach at Yale to fabricate athletic credentials, the sources said. The coach then cooperated with the investigation, according to the sources, which spiraled into what prosecutors called the largest college admissions cheating scam ever prosecuted in the United States, as 50 people were indicted, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.

USC says students connected to cheating scheme will be denied admission | 13 March 2019 | All University of Southern California applicants who are connected to the admissions cheating scheme will be denied admission, university spokesman Gary Polakovic said Wednesday. A case-by-case review will be conducted for students who are already enrolled at USC and may be connected to the scheme. USC will "make informed, appropriate decisions once those reviews have been completed. Some of these individuals may have been minors at the time of their application process," he said.

Manafort indicted in New York state, charges that fall outside Trump's pardon power | 13 March 2019 | President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted Wednesday by a state grand jury in New York on charges of residential mortgage fraud -- the announcement coming just minutes after Manafort was sentenced in federal court in Washington to more than seven years in prison. The charges filed against Manafort may stand as a kind of prosecutorial insurance policy against a possible presidential pardon -- a scenario Trump has refused to discuss as Manafort’s case worked its way through the federal court system. The president has called Manafort brave for fighting his case against special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. [Read the indictment: The People of the State of New York against Paul J. Manafort Jr.]

Signs of chaos, misery frozen at hospital near Fukushima plant | 13 March 2019 | First came the excruciating wait for rescue. Patients were sprawled on makeshift bedding scattered on the floor of a hall at Futaba Hospital. Many were stuck there for days without running water or electricity...It took five days to complete the evacuation of the hospital largely because of miscommunication and poor coordination between the Fukushima prefectural government, prefectural police and the Self-Defense Forces. Forty-four people, comprising patients who were waiting at Futaba Hospital and residents of an affiliated nursing-care home, died on the way to or at their new shelters. On March 12, closing arguments were heard at the Tokyo District Court in the trial of three former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

Parents Blame Elementary School's Cell Tower After 4th Student Diagnosed With Cancer | 12 March 2019 | (Ripon, CA) A fourth child has been diagnosed with cancer at a San Joaquin County elementary school, and parents believe it’s because of radiation caused by a cell phone tower. The towers are spread throughout the community, but it’s this particular one that parents say needs to go. "We had a doctor tell us that it's 100 percent environmental, the kind of tumor that he has," said Monica Ferrulli. Eric Windheim, an electromagnetic radiation specialist, said it's not just a cell tower, it also transmits wireless frequencies. "Instead of only going 300 yards like regular Wi-Fi, Y-Max can go 30 miles," he said.