From the Trenches World Report
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International Man – by Nick Giambruno
“It’s a big club and you ain’t in it!”
I’m often reminded of these words, spoken by the great comedian George Carlin, when I read about the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Continue reading “Revealed: The Hidden Agenda of Davos 2016”
In a move likely to further increase already volatile tensions in the region, China has deployed fighter jets to a contested island in the South China Sea, the same island where China deployed surface-to-air missiles last week, two U.S. officials tell Fox News.
The dramatic escalation came as Secretary of State John Kerry hosted his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, at the State Department. Continue reading “China sends fighter jets to contested island in South China Sea”
This is an important story about Judicial Watch’s complicated and complex investigation into the Obama administration’s deadly Operation Fast and Furious scandal. And this is one story that should be shared far and wide.
Earlier this week Judicial Watch was pleased to announce that we scored a victory in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding a September 5, 2013, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for all records of communications between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on settlement discussions in the Committee’s 2012 contempt of Congress lawsuit against former Attorney General Eric Holder. The contempt citation stemmed from Holder’s refusal to turn over documents to Congress related to the Operation Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal. The appeals court decision was issued last week, on February 12. Continue reading “Fast and Furious Court Victory for Judicial Watch”
Washington Post – by Spencer S. Hsu
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that State Department officials and top aides to Hillary Clinton should be questioned under oath about whether they intentionally thwarted federal open records laws by using or allowing the use of a private email server throughout Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of Washington came in a lawsuit over public records brought by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal watchdog group, regarding its May 2013 request for information about the employment arrangement of Huma Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide. Continue reading “U.S. judge orders discovery to go forward over Clinton’s private email system”
Computer World – by Gregg Keizer
Apple faces at least a dozen other demands by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist in accessing iPhones, according to a recent filing with a New York federal court.
Those 12 cases are in addition to the one involving an iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, who with his wife Tafsheen Malik, killed 14 in San Bernardino, Calif., on Dec. 2 before they died in a shootout with police. Apple is fighting a court order that compels it to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conduct a brute-force passcode attack on Farook’s iPhone by creating a modified version of iOS. Continue reading “Apple faces at least 12 other All Writs Act orders to force it to unlock more iPhones”
The Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have officially declared they will not hold a hearing on anyone President Obama nominates for the Supreme Court.
In a letter today, signed by all 11 Republicans on the 20-member committee, the members tell their Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, they will “not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next president is sworn in on January 20, 2017.” Continue reading “Senate Judiciary Republicans Vow No Hearing for Supreme Court Nominee”
Think Progress – by MATT LEE-ASHLEY
Less than two weeks after the arrest of Cliven Bundy and the armed militants who were occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider three bills that would dispose of vast stretches of national forests and other public lands across the country. Continue reading “House Moves On Bills That Would Allow States To Seize Millions Of Acres Of Public Lands”
Think Progress – by ALEX ZIELINSKI
Oily black liquid is coming out of residential faucets in the rural Texas town of Crystal City, and no one is sure who to alert. That’s because twelve days ago, the FBI arrested all but one the top elected officials in town for their involvement in an illegal gambling ring and immigrant smuggling.
The murky water force local schools to close early on Thursday, a decision made by the school district Superintendent Imelda Allen. Continue reading “‘Black Sludge’ Pours Out Of Texas Town’s Faucets Days After FBI Arrests Nearly Every City Official”
The Advocate – by FAIMON A. ROBERTS III AND JIM MUSTIAN
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has recalled the head of its New Orleans field division amid a turbulent stretch for the agency that included the arrest of a task force member last month and a drug raid in the Lower 9th Ward that resulted in the shooting of a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy.
Adding to the turmoil are allegations of misconduct against a local DEA agent made in court papers this month that have been placed under seal. Continue reading “Head of New Orleans DEA is recalled to Washington amid widening scandal”
A Mississippi policeman who worked in an anti-narcotics squad was killed on Saturday and three state troopers were wounded in a shootout with a suspect during a standoff in the northeastern corner of the state, according to local officials.
The suspect was also killed in the exchange early Saturday morning in a rural area of Tishomingo County near Iuka, about 118 miles east of Memphis, Tennessee, according to County Coroner Mack Wilemon. Continue reading “Mississippi policeman killed, three wounded during standoff”
The Apple ID passcode for the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone was changed less than 24 hours after authorities took possession of the device, a senior Apple executive said today.
And Apple could have recovered information from the phone had the Apple ID passcode not been changed, Apple said. Continue reading “San Bernardino Shooter’s Apple ID Passcode Changed While in Government Possession, Apple Says”
Presidential candidate Donald Trump has called on his supporters to boycott Apple until it agrees to help the FBI unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.
“What I think you ought to do is boycott Apple until such time they give that security number,” Trump said at a rally in South Carolina.
“I just thought of it,” the GOP front-runner added. “Boycott Apple.”
CJ Online – by Jonathan Shorman
A new federal lawsuit charges thousands of Kansans seeking to register to vote at DMV locations have been illegally blocked, forced to provide proof of citizenship in violation of federal law.
The suit, brought the American Civil Liberties Union, alleges DMV workers are telling individuals applying or renewing their drivers licenses who want to register they must have proof of citizenship, or are allowed to fill out a registration form and are later told they’re on a suspended voter list.
Continue reading “ACLU sues Kansas over proof of citizenship for DMV voter registrations”
The World Bank said on Thursday it is making $150 million in financing immediately available to help combat the Zika virus outbreak in affected Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The multilateral lender said in a statement that it stands ready to increase its support if needed, and the initial amount is based on current demands from the affected countries and assessments from teams of experts sent there. Continue reading “World Bank offers $150 million in financing to Zika-affected countries”
LOS ANGELES — The FBI is leading the investigation of a hostage situation at a California hospital — but it’s not people who were being held, it was the hospital’s computer system.
Inside Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, computer screens were dark since hackers took over the data network almost two weeks ago. Continue reading “California hospital computer system taken “hostage””
Iraq is searching for “highly dangerous” radioactive material stolen last year, according to an environment ministry document and seven security, environmental and provincial officials who fear it could be used as a weapon if acquired by Islamic State.
The material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop computer, went missing in November from a storage facility near the southern city of Basra belonging to U.S. oilfield services company Weatherford WFT.N, the document seen by Reuters showed and officials confirmed. Continue reading “Radioactive material stolen in Iraq raises security fears”
The FBI and Apple are fighting over modern technology using a very old law. A 227-year-old statute, created at the same time as the federal courts themselves, is now at the center of a showdown about privacy.
The FBI wants Apple to write custom software that will help the FBI break into a seized phone. Apple doesn’t want to do that, because it would be creating a serious security flaw in its own privacy protections, a flaw that could be exploited to hurt its millions of customers. Depending on how the All Writs Act is interpreted by a judge, Apple may have to comply. Continue reading “The 227-Year-Old Statute Being Used to Order Apple to Endanger Your Privacy, Explained”
British Typhoon fighter jets intercepted two Russian Tu-160 bomber planes heading towards British airspace on Wednesday, a spokeswoman from the Ministry of Defence said.
The British aircraft were scrambled from a Royal Air Force base in eastern England and escorted the Russian planes while they flew in an area which is closely monitored by Britain, but outside its territorial airspace. Continue reading “Britain scrambles fighters to intercept Russian bombers”
The Salt Lake Tribune – by Pamela Manson
A federal magistrate on Tuesday ordered a Utahn charged with conspiracy in the armed takeover of a wildlife refuge in Oregon to be detained, ruling the defendant is a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Wesley Kjar, a 32-year-old Manti native who lives in Salt Lake City, will be sent to Oregon to face prosecution there. Continue reading “Utahn who allegedly served as Ammon Bundy’s bodyguard will face charge in Oregon”
Washington Post – by Simon Denyer
BEIJING — China apparently has deployed surface-to-air missile batteries on a disputed island in the South China Sea, officials in Taiwan and the United States said, even as President Obama met leaders from nations making rival maritime claims in the region.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that it had “grasped that Communist China had deployed” missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel group, and urged “relevant parties to refrain from any unilateral measure that would increase tensions.” Continue reading “Chinese missiles apparently deployed in South China Sea as Obama meets rivals”