The Intercept – by Alleen Brown, Will Parrish, Alice Speri

A SHADOWY INTERNATIONAL mercenary and security firm known as TigerSwan targeted the movement opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline with military-style counterterrorism measures, collaborating closely with police in at least five states, according to internal documents obtained by The Intercept. The documents provide the first detailed picture of how TigerSwan, which originated as a U.S. military and State Department contractor helping to execute the global war on terror, worked at the behest of its client Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline, to respond to the indigenous-led movement that sought to stop the project.   Continue reading “Leaked Documents Reveal Counterterrorism Tactics Used At Standing Rock To “Defeat Pipeline Insurgencies””

The Oregonian – by Jim Ryan

Two men were killed in a stabbing on a MAX train Friday when they tried to intervene as another man yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim, including one wearing a hijab, police said.

A third passenger who tried to help was also stabbed, but is expected to survive, said Portland police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson.

Officers arrested the suspect as he ran from the Hollywood transit station into the neighborhood near Providence Portland Medical Center in Northeast Portland, Simpson said. Police are still working to identify him and the three men stabbed.   Continue reading “2 killed in stabbing on MAX train in Northeast Portland as man directs slurs at Muslim women, police say”

Washington Post – by Ellen Nakashima, Adam Entous, Greg Miller

Jared Kushner and Russia’s ambassador to Washington discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trump’s transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities in an apparent move to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from monitoring, according to U.S. officials briefed on intelligence reports.

Ambassador Sergey Kislyak reported to his superiors in Moscow that Kushner, son-in-law and confidant to then-President-elect Trump, made the proposal during a meeting on Dec. 1 or 2 at Trump Tower, according to intercepts of Russian communications that were reviewed by U.S. officials. Kislyak said Kushner suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States for the communications.   Continue reading “Russian ambassador told Moscow that Kushner wanted secret communications channel with Kremlin”

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Archive: TWFTT 5-26-17

Washington Post – by Cleve R. Wootson Jr.

Cody Xiong cracked open his door, saw the investigator on his porch and ‘fessed up, authorities say.

“I guess,” Xiong said, “you are here for the opium.”

The investigator wasn’t. But suddenly, he was intrigued.

What followed was a massive opium bust, based entirely on a North Carolina poppy grower who thought prematurely that the jig was up.   Continue reading “‘I guess you are here for the opium’: Investigator stumbles across $500 million in poppy plants”

Star Tribune – by Andy Mannix

An inmate being transported from a Minnesota Correctional Facility-St. Cloud to the prison in Lino Lakes hijacked a white transport van full of other prisoners and escaped this morning, authorities said.

The escape occurred just before 11 a.m. Nine have now been taken into custody. One is still at large, James Douglas Mitchell, 26, who is serving prison for felony assault, said Sarah Fitzgerald, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections. Mitchell was last seen wearing standard prison garb: blue jeans, a white t-shirt and blue button-down shirt.   Continue reading “Inmate hijacks van full of Lino Lakes prisoners and escapes”

Yahoo News

Ava Morrison-Bell is an 11-year-old from the UK with a whole lot of moxie.

Morrison-Bell was asked to fill out a form for school with questions for students about their teachers. One asked how teachers can do better.

The conscientious Bell suggested that they “not use collective punishment” as it is not fair for the people who “did nothing,” as per a tweet of the response by her father Mason Cross.  Continue reading “Girl Accuses Teacher Of ‘War Crimes’ In Hilarious Year-End Review”

Yahoo News

Authorities in Florida are investigating the death of a Miami federal prosecutor and father of three after his body was found on a beach in Hollywood, Florida, on Wednesday.

The body was identified by local police as Beranton Whisenant Jr., 37, and his cause of death is currently being investigated as a crime. Police say he suffered a head wound.

Whisenant worked in the major crimes unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami.  Continue reading “Mystery ensues after federal prosecutor found dead in Florida”

At the palace, Melania posed for photos with (front row from L to R) First Lady of France Brigitte Macron, First Lady of Turkey Emine Gulbaran Erdogan, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Jens Stoltenberg’s partner Ingrid Schulerud, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev’s partner Desislava Radeva, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel’s partner Amelie Derbaudrenghien and (back row L to R) First Gentleman of Luxembourg Gauthier Destenay, partner of Slovenia’s Prime Minister Cerar’s wife Mojca Stropnik and First Lady of Iceland Thora Margret Baldvinsdottir

BBC News

India has inaugurated a 9.15km (5.68-mile) bridge over the Lohit river, easily its longest ever, which connects the disputed state of Arunachal Pradesh with the north-eastern state of Assam.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own, and refers to it as “southern Tibet”.

Beijing recently strongly objected to India’s decision to allow Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit the state and has also protested against the development of military infrastructure there.   Continue reading “India opens longest bridge on China border”

Yahoo News

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah lawmakers hope a new, unusual law cuts down on increasingly troubling forms of cyber harassment by giving authorities the ability to send online bullies to jail for a year.

Law enforcement, school officials and support groups back the effort, but some lawyers and a libertarian-leaning group have balked at what they call vague language in the law. They believe it could be unconstitutional and lead innocent people to be charged with crimes.   Continue reading “Utah law that could send online bullies to jail criticized”

New York Times – by Mia Wollan

“The most important thing is to build underground,” says Cédric Vuilleumier, an engineer for the Federal Office for Civil Protection in Switzerland, where all citizens are legally guaranteed a spot in a bomb shelter. Packed earth insulates against radiation and blast waves, but don’t go deeper than 10 feet; if your exits (make two) become blocked in the blast, you may need to dig yourself out.   Continue reading “How to Build a Fallout Shelter”

NPR – by James Doubek

Harvard dropout Mark Zuckerberg returned to the university Thursday to give graduates a commencement address, filled with calls for building a connected world “where every single person has a sense of purpose.”

In a wide-ranging speech that touched on climate change, charity, volunteering, education and universal basic income, the billionaire CEO of Facebook championed globalism and called fighting authoritarianism and nationalism “the struggle of our time.”   Continue reading “Mark Zuckerberg Tells Harvard Graduates To Embrace Globalism, ‘A Sense Of Purpose’”

Video Rebel’s Blog

Salman Abedi and his father Ramadan were linked to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) which was an Al Qaeda subsidiary. LIFG was recruited to work for NATO to oust Muammar Gaddafi from Libya. That means the bomber had previously been working for the UK government. This might explain why the police paid no attention to complaints from the public about the man who has subsequently been accused of killing 23 British people. At the time of the Libya invasion, Theresa May was Home Secretary which meant she was in charge of MI 5 and the police. Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State and of course Barrack Obama was President.   Continue reading “I Know Who Is Responsible For the Manchester Bombing. US, UK, Israel, The Saudis”

KTLA 5 News

Virginia Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine and Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake are trying once again to get Congress to debate and vote on authorizing military action against ISIS.

The senators on Thursday unveiled a new Authorization for Use of Military Force against ISIS, al Qaeda and the Taliban, their second attempt to prod their colleagues to formally vote on the military effort.   Continue reading “Senators to Introduce Bill Seeking Authorization of Military Force Against Terror Groups”

Reuters

Leaders from the world’s major industrialized nations began talks on Friday at a G7 summit in Sicily which is expected to expose deep divisions with U.S. President Donald Trump over trade and climate change.

The two-day summit, at a cliff-top hotel overlooking the Mediterranean, began a day after Trump blasted NATO allies for spending too little on defense and described Germany’s trade surplus as “very bad” in a meeting with EU officials in Brussels.   Continue reading “Trump and other leaders clash on trade, climate at G7”