From the Trenches World Report

Intel News – by Joseph Fitsanakis

An Iranian engineer who was recruited by Dutch intelligence helped the United States and Israel infect computers used in Iran’s nuclear program with the Stuxnet cyber weapon, according to a new report. Discovered by researchers in 2010, Stuxnet is believed to have been designed with the aim of sabotaging the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The virus targeted the industrial computers —known as programmable logic controllers— that regulated mechanical and electronic hardware in Iranian nuclear installations. By compromising the software installed on these computers, Stuxnet manipulated the rotor speed of nuclear centrifuges at Iran’s Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant. By increasing the centrifuges’ rotor speed to unmanageable levels, Stuxnet rendered many of these machines permanently inoperable.  Continue reading “Iranian engineer recruited by Holland helped CIA and Mossad deliver Stuxnet virus”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

The United States offered millions of dollars to the captain of an Iranian oil tanker currently at the center of a diplomatic spat, according to the Financial Times and confirmed to the AFP by the US state department.

US special representative to Iran, Brian Hook, emailed the captain of the Adrian Darya 1 about sailing the vessel to a country willing to impound it on behalf of the Trump administration.  Continue reading “US Offers Iranian Tanker Captain Millions To Hand Over Ship”

Free Thought Project – by Matt Agorist

California — In the state of California—up until this week—citizens who were “able-bodied persons 18 years of age or older,” would be charged with a crime if a police officer asked them for help and they refused. All that has since changed, however, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that no longer required or forced citizens to help police officers. Continue reading “New Law Allows Citizens to Refuse to Help Police Officers Who Ask for Assistance”

ArsTechnica – by Timothy B Lee

Mark Zuckerberg has “repeatedly lied to the American people about privacy,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said in a recent interview with the Willamette Week, a Portland alternative weekly newspaper. “I think he ought to be held personally accountable, which is everything from financial fines to—and let me underline this—the possibility of a prison term.”

Zuckerberg, Wyden said, has “hurt a lot of people.”  Continue reading “Senator: Mark Zuckerberg should face “the possibility of a prison term””

AP

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The government’s watchlist of more than 1 million people identified as “known or suspected terrorists” violates the constitutional rights of those placed on it, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga grants summary judgment to nearly two dozen Muslim U.S. citizens who had challenged the watchlist with the help of a Muslim civil-rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.  Continue reading “US judge: Terror watchlist violates constitutional rights”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

As if the US embassy’s move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in recognition of the US designating the ancient city Israel’s capital wasn’t contentious enough, a local controversy has exploded after the soon to be completed embassy compound’s perimeter wall began to be constructed.

Both Arab and Jewish residents in the area are outraged at the mammoth 5.8 meter high ‘defense wall’ going up (or nearly 20 feet) in the south Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona.  Continue reading “New US Embassy’s Massive 20-foot ‘Defense Wall’ Has Enraged Jerusalem Residents”

Free Thought Project – by Matt Agorist

Asbury Park, NJ — On a regular basis, individuals contact the Free Thought Project and ask us how they go about exposing cops who have violated their rights. TFTP often responds to these individuals by advising them to gather evidence and seek out an attorney or file a complaint with another department. Because of the nature of so many of our stories that we cover, many of these folks tell us that they are scared to file complaints with the departments out of fear of retaliation. As the following incident illustrates, this retaliation is real and is carried out by cops on innocent people for attempting to hold them accountable.  Continue reading “Cops Arrested for Wearing Disguises, Destroying Elderly Man’s Cars After He Filed a Complaint Against Them”

Tech Dirt – by Tim Cushing

Reverse warrants are the new tech-related toy law enforcement is experimenting with. Oddly, a lot of what’s come to light so far originates in the Midwest, an area not exactly known for early adoption. Outside of the NYPD and feds confirming they use warrants to seek a list of possible suspects (rather than targeting any specific suspect), most reporting has covered deployments by law enforcement agencies in Minnesota.  Continue reading “Feds Used A ‘Reverse’ Warrant To Try To Track Down Bank Robbers In Wisconsin”

Breitbart – by AWR Hawkins

The Midland-Odessa shooter who attacked innocents on Saturday reportedly acquired his gun privately in order to avoid drawing attention to himself via a background check.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) noted Monday that the Midland attacker had “previously failed a gun purchase background check in Texas.” At that time no one knew the means by which the gun used in Midland was acquired, but on Tuesday CBS DFW reported the shooter acquired the gun privately “to evade the background check where he would have been flagged.”  Continue reading “Report: Midland Shooter Acquired Gun Privately, Seller May Face Charges”

WVVA

MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) As mass shootings become more and more commonplace, Walmart and Kroger are both changing their policies regarding  guns.

Walmart is no longer selling ammunition for hand guns and short-barrel rifles, requesting customers to refrain from openly carrying firearms including ‘open carry’ states.  Continue reading “Gun owners respond to Walmart and Kroger gun policy change”

KATU 2

Walmart and the parent company of Fred Meyer stores are both asking customers not to openly carry firearms into their stores, even if it’s legal in their state.

Walmart announced that they would be taking the step on Tuesday, and Fred Meyer’s parent company Kroger followed suit.  Continue reading “Fred Meyer’s parent company, Kroger, joins Walmart in asking customers not to open carry”

Chicago Sun Times

This is it.

Jussie Smollett is smokin’.

The actor, once a star of the hit-TV series “Empire,” is making one last attempt to get a city lawsuit against him tossed out of federal court before it proceeds to trial.  Continue reading “Jussie Smollett lawyers: Even if actor faked attack, it was cops’ call to investigate it so vigorously”

AOL

A vegan woman is taking her neighbors to court over the smell of their backyard barbecue, according to Australia’s 9News. 

Cilla Carden, who lives in the Australian city of Perth, has filed a complaint with her region’s highest court over the issue. Carden’s claim states that her neighbors cook fish so often that she’s unable to even go outside.  Continue reading “Vegan woman in Western Australia takes neighbors to court because she can smell their barbecue”