CLG News

Trump admin pledges to minimize impact of government shutdown | 19 Jan 2018 | The White House on Friday emphasized that the Trump administration is working to mitigate the impact of a potential government shutdown on the American people. "You're seeing, across the board, efforts by the administration in each of the agencies to minimize the impact of the shutdown on the American people," an official said on a call with reporters late in the day, as the shutdown became increasingly likely under a looming midnight deadline. "We've instructed agencies to minimize the impact. My impression is that other administrations worked to maximize impacts," another official said.

NSA deleted surveillance data it pledged to preserve | 19 Jan 2018 | The National Security Agency destroyed surveillance data it pledged to preserve in connection with pending lawsuits and apparently never took some of the steps it told a federal court it had taken to make sure the information wasn't destroyed, according to recent court filings. Word of the NSA's 'foul-up' is emerging just as Congress has extended for six years the legal authority the agency uses for much of its surveillance work conducted through U.S. internet providers and tech firms. President Donald Trump signed that measure into law Friday.

'Politically Incorrect' NYU Professor Sues Colleagues for Defamation | 18 Jan 2018 | Michael Rectenwald, a liberal studies professor at New York University (NYU), is known on Twitter for making fun of liberals, their political ideology and academia in general. Now, he is suing four of his colleagues for allegedly disparaging remarks about him on an e-mail thread to other faculty members. The four defendants in the case are associate professor Jacqueline Bishop, adjunct professor Amber Frost, professor Carley Moore and ex-assistant professor Theresa Senft. Per the lawsuit, Rectenwald accused the four defendants of "malicious" comments and that NYU did not stop the disparaging comments.

Feds intend to retry Menendez and Melgen 'at the earliest possible date' | 19 Jan 2018 | Two months after a jury failed to reach a verdict in the federal corruption case against Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and co-defendant Salomon Melgen, the Justice Department on Friday said it wants to retry them -- and soon. "The United States files this notice of intent to retry the defendants and requests that the Court set the case for retrial at the earliest possible date," reads the one-paragraph notice signed by AnnaLou Tirol, acting chief of the department's public integrity section. Menendez, New Jersey's senior senator, is up for reelection this year.

Republicans want release of secret Russia probe surveillance memo | 19 Jan 2018 | House Republicans have said the information in a secret memo on surveillance is so shocking that it must be released to the public. Members of the lower chamber of Congress were allowed to see a memo from the House intelligence committee on Thursday, with some voicing outrage about what they saw in a restricted room at the Capitol. "I viewed the classified report from House Intel relating to the FBI, FISA abuses, the infamous Russian dossier, and so-called 'Russian collusion.' What I saw is absolutely shocking. This report needs to be released--now. Americans deserve the truth. #ReleaseTheMemo," Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina said Thursday night.

GOP demand #ReleaseTheMemo on 'shocking' FISA abuses - after supporting surveillance law | 19 Jan 2018 | Republican lawmakers demand the public release of a classified memo detailing Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses under the Obama administration. The move comes as lawmakers [insanely] reauthorized government surveillance powers. The House Intelligence Committee passed the motion introduced by Rep. Peter King (R-New York) Thursday. The measure was voted on along party lines, with all Democrats voting against the motion to make the classified report available to all House members.

Congress hurtles toward shutdown --The House passed a bill to keep the government funded for another four weeks, but prospects in the Senate look dim. | 18 Jan 2018 | Congress is careening toward the first shutdown in more than four years, with Republicans and Democrats at a seemingly intractable impasse over government funding and the fates of young immigrants facing deportation. Though House Republicans voted Thursday night to keep the government open, the real drama is in the closely divided Senate, where it's unclear what, if anything, can clear the chamber's supermajority threshold. The Senate couldn't even agree on holding a vote on Thursday night, adjourning after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spurned Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's request to hold a vote and, assuming it failed, restart bipartisan negotiations on immigration and government spending levels.

Driving a Car in Manhattan Could Cost $11.52 Under Congestion Plan | 18 Jan 2018 | Driving a car into the busiest parts of Manhattan could cost $11.52 under a major proposal prepared for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo that would make New York the first city in the United States with a pay-to-drive plan. New York has rejected or ignored versions of them dating to at least the 1970s. The newest plan embraces the twin goals of easing Manhattan's choking traffic while raising badly needed revenue for the city's failing subways and buses. The proposals are part of a report by a task force, "Fix NYC," convened by Governor Cuomo after he declared a state of emergency in the subways last June.

Chris Christie ordered to use Newark Airport's public entrance when the TSA caught him trying to bypass security two days after his term as New Jersey governor ended | 18 Jan 2018 | Chris Christie learned the hard way this week that his VIP treatment expired at the same time as his governorship. The former New Jersey governor was busted by airport security trying to bypass a TSA checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday. Christie attempted to use a 'special access' area near the exit of the restricted area of the terminal, according to CBS New York.

Undocumented immigrant accused of stabbing stranger in neck at California market had been deported seven times | 18 Jan 2018 | A man accused of an "unprovoked and brutal stabbing" at a market in California last month is an undocumented immigrant with a criminal record who had been previously deported seven times, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman told Fox News. Ricardo Velasquez-Romero, 39, who also goes by the name Eulalio Miniz Orozco, was arrested last month after local police say he stabbed a 61-year-old man in the neck at Lola's Market in Santa Rosa on Dec. 21. Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Velasquez-Romero "has been repatriated to his native Mexico seven times since 2007," a spokesman for ICE said.

Newsweek HQ raided by two dozen NYPD officers and Manhattan DA investigators - who refuse to say why | 18 Jan 2018 | About two dozen NYPD officers and investigators from the Manhattan district attorney's office stormed the Newsweek magazine offices in New York City on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Sources told the New York Post and The Outline that the agents were taking pictures of the company's servers, and their corresponding serial numbers.

Chelsea Manning files to run for U.S. Senate in Maryland | 16 Jan 2018 | Chelsea E. Manning, the transgender former Army private who was convicted of passing sensitive government documents to WikiLeaks, is seeking to run for the U.S. Senate in Maryland, according to federal election filings. Manning would be challenging Democrat Benjamin L. Cardin, who is in his second term in the Senate and is up for reelection in November. Cardin is Maryland's senior senator and is considered an overwhelming favorite to win a third term.

Bannon Is Subpoenaed in Mueller's Russia 'Investigation' | 16 Jan 2018 | Stephen K. Bannon, President Trump's former chief strategist, was subpoenaed last week by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, to testify before a grand jury as part of the investigation into possible links between Mr. Trump's associates and Russia, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The move marked the first time Mr. Mueller is known to have used a grand jury subpoena to seek information from a member of Mr. Trump's inner circle. The special counsel’s office has used subpoenas before to seek information on Mr. Trump's associates and their possible ties to Russia or other foreign governments.

Bannon refused to answer House panel's questions about time in White House | 16 Jan 2018 | President Donald Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon refused to answer questions Tuesday from the House intelligence committee about his time in the White House, prompting panel members to subpoena him on the spot, according to a person familiar with the interview. Bannon appeared before the committee as part of its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, speaking just weeks after a falling-out with Trump over comments he made in an explosive new book. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) confirmed Tuesday that he issued a subpoena for Bannon.

Fifth Dem announces plan to boycott Trump's State of the Union | 15 Jan 2018 | Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) on Monday announced she plans to boycott President Trump's State of the Union address to Congress at the end of the month, joining a handful of other Democratic lawmakers who are skipping the annual event. The Washington lawmaker joins Democratic Reps. John Lewis (Ga.), Frederica Wilson (Fla.), Earl Blumenauer (Ore.) and Maxine Waters (Calif.) in skipping the president's address, with many citing Trump's recent remarks.

Anti-PC Professor Suing NYU Speaks Out | 15 Jan 2018 | Michael Rectenwald -- the PC-bashing, "deplorable" New York University professor behind the Twitter handle @antipcnyuprof -- is suing NYU and four of his colleagues for defamation, alleging that he was subjected to a campaign of ostracism and harassment when he criticized campus political correctness. Rectenwald's suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday, alleges that current and former NYU faculty members used official email distribution lists to defame him in May of 2017, calling him a "right-wing misogynist," an "a-hole" and "Satan" in messages sent to over 100 NYU faculty and administrators.

Abu Hamza says he was tipped off about 9/11 | 14 Jan 2018 | Abu Hamza, Britain’s most notorious hate preacher [and MI5 agent], says militant contacts in Afghanistan called him four days before the 9/11 attacks to warn: "Something very big will happen very soon." The hook-handed cleric says he interpreted the message as being about an impending terrorist strike on America and believes the phone at his west London home was being "tapped" by police at the time. His claim raises questions about whether British authorities were aware of the warning and failed to pass it on to their American counterparts before al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] operatives flew hijacked jets into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in September 2001.

MI5 agent 'Damson Berry' aka imam Abu Hamza says he was tipped off about 9/11 days before attack, court papers reveal | 15 Jan 2018 | The notorious hook-handed British radical preacher Abu Hamza claimed he was tipped off by militant contacts in Afghanistan about the September 11 attacks four days before planes struck the World Trade Center in 2001, court papers revealed Monday. Hamza, 59, said he was warned that "something very big will happen very soon" and he interpreted the message as an impending terrorist attack on the U.S., according to a 124-page court submission obtained by Britain's The Sunday Times. The former imam, who remains behind bars in a Colorado prison, said he believed the phone in his London home was being "tapped" by police. [Ergo, the UK government knew the 9/11 false flag was imminent.] The phone calls also reportedly showed that Hamza was an MI5 agent, the U.K's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, and operating under the code name "Damson Berry."

RAF Lossiemouth fighter jets scrambled to intercept Russian planes off Scottish coast | 15 Jan 2018 | RAF jets have been scrambled this morning to intercept Russian planes off the coast of Scotland. Two Typhoon fighters took off from RAF Lossiemouth just before 9:30am in response to Russian planes approaching UK airspace. The stand-off is the latest in a series of provocations from Moscow Washington amid heightened tensions with Britain and the West.

With Bipartisan Backing, House Gives Trump Administration Broad Latitude to Spy on Americans | 11 Jan 2018 | With bipartisan backing, the House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would renew one of the government’s most sweeping surveillance authorities for six years with minimal changes. The measure, which passed 256-164, reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was set to expire later this month. The law was first passed in 2008 to legalize President [sic] George W. Bush's warrantless wiretapping program. It allows the National Security Agency to collect Americans' communications with people overseas, as long as the NSA is "targeting" the foreigners involved.

UK scrambles 2 RAF Typhoon fighter jets to intercept Russian planes | 15 Jan 2018 | Britain scrambled two Royal Air Force Typhoon jets from Scotland to intercept Russian planes close to the United Kingdom's airspace, a defence ministry spokesman said. The Typhoons took off from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland, at around 9:30 am to tackle the alleged encroachment. The Russian plane model is yet to be identified as the operation is still ongoing. French and Belgian air forces have reportedly also been deployed to tackle the situation.

Terror suspect accused of threatening to murder Greyhound passengers had been deported 5 times | 14 Jan 2018 | An undocumented immigrant on a Greyhound bus who allegedly threatened to shoot and kill passengers on Friday -- leading police on a chase from Wisconsin to Illinois -- was deported five times, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told Fox News. The spokesperson said on Sunday that Margarito Vargas-Rosas, 33, who faces terror charges, was in the U.S. illegally and was "removed" from the U.S. the last five times Border Patrol agents encountered him. He also had a previous DUI arrest to his name. A judge in Illinois on Sunday ordered the suspect held without bond.

Senators from 12 states seek offshore drilling exemptions like Florida's | 11 Jan 2018 | Twenty-two Democratic U.S. senators from 12 states on Thursday joined the chorus of local representatives seeking exemptions from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's newly proposed offshore drilling plan, after his surprise move on Tuesday to shield Florida. Zinke surprised lawmakers, governors, and industry groups on Tuesday night by announcing that Florida would be removed from the Interior Department's proposal to open up over 90 percent of federal waters to oil and gas leasing. Zinke had met in Tallahassee, Florida's capital, with Republican Governor Rick Scott, who told the Interior chief that drilling puts his state's coastal tourism economy at risk. Scott is widely expected to challenge Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, who is up for re-election this year.

'Deplorable' NYU prof sues university, colleagues for defamation | 14 Jan 2018 | A New York University liberal studies professor [and CLG Founder] known for his tweets fighting back against PC culture filed a defamation lawsuit against the school and four colleagues last week over a string of claims he said were false, the New York Post reported. Plaintiff Michael Rectenwald's case named the school, associate professor Jacqueline Bishop, adjunct professor Amber Frost, professor Carley Moore and Theresa Senft, whom the Post described as an ex-assistant professor, as defendants. Rectenwald alleged that a May email thread sent to more than 100 NYU staffers included "malicious" statements -- and that NYU didn’t prevent the "nasty screed," the Post reported. The emails reportedly called him an "Adderall-filled bully" and "right-wing misogynist," among other things.

Man arrested for threatening to shoot up Steelers game - report | 14 Jan 2018 | A Texas man has been arrested by the feds after allegedly threatening to shoot up Sunday's Pittsburgh Steelers-Jacksonville Jaguars game. "The Steelers game will be packed and that's when I plan on killing Steelers football players and fans before taking my own pitiful life," Yuttana Choochongkol, 30, allegedly told a Pittsburgh TV station, according to an affidavit obtained by KSAT-TV in San Antonio.

Newark Airport issues infectious disease alert | 13 Jan 2018 | Just as the weekend kicked off, the New Jersey Department of Health Health officials warned passengers who have been through Newark Airport that they may have been exposed to a highly-contagious disease. "On January 2, 2018, an international traveler with a confirmed case of measles--a highly contagious disease [typically spread via those who've been vaccinated 'against' measles] --arrived in Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport and departed for Indianapolis from a domestic terminal," a statement Issued by the Department of Health of New Jersey reads. The woman was identified as an Indiana University (IU) student. A report from ABC News' New York affiliate warned that the infected woman may have gone to other areas of the airport.

Hawaii Says No Missile Threat After Emergency Alert Mistakenly Sent --The emergency alert was sent at 8:07 a.m., and a follow-up alert to state that it was a false alarm wasn't sent until 8:46 a.m. | 13 Jan 2018 | After an emergency alert of a ballistic missile threat left people "crying and screaming" in Hawaii on Saturday, emergency officials confirmed that the message was sent in error and that no missile was headed for the island state. However, the mistake drew outrage from local leaders and has prompted a federal investigation. The alert, which was sent to people's cell phones at 8:07 a.m., said in all caps, "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill." An alert also appeared on TVs. About 13 minutes after the alert was sent, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency tweeted: "NO missile threat to Hawaii."

Russia claims the US is messing with its elections | 13 Jan 2018 | Turnabout is fair play when it comes to accusations of election meddling. A Russian official on Saturday denounced US plans to punish Russia for alleged interference in the 2016 election -- by saying the sanctions are an attempt to interfere with Russia's presidential vote in March. "We see this as yet another attempt to influence our internal situation, especially ahead of the presidential election," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

CLG Founder and NYU Professor Michael Rectenwald Sues NYU and NYU Colleagues for Irreparable Damage from Defamation --'Deplorable' NYU professor sues colleagues for defamation | 13 Jan 2018 | The "politically incorrect" NYU professor accused of "incivility" by liberal colleagues and put on leave is now suing the college and four fellow profs for [insanely] calling him everything from a drug addict to Satan. The "malicious" statements appeared in an e-mail thread that blasted out over five days in May from school accounts to more than 100 university staffers, claims a defamation lawsuit filed Friday by professor Michael Rectenwald. He blames NYU for doing nothing to stop the "nasty screed," according to papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court. [In a statement given exclusively to CLG News, Rectenwald said, "My 'colleagues' have utterly contaminated the entire faculty and curtailed my career by at least ten years. I had no choice but to sue them for their outrageous lies and imputations, and NYU for essentially condoning their outrageously defamatory remarks."]

Newtown Asks Judge to Dismiss Sandy Hook Negligence Suit | 10 Jan 2018 | A superior court judge in Connecticut is deciding whether to toss out a lawsuit filed by parents of two children killed in the 2012 Newtown school shooting. The suit says Newtown and its school district were negligent in its response to the [alleged] shooting. The plaintiffs are the parents of Jesse Lewis and Noah Pozner, two first-graders killed in the shooting. Their lawsuit alleges the school failed to order a lockdown, which might have saved lives.