Tag Archives: United States

Major Jewish Senator Announces Opposition to Iran Nuclear Deal

Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat who is in line to become the next leader of the Democrats in the senate after the retirement of Sen. Harry Reid, has announced that he will not support the nuclear deal with Iran.

“After deep study, careful thought and considerable soul-searching, I have decided I must oppose the agreement and will vote yes on a motion of disapproval,” Schumer wrote in a 1,600-word post on the website Medium.

“I will vote to disapprove the agreement, not because I believe war is a viable or desirable option, nor to challenge the path of diplomacy,” he added later. “It is because I believe Iran will not change, and under this agreement it will be able to achieve its dual goals of eliminating sanctions while ultimately retaining its nuclear and non-nuclear power.”

Sen. Schumer also said he would vote to override a veto by President Obama to Congress voting to reject his Iran deal.

Schumer is the latest Jewish member of Congress to oppose the deal.  Last week, Rep. Steve Israel of New York, most senior Democrat in the House, said he would oppose the deal.  The ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, also said she would oppose the Iran deal.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, downplayed the announcement of Schumer and other Jewish New York congressional members whose constituents see a connection between terror attacks in New York City and Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism around the world.

“There was no one in their constituency who had not been directly impacted by the attacks of 9/11,” Mr. Schiff said of New York lawmakers, “It had a real impact in the New York Jewish community.”

Russia Accused in Hacking of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Investigations into a hacking attack on the email system for the Joint Chiefs of Staff has revealed that Russia is behind the cyberassault that shut down their system for 11 days.

The hackers broke into an unclassified email network using malware or “phishing” attempts, meaning an email recipient had to open an infected attachment to an e-mail to allow the malicious programs to access the system.

An official with the joint chiefs called the attack the “most sophisticated” attack on their network.

Another official told CBS News that the attack impacted the 4,000 personnel who work for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.  Most of those personnel are military members.

Pentagon officials repeatedly stated that the classified email network was not impacted and said the Joint Chiefs were given an alternative method to send unclassified emails while the system was shut down to clear out the malicious software.

The attack is the latest in several high-profile attacks on the U.S. Government’s email systems this year.  Previous attacks were attributed to Chinese hackers.

Planned Parenthood Staffer Admits Potential Violation of Federal Law

A new video has been released by the Center for Medical Progress showing a Planned Parenthood staffer apparently admitting to violating federal law.

In the video, Melissa Farrell, director of research for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, says the group alters their abortion process to collect specimens, which is a violation of federal law.

“Yeah, and so if we alter our process, and we are able to obtain intact fetal cadavers, then we can make it part of the budget, that any dissections are this, and splitting the specimens into different shipments is this,” Farrell said in the video. “I mean it’s all just a matter of line items.”

Planned Parenthood and their supporters have been claiming the videos are misleading and that they do not actually alter their processes to collect specimens for profit in violation of law.  They claim all they do is receive payments to cover costs – which is legal.

“And you know, when it matters, you know in the cases of when it’s mattered, you know, physicians also need an intact specimen, they can make it happen,” said Farrell, noting that some of the clinic’s doctors have research projects of their own for which they’re collecting specimens.

“So they do it in a way that they get the best specimens,” Farrell said. “So I know it can happen.”

The release of the video is causing an investigation of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, ordered by Governor Bobby Jindal.  The group’s head sent a letter to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals on July 24th claiming their group did not sell or donate fetal tissue.

“Do any Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast facilities, or any affiliates, subsidiaries or associates thereof, sell or donate any unborn baby organs or body parts? Answer: No.” President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Melaney A. Linton wrote in the letter to Louisiana Dept. of Health and Hospitals Secretary Kathy Kliebert.

Linton released a statement Tuesday about the video.

“Instead, the latest tape shows an extremely offensive intrusion and lack of respect for women, with footage of medical tissue in a lab,” read Linton’s statement. “These extremists show a total lack of compassion and dignity for women’s most personal medical decisions.”

The Senate yesterday failed in a vote to defund Planned Parenthood.

Homeland Security Admits Cybersecurity Bill Could “Sweep Away Important Privacy Protections”

The Department of Homeland Security has given some powerful ammunition to opponents of a new cybersecurity bill, admitting that the bill could trample some privacy protections for citizens.

Answering a query from Minnesota Senator Al Franken, the deputy secretary of Homeland Security admitted the bill “could sweep away important privacy protections” and that the proposed legislation “raises privacy and civil liberties concerns”.

The bill in question, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, could reach the Senate floor as early as Wednesday.

The bill would allow private companies such as Experian, which tracks information from loyalty cards at businesses to track customer movements, to expand their reach.

Section 4 of CISA states: “[a] private entity may, for cybersecurity purposes, monitor A) the information systems of such a private entity; B) the information systems of another entity, upon written consent of such other entity […] and D) information that is stored on, processed by, or transiting the information systems monitored by the private entity under this paragraph.”

The bill was introduced by California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein who says the bill “incentivizes” the sharing of cybersecurity information.

“It responds to the massive and growing threat to national and economic security from cyber intrusion and attack, and seeks to improve the security of public and private computer networks by increasing awareness of threats and defenses,” Ms. Feinstein has stated about CISA.

Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are calling on members to contact their Senators to vote against the bill, saying it is a violation of citizen’s rights.

One of the bill’s biggest opponents in the Senate is Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who says the bill doesn’t promote cybersecurity but rather erases protections for many citizens.

“Right now, we are seeing the government is having trouble keeping its own data security,” Wyden told the Huffington Post. “But now Congress is setting up an arrangement where companies are going to hand over enormous amounts of additional private and personal information. That just doesn’t add up.”

U.S. Pledges to Defend Israel from Iranian Attacks

The United States has told Israeli officials that if Iran attacks the nation in any way, the U.S. will be there to defend them.

“We have an ally relationship. The word ‘ally’ means something to us. It means that if you are attacked, we will defend you. That is what an ally relationship means… We use that term sparingly,” the senior defense official told the Times of Israel.

“We think that this deal decreases the need and likelihood of an attack. That’s why we signed it. We understand that military action is always an option. It’s an option for the United States,” the official said. “It’s an option for Israel. But the goal is to have an agreement that makes a military attack less needed. But Israel has the right to self-defense. We understand that.”

The two nations are reportedly working on a new “memorandum of understanding” that will increase America’s defense commitment to Israel.

The officials told the Times that administration officials are not pleased with Iran’s continued calls for wiping Israel off the map.

“That is not the way countries should act in today’s world,” the official said of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s calls for Israel’s annihilation. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t sign a deal that helps decrease the likelihood of them becoming a nuclear state. That’s the very reason we signed it.”

China and Russia Hold Joint Military Drills

China is inviting Russia to join them for a series of military drills in the Sea of Japan.

The action comes amid the United States working with allies throughout the Asian region to counter Beijing’s aggressive moves to claim more waters in the South and East China Seas as “territorial waters” despite the waters being claimed by other nations.

The exercises will happen at the end of August and will happen both at the Russian port city of Vladivostok and in the South China Sea according to Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun.

“[The] purpose of the exercise is to consolidate and develop the China-Russia all-round strategic coordination partnership, to deepen the pragmatic and friendly cooperation between the Chinese and Russian militaries, and to enhance the organization and command capabilities and the levels of the two militaries in jointly conducting the joint traffic defense activities and joint landing activities, so as to further enhance their capabilities of jointly coping with maritime security threats,” Yujun said.

The exercises will include anti-submarine and anti-ship targeting with Chinese fighter jets, frigates, destroyers and supply vessels.  The Russians will send ships, subs and fixed wing aircraft.  Both will send marines and helicopters.

The two nations have already held joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.

Satanic Statue Unveiled in Detroit

In what is being called the “largest public satanic ceremony in history”, a 8 1/2 foot tall satanic monument has been displayed in Detroit, Michigan.

The statue of Baphomet was unveiled at a ticketed special event before midnight on July 25th.  The crowd cheered at the unveiling chanting “hail satan.”  The statue features two children, one boy and one girl, looking up adoringly at the satanic creature.

About 100 protesters showed up to challenge the placement of the statue saying it was disrespectful to religions.

“Baphomet contains binary elements symbolizing a reconciliation of opposites, emblematic of the willingness to embrace, and even celebrate differences,” Jex Blackmore, who organized the unveiling, told TIME.  Blackmore admits his name is a pseudonym for “safety reasons.”

The statue was originally part of the Satanic Temple’s plan to place a satanic statue on the grounds of the Oklahoma State House grounds where a Ten Commandments monument was placed.  The group now plans to take the statue to Arkansas after the governor approved a Ten Commandments monument for that state’s Capitol grounds.

Entire National Security System Possibly Compromised by Hacking

A new report from Fox News shows that the entire U.S. national security system was likely undermined by a year-long hacking attack that was spotlighted by the revelations of 21.5 million Americans having their data stolen from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Experts who spoke with Fox say that the data taken is so sensitive that it could be used to blackmail leaders or those who could be elected to public office in the future.

“There may be people walking around with higher levels of clearance than they should have,” one expert told Fox. “I believe the entire national security apparatus is now at risk. It’s mind-boggling.”

“It’s the digital equivalent of Pearl Harbor,” another expert added. “Because people don’t see the carnage, they don’t recognize that this is the equivalent of an act of war. This is about espionage—Cold War tactics in the modern digital age.”

Also being revealed is that contractors to OPM that conducted background checks were hacked.  A firm named USIS who worked for Homeland Security was hacked in December 2014; Keypoint, who took over the USIS contract, was hacked in June 2015.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said that China is the leading suspect behind the massive, year-long hacking attack.

The report comes a day after OPM said they are working with the Defense Department to notify anyone impacted by the attack and provide them with identify-fraud protection services.  The contractor for the project will likely not be chosen until mid-August.

OPM plans to provide the free monitoring for those victimized by the hack for three years.

Senator Introduces Bill To Defund Planned Parenthood

Oklahoma Senator James Lankford has introduced a bill in the Senate that would cut all federal funding for Planned Parenthood for one year while an investigation takes place over accusations the group is selling the body parts of aborted babies.

Senator Langford said the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 is a result of the video exposes by the Center for Medical Progress.

“This comes back to the ultimate irony that we would literally tear one child apart in an abortion with the assumption that that would ultimately help some other child in the future,” Sen. Lankford said.  “[They are] missing the significance of the child that is right there that could be helped by protecting their life. And then the doctor in this particular video gives the details of how … they would be careful to reach in and…kill the child in the womb so that they could preserve the rest of the organs. Because the kidney has value, because the liver has value, because the lungs have value, because the muscles in the legs have value.”

Langford told The Hill in a release he feels the public should not be forced to help Planned Parenthood in their actions.

“I am aware our nation is divided on the issue of abortion, but it is common-sense that we shouldn’t force taxpayers to assist the harvesting of human organs,” Lankford said in a release.

Langford told USA Headline News that he feels a one year hold on funding is more than reasonable event to supporters of the abortion provider.

“I’ve been very vocal in the past to say we need to take out all federal funding for Planned Parenthood permanently,” Lankford said.  “But at least to come back and place a one year moratorium during this investigation.  Why isn’t that a reasonable thing?”

Langford’s bill has a companion bill in the House that has been introduced by Tennessee Representative Diane Black.

Video Shows Planned Parenthood Doctor Haggling Over Body Part Prices

A new video from an undercover investigation of Planned Parenthood shows one of their staff doctors haggling over prices with investigators she believes to be part of a medical research firm.

The video shows two investigators from the Center for Medical Progress at a meeting with Dr. Mary Gatter, president of the Planned Parenthood Medical Directors’ Council, where they discuss the fees for “intact tissue.”

One exchange in the video shows Gatter entering into negotiations for prices of intact aborted babies:

Investigator:  What would make you happy?  What would work for you?

Gatter:  Well, you know in negotiations the people who throws out the figure first is at a loss, right?  So…(laughing)

Investigator:  No, I don’t look at it that way.  I know, you want to play that game, I get it.

Gatter:  I don’t want to play games, I just don’t want to lowball, because I’m used to low things from…

Investigator:  You know what?  If you lowball, I’ll act pleasantly surprised and you’ll know it’s a lowball.

Gatter:  Okay.

Investigator:  What I want to know is what would work for you.  Don’t lowball it, tell me what you really…

Gatter:  OK.  $75 a specimen.

Gatter even talks to another staff member about changing the procedure to a “less crunchy” method to preserve the babies for distribution to medical researchers.

“If we want to pursue this mutually I’ll mention this to Ian in terms of how he feels about using a ‘less crunchy’ technique to get more whole specimens,” Gatter says.

At the end of the lunch, Gatter suggests that even $100 a specimen (which the investigators suggested) is not enough.

“Let me just figure out what others are getting, and if this is in the ballpark, then it’s fine, if it’s still low, then we can bump it up. I want a Lamborghini,” Gatter says.

The video is the second released by the undercover investigators.  The previous video drew an apology from the group’s leader because of the “tone” of the employee in the video.