Thursday, June 27, 2019

NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 6/27-FRIDAY 6/28/2019 JUNE NEWSDUMP EDITION



(WORK IN PROGRESS, ADDITIONS, EDITING, UPDATES POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY)


TWITTER WILL HIDE TWEETS FROM WORLD LEADERS AND POLITICIANS THAT BREAK ITS RULES, BUT NOT REMOVE THEM FROM THE INTERNET.


A NOTICE WILL BE POSTED COVERING HIDDEN TWEETS BUT THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING.


THE HIDDEN TWEETS WILL NOT APPEAR IN SEARCH RESULTS AND NOT BE PROMOTED ON THE TWITTER APP. 


THE NEW RULE EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY JUNE 28TH.

THE BBC REPORTS ON THIS LATEST TWITTER CENSORSHIP MOVE.....LINK



Officials in Harney County, Oregon are urging a federal judge not to issue a preliminary injunction preventing ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond from using federal lands for cattle grazing.    US District Judge Michael Simon has already issued a temporary restraining order pending his decision Friday.


The judge is responding to lawsuit brought by environmentalist groups against the US government.


The Hammonds case brought to the nation's attention during the Oregon Standoff protest of early 2016 led by Ammon Bundy with President Trump granting pardons to the two ranchers, jailed under "terrorism" sentences for lighting a backfire to protect their land from a wildfire.


President Trump pardoning the Hammonds last July.


Maxine Bernstein of "OregonLive" is reporting on the story....LINK




US Chief Justice John Roberts joining four liberal justices in a 5-4 decision Thursday saying the White House has not provided a good enough reason to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.


The case brought by groups challenging the 2020 census question sent back to a lower court for more consideration and its possible that Justice Roberts could change his mind if additional justification is provided as the case develops.




The US Supreme Court also ruling that federal courts do not have a say over legislative maps created by the states.    The decision a 5-4 one.


The two gerrymandering cases involving congressional district maps created in Maryland and North Carolina following the 2010 census.    Maryland seen as favoring Democrats and North Carolina being biased towards Republicans.


Chief Justice John Roberts writing the majority opinion saying there is no federal constitutional amendment dictating "fair" congressional districts.


While the ruling of the court isn't denying that gerrymandering is a problem, the court majority says that it needs to addressed and is being addressed on the state level.


A second night of debate Thursday for Democrats who want to run against President Trump next year.    The second group of ten including high profile candidates like insider former Vice-President Joe Biden and outsider Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

President Trump and other world leaders at the G 20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.

Leaders meeting as a group and on the sidelines like Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Putin gave "The Financial Times" his assessment of Donald Trump:

"Mr. Trump is not a career politician.....I do not accept many of his methods when it comes to addressing problems.   But do you know what I think?  I think he is a talented person.   He knows very well what his voters expect from him"




Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeting in part Thursday that:


"Sanctions aren't alternative to war, they ARE war"


The US seeking to get NATO countries to denounce Iran for recent attacks on a US drone and oil tankers.    The Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper also wants NATO allies to consider participation in a plan to use military forces in the Persian Gulf region to protect shipping.

Esper held closed door talks at NATO headquarters in Brussels and told the media afterwards that NATO allies could help move Iran from a military issue to a diplomatic one.

Russia's Ambassador in Israel calls it:


"fake news"


Its a report from Israel Defense Forces Radio (Galei Zahal) that says Russia is causing disruption of GPS systems at the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.

Electronic measures taken to protect the Russian air base at Hmeimim in Syria about 220 miles to the north of Ben Gurion are said to be causing the GPS problems.   Pilots have to use alternative means to get accurate location information around Ben Gurion Airport.

On the battlefront in northwestern Syria Thursday attacks by HTS (formerly Al-Qaeda) jihadists on Syrian army positions at the Idlib-Hama provincial border.

The attacks repelled.   A Turkish observation post near the scene of the attacks was hit by shelling but no injuries reported.

But the Syrian government reporting an environmental disaster with oil pipeline sabotage along the Mediterranean Sea coast.

A pro-Syrian government twitter feed saying the sabotage likely caused by the United States or Israel.  More at the link......'WITHIN SYRIA BLOG'-TWITTER


In Tunisia two suicide bombing attacks with ISIS now claiming responsibility.     One outside the French embassy in Tunis where police were patrolling.          One police officer killed there with another office and three civilians wounded.  Four other police were wounded in an attack outside an anti-terrorism police unit's headquarters on the outskirts of Tunis.

In France, a shooting outside a mosque in Brest late Thursday afternoon.  Two wounded including the imam of the mosque.

The gunman found dead later after he committed suicide, shooting himself in the head.

A police investigation underway into the incident.

For the second time in eight days German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen trembling during a public appearance.   Merkel became steadier during a ceremony with Germany's outgoing justice minister.

The earlier incident was attributed to dehydration and Chancellor Merkel left Berlin later Thursday for the G20 summit in Japan.   Her spokesman says she "is doing well".   Germany in the midst of a heat wave right now.

Those hot conditions in Europe sparking massive brush fires-wildfires in the eastern Spanish region of Catalonia, the worst in decades.   Officials say the tinderbox conditions could cause the fires to spread rapidly.

France also involved in the heat wave as well with 300 schools closed Thursday as temperatures in some areas soar over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

French politics and the niece of Marine Le Pen, Marion Marechal, meeting with "mainstream politicians" in France from "The Republicans" for dinner Tuesday evening.    "The Republicans" beaten badly in the European Parliament elections last month.

Speculation about whether this means that Marechal, who has distanced herself from the National Rally party of her aunt, is moving in some new political direction and whether this is the beginning of some future political alignment.

Both Marechal and her aunt Marine Le Pen have personal popularity ratings in the mid 40 percent range. 


In Canada, the Liberal Party government moving to declare new groups as outlawed terrorist groups.

The Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale naming three groups said to be linked to Iran's government and two "Neo-Nazi" groups as terrorist organizations.

"Blood and Honor" and an "armed" part of that group called "Combat 18" named as outlawed groups.

Mr. Goodale, speaking in Regina, Saskatchewan, said:

"small toxic segments of society continue to peddle vile, hateful intolerance"


And a Canadian healthcare story, typical of many seen in the last four plus decades of single-payer healthcare in Canada.

This time its the story of a 13 year old boy in British Columbia who needs a drug to treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy.  

The British Columbia Health Ministry has not given Miles Ambridge access to what his mother calls a:

"life saving and life changing drug"


The spin on this story from the CBC in Canada.....LINK


Coming up on Friday the highest court in France deciding on life or death for a disabled man.

Vincent Lambert's case being decided late on a Friday afternoon in Paris (5 pm local time) by the Court of Cassation.

And also Friday sentencing following his conviction on federal charges for James Fields in connection with his conduct during the protests in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017 when left-wing protesters swarmed a nationalist rally in that city.


And that's way it really is as we Newsdump towards the end of June and come into Friday June 28th, 2019. 

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