National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG

Outrage as Biden proclaims Easter Sunday as ‘Trans Day of Visibility’ – as White House BANS children from submitting religious-themed Easter egg designs at annual event for military families –Biden sparked backlash by declaring this Easter Sunday to be a national ‘Transgender Day of Visibility’ –The White House also banned any Easter Egg Roll event entries with ‘questionable content,’ including religious symbols and political statements | 30 March 2024 | Joe Biden has sparked outrage by declaring this Easter Sunday will also officially become Transgender Day of Visibility. The White House doubled up backlash as it also banned religious imagery in submissions from children of military families taking part in the traditional Easter Egg Roll event, as critics branded the moves an “attack on Christianity.” It comes as the White House drew controversy before the Easter Egg Roll tradition, which is set to be held on Monday in an event that dates back to 1877.

Every NATO member has military personnel in Ukraine – Estonia –Western advisers and instructors are actively supporting Kiev’s forces against Russia, the defense minister has said | 1 April 2024 | Every NATO member already has military personnel in Ukraine, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur claimed on Monday. Under no circumstances, however, will forces from the U.S.-led bloc take part in the hostilities against Russia, the minister insisted in an interview with Austrian media outlet Die Presse. NATO servicemen are operating in the embattled country as advisers and are involved in training Ukrainian soldiers in Poland, the UK, and Estonia, Pevkur told the outlet. Western defense officials are currently planning to set up training camps in Ukraine in a bid to avoid issues with border crossings and to speed up the preparation process, he added. At the same time, Pevkur insisted there is no talk of NATO soldiers fighting directly in the conflict, stating, “This has already been ruled out.”  

Recently detained militants linked to Moscow terror attack – FSB | 1 April 2024 | A group of four militants captured on Sunday morning in Russia’s Dagestan had a role in financing and providing equipment for the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack earlier this month, the FSB stated on Monday. The short statement described the outfit as a terrorist cell composed of foreign nationals, who were allegedly planning a mass-casualty attack in the southern city of Kaspiysk using automatic firearms and explosives. The group planned to escape Russia after carrying out the plot, the security service added. The statement referred to “direct involvement” in the provision of finance and “means for terror” to the perpetrators of the March 22 massacre outside Moscow. The four alleged gunmen, whose attack at the concert venue claimed over 140 lives, were detained the next day, while purportedly trying to reach the Russia-Ukraine border.  

Death toll in Moscow terrorist attack rises to 137 | 24 March 2024 | Friday’s terrorist attack at a Moscow concert hall claimed at least 137 lives, according to an update from Russia’s Investigative Committee. The search for bodies is continuing as of Sunday in the part of the complex that burned down in a massive fire. A group of gunmen stormed Crocus City Hall on the evening of March 22, just before a concert by the rock band Picnic. The venue, which has an estimated capacity of 7,500, was almost full. The terrorists killed the guards, opened fire on visitors, and then started a blaze, which quickly spread through the building. According to investigators, three children are among the fatalities, and a total of 62 bodies have been identified so far. Also, health officials have reported that at least 180 other people were injured in the atrocity.

Biden authorizes thousands more bombs for Israel despite urging Benjamin Netanyahu not to invade Rafah: Tel Aviv will get 1,800 unguided 2,000lb bombs each capable of flattening a city block and leaving a 40ft crater –The U.S. has authorized the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to Israel despite public outcry over the killing of civilians in Gaza –The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs | 29 March 2024 | The U.S. in recent days authorized the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to Israel, two sources familiar with the effort said on Friday, even as Washington publicly expresses concerns about an anticipated Israeli military offensive in Rafah. The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, said the sources, who confirmed a report in the Washington Post. Washington gives 3.8 billion in annual military assistance to Israel, its longtime ally. The package comes as Israel faces strong international criticism over its continued bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza and as some members of Joe Biden’s party call for him to cut U.S. military aid.

Tens of thousands of Israelis take to the streets in Jerusalem in biggest protest against Benjamin Netanyahu since start of Hamas war –Demonstrators lit fires and smoke flares while demanding release of hostages | 31 March 2024 | Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets at the weekend to demand the release of hostages from Gaza and the removal Benjamin Netanyahu. Protests were held in cities including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, calling for the release of the estimated 130 people still held captive since October 7. Families of the hostages were among the crowds calling for the prime minister to leave power, branding him an “obstacle to the deal.” A statement from his office said the 74-year-old was undergoing surgery last night for a hernia. Mr Netanyahu has come under growing pressure from the families of the captives to strike a deal with Hamas to free them.

Anti-Israel protesters disrupt Biden’s lavish NYC fundraiser with Obama, Clinton, where tickets went for up to $500K: ‘War pig’ | 28 March 2024 | Several waves of protesters disrupted Joe Biden’s grandiose fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall Thursday, where he kicked it with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton to raise cash and enthusiasm for his 2024 re-election bid. One demonstrator, a woman blowing a whistle, holding a “war pig” sign [truer words never spoken] and warning of “nuclear war with Russia,” was removed from the lavish New York City event, dubbed by the 81-year-old president as a “grassroots fundraiser.” The first interruption was quickly followed by booing and whistling and two other waves of protests related to Biden’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas. “Shame on you Joe Biden,” one of the anti-Israel demonstrators shouted. Multiple [demonstrators] yelled, “Blood on your hands.”

Driver rams SUV into front gate at FBI Atlanta headquarters | 1 April 2024 | A person rammed into the front gate at the FBI Atlanta headquarters Monday afternoon. Officials say it happened just after noon off Flowers Road. The suspect exited a red/orange SUV and ran, but was caught by FBI agents who were nearby. The driver was taken into custody by the DeKalb County Police Department. “His motives at this time are not known,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Peter Ellis. “The suspect was taken to a local hospital where he will be evaluated. At this time, we are looking at both state and federal charges.”

‘You’re breaking my arm!’ Police illegally drag 84-year-old widow Dr. Ena Farley from her home By Free Ena Farley (Video and summary) | 1 March 2024 | On February 5, 2023, police with no warrant and no court order and no judicial authority kidnapped with force 84-year-old Dr. Ena Farley. She was not mentally incompetent and had not been declared so. She was the sole owner of her house. Police claimed she had to take blood-pressure pills, pills that were in the house. Despite the clear illegality of what police did, Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley has not charged anyone with a crime. Please ask her to charge someone: District Attorney’s Office, 47 S. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, NY 14614. Phone: (585) 753-4500. Fax: (585) 753-4576.  Email: districtattorney at monroecounty dot gov. The privacy complaint was illegitimate. This is an edited video from public-domain police body-camera footage… Dr. Jonathan Farley, who is in this video, did not make the privacy complaint. Most of the police and ambulance-workers are not mentioned but are indisputably filmed on police body-camera footage committing a crime. They would have no legitimate privacy complaint to make.

Shut it down: SWIFT planning launch of new central bank digital currency platform in 12-24 months | 26 March 2024 | Global bank messaging network SWIFT is planning a new platform in the next one to two years to connect the wave of central bank digital currencies now in development to the existing finance system, it has told Reuters. The move, which would be one of the most significant yet for the nascent CBDC ecosystem given SWIFT’s key role in global banking, is likely to be fine-tuned to when the first major ones are launched. SWIFT’s head of innovation, Nick Kerigan, said its latest trial, which took six months and involved a 38-member group of central banks, commercial banks and settlement platforms, had been one of the largest global collaborations on CBDCs and “tokenised” assets to date.

Baltimore bridge crash oddities unearthed –“Too many things had to go wrong at the perfectly wrong moment.” By legitgov | 28 March 2024 | Economist Joshua Done has unearthed a few oddities regarding the crash of the 984-foot-long cargo ship, the Dali, into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning. Done posted the posted the following on X, regarding his background: “I work for a company who produces cargo straps that are used inside ocean containers and we bring them in from overseas. I’m also an economist who specialized in international trade. I’m not a maritime mechanical engineer but I have a lot of relatively close proximity exposure.” He noted, “…[T]here are two emergency generators that had to both fail” and that “there are defensive islands…that protect the main pylons.” The economist concludes, “Too many things had to go wrong at the perfectly wrong moment.” Done’s video can be seen here.

Gen. Flynn: Baltimore Bridge Collapse ‘A Black Swan Event’ | 26 March 2024 | General Michael Flynn turned to social media Tuesday morning to warn the recent ship collision that collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, was a “Black Swan” event many people have been warning about for the past few months. “This is a BLACK SWAN event,” Flynn said of the deadly bridge incident. “Black swans normally come out of the world of finance (not military). The standard operating procedures for all U.S. ports, harbors, and bays that transit commerce and military activities are supposed to maintain an incredible level of discipline, rigor and awareness for these very type events to not occur (ever!), yet here we are.” He added: “There are harbor masters for every single one of these transit points in America that are in charge of assuring the safety of navigation…start there.” General Flynn also shared a video breaking down the bridge tragedy, such as the ship’s power clearly going out just before it sailed into one of the bridge’s piles.

Judge rejects Hunter Biden bid to dismiss tax charges in special counsel probe | 1 April 2024 | A judge on Monday rejected first son Hunter Biden’s request to dismiss tax charges brought against him by special counsel David Weiss. Weiss filed charges in December, alleging that Biden “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least 1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019, from in or about January 2017 through in or about October 15, 2020, and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns in or about February 2020.” The first son’s attorneys last week asked Judge Mark Scarsi of the U.S. District Court Central District of California to dismiss the charges against him, which he on Monday declined to do.

Trump posts $175M bond in civil fraud case, freeing up ex-president to start appeal and avoid seizing of assets | 1 April 2024 | Donald Trump has posted a 175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case, freeing him up to start appealing the massive judgment. The Knight Specialty Insurance Company backed the bond, an attorney for the Los Angeles-based firm wrote in a court filing Monday. “As promised, President Trump has posted bond,” the former commander-in-chief’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said in a statement Monday evening. “He looks forward to vindicating his rights on appeal and overturning this unjust verdict.” Trump, 77, successfully lobbied an appeals court to lower the bond from the full nearly half-billion judgment amount to the drastically reduced figure and gave him 10 days from the day of the decision, on March 25, to post the lessened bond.

Donald Trump Vows to Post Adjusted $175M Bond | 25 March 2024 | Former President Donald Trump vowed to post an adjusted bond amount of 175 million within ten days, according to a court ruling on Monday — while decrying the court cases against him as “election interference.” The new bond amount of 175 million is far less than the nearly half a billion Trump had Judge Arthur Engoron’s order required him to post. The five-panel New York appeals court ruled Trump could post a bond “in the amount of 175 million” to cover the judgment. The court also delayed enforcement of the 464 million judgment by ten days. The order also means Trump can still operate a business in New York and obtain loans from New York financial institutions, CNN reported. Trump, appearing in New York for a separate court case, told reporters that he would comply with Monday’s ruling.

House GOP threatens to hold AG Garland in contempt of Congress | 25 March 2024 | House Republicans are threatening to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress over the Justice Department’s failure to produce subpoenaed audio recordings of former Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden as part of the investigation into his handling of classified records. Fox News Digital obtained a letter that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote to Garland on Monday. Comer and Jordan said they expect Garland “to produce all responsive materials no later than 12:00 p.m. on April 8, 2024. If you fail to do so, the Committees will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings,” they wrote. Comer and Jordan subpoenaed the Justice Department for a transcript of Hur’s interview with Biden and audio recordings.

Biden’s highway climate mandate struck down by Texas judge – ‘unauthorized’ | 28 March 2024 | A U.S. judge ruled against the Biden regime in a decision about a highway climate rule on Wednesday. The [insane] rule was issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in December 2023. It requires states to measure and report the greenhouse gas emissions from any vehicles using the U.S. highway system. The rule also asked states to establish declining carbon dioxide targets, and to report back about progress on those goals. Texas sued the DOT in response. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, a Trump appointee, ruled in favor of Texas and wrote on Wednesday that “the rule was unauthorized.”

Trump attends slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller’s wake: ‘Need law and order’ | 28 March 2024 | Former President Donald Trump attended the wake of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller on Thursday afternoon at a Massapequa Park funeral home, while calling for law and order. “Such a sad, sad event. Such a horrible thing. And it’s happening all too often and we’re just not going to let it happen,” Trump said. “We need law and order,” he added. Diller was fatally shot on Monday during a traffic stop in Queens after a man with 21 prior arrests allegedly shot him in the stomach as Diller was trying to get the suspect, Guy Rivera, 34, to exit the vehicle. Rivera opened fire on Diller and his partner at about 5:45 p.m. Monday. The officers approached the vehicle because it was illegally parked at a bus stop.

NYPD cop is shot and killed by career criminal with 21 prior arrests during routine traffic stop | 25 March 2024 | A young police officer was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in New York this evening by a career criminal with 21 prior arrests. Officer Jonathan Diller, 31, was just three years into the job when he was gunned down while asking a driver why he had parked at a bus stop. His killer had been repeatedly jailed for drug and violent offenses and was arrested on a gun charge as recently as April of last year just yards from tonight’s killing. The suspect was named by the New York Post as 34-year-old Guy Rivera.

Boston Hands Over Soldiers’ Home to Migrant Families | 25 March 2024 | Boston officials are preparing to hand over the city’s Old Chelsea Soldiers’ Home to house illegal immigrants as Democrat Gov. Maura Healey’s administration looks for more sites to house migrants. Healey’s office says that it is “over capacity” at its currently established shelters, so the Soldiers’ Home facility is the next that will be put to use to house migrants. The city reports that about 100 families will soon be housed at the facility… Meanwhile, hundreds more are still on the way into the city.

Revealed: Illegal migrant charged with shooting dead Michigan woman was deported under the Trump administration –Murder suspect and illegal migrant Ortiz-Vite was previously deported in 2020 under the Trump administration but since re-entered the country illegally | 26 March 2024 | The illegal migrant suspected of killing a 25-year-old Michigan woman was deported during the Trump administration and subsequently re-entered the country again illegally. Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, is alleged to have shot and killed Ruby Garcia, 25, whose body was left at the side of highway U.S. 131 in downtown Grand Rapids on Friday night… Fox News Digital reports that the alleged killer was previously “arrested by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit on Aug. 31, 2020, and served a notice to appear. He was ordered removed by an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) Sept. 24, 2020, and was removed to Mexico Sept. 29, 2020,” according to an ICE spokesperson. “At an unknown date and location Ortiz-Vite reentered the United States without inspection by an immigration official.”

Illegal immigrant is charged with murdering Michigan woman, who was found shot dead on the side of a highway after horror carjacking | 25 March 2024 | An illegal immigrant, suspected of murdering a 25-year-old woman from Michigan during a car-jacking gone wrong, is awaiting arraignment on an open murder charge. Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, is alleged to have shot and killed Ruby Garcia, whose body was left at the side of highway U.S. 131 in downtown Grand Rapids on Friday night. Michigan State Police are still carrying out an investigation into her death but believe she may have been the victim of a car-jacking at around 11:38pm on Friday. Ortiz-Vite was booked on Sunday and is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday where he faces one count each of homicide/open murder, carjacking, felony firearm, illegally carrying a concealed weapon, operating while intoxicated, and driving on a suspended or revoked license, records show according to The Midwesterner.