National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG

Animals Falling Sick, Dying Near Horrific Ohio Train Derailment Site, Locals Claim –‘We basically nuked a town with chemicals’ | 13 Feb 2023 | Animals are falling sick or dying near the train derailment and chemical fire in East Palestine, Ohio, according to reports, which has sparked fears of more widespread impacts. Taylor Holzer, owner of a farm just outside the evacuation zone near the fire, told WKBN that several animals that he keeps on his property became ill. Some developed a range of symptoms, including liquid diarrhea and puffy faces. “Out of nowhere, he just started coughing really hard, just shut down, and he had liquid diarrhea and just went very fast,” Holzer told the outlet of one of his animals. “Smoke and chemicals from the train, that’s the only thing that can cause it, because it doesn’t just happen out of nowhere,” he added… Authorities have said the train was carrying highly toxic vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, and other hazardous materials before it derailed. The Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailed while it was heading to Pennsylvania on Feb. 3.

There were more toxic chemicals on train that derailed in Ohio than originally reported, data show –Among the substances were ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and isobutylene. | 13 Feb 2023 | There were more toxic chemicals aboard the train that derailed in Ohio than originally reported, new data show. State health officials were initially concerned about the presence of vinyl chloride, a highly volatile colorless gas produced for commercial uses, which spilled after about 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3 while traveling from Illinois to Pennsylvania. Other toxins, like phosgene and hydrogen chloride, were emitted in large plumes of smoke during a controlled release and burn, prompting officials to issue mandatory evacuation orders in a one-mile radius of the crash site. A list of the cars that were involved in the derailment and the products they were carrying released by Norfolk Southern reveal several more toxic chemicals that were released into the air and soil following the crash.

EPA Lists Other Toxic Chemicals on Tankers in Ohio Derailment | 13 feb 2023 | The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has written the Norfolk Southern Railway describing the chemicals found at the site of a Feb. 3 train derailment and controlled burn in East Palestine, Ohio, that some local residents have linked to sickness or death among animals. The Feb. 10 letter from the EPA to Norfolk Southern notes “multiple rail cars and tankers were observed derailed, breached, and/or on fire.” Coverage of the incident has mainly stressed the presence of vinyl chloride, a chemical used to make PVC pipes and other products. The National Cancer Institute notes that vinyl chloride has been linked to cancers of the brain, lungs, blood, lymphatic system, and, in particular, the liver. Yet, EPA’s letter mentions other potentially hazardous chemicals in those derailed tankers. Specifically, it notes the presence of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene, and butyl acrylate.

Emergency Officials Responding to Two More Train Derailments – One in South Carolina, Another in Texas | 13 Feb 2023 | Emergency responders on Monday responded to two more train derailments. At least one person is dead after a crash caused a train derailment at US 59 in Montgomery, Texas. According to deputies, a truck collided with the train, causing it to derail, ABC 13 Houston reported. On Monday afternoon there was another train derailment in Enoree, South Carolina. “Officials are responding to a train derailment in Enoree on Monday afternoon.” Fox Carolina reported. “CSX Transportation are also on the scene.”

U.S. Embassy Advises Americans in Russia to ‘Depart Immediately,’ Due to Risk of Arrest, Terror Threat | 13 Feb 2023 | The U.S. State Department is urging any Americans remaining in Russia to leave immediately, citing an elevated risk of arbitrary arrest by Russian security officials amid a more general warning of “unpredictable consequences” stemming from the Ukraine war and the “possibility of terrorism.” “U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately. Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions,” reads the latest advisory from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, which is overseen by the State Department. The travel advisory, issued on Feb. 12, noted a series of security risks facing U.S. citizens in Russia, including arbitrary enforcement of local law and the possibility that they could be forced to fight in the war… “Do not travel to Russia,” the State Department cautioned.

U.S. tax dollars at work: Zelensky shares photo of Ukrainian soldier with Nazi insignia – again –The skull-head symbol was used by one of Adolf Hitler’s elite SS units | 12 Feb 2023 | Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has posted a photo of a soldier sporting a symbol used by a notorious German unit that killed civilians in World War II. It’s not the first time Ukrainian soldiers and paramilitaries were photographed displaying insignia and tattoos associated with Nazism. On Sunday, Zelensky posted several photos on his Instagram account, including an image of a Ukrainian soldier resting in a trench. The black-and-white skull-head patch on the soldier’s left shoulder is similar to the “totenkopf” (death’s head) insignia used by the 3rd SS Tank Division, an elite unit infamous for massacring civilians in France and the Eastern Front, including Polish Jews. The unit’s first commander, Theodor Eicke, had managed the Dachau concentration camp before the war.

Google to expand ‘disinformation’ campaign in Europe –After suppressing anti-Ukrainian content in Poland, the tech giant will now target Germany | 13 Feb 2023 | Google is expanding its campaign against what it calls online “disinformation,” and will roll out ads in Germany aimed at “pre-bunking” content it disagrees with. Tested in Poland last year, the ads are the product of a Google research unit formed to combat “threats to open societies.” The tech giant will release a series of videos identifying apparent misinformation techniques and release them on multiple platforms in Germany, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, the Associated Press reported on Monday. The ads will focus on photos and videos, and the ease with which both can be manipulated, the news agency noted.

FBI Warns Against ‘Radical Traditionalist Catholic Ideology’ in Leaked Memo | 8 Feb 2023 | The FBI warned against “radical traditionalist Catholic ideology” in a memo posted on UncoverDC dot com by former FBI special agent Kyle Seraphin. Seraphin last year was suspended indefinitely without pay after working for at the FBI’s Richmond office for six years. The FBI believes “white supremacy” found in the home of Catholics who prefer Latin Mass, according to an internal memo: “The FBI’s Richmond Division would like to protect Virginians from the threat of ‘white supremacy,’ which it believes has found a home within Catholics who prefer the Latin Mass. An intelligence analyst within the Richmond Field Office of the FBI released in a new finished intelligence product dated January 23, 2023, on Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists (RMVE) and their interests in ‘Radical-Traditionalist Catholics’ or RTCs…”

Disinformation Inc: State Department bankrolls group secretly blacklisting conservative media | 9 Feb 2023 | The Department of State has funded a deep-pocketed “disinformation” tracking group that is secretly blacklisting and trying to defund conservative media, likely costing the news organizations vital advertising dollars, the Washington Examiner can confirm. The Global Disinformation Index, a British organization with two affiliated U.S. nonprofit groups, is feeding blacklists to ad companies with the intent of defunding and shutting down websites peddling alleged “disinformation,” the Washington Examiner reported. This same “disinformation” group has received 330,000 from two State Department-backed entities linked to the highest levels of government, raising concerns from First Amendment lawyers and members of Congress. The Washington Examinerrevealed on Thursday that it is on this exclusion list. The list includes at least 2,000 websites and has “had a significant impact on the advertising revenue that has gone to those sites,” said GDI’s CEO Clare Melford on a March 2022 podcast.

New York City Teachers Who Refused COVID Jab Had Their Fingerprints and Personnel Files Sent to the FBI, NY Criminal Justice Services | 11 Feb 2023 | …Look no further than what happened to New York City (NYC) teachers who refused the COVID shot. The conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is defending the teachers in state court, said the New York Department of Education (DOE) flagged the personnel files of NYC teachers who were fired because they declined the COVID vaccine. The teachers were assigned a “problem code” for not taking the shot. The files and the teachers’ fingerprints were then sent to the FBI and the New York Criminal Justice Services. Audio proof is here.  

South Dakota State Senator Suspended by Legislature Claims She Was Punished for Her Vaccine Views | 27 Jan 2023 | In a rare move, the South Dakota Senate suspended a conservative GOP state senator on Jan. 26 while not revealing the allegations against her. Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller alleged that she’s been punished after speaking to a legislative research staffer earlier this week about her views on vaccinations. “It has come to my attention that the issue may involve a conversation I had with staff, where I promoted my well-known stance on medical freedom and the ability of individuals to choose the best courts of medical treatment for themselves,” the senator said at a Thursday press conference. Frye-Mueller, who has opposed vaccination requirements in schools, said she did not bring up the COVID-19 vaccine during her exchange with the aide. The Republican-controlled Senate ended up voting 27-6 to form a committee to investigate Frye-Mueller’s conduct and in the meantime suspend her from voting or holding other rights of an elected official.  

State Supreme Court Blocks Mother From Vaccinating Children Against COVID-19 | 13 Feb 2023 | The Rhode Island Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a mother from getting her children vaccinated against [sic] COVID-19. A trial court in January rejected arguments from Joshua Nagel, the children’s father, and said Lauren Nagel, the mother, could take her children to get COVID-19 vaccines. Lawyers for Joshua Nagel quickly asked the state’s top court for a stay. A single justice entered a temporary stay on Jan. 26. The full court reviewed the case and on Feb. 9 said it was keeping the stay in place. Justices ordered Joshua Nagel to perfect an appeal within 15 days and for the parties to appear in court for oral arguments on April 13.  

House Panels Seek Testimony From Fauci, Biden Officials on COVID-19 Origins | 13 Feb 2023 | Two influential congressional committees are seeking testimony from Dr. Anthony Fauci and key figures in the Biden administration regarding the origins of COVID-19 and the allocation of U.S. taxpayer funds to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, are leading the investigation. They are also seeking testimony and information from Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance; Avril Haines, director of National Intelligence; Dr. Francis Collins, acting science adviser to President Joe Biden; and Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

F-16 failed to take down mystery object flying over US with first missile in costly miss –Each missile costs more than 400,000. | 13 Feb 2023 | The U.S. military jet that downed an unknown object in the Michigan sky on Sunday missed on its first attempt over Lake Huron, officials told Fox News. The Air Force F-16 jet was using Sidewinder missiles to attack the target. “The first Sidewinder heat-seeking missile missed the target,” one official said. It wasn’t clear where the missile that missed ultimately landed. The second missile took down the target. Each of the missiles costs more than 400,000.

U.S. military shoots down unidentified flying object over Great Lakes region –The U.S. has shot down three aircraft over North America in the past week | 12 Feb 2023 | The U.S. military on Sunday shot down another unidentified flying object over Lake Huron in Michigan. Rep. Jack Bergman (R) confirmed that the U.S. military has “decommissioned another “object” over Lake Huron. Moments earlier, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) said she’d been informed that the military has an “extremely close eye on the object above Lake Huron.”

Portion of Montana airspace closed for ‘Department of Defense activities’ – FAA later reopens airspace | 11 Feb 2023 | The Federal Aviation Administration announced Saturday it issued a temporary flight restriction over a portion of Montana shortly after an unidentified object was shot down over Canada and later said the restriction was lifted. “The FAA closed some airspace in Montana to support Department of Defense activities,” the FAA told Fox News Digital in a statement on Saturday evening. The airspace closed down was is in the area around Havre, Montana not far from the U.S. border with Canada. The FAA said the directive was “effective immediately until further notice.” Shortly after, the FAA says the airspace has been reopened but did not provide further details.

DeSantis Calls For New Laws Barring ESG in Florida Banking | 13 Feb 2023 | Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed new laws restricting financial institutions from using environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles to guide investment decisions. In a press conference held at Florida SouthWestern State College in Naples, Florida, on Feb. 13, DeSantis said he was partly acting to protect Florida public employees’ pensions, as ESG-driven investing may not be in the beneficiaries’ best financial interests. The state will require financial institutions to uphold their responsibilities, he said… The proposed legislation would also protect Floridians from discrimination by banks and financial institutions “for their religious, political, or social beliefs,” he said. “We believe in non-discrimination and we think that’s an important principle.”

Police arrest U-Haul driver suspected of hitting 8 pedestrians in New York City –At least two people are in “very bad shape,” a New York City councilman said. | 13 Feb 2023 | New York police on Monday arrested a man suspected of hitting at least eight pedestrians with a U-Haul truck, officials said. The suspect “went on a rampage in Bay Ridge,” New York City Councilman Justin Brannan tweeted. He said officials are unsure of the suspect’s motives but know it was not an accident. Police stopped the driver after more than three miles, The Associated Press reported.

Gunman kills three, wounds five at Michigan State University before committing suicide –The campus is on lockdown. | 14 Feb 2023 | gunman opened fire in at least two locations on the Michigan State University campus Monday night, killing three and injuring at least five before touching off a massive manhunt that ended with the shooter killing himself. Police confirmed the fatalities and injuries shortly before midnight Monday, and university officials closed the school for the next two days. Authorities said they were searching for a short, black man wearing black clothes and red sneakers. The suspected gunman was captured on security video footage released by the police. The suspect was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Deputy Police Chief Chris Rozman said.

Michigan State University shooting leaves 3 dead, 5 others wounded; manhunt underway for suspect –Hundreds of law enforcement officers were searching for the suspect on Michigan State University’s campus | 13 Feb 2023 | A gunman opened fire inside an academic hall on Michigan State University’s campus on Monday evening, leaving three people dead and five others wounded, according to police. The suspect, described as a short Black male wearing black pants, a blue jacket, and red shoes, was still on the run as of 11:40 p.m. All five wounded victims, some of whom have life-threatening injuries, were transported to Sparrow Hospital for treatment. Hundreds of law enforcement officers from several different agencies were involved in the search for the suspect on MSU’s 5,200-acre campus.