Germany blocks Edward Snowden from testifying in person in NSA inquiry

Source: The Guardian

Officials say a personal invitation for US whistleblower to attend hearing would put 'grave strain' on US-German relations

Philip Oltermann in Berlin
theguardian.com, Thursday 1 May 2014 06.32 EDT

The German government has blocked Edward Snowden from giving personal evidence in front of a parliamentary inquiry into NSA surveillance, it has emerged hours before Angela Merkel travels to Washington for a meeting with Barack Obama.

In a letter to members of a parliamentary committee obtained by Süddeutsche Zeitung, government officials say a personal invitation for the US whistleblower would "run counter to the political interests of the Federal Republic", and "put a grave and permanent strain" on US-German relations.

Opposition party members in the committee from the Left and Green party had for weeks insisted that the former NSA employee was a key witness and therefore would need to appear in person, not least because of concerns that Russia otherwise could influence his testimony.

However, the ruling Christian Democratic and Social Democratic parties, said that a written questionnaire would suffice. The disagreement led to the resignation of the CDU head of the committee this month.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/01/germany-edward-snowden-nsa-inquiry

Etiwanda Canyon Fire April 30, 2014

Europe BANS Cancer-Causing American Apples

The Young Turks · Published on Apr 29, 2014

"Back in 2008, the European Food Safety Authority began pressing the chemical industry to provide safety information on a substance called diphenylamine, or DPA. Widely applied to apples after harvest, DPA prevents 'storage scald'—brown spots that 'becomes a concern when fruit is stored for several months,' according to Washington State University, reporting from the heartland of industrial-scale apple production.

"DPA isn't believed to be harmful on its own. But it has the potential to break down into a family of carcinogens called nitrosamines—not something you want to find on your daily apple. And that's why European food safety regulators wanted more information on it. The industry came back with just "one study that detected three unknown chemicals on DPA-treated apples, but it could not determine if any of these chemicals, apparently formed when the DPA broke down, were nitrosamines," Environmental Working Group shows in an important new report. (The EFSA was concerned that DPA could decay into nitrosamines under contact with nitrogen, a ubiquitous element, EWG notes.) Unsatisfied with the response, the EFSA banned use of DPA on apples in 2012. And in March, the agency then slashed the tolerable level of DPA on imported apples to 0.1 parts per million, EWG reports.

"What does that have to do with the US-grown apples now gleaming, spot-free, on supermarket shelves? According to EWG, in 2010, when the US Department of Agriculture last looked for DPA residues on US-grown apples, it found them on 80 percent of samples. Average reading: 0.42 ppm, or about four times the new European limit. In other words, the apple on your countertop would likely be deemed unsafe by European authorities."

Ana Kasparian, Jimmy Dore, Desi Doyen and Dave Rubin break down the story of more than one bad apple on American grocery store shelves on The Young Turks.

For more, read the full Mother Jones Magazine story by Tom Philpott here: http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/04/europe-just-banned-apples-you-eat

ENENEWS Update 04-29-14

Japan (Fukushima)


NY Times in Fukushima: “It’s all lies” from gov’t about radiation — They are forcing us to come back and live 10 miles from leaking nuclear plant — “This is inhumane” — “I want to run away, but… we have no more money” — Radiation still 300% previous levels

Energy Journal: Fukushima “an ongoing crisis… an international issue, its important we all keep our eye on it… we owe it to the Pacific” — Nuclear fuel dropped into sub-basement and melted through some concrete, no one can get in to see where it is now (AUDIO)

TV: Official in Fukushima during 3/11 now suffering many health problems as consequence of nuclear catastrophe — “There’s no place I could go for help… hospital refused to treat me” — I asked for blood test since I’m exposed, but they denied it (VIDEO)

NY Times Reporter: Untold story of Fukushima is the radiation issue, gov’t doesn’t want us talking about it; A lot going on that’s never reported by media — Afraid of being imprisoned under Japan’s new secrecy law; All officials have to do is say the info is secret (AUDIO)

More from “Japan (Fukushima)”

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US/Canada


PBS Reporter Miles O’Brien: “No one likes to see ocean filled with cesium and strontium and so forth” — It’s arriving on West Coast of U.S. as we speak — “Nobody likes the idea of eating cesium from Fukushima” — “Tainted water dumped into Pacific as we speak” (AUDIO)

Strange Events in Gov’t WIPP Report: Emergency personnel needed for ‘reddish-brown vapors’ observed after ‘unplanned, excessive exothermic reaction’ — ‘Filters had an orange tint’ when changed hours after radiation release began

PHOTO: Broken roof bolts directly above WIPP nuclear waste were reported the day before radiation event — Cracks seen in nearby wall — “Heaving of bottom” may have taken place below broken bolts (VIDEO)

Gov’t Report: ‘Green burst’ seen at WIPP utility yard just minutes before radiation event began — ‘Popping noise’ heard by facility manager investigating incident

More from “US/Canada”


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World

Concerned officials now considering ban on Japan food items — Nuclear scientists previously told gov’t to halt all imports after finding high radiation levels — Never implemented due to fear of hurting bilateral relationship

Former US Official: War in Ukraine could cause disaster worse than Chernobyl and Fukushima — Situation “calls for far greater global concern” — Multiple scenarios result in meltdown — Foreign Minister: “Potential threat to many nuclear facilities”

Reports: “Experts agree many species of wildlife and fisheries are endangered globally due to large release of radioactivity into ocean” at Fukushima — “Has Fukushima radiation entered New Zealand ecosystem?”

BBC: Ukraine “on brink of civil war” — Gov’t: Threats to blow up nuclear plants; Facilities on high alert after seizure of energy ministry (VIDEO)

More from “World”

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Episode 1

LastWeekTonight · Published on Apr 28, 2014

Subscribe to the Last Week Tonight YouTube: http://itsh.bo/1h6WGcg

Wherever news breaks, whenever news breaks, John Oliver will bring it to you on Sunday. New episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver air Sundays at 11PM.

Formula 1 Pit Stops 1950 & Today

Sheriff's office fires deputy in Ft. Sanders party incident

Source: WKRN-TV News2


[font size=1]Frank Phillips (source: Knox County Sheriff's Office)[/font]

By KAYLA STRAYER
6 News Reporter
Posted: Apr 27, 2014 5:03 PM CST
Updated: Apr 27, 2014 10:20 PM CST

KNOXVILLE (WATE) - The Knox County Sheriff's Office says they have fired the deputy involved in Saturday night's block party in Fort Sanders. Frank Phillips, 47, has been with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office since 1992.

A statement posted on the Sheriff's Office website reads:

“In my 34 years of law enforcement experience, excessive force has never been tolerated. After an investigation by the Office of Professional Standards, I believe excessive force was used in this incident. Therefore, Officer Phillips’ employment with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office is terminated immediately. The investigation will now be turned over to the Knox County Attorney General’s Office to determine any further action.

“This incident provides a perfect example of why we are in the process of purchasing officer worn body cameras (video and audio recordings) so incidents like this will be fully documented.”

South Korean Prime Minister Resigns Over Ferry

NTDTV · Published on Apr 27, 2014

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won resigns over the government response to a ferry disaster on April 16.

Full Story:

Two giant floats mark the location of the stricken Sewol ferry, which capsized off the southwestern coast of South Korea.

It was full of school students when it sank on 16 April.

More than 300 people have died or are missing and presumed dead.

Divers are still trying to recover their bodies.

A sombre Prime Minister Chung Hong-won offered his resignation amid criticism of the government's handling of the disaster.

SOUTH KOREAN PRIME MINISTER CHUNG HONG-WON SAYING:
"The right thing for me to do is to take responsibility and resign as a person who in charge of the cabinet. I thought it is the way of apology."

"On behalf of the government, I apologise for many problems from the prevention of the accident to the early handling of the disaster."

Here grieving parents storm rescue headquarters. They blame the government for the slow pace of the recovery and the frequent changes in information provided by the government.

In first few hours after the disaster a provincial office announced that everyone had been rescued.

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Oops! Mistress Exposes Right Winger Dinesh D'Souza's Illegal Campaign Donations

The Young Turks · Published on Apr 26, 2014

How did a "family values" conservative like Dinesh D'Souza wind up exposed by his mistress for making illegal campaign contributions? Cenk Uygur breaks it down on The Young Turks.

Read more here from the Mediaite story by Tina Nguyen: http://www.mediaite.com/print/feds-we-definitely-didnt-target-dinesh-dsouza-for-obama-criticism/9461397755284/

Like Cliven Bundy, The Dann Sisters Had Land, Cattle, But Not Guns

The Young Turks ·Published on Apr 26, 2014

"The federal government's treatment of rancher Cliven Bundy, who has invoked land rights in his objection to paying grazing fees for his cattle, stands in stark contrast to what was done to the Dann sisters and other Indigenous Peoples on Shoshone territory when they did the same thing on lands that were unquestionably their own.

It was 1973 when the federal government first told Mary and Carrie Dann that they were "trespassing on public land," sparking a protracted paper war that eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

*Read more here from Indian Country Today Media Network:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/04/19/video-dann-sisters-battle-save-their-cattle-stark-contrast-clive-bundy-154521

VIDEO: Dann Sisters' Battle to Save Their Cattle Is Stark Contrast to That of Cliven Bundy