Top Federal Judge Linked to Prostitution Ring 14 Mar 2008 Resent-Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:02:43 -0500 (CDT) Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government 14 Mar 2008 http://www.legitgov.org/ All items are here: http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news Another One: Top Federal Judge Linked to Prostitution Ring --Officials: Edward Nottingham 'implicated as a customer' in police investigation of alleged prostitution operation 14 Mar 2008 One of the country's top federal judges has been linked to an investigation of a Denver-based prostitution ring, according to federal officials. Edward Nottingham, the chief federal judge in Denver, Colo., was "implicated as a customer" in an ongoing IRS and Denver police investigation of an alleged prostitution operation called Denver Sugar/Denver Players, according to officials. According to published reports, Judge Nottingham, appointed to the federal bench in 1989 by President George H.W. Bush, paid $300 to $400 for "all-inclusive" sex with prostitutes working for the Denver Sugar/Denver Players service. Homeland Security worker in sex bust 13 Mar 2008 A Homeland Security staffer was busted for promising to help an applicant get her immigration papers in exchange for sexual favors, prosecutors said Wednesday. Isaac Baichu of the Bronx allegedly forced a female applicant to perform oral sex on him in his car in Queens some time in December 2007, telling her, "Trust me, because I'm the one who can help you," prosecutors said. [Oops! MSNBC forgot to cover this one.] Israeli at center of Spitzer scandal 10 Mar 2008 The alleged procurer in the prostitution scandal surrounding New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has an Israeli passport. A federal magistrate in New York ordered Mark "Michael" Brener held without bail after his arrest March 6 related to allegations that he headed the Emperors VIP Club, described by police as a high-priced prostitution ring. The Associated Press reported that $600,000 in cash and an Israeli passport were elements in denying bail to Brener. Spitzer, whose office conducted serious investigations of at least two Jewish organizations when he was state attorney general, made a brief statement to the media Monday admitting he had let down his family and the public. Eliot's Mess --The $200 billion bail-out for predator banks and Spitzer charges are intimately linked By Greg Palast 14 Mar 2008 While New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was paying an escort $4,300 in a hotel room in Washington, just down the road, George Bushs new Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Ben Bernanke, was secretly handing over $200 billion in a tryst with mortgage bank industry speculators. Both acts were wanton, wicked and lewd. But theres a BIG difference. The Governor was using his own checkbook. Bushs man Bernanke was using ours.This week, Bernankes Fed, for the first time in its history, loaned a selected coterie of banks one-fifth of a trillion dollars to guarantee these banks mortgage-backed junk bonds. The deluge of public loot was an eye-popping windfall to the very banking predators who have brought two million families to the brink of foreclosure. CLG exclusive: 'It is the latest hunting ground.' 'DC Madam' comments on Spitzer scandal 12 Mar 2008 Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the so-called DC Madam, shared her thoughts on the Spitzer scandal with CLG's Lori Price on Wednesday. Ms. Palfrey said, "Without question in my mind, escort and adult service businesses which cater to high-powered and influential clients are being used as the new weapon of choice in American politics. It is the latest hunting ground." NRCC Says Ex-Treasurer Diverted Up to $1 Million 14 Mar 2008 The former treasurer for the National Republican Congressional Committee diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars -- and possibly as much as $1 million -- of the organization's funds into his personal accounts, GOP officials said yesterday, describing an alleged scheme that could become one of the largest political frauds in recent history. Abramoff Firm Indicted on Theft, Conspiracy --Abramoff, His Firm and Guam Official Indicted on Nine Felony Counts 13 Mar 2008 Jack Abramoff's old lobby firm has been slapped with its first indictment stemming from his misdeeds. The attorney general for Guam issued an indictment Monday against the Greenberg Traurig firm, Abramoff and a former Guam government official on nine felony counts of theft, conspiracy and misconduct. Guantanamo prisoner gets reprieve 14 Mar 2008 A federal appeals court with a history of ruling against Guantanamo Bay prisoners handed one of them a reprieve Friday in his fight against the Bush regime's effort to return him to Algeria, where he says he probably would be tortured. US Accused of Altering Guantanamo Evidence 13 Mar 2008 A U.S. military commander altered a report on a firefight in Afghanistan to cast blame for the death of a Delta Force commando on a Canadian youth who was captured after the shooting stopped, a defense attorney said Thursday. The attorney, Navy Lt. Cmdr. William Kuebler, made the allegation at a pretrial hearing as he argued for access to the officer, identified only as "Col. W," as well as details about interrogations that he said might help clear his client of 'war-crimes' charges. 'We now know that... the government manufactured evidence to make it look like Omar was guilty.' U.S. falsely implicates Guantanamo prisoner: lawyer 13 Mar 2008 A U.S. military report on a battle in which a U.S. soldier died in Afghanistan was altered after the fact to falsely blame a young Canadian prisoner [15-year-old Omar Khadr], his lawyer said on Thursday. US likely subjected Khadr to torture --Canadian's interrogator court-martialed after abusing prisoners 13 Mar 2008 The likelihood the United States subjected Omar Khadr to harsh interrogations some would call torture increased Thursday after it emerged one of his early interrogators had been court-martialled for abusing prisoners and had also been involved in an interrogation of a prisoner who died. Legal arguments before the U.S. 'war crimes' commission in Guantanamo Bay indicated Sgt. Joshua Claus of military intelligence participated in many, maybe all, of the interrogations of the Canadian terror suspect after U.S. forces delivered him to the Bagram detention centre in Afghanistan in July 2002. Yemeni describes CIA secret jails, torture 14 Mar 2008 A Yemeni man has described being held for nearly three years in secret CIA prisons, or "black sites", around the world and accused the US of torture. Khaled al-Maqtari told Amnesty International he was held in isolation for more than 28 months without charge or access to any legal representation. Yemeni man describes torture in CIA custody: rights group 13 Mar 2008 A Yemeni national [Khaled Abdu Ahmed Saleh al-Maqtari] accused American secret agents of subjecting him to various forms of torture during nearly three years of CIA detention, in a statement released by Amnesty International Friday. Iraq: teachers told to rewrite history --MoD accused of sending propaganda to schools 14 Mar 2008 Britain's biggest teachers' union has accused the Ministry of Defence of breaking the law over a lesson plan drawn up to teach pupils about the Iraq war. Teachers will threaten to boycott military involvement in schools at the union's annual conference next weekend, claiming the lesson plan is a "propaganda" exercise and makes no mention of any civilian casualties as a result of the war. John McCain: Early US pull-out from Iraq will cause 'genocide' 14 Mar 2008 On the eve of his first overseas visit since becoming the Republican nominee, Insane McCain has warned that an early withdrawal of US troops from Iraq would lead to "chaos and genocide across the region". U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq By Y.T. Beigi 15 Mar 2008 The U.S. Congress' approval in December of $70 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan mean the twin conflicts are now more costly to American taxpayers than the war in Vietnam. According to a study by the Washington-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Congress has now approved nearly $700 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. UK commitment to Iraq 'absolute' 13 Mar 2008 UK Defence Secretary Des Browne has said in Baghdad that the UK commitment to Iraq remains "absolute". But he said at a press conference in the Iraqi capital that the nature of that commitment was changing, with more focus on 'economic development.' Blast in central Baghdad kills 9, adds to worries of rising violence 13 Mar 2008 An explosion tore through a men's garment district Thursday afternoon in central Baghdad, killing at least nine people, wounding 50 more. Since Monday, 12 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq in a string of suicide bombings, improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and rocket fire. US veterans urge soldiers to speak out against Iraq war 13 Mar 2008 US veterans and active-duty soldiers on Thursday kicked off an event in Washington to protest the war in Iraq, urging other members of the military to join them in speaking out against the conflict. "There's an upswell of disgust and disapproval for the Iraq war in the military," intelligence sergeant Selena Coppa told AFP at the launch of the four-day "Winter Soldier" event. Pentagon: Top al-Qaida figure in custody --Detainee reportedly aided bin Laden escape from Afghanistan 14 Mar 2008 After secret interrogations, the CIA transferred to U.S. military custody a(nother) high-level al-Qaida [al-CIAduh] figure who helped Osama bin Laden escape from Afghanistan in 2001, the Pentagon announced Friday. Mohammad Rahim was detained last summer, CIA Director Michael Hayden said, but the intelligence official didnt reveal where or by whom. Canada to extend Afghan mission to 2011 14 Mar 2008 Canada's parliament easily passed a government motion on Thursday to extend its Afghan 'mission' to 2011, provided that NATO allies provide necessary reinforcement to the military operations in southern Afghanistan. Warriors welcome Fallon's resignation 13 Mar 2008 Current and former military officials welcomed the resignation of Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, saying he failed to prevent foreign fighters and munitions from entering Iraq... Others said Adm. Fallon was pushed to resign. 6 Signs the U.S. May Be Headed for War in Iran 11 Mar 2008 Is the United States moving toward military action with Iran? The resignation of the top U.S. military commander for the Middle East is setting off alarms that the Bush administration is intent on using military force to stop Iran's moves toward gaining nuclear weapons... Here are six developments that may have Iran as a common thread. Third of Military Women Claim Harassment 14 Mar 2008 One-third of women in the military and 6 percent of men said they were sexually harassed, according to the latest Pentagon survey on the issue. US firm, CEO admit weapon, nuclear-linked export violations 13 Mar 2008 A US company and the Indian head of an international firm have admitted to violating laws on export of weapons technology and nuclear power testing equipment to India, the US Justice Department said Thursday. Rice: U.S. concerned by terrorism in Latin America 13 Mar 2008 U.S. Secretary of State [war criminal] Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday that Washington was concerned about terrorism in Latin America but she declined to comment on the chances that it might add Venezuela to a U.S. terrorism blacklist. FBI disregarded secret court on private records 13 Mar 2008 The FBI twice disregarded a secret court's constitutional objections and obtained private records for national-security probes, a U.S. inspector reported on Thursday. Bush Vows Veto of House-Passed Spying Bill --Bill Passes 213-197 14 Mar 2008 The House on Friday narrowly approved a Democratic bill that would set rules for the government's eavesdropping on phone calls and e-mails inside the United States. US House passes spy bill, rejects phone immunity 14 Mar 2008 The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives defied President [sic] George W. Bush on Friday and passed an anti-terrorism spy bill that permits lawsuits against phone companies. But the 213-197 vote was far short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a promised veto by Bush. House doors closed for security sweep before secret session to debate surveillance bill 14 Mar 2008 House doors were locked Thursday night as lawmakers prepared for their first closed session in 25 years to debate surveillance legislation. Republicans had requested the privacy secrecy. House agrees to rare secret session on spy bill 13 Mar 2008 The House of Representatives abruptly postponed a vote on a spy bill on Thursday after Democrats agreed to a Republican request to hold a rare secret session to discuss classified 'security' matters. The vote was reset for Friday. Bush calls for tighter cybersecurity 14 Mar 2008 A sudden spike in the number of successful attacks against federal government information systems and databases has led President [sic] Bush to propose a multibillion-dollar response [bl*w job for his corpora-terrorist cronies]. Plan to Spray Toxic Biological Chemicals Over San Francisco Announced By Rami Nagel 11 Mar 2008 People of the world, the US Government is planning to poison more than two million people, in California, using an untested biological "pesticide" this summer. The chemical to be sprayed is classified by the EPA as a "pesticide" and the plan is to douse cities with this chemical designed to stick on everything for 90 days or longer. This application is not a one time event, but will continue every 1-3 months for as long as five years. Tests Show State Capitol Letter Was Not Hazardous 14 Mar 2008 Final tests show the letter that made a governor's staffer sick this week did not contain any hazardous substances. Capitol Police Chief Michael J. Fallon said in an e-mail to lawmakers and staff that it's unknown what caused the unnamed male employee's reaction. Nanotech Exposed in Grocery Store Aisles --Report finds Miller Light, Cadbury and other brands have toxic risks (Friends of the Earth) 11 Mar 2008 Untested nanotechnology is being used in more than 100 food products, food packaging and contact materials currently on the shelf, without warning or new FDA testing, according to a report released today by Friends of the Earth. Do Nanoparticles in Food Pose a Health Risk? A new study reveals that nanoparticles are being used in everything from beer to baby drinks despite a lack of safety information By David Biello 13 Mar 2008 Plastic imbued with clay nanoparticles helps make Miller Brewing Co. beer bottles less likely to break as well as improves how long the brew lasts in storage... And a wide range of cooking and cleaning items now employ nanosize silver particles to kill microbes. Yet, the Washington, D.C.based environmental group Friends of the Earth (FoE) reports that none of the more than 100 food or food-related products it identified that contain nanoparticles--puny particles between 100 and one nanometers--bears a warning label or has undergone safety testing by government agencies. Michigan Dems agree on June 3 do-over 14 Mar 2008 Michigan Democrats agreed Friday to push a do-over primary in early June to give them a say in the close presidential race between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama says Rezko played a bigger fundraising role 14 Mar 2008 Indicted Chicago businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko was a more significant fundraiser for presidential candidate Barack Obama's earlier political campaigns than previously known. Rezko raised as much as $250,000 for the first three offices Obama sought, the senator told the Tribune on Friday. Controversial Chicago minister leaves Obama campaign 14 Mar 2008 Sen. Barack Obamas presidential campaign announced Friday that his former pastor [Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.] had left the campaigns spiritual advisory committee after the pastors inflammatory sermons ignited fierce debate in news accounts and political blogs. U.S. Stocks Fall, Led by Banks; Bear Stearns Drops Most Ever 14 Mar 2008 U.S. stocks plunged for the third day this week after Bear Stearns Cos. required a bailout from the Federal Reserve and JPMorgan Chase & Co. to avoid collapse. $11M to be restored to Enron fund 14 Mar 2008 More than $11 million will be restored to the settlement fund for former Enron Corp. employees who lost their retirement fund during the company's collapse, the Labor Department says. Gas bills ate your rebate --Rising pump prices means a big chunk of your check could end up stimulating an economy far from America's. 14 Mar 2008 OK, so maybe not all your tax rebate, but a big chunk of it. Rising gasoline prices means that up to a third of your stimulus rebate check - designed to boost the U.S. economy through spending at stores, restaurants and other businesses - could be spent buying gasoline, most of which is imported from abroad. Alaska senators make another push for oil drilling in ANWR 13 Mar 2008 Hoping to capitalize on consumer concern about gasoline prices, Alaska's two Republican senators introduced legislation Thursday that would allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge if the price of oil hits $125 a barrel. W.R. Grace to Pay $250 Million for Libby Cleanup 12 Mar 2008 In the largest Superfund cleanup settlement ever, W.R. Grace has agreed to pay $250 million to cover government investigation and cleanup costs associated with the asbestos-laden ore the company mined in Libby, Montana. Blair to lead campaign on climate change --Act urgently or global warming will be irreversible, former PM warns 14 Mar 2008 Tony Blair is to lead a new international team to tackle the intractable problem of securing a global deal on climate change which would have the backing of China and America. CLG needs your support. http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute Or, please mail a check or money order to the CLG: Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG) P.O. Box 1142 Bristol, CT 06011-1142 Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible. [Previous lead stories:] Iraqis bury 10 after blast U.S. says killed no one 12 Mar 2008 It was an incident that aptly summed up the fog of war in Iraq -- relatives burying nine women and a child they said were victims of a bomb attack on a bus in which the U.S. military said no one died. In Najaf, relatives gathered at a cemetery on Wednesday and accused U.S soldiers in the convoy of having shot at the bus, a charge U.S. military spokesman [prevaricator] Major-General Kevin Bergner denied at a news conference in Baghdad. [Yeah, this is where the GOP-owned media does the Pentagon's bidding and tacks on the obligatory 'despite a downturn in violence in recent months in Iraq.'] US military says it shot and killed a young Iraqi girl 13 Mar 2008 US soldiers shot and killed a young Iraqi girl who "appeared to be signalling to someone," a military official said today. The shooting, which took place yesterday afternoon, occurred in the volatile Diyala province north of Baghdad. The girl appeared to be "around 10 years old," said Major Brad Leighton, a military spokesman. Pakistan army: Shell fired by US-led forces in Afghanistan kills 4 Pakistanis 12 Mar 2008 The Pakistani army says an artillery shell fired by U.S.-led coalition forces in neighboring Afghanistan has killed four Pakistanis across the border. An Army spokesman says five artillery shells fired by coalition forces against militants in Afghanistan strayed into Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region Wednesday. One shell hit a house, killing two women and two children. Women and children killed in Afghanistan by British air strike 13 Mar 2008 Two women and two children were killed in an air strike called in by British forces in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said. The four bodies were found alongside one injured civilian as soldiers went to inspect the area. Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. Those who'd like to be added to the list can go here: http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg and add your name. Those who wish to be removed from the list can access the same link and click 'unsubscribe.' Please write to: signup@legitgov.org for inquiries/issues/concerns with your subscription. CLG Newsletter editor: Lori Price, Manager. Copyright ) 2008, Citizens For Legitimate Government . All rights reserved. CLG Founder and Chair is Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.