THIS WEEK IN REVIEW

President Obama has endorsed Hillary Clinton as the next president. There is no surprise in that, but it creates a massive conflict-of-interest with the current government investigation of Clinton for espionage and corruption. Hundreds of researchers, investigators, legal advisors, and prosecutors employed in the Justice Department and FBI are likely to be significantly influenced by the fact that their boss wants Hillary to be President. Fox News posted 2016 Jun 10 (Story)

Michigan: A murder trial may hinge on a parrot that was witness to the crime. The question is: Would a parrot be allowed as a witness – or an exhibit? If a witness, how do you swear it in? CBS This Morning, 2016 Jun 10 (Story)

Two Palestinians are being detained because they were identified as the shooters who dressed as Hasidic Jews and opened fire with automatic weapons near an open-air market in central Tel Aviv. Four Israelis were killed and nine were injured. CNN 2016 Jun 9 (Story)

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon publicly acknowledged Thursday that he removed the Saudi-led coalition, that currently is bombing Yemen, from a blacklist of child killers, This was done, he said, due to a financial threat to defund UN programs. News reports have indicated that this threat came directly from the Saudi government, which is a major donor to the UN. The Intercept 2016 Jun 9 (Story)

Venezuela: As hunger mounts, people are turning to trash bins for food. 76% of the population now lives below the poverty line. A black market in food is thriving. AP 2016 Jun 8 (Story)

US: Senator Rand Paul introduced the ‘Muhammad Ali Voluntary Service Act’ that would effectively end Selective Service (the draft). It is based on a statement by Ali that, if the war is worth fighting, people will volunteer. Paul plans to require a Congressional vote on all future military action. Reason 2016 Jun 8 (Story) (Cached)

Dresden, Germany: Alternative-media journalists Luke Rudkowski, Jeff Berwick and Dan Dicks were told by police to stay away from the hotel where the Bilderberg meetings are being held or else they would be physically beaten and arrested. WRC 2016 Jun 8 (Story)

Scotland has permanently banned fracking. A temporary moratorium on fracking was passed in 2015 pending proof that it caused no harm. Now, it is the view of lawmakers that such proof has not been provided and that the evidence is otherwise. The vote was non-binding, but members of the ruling party will face heavy opposition if they attempt to overturn it. Mintpress News 2016 Jun 8 (Story) (Cached)

Pasadena, California: Black Lives Matter activist, Jasmine Richards, who directed protesters to interfere with an attempt by police to arrest a fleeing suspect, was sentenced to 90 days in jail. ABC News 2016 Jun 7 (Story) (Cached)

Turkey: At least 11 people were killed and 36 injured when a bomb exploded on a police bus in central Istanbul during the morning rush hour. Four suspects have been detained, but no one has declared responsibility. CNN 2016 Jun 7 (Story)

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety has purchased several card readers that are able to extract the monetary value from pre-paid bank cards. This will allow troopers at roadside stops to seize the money from these cards just like they can seize cash from your pocket. All they have to do is claim that they suspect you may be involved with an illegal activity such as drug dealing. Oklahoma Watch 2016 Jun 7 (Story) (Cached)

Ireland: Professor J. Ray Bates, who once worked for NASA in the US, has published a study on climate change. The study concludes that climate-change scientists may be overestimating global warming by as much as 400%. RT 2016 Jun 6 (Story)

Switzerland: Residents in the Swiss village of Oberwil-Lieli, with a population of 2,000 people including 15% millionaires, voted to pay a fine of $284,000 instead of accepting 10 refugees. The villagers have been accused of racism and selfishness. [What do you think? Reply here. 2nd story in news report.] RT 2016 Jun 6 (Story)

US: The State Department will not release Hillary Clinton’s emails relating to the Trans-Pacific Partnership until after the election. This is an act of great kindness to Hillary, because the emails likely would reveal that, although she currently has been critical of the TPP, when she was Secretary of State, she worked hard on its behalf. Since the TPP has become unpopular since then, this fact could work against her in the upcoming election. Yahoo 2016 Jun 6 (Story) (Cached)

Syria: ISIS has executed 21 of its own soldiers who were suspected informants. The executions were public shows of brutality as a warning to others. This is in response to the fact that several ISIS leaders recently were successfully targeted and killed. CNN 2016 Jun 6 (Story)

Iraq: It is reported that ISIS burned-alive 19 Kurdish women because they refused to be sex slaves. PressTV 2016 Jun 6 (Story)

India: Police have made arrests relating to a suspected kidney-trafficking racket. Worldwide, kidneys are the most in-demand organs, and the poor are the most common donors. Reportedly, they are paid between $4,500 to $6,000. CNN 2016 Jun 6 (Story)

Philippine president-elect, Rodrigo Duterte, urges citizens to kill drug dealers. Duterte, a former mayor, is said to be involved in many killings of suspected criminals in his city by motorcycle-riding assassins. Human rights watchdogs say he has not been criminally charged, because no one has dared to testify against him in court. AP 2016 Jun 5 (Story) (Cached)

New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, issued an executive order that forces state entities to sell off any investments linked to businesses or groups involved with the BDS movement (boycott, divestiture and sanctions) against Israel. BDS is a protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. AP 2016 June 5 (Story) (Cached)

The Dutch government has defended the right to boycott Israel, following Sweden’s similar declaration. This is a rejection of Israeli efforts to outlaw such political activity. The Dutch government itself does not endorse the BDS (boycott, divestiture and sanctions) campaign, but says that BDS is protected under the principle of freedom of expression and assembly. MEMO posted 2016 June 4 (Story) (Cached)

Chicago: The agency that investigates cases of police misconduct and brutality released more than 100 videos of serious incidents that are still pending action. The agency says that, from now on, videos will be released within 60 to 90 days instead of withholding them from the public to avoid criticism. ABC News posted 2016 Jun 4 (Story)

South Africa has passed a law to expropriate land through what it calls ‘compulsory purchases’ but which is better known as eminent domain. Most of the land is still owned by whites 20 years after the end of apartheid, and the government intends to take the land from them and give it to those blacks who support the ruling party. BBC posted Jun 4 (Story) (Cached)