THIS WEEK IN REVIEW

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered his military to be on standby to use its nuclear missiles in a “pre-emptive attack” against its enemies. North Korea considers South Korea, the US, and Japan to be its enemies. France24 2016 Mar 4 (Story)

Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, told Fox News that Donald Trump is driving the Republican wing of the Establishment crazy because he’s “not a member of the club”, “doesn’t belong to the secret society” and “hasn’t lived through the initiation rites”. [Some news sources are reporting this statement as proof that a secret society controls the Establishment. However, listen carefully to Gingrich’s words and you will realize he is merely trying to be colorful in describing what often is called “the good-old-boys club”. Be aware that Gingrich is a dues-paying member of the Establishment. No, that does not mean that he actually pays dues.] InfoWars 2016 Mar 4 (Story)

The FBI was dealt a blow this week when a judge ruled in a case involving a Brooklyn drug dealer that the government does not have the power to compel a company to build a “backdoor” into existing security software. This ruling sets a precedent that will work in favor of Apple in its efforts to resist pressure from the FBI to build a backdoor for all existing iPhones. Truth In Media 2016 Mar 3 (Story)

Aubrey McClendon, fracking pioneer and former CEO of Chesapeake Energy, was indicted on conspiracy charges linked to the rigging of oil and gas leases. The reason this is news is, not because an executive rigged the prices of oil and gas leases, but because that executive, himself, was indicted for the crime instead of the usual arrangement in which the stockholders of the company pay a fine, and the executives receive a bonus. Let’s hope this becomes a trend. WSJ 2016 Mar 2 (Story)

America’s military increasingly is composed of contractors rather than regular troops. This has the advantage of making the number of US troops in other countries appear smaller and also distances the military from problems that arise from misconduct. As of January, 2,028 military contractors were in Iraq, up from just 250 one year earlier, and there are another 5,800 State Department contractors plus an unknown number employed by weapons manufacturers. WeMeantWell 2016 Mar 2 (Story) (Cached)

Turkey is preparing to try almost 2,000 people for ‘insulting’ President Erdogan. The accused include journalists, cartoonists, academics, and schoolchildren. Reuters 2016 Mar 2 (Story) (Cached)

Aubrey McClendon died after driving his car into a concrete barrier the day after he was indicted. This has led to speculation about the possibility of suicide. KOCO News 2016 Mar 2 (Story)

France’s National Assembly (upper chamber of Parliament) passed a law that requires 40% of all food served to be organically grown, ecologically sustainable, and locally grown. This will apply to school cafeterias, senior living communities, prisons, local pubs and restaurants. [What an excellent idea this is – except for one thing: it is done by coercion-of-law instead of freedom-of-choice.] Natural Society 2016 Mar 1 (Story) (Cached)

Former Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan, warned against banks instituting negative interest rates. He said that would distort savings and limit investments, resulting in reduced productivity. Bloomberg 2016 Mar 1 (Story)

Hidden devices on buses and trains in Maryland are recording private conversations. The devices were installed without legislative authorization. Washington Post 2016 Mar 1 (Story) (Cached)

US: According to a grand jury, two Catholic bishops helped to cover up the sexual abuse of hundreds of children by more than 50 priests for more than forty years. Offending priests were transferred rather than dismissed or prosecuted. The bishops chose to expose more children to abuse than have the scandal become public. AP 2016 Mar 1 (Story) (Cached)

A Ku Klux Klan rally in Anaheim, California, erupted in violence, ending with three people stabbed and 13 others arrested. A video of the incident shows anti-KKK protesters attacking KKK members. Mic 2016 Feb 29 (Story) (Cached)

Uganda: A children’s charity recently reported the mutilation and murder of six children. Blood sacrifices are believed to manifest power and wealth, especially during the election season. Yahoo 2016 Feb 29 (Story) (Cached)

Japan: Three former executives of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in were indicted Monday over the 2011 accident. This will be the first criminal trial linked to the disaster. AFP 2016 Feb 29 (Story)

Billboards are looking back at you. Clear Channel Outdoor Americas, an advertising company with thousands of billboards across the US, has a program called Radar that can track information from passing mobile phones. It tracks age, gender, and location, which can be used to customize local advertising to the interests of travelers. Inverse 2016 Feb 29 (Story) (Cached)

Staffordshire, England: Teenage gang fights have prompted the local McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants to require children under 18 years old to be accompanied by an adult to eat inside. This move is hoped to protect the staff who work there. Yahoo 2016 Feb 29 (Story) (Cached)

Former CIA chief, Michael Hayden, while appearing on Bill Maher’s talk show, said that, if Trump becomes President, the US military could refuse orders that Trump has suggested, such as waterboarding and killing terrorists’ families. CBS News 2016 Feb 28 (Story)

American military contractors, Ellwood National Forge Company and General Dynamics, recently sold ‘bunker-buster’ bombs to Turkey for $683 million. Turkey is using them against the Kurds, who are fighting against ISIS. Turkish court transcripts show that its military has been supplying ISIS with weapons. ZeroHedge 2016 Feb 27 (Story) (Cached)

Los Angeles officials are cracking down on tiny, portable charity houses for the homeless, and removing them without offering their residents an alternative. The city says they are a hazard. RT posted 2016 Feb 27 (Story)

The German government says it doesn’t know the whereabouts of 130-thousand refugees because they didn’t show up at reception centers to which they had been directed. According to officials, the refugees may have returned home, moved to another country, or gone underground. Press TV 2016 Feb 27 (Story)