Latest Snowden Revelations: NSA Surveillance Key to Targeted Killings

Monday, 10 Feb 2014 07:42 AM

By Greg Richter

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Journalist Glenn Greenwald, who broke the story of NSA leaker Edward Snowden's revelations last year, says to expect "a lot more significant stories" as he launches a new independent news website this week.

On Monday, his new site, The Intercept, dropped its first big story, about the NSA's role in targeted killings.

The article reveals an NSA program codenamed GILGAMESH that provides geolocation data to U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to target drone strikes and capture/kill raids.

Latest: Is Snowden a Hero or Traitor – Vote in Urgent Poll

"The National Security Agency is using complex analysis of electronic surveillance, rather than human intelligence, as the primary method to locate targets for lethal drone strikes – an unreliable tactic that results in the deaths of innocent or unidentified people," the article states.

Without the crucial geolocation data, the article suggests it would be nearly impossible to target suspected terrorists, since the human intelligence is apparently often not that reliable. But in terms of definitively proving the targets are in fact terrorists, the abstract location data is even less reliable.

"Rather than confirming a target’s identity with operatives or informants on the ground, the CIA or the U.S. military then orders a strike based on the activity and location of the mobile phone a person is believed to be using," the article continues.

JSOC would be helpless "without the NSA conducting mass surveillance on an industrial level,” the story states, quoting a former Air Force drone operator named Brandon Bryant. “That is what creates those baseball cards you hear about,” featuring potential targets for drone strikes or raids.

"Once the bomb lands or a night raid happens, you know that phone is there," the former drone operator continues. "But we don’t know who’s behind it, who’s holding it. It’s of course assumed that the phone belongs to a human being who is nefarious and considered an 'unlawful enemy combatant.' This is where it gets very shady.

"We’re not going after people — we’re going after their phones.

"People get hung up that there’s a targeted list of people," he continues. "It’s really like we’re targeting a cell phone. We’re not going after people — we’re going after their phones, in the hopes that the person on the other end of that missile is the bad guy."

The article is written by Greenwald and Jeremy Scahill, the highly regarded author of "Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield," a book and documentary film that details covert U.S. military operations around that world.

"Whether or not Obama is fully aware of the errors built into the program of targeted assassination, he and his top advisors have repeatedly made clear that the president himself directly oversees the drone operation and takes full responsibility for it," the report states.

The NSA reportedly declined to respond to questions about the program. An NSA spokesperson refused to discuss “the type of operational detail that, in our view, should not be published.”

Appearing Sunday on CNN's "Reliable Sources," Greenwald dodged questions of whether he had new inside sources with tales similar to Snowden's, but he said that if sources come forward they will be "defended and protected" and what they reveal will be "aggressively reported" by journalists and media outlets.

But the new story seems to confirm that Greenwald and his team do have new sources, and they're naming them if the source agrees.

"Sounds like you have other sources that you're protecting," host Brian Stelter said.

Story continues below video.



Again, Greenwald would not answer specifically, but said it is fair to say there are other people who have been "inspired by Edward Snowden's courage and by the great good and virtue that it has achieved."

Snowden was inspired by the likes of Bradley Manning, Daniel Ellsberg, and others, Greenwald said. Likewise, there are others inside the government who have seen "extreme wrongdoing" who are inspired by Snowden, he said.

Greenwald said he and other journalists will be launching online magazines with First Look Media, which is funded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Omidyar said in a blog post on Thursday that "the site's staff has already uncovered a host of new and disturbing revelations in the NSA documents."

Greenwald told CNN that his stories will begin appearing on the site this week, possibly as early as Monday. It's unclear whether the new drone operator Bryant is violating classified secrets laws from the story, though he is apparently confirming details in Snowden's trove of stolen NSA documents.

Greenwald first revealed stories of the National Security Agency's ability to spy on Americans' emails and phone calls in the British newspaper The Guardian. His source was Snowden, who is living under temporary asylum in Russia.

Snowden and Greenwald have been called heroes by some and traitors by others. The two camps cross cross party and ideological lines, making for sometimes strange bedfellows on the controversial issues of privacy versus national security.

Greenwald is living in Brazil, but has said he will come to the United States in the spring despite the possibility of facing charges for releasing Snowden's documents. A book he is writing about Snowden and his role is scheduled to be published in April.

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Related Stories:

• Mike Rogers, CIA's Morell: Snowden Likely Stole Secrets with Russian Help
• Snowden Documents Reveal NSA Working On A Super Computer

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/greenwald-snowden-nsa-targeted/2014/02/09/id/551768#ixzz2vciOURaw
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Leaked Phone Call: Kiev Snipers Hired by US-Backed Opposition

False flag killings used to delegitimize Yanukovich government
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
March 5, 2014
Details of a leaked phone call between EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and Estonian foreign affairs minister Urmas Paet suggest that the US-backed opposition was responsible for hiring snipers who gunned down protesters in Kiev and not the deposed government of Viktor Yanukovich, as the media widely claimed.

During the phone call, Paet tells Ashton that evidence presented to him by a doctor who treated victims of the sniper attacks clearly indicates both police and protesters were being shot at by the same people.

“There is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind the snipers, it was not Yanukovich, but it was somebody from the new coalition,” said Paet during the phone call, which was hacked by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

“And second, what was quite disturbing, this same Olga [Bogomolets] told as well that all the evidence shows that the people who were killed by snipers from both sides, among policemen and then people from the streets, that they were the same snipers killing people from both sides,” the Estonian FM added.

The true narrative therefore suggests that forces within the opposition hired the snipers in order to kill protesters and then blame the deaths on Yanukovich’s administration, thereby delegitimizing his bid to hold onto power. This is a classic example of the kind “false flag” attack that NATO, which has vehemently sided with the opposition, perfected in Europe throughout the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s under Operation Gladio.

“I think we do want to investigate. I mean, I didn’t pick that up, that’s interesting. Gosh,” Ashton said in response to Paet.

However, the only real “investigation” conducted into the sniper killings was overseen by a secretive British team who refused to tell the BBC who they were working for. The investigators suggested that they had already concluded the Yanukovich government was responsible for the “bloodbath” before any formal results were even published.

Paet indicated that the newly installed government had since launched a cover-up of the sniper attacks, remarking, “They don’t want to investigate what exactly happened.”

The phone call was conducted after Paet visited Kiev on February 25 at the height of the clashes between police and protesters.

Earlier in February, another hacked phone call was leaked in which US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Victoria Nuland was caught red handed plotting with top diplomat Geoffrey Pyatt to pick Ukraine’s future puppet leaders. Nuland specifically approved Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who later became Prime Minister after the coup.

Suspicion as to who was really behind the sniper attacks should be focused on armed right-wing extremists who are now patrolling Kiev after the overthrow of Yanukovich. As we previously highlighted, after both Nuland and John McCain met with the leader of the neo-nazi affiliated Svoboda Party, the organization was handed three top positions within the newly formed Ukrainian government despite its clear links to fascism and anti-Semitism.

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FOLLOW Paul Joseph Watson @ https://twitter.com/PrisonPlanet

*********************

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News.

This article was posted: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at 9:10 am

Tags: foreign affairs, terrorism, war

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Stop Comcast's media monopolizing!

I hope you saw our message asking you to take a stand against uncontrolled media consolidation. If Comcast and Time Warner are allowed to merge, they'd gain a degree of control over our news and information infrastructure that no company should ever have.

We have to stop this -- sign our petition today! 

Thanks for all you do,

Todd O'Boyle
and the rest of the team at Common Cause

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Dear William,

Washington is awash in Kool-Aid this week. Cable giant Comcast is delivering a tasty but toxic new flavor on Capitol Hill and at regulatory agencies.

Already the nation’s largest Internet and home telephone service provider, Comcast wants to buy its top rival, Time Warner Cable. And Comcast’s executives want official Washington, along with the rest of the country, to believe this $45 billion, competition-killing deal will be good for consumers.

Say no to Comcast’s potion. Sign Common Cause's petition opposing the merger.

This deal would give Comcast what the Washington Post calls “enormous power” in determining what shows you can watch on your smartphone, tablet, laptop and TV sets. Comcast, which also owns NBC Television and Universal Studios, would gain leverage to choke off attempts by companies like Apple and Google to replace your cable set-top boxes with new and better Internet devices. And by joining forces with the nation’s second-biggest cable company, Comcast would have new power to set your rates for home telephone, cable and broadband service.

With so much to gain, Comcast and its lobbyists will serve up plenty of Kool-Aid to sell this deal to regulators at the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission, and to members of Congress. Between 2009 and 2011, when it was pushing a merger with NBC/Universal, Comcast spent $45 million just on lobbying.

A vibrant democracy depends on the free flow of information from diverse sources. Sign our petition and stand with us against the merger.

Thanks for all you do,

Todd O'Boyle
and the rest of the team at Common Cause

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We Got Karl Rove's Attention: Support Senator John Walsh of Montana

Want to know the #1 way to get the Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers’ attention? See John Walsh take on Washington. Karl Rove’s outside special interest group launched their first ad of 2014 this week right here in Montana, targeted at John. Even more unthinkable? They attacked his lifetime of service and his record on fighting for Montanans. It makes me mad – it should make you, too. We’re launching a new TV ad to fight back against the outside attacks and set the record straight about John’s courageous service. As a key supporter, we wanted to give you the first look before anyone else. Watch the ad and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter: As someone on Jon Tester’s team for many years and John Walsh’s new campaign manager, I’ve seen the outside attacks before. Montana voters know better. But the recent attention John’s been getting means that the outside attacks are coming earlier and harder than we ever expected. If we let draft-dodging Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers smear John’s distinguished character this early, we’ll be playing defense the rest of the campaign. I’m not going to let that happen, are you? John’s spent his whole life fighting for people like us. Now he needs your help to fight back. Watch and share our first TV ad and help us set the record straight. Thanks, Aaron Murphy Campaign Manager P.S. The more money we’re able to raise in the next 24 hours, the longer we’ll be able to keep this ad on the air. Chip in $5 to help us fight back against Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers.

Donate»

 

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Helena MT 59624 United States

Meet the Press: Overwhelmingly white, male and conservative.

Americans of all races and parties are politically engaged and working to lead our nation into a better future, but you wouldn't know that by watching Sunday talk shows on the major TV networks. A recent report by progressive media watchdog Media Matters for America found that Sunday morning political talk shows on major TV networks are mostly white, male and conservative.1 According to the report a majority of the Sunday morning national political news shows hosted white male guests at a significantly higher rate than their 31 percent proportion of the population. Viewers of NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday show saw white male guests over 62% of the time throughout 2013. While it's no surprise that an extreme right-wing network like Fox News would exclude guests who refuse to parrot Republican talking points and marginalize people of color, the willingness of other networks to follow suit is a disturbing trend. That's why I launched a petition on CREDOMobilize.com, targeting the executives of ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and CNN. The petition reads: Your viewers deserve and demand to hear a diverse set of opinions from a diverse calendar of guests -- not just those of white conservatives. It's time for producers of your Sunday morning talk shows to schedule guests and hire hosts of races and political backgrounds that match the general population. Tell TV network news executives: Stop shutting out progressives and people of color on Sunday morning political shows. Limiting the diversity of guests hosted on Sunday's national political shows to so thoroughly overrepresent one part of the population severely limits the diversity of views presented and does a serious disservice to viewers and our country as a whole. Denying people of color and of differing opinions the opportunity to join these discussions involving influential decision-makers and elected officials can lead to their views being left out of discussions on the House and Senate floors. Even worse than the fact that people of color and progressives are denied the opportunity to share their views, the lack of diversity on these programs sends a subtle suggestion that their opinions simply don't matter and won't be taken seriously. With fierce competition among networks for viewers, the executives of major networks need any advantage they can find to attract a larger audience. Sign my petition and show executives at ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN that by scheduling a more diverse slate of guests and hosts that reflect the general population, their networks can attract a larger audience of politically engaged viewers like you. Will you join me and add your name to my petition to executives of ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN urging them to stop shutting out progressives and people of color on Sunday morning talk shows? Thank you for your support. Karoli Kuns REPORT: The Demographics Of The Sunday Morning Political Talk Shows", MediaMatters.org, January 30, 2014.

CREDO Mobilize helps activists like you make progressive change and fight regressive policies by creating online petitions. Click here to start a petition today.

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Senate Republicans Blocked another Vote to Extend Unemployment Benefits to 1.6 Million Unemployed.

Republicans are making clear time and again that they will do everything they can to protect billions in tax breaks and subsidies for big corporations with armies of lobbyists.

But they can't find a way to help struggling families get back on their feet.

Just moments ago, Senate Republicans insulted 1.6 million Americans who can't find a job by blocking another vote to extend unemployment benefits.

Those 1.6 million Americans are our friends and our neighbors. They didn't cause the financial crisis. They worked hard, played by the rules, and paid into the system. So many people lost their jobs through no fault of their own, and now they're paying the price for Wall Street's wild risk-taking and Washington's failed oversight.

For these families, an extra couple of hundred dollars a week can keep food on the table or heat on during the winter. It can mean the difference between making the rent or mortgage payment and being out on the street.

I'm going to keep fighting for unemployment benefits because it's the right thing to do.

We are not a country that says, "I've got mine, the rest of you are on your own." We are better than that. We have to pitch in to help our friends and neighbors who have fallen on rough times. They would do the same for us.

Thank you for being a part of this,

Elizabeth

P.S. Are you or someone you know struggling without unemployment benefits? Share your story and help us show the faces of the people hurting most from today's vote.
 

The end of the Internet as we know it? Federal Communications Commission's Open Internet ("net neutrality") rules struck down

I'm sure you saw the news stories this week. A court on Tuesday gutted a federal telecom policy that guaranteed free speech online. Internet Service Providers are now free to make consumers pay more to access certain sites. The silver lining is that the Court made clear the Federal Communications Commission can fix this by writing better rules to protect consumers. But they need to hear from us. The time to act is now. You can still add your name to our petition to restore net neutrality. Thanks for all you do, Robert Reich and the rest of the team at Common Cause Bad news. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals just struck down the Federal Communications Commission's Open Internet ("net neutrality") rules that guarantee free speech online. The upshot of the decision is that Internet Service Providers like Verizon and Comcast now have permission to censor access to the sites and services you rely on every day. This absolutely cannot stand -- sign our petition today! This could be the end of the Internet as we know it. Broadband may become like cable television -- with popular sites like Facebook and Netflix in higher-priced tiers. Fortunately, the FCC can fix this mess -- today. The court's ruling allows the FCC to write strong new rules that will withstand legal challenge and protect Internet users. Join us today in calling on the FCC to get it right this time. Sign our petition to the FCC today and tell them to protect the Open Internet!Thanks for all you do, Todd O'Boyle and the rest of the team at Common Cause

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Common Cause is a national nonpartisan organization with chapters in 35 states. Our mailing address is 1133 19th Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20036. Our phone number is (202) 833-1200.

Stop the Big Oil Giveaway

The Renewable Fuel Standard has made America more secure - powering our economy with homegrown biofuels that keep oil prices in check, and curbing the flow of petrodollars abroad. But the Koch Brothers and Big Oil want to eliminate their cheaper, cleaner competition.
America needs homegrown American energy, not more dangerous dependence on oil. Please join VoteVets and tell the EPA to save the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Thanks for all you do!
Bob Fertik

"The price of a barrel of oil is now one of the most dangerous weapons in the world"
- President Barack Obama

Dear Activist,
Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering gutting one of the most important policies put in place to limit the amount of fossil fuels we burn and lower our dependence on foreign oil.
It's called the Renewable Fuel Standard and it ensures a minimum number of renewable fuels are used for transportation in the United States.
As veterans, military family members, and VoteVets supporters, we have a unique understanding about the cost of our dependence on foreign oil. It's not just measured in the price at the pump, or a changing climate, but also in the lives lost and changed through deployments to protect the flow of oil in the Middle East.
VoteVets is participating in the Environmental Protection Agency's public comment period on this issue. It ends in a few weeks, and we'd love it if you added your name to ours before we submit. You can do that here:
Tell the EPA: Save the Renewable Fuel Standard
This is an important issue and a very real chance for you to make a difference. The EPA traditionally takes these comments very seriously, but our voices are at risk of being drowned out by big oil interests running astroturf campaigns.
That's why your petition signature is so important. I hope you'll add your name to mine today.
All the best,
General (Ret.) Wesley Clark
Advisor, VoteVets.org

1.3 million Americans lost Unemployment Insurance today

Americans should be enjoying the holidays today. But for 1.3 million Americans, because Congress failed to act, today marked the end of their federal unemployment insurance.

Unemployment insurance is a vital safety net that so many job seekers struggling to get back on their feet rely on, and it's suddenly been taken away just three days after Christmas. Worse, if nothing is done, millions more will lose this support in the first half of the new year.

Although our economy is continuing to recover from an economic crisis, too many families are still struggling to rebuild and regain what they had before the recession. The American people shouldn't be penalized for Congress' inability to get things done.

Tell Speaker Boehner and leaders in Congress to fix it -- restore these benefits for people who need them most as soon as they get back to Washington:

http://my.barackobama.com/Restore-Unemployment-Insurance

If they don't, they'll be hearing from a whole bunch of us.

Thanks,

Nico

Nico Probst
Director of Special Projects
Organizing for Action

Defeat Mitch McConnell by Funding Allison Grimes for Senate :Dump McConnell and Rove

Friend -- This is important: Though Alison Grimes remains tied in the battle for the Senate -- McConnell 43 - Grimes 42 -- the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that she’s “seen her negative numbers skyrocket” due to an unending barrage of attacks from Karl Rove and his right-wing friends. Rove's allies have outspent Democrats 2-to-1 to pummel Grimes with revolting attacks. And just this week, a pro-McConnell group spent ANOTHER $382,000 to tear into her chances of winning. Grimes is still in an incredibly strong spot to win. And if she defeats Mitch McConnell and we stop a Republican Senate takeover, the Courier-Journal reports, we “could put the Senate out of the GOP’s reach for years to come.” That's why we absolutely MUST respond to these negative ads and set the record straight. We need another 2,000 supporters to chip in to our Defeat Mitch Campaign in the next 36 hours to close the fundraising gap and defeat McConnell and the GOP -- will you pitch in today? Deadline: 36 hours Suggested Support: $3 (Contribute) Will you make an urgent contribution of $3 to the Defeat Mitch Fund before tomorrow to beat McConnell and extreme Republicans? If we don’t stand up for her right now and fight back against these negative GOP attacks, we will lose the opportunity to defeat McConnell. He could take a big lead and wipe out any chance we have of stopping him or a Republican takeover of the Senate. We absolutely can't let that happen. Will you help us fight back? Please pitch in $3 to defeat McConnell and stop a Republican Senate takeover. Thank you for your support, Julia Ager DSCC Rapid Response Coordinator

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and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

4 Sneaky Tricks to Lower Your Blood Sugar

You've probably heard over and over again that 'most' carbohydrates are perhaps the WORST thing you could eat when trying to lose fat or transform your body, and for most people, that's 100% true (with a few exceptions) ...

The fact is, due to years of consuming a diet full of processed carbs and sugars (yes, including "whole grains"), most people have grown quite insensitive to one of the most important hormones in your body—a hormone that can either be a huge asset to your body transformation goals, or a total fat-loss and health-derailing nightmare. 

As you might have guessed, the name of this hormone is insulin.

And insulin's function is to help your body keep blood sugar normalized, clear it quickly from your bloodstream after a carbohydrate meal, and (hopefully) shuttle that blood sugar to muscle tissue for energy instead of into fat cells (driving up your weight).

I say "hopefully" because that's actually the exact opposite of what occurs when most people eat carbs.  Going back to insulin sensitivity and carbohydrate tolerance, due to a diet full of processed, insulin- and blood-sugar-spiking carbohydrates (this includes whole wheat which is one of the biggest blood-sugar spikers of all!), most folks are suffering from some level of insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin is no longer able to efficiently remove blood sugar from the blood stream.

The result?  Dramatically reduced fat burning, increased blood sugar levels and increased fat storage.

Even worse, insulin resistance can and often does lead to type II diabetes and an array of other health problems over time, such as an increased risk for Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders, premature aging (high blood sugar leads to "glycation" in your body, aging you faster), heart disease, and even stroke…and it all leads back to insulin sensitivity.

Ideally, when you consume carbohydrates, here is what you want to happen:

1.  Minimum insulin release.  This occurs when your body is highly sensitive to insulin.  When it is, only a small amount of insulin is necessary to effectively and efficiently clear glucose from your blood to its storage sites.  This is great news because your body has an incredibly difficult time burning fat in the presence of insulin.  The less insulin you have floating around, the better. 

Not only that, but high insulin levels due to insulin resistance reduces your growth hormone (aka, the youth hormone) production, which I'm sure you'll agree is NOT good if you want to slow aging, look younger, and stay lean.

2.  Quick and efficient blood sugar clearance.  Again, this will occur when your body is highly sensitive to insulin, and keeping lower average blood sugar levels helps to reduce glycation in your body, slow aging, and keep you in a fat-burning mode.

3.  Maximum glycogen uptake.  Glycogen is the term used for stored carbohydrate in muscle tissue and the liver.  When these tissues are highly sensitive to insulin (based on both your nutrition and exercise habits), the vast majority of blood glucose will be stored within them as an energy reserve, instead of being converted to fat.  Most people screw this up though!

4.  Minimum fat storage.  When you increase insulin sensitivity, your body will choose to store your carbohydrate intake as energy, again in lean muscle tissue and the liver, instead of body fat.

Simply put, your body's ability to process the carbohydrates you eat all comes down to your insulin sensitivity and your body's ability to quickly and efficiently clear sugar from your blood.  And as I said, poor blood sugar control and insulin resistance can lead to faster aging, type II diabetes, weight gain, and other health issues.

Knowing that, and also knowing that you yourself are very likely suffering from too much blood sugar and some degree of insulin resistance due to the previously mentioned dietary and lifestyle factors, you’re probably wondering what you can do to improve your insulin sensitivity and make your body responsive once again to this critically important hormone.

Fortunately, there are 4 somewhat odd, but extremely effective strategies you can begin using that will ultimately end your struggle with insulin resistance and carbohydrate intolerance once and for all, while finally allowing you to experience the excitement of seeing a thinner waist, flatter stomach, and a more defined body when looking back at yourself in the bathroom mirror each morning.

My good friend and trusted nutrition expert Joel Marion is giving away a free report for you on the page below that shows you how to do this:

Inside this new Free report "4 Sneaky Tricks to Lower Blood Sugar", you'll discover:

• How a very specific exercise trick can dramatically increase insulin sensitivity & lower your blood sugar (at the same time)
  
• A common ingredient at your local grocery story that’s clinically proven to decrease blood sugar by up to 29% (but only if you choose the right form)
  
• The #1 WORST blood-sugar-spiking carb EVER (it’s hidden in everything) and 2 quick tips to avoid it
  
• And best of all... the EASIEST carb trick of all time that, believe it or not, lowers blood sugar levels and boosts fat loss in as little as 45 seconds flat

Free report: 4 Tricks to lower your blood sugar (and BOOST insulin sensitivity)

We'll be back soon with more tips for a lean body for life,

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

Tell the White House: Don’t silence key advisor John Podesta on the presidential decision on Keystone XL

The petition reads: "Advisors or contractors with a financial stake in the outcome of Keystone XL – like TransCanada-linked contractor ERM – should recuse themselves from the White House decision on the tar sands pipeline. But a key advisor like John Podesta who has a fact-based track record opposing climate change and raising concerns about Keystone XL should not be silenced now that he has accepted the position of White House counselor. The White House should encourage John Podesta to provide his best counsel in deliberations on the presidential permit TransCanada requires to build Keystone XL." Automatically add your name:

Dear William, Apparently in the White House, having common sense now constitutes a conflict of interest. John Podesta is the highly respected founder of the Center for American Progress and recognized as a uniquely effective chief-of-staff to President Clinton. He announced Tuesday he'll be going to work as a top advisor to the president. That should be good news. But because he has a fact-based track record on climate change and has publicly and truthfully criticized the Canadian tar sands for being a highly inefficient and environmentally irreconcilable source of energy, the White House has already announced Podesta will recuse himself from participating in the decision on whether or not to award a foreign oil company the presidential permit necessary to build the Keystone XL pipeline across our northern border.1 It's simply shameful. Podesta has no financial interest in the Keystone XL decision. Meanwhile, key players allied to the oil industry with massive conflicts of interest are playing a major role in Keystone XL decision making. State Department contractor ERM is writing the key environmental impact statement for the State Department, an analysis on which the White House will base its decision making, despite ERM's having direct financial ties to TransCanada. Tell President Obama: If anyone should be recused from discussion of Keystone XL, it’s the ethically compromised ERM, not John Podesta. Don’t silence key White House advisors who tell the truth about tar sands and climate change. Click here to automatically sign the petition. Oil-industry contractor ERM has direct financial ties to the builder of the Keystone XL pipeline. That's as direct a conflict of interest as you can get. But instead of recusing ERM from involvement in the decision when this information came to light, the State Department literally attempted to cover it up!2 Podesta will be a valuable advisor on the Keystone XL decision precisely because he doesn’t have compromising ties to the fossil fuel industry. On the contrary, he has issued honest, straight ahead indictments of their worst products. This perspective has been marginalized at high levels of the Obama administration, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that climate change poses serious dangers to our national interest through heat-waves, fires and superstorms, not to mention escalation of overseas conflicts that are exacerbated by drought, devastating floods and the refugee crises they provoke. That's why after three years we’re still fighting a pipeline whose approval the president’s own leading climate scientist declared would help lead to "game over for the climate." This decision, which is President Obama’s alone, should have been a non-starter given President Obama's previous commitments on climate change and dirty oil. Far from a radical environmentalist, Podesta has touted a widespread embrace of natural gas - something we disagree with. Still, in a White House that has sorely lacked in prominent climate champions, his employ is a welcome addition. And the decision to silence him on what may be the single most closely watched decision of the Obama presidency is a shameful indication that the White House is not yet ready to face the challenge before us as a generation and embrace the climate leadership he promised and we so desperately need. Tell President Obama: We need climate leadership in the White House! Let John Podesta speak on the Keystone XL decision. Click the link below to automatically sign the petition: http://act.credoaction.com/go/2918?t=5&akid=9622.4923402.Vbd6qQ Thanks for taking action. Elijah Zarlin, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Automatically add your name: Learn more about this campaign 1. "John Podesta Recuses Himself From Keystone Issue, White House Aide Says," Reuters, December 11, 2013. 2. Andy Kroll, "EXCLUSIVE: State Dept. Hid Contractor's Ties to Keystone XL Pipeline Company," Mother Jones, March 21, 2013.

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