Jan 162025
 
 January 16, 2025  Posted by at 11:22 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,  Add comments


Marcel Duchamp The king and queen surrounded by swift nudes 1912

 

Trump Announces Israel-Hamas Ceasefire (RT)
Trump Envoy Swayed Netanyahu More In One Meeting Than Biden Did All Year (ZH)
“Turns Out, Presidents Matter”: Marc Andreessen (ZH)
Marco Rubio Urges End to Ukraine Conflict (Sp.)
Prepare For War – NATO Chief (RT)
What Trump Should Do (Paul Craig Roberts)
Trump Team’s Ukraine Predictions ‘Campaign Bluster’ – Reuters (RT)
Ban On Talks With Moscow Remains – Kiev (RT)
Moscow and Kiev Hold ‘Limited Talks’ – Bloomberg (RT)
German Military Retreats From X (RT)
Berlin Proves It Will Support Kiev To Its Own Detriment (Romanenko)
Biden SEC Sues Musk Over Twitter Purchase In 11th Hour “Sham” (ZH)
Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg To Attend Trump Inauguration (JTN)
Trump Mulls Executive Order To ‘Save Tiktok’ – WaPo (RT)
Why Europe Fears Free Speech (Munchau)

 

 


A Final Toast – by Mr. Fish

 

 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1879639928880943151

RFK

Cuomo

Bondi

Sheehy

Newsom

Palisades

Tucker

Sen. Kennedy

Gov. Taxes

 

 

Bibi doesn’t listen to Biden. He hears Trump loud and clear, though.

Trump Announces Israel-Hamas Ceasefire (RT)

Israel and Hamas have struck a deal that sees all hostages released, US President-elect Donald Trump has announced “We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East,” Trump posted on his TruthSocial platform on Wednesday. “They will be released shortly.” According to multiple media outlets, the agreement approved in Qatar involves a 42-day ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners, including all Israelis taken captive in the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion from Gaza. “This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump added in another post.

His national security team will “continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven,” the president-elect added. “This is only the beginning of great things to come for America, and indeed, the World!” Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly joined the talks in Doha and played a key role in persuading the Israeli delegation to accept the deal. “This deal was achieved because of the help of many and demonstrates that a policy of peace through strength wins,” Witkoff told Israel’s Channel 12 on Wednesday. “Thank you to the Israeli negotiating teams, thank you to the Qataris, thank you to Egypt, thank you to the Biden administration, and most of all to Donald Trump, whose policy of peace through strength is the one that won.”

A “breakthrough” in the talks was said to have been reached early on Monday. Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has met with senior Hamas officials to persuade the Palestinian group to accept the agreement. Egyptian and Turkish intelligence chiefs also took part in the negotiations, along with the heads of Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet.

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Bide demands praise for a whole year in which he failed. Trump simply says: I don’t want my 2d term to start with an ugly war.

Trump Envoy Swayed Netanyahu More In One Meeting Than Biden Did All Year (ZH)

Even Israeli media is very clearly attributing achievement of the Gaza ceasefire deal to President-elect Donald Trump and his team. President Biden too at one point in an afternoon press conference hailing the deal acknowledged that he spoke as ‘one team’ with Trump on the Gaza deal. According to The Times of Israel: “A “tense” weekend meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and incoming Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff led to a breakthrough in the hostage negotiations, with the top aide to US President-elect Donald Trump doing more to sway the premier in a single sit-down than outgoing President Joe Biden did all year, two Arab officials told The Times of Israel on Tuesday. Witkoff has been in Doha for the past week to take part in the hostage negotiations, as mediators try to secure a deal before Trump’s January 20 inauguration. On Saturday, Witkoff flew to Israel for a meeting with Netanyahu at the premier’s Jerusalem office.

During the meeting, Witkoff urged Netanyahu to accept key compromises necessary for an agreement, the two Arab officials on Monday told The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity. Neither Witkoff nor Netanyahu’s office responded to requests for comment”. As expected, Biden disagrees with this assessment… Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to make a public statement. Interestingly, Trump was the first leader to hail the deal, attributing it largely to his election victory in November and anticipation of his entering the Oval Office next Monday. But Biden chalked it up to his own diplomacy: “This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” he said in the statement.

The US president further said Wednesday’s agreement “not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” he says. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.” Many political analysts, including Glenn Greenwald, would beg to differ. An initial Hamas statement is meanwhile celebrating this as a ‘win’ over the Israeli military machine, which has been unable to root out the Islamist insurgency in the strip. Words from Hamas leadership praised “the legendary steadfastness of the great Palestinian people and the valiant resistance in the Gaza Strip.” Hamas is for the first time coming out publicly in the streets of Gaza, as a deal finally looks legit at this point…

Still there are reports of intensified Israeli bombing in parts of Gaza, merely hours before the deal is expected to go into effect, which will see the release of hostages and an exchange for many dozens of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Meanwhile, Nassim Taleb makes a great point, stating on X that …with Kamala there is a near-certainty of more wars coupled with a lot of bullshit about “peace” initiatives. With Trump (rather, Trump-Vance) there is a possibility of peace coupled with loud saber rattling. Indeed, if the truce holds, it will likely go down in the history books as a victory for Trump’s early diplomacy. Progressives too have been wondering what took the Biden White House so long, given also that virtually the same deal was on the table previously this summer, and it collapsed. Israeli lawmakers and ministers are expected to vote on approving the deal on Thursday morning, but a lot can happen between now and then.

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Andreessen: “He’s world-class at real estate and communications.” “He’s probably the first person in the world to be world-class in both things.” “He very deeply understands business.” “When Trump puts up one of these giant hotels, these are large-scale systems projects. There are many dimensions. A lot of things can go wrong. There’s technology change. You’ve got to manage these hands-on because they can always go sideways.” “He’s world-class at thinking things through systematically.” “There’s this video of him talking about the water situation in California on Joe Rogan six months ago. It’s one of those classic Trump things, where at the time, everybody’s like, why is he going on and on about the water situation in California?”

“And then, of course, LA is burning down in the last three days. And if you listen to what he talked about with the water situation in California. He is exactly 100% correct.” “In the first term, when he diagnosed the German energy situation at the United Nations. He said you will become dependent on Russian energy, and that will be a disaster for you, and it has been. It was an extremely precise, accurate, and prescient five-minute analysis of this system’s problem.” “In my energy conversation with him, he’s extremely sophisticated. The energy people that I know know that he’s sophisticated. So, he wraps his head around these things very quickly and easily.”

“Turns Out, Presidents Matter”: Marc Andreessen (ZH)

Marc Andreessen, the billionaire investor and co-founder of the influential Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, joined the host of Uncommon Knowledge, Peter Robinson (former Reagan speechwriter), to discuss his pivotal role in shaping Silicon Valley and politics. For decades, Andreessen has supported Democrats, including Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. However, a troubling 2024 spring meeting with Biden administration officials spooked the Silicon Valley entrepreneur. He said Biden officials explained their plan to control AI through government regulatory capture—a strategy reminiscent of Communist policies in China. Andreessen told Robinson that President-elect Donald Trump’s knowledge about problem-solving in business and energy is “extremely sophisticated” and “world-class on real estate and communications.”

“My analysis would be he is world-class in real estate and on communications … and he’s world-class on both which is like probably the first person in the world to be world-class on both of those things, right? The real estate industry is not historically known for its great communicators,” Andreessen continued. Robinson and Andreessen also discussed Silicon Valley’s technological and political evolution, Andreessen’s shifting political alliances from Clinton, Obama, and Biden to MAGA, and his vision for harnessing cutting-edge technology to advance societal progress. They also addressed energy challenges, border security, and national defense. In particular, Robinson and Andreessen spoke about China’s manufacturing dominance. Andreessen explained:

“And I’ll just tell you where I’m worried right now, where the problem is compounding. So you mentioned the, sort of, iPhone assembly, and that’s a big deal. But basically, there’s three industries that sort of follow phones that are kicking in right now. So, one is drones. And it’s sort of in a bizarre turn of events, the Chinese basically own the global drone market for all, basically, the consumer drones, all the cheap drones. Which by the way, numerically then are the drones that all the militarys also use in overwhelming numbers. And something over 90% of all drones used by the US military are made in China. No, no, it gets worse, it gets worse, it gets worse, it gets worse before it gets. So the drone thing is not just a company, it’s an entire ecosystem. It’s all of the componentry.

“We have a drone company that’s been trying to compete with the Chinese company. Number one, the Biden FAA has been trying to kill us this entire time, trying to do all kinds of things to make sure that American drone companies can’t succeed as part of their war on tech. It’s literally just another in the long list of ways that they’ve been just trying to absolutely kill us. But two is, China has figured this out. And so, the US has been sanctioning AI chips going to China, China is now sanctioning, they sanction our drone company for the battery, [LAUGH] cuz the battery is made in China, right? And so they have like significant leverage, not just for the drones, but for the entire supply chain. By the way, the drone supply chain is very analogous to the car supply chain. A self driving electric car is very similar to a drone, or for that matter, to an iPhone. It’s an electrical mechanical device, but it’s a lot of the same kind of battery technology, chip technology, sensor technology.

So they now have their version of what the Germans used to have, which is sort of, the thousands of mid market companies that make all the parts that go into a car. But the German ecosystem is still making them for old internal combustion cars, the Chinese ecosystem is making them for electric cars and self driving cars. And of course, that means the new Chinese cars that are coming out are really good and they have a giant advantage on cost. And they are starting to bring to market cars that are equivalent in quality to western cars at a third or a fourth of price. So that’s coming. And then the big one that follows phones, drones, and cars, logically, is robots.

Robinson asked Andreessen: And the Chinese are ahead of us there? Andreessen responded: 100%, now, we have the leading, this is important, we have the leading software,like we have the leading R&D. Like, we have the smartest, I’m convinced we have like the smartest robotics AI people. We have the best people, specifically for the design of the systems, but we don’t have anything resembling the manufacturing capability at all. Andreessen noted that these technologies are upstream from all the military applications because they are intertwined in the same supply chains. He said the US must confront this and reverse the fragmented approach, where the Biden administration would “hate the domestic American technology industry and is trying to kill it” one day and then, on other days, “thinks we’re gonna somehow develop some sort of competitive response to China on cars or on weapons in the future.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1879396919107313836

The takeaway from the interview is clear: Trump 2.0 must craft a coherent, competitive response to advancing technology under an ‘America First’ agenda. This is in contrast to the radicals in the Biden-Harris regime, who focused on de-growth policies (under the guise of climate change) that have allowed China to advance ahead of the US. “What’s the whole of government strategy on China? Zero, right? It turns out the president matters,” Andreessen concluded. One must ask: whose team was the Biden-Harris administration on? It doesn’t appear they prioritized an ‘America First’ agenda. This will change under Trump.

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Rubio presents the hawkish case.

Marco Rubio Urges End to Ukraine Conflict (Sp.)

The United States’ official position on the Ukraine conflict must be that it should be brought to an end, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state nominee, said on Wednesday. “I think it should be the official position of the United States that this war should be brought to an end,” Rubio said during a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when asked to elaborate on his decision late last year to vote against aid to Ukraine. The 53-year-old admitted that “this is not going to be an easy endeavor” and called for “everyone to be realistic.” He suggested that conflict settlement could start with “some ceasefire” and require concessions by both Russia and Ukraine.

Rubio pointed to a change in the dynamic of the Ukraine conflict, saying it has become a “war of attrition” and “stalemate.” He believes there is “no way Russia takes all of Ukraine.” “It’s also unrealistic to believe that somehow a nation the size of Ukraine — no matter how incompetent and no matter how much damage the Russian Federation has suffered as a result of this invasion — there is no way Ukraine is also going to push these people all the way back to where they were on the eve of the invasion,” Rubio added.

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NATO wants war. Nobody else does.

Prepare For War – NATO Chief (RT)

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has called on members of the US-led military bloc to adopt a “wartime mindset” and significantly increase defense spending, citing supposed threats from Russia and other nations. Rutte noted on Wednesday that NATO members have increased defense investments and conducted more frequent military exercises. However, he argued that these efforts are “not sufficient to deal with the dangers coming our way in the next four to five years.” The bloc’s “future security is at stake,” Rutte claimed in his opening remarks at a meeting of the Military Committee in Chiefs of Defense in Brussels. He accused Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran of attempting to “weaken our democracies and chip away at our freedom.”

“To prevent war, we need to prepare for it. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset,” Rutte asserted, urging NATO states to allocate more resources toward defense and develop “more and better defense capabilities.” He also stressed the importance of providing increased support to Ukraine to “change the trajectory of the war,” and called for enhanced cooperation with global partners. Moscow has repeatedly denied assertions that it represents a threat to any NATO member states and has instead accused the US-led bloc of waging a proxy war against Russia and encroaching on its territory. Last month, President Vladimir Putin said that practically all NATO states are currently at war with Russia.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also noted on Tuesday that history appears to be repeating itself, suggesting that there were “obvious parallels” between Moscow’s current confrontation with NATO and the attempts of Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler to take over Russia after subjugating dozens of European countries. On Tuesday, Rutte announced that NATO would bolster its presence in the Baltic Sea – a strategic area for Russian naval operations and energy exports – by launching a new mission under the pretext of protecting undersea infrastructure. The NATO chief revealed that this presence will involve frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, and a “small fleet of naval drones” that are expected to provide “enhanced surveillance and deterrence.”

The announcement follows an incident involving a Cook Islands-registered oil tanker, the Eagle S, which allegedly damaged the Estlink 2 power cable connecting Finland and Estonia last month. The EU has warned that it could impose sanctions on Moscow over what EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described as the “deliberate destruction of Europe’s critical infrastructure” using a “shadow fleet” of tankers, which supposedly includes the Eagle S. While the tanker has been detained by Finnish authorities, no conclusive evidence has been presented regarding its involvement in the alleged sabotage.

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If Trump can deal with the real challenges [..], he will go down as the greatest American president in history.

What Trump Should Do (Paul Craig Roberts)

American security agencies have long used the cloak of national security to avoid accountability for their crimes, such as the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, and the numerous assassinations of foreign leaders and screw-ups. Beginning with the Clinton regime, presidents and non-security appointees also began escaping accountability. The situation worsened in the George W. Bush/Dick Cheney regime, and it exploded in the Biden regime with the Attorney General, FBI, and Democrat state attorneys general and prosecutors using law as a weapon against Trump, his attorneys, and his supporters. Many people were ruined financially.

Many were falsely imprisoned, and Trump himself had his reelection in 2020 stolen by the most brazen and obvious vote theft in American history. The evidence is clear that Biden himself is guilty of selling vice presidential and presidential influence with his son, Hunter, being the marketer and sharing the revenues. Yet the US Department of Justice prevented any investigation and indictments The whore American media covered up the story. The practice of elevating high office holders to the privileged status of a king or an aristocracy above both the law and the US Constitution must not continue in the Trump regime. If it does, high officials will have gained squatters’ rights in being above the law, and the US Constitution will be reduced to a dead document.

At this point, the only way a collapse of the rule of law in the US can be avoided is for the Trump regime to relentless prosecute the Department of Justice, FBI, and White House officials who selectively applied law in the form of lawfare against political opponents. If those responsible avoid accountability, a legal precedent will have been established, and the differential rights and status based on race and gender that are already in place will be joined by special legal privileges for high government officials. It would mean the end of any possibility of accountable government. This should be the highest priority of the Trump regime. It is even more important than closing the border.

On the war front Trump should simply walk away from conflict with Iran and Russia. Wars distract from domestic matters and will prevent focus on making America great again. Wars will bring more propaganda about “terrorists” and more infringements of US civil liberty, which is not a path to making America great again. There is no reason whatsoever for American blood, taxpayers’ money, and more issuance of US debt in order to enrich the coffers of the military/security complex and to expand the frontier of Greater Israel. Trump should come to the realization that Israel is of no value to America. Israel is a deadweight burden around our necks, and the unconditional American support for Israel’s wars and genocide of the Palestinians has cost America’s reputation hugely. If America ever had a moral luster, it no longer does.

Iran and Russia do not threaten the US. The Middle East is full of problems for Iran, whose government doesn’t need problems with the US. Ukraine is Russia’s problem, not ours. Washington is responsible for the conflict. Trump should apologize and remove us from the conflict. The minute Trump stops sending money and weapons to Ukraine and Israel, peace will descend on the world. Trump should return to his original position that NATO is of no value to America. If NATO did not exist, Russia and Europe would be engaged in mutually beneficial economic ventures. These ventures would create financing and business opportunities also for Americans. All would prosper. It is Washington’s pursuit of hegemony–the control over others–that is suppressing economic activity worldwide and eroding the living standard of all Americans except the top one percent.

MAGA America has no interest in the agendas of special interest lobby group policies that benefit only a tiny percentage of people who are already so rich that they can’t possibly spend their huge amount of income and wealth. The problems of the world originate in Washington and they are institutionalized in the Israel Lobby, the military/security complex, Big Pharma and its control over high cost and ineffective American medicine that sacrifices Americans’ health and the integrity of doctors to Big Pharma’s profits. These are the real threats to America that if America is again to be great, these threats, not Russia and Iran, must be destroyed and eliminated. If the Trump regime can reestablish the respect for a rule of law by indicting and prosecuting DOJ, FBI, and other officials for their criminal behavior, and if Trump can disengage the US/Israeli war machine, he will have saved the world from nuclear war and re-established the United States as the principal nation to whom the world looks for leadership.

My concern is that Trump will love the war role. As Winston Churchill believed, there is nothing more exciting than being a war leader, especially if you imagine prospects of winning. Trump is extremely susceptible to getting into war based on advice that Putin has no red lines because Putin is too fearful of conflict. With Iran’s isolation from the destruction of Syria and a reformist government that wants to be free of religious restrictions and to make money in the West, Trump is being advised it is time to bring Iran down.

When the Ruling Elite have you blocked elsewhere, their agenda becomes your only choice. Has Trump fought so hard only for the sake of being used by the well-institutionalized American Establishment? The third thing Trump should immediately do is to shut down the US biowarfare labs Washington is operating all over the world. These labs are trying to create deadly pathogens that are highly contagious. The labs are even attempting to target the pathogens at specific ethnicities, collecting, for example, Russian DNA in the hopes of finding some material unique to Russians to which to attach the pathogen. These American labs are all illegal. Washington tries to avoid responsibility by locating its biowarfare labs in other countries. Trump should put an immediate halt to the activity and prosecute those responsible, including the US Congress if Congress authorized this illegal activity.

Those who profit from this evil activity claim that we have to do it because our enemies do it, but they never provide any documentation for their claim. Regardless, as the Covid experience proves, when a pathogen is released it goes everywhere. To use one as a weapon results in the same self-destruction as nuclear war. So much of science is committed to weapons. Science needs to be turned back to improving health and the human condition. If Trump can deal with the real challenges that we face instead of being led off to fake challenges serving special interests, he will go down as the greatest American president in history.

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If the shooting stops within 24 hours, there’s no bluster. Negotiations will come after.

Trump Team’s Ukraine Predictions ‘Campaign Bluster’ – Reuters (RT)

Donald Trump’s election promises to end the Ukraine conflict “in 24 hours” were driven by “a combination of campaign bluster and a lack of appreciation of the intractability” of the situation, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources close to the US president-elect. Trump repeatedly touted his ability to end hostilities between Russia and Ukraine while on the campaign trail, accusing President Joe Biden of mishandling the crisis. Privately, members of the Trump team expect the timeline for resolving the conflict to be measured in months, the news agency said. Reuters spoke with two individuals on condition of anonymity, who described themselves as Trump associates who have discussed the issue with him.

The view aligns with public remarks by members of the future administration. Keith Kellogg, whom Trump has tapped to serve as a special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, told Fox News last week that he aims to mediate a resolution within 100 days after Inauguration Day on January 20. Trump expressed frustration that he has to wait to be sworn in before implementing his plans, speaking at a recent press conference at his residence in Florida. Asked whether he intended to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the first three to six months of his presidency, the politician said such a meeting would hopefully be arranged “long before six months”. At the same event, Trump expressed empathy with Russian concerns over NATO’s expansion in Europe, which Moscow has cited as one of the key causes of the Ukraine conflict. He criticized the Biden administration for falling to effectively negotiate with Putin on the issue.

According to Reuters, Trump advisers generally support proposals that would take Ukraine’s bid to join NATO off the table for the foreseeable future, and push for a ceasefire along the current battle lines. They also advocate deploying European troops to monitor a potential demilitarized zone, the report said. The Kremlin has welcomed Trump’s recognition of Russian national concerns. However, Moscow expects a sustainable solution addressing the wider European security architecture. Moscow will not accept an agreement that would merely freeze the conflict and give Kiev time to rebuild its army for future hostilities, as happened with the Minsk Agreements of 2014-2015, officials have said.

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The talks won’t involve Ukraine.

Ban On Talks With Moscow Remains – Kiev (RT)

Kiev is maintaining its moratorium on direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga confirmed in an interview with European Pravda published on Wednesday. Two years ago, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree banning his government from any talks with Moscow. When asked if Russia should be involved in potential peace negotiations, Sibiga stated that at the moment, such a “modality” has not been considered. “Let us wait for official contacts with the US, where we will discuss further steps,” the diplomat added. Sibiga took up the post as Kiev’s chief diplomat in September, following the resignation of his predecessor Dmitry Kuleba, who stepped down amid a large-scale purge of Ukraine’s senior officials and took up a position at a Harvard-based research center.

In the interview, Sibiga claimed that US President-elect Donald Trump’s “peace through strength” approach aligns with Zelensky’s so-called “peace formula,” which is predicated on Russia withdrawing its troops from all territory claimed by Ukraine, paying reparations, and subjecting itself to a war crimes tribunal. Moscow has dismissed the plan, calling it “detached from reality.” Russia has repeatedly said it is open to talks on Ukraine, provided they take into account the territorial “reality on the ground,” an approach recently echoed by French president, Emmanual Macron. The Ukrainian leader, however, has recently shifted his rhetoric from emphasizing “victory” to demanding a “just peace,” underpinned by security guarantees from the West, including NATO membership, while leaving the status of the new Russian regions undetermined.

Last week, Zelensky expressed a desire to secure a peace agreement with Russia within the year, emphasizing the need for strong security guarantees from its Western supporters. Trump had repeatedly claimed while on the campaign trail that he could end the conflict within 24 hours. However, the president-elect recently said it might take up to six months after taking office to facilitate a deal between Moscow and Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow is ready to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine within a broader Eurasian framework in order to address larger geopolitical issues. The Russian president reiterated last month that Moscow is ready for negotiations with Kiev without any preconditions other than those agreed upon in Istanbul in 2022, which involved Ukraine agreeing to a neutral status and restrictions on the deployment of foreign weaponry in the country.

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Oh wait…

Moscow and Kiev Hold ‘Limited Talks’ – Bloomberg (RT)

Russia and Ukraine are holding “limited talks” in Qatar, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing sources on the Russian side. The negotiations are focused on preventing threats to nuclear facilities amid the ongoing conflict between the two neighbors, the media outlet claimed. Bloomberg’s Ukrainian sources maintained that the only talks held between the two nations are linked to prisoner exchanges. Earlier on Wednesday, Moscow and Kiev confirmed the latest POW swap, which involved 25 servicemen from each side. According to Bloomberg, the Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment. In August 2024, the Washington Post claimed that Moscow and Kiev were holding talks on a potential moratorium on striking energy infrastructure in the summer of that year, allegedly also mediated by Qatar. The negotiations were reportedly thwarted by the Ukrainian incursion into the Russian Kursk border region in early August, the US media outlet stated.

Moscow then refuted the report, saying that “no one has derailed anything.” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov brushed the information off as mere “rumors.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at that time that no “security regimes” for critical infrastructure had been discussed by the two sides. According to Zakharova, Moscow and Kiev have not engaged in any talks since spring 2022 when peace talks collapse, which Russia blamed on Western interference. In November 2024, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari, told journalists that his nation’s mediation efforts in the Ukraine conflict go beyond the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping children affected by the hostilities to reunite with their families.

According to al-Ansari, Qatar has always pursued a policy aimed at “reaching peace.” The spokesman also stated that time that Doha was supporting all the efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Kiev has refused direct talks with Moscow ever since Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky banned direct talks in autumn 2022. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga confirmed in an interview with European Pravda published on Wednesday that the moratorium is still in place. He also said that Kiev would wait for further contacts with the US before making any moves. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is ready for peace talks at any moment without any preconditions other than those agreed upon in Istanbul in 2022. The draft treaty involved Kiev agreeing to a neutral status and accepting restrictions on foreign weaponry deployment on Ukrainian territory.

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Who cares?

German Military Retreats From X (RT)

The German Defense Ministry and the Army (the Bundeswehr) have announced they will stop posting on X claiming that Elon Musk’s platform makes it “difficult to have a factual exchange.” Musk has lambasted the current German government for promoting the “woke mind virus” and leading the country to ruin, going so far as to endorse the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and interview its leader Alice Weidel live on his platform earlier this week. “We will leave our X-channel dormant until further notice and will not post anything actively for the time being,” the Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday. “We have decided to take this step because a factual exchange is becoming increasingly difficult here.”

According to a statement posted on the ministry’s website, it will continue to communicate with the public via press releases, a WhatsApp group, YouTube, Instagram, and “other social media.” The Bundeswehr reserves the right to post on X “in the case of disinformation campaigns,” it said. The move comes after over 60 German universities and research institutes announced their departure from X, alleging “increasing radicalization” on the site. Two labor unions and the top federal court have also departed the platform in a huff. Musk bought Twitter in October 2022, citing the previous management’s out-of-control censorship, and has since rebranded the platform as X. Subsequent revelations have shown that Twitter’s previous executive team worked closely with the government to suppress opposition narratives.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will continue to use X “for the time being,” his spokesman told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday. “It’s a difficult balance to strike,” the official representative said, describing X as “not without controversy.” The “controversy” in question appears to be Musk’s endorsement of AfD and an interview with Weidel. He did the same last year to back Donald Trump’s presidential bid in the US, which saw him triumph in November. The German establishment has long tarred AfD with accusations of “extremism,” but its popularity has surged in recent months due to its positions on immigration and the economy. Scholz’s “traffic light” coalition collapsed in November and Germans will have to vote for a new parliament in late February. Since Musk’s $44 billion purchase, proponents of “fact-checking” and censoring “disinformation” have tried to set up alternatives such as Threads and Bluesky, but failed to make an appreciable dent in X’s user base.

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“..each new pledge to Ukraine serves as a stark reminder of Berlin’s neglect of its own citizens..”

Berlin Proves It Will Support Kiev To Its Own Detriment (Romanenko)

As Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius proudly announced the delivery of RCH 155 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine – even before the Bundeswehr receives them – Berlin’s priorities have once again come under scrutiny. The decision to ship this state-of-the-art artillery system to Ukraine highlights a glaring paradox: Germany’s commitment to modernizing its own armed forces seems secondary to its zeal in arming Kiev for a war increasingly serving as a proxy for Western interests against Russia. “We are standing by Ukraine in this existential fight. The RCH 155 represents not only our technical capabilities but also our steadfast support,” Pistorius declared. Yet, for many Germans, each such statement lands like a hammer blow to national confidence in their government.

Comments online have laid bare the growing resentment, with users describing each new arms shipment as “another 0.5% boost for the AfD.” This remark reflects a troubling but undeniable trend in German politics: the ruling coalition’s unwavering support for Ukraine is alienating voters at home. The RCH 155 is an advanced artillery system mounted on a Boxer wheeled vehicle, boasting a range exceeding 40 kilometers and cutting-edge mobility. It was intended to play a key role in modernizing Germany’s military – a long-overdue initiative for the Bundeswehr, which has been plagued by underfunding and outdated equipment. Instead, these cutting-edge weapons will first see action in Ukraine, leaving Germany’s armed forces waiting. Critics argue that this decision exemplifies the government’s misguided priorities. “The Bundeswehr is not only defending Germany but also the NATO alliance,” said one military analyst.

“If we are not equipped to fulfil that role, it weakens the very foundation of our defense strategy.” The irony is inescapable: while Pistorius makes sweeping promises to Kiev, German soldiers continue to train on aging and inadequate equipment. This frustration is not confined to military circles. Across the political spectrum, Germans are increasingly questioning their country’s role as a financial and military backer of Ukraine. The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), a far-right populist party, has capitalized on this discontent, surging in the polls to become a significant political force. Recent state elections have seen the AfD achieve double-digit gains, fueled by voter dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of domestic issues. Energy prices remain high, inflation eats into wages, and public infrastructure continues to crumble.

Many Germans feel that resources and attention should be directed inward, not outward. For them, each new pledge to Ukraine serves as a stark reminder of Berlin’s neglect of its own citizens. The government’s unwavering support for Ukraine – a proxy for Western interests against Russia – is also being called into question. Pistorius’ rhetoric about an “existential fight” may resonate with international allies, but for many Germans, it rings hollow. They see a government that appears more concerned with maintaining its standing in Washington and Brussels than with addressing the needs of its own people. Comments on Die Welt reports about the transfer often highlight this disconnect. One user wrote, “We’ve become the arms supplier for the world while our own army remains underfunded and ill-equipped. How long will this madness continue?” Another opined, “Every tank, every howitzer we send is another nail in the coffin of this coalition’s credibility.”

Read more …

I read he had a 10-day grace period and filed the docs after 11 days. So one day late. Enough for Gensler to sue.

Biden SEC Sues Musk Over Twitter Purchase In 11th Hour “Sham” (ZH)

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sued Elon Musk in connection to his $44 billion purchase of Twitter (now X) in October 2022. In a Tuesday press release, the agency claims that by delaying the filing of a beneficial ownership report by 11 days, Musk saved $150 million, or 0.34% on several subsequent tranches of stock he bought before filing the disclosure on April 4, 2022. According to the agency, Twitter shares surged by 27% after Musk filed the ownership report – by which time he already owned 9% of the company’s shares. “Investors who sold Twitter common stock during this period did so at artificially low prices and thus suffered substantial economic harm,” reads the complaint. The agency wants Musk to disgorge any profits he incurred due to the late filing, along with pay a civil fine.

In response, Musk’s attorney, Alex Spiro, told the Epoch Times that Musk did nothing wrong – calling the SEC’s lawsuit a “sham.” “Today’s action is an admission by the SEC that they cannot bring an actual case,” he said, adding that Musk “has done nothing wrong and everyone sees this sham for what it is.” As the Epoch Times notes further, Spiro accused the SEC of running a “multi-year campaign of harassment” against Musk and insisted the agency was blowing the alleged late disclosure filing out of proportion, adding that this type of infraction carries a nominal penalty.

The lawsuit is the latest chapter in Musk’s contentious relationship with the SEC. In 2018, the agency sued him for posting on social media that he had “funding secured” to take Tesla private at $420 per share, a claim that was later revealed to be exaggerated. The SEC contended that Musk’s “misleading” post caused Tesla’s stock price to jump by over 6 percent and led to “significant market disruption.” That case was settled with Musk agreeing to pay a $20 million fine and step down as Tesla’s chairman for three years. The settlement did not require Musk to admit to any wrongdoing.

Musk’s “funding secured” post also sparked another lawsuit by a group of Tesla investors, who claimed that it was materially misleading and led them to suffer as much as $12 billion in financial losses. During a three-week trial in the case, Musk’s attorneys argued that he believed his statements about taking Tesla private were truthful, citing discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as evidence of potential funding. Musk testified that PIF representatives showed strong interest in the deal, which led him to claim that the funding was secured.

“I had no ill motive,” Musk said in court. “My intent was to do the right thing for all shareholders.” The jury sided with Musk in the case. Jurors delivered a unanimous verdict in February 2023, finding that Musk and Tesla were not liable for misleading investors with the posts. The investors appealed the decision, arguing that the judge gave erroneous instructions to the jurors. The appellate court upheld the jury’s decision, clearing Musk of securities fraud.The SEC’s current chair, Gary Gensler, plans to step down from his post on Jan. 20, the day President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated for a second term. Meanwhile, SEC Chief Accountant Paul Munter will retire from the agency effective Jan. 25 – making it unclear if the agency will even proceed with its filing against Musk.

JD Vance Gensler

Read more …

“All three CEOs are expected to be seated with Trump and his administration officials on the platform.”

Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg To Attend Trump Inauguration (JTN)

Tech giants Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg will all attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, and will be featured in a prominent spot together on the stage, according to NBC News. The three CEOs have all donated at least $1 million to Trump’s campaign or the Trump-Vance inaugural committee, and Musk is considered a close Trump ally. Musk, who runs and owns multiple companies including the social media platform X, will be co-leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during the second Trump administration, and has donated more than $250 million to getting Trump reelected.

Bezos, who owns the Washington Post and is the owner and founder of Amazon, instructed his paper not to endorse a presidential candidate in the 2024 elections. Amazon has also donated $1 million to the inaugural fund. Zuckerberg, who runs and founded the social media platform Facebook and its parent company Meta, recently reshuffled his company’s moderation policies in a move that some believe was done to appease the incoming Trump administration. He will also co-host a black tie reception on Monday night with Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson, per the Associated Press. Trump will officially be sworn into office on Capitol Hill on January 20. All three CEOs are expected to be seated with Trump and his administration officials on the platform.

Read more …

Trump wants TikTok as a negotiating tool with China.

“For all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump. The other side is closing it up, but I’m now a big star on TikTok.”

Trump Mulls Executive Order To ‘Save Tiktok’ – WaPo (RT)

President-elect Donald Trump is considering issuing an executive order to delay the enforcement of a US law that mandates the sale or shutdown of TikTok, potentially granting the popular social media platform a temporary reprieve, according to The Washington Post. The current legislation, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year, requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest from its US operations by January 19, 2025. Failure to comply would result in TikTok being removed from US app stores and losing access to essential infrastructure, effectively ceasing its operations in the country.

Trump has reportedly been “mulling ways to save the day,” including potentially issuing an executive order that would extend the compliance deadline by 60 to 90 days, allowing for further negotiations, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the matter. TikTok has already devised a plan to “go dark” for 170 million US users on Sunday. According to anonymous insiders cited by Reuters, the app would greet American users with a pop-up message explaining the ban and providing an option to download their data. This move would exceed the law’s requirements, which permit existing users to continue using the app without new downloads. The Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling on TikTok’s appeal against the law. During recent oral arguments, the justices appeared to prioritize national security concerns over potential free speech implications.

During his first term, Trump attempted to ban TikTok, citing national security risks due to its Chinese ownership. However, during the recent campaign, he changed his mind, stating: “For all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump. The other side is closing it up, but I’m now a big star on TikTok.” In December, Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, further signaling a shift in his stance toward the platform. Trump’s legal team has also requested the Supreme Court to halt the ban’s implementation, seeking additional time to pursue a political solution.

Read more …

“I am struggling to spot the difference between the extremists of the Right, and those who are trying to fight them.”

Why Europe Fears Free Speech (Munchau)

We all know the old joke: when a European referendum delivers the “wrong” outcome, the country votes again until they get it “right”. The EU thought this would be the case after Brexit. But so far, no one’s laughing. If anything, things have got worse. Take Romania, which recently cancelled its presidential election when Calin Georgescu, leader of a nationalist Right coalition, won the first round. Thierry Breton, former French European Commissioner, revealed the EU’s mindset during a damning recent TV interview. “We did it in Romania and we will obviously do it in Germany if necessary,” he said. In other words, if you can’t beat the far-Right, ban them.

I disagree with almost everything Breton has ever said, but I am grateful to him for stating his case with such revealing clarity. During his time as industry commissioner in Brussels, from 2019 until last summer, when Emmanuel Macron replaced him with a more compliant figure, he was the driving force behind a series of laws designed to keep Europe in the digital dark ages. The most extreme of which is the Digital Services Act (DSA) which compels “very large online platforms”, such as X and Meta, to check facts and filter out fake news. But, thanks to Breton, the truth is out there. Europe’s ultimate aim isn’t to save public discourse, it is to suffocate far-Right parties by depriving them of the oxygen of information. The DSA isn’t even the last word in the EU’s anti-digital jihad. One of Ursula von der Leyen’s big ideas last year during the European election was the so-called “democracy shield” — effectively launching even more legislation to prevent outside interference in EU affairs.

This notion conjures up images of laser beams and light-sabre fights. And in some respects it’s not far from the truth: a frightened bloc needs a shield to protect itself from the encroaching enemy. Mark Zuckerberg is certainly on the attack. Last week he announced that he is abandoning fact-checking on his platforms — effectively defying the DSA. And he is betting on Donald Trump to protect him from the legal consequences. Given that J.D. Vance, the Vice President-elect, has already threatened to end US support for Nato if Europe tries to censor Elon Musk’s X, surely the same will apply to Facebook. And the EU is far too dependent on the US to be able to mount an effective campaign against any of America’s social media platforms once Trump is president. The DSA, hastily drawn up during the pandemic, not only misjudges the nature of the social media, it misjudges political power. It exposes Europe’s essential weakness before America.

This isn’t just a geopolitical battle, though. It is also a European one. The attempted clampdown reveals that there is something the bloc fears more than free speech: populism. MEPs found it hard enough to stomach Nigel Farage’s brutal outbursts when he was a member of the European Parliament. Now they have Musk breathing down their neck, endorsing candidates from the AfD, a party that sits on the far-Right in the European Parliament’s benches and which supports German withdrawal from the EU. The German media had a collective breakdown when Musk tweeted an endorsement for the AfD, interviewed Alice Weidel, the party’s co-leader, on X, and then endorsed her in an article for Die Welt. The op-ed editor of the German daily resigned in protest. And an article in another newspaper hysterically described Musk’s intervention as unconstitutional. That journalists would advocate censorship seems shocking, until one understands the role of journalism in continental European society. It operates firmly inside a narrow centrist political consensus, which spans all the parties from the centre-left to the centre-right. Naturally, the AfD does not get much airtime in the German media.

But while marginalised by traditional media, the AfD thrives on TikTok, where it has large following. So what irks the German media, and politicians from other parties, is that the censorship cartel is no longer functioning as well as it once did. In the US and in the UK, the once mighty legacy media have already lost their power. Hillary Clinton expressed the frustration perhaps most clearly when she said that social media companies must fact check, or else “we lose total control”. But Europe still lives in a twilight zone where the traditional media still basks in the dwindling sunset of power, trying to ignore social media rising on the other horizon. Like all the modern political battles in Europe, this is about protecting vested interests.

The Romanian case demonstrates how these restrictions on freedom of speech are the first salvos in a greater war of repression. The presidential elections there were cancelled on the grounds that a Russian-infested TikTok had misinformed voters. I am sure that the Russians were active. But it is shocking to think that an election was cancelled because someone lied on TikTok. Let’s be clear, there was no suggestion of any vote rigging. Georgescu won the first round of the election fair and square. But as with the laughable misperception in Brussels after the Brexit vote, the presumption behind the EU’s support for the nullification of the result, was that voters were too stupid to make up their own mind. The rerun is to take place on 4 May, followed by a run-off between the most successful candidate two weeks later. Georgescu is still the most likely candidate to win according to opinion polls, but the Romanian political establishment is still determined to find ways to disbar him, the most promising of which is the hope that he may have received undeclared funds.

There are similar patterns elsewhere. Marine Le Pen faces potential disqualification from the 2027 presidential elections following accusations of irregularities regarding her assistants in the European Parliament. More recently, Brussels was spooked by the victory in Austria of the Freedom Party, which managed to obtain 28.8% of the vote in the September general election. It surpassed a threshold at which point it became politically impossible for the other parties to form coalitions. Herbert Kickl, the FPÖ’s leader, is now likely to become Austria’s next chancellor. Meanwhile, in Germany, a group of 113 MPs has ganged up to ban the AfD. Their story is that the far-Right wants to destroy democracy. While the party is not yet polling high enough to frustrate yet another centrist coalition in Berlin after next month’s elections, Germany may only be a few percentage points away from an Austrian-style impasse.

Surely, though, the sensible approach to the rise of the AfD, the FPÖ and other parties of the Right is not to censor them, but to address the underlying problem that has made them so strong: persistent economic uncertainty, loss of purchasing power, and dysfunctional policies on migration. Failing that, why not co-opt parties of the far-Right as junior coalition partners as they did in Sweden and Finland? If Weidel were suddenly thrust into the job of economics minister, we would see whether she could defend her record in government. But the centrist parties in Germany and France do neither. They have erected political firewalls against the far-Right. And they are doubling down with the same old policies.

It’s an approach that will inevitably backfire. A banned Le Pen would be far more dangerous for the centrist establishment, and possibly even more extreme when she eventually gets to power. Likewise the AfD would surely be radicalised after a ban. Until then, the EU’s blunt weapons of choice — the legal bans, political firewalls, and censorship — will inflict more self-harm than good. In the pecking order of democratic rights, freedom of speech has a relatively low priority in Europe. Like the creatures in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, I am struggling to spot the difference between the extremists of the Right, and those who are trying to fight them.

Read more …

 

 

 

 

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Home Forums Debt Rattle January 16 2025

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 76 total)
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  • #179481

    Marcel Duchamp The king and queen surrounded by swift nudes 1912   • Trump Announces Israel-Hamas Ceasefire (RT) • Trump Envoy Swayed Netanyahu M
    [See the full post at: Debt Rattle January 16 2025]

    #179484
    Germ
    Participant

    Good Morning :-))

    Cause of death of Irish backpacker found dead in Koh Tao ‘Death Island’ hotel is revealed

    “Robby Kinlan, 21, from Quilty in Co. Clare, found dead with his phone in his hand and his earphones on last week, his family said.

    Initially there was mystery around Robby’s sudden death but in an interview with the Irish Daily Mail yesterday, the family said that initial postmortem results found he had died as a result of acute pulmonary cardiac failure.”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14286611/Cause-death-Irish-backpacker-dead-Koh-Tao-death-Island-hotel-revealed-heartbroken-mother-pays-tribute.html

    TVASSF – so, there’s now no “mystery”?

    #179485
    Mister Roboto
    Participant

    The link to the “Prepare for War” article doesn’t actually go the article, it goes to the TAE homepage.

    #179486
    Oroboros
    Participant

    The Future of LA

    From Enimemes

    Burn Baby Burn!

    #179487
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Climate Change

    It’s kinda a relative thing…..

    .

    #179488

    “The link to the “Prepare for War” article doesn’t actually go the article..””
    Fixed.

    #179490
    poppie
    Participant

    The senate confirmations, end of war in Ukraine, inauguration, all have something in common. They all have alternatives afterward. Many alternatives. What ever happened leading up to those events probably does not indicate which alternative occurs.
    The confirmation questions dont point much anywhere.
    Post Ukraine war predictions sound like the question was “what scares you the most”.
    Inauguration? Stay tuned.

    #179491
    poppie
    Participant

    And I just realized I am confirming celticbikers outlook that its all a show.

    #179492
    zerosum
    Participant

    TAE is for Facts, Truth, Reality, that is not available everywhere.
    It’s not funny. It’s not comedy. It’s wrong. It must be labeled as altered. TAE should not do it.
    Example
    Video clips of the Past, which have been altered with deep fake, makes everyone’s memories of the Confirmation hearings unreliable/questionable.
    TAE is adding to secrets and lies.
    ————
    Who will take credit for the ceasefire.
    Who will take or will not take the blame when it fails.
    Killing, 81, are still happening.

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/16/live-celebrations-in-gaza-as-israel-hamas-reach-ceasefire-deal

    LIVE: Israel delays cabinet vote on ceasefire deal; dozens killed in Gaza

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held up the cabinet vote on the ceasefire deal that prompted premature celebrations in Gaza and was expected to take effect on Sunday, January 19.
    The Israeli military has stepped up attacks on the Gaza Strip since the announcement, killing at least 81 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.
    ———–
    https://sputnikglobe.com/20250115/trumps-state-secretary-nominee-urges-end-to-ukraine-conflict-calls-for-realistic-solutions-1121433226.html
    Trump’s Secretary of State Pick Urges End to Ukraine Conflict, Calls for Realistic Solutions

    • Marco Rubio Urges End to Ukraine Conflict (Sp.)

    Rubio pointed to a change in the dynamic of the Ukraine conflict, saying it has become a “war of attrition” and “stalemate.”
    He believes there is “no way Russia takes all of Ukraine.”
    “It’s also unrealistic to believe that somehow a nation the size of Ukraine — no matter how incompetent and no matter how much damage the Russian Federation has suffered as a result of this invasion — there is no way Ukraine is also going to push these people all the way back to where they were on the eve of the invasion,” Rubio added.

    Read more …
    ————–
    • What Trump Should Do (Paul Craig Roberts)

    … deal with the real challenges …
    ————-

    #179493
    Dr. D
    Participant

    “What The Flying F**k Is Going On In Britain?
    A battle for freedom of speech is underway. The US, led by Musk, X, and Trump will crush those who get in the way…”

    By saying words. Just…saying things. That’s a “Battle” that “Crushes”. Yes, metaphorically, if words never have meaning again.

    “AI Facial Recognition Software Is Fueling A Rise In False Arrests

    WONDERFUL. Awesome, I love it. I think it was Bad Pitt who just got $500k stolen by someone just, you know, painting a picture of his face for the cameras. I ask you: what exact type of security and gateways do you have that makes that possible? Coz Mr. Bank, sounds like you’re a clown. I held up a A4 pic to the webcam?

    “Outgoing Biden Admin Bans Imports From 37 Chinese Companies Over Uyghur Forced Labor

    But tariffs R Bad, m’kay?

    “The communist government here [In China] has an entirely different set of beliefs about the rights of individuals…”

    Oh My God! People have different beliefs???? Aiiiiiii! Fire up the B2’s! Sounds like you need you some FREEDOM! Well, this ends everything. Everybody knows you can’t talk to anyone who has different belief than yourself. Even by a tiny amount.

    “RFK Jr. Effect: Cancer-Linked Red Dye Banned From US Foods

    He’s not even in yet. Like 20 other things. And I hear people are burning the evidence. In a big way.

    “South Korean President Says Arrest Was ‘Voluntary’ To Prevent Bloodshed After Police Scaled Walls

    News blackout, but here we go. Sure, always “Voluntary” when the SWAT team has to violently break in. Exactly the same as when your lawyer tells you to show up and you walk in courthouse in a rental car. Voluntary = By Force.

    Okay, following per nothing, how’d we get to $100k BTC again? Just snuck up. 4 months and 50% to go.

    Video
    So this is Cuomo saying this?
    Because he can say anything?

    Totally agree with Kaine on this one. Problem being, neither he nor anyone in his party is better. Probably worse. Yes, this is why this is supposed to be relevant. Aaaaaaaand when there’s practically no one in America who’s moral, and anyone who is would run away screaming, you would pick who? ( I say every day to Rich, who won’t run) As Cuomo said, I totally agree, we should remove all such unfaithful scum from not just the Pentagon, but all government. Third secretary of filing cabinets in the EPA? Jail. The phone repairman in the Dept of Interior? Jail. Jail, jail, jail.

    Undercook fish? Jail. In fact, the military is the last area – on the entire continent – that actually had RULES on adultery. And why? Because they’re disgusting, repressive scumbags? No, because if you sleep with your buddy’s wife and go stand in a foxhole with him it won’t go well. Or your CO. No not “Just ‘cuz” … and somehow like all morality, IT’S PRACTICAL. Screwing people and being lazy cheater is bad outcomes. Not doing that is good outcomes.

    Sure, go ahead, but don’t play favorites. And again, they are making themselves look bad, not him. Please keep up these hearings until 2026.

    “It is dangerous for Elon Musk and Trump to say our reservoirs aren’t full”

    What if they aren’t full? And more “dangerous” than 200,000 homes destroyed?

    BTW, if I were Europe, I’d pay $100 million to have L.A. burned. If the Financial collapse starts in the U.S., they win. So? Let it happen, HELP it happen. I mean, lighting all L.A. on fire and collapsing the Colonies is only helping what was going to happen anyway, right? Where’s the harm? Who’s the real victim here?

    Tucker: “I’m Serving my children” “To Serve Man”

    Still seeing this all over. All articles, IF this is SAID, if this is THOUGHT, everyone will and must obey it. The very existence of the THOUGHT means any sentient being who hears, can only obey. This is the One Fundamental Truth.™ Why? Just saying they are starting from Tabula Rasa, “Think tanks” say people SHOULD be like this, do like this. There is no comprehension that there COULD be any other way. You can stop them in the street, put one in their hands, and it still won’t exist. There is only the UniNarrative™. Singular, pure, and strong. — I – don’t exist, brother; YOU, do not exist. Only the one Dormammu, the very sight of which drives men to madness. Dormammu is all. Obedience is Law.

    Since that’s how they act, that’s how everyone else acts. They worship Trump, they worship…Capitalism, they worship…dunno, beer. Work backwards from that. No, that’s how YOU act. The difference between the parties is one believes everything and one is cynical as f—.

    “31% of all govt revenue was consumed by interest payments on the debt.”

    Now as a flat thing – and it’s actually dynamic – the US debt from the first quarter = $4 TRILLION budget DEFICIT, 2024. What problem? I don’t see any problem. Business as usual, I say.

    Okay, we already saw UK broke. They’re selling 12 year olds for loose change. The UK Bond market is tanked, the UK Pound is going $1:1 if they’re LUCKY. And somehow L.A. is on fire to bankrupt U.S. FIRST? Huh. Go on…this story is fascinating.

    “• Trump Announces Israel-Hamas Ceasefire (RT)

    Pretty odd, and don’t believe it, but cease fire better than no, I guess. Also, now we know why/if Trump coo’s up and says Israel is awesome: can you get a ceasefire if you insult and threaten them instead? That is, they may know the Israeli temperament and how to get the deal. I don’t care HOW they cease fire: say anything; Just get it. He has to SIGNAL what will happen (he has), without threatening them directly that it WILL happen. Because if he threatened them, they’d have to oppose on principle.

    “It’s one of those classic Trump things, where at the time, everybody’s like, why is he going on and on about the water situation in California?”

    Why indeed? Because perhaps as CIC, etc, he had/has access to 20 levels of information we don’t? People come in his office every day and tell him, “So n so assassination is planned for Wednesday,” etc? Look for lip readers, but it’s said that’s what he and O-man were a’yukkin’ it up about. Trump is like, “I heard such n such about some awesome new secret plans, yo” And Obama knows he’s on camera, he’s like, “Ha ha ha you so funny, you know I’d never do dat.” Probably the 50th time, except usually they send Christmas cards, or someone’s head in a box. Or a kayak.

    • Marco Rubio Urges End to Ukraine Conflict (Sp.)

    Back to Trump, but excuse me aren’t all these things illegal? Isn’t that what Flynn was thrown in prison for? You’re not allowed to talk to anybody, about anything until the day after inauguration, right? No? So when we don’t have a President that we have, it’s okay for the non-president to be President now?

    Whoops! Rules exist, then they don’t, then they do, then they don’t. BothNeitherAi. Okay, so who told the PRESS that Rubio is our pre-pre-negotiator, and it’s okay for non-Presidents to sign peace deals with Nutsy now? Anyone? A: “We all know.” Really? On whose “memo”?

    History Reality has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

    “• Prepare For War – NATO Chief (RT)

    Um, whut? NATO’s only job is to prepare for war. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING LAST 50 YEARS? Btw, War with who? Why?

    Apropos to nothing, Russia has pointed out they lack the numbers to occupy RUSSIA. The idea they could Occupy Europe is psychotic. Hilarious. C’est fou, c’est redicule! Childish. Infantile. They probably couldn’t occupy Poland. Sooooo, NATO is what, exactly? What the actual f—k are any of you talking about???

    Let’s go the other way: same populations, same countries. Sooooo, EUROPE is going to occupy RUSSIA? Same math. Europe couldn’t occupy MOSCOW. They’d need 5x all Europe to occupy to the URALS. What the actual are any of you fools bleating on about? Nobody’s gonna do nothing except get a bunch of fools killed. (The actual plan was to ECONOMICALLY pinch Russia and have them collapse INTERNALLY, be Balkanized, and be puppet governments with no armies used at all.)

    “• What Trump Should Do (Paul Craig Roberts)

    Oh God….

    How about “Nobody’s gonna do nothing. All things are going to happen TO them. By history and circumstance. You think you’re steering but you’ve got the race car wheel in the shopping cart.

    “• Trump Team’s Ukraine Predictions ‘Campaign Bluster’ – Reuters (RT)

    Same as Nutsy, above, he’s telling Ze to conscript 18 year olds to call his bluff. If he doesn’t, it’s over, if he does, it’s over, they’ll shoot him. There’s the chess piece and the vector and intent of the chess piece. So IDGAF which he chooses. Choose one, it’s over. He’s zugzwang to NOT choose, because either loses. Then a minute later, UK falls.

    • Ban On Talks With Moscow Remains – Kiev (RT)

    That’s alright, even if they weren’t, they’d have to elect a President first.

    “they will stop posting on X claiming that Elon Musk’s platform makes it “difficult to have a factual exchange.”

    Same as, what was it, the BBC? Everytime they posted more dumb s—t 10,000 fact checkers in the comment section posted BBC quotes contradicting them? Yeah, you look like fecking idjits. Nobody likes that. I can’t save you from being what you are.

    “Gary Gensler has a LONG history of weaponizing The SEC ”

    Sure, it’s the SEC, that’s why it exists. And the FBI, and the EPA, and the DoL… This very minute they are “iz he iz” on XRP in order to cause enough reversals that Wall Street can insider trade on all the 20% moves they create every day. That’s just one. That’s WHY they, and government, exist. I mean, it sure isn’t for us!!!

    • Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg To Attend Trump Inauguration (JTN)

    I guess Musk’s Direct-Messaging archive in Twitter he only got by snap-reversing the purchase before they could burn them all, sure came in handy! I’m sure no one ever discussed seditious crimes with WaPo and FB. Genius DoD insiders would never brag about sedition and the exact times of meetings to the first hookup they meet.

    “• Trump Mulls Executive Order To ‘Save Tiktok’ – WaPo (RT)

    That’s not how Presidency, or E.O.s work. This is why I keep hammering on it. IF he has this authority, there is no government, we’re under a King. No. On Washington’s grave, No.

    Take Romania, which recently cancelled its presidential election when Calin Georgescu, leader of a nationalist Right coalition, won”

    I am hearing this is sorta-sorta the wrong place to try this s—t. We take it as “Oh, small country, proud and resisting.” Right, true. But this mindset of the sovereigntists in Romanian history TOLD THE NAZIS TO GO F—K THEMSELVES, then hammered down an even WORSE fascism than Berlin. That is, they told the entire Reich to pound sand, then killed more people opposition internal than the Nazis did, to make it stick. Come at me bro. Don’t f—k with them. Maybe I’m wrong on this, Romania is not my area, that’s what I was told. Good on ’em.

    So of ALLLL the countries to try this with: Greece, Italy, Poland, I’m saying maybe this is the WRONG one to milk the tiger. FAFO, and they are waaaaaaay past arrogant enough to ignore and handwave some 2nd rate chihuahua in Slavic-land. Romania can blow them the f—k up. For one thing, the critical NATO base is there. That’s just the START. What if they want a major RUSSIAN military base there? Surrounding all their neighbors, backing Hungary?

    I believe it will happen eventually, but is today that day?

    Today’s art, Fabian Socialists.
    Soc

    Yes, that is a wolf. Yes, that is a skin suit its wearing. But the art the art makes, created and approved by the artists isn’t REALLY the art created and approved by the artists. Real Fabian Socialist art has never been tried.

    It was also a club that is not a club, and a movement that was not a movement. Like Antifa, they meet, talk, discuss, publish, have a banner, but ALSO all things they say are NOT the movement, just one guy having a personal opinion, Yo. That’s why they meet, create meeting houses, meeting times, banners…because they all disagree and believe in nothing.

    And this nothing they believe it, naturally they have NO intention of influencing the world with it. Heavens No! That would be totally silly. Nope. They are not a Movement, and never use their power, influence, principles, or club meetings to do anything at all. Bowling, I think. Or Whist. But definitely DEFINITELY not Socialism. …Which is why they put it in the name and motto, because it isn’t there.

    Trust us.

    Environmentalism: There is Eric Hoffer’s observation, “Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” Go Green. You dirty hippies.

    #179494
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Test

    #179495
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Test2

    #179496
    those darned kids
    Participant

    mr. trump either understood operation warp speed or was not bright enough to see.

    either way, he is not qualified for his current job.

    #179497
    those darned kids
    Participant

    mr. trump wants greenland so he can ship all the palestinians there.

    #179498
    John Day
    Participant

    Israel Delays Approving Hostage Deal, Accusing Hamas Of Reneging & Stoking ‘Crisis’ https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israel-delays-approving-hostage-deal-accusing-hamas-reneging-stoking-crisis

    #179499
    Noirette
    Participant

    On Tulsi Gabbard, from prev. thread.

    Served in the US Militaary, is a staunch supporter of Israel, ex.

    “Former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard says college protesters have become “puppets” of a “radical Islamist organization”, contradicting the United States; “ideology of freedom.”

    https://tinyurl.com/bdehrbn9 MSM 5 mins

    Now,

    “President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, is voicing support for a key government surveillance authority she once sought to dismantle. (…) Gabbard said she will support FISA Section 702 — an intelligence gathering tool passed by Congress after September 11, 2001 — if confirmed as Trump’s spy chief, marking a dramatic shift from her previous attempts to repeal the same authority and comments raising deep concerns about domestic surveillance.”

    https://tinyurl.com/bde85a4k CNN

    Leaving it there, likely others here know more than I do.

    Basically we are seeing the break-down of the post WW2 -> 2000 or thereabouts political organisation of the USA. Some Ex.

    The bi-Party (multi-party with some fringes given some insignificant voices) system is publically admitted to be defunct, Kennedy and Gabbard are Trumpies, Liz Cheney is some kind of Dem. Heroine, etc.

    Oligarchs have given up the pretense of being behind the scenes, see the megalomaniac half-crazed Musk.

    Condemnation and hate of ‘Islamist’ terrorism is speedily abandoned (was always pretty much constructed, provoked, paid for) with a head-chopper, Takfiri terrorist, Islamist radical, Al-Golani being suddenly, mysteriously, anointed Prezident of Syria!

    Internal solidarity of the top pol – econo – PTB is fraying, see Trump dissing Newsom.

    #179500
    jb-hb
    Participant

    When I complained yesterday about multiple levels of authority making anyone’s life a living hell who might want to build a home that is cool, practical, non-toxic, non-polluting, and passively energy efficient, I hadn’t even checked. I just knew to assume.

    Well, I checked last night, and yes, California is insane. You COULD build a simple and cheap, safe, super energy efficient, fireproof (not resistant) home but not in that state.

    Just insane things like- they REQUIRE a sprinkler system inside your home! Holy fuck, do you realize the personal property damage that will occur anytime that thing goes off? Structural water damage. MOLD. Nevertheless, because California is outlawing normal vehicles, there’ll be 2 electric vehicles in the garage with their massive battery banks, which, if there is a fire, will incinerate the house despite the sprinklers?

    No sir. I do not need your sprinkler system in a concrete barrel-vaulted earth bermed home with all tile flooring. I don’t need it in the lovely earthship built with bags of dirt that has a stamped clay floor.

    It is, I suppose, a bit like regulatory barriers in an industry. A big corp has tons of lawyers and compliance officers. They might not do the right thing, but they’ll have copious paperwork showing they made a due diligence effort.

    The regulations, in total, seem to be purposely for preventing single family dwellings from being built. You know, the way humans lived for their entire existence. Ick. Family homes dwelt in by families? Regulate it out of existence. Families living in a family home will be only a luxury of the rich who can afford the legal-regulatory minefield.

    But we hate family, we especially hate fathers, we think children are “community property” (no dark overtones there…) most virtuous when chemically castrated… I was aware of Antifa’s existence prior to 2020. Visited their website to check them out. Right on the front page, they swore to destroy “Capitalism and the American family”

    That’s how you can tell the’re just a heartwarming extrapolation of family dynamics and totally not another skinsuit job. If a tribe or clan would give free stuff to take care of a relative – well, WE own that now, even though it went on for millions of years with even pre-homo sapiens sapiens humans, so they had a bit of a jump on an 1800’s not-economist failed theologian who kept driving his family members to suicide. No, but even so, Anytime someone gave someone else stuff out of compassion or kinship recognition, that’s US. We own that thing because we said. WE are that thing you love, kneel before Zod.

    #179501
    those darned kids
    Participant

    “dammit, women are killers, too!”

    #179502
    tboc
    Participant

    jb-hb do you live in a county with a population of 9.6 million and population density of 2430 per square mile?

    #179503
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    The reason that it all looks like a show is that very few people are interested enough to look at all the stage work that went into it. The shenanigan’s were there all along to see (or discover) but no one wants to invest the effort until it is presented to them like a three ring circus with spot lights. They like the hot dogs, but don’t want to see how they’re made, or personally know that the happy clowns are reall grumpy old men who drink to drown their sorrows, and earn the money for the booze by acting like fools for the ignorant crowds in the gallery.

    #179504
    kultsommer
    Participant

    Last night on the “LA fire coverage”:
    Complaints about the massive rent price gauging on one side or bidding wars to acquire the place to live in after loosing the one in the fire.
    Now…the complaints are, then, and as I understand, against the cosmic dance of “invisible hand of the market”.

    #179505
    kultsommer
    Participant

    Sifting through the “musings” and “recommendations” about the building materials and methods gives me an enormous headache.
    Please stop.

    #179506
    tboc
    Participant

    How many fire hydrants are there on your street?

    What year was the infrastructure for your subdivision constructed.
    Have there been any re-subdivision or lot splits in your subdivision?
    Have any adjacent subdivisions been added to the existing infrastructure?
    Do any added subdivisions have a higher density than the subdivision of your residence.
    Is the density of the district where your subdivision resides greater than the originally planned density?
    Has the original water / sewer infrastructure been upgraded since creation?
    Do you think the sizing calculations for future growth were sufficient for the current density?
    Do you think the water / sewer infrastructure in your subdivision meets current standards?

    How many fire hydrants on your street:
    There is one on the street where i sit and type.
    The sixty four lot subdivision was platted in 1980 and infrastructure completed 1981.
    Infrastructure design conformed to county and state design standards.
    The hydrant distribution is 1:18 residential lots.
    The branch water mains are six inch from eight inch main arteries.
    One additional thirty lot residential subdivision has been added (1989) with a 1:15 hydrant distrubution.

    twenty year veteran fire fighter:
    “There were insufficient hydrants in the palisades..too far apart, and the incorrect diameter for sufficient water flow.”

    A comparison of the original plats for the subdivisions to the current divisions is necessary,
    The dates of the latest infrastructure improvements and planned future density is necessary.
    A comparison of the current as built density and land use with the evolving zoning and land use regimen is necessary
    An comparison of district wide land use and density in relation to infrastructure construction and improvements and the evolution of zoning and land use is required,

    then
    the cost of inflation in creating and maintaining infrastructure from platting to current event is needed
    the inflation of costs associated with improving infrastructure in developed lands
    the historical adequacy of emergency and life safety service during the life of the subdivisions is needed,

    then
    a cost of living, per capita income, tax base determination is needed
    the intensity of currently active and permitted development and growth is needed
    the cost of infrastructure improvements required to sustain planned growth is needed,

    now
    an analysis of the placing of hydrants and main sizing can be made.

    fighting fires is NOT building cities, towns or communities,
    you can get unleaded gasoline in Flint, Michigan, unleaded water not so much,
    More than 42,000 bridges in US structurally deficient in 2024,
    LA County population 9.6 million and shrinking
    Infrastructure outdated and deficient? You betcha

    You called your county or city commission last week asking for an increase in ad valorem taxes to fund infrastructure improvements?

    #179507
    kultsommer
    Participant

    Now, now….what we got in here.

    #179508
    John Day
    Participant

    They’ll be wanting a new mattress…
    Vice President Kamala Harris has not extended an invitation to JD Vance and his wife Usha for a customary tour of the naval Observatory residence, meaning that when the VP-elect and family move into the Observatory on Jan. 20, it will be their first time inside the white Queen Anne-style mansion that has housed Vice Presidents since the 1970s. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/kamala-gives-jd-vance-cold-shoulder-courtesy-visit-vp-residence

    #179509
    Doc Robinson
    Participant

    Craig Murray is reporting from Lebanon.

    A Ceasefire is Not an End

    The Genocide of the Palestinian people began 76 years ago. What may be drawing to a close is merely a particularly intense phase in the Genocide.

    Gaza is destroyed. 92% of its housing has gone. Its water treatment and sanitation, electricity generation, food processing, farming, and fishing are all now incapable of sustaining much life. Its hospitals, health centres, universities, colleges, and schools are all now destroyed, as are its municipal buildings, waste disposal, road surfaces, drainage channels, theatres, cultural centres, cinemas, cafés.

    What is left is 1.8 million cold and starving people, malnourished, soaked, ill-clothed, living in tents and defecating in trenches. Tens of thousands will die in these conditions however fast aid comes – and you can be 100% certain Israeli obstructionism will prevent it from coming fast…

    That truth is this. The wealthy oligarchic elites who control media and politics are extremely pro-Israel. The people are not.

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2025/01/a-ceasefire-is-not-an-end/

    #179510
    thomasjkenney
    Participant

    @jb-hb re: sprinklers and such

    Sierra Pacific Industries

    The Codes are another self-inflicted gutshot. I was gonna mention, but I figured anybody near a forest would know about timber interests.

    #179511
    jb-hb
    Participant

    Sifting through the “musings” and “recommendations” about the building materials and methods gives me an enormous headache.
    Please stop.

    Yes, you DO always “misunderstand” or “fail to notice” the actual point of many anti-marxist posts here while knowing what to jump in and try to deflate – but evasively. By the feeelz or re-framing. No touchbacks, amirite?

    Congratulations. You always consistently do what is Pragmatic.

    If marxist building codes give you a headache, maybe reconsider a few things.

    #179514
    kultsommer
    Participant

    Has nothing to do with ideologies.
    I am just trying to save you from the embarrassment, that’s all.
    Given that we are currently dealing up with the tragedy that befallen on the tight communities of homes, has anybody on this site tried to visualize the street-scape of the lined-up structures that you, with the mind just percolating the “ideas”, propose without thinking it all-the-way-through?

    #179515
    John Day
    Participant

    Anticipation https://drjohnsblog.substack.com/p/anticipation

    Alex Krainer reports on a Tuesday Zoom call with Steve Bannon, about Trumps first days in office next week. Next week start the days of thunder
    The key battle that’s shaping up in the U.S. is the battle between two systems of governance: it could shape up as a civil war 2.0
    Much of what Bannon presented wasn’t surprising, but what seemed significant was that he confirmed that Trump and his team will go on the offensive from day one in office. “The days of thunder begin on Monday,” he said, and the world will not be the same again. Bannon wasn’t talking about Trump going on the offensive against the Chinese, Iranians or the Russians. Trump and his team are preparing to take on the “they.” [“Globo-Cap”​; the “Ancien Regime”?] “They,” in Bannon’s words, are the people who control the world’s most powerful empire and, elections or no elections, democracy or no democracy, they will not voluntarily relinquish their privileges and the control over their empire: there will be a fight. In a few recent podcasts, I discussed what this likely implies, simply on the basis of what the nature of this power struggle entails.
    ​ Namely, taking on the imperial cabal is a fight to the death. “They,” are vicious, unscrupulous and extremely vindictive. https://alexkrainer.substack.com/p/next-week-start-the-days-of-thunder

    Biden Adviser Sullivan Hints at ‘Unforeseen Events’ Before Trump Inauguration​ https://en.topcor.ru/55644-sovetnik-bajdena-sallivan-namekaet-na-nepredvidennye-sobytija-do-inauguracii-trampa.html

    FBI Declares No ‘Credible Threats’ Ahead Of Trump Inauguration​ https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/fbi-declares-no-credible-threats-ahead-trump-inauguration

    What a target… World’s 3 Richest Men — Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg — Will Attend Trump Inauguration​ https://truthout.org/articles/worlds-3-richest-men-musk-bezos-zuckerberg-will-attend-trump-inauguration/

    #179516
    zerosum
    Participant

    META just fired all their “fact checkers”. Misinformation and lies will be allowed.

    BREAKING: Chaos in Blinken’s last press briefing as reporters explode in anger | Janta Ka Reporter

    #179517
    John Day
    Participant

    What about Alien UFO drones with bean weapons? Asking for a friend. Fortress DC: Trump’s Inauguration Braces For The Worst With Troops, Drones, And Fences https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fortress-dc-trumps-inauguration-braces-worst-troops-drones-and-fences

    This old tape turned up. There are other substantiated scenarios, too. The Tape Accusing LBJ of Having JFK Assassinated https://www.independentsentinel.com/the-tape-accusing-lbj-of-having-jfk-assassinated/

    More fleshed out: BREAKING: Alex Jones Releases Audio of LBJ Colleague Admitting He Helped LBJ Kill JFK
    Alex Jones at released an audio of a friend of LBJ’s, and former Executive Director of the DNC, admitting that LBJ hired Mac Wallace to assassinate JFK. ​ ​https://joehoft.com/breaking-alex-jones-releases-audio-of-lbj-colleague-admitting-he-helped-lbj-kill-jfk/

    Simplicius has details. Ceasefire Deal Reportedly Reached in Gaza, as Both Biden and Trump Take Credit https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/ceasefire-deal-reportedly-reached

    Celia Farber, Reports Of Escalated Israeli Airstrikes Over Gaza On Eve Of Ceasefire https://celiafarber.substack.com/p/reports-of-escalated-israeli-airstrikes

    #179518
    John Day
    Participant

    20 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes following cease-fire agreement​, Women and children among the dead as cease-fire set to begin Sunday​ https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/20-palestinians-killed-in-israeli-airstrikes-following-cease-fire-agreement/3452035

    If Trump lives will he publicly humiliate Bibi? Israel Delays Approving Hostage Deal, Accusing Hamas Of Reneging & Stoking ‘Crisis’​ https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israel-delays-approving-hostage-deal-accusing-hamas-reneging-stoking-crisis

    ​There is a new Syrian internet news site, SOHR, Syrian Organization for Human Rights, sponsored by SDF, Syrian Democratic Forces, Kurdish forces backed by the US.
    These following stories about Turkish and Israeli aggression are from that site.

    SOHR condemns these acts | Horrifying scenes of torturing electrifying detainees in Hama​ https://www.syriahr.com/en/353728/

    ​ “Peace Spring” area | Two women shot dead by the Military Police
    Al-Raqqa province: Two women, one of which is pregnant, were shot dead by members of the Military Police in Sulouk area in Al-Raqqa countryside within “Peace Spring” area.
    ​ According to reliable SOHR sources, members of the Military Police opened fire on a speeding civil car for “refusing to stop at a checkpoint to be searched”, where a pregnant woman was inside the vehicle on her way to the hospital, in Sulouk area in Al-Raqqa countryside within “Peace Spring” area.​ https://www.syriahr.com/en/353733/?doing_wp_cron=1736995814.2541561126708984375000

    #179519
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ Initial death toll | People killed and injured in Turkish airstrike on civilian convoys near Tishreen dam in Aleppo countryside
    Aleppo province: An ambulance driver and four civilians were killed, and a large number of civilians, including members of the medical staff, were injured in an initial toll, following a direct airstrike by Turkish fighter jets on a civilian convoy that headed this morning to Tishreen dam in eastern Aleppo to show moral support for SDF and express their opposition to the Turkish attacks.​ https://www.syriahr.com/en/353712/

    ​ Amid concerns about committing crimes | Gunmen and Military Operations Administration storm villages in Homs countryside, arresting tens of people
    Homs province: Local gunmen and other individuals, who produced themselves as members of the Military Operations Administration, stormed the villages of Jabourin and Qaniyyah Al-Assi in Homs countryside, where they intimidated residents and arrested tens of civilians and former combatants who have already struck reconciliation deals.
    ​ The arrested people were taken to a position near Al-Assi river, while others were taken to Talbiseh, before they were taken to a security centre in Homs. The fate of the arrested people remains unknown, amid growing concerns about killing them.​ https://www.syriahr.com/en/353814/

    Military escalation | Turkish forces shell villages in Al-Hasakah countryside​ https://www.syriahr.com/en/353729/?doing_wp_cron=1736995831.0532929897308349609375

    ​ Not SOHR: Turkey Confirms Key Gas Pipeline Was Attacked After Kremlin Accused United States
    Moscow has this week made a big and provocative accusation, saying that the United States is seeking to sabotage the last pipeline transporting Russian gas exports into Europe, the TurkStream.
    ​ Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alleged in a Tuesday press briefing that Washington is encouraging “terrorist” attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure. He specifically cited plans to target TurkStream, following a recent large-scale drone attack.
    ​ “The US does not tolerate competition in any sphere, including energy. They are recklessly endorsing terrorist activities aimed at undermining the energy stability of the European Union,” Lavrov said.​ https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/turkey-confirms-key-gas-pipeline-was-attacked-after-kremlin-accused-united-states

    ​Moon of Alabama: Preventing Peace With Russia Russia – By Sanctions And Kinetic Means
    The U.S. and its NATO proxies are losing on the battle fields of Ukraine. The Biden administration, attempting to ‘Trump proof’, i.e. prolong, the conflict, is thus (again) trying to defeat Russia by targeting its economic means.
    ​ This predominantly by cutting the sales of Russian resources. That third parties, the buyers in need of those products, will also be hurt by this is not of concern but can be seen as an additional feature.
    ​ The new wave of measures started on January 1 with the blocking of the last pipeline through Ukraine from Russia to Europe…
    ​..The next step followed last week with the announcement of additional sanctions:
    ​ The sanctions will cover two major Russian petroleum producers and exporters — Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas — both of which are involved in the export of liquified natural gas and efforts to expand the Russian energy sector into the Arctic. They are expected to cut off Moscow’s revenue stream to the tune of billions of dollars per month, putting new strain on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort against Ukraine.
    ​ Separately, the State Department will also block “two active liquefied natural gas projects, a large Russian oil project, and third-country entities supporting Russia’s energy exports” from access to the American financial system and add “numerous Russia-based oilfield service providers and senior officials of State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom” to its list of “designated entities” who are banned from the United States.
    ​ Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement that the U.S. is “taking sweeping action against Russia’s key source of revenue for funding its brutal and illegal war against Ukraine.”
    ​ A second administration official who also briefed reporters on condition of anonymity said the new sanctions will target 183 maritime vessels that are understood to be part of Moscow’s “shadow fleet,” as well as “dozens” of oil traders and oil field services providers based in Russia.
    ​ These sanctions will increase the price of oil and gas for everyone.
    ​ A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters on the move said the White House was choosing to impose the new sanctions just days before President Joe Biden leaves office because both oil markets and the American economy are “in a fundamentally better place” than they were at any other point during the war.
    ​ The coming price rise caused by these sanctions will thus be explained as a failure of Trump.
    A day later Ukrainian forces attacked the compressor station on Russian ground that is feeding the TurkStream pipeline system​. https://www.moonofalabama.org/2025/01/preventing-peace-with-russia-russia-by-sanctions-and-kinetic-means.html#more

    #179520
    John Day
    Participant

    Marco Rubio Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of State: US State Department Candidate
    Rubio Considers Kyiv’s Plans to Return Lost Territories Unrealistic
    “This war must end. Ukraine’s problem is not that it is running out of money, it is that it is running out of Ukrainians” – said the future Secretary of State.
    ​ Marco Rubio believes that Russia has little chance of conquering all of Ukraine, but Moscow will easily retain control over new territories. The politician called Kyiv’s intentions to reach the 1991 borders unrealistic. The diplomat also recalled that the future president wants to stop the loss of life in the Ukrainian conflict.
    ​ “And who wouldn’t? The destruction in Ukraine is extraordinary, and it will take generations to rebuild. Millions of Ukrainians no longer live in their homeland and may never return. Even as I speak, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is crumbling, and rebuilding will cost hundreds of billions of dollars and decades.​” – said Rubio.​ https://en.topcor.ru/55658-kandidat-na-post-glavy-gosdepa-ssha-rubio-schitaet-nerealistichnymi-plany-kieva-po-vozvrascheniju-utrachennyh-territorij.html

    ​ There is plenty of speculation about little “sweeteners”. Trump readies unexpected plan for Ukraine crisis that Putin won’t refuse
    Mark Whittington, an author of The Hill, suggested that US President-elect Donald Trump should approach Russian leader Vladimir Putin with an initiative to resume Russian-American cooperation in the space sector in exchange for concluding peace between Moscow and Kyiv.​..
    ​ Germany’s Die Welt suggested that Trump was determined to end the military conflict in Ukraine in 2025. According to the publication, in accordance with the plan of future US Vice President James Vance, a demilitarized zone will be created on the current front line. The rest of Ukraine will be able to exist as an independent state, but will not be accepted into NATO.​ ​ https://english.pravda.ru/news/world/161471-trump-putin-plan/

    A team-effort, I assume: Robert Kennedy Jr. Admits US Guilt in Ukraine Conflict
    It was the US that wanted an armed conflict in Ukraine, former presidential candidate turned Trumpist Robert Kennedy Jr. said on Daystar. For Moscow, the conflict in Ukraine is a security issue, not a territorial one, he said.
    ​ “The conflict in Ukraine should never have happened. My son fought there and took part in the Kharkiv offensive because he believed [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was an aggressor who had invaded the country. This conflict was really about security. For the Russians, it is not a question of territory. They have been saying for 30 years – you cannot put NATO in Ukraine​.” https://en.topcor.ru/55645-robert-kennedi-mladshij-priznal-vinu-ssha-v-ukrainskom-konflikte.html

    ​ Gilbert Doctorow also thinks the Ukraine war ends in 2025 Transcript of ‘Judging Freedom’ edition of 15 January
    Sullivan: ​”If we had sanctioned Russia’s oil 18 months ago, at a time when oil prices were high, gas prices were high, it would have meant a spike at the pump in a way that would have put pain on working people in the United States.
    ​ Today, oil prices are much lower. The oil market globally is very well supplied. And so we have an opportunity to hit Putin in his pocketbook without hitting the American people in theirs. What we’re giving the incoming team, the incoming administration is real leverage in a negotiation​”…​
    ..Doctorow: Well, the remarks from Sullivan, they show his utter incapacity to think strategically. What he was describing was tactics to cover up a strategic move, and one is not sufficient to the other. He is ignoring completely the state of the war. The whole thing is about a war, And the war is reaching its climax and its culmination.
    ​ When these penalties, sanctions, had they been introduced 18 months ago, as he said, they could have caused Russia a lot of harm. They were not, for strictly domestic political reasons in the States, which overruled military considerations that would have had a bearing on the status of the war in Ukraine. So he’s imposing them at a point where they make no sense. They’re imposing them in the belief that the war will go on to 2027. It will not.
    ​ Going back to the question you asked me, the war will end in 2025. Therefore, the notion that these sanctions could impact Russia’s ability to conduct the war is utter folly. He has no strategic thinking.​ https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/01/15/transcript-of-judging-freedom-edition-of-15-january/

    Convince 56,000 voters… Trump discusses Greenland interest in call with Denmark’s leader
    Danish PM Mette Frederiksen repeated that the island is not for sale and said ‘it is up to Greenland itself to decide on independence’​ https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3294939/trump-discusses-greenland-interest-call-denmarks-leader

    #179521
    John Day
    Participant

    Danish premier tells Trump decision on independence belongs to Greenland
    Mette Frederiksen, Donald Trump discuss economic relations, Ukraine war, Middle East situation, China in phone call​ https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/danish-premier-tells-trump-decision-on-independence-belongs-to-greenland/3451971

    ​Another “Big Arrow” after 2 years? The Russian Armed Forces are developing an offensive in the direction of the Dnepropetrovsk region https://en.topcor.ru/55605-vs-rf-razvivajut-nastuplenie-v-napravlenii-dnepropetrovskoj-oblasti.html

    Russia plans to strike Ukraine’s underground gas storage facilities
    The Russian Armed Forces plan to strike underground gas storage facilities in Ukraine. This may result in Kyiv having fewer and fewer resources to bargain with the West. https://english.pravda.ru/news/hotspots/161472-russia-ukraine-underground-gas-storage/

    “They hit very successfully”: Oil refineries and gas storage facilities hit in massive missile strike on Ukraine​ https://en.topcor.ru/55625-bili-vesma-udachno-v-hode-massirovannogo-raketnogo-udara-po-ukraine-porazheny-npz-i-gazovoe-hranilische.html

    ​ “Our Democracy” Police officers affiliated with AfD face dismissal under government decree, leaked memo reveals
    A leaked memo reveals that German Federal Police officers who join or actively support the Alternative for Germany (AfD) face disciplinary actions including dismissal, under a decree issued by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser​ https://rmx.news/article/police-officers-affiliated-with-afd-face-dismissal-under-government-decree-leaked-memo-reveals/

    #179522
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ German military retreats from X​, Berlin’s Defense Ministry is fleeing Elon Musk’s platform claiming “factual exchange” is becoming difficult
    Musk has lambasted the current German government for promoting the “woke mind virus” and leading the country to ruin, going so far as to endorse the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and interview its leader Alice Weidel live on his platform earlier this week.
    ​ “We will leave our X-channel dormant until further notice and will not post anything actively for the time being,” the Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday. “We have decided to take this step because a factual exchange is becoming increasingly difficult here.”​ https://swentr.site/news/610930-german-military-leaving-twitter/

    ​ Telegraph: Macron urges Starmer to agree to send troops to Ukraine
    French President Emmanuel Macron is holding secret talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the possible deployment of troops from both countries to Ukraine, the British newspaper The Telegraph reported . The publication’s sources claim that Mr. Starmer has not yet made a final decision, while Mr. Macron, as the initiator of the idea, is trying to convince London to agree to it.​ https://www-kommersant-ru.translate.goog/doc/7432863?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

    ​ Must have the right-look. London Council Admits It Will Discriminate Against White People In Job Advert​ , “We will utilise positive action provisions”
    The position, which has a starting salary of £54,684, is for an “Executive Assistant.”​ The ad states “The council is committed to achieving diverse shortlists to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce.”​ https://modernity.news/2025/01/15/london-council-admits-it-will-discriminate-against-white-people-in-job-advert/

    ​ Mish Shedlock: Elon Musk and X Will Help Crush EU and UK Censorship
    The EU and UK fear they are under attack by Musk and Trump. But the Nannycrats need to look in the mirror to see the real problem.
    ​ This has come to a head with objections to Musk lending support to AfD, an alleged “far right” German political party, and also with Musk putting a well-deserved spotlight on gang rapes in the UK.
    ​ Instead of tackling the real issues, EU and UK politicians seek to silence Musk, control AI, and suppress freedom of speech. But every time they do, opposition grows.​ https://mishtalk.com/economics/elon-musk-and-x-will-help-crush-eu-and-uk-censorship/

    ​ What Trump Should Do. Dr. Paul C​raig Roberts
    American security agencies have long used the cloak of national security to avoid accountability for their crimes, such as the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, and the numerous assassinations of foreign leaders and screw-ups.
    ​ Beginning with the Clinton regime, presidents and non-security appointees also began escaping accountability.
    ​ The situation worsened in the George W. Bush/Dick Cheney regime, and it exploded in the Biden regime with the Attorney General, FBI, and Democrat state attorneys general and prosecutors using law as a weapon against Trump, his attorneys, and his supporters. Many people were ruined financially. Many were falsely imprisoned, and Trump himself had his reelection in 2020 stolen by the most brazen and obvious vote theft in American history. The evidence is clear that Biden himself is guilty of selling vice presidential and presidential influence with his son, Hunter, being the marketer and sharing the revenues. Yet the US Department of Justice prevented any investigation and indictments. The whore American media covered up the story.
    ​ The practice of elevating high office holders to the privileged status of a king or an aristocracy above both the law and the US Constitution must not continue in the Trump regime. If it does, high officials will have gained squatters’ rights in being above the law, and the US Constitution will be reduced to a dead document.
    ​ At this point, the only way a collapse of the rule of law in the US can be avoided is for the Trump regime to relentless prosecute the Department of Justice, FBI, and White House officials who selectively applied law in the form of lawfare against political opponents.​ https://www.globalresearch.ca/what-trump-should-do-dr-paul-c-roberts/5877286

    #179523
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ “I Speak The Truth” – Pam Bondi Pummels Dems In AG Confirmation Hearing
    ​Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi fielded questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 15 as part of her confirmation process to serve as the next attorney general of the United States.
    ​ During the hearing, both sides of the aisle focused on concerns about the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which Bondi pledged not to engage in.
    ​ Democrats tended to focus on Bondi’s ties with President-elect Donald Trump and her willingness to maintain the DOJ’s independence from the White House. She also encountered questions about illegal immigration, national security, and FISA warrants…
    ​..Bondi has received attention for comments she made on Fox News in 2023 when she said: “When Republicans take back the White House … the Department of Justice, the prosecutors will be prosecuted—the bad ones. The investigators will be investigated.”
    ​ Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) asked Bondi whether that would include Smith, Attorney General Merrick Garland, or former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who led the House Jan. 6 Committee.
    ​ “No one has been prejudged, nor will anyone be prejudged if I am confirmed,” Bondi responded.
    She later told Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) that “no one will be prosecuted [or] investigated because they are a political opponent.”
    ​ “That’s what we’ve seen for the last four years in this administration,” she said.
    Bondi also touched on concerns about the DOJ investigating Catholics and parents who attended or spoke at school board meetings.
    ​ “Going after parents at a school board meeting has got to stop,” she said.
    She told Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) she would look into an FBI memo about traditionalist Catholics.​ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/i-speak-truth-pam-bondi-pummels-dems-ag-confirmation-hearing

    ​ First Things First: Trump To Address Davos Days After Inauguration​
    President Trump is going to waste no team wielding his influence after being inagurated and is scheduled to speak virtually in Davos just days after he takes office.
    ​ His early participation in the annual elite gathering in Davos, scheduled for Jan. 20-24, is set to be a highlight, with over 60 world leaders attending.
    His remarks will ensure representation from the U.S., China, and the EU, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang also present, according to Bloomberg.​ https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/first-things-first-trump-address-davos-days-after-inauguration

    Trump Announces Formation of External Revenue Service to Collect Tariffs and Potentially Abolish Income Taxes Collected by IRS​ https://defconnews.com/2025/01/15/trump-announces-formation-of-external-revenue-service-to-collect-tariffs-and-potentially-abolish-income-taxes-collected-by-irs/

    “Great News… Good For Everyone” – California Abandons Regulations Phasing Out Diesel Trucks​ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/great-news-good-everyone-california-abandons-regulations-phasing-out-diesel-trucks

    ​ Armed LA Residents Patrol Neighborhoods In Violation Of Evacuation Orders
    Property isn’t only being destroyed — it’s also being stolen by brazen looters. The neighbor of one LA county resident gave a disturbing description of what was going on on their street: “There were like a hundred people that came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses on this street.”​ https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/armed-la-residents-patrol-neighborhoods-violation-evacuation-orders

    #179524
    John Day
    Participant

    ​ Nuclear Waste: The Dark Side of the Microreactor Boom
    The nuclear energy sector is experiencing a revival, driven by factors such as increased energy demand and support from governments and tech companies.
    Microreactors, a new form of nuclear technology, are being touted for their lower costs and smaller size, but they produce a significantly higher volume of nuclear waste.​ Despite concerns about nuclear waste, the development and deployment of microreactors continue to gain momentum, driven in part by the growing energy needs of AI.​ https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Nuclear-Waste-The-Dark-Side-of-the-Microreactor-Boom.html

    ​ Sweden Starts Building 100,000-Year Nuclear Waste Repository​
    Nuclear waste is notorious for the fact that it can remain dangerously radioactive for many thousands of years.
    ​ “It is hard to exaggerate the significance for Sweden and for the climate transition of the fact that the building of the final repository is under way,” Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari told Reuters. “They said it wouldn’t work, but it does.”
    ​ Sweden’s nuclear waste facility is only the second in the world after Finland last year built the world’s first deep-earth repository where it will bury nuclear waste for 100,000 years starting 2026. Dubbed ‘‘Onkalo’’, Finland’s repository is entombed in a bedrock more than 400 meters below the forests of southwest Finland.​ https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Sweden-Starts-Building-100000-Year-Nuclear-Waste-Repository.html

    ​(Gross appearance of genitalia at birth can ​occasionally be different from chromosomal sex.) House Passes Bill Banning Men From Women’s Sports
    The House passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act on Jan. 14, with a vote of 218-206. The legislation excludes males from participating in women’s sports sponsored by organizations that receive federal funding.
    ​ The text stipulates that “sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
    “This is a great day for women in America,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said at a press conference following the bill’s passage.
    ​ The legislation, introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), is also likely to pass in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.
    Proponents of the legislation pointed out male advantages in sports, such as increased muscle and lung capacity. They raised the risk of injury in high-impact sports as well as concerns about young women being forced to share locker room space with biological males.​ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/house-passes-bill-banning-men-womens-sports

    Zuckerberg’s Rogan interview exposes Big Pharma’s grip on COVID censorship​ https://www.naturalnews.com/2025-01-15-zuckerbergs-rogan-interview-exposes-big-pharma-covid-censorship.html

    ​ Doctors Ask Supreme Court To Block California Board From Penalizing Certain COVID-19 Views
    The California Medical Board considers the expression of the doctors’ dissenting views on the disease as potentially dangerous misinformation that should be suppressed. The board argues it has legal authority to discipline the doctors for speech it deems to be medical misconduct. The physicians counter that the fact that they have medical licenses doesn’t mean they forfeit their free speech rights under the First Amendment.
    ​ The emergency application in Kory v. Bonta was docketed by the high court on Jan. 8.​ [That’s Pierre Kory MD, who testified to the US Senate for ivermectin in 2020.]​ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/doctors-ask-supreme-court-block-california-board-penalizing-certain-covid-19-views

    #179525
    John Day
    Participant

    ​I gave away over 40,000 doses of 5000 Unit vitamin D3 in 2020. Robert Malone MD, Preventable Deaths And Vitamin D3
    We had an inexpensive life-saving solution both before and during the pandemic…
    ​ The inconvenient truth is that even at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a very simple, inexpensive and effective treatment was available that could have saved the majority of lives lost (1-3). All that the WHO and public health bureaucracy had to do was to recommend and support people taking sufficient Vitamin D3…
    ​..Fast forward to COVID-19. How many people could have been saved from just having their levels of vitamin D3 brought up to 50 ng/ml (or higher!)? We knew about vitamin D3. It really didn’t take a randomized clinical trial to understand the link between D3 and RNA respiratory virus morbidity and mortality. The U.S.A alone could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Let alone all of the possible lives that could have been saved in the rest of the world. That these lives were unnecessarily lost is not acceptable in any way, shape or form. A crime against humanity.
    ​ Many people (and physicians) rely on the CDC and NIH to guide them in healthcare and wellness decisions. It is way past time that these organizations step up to the plate and do their job, and stop relying on the unscientific biases of highly influential bureaucrats. That job being to protect the health of the public. Not advancing the interests of the pharmaceutical industry and its shareholders.​ https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/preventable-deaths-and-vitamin-d3

    ​Meryl Nass MD, Critical (and easily understood) 2024 article on COVID’s likely *US* lab origin https://merylnass.substack.com/p/critical-and-easily-understood-2024

    The Smoking Gun in America: COVID-19 Virus Transmits in American Lab Animals But Not Chinese Lab Animals https://dailysceptic.org/2024/05/16/the-smoking-gun-in-america-covid-19-virus-transmits-in-american-lab-animals-but-not-chinese-lab-animals/

    Meryl Nass MD (yesterday) Today West Virginians gained the right to claim a religious exemption to vaccination
    On Day One, West Virginia’s new Governor issued an executive order for his state.​ https://merylnass.substack.com/p/today-west-virginians-gained-the

    ​ Meryl Nass MD, Like Rip Van Winkle, the FDA and EPA seem to be waking from a long slumber as MAHA approaches
    Or are they just issuing rules to make it appear so? Don’t know yet. Here are 3 examples.
    ​ FDA: Red Dye #3​– Eliminated,
    FDA: Food labeling—to actually provide consumers useful information that will help them distinguish how healthy or harmful products are? This looks to me like an end-run around truly meaningful food label changes​,
    ​ EPA admits forever chemicals in sewer sludge might not be such a great idea after all. Is this a repeat of the fluoride experiment: you get rid of a nasty chemical that is very hard and expensive to manage by adding it to food and water? What will EPA do about it? Why did they encourage farmers to spread this poison on their crops? Will we get some accountability for the decision?​ https://merylnass.substack.com/p/like-rip-van-winkle-the-fda-and-epa

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