Wednesday, December 18, 2019

18 December - Blogs I'm Following - 3 of 5

10 pm MST

A Day To Resolve for Change; Impeachment is a Dirty Trick Against the Constitution

adam at LaRouchePAC Feed - 11 hours ago
[image: President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the National Christmas Tree Lighting 2019 ceremony Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)] *Get updates on the Coup against the President via SMS, text SC20 to (800)929-7566 - STOP to leave at anytime. We don't spam.* Yesterday, the President sent a letter to the Speaker of the House regarding today's impeachment proceedings. We urge you to read it. Today, the President will be in Battle Creek, Michigan, speaking directly to the American people about the insa... more »

Congress to Bail Out One Pension Plan, Opening Door to Bail Out 1,400 More

Bob Adelmann at rss - 11 hours ago
[image: congress-to-bail-out-one-pension-plan-opening-door-to-bailing-out-1-400-more] With passage of the spending bill containing the bailout of the United Mine Workers of America pension plan, a door will have been opened that cannot be closed.

On impeachment day, Trump says he can’t believe it’s happening

Brother Jonah at Not My Tribe - 11 hours ago
He says we should say a prayer for him… War and Peace, the novel, has an aristocrat lieutenant in one of the many wars of the Tsar(s) and had been for months being the darling of St Petersburg, is finally at war, and he in his shock he exclaims “Why, they’re shooting at me! Me... more »

No end in sight for the biofuel wars

Paul Driessen at CFACT - 11 hours ago
Biofuels are unsustainable in every way, but still demand – and get – preferential treatment. The post No end in sight for the biofuel wars appeared first on CFACT.

The Spanish-American War Was America's First Taste Of Superpower Status

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * Like many conventional state-on-state conflicts, the Spanish-American War upset the old order and set the stage for a new one. *Key point:* The defeat of a continental European power, Spain, was a major military accomplishment. The end of the Second World War is often considered the defining moment when the United States became a global power. In fact, it was another war forty years earlier, a war that ended with America having an empire of its own stretching thousands of miles beyond its continental borders. The Spanish-American War, which lasted fi... more »

Top FISA Judge Warns FBI Over Carter Page and Steele Dossier

Chuck Ross at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Chuck Ross* *Politics, Americas* [image: The U.S. Justice Department's Inspector General Michael Horowitz's report entitled] She's setting deadlines for answers. The top judge on the federal court overseeing the U.S. government’s surveillance activities accused the FBI on Tuesday of providing false and misleading information about Carter Page in applications to wiretap the former Trump campaign adviser. Judge Rosemary Collyer, the presiding judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), issued the stern and unprecedented rebuke in a memo ordering the FBI to come u... more »

Majority Opposed to Impeaching and Removing Trump: Poll

Chris White at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Chris White* *Politics, Americas* [image: U.S. President Donald Trump puts on a Keep America Great hat during the annual Army-Navy collegiate football game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA, U.S., December 14, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner] His approval ratings have shot up. President Donald Trump’s job approval rating inched up six percentage points since House Democrats opened an impeachment inquiry against him, according to a Gallop poll published Wednesday. The president’s job approval rating is now at 45% while Americans remain divided over whether Trump should be... more »

The U.S. Navy Used 4 Battleships to Wage War Against North Korea

Robert Farley at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Robert Farley* *Security, * [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Missouri_(BB-63)#/media/File:Missouri_post_refit.JPG] It's happened before. *Key Point:* Most people forget this important naval maneuver from the 1950s. In the final months of the Second World War, the battleships of the U.S. Navy (USN) ranged across the archipelago of Japan, bombarding industrial, military and logistical targets at will. The Japanese military lacked enough ships, planes and fuel to defend the nation, leaving coastal areas at the mercy of the steel behemoths. Although most of the credit (su... more »

'A Corrupt President'? One Disgraced Democrat Has Interesting Words For Trump

Mary Margaret Olohan at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Mary Margaret Olohan* *Politics, Americas* [image: Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) speaks during a House Rules Committee hearing on the impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 17, 2019. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS] The Senate voted to impeach him in 1989 amidst an onslaught of corruption charges. Democratic Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings, formerly impeached himself, bashed Republicans and President Donald Trump over impeachment Tuesday. Hastings spoke Tuesday at a House Rules Committee hearing where he condemned Republicans a... more »

Why Climate Advocates Need To Stop Hyping Extreme Weather

Paul Homewood at NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT - 11 hours ago
By Paul Homewood A useful recap from Roger Pielke Jr at Forbes, (and more shenanigans from the Lancet!) Data recently published in The Lancet tells an amazing story about weather-related disasters worldwide over the past three decades. As people around the world have become wealthier, the fraction of that wealth that […]

Nature Mag Favors Diversity Over Merit

Ron Clutz at Science Matters - 11 hours ago
Lubos Motl writes at his blog Reference Frame reviewing Nature Mag proclaiming top 10 Scientists for 2019. His article is Nature’s shocking “top ten” scientists. Excerpts below with my bolds. Fer137 has told us about an incredible list published at Nature Nature’s 10.which is supposed to enumerate the most influential people in science of the […]

Head of UK Israel Lobby Group Announces Gov’t Plan To Ban Boycotting Israel

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 11 hours ago
Yesterday, December 17, whistleblower Chelsea Manning spent her 32nd birthday alone in a prison cell in Alexandria, Virginia, where she has been locked up for nine months for refusing to testify in a grand jury proceeding against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Chelsea Manning must not be forgotten!

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 11 hours ago
Yesterday, December 17, whistleblower Chelsea Manning spent her 32nd birthday alone in a prison cell in Alexandria, Virginia, where she has been locked up for nine months for refusing to testify in a grand jury proceeding against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Can Recep the Magnificent Sort Out Libya?

Steve Brown at Peace and Prosperity - 11 hours ago
[image: undefined] *This title is not intended to trivialize the very serious nature of the deadly conflict in Libya; the situation is an ever-escalating humanitarian disaster, and has been since US State and NATO destroyed the country in 2011.* On December 14th an air cargo transport of Belgian FN arms from Ostend was supplied to Misrata rebels by a United Arab Emirates contractor. Whether the UAE weapons shipment was contracted to undertake an uprising in Misrata prior to Erdogan's clash with Tobruk (Haftar) and Greece over Misrata and the proposed Turkish energy corridor is unc... more »

Kentucky School Boards Association: In Conversation with … Julian Vasquez Heilig

Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig at Cloaking Inequity - 11 hours ago
The following Q&A was published by the Kentucky School Board Association in the December 2019 issue of the Kentucky School Advocate. This In Conversation With … features an interview between a leader or figure involved in public education and a representative of the Kentucky School Advocate. Julian Vasquez Heilig became dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky in June.

Note Says Wife Didn’t Kill Man Found in Utah Freezer

AP News at Snopes.com - 11 hours ago
Detectives have found a notarized letter they believe was written by a man whose body had been in a freezer in a Utah apartment for a decade that says his wife did not kill him, authorities said.

Cop Arrested for Burglarizing Homes of People While They Attended Funerals

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 11 hours ago
[image: funerals]A thieving cop was arrested this week after she was caught burglarizing people's homes as the mourned their loved ones at funerals.

WATCH: Distracted Cop Slams into Stopped Car, Killing 1yo Baby—NO Charges Yet

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 11 hours ago
[image: crash]An apparently distracted cop crashed his cruiser into another car, killing a 13-month-old baby and leaving the baby's mother in critical condition.

The Assyrian Empire: Governors, Diplomats and Soldiers

Royal Lion Hunt. From the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Kalhu (Nimrud), 875--860 B.C. Gypsum, 37 11/16 × 54 × 8 in. British Museum, [1849,1222.

Silicon Valley $7 million Insider Trading Scheme busted by SEC and FBI

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 11 hours ago
Silicon Valley IT Administrator and Friends Charged in Multimillion Dollar Insider Trading Ring SEC December 17, 2019 DEFENDANTS: JANARDHAN NELLORE, SIVANNARAYANA BARAMA, GANAPATHI KUNADHARAJU, SABER HUSSAIN, and PRASAD MALEMPATI The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced insider trading charges against five friends who repeatedly traded on confidential earnings information about a Silicon Valley cloud-computing company, reaping millions of dollars in trading profits. According to the SEC’s complaint, Janardhan Nellore, a former IT administrator then at Palo Alto Network... more »

President Trump Should be Thanked

GunnyG at 'Nox & Friends - 11 hours ago
for exposing the Deep Swamp and causing a mass awakening of We the People. EXCERPT: “Because of all this, there are many self-evident truths that have now become obvious to the American people. Read from the point of view of the People talking to the political swamp in Washington D.C.: We don’t believe you. You are all dishonest crooks and horrible people who should never be trusted again. The intelligence community is the enemy of the people and must be dismantled if any American is to ever be truly free. We are not going to voluntarily hand over our guns. … Continue reading →

FISA Judge brings down the gavel on the FBI

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 11 hours ago
Judge blasts FBI over misleading info for surveillance of Trump campaign adviser The Hill John Kruzel December 17, 2019 , The secretive federal court that approved the surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page on Tuesday accused FBI agents of creating a misleading impression about their basis for requesting a warrant and ordered the bureau to overhaul its process. In a blistering order, a judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) accused the bureau of providing false information and withholding materials that would have undercut its four surveillan... more »

Presidents Trump’s Letter to Pelosi

Hardnox at 'Nox & Friends - 11 hours ago
From the White House. Below is the full letter from President Trump to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered yesterday: The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker of the House of RepresentativesWashington, D.C. 20515 Dear Madam Speaker: I write to express my strongest and most powerful protest against the partisan impeachment crusade being pursued by the Democrats in the House of Representatives. This impeachment represents an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power by Democrat Lawmakers, unequaled in nearly two and a half centuries of American legislative history. The Articles of ... more »

How many climate activists does it take to figure out …

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 11 hours ago
… that in the dead of night during a minus Celsius cold situation is NOT the best time to try to stop a heavily loaded coal train from traveling on a railroad track? . I knew they were idiots but real-l-l-l-ly? . . . This was the winter conditions yesterday! , . Remember — human flesh will stick to metal at or just below 32 F. The temperature would have been between 20 and 25 degrees Fahrenheit…. –00– NOW WHAT IDIOT THOUGHT STOPPING A COAL TRAIN DELIVERING HEAT TO THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO STAY WARM IN THOSE CONDITIONS WAS … Continue reading →

Mayo Pete And Status Quo Joe Are Fighting For Less Choice In Healthcare

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
*The B-Team-- not as bad as Trump* Everyone should know who Wendell Potter is by now. Aside from being a bestselling author and a advocate for health insurance reform, he's an outspoken former health insurance industry executive (CIGNA), who saw how the health insurance industry could easily game Obamacare and became an early advocate of Bernie's Medicare-for-All proposal. I want to put one of Potter's Twitter storms into narrative form here. Without mentioning them by name, it's an attack on the treacherous betrayals of working families by conservative Democrats Mayo Pete, Bloomber... more »

Analysis: Germany’s medical cannabis market loses momentum but on pace to surpass 100 million euros

Alfredo Pascual at Marijuana Business Daily - 12 hours ago
Insurance reimbursements for medical cannabis in Germany reached a new high during the July-September period, according to recently published data by the German National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband). However, the data also suggests that growth in medical marijuana sales is losing momentum as double-digit gains in MMJ reimbursements become harder to maintain. Statutory health insurance reimbursements […] Analysis: Germany’s medical cannabis market loses momentum but on pace to surpass 100 million euros is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily... more »

This Green Energy Firm Says It Saved Local Governments Millions. But The Numbers Might Not Add Up.

Luke Rosiak at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Luke Rosiak* *Politics, Americas* [image: Workers set up the photovoltaic panels at the Benban plant in Aswan, Egypt, November 17, 2019. Picture taken November 17, 2019. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh] A whistleblower has come forward. *More than 1,000 local school systems have hired Cenergistic, a green company that says it will reduce their power bill in exchange for a large cut of the savings.* - *The company says it has saved local governments and schools $5.5 billion, but local officials have repeatedly questioned its numbers, saying it refuses to explain how... more »

Small But Deadly: These Are The Planet's Best 5 Bullpup Rifles

Gun News Daily at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Gun News Daily* *Technology, Americas* Which made the list? *Key Point:* The bullpup market has exploded in popularity. What if I told you there are modern rifles that feature a full-length barrel, firing a standard rifle round, but they are the same size as a short-barreled rifle? If you think that sounds like an excellent idea, then you may be the perfect candidate for a bullpup rifle. A bullpup rifle can do all the above in a lightweight, easy handling package. The bullpup market has exploded in popularity. Quite a few countries have adopted the bullpup platform as their ch... more »

The North Korean Submarine Fleet: A Rusting Bunch of Steel or Threat?

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/NORTHKOREA-MILITARY--S1AETPPPDEAC.html] Just because they're old doesn't mean they can be discounted. *Key Point:* North Korea's submarines, although horribly outdated, could pose a significant nusance in any future war. North Korea should by all rights be a naval power. A country sitting on a peninsula, Korea has a long naval tradition, despite being a “shrimp” between the two “whales” of China and Japan. However, the partitioning of Korea into two countries in 1945 and the stated goal of unification —by ... more »

McCabe Backs Down Under Heavy Grilling From Wolf Blitzer

Chuck Ross at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Chuck Ross* *Politics, Americas* [image: Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe arrives to speak during a forum on election security titled, “2020 Vision: Intelligence and the U.S. Presidential Election” at the National Press Club in Washington, U.S., October 30, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts] He said he was 'shocked and horrified' by the IG report. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer grilled former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe on Tuesday over the Justice Department inspector general’s report which found that the FBI made “brutal mistakes” during efforts to wiretap Carter Page. “Jim ... more »

Rachel Maddow's New Heroine: Disgraced FBI Lawyer Lisa Page

Shelby Talcott at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Shelby Talcott* *Politics, Americas* [image: Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page arrives for a House Judiciary Committee deposition, as part of the ongoing congressional investigation related to decisions made by the Justice Department and FBI surrounding the 2016 election on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S] She said that Page was 'effectively vindicated.' MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow praised disgraced FBI lawyer Lisa Page during an exclusive interview Tuesday evening. Page was discovered to be having an affair with former deputy assistant director Peter Strzok, who worked on special counsel ... more »

Impeachment Gambit: GOP Congressman Attempts to Adjourn Before Vote

Shelby Talcott at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Shelby Talcott* *Politics, Americas* [image: Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., votes no on the first article of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S., December 13, 2019. Patrick Semansky/Pool via REUTERS] He wants to 'stop wasting America's time with impeachment.' Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs offered a motion to adjourn Wednesday morning ahead of the House’s vote on two articles of impeachment. “So we can stop wasting America’s time on impeachment, I move that the House do now adjourn,” Biggs said around 9 a.m. The motion failed in the Ho... more »

Duel Of the Battleships: Who Survives When Japan's Yamato Takes On America's Iowa?

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, * A fascinating "what-if?" *Key point: *While both ships enjoyed certain advantages over each other, those advantages are so slender that luck would probably play as decisive a role as firepower and armor. It would have been the ultimate duel of dreadnoughts. In one corner, Japan’s *Yamato*, weighing in at 65,000 tons, the biggest battleship in history. In the other corner, *Iowa*, at 45,000 tons the pride of America's World War II battleship fleet. In reality, the two ships never met in battle. But what if they had, in a cataclysmic clash of seagoing t... more »

IG Report Destroys McCabe's Defense of the FBI and Steele Dossier

Jared Keller at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Jared Keller* *Politics, Americas* [image: Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe announces the results of the national health care fraud takedown during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., July 13, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein] The facts just don't line up. - *The DOJ report on the FBI’s surveillance abuses against the Trump campaign severely undermined Andrew McCabe’s recent defense of Christopher Steele and his anti-Trump dossier.* - *McCabe told journalist Carl Bernstein in October that the FBI was unable to dispr... more »

Was Truman Right to Drop Nuclear Bombs on Imperial Japan?

Tom Nichols at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Tom Nichols* *History, Americas* [image: Reuters] A terrible event that was still the correct call. *Key point:* Truman thought he was sparing lives by ending the war quickly. Every year, as the anniversaries of the U.S. nuclear strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki approach, Americans engage in the painful moral exercise of wondering whether President Harry Truman should have ordered the use of nuclear weapons (or as they were called at the time, the “special bombs”) against Japan in August 1945. And every year, as we get farther away in time from those horrible events, we wonder i... more »

Is the Future of the Navy In Air-Independent Propulsion Submarines?

Robert Farley at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Robert Farley* *Security, Asia* [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-independent_propulsion#/media/File:U_Boot_212_HDW_1.jpg] They're stealthy and cheap. *Key point:* Air-Independent Propulsion is a good alternative to the currently in-use nuclear submarines. Over the past decade, air-independent propulsion (AIP) for submarines has spread rapidly around the world. The technology, which allows conventionally powered submarines to operate without access to outside air, has the potential the shift the balance away from the big nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) that have domin... more »

Abortionists hate women: Untrained medical people edition

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 12 hours ago
A former Planned Parenthood worker has stated that the people who draw women's blood at some clinics were't trained phlebotomists. *I witnessed that often…. There were not many qualified people. I thought that the phlebotomists were trained phlebotomists but they weren’t – they were just “Planned Parenthood trained”. Which means, they just trained them – how Planned Parenthood just guesses and says good, go ahead, you can stick that needle in that person.* Untrained workers are also responsible for sterilizing surgical tools, operating sonogram machines during surgery, preparing spe... more »

Billions for social justice college courses: “Queer Arabs in the U.S,” “Power, Racism and Africana Liberation,” etc…

The Buffalo Chronicle at The Buffalo Chronicle - 12 hours ago
American taxpayers spend billions of dollars to fund a growing number of mandatory social justice courses, degrees and certificates as well as events at public universities nationwide, according to a study that documents the financial burden of a robust leftist movement in

Education for Constructive Change

LONDON, Dec 18 (IPS) - Jens Waltermann is Executive Director, United World Colleges (UWC) International.We saw a hugely diverse selection of world leaders - from civil society, politics and business - seeking positive change at the UN General Assembly in New York in September. But the global reality is a political and economic environment that is increasingly divided. Boycotts. Protests. Narratives of hate. Read the full story, “Education for Constructive Change”, on globalissues.org →

Why aren't the Democrats in the House calling the witnesses Schumer wants called?

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 12 hours ago
Democrat Chuck Schumer is saying that unless the Democrats get a do over in the Senate and can call new witnesses the process is unfair. But if Schumer knows of witnesses that would actually make a case that Trump did something criminal why hasn't he told Jerry Nadler about them? Why haven't the Democrats paused their impeachment train wreck to call those witnesses? The answer is that the entire impeachment process is nothing more than a political ploy to try and smear Trump before the 2020 election and the longer the Democrats dwell on it the worse the opinion of we the people ab... more »

UPDATE: TMX Court Case - Canada's Scientists agree "there is insufficient information on the behaviour of diluted bitumen to adequately address the risk of oil spill and clean up"

greencrow at Greencrow As The Crow Flies - 12 hours ago
*Canoeists paddle first nation canoes past the Kinder Morgan facility in Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, B.C. Thursday, May, 22, 2014.Four British Columbia Indigenous groups are set to argue in the Federal Court of Appeal that the Canadian government failed to consult adequately with them before its latest approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward* Back when I was a social worker, our team went on a cultural day to the First Nations community involved in the legal process described below. As part of that experience we went out on the... more »

Did Trump Demand Billie Holiday Change Name to ‘Billie Christmas’?

Dan Evon at Snopes.com - 12 hours ago
A routine review of content labeled satire.

Judge Tosses Paul Manafort’s Fraud Case in New York

AP News at Snopes.com - 12 hours ago
A New York judge ruled that the criminal case was too similar to one that has already landed President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman in federal prison.

House Starts Historic Session to Impeach Trump; GOP Stalls

AP News at Snopes.com - 12 hours ago
The U.S. House gaveled in for a historic session to impeach President Donald Trump on charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress.

Chilcot Report Section 3.5 Development of UK Strategy and Options September to November 2002 – Negotiation of Resolution 1441

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 12 hours ago
*Chilcot Report Section 3.5 Development of UK Strategy and Options September to November 2002 – Negotiation of Resolution 1441* PM Blair was convinced he could change Pres Bush's opinion about going to the U.N. over Iraq (AFP) From September to November 2002 the main issue before the Blair government was how to approach the United Nations and deal with the United States’ opposition to that move. Prime Minister Tony Blair’s only victory so far with the Bush administration was to convince the president to go to the U.N. to get a new resolution on Iraq. Now there were disputes over whe... more »

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 18

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 12 hours ago
1959 Gen Qasim called Ahwaz and Mohammareh in Iran Arab Started supporting Arabs in Khuzistan province 1980 Iraq advanced 50km into Zagros Mountains in Iranian Kurdistan (Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War) (Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War) (Musings On Iraq book review *The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988*) (Musings On Iraq book review *Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988*) (Musings On Iraq book review *The Iran-Iraq War*) (Musings On Iraq book review *Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts*)... more »

Russia's Top General Believes NATO Is Gearing Up For War Against Russia

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 12 hours ago
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces - First Deputy Minister of Defense, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov (center) ©Pavel Gerasimov / Sputnik © Sputnik *RT: **Intensified drills on Russia’s doorstep indicate NATO is gearing up for major conflict – Moscow’s top general* The increased intensity and scale of US-led NATO military exercises in the Baltics and Black Sea suggest the alliance is preparing for a major military conflict, said General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff. NATO’s ramping up of large-scale war games in the Baltics, Poland... more »

Schumer admits that Trump is right; Trump did nothing wrong

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 12 hours ago
Democrat Chuck Schumer is admitting that Trump is right when he says that the Democrats haven't shown that he, Trump, is guilty of any crime. Schumer is doing so by his demand that the Democrats get a second chance to try Trump in the Senate; something that isn't in the Constitution. As McConnell has pointed out if the Democrats had shown that Trump was guilty of anything they wouldn't be calling for new witnesses and effectively a new impeachment hearing in the Senate. We know from history that Republicans will vote against their President if there is evidence of real criminal acti... more »

FISA court whines about being lied to

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 12 hours ago
Normally if a court is lied to by the prosecution the prosecution faces significant penalties. But while the FISA court has finally come out and said that it was bad that the FBI lied to them they only asked the FBI to explain how they'll be better in the future. The IG report revealed that an FBI lawyer deliberately doctored evidence that was supplied to the Court in a way that completely changed the meaning of the evidence; concealing the fact that Carter Page had recently worked with the CIA to help throw Russian spies into prison. That's like a prosecutor changing evidence that... more »

Journalist Shiori Ito, the face of Japan's #MeToo movement, wins damages in rape case

Just In - 12 hours ago
A Tokyo court orders a prominent television journalist to pay Shiori Ito 3.3 million yen in damages, a verdict welcomed by women's rights advocates in a country where sexual assault victims often stay silent.

BBC Director-General Calls for Media Critics to Be Purged From Social Media

Alan Macleod at MintPress News - 12 hours ago
The BBC has responded to criticism over its coverage of the UK's general election by calling for their online critics to be banned from social media. The post BBC Director-General Calls for Media Critics to Be Purged From Social Media appeared first on MintPress News.

Ousted President Evo Morales Says Transnational Corporations, US Gov’t Were Behind Bolivia Coup

Alan Macleod at MintPress News - 12 hours ago
In a tell-all interview with Glen Greenwald from Mexico, ousted Bolivian President Evo Morales recounted the US' heavy hand in fomenting a coup in his country and the reasons behind it. The post Ousted President Evo Morales Says Transnational Corporations, US Gov’t Were Behind Bolivia Coup appeared first on MintPress News.

Journalists that the IG report show we can't trust: Jane Mayer edition

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
For years and up to just before the IG report came out Jane Mayer has been telling us that Steele and Fusion GPS were wonderful and that the Steele dossier was the gold standard. But now we know that the FBI knew that it was a hoax. When the FBI talked to Steele's principal sub source that source said it was all bogus. Before that the FBI knew that the dossier included errors like the fact contrary to a key story in the dossier there is no Russian Consulate in Miami. Similarly the FBI knew that it couldn't verify any of the claims in the dossier. Mayer ignored the fact that Steele... more »

A Lot Of Activity Spotted At The Top Secret Tonopah Test Range Airport In Nevada

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
A September 24th, 2019 image showing two airliner derivative aircraft and what appears to be a C-21 and CN-235 on the ramp between the Blue and White hangars. One is very likely RAT 55, the other may be the 757 F-22 testbed aircraft. PHOTO © 2019 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION. *Warzone/The Drive*: *A Dozen Mystery Objects Suddenly Popped Out Of Hangars At Tonopah Test Range Airport* *The base is known to be the shadowy home of aircraft that move from a developmental state at Area 51 and into an operational, but still secretive one.* Tonopah Test Ra... more »

These 3 Toxins Have the Largest Impact on Your Life Span

Erin Elizabeth at Health Nut News - 13 hours ago
Written by Joseph Mercola, D.O., Ph.D. Story at-a-glance – Environmental exposures have a lot to do with biological or cellular aging and, according to a December 2019 study, lead, mercury and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are the three toxins shown to have the greatest impact on your life span Biological aging is modifiable. Avoiding toxic exposures […] The post These 3 Toxins Have the Largest Impact on Your Life Span appeared first on Health Nut News.

"By Impeaching Trump, The Democrats Are Destroying Both Our Political System And Their Chances Of Winning In 2020"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*"By Impeaching Trump, The Democrats Are Destroying * *Both Our Political System And Their Chances Of Winning In 2020"* by Michael Snyder "The Democrats probably never imagined that this effort to remove Donald Trump from office would backfire so spectacularly. Yes, it was always a foregone conclusion that they would be able to impeach Trump in the House, but they were expecting that a majority of the American people would rally around them and that simply has not happened. In fact, we just got some brand new numbers that are incredibly good news for President Trump. As you will see... more »

Chuck Schumer says that the House Democrats didn't do their job

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
Because impeachment in the minds of Democrats is precisely what the Founder said it shouldn't be, an act of political power, they've rushed it and not waited for the Courts to rule if certain people can be compelled to testify. Now the head Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, and Democrats are whining that it won't be fair unless they get to call more witnesses in the Senate. Essentially what they're saying is that in a trial the defense lawyer should be able to call new witnesses in his closing arguments to the jury; something that is never done. He's also admitting that despit... more »

McConnell Dismisses Schumer’s Impeachment Demands as “Fishing Trip"

Luis Miguel at rss - 13 hours ago
[image: mcconnell-dismisses-schumer-s-impeachment-demands-as-fishing-trip] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell shot down Schumer’s call to bring in multiple witnesses and documents before the Senate.

Corrupting Our Social Norms

Walter E. Williams at rss - 13 hours ago
[image: corrupting-our-social-norms] Federal, state and local governments are ignoring biology and permitting people to make their sex optional on one’s birth certificate, passport, Social Security card and driver’s license.

Trump to Pelosi: You’re Staging a Coup To Overturn 2016

R. Cort Kirkwood at rss - 13 hours ago
[image: trump-to-pelosi-you-re-staging-a-coup-to-overturn-2016] President Trump’s letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a carefully crafted argument against the false charge that he has broken the law or abused the powers of his office.

Brazilian Man Adopts 42 Disabled Children, Many of Them Abortion Survivors

Michael Tennant at rss - 13 hours ago
[image: brazilian-man-adopts-42-disabled-children-many-of-them-abortion-survivors] A Brazilian man who has adopted 42 disabled children, many of them survivors of botched abortions, over the past 30 years is urging countries not to allow abortion.

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Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 13 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll: Biden, Sanders Lead 2020 Democratic RaceMormon Church-linked investment fund amassed $100 billion in tax-free money and claimed it was being stored in preparation for 'the second coming of Christ,' according to a whistleblower complaint Drug-Laced Cakes (Iran) Chilean plane en route to Antarctica disappears with 38 on board Fair Oaks Farm- Coca Cola - Undercover Operation New Study Documents Depleted Uranium Impacts on Children in Iraq (September) Samsung chairman Lee Sang-hoon jailed for union sabotage Methane Leak, Seen From Space, Pr... more »

MISSISSIPPI MUDDLE: Score gains larger than reported!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 13 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019Let's take a look at the record:* In print editions, the New York Times wasn't especially delicate in its choice of words. The Times was publishing an opinion column by Emily Hanford, senior education correspondent at American Public Media. And in her opinion column, Hanford was reporting some real information: Over the course of the past six years (from 2013 through 2019), Mississippi's fourth graders have shown large score gains in reading! These gains have been recorded on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (Naep), the widely-praised "... more »

#FakeNews media acts as a mouthpiece for Chinese tyrants

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
It turns out that the China Daily, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist dictators, has been putting ads that look like news articles into leading American publications for a very long time. That the newspapers like the the New York Times, The Washington Post, and even the Wall Street Journal were willing to run Chinese propaganda that framed Chinese atrocities like the persecution of the people of Hong Kong in a good light is a sign of just how unAmerican these outlets can be. They're willing to aid the Chinese tyrants attempt to lie to we the people for a few bucks. That's... more »

World’s Largest Fracked Gas Refinery Violates Federal Funding Law, Say Environmentalists

Arvind Dilawar at Shadowproof - 13 hours ago
Columbia Riverkeeper claims Northwest Innovation Works sought billions to build a fracked gas-to-methanol refinery in violation of federal law. The post World’s Largest Fracked Gas Refinery Violates Federal Funding Law, Say Environmentalists appeared first on Shadowproof.

Turkey Warns U.S. Over F-35 Program

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Hurriyet Daily News:** Turkey slams US 'menacing tone' over F-35 program * Turkey on Dec. 17 criticized the U.S. over threats to remove it from the F-35 program due to its purchase of the S-400 Russian air defense system. "We remind once more that the language of threats and sanctions will never dissuade Turkey from resolutely taking steps to ensure its national security," the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "No one should doubt that necessary measures will be taken against these initiatives targeting Turkey," it added. Underlining that the bill demonstrated the U.... more »

Al Aqsa Mosque to be Controlled by Saudi Arabia Under Trump Peace Plan, Jerusalem to Remain United City — Egypt to Allocate Land to the New Palestinian State

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
Emphasis mine: Al Aqsa Mosque to be Controlled by Saudi Arabia under Trump Peace plan, Jerusalem to Remain United City by https://www.israelhayom.com/ According to an unconfirmed Lebanese report, Egypt, the Gulf States, and the US are all involved in an elaborate plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all. – Jerusalem will remain …

Israeli Blockade of Gaza Causing Contaminated Water, 25% of Illnesses and 12% of Infant Deaths

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
Israeli Blockade of Gaza Causing Contaminated Water, 25% of Illnesses and 12% of Infant Deaths by Juan Cole, https://www.commondreams.org/ Under the 1949 Geneva Convention on the treatment of Occupied populations, it is a war crime for Israel to impose collective punishment on all Palestinians in Gaza to get at Hamas. – Abeer Butmeh writes at …

Israel’s Army Completes Drill Simulating Attack from North

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
Israel’s Army Completes Drill Simulating Attack from North by http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/ JERUSALEM, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) — Israel’s army said Tuesday that it has concluded “a wide-scale exercise” that simulated an attack from Lebanon or Syria. The two-day drill, led by the army’s Northern Command, “simulated a variety of challenges and threats in the northern sector,” said …

Federal Surveillance Judge Orders FBI to Answer for ‘Misleading’ Courts & Omitting Key Evidence in Effort to Spy on Trump Campaign

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
Federal Surveillance Judge Orders FBI to Answer for ‘Misleading’ Courts & Omitting Key Evidence in Effort to Spy on Trump Campaign by https://www.rt.com/ The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has issued a rare and scathing rebuke to the FBI, accusing the bureau of manipulating the court with lies and omissions in its quest to surveil a …

Retired USAF General Warns of ‘Great Space War,’ Says China is Building ‘Space Navy’

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
The real reason is to attack the Lord Jesus Christ on His 2nd Coming. Global power rivalry is just the pretext that need to build up their space war capability. – One America News Network A retired U.S. Air Force general warns of rising Chinese competition in space exploration, and says the new global war …

Uncle Sam Is Getting Ready For A REBOOT Into Matrix 2.0 (RTD Quick Take)

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
Rethinking the Dollar Thanks for watch this RTD Quick Take. Share your thoughts below and make sure to subscribe for more news related videos like this one. Here is the article mentioned in this video: 1. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/her… end

US Official Gold Reserves Auditor Caught Lying

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
US Official Gold Reserves Auditor Caught Lying by Jan Nieuwenhuijs of Voima Gold, via https://www.zerohedge.com/ In my previous post, from March 2018, on the audits of US official gold reserves, I have exposed that during the audit procedures of the US official gold reserves from 1974 through 2008, repeatedly audit staff deviated from the auditing protocol, while internal …

Central Banks in Most Countries Are ‘Magic Money Machines for Politicians’ – RT’s Keiser Report

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
Central Banks in Most Countries Are ‘Magic Money Machines for Politicians’ – RT’s Keiser Report by https://www.rt.com/ Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said last month that he may not seek an $11 billion loan from the IMF, promising instead to “try to revive the economy.” RT’s Keiser Report talks to Nick Giambruno of CaseyResearch.com about the …

Merry Christmas Crypto & Silver BUYERS…& HODLers!! (Bix Weir)

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
RoadtoRoota Buy Low & Sell High…that’s what the smart investors do so these hugely manipulated moves down are the time to BUY and HODL. There NO REASON for cryptos or silver to be priced so low other than 100% computer derivative manipulation. BUY! end

Jimmy Dore: Trump Impeachment is a Circus Show by Democrats!

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
Going Underground on RT On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Jimmy Dore, host of the Jimmy Dore show about the Democrats’ impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. He alleges criminality by the FBI and discusses why the Democrats can’t oppose Trump on policy, why the impeachment is a ‘circus show’, how the …

Turkey Threatens Closure of US Air Base Amid Sanctions

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
RT America As tensions escalate between the US and Turkey, Ankara threatens to revoke access to a vital US Air Base if Washington follows through with threats of sanctions. RT America’s Rachel Blevins has the story. end

Germans Angry at US for Nord Stream ‘Meddling’ (Full show)

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
RT America The Pentagon is convinced that Germany’s consumption of Russian natural gas is a dire threat. Why is Washington bent on sanctioning a foreign business deal? Rick Sanchez explains the incomprehensible new sanctions, which Germany has deemed “unacceptable.” Then RT America’s Michele Greenstein weighs in. (06:15) RT America’s John Huddy reports on the looming …

Imran Khan: Kashmir Refugee Crisis Could Dwarf All Others and ‘Trigger War Between Nuclear States’

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 13 hours ago
RT Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that India’s tough new policies in Kashmir risk creating a severe refugee crisis that could then create a domino effect, even leading to a full-blown war with Islamabad. Khan made his remarks while opening the UN-sponsored Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday. He warned that …

"Sanity..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
The ideal, perhaps... "Sanity is the capacity to consider a set of circumstances, to carefully analyze the evidence pertaining to those circumstances, to identify the cause of any conflict or problem, and to respond appropriately, both emotionally and intellectually, to that conflict or problem with the intention of resolving it, preferably at a higher level of need satisfaction for all parties (including those of the Earth and all of its living creatures)." - Robert J. Burrowes Reality...

Who’s afraid of………

Karma Singh at BolenReport - 13 hours ago
It used to be the Big Bad Wolf but now it seems that it’s li’l ol’ me! The British government is trying to tell us that we cannot talk about the reality of cancer… From Europe By Karma Singh… Way back in 2006, the year before I published the first edition of “Cancer? So what?”, … Continue reading Who’s afraid of………

In A Rebuke To Turkey, U.S. Congress Ends Arms Embargo To Cyprus

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup engineered by the then military regime in Greece [File: Yiannis Kourtoglou/Reuters] *AFP*: *US Congress ends Cyprus arms embargo, in blow to Turkey* Washington (AFP) - The US Congress voted Tuesday to lift a decades-old arms embargo on Cyprus, defying Turkey by seeking warmer ties at a time of renewed tensions. The Senate approved the measure as part of a massive defense spending bill that passed 86 to eight and already went through the House of Representatives, with President Donald Trump likely to sign it. The United St... more »

What to Watch as Trump Impeachment Moves to House Floor

AP News at Snopes.com - 13 hours ago
American history is happening in the U.S. House of Representatives.

On The Eve Of His Impeachment, President Trump Sends A Letter To House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
*Daily Mail:* *'You view democracy as your enemy!' Donald Trump sends blistering six-page letter to Nancy Pelosi on eve of impeachment vote accusing her of trying to 'Trump derangement syndrome' and claiming Salem Witch trials had 'more due process'* * Donald Trump sent a scathing six-page letter to Nancy Pelosi * He slammed her for leading a 'libelous and vicious crusade' against him on the eve of the House impeachment vote * 'More due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials' * 'You have developed a full-fledged case of what many in the media call Trump De... more »

Cop Admits to Urinating on 12yo Girl, Filming It, Trying to Kidnap Her

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 14 hours ago
[image: cop]A child predator cop pleaded guilty this week to attempting to kidnap and then urinating on a little girl, while filming the entire thing.

As Rural Americans Struggle for Health Care Access, Insurers May Be Making Things Worse

Yves Smith at naked capitalism - 14 hours ago
How health insurers discriminate against rural communities.

5 Times North Korea Provoked a Crisis (And Why They Keep Doing It)

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, Asia* [image: Reuters] All a part of the plan. *Key point:* Pyongyang uses threats to gain concessions and make other powers take them seriously. Let’s get one thing out of the way. North Korea is not crazy. News pundits, talking heads and headline writers love to deride the North Korean leadership—and leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un in particular—as *crazy*, *whacko* or just plain *insane*. The leadership is a lot of things. Mass murderers, gangsters, terrorists and con artists come to mind. Crazy they are not. The Democratic People’s Republic of... more »

China Is Developing ANOTHER Stealth Fighter. Here's What We Know.

David Axe at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, Asia* But can Beijing afford it? China reportedly is developing a new stealth fighter. The new warplane, under development by the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute, could be a clean-sheet design. Or it might be a development of the company’s older FC-31, an export-optimized stealth fighter that has yet to secure a single order. Shenyang and the military department of the AVIC Manufacturing Technology Institute in 2018 jointly established a team codenamed "J.J." with the goal of developing the new type fighter, *Global Times* reported, citing... more »

North Korea Has a Christmas Gift for President Trump: An ICBM Test

David Axe at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, Asia* Are we headed back to days of 'fire and fury'? North Korea apparently is planning to resume testing of a nuclear-capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile as a “Christmas surprise” for the United States. A fresh test of an ICBM, the first since 2017, would signal a significant escalation of Pyongyang’s efforts to build up a nuclear arsenal capable of directly threatening the continental United States. The test also would signal a deepening failure of U.S. President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again campaign to forge some kind of deal with North K... more »

A Chief Justice to Senators: In an Impeachment Trial, You Are Not Part of the Jury

Steven Lubet at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Steven Lubet* *Politics, Americas* [image: Reuters] The Constitution’s only procedural limitation is the requirement in Article I that the senators be placed under “oath or affirmation.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell created a predictable stir when he told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he would structure the impending impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in “total coordination with the White House counsel’s office.” He added, “There will be no difference between the president’s position and our position as to how to handle this.” This outright rejection of neu... more »

Who’s protecting Owls Head park from development? Not the provincial government

Suzanne Rent at Halifax Examiner - 14 hours ago
News 1. Environment Minister Gordon Wilson orders two-year environmental assessment of Northern Pulp Mill’s proposed effluent treatment system Jennifer Henderson looks at what yesterday’s decision on Northern Pulp’s proposed effluent treatment system means for the future. Environment minister Gordon Wilson told Northern Pulp to produce more information and complete a full environmental assessment before he […]

Premier Stephen McNeil delays Northern Pulp decision until Friday

Tim Bousquet at Halifax Examiner - 14 hours ago
Premier Stephen McNeil just issued the following statement: PREMIER’S OFFICE–Premier Issues Statement, to Hold Media Availability Friday, Dec. 20 —————————————————————- NOTE: The following is a statement from Premier Stephen McNeil in response to the Minister of Environment’s decision on Northern Pulp’s proposed effluent treatment plant. —————————————————————- I would like to thank the regulator, Minister Wilson […]

Is This The Current State Of American Politics And Media Today When It Comes To 'Victimhood'?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
Former FBI attorney Lisa Page appeared on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show on Tuesday night in her first televised interview since resigning from the Bureau nearly two years ago *Daily Mail:* *'Being quiet wasn't making this go away': FBI lover Lisa Page says she decided to speak up about being attacked by Trump after he mocked her at a campaign rally by performing a 'vile sort of simulated sex act'* * Lisa Page appeared on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show on Tuesday night * It marked her first televised interview since she resigned from the FBI nearly two years ago following the rele... more »

Pouring down in America

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 14 hours ago
*Last Saturday the annual Advent peace vigils were held at Bath Iron Works (BIW) in the cold pouring rain. But 13 of us warmed one anothers hearts as we waited for the weekend shift workers to file out. (click on the photos for a better view of the signs and rain drops)* *Cynthia Howard was cozy inside her Polar Bear outfit that she uses in many places to challenge people to see their place inside nature's Sacred Hoop of life* *Maureen Kehoe-Ostensen and Mary Beth Sullivan talk to a worker as he leaves the shipyard that builds Navy destroyers outfitted with so-called 'missile ... more »

Military Cyber Operations: The New NDAA Tailors the 48-Hour Notification Requirement

RChesney at Lawfare - 14 hours ago
U.S. Army Cyber Command's Cyber Flag 2019 (Source: Flickr/U.S. Cyber Command Public Affairs photo) The soon-to-be-enacted National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA fiscal 2020) includes a provision that will fine-tune the range of military cyber operations subject to the 48 hour-notification requirement associated with “sensitive military cyber operations.” Here’s an explainer. *1. What is the status quo with respect to “sensitive military cyber operations”?* Congress for many years has been building a domestic legal framework to govern military cyber operati... more »

Livestream: House Vote on Articles of Impeachment

QJurecic at Lawfare - 14 hours ago
Today, Dec. 18, the House of Representatives will vote on the articles of impeachment against President Trump. House proceedings on the matter are expected to continue throughout the day, with the vote itself taking place in the evening. A livestream is available below courtesy of CBS News. Topics: - Documents, - Impeachment [image: Quinta Jurecic] Quinta Jurecic is the Managing Editor of *Lawfare*. She previously served as an editorial writer for the *Washington Post* and as *Lawfare*'s associate editor. - @qjurecic More Articles Featured Term: Impeachment Displa... more »

The Justice Department’s New, Unprecedented Use of the Foreign Agents Registration Act

jfattal at Lawfare - 14 hours ago
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn (Source: Flickr/Gage Skidmore) The U.S. Department of Justice is using a once-obscure law, most commonly used today to require the registration of those who lobby in the United States on behalf of foreign governments, to target foreign-based anonymous disinformation actors on social media. What is the significance of this unprecedented move, and what can be done to develop a sustainable enforcement regime for these anonymous online actors? The Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, is the central law governing agents of foreign en... more »

Congress To DeVos: "Nope"

Peter Greene at CURMUDGUCATION - 14 hours ago
The House has passed a budget, and Betsy DeVos's Education Freedom Tax Dodge is not in it. This is not a big surprise, though both Kellyanne Conway and Donald Trump stepped up in recent weeks to try to help sell it. EdWeek reports that the deal struck by federal lawmakers has nary a cent for the Education Freedom Scholarships program. The program was "ignored" and there is neither money for administering that "fund a private school and get out of paying your taxes all at the same time" program, nor does it address the $5 billion budgetary hole that the DeVos plan would create. The ... more »

Wholesale marijuana prices

John Rebchook at Marijuana Business Daily - 14 hours ago
The median price of a pound of marijuana flower sold or transferred to a retail store in Colorado rose to a record $1,316, according to the most recent state data. Wholesale marijuana prices is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

AMLO Is Bringing New Hope To Mexico

Rick STERLING at OrientalReview.org - 14 hours ago
Jeremy Corbyn lost the election but one of his political friends, the progressive Mexican leader named Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has been in power for one year. He is carrying out the plans and priorities described in his 2018 book “New Hope for Mexico”. With 129 million people, Mexico is […]

"Economic Market Snapshot AM 12/18/19"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*Updated frequently as available.* ◆ AM 12/18/19: Gregory Mannerino, "Markets: Important Updates" - https://www.traderschoice.net/ ◆ *MarketWatch Market Summary, Live Updates* - https://www.marketwatch.com/tools/marketsummary *CNN Market Data:* - http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/ *CNN Fear And Greed Index:* - http://money.cnn.com/data/fear-and-greed/ — § — *Buffett Indicator: Where Are We with Market Valuations?* "As of 12/18/19 (updates daily): The Stock Market is Significantly Overvalued. Based on historical ratio of total market cap over GDP (currently at 149.7%), it is likely... more »

Embattled cancer researcher loses legal bid to be reinstated as department chair at OSU

Ivan Oransky at Retraction Watch - 14 hours ago
Carlo Croce, a cancer researcher at The Ohio State University who has waged legal battles against those he feels have wronged him, has lost another of those fights. A judge in Franklin County, Ohio, ruled against Croce in a case he brought against OSU to stop them from removing him as chair of his department. … Continue reading Embattled cancer researcher loses legal bid to be reinstated as department chair at OSU

Turkey allegedly allows Hamas to plot attacks from Istanbul: Telegraph

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:15 A.M.) – Turkey is allegedly allowing Hamas operatives to plan attacks against Israel from the city of Istanbul, a new report from the Telegraph claimed on Wednesday. Citing transcripts from Israeli police interrogations with suspects, the Telegraph claimed that senior Hamas operatives were using the large city of Istanbul to direct operations […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Russian military opened fire on an Israeli aircraft in southwest Syria: report

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:00 A.M.) – The Russian military allegedly opened fire on Israeli aircraft that entered Syria’s airspace in the southwestern part o the country, the Hebrew-language website Channel 12 reported. Citing the website Top War, the Channel 12 report said the Russian military opened fire on an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that was […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

NATO drills are prelude for large-scale conflict: Russia

NATO military exercises in the Baltic States, Poland, and in the Black and Baltic Seas indicate that the Alliance is preparing for a large-scale conflict, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasinov told foreign military attaches on Tuesday. “Military activities are increasing in the Baltic States and Poland, in the Black and Baltic Seas. […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Israeli Defense Minister wants to kick Iran out of Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:30 A.M.) – Israel’s new Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett, is seeking to expel Iran from Syria, the Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday. According to the publication, Bennett, who was the founder of the New Right Party, said that there is a “good chance of this happening,” in regards to Israel kicking Iran out […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Russian, Turkish forces conduct joint patrols in northern Aleppo

Russian and Turkish servicemen conducted a joint patrol mission in Syria’s Aleppo governorate as envisaged by the bilateral memorandum from 22 October 2019, Major General Yury Borenkov, chief of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the conflicting sides in Syria, told reporters on Tuesday. “A joint Russian-Turkish patrol mission was conducted along the Jarih al-Fawqani-Zor-Mgae […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Russian Su-57 stealth fighter tested again in Syria

The Russian Defense Ministry has once again tested Su-57 multirole fighter jets in Syria, and all tasks have been successfully fulfilled, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov told foreign military attaches on Tuesday. “Trials of Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets continue. They were once again tested in Syria, and all planned tasks were successfully […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

My enemy's enemy. Updated

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 14 hours ago
An intra-familial spat between two cheeks of the same (pro-Zionist) arse is going on right now. (Isn’t there always?) You can read about it below the line on Harry’s Place, and naturally, it’s also in the Twittersphere. Roughly, it boils down to slightly differing takes on the riveting topic of antisemitism - Islamophobia. (Don’t go away!) How much equivalence is there between the two? Melanie Phillips has written an article titled: “Don’t fall for bogus claims of ‘Islamophobia” in the Jewish Chronicle. *'The taunt of Islamophobia is used to silence any criticism of the Islamic wor... more »

Nothing Solved, Nothing Gained

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
Boris Johnson has been elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. But, Tom Walkom writes, nothing has changed: It seems the real debate over Brexit has just begun. In fact, the plan negotiated in October between Johnson and the EU does not call for a complete divorce by Jan. 31. Rather it calls for the two sides to enter a so-called period of transition for up to three years while a more permanent arrangement is hammered out. During the transition period, the United Kingdom would continue to pay into the EU budget and would continue to be bound by EU rules. It would not, howev... more »

Genocide, Sanctions and Incirlik: ErdoÄŸan Will Not Kick Out NATO From Its Bases Despite Threats

InfoBrics at The Duran - 15 hours ago
The base is critical for the U.S. interests and aggression plans in the Middle East More The post Genocide, Sanctions and Incirlik: ErdoÄŸan Will Not Kick Out NATO From Its Bases Despite Threats appeared first on The Duran.

Residents’ voice has not been heard in Latvia again

Viktors Domburs at The Duran - 15 hours ago
A petition to postpone increasing funding for political parties was created on the public petition portal Manabalss.lv More The post Residents’ voice has not been heard in Latvia again appeared first on The Duran.

Scotland to push for second independence referendum post-election

InfoBrics at The Duran - 15 hours ago
Boris will have to act fast if he wants to save the Union... More The post Scotland to push for second independence referendum post-election appeared first on The Duran.

James Comey better lawyer up. Former FBI director plays dumb on Fox News (Video)

Alex Christoforou at The Duran - 15 hours ago
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 407. More The post James Comey better lawyer up. Former FBI director plays dumb on Fox News (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

THAT'S NOT A MISREADING OF THE CONSTITUTION -- TRUMP IS JUST A REPUBLICAN NARCISSIST

Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog - 15 hours ago
I disagree with Jonathan Chait's interpretation of a passage from President Trump's deranged letter to Nancy Pelosi. ... he portrays impeachment as constitutionally *illegitimate*. By this, Trump doesn’t mean simply that his actions do not rise to an impeachable offense, or even that the accusations are completely meritless. He repeatedly denies that the House has any constitutional right to undertake impeachment at all. “This impeachment represents an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power by Democrat Lawmakers, unequaled in nearly two and a half centuries of American l... more »

New Nafta teed up by US House Committee for floor vote

bilaterals.org - 15 hours ago
18-Dec-2019 The trade accord to revamp Nafta cleared the Ways and Means Committee, sending the measure to the full House.

China calls for opening free trade talks with the EU

bilaterals.org - 15 hours ago
18-Dec-2019 Chinese foreign affairs minister Wang Yi called for the launch of free trade talks with the EU, in parallel with ongoing negotiations on an investment deal.

RI wants to resolve issues in RCEP negotiations

bilaterals.org - 15 hours ago
18-Dec-2019 The Indonesian negotiating committee for the establishment of the RCEP wants the “Indian issues” to be resolved early 2020.

US may boost tariffs on EU goods, wants lower trade deficit-Lighthizer

bilaterals.org - 15 hours ago
18-Dec-2019 Lighthizer also said that a US-UK trade deal is a priority for Washington and negotiations will be launched as soon as Britain is in a position to do so.

Que recouvre l'accord commercial partiel entre la Chine et les Etats-Unis ?

bilaterals.org - 15 hours ago
18-Dec-2019 Les États-Unis et la Chine se sont mis d'accord sur les termes d'un accord commercial partiel, dit de phase 1.

On The Contradictions In Human Values

Unknown at The Verma Report - 15 hours ago
Isaiah Berlin’s key teaching is that it’s not possible to create a society in which all human values have been achieved. Human values often contradict each other—for instance, justice is not compatible with mercy; pursuit of truth cannot be reconciled with happiness or the idea of total freedom; if you have peace, then you may lack in excitement; if you have knowledge, then you may lack blissful ignorance. What Berlin says about Turgenev in his essay, “Fathers and Children: Turgenev and The Liberal Predicament,” (Chapter 6; *Russian Thinkers* by Isaiah Berlin), can he said about him ... more »

Word Pedometers: Another Really Dumb Tech Idea

Peter Greene at CURMUDGUCATION - 15 hours ago
You only have to get one "story at a glance" point into this article to know that this is going to be a freakin' disaster panda, and I have so many wuestions. *New devices can be worn by babies and toddlers to count the number of words they are exposed to each day.* It's a word pedometer, a sensor that you strap onto your child's chest that, well, records all the words tat show up in the area. *They are situated inside a small vest that keeps the tracker positioned on the baby’s chest, not to measure steps or stairs, of course, but to log words, sentences and entire conversations s... more »

Germany Needs Foreigners to Fill 1.4 Million Job Vacancies; Brazil in Pilot Project

Richard Mann at The Rio Times - 15 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - A poster on the Berlin tram #12 on Sunday encouraged passengers to work as drivers. This is the picture of the new normalcy in Germany, a country that is looking for skilled labor inside and outside its borders. The topic was the subject of a high-ranking meeting in The post Germany Needs Foreigners to Fill 1.4 Million Job Vacancies; Brazil in Pilot Project appeared first on The Rio Times.

Agrochemicals Most Found in Fruits and Vegetables in Brazil Are Fatal to Bees

Dorah Feliciano at The Rio Times - 15 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - A deadly pesticide for bees was the most frequently found in a government survey that analyses pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables sold throughout the country. The result of the new edition of the Program for Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Food, PARA, was released by the National Health Surveillance […] The post Agrochemicals Most Found in Fruits and Vegetables in Brazil Are Fatal to Bees appeared first on The Rio Times.

Wednesday Morning Links

Unknown at Accidental Deliberations - 15 hours ago
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. - Linsey McGoey discusses the historical case for abolishing billionaires rooted in Adam Smith's critique of plutocracy: Smith was scathingly critical of the wealthy’s disproportionate power over government policymaking. He complained about the tendency of the rich to shirk tax obligations, unfairly passing tax burdens on to poor workers. He heaped scorn on government bailouts of the East India Company. He thought dirty money in politics was akin to bribery, and that it undermined the duty to govern impartiality. He wasn’t alone. Th... more »

Will Humans Ever Walk on Exoplanets?

Paul Gilster at Centauri Dreams - 15 hours ago
Searching for biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres is something we can look forward to in as little as a decade, judging from the progress now being made in planning future ground- and space-based telescopes. A key challenge is to catalog habitable zone planets upon which to practice our methods, and our tools for doing this are […]

Court hearing Thursday on Clinton email and Benghazi documents

The Buffalo Chronicle at The Buffalo Chronicle - 15 hours ago
Judicial Watch Seeks Clinton Testimony and Key Document on Clinton Email Destruction (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch today announced that a hearing was ordered to be held in federal court before U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth on Thursday, December 19, regarding continuing

Census Bureau still hiring felons, while child sex offenders pass background checks

The Buffalo Chronicle at The Buffalo Chronicle - 15 hours ago
A decade after a federal probe exposed the U.S. Census Bureau for hiring serious criminals to enter the homes of unsuspecting Americans to gather statistics for the decennial count, the shocking practice continues. As the agency prepares to employ half a million

New mayor of Niagara Falls, USA wants GO Train service

The Buffalo Chronicle at The Buffalo Chronicle - 15 hours ago
Robert Restaino, the incoming Mayor of Niagara Falls, NY wants access to the Greater Toronto Area’s commuter GO Train service — and he plans to discuss the possibility with Mayor Jim Diodati of Niagara Falls, ON when the two men

Thoughts for a Wednesday

LL at Virtual Mirage - 15 hours ago
*Ancient Observatories* Some Ancient Alien theorists believe that the ancient temple (constructed 12,000 years ago) was built by space aliens because construction of Göbekli Tepe (in Turkey) is such that the manpower, engineering and project management should not have been possible twelve thousand years ago. The quality of art on the stone structures is also way ahead of its time. Alien theorists say that Göbekli Tepe was built during, or before, the last ice age ended. How could hunter gatherers with food shortages at the time build Göbekli Tepe? Monte Verde, in Chile, is even olde... more »

Jeff Horn takes title from Michael Zerafa in Brisbane bloodbath

Just In - 15 hours ago
Jeff Horn outlasts Michael Zerafa in a bloody Brisbane war to take WBA and WBO regional middleweight titles via a majority decision.

'Big win for human rights': Journalist who was barred from Vanuatu allowed to return

Zena Chamas at Just In - 15 hours ago
A Supreme Court allows former Daily Post media director and journalist Dan McGarry to return to his family in Vanuatu after he was banned for China influence stories.

New Study: Canadian Arctic Was About 1-2°C Warmer During Medieval Times

Paul Homewood at NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT - 15 hours ago
By Paul Homewood Some more sterling work from Kenneth Richard over at NoTricks: https://notrickszone.com/2019/12/16/another-new-study-finds-the-canadian-arctic-was-about-1-2c-warmer-during-medieval-times/

Urgent: Americans Call Senate to Stop Amended S 386; Demand Hearings on Impacts to US Workers; Ask Your Senator To Keep Hold on S 386 to Block Unanimous Consent

miningawareness at Mining Awareness + - 15 hours ago
Americans Call Congress! Ask your Senator to keep the hold on S.386 and demand hearings on impacts to US workers.: … Continue reading →

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