Saturday, January 25, 2020

25 January - Blogs I'm Following - 3 of 5

10:09 pm MST

Dems’ Impeachment Trial ‘Performance’ Ends, Trump’s Legal Team Makes Opening Arguments

21wire at 21st Century Wire - 11 hours ago
*21WIRE* | For many, a collective sigh of relief.

West Virginia Would Welcome Virginia Counties Who Decide to Ditch the Disarmament

Joe Wolverton, II, J.D. at rss - 11 hours ago
[image: west-virginia-would-welcome-virginia-counties-who-decide-ditch-the-disarmament] A West Virginia bill invites Virginia counties fed up with the Virginia government's gun grab to officially become part of West Virginia.

EU is Largest Donor to Ukraine of Official Development Assistance; US Military Assistance is in Form of US Equipment-Training

miningawareness at Mining Awareness + - 11 hours ago
The EU is the largest donor to Ukraine of Official Development Assistance, ODA. While this is not military assistance per … Continue reading →

WATCH: Hypocrite Cop Swears Like a Sailor as He Assaults, Arrests Innocent Musician for Swearing

Jack Burns at The Free Thought Project - 11 hours ago
[image: musician]A highly decorated cop got triggered after a street musician flexed his rights so the cops proceeded to violently violate the musician's rights.

The Air Force Wants Next-Generation Hypersonic Weapons by 2040

Kris Osborn at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Kris Osborn* *Security, Americas* [image: Image: Creative Commons.] Can they pull it off? *Key point:* Washington wants hypersonic missiles ready for us in combat as soon as possible. (Washington D.C.) - The Air Force Research Laboratory is immersed in early work on a new-generation of hypersonic weapons designed to come after the currently emerging arsenal, expanding hypersonic mission options in new directions and introducing new air vehicle configurations. The Pentagon and military services have been massively fast-tracking hypersonic weapons development, given the far-reach... more »

Iran's Gigantic Army May Very Well Have A Glass Jaw

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * The IRGC is a far more effective fighting force. *Key point: *Much like China’s army in the 1980s, the Iranian Army and other ground forces are large but poorly armed. One of the most powerful and influential countries in the Middle East is undoubtedly Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran sits astride several key strategic—and often volatile—regions, including the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Caucasus. Iran is primarily a land power, and has invaded and suffered invasion from other peoples and countries over the past several tho... more »

Global Shipping Would Be The First Victim Of A U.S.-Iran War

Sidharth Kaushal at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Sidharth Kaushal* *Security, Middle East* Mines and missiles galore. *Key Point:* The Strait of Hormuz can be easily shut down. The recent mining of two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, attributed to Iran by the United States, offers an important window into the strategic thinking of Iran and similarly situated regional powers. The incident is notable because the act of mining a limited number of vessels makes relatively little sense when viewed through the lens of traditional patterns of coercive behavior. Limited coercive acts typically have little value with regards to gaini... more »

DARPA's 'Counter-Hypersonics' Could Shake Up The 21st Century's Arms Race

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, * DARPA, the Pentagon's pet research agency, wants an interceptor that can stop weapons that are hypersonic (travel faster than Mach 5). *Key Point:* Hypersonic weapons may be able to penetrate U.S. missile defenses or streak past the defenses of U.S. aircraft carriers. DARPA calls it "counter-hypersonics." The rest of us would call it a way -- or a prayer -- to stop nuclear warheads coming down on our heads at 20 times the speed of sound. DARPA, the Pentagon's pet research agency, wants an interceptor that can stop weapons that are hypersonic (travel f... more »

Olyroos set to make long-awaited return to Olympics after win over Uzbeks

Just In - 11 hours ago
The Olyroos qualifiy for the Tokyo Olympics with a 1-0 win over 10-man Uzbekistan in the third-place playoff at the AFC Under-23 championships.

"Richard Feynman on the Meaning of Life”

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"Richard Feynman on the Meaning of Life”* by Maria Popova “The world of learning is so broad, and the human soul is so limited in power! We reach forth and strain every nerve,” pioneering astronomer Maria Mitchell wrote in her diary in 1854, “but we seize only a bit of the curtain that hides the infinite from us.” The meaning of life has indeed been pondered by some of history’s greatest luminaries. For Carl Sagan, it was about our significant insignificance in the cosmos; for Annie Dillard, about inhabiting impermanence; for Anaïs Nin, about living and relating to others “as if t... more »

US to Grant $35 Million to Promote its Fake News Bubble in Syria & Control Local Media

Eva Bartlett at 12 hours ago
[image: undefined] Although Western media has a shoddy track record of lying on Syria (and Libya, Iraq...), the US State Department will pump $35 million more into future war propaganda on Syria, under the guise of promoting honest reporting. A US State Department grant, “Support for Independent Media in Syria,” is unabashed in stating one of its main goals is “to advance US Government policy objectives in Syria.” That is probably the sole honest clause in the grant description: that it is in the end about US self-serving, hegemonic objectives in Syria. The description goes on to ... more »

'No One Has Suggested My Son Did Anything Wrong': Joe Biden Doubles Down On Denial

Jonathan Turley at 12 hours ago
[image: undefined] We have previously discussed the denials of former Vice President Joe Biden that his son did anything wrong in Ukraine. As I have written, not only did Hunter Biden clearly enter into a corrupt (but arguably lawful) contract but Joe Biden did not do enough to confirm that his son was not engaging in influence peddling. Nevertheless, this week, Joe Biden continued this indefensible position and declared bizarrely that “no one has suggested my son did anything wrong.” According to the Washington Post, Joe Biden declared on the campaign trail that “There’s nobody th... more »

Most advanced Russian ‘intelligence plane’ flying towards Syria

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 12 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:45 P.M.) – Russia’s most advanced “intelligence plane” is reportedly flying over Turkey and heading towards Syria, maritime observer and photographer Yoruk Isik tweeted on Saturday. READ ALSO: Two Russian warships, large transport aircraft head to Syria amid Idlib operation According to Isik, the Russian Air Force’s Tu-214R aircraft flew from Moscow’s Chkalovsky […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Skirmishes reported between Russian and US troops in northeastern Syria: Al-Mayadeen

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 12 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:10 P.M.) – The Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported on Saturday that skirmishes took place between the Russian and U.S. forces in northeastern Syria. سوريا: مراسلة الميادين: مناوشات بين قوات روسية وأميركية في محيط تل تمر في ريف الحسكة — الميادين عاجل (@AlMayadeenLive) January 25, 2020 According to Al-Mayadeen TV, the skirmishes took place […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Christian aid workers disappear in Iraqi capital

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 12 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:40 P.M.) – Four Christian aid workers reportedly disappeared while driving to a meeting inside the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Wednesday, the organization SOS Chretiens d’Orient announced on Friday. “Monday, January 20, four of our collaborators disappeared in Baghdad. They had to drive to a meeting in the late afternoon. After several unsuccessful contact […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Iran jails person who shot down Ukrainian aircraft

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 12 hours ago
The Iranian man who shot down the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 passenger plane near Tehran’s airport is in prison, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine. READ ALSO: Iran makes arrests over accidental downing of Ukrainian airliner “This was a complicated situation in a complicated time. Others needed much more […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Syrian Army advances within 3km of strategic city in Idlib: video

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 12 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:45 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) scored a big advance in southeastern Idlib on Friday after launching a new attack near the key city of Ma’arat Al-Nu’man. READ ALSO: Syrian Army reinforcements pour into Idlib after jihadist attacks: video According to the official Facebook page of the 25th Special Mission Forces […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Anti-Deep State Countries Hit by Calamities, Coincidence?

Geopolitics101 at Covert Geopolitics - 12 hours ago
A peculiar pattern is developing over the past two weeks. As we should know by now, various countries are being hit by calamitous events, almost simultaneously. China Coronavirus Outbreak Yesterday, China has locked down the entire Wuhan City in an attempt of containing the further spread of a novel strain of the coronavirus, which already … Continue reading Anti-Deep State Countries Hit by Calamities, Coincidence? →

Unlike Ordinary Voters, Steny Hoyer Doesn't Think The House Democrats Are Corrupt Enough

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
Voters hate both parties-- the Democrats a few points less than the Republicans. But apparently, the Democrats would like to catch up with the Republicans in the low esteem department-- and before the election. This week, *The Economist* released a new poll by YouGov that asked respondents what they think of both political parties. Among registered voters 46% have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party and 52% have an unfavorable opinion. The same voters said they have a 44% favorable opinion of the Republican Party and a 54% unfavorable opinion. Not that much different. Sad!... more »

"We Always May Be..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
“No star is ever lost we once have seen, We always may be what we might have been.” - Adelaide Anne Procter

"Scientists In Britain May Have Just 'Accidentally' Found A Cure For Cancer"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*"Scientists In Britain May Have Just* * 'Accidentally' Found A Cure For Cancer"* by Tyler Durden "Every once in a while, medical researchers simply have a stroke of good luck. In this case, that "stroke of good luck" could have a profound effect on the medial community. Researchers at Cardiff University that were in the midst of analyzing blood from a bank accidentally stumbled into an "entirely new type of T-cell", according to The Daily Wire. The new cell carries a "never before seen" type of receptor that acts like a grappling hook, latching on to most human cancers. Prior the... more »

Commander's approval soars, Post says!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2020Our own top concern goes missing:* Fearlessly, we decided to take The Top Policy Issue Challenge. It was a bit of a throwaway by our favorite blogger. In fairness, the project was capsuled as shown: DRUM (1/24/20): Here’s a little weekend survey for you. *I’m just curious about which things are most important to you in this election cycle.* It’s limited to policy issues, so it doesn’t include things like “beat Trump” or “elect a woman.” The choices are presented in random order. You may select up to five. Drum listed 27 policy issues from which survey-t... more »

2020 Pacific Ice Rebounds

Ron Clutz at Science Matters - 12 hours ago
A previous post reprinted below pointed out how Pacific ice recovers in fits and starts, often see sawing between Bering and Okotsk Seas. Now both of them are growing faster than the 13 year average (2007 to 2019 inclusive). The image above shows how much colder is Alaska this year versus 2019, probably resulting in […]

The Report: Impeachment, Day Four

mTaylor at Lawfare - 12 hours ago
On the fourth day of the impeachment trial of President Trump, the House Managers wrapped up their case against the president. First, they concluded their arguments on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, and then turned to their case for the second article: obstruction of Congress. In this episode, you’ll hear the House managers lay out the history and law of impeachment related to obstruction of Congress. You’ll then hear them apply that law to the facts of the House’s case. Finally, House Manager Adam Schiff (D.-Calif.) summarized the law and facts of the House’s e... more »

Livestream: Senate Impeachment Trial Day 5

jschulz at Lawfare - 12 hours ago
On Jan 25. at 10 a.m., the Senate will reconvene for the fifth day of the impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump. The Senate will hear from President Trump's defense team, which includes, among others, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, Alan Dershowitz, and Kenneth Starr. Livestream coverage of the trial is available here and below. Topics: - Documents, - Impeachment [image: Jacob Schulz] Jacob Schulz is an associate editor at Lawfare and a research assistant at the Brookings Institution. He earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Amherst College in Law, J... more »

Great news!: UK Makes “Best Employers for Diversity” Top 100 national list

Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig at Cloaking Inequity - 12 hours ago
Just read this news! Wonderful recognition— but we have much more work to do! Here’s the official announcement, LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 24, 2020) — The University of Kentucky was recently recognized for diversity and inclusion on the Forbes list of “Best Employers for Diversity” in 2020. The annual ranking recognizes companies across two dozen industries nationally that demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusive workplace

Musical Interlude: Leonard Cohen, "Everybody Knows"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
Leonard Cohen, "Everybody Knows"

"56 Million Chinese On Lockdown As Virus Spreads To Australia, Malaysia"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*"56 Million Chinese On Lockdown As Virus* * Spreads To Australia, Malaysia"* by Tyler Durden "Everybody knows that the plague is coming, Everybody knows it's moving fast..." Leonard Cohen, "Everybody Knows" *1/25/20:* *"China’s New Coronavirus: An Examination of the Facts"**;* Lengthy, highly recommended. *1/25/20: Eric Toner, M.D. "Probably, the cat’s already out of the bag."* *Sat, 01/25/2020 - 10:31 EST:* "As we move into Saturday evening on the ground in Wuhan, it's becoming increasingly obvious to the broader global community that China's authoritarian government has failed to... more »

“I Will Never Pass on an Opportunity to March for Life” – Multi-Millionaire High School Teen Nick Sandmann Returns to March for Life

co2islife at CO2 is Life - 13 hours ago
I will never pass on an opportunity to March for Life! pic.twitter.com/iU0ohmdcTJ — Nicholas Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) January 24, 2020 Funny, he wasn’t harassed this year. Please Like, Share, Subscribe, Re-Blog and Comment

Mix-up?

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 13 hours ago
I couldn't make sense of this at all, but I think I might have solved it. I think Kirkup has confused Jon Caldara with our own John Sweeney. They do look a bit alike. But not very. Talking of which, there's a weird thing going on at Facebook. Following that free speech award, apparently, if a Danish MP mentions Tommy Robinson on Facebook it's OK, but if anyone else does, their FB account is zapped.

Week in Review: US House members reach out to Senate on marijuana banking, Cresco gets $200M in debt financing, Denver MJ store burglaries & more

Laura Hamilton at Marijuana Business Daily - 13 hours ago
Sponsors of the cannabis banking bill that passed the U.S. House appeal to the chair of a key U.S. Senate panel, lenders provide Cresco Labs $200 million in debt financing, police urge Denver marijuana store owners to take added security measures – and more of the week’s top MJ business news. Marijuana banking reform The four […] Week in Review: US House members reach out to Senate on marijuana banking, Cresco gets $200M in debt financing, Denver MJ store burglaries & more is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Apparent Shakedown: Trump Illegally withheld “$400 Million in Aid to Ukraine Days Before the July Call” to Ukraine’s President; US Congress has “Power of the Purse” Control of Appropriations

miningawareness at Mining Awareness + - 13 hours ago
Originally posted on Mining Awareness + : Trump used that Europe wasn’t giving aid to Ukraine as an excuse to withhold aid! This…

Trump Memo of July 25 2019 Conversation with Ukraine’s President “Is Not a Verbatim Transcript” but “Records the Notes and Recollections” of Officers-Staff

miningawareness at Mining Awareness + - 13 hours ago
Originally posted on Mining Awareness + : Read the CAUTION note at the bottom of page one of the alleged Trump Zelenskyy phone…

Russia's Newest Aircraft Carrier Could Make Naval History

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, Europe* The first catamaran carrier. *Key point:* Catamarans suffer from stability problems. Russia says it is building the world's first catamaran aircraft carrier. Russia's light aircraft carrier will feature a semi-catamaran hull, a representative of the Krylov Scientific Center told Russian news agency TASS (see the translation and a model of the design here). "The project is distinguished by the underwater part of a semi-catamaran form," he said. "Catamaran actually means two hulls united by a platform. It has a wide deck which is important for an ... more »

Verizon Fios vs. Comcast’s Xfinity: Battle of the Gigabit Internet Providers (Who to Pick)

Harry J. Kazianis at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Harry J. Kazianis* *Technology, * I picked Xfinity, but would much rather have Fios. Here's why. You can have the most amazing TV, home theater system or killer gaming PC but you need the right internet provider--or it all falls apart. You need speed, stability, reliability and good customer service that will back you up when there is an issue or can at least tell you if there is an outage. You can have the best equipment on the planet, but none of it matters unless it can get on the net and stay there. And that’s why picking a good internet provider matters. In fact, it might ... more »

The Indian Air Force Hopes to Dodge Sanctions as Its Springs for Russian Missiles and MiG and Sukhoi Jet Fighters

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Asia* Some history you may not have know about until now. As we enter the 2020s, the Indian Air Force will continue to shrink in size to twenty-six out of a required forty-two squadrons due to retirements of aging Cold War Russian MiG-21 and MiG-27 jets. While the IAF is mulling purchases of additional advanced Western jet fighter like the Dassault Rafale, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, the Lockheed F-21 or Boeing Super Hornet, it’s meanwhile turning to its long-running relationship with Moscow to patch up the growing gap in its air defenses—even if that mean... more »

Is Another Black Death On The Way?

Eric MARGOLIS at OrientalReview.org - 13 hours ago
Plagues from the east are nothing new. The Black Death and other epidemics arrived in Europe from China during the 1300’s, killing a large percentage of its population. Much of this pestilence came from rats that stowed away on merchant ships coming from the east. At the end of World […]

Saudi Prince MbS revenge HACKS Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ iPhone (Video)

Alex Christoforou at The Duran - 13 hours ago
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 443. More The post Saudi Prince MbS revenge HACKS Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ iPhone (Video) appeared first on The Duran.

‘Bye, bye dollar’: endless sanctions and Huawei CFO’s arrest show why countries seek to abandon US currency

InfoBrics at The Duran - 13 hours ago
US may soon pay the price for its aggressive sanctions policy More The post ‘Bye, bye dollar’: endless sanctions and Huawei CFO’s arrest show why countries seek to abandon US currency appeared first on The Duran.

The Deep State In Action

TheDarkMan at The Duran - 13 hours ago
A previous article discussed in general terms the concept of the Deep State and why it is so determined to be rid of Donald Trump. This article takes a look at the Deep State in action discussing documented examples of its mendacity from three other Western nations: France, Canada, and the UK. There is nothing […] More The post The Deep State In Action appeared first on The Duran.

Is D’Andre Lane Innocent?

TheDarkMan at The Duran - 13 hours ago
In October 1994, Susan Smith told police in Union, South Carolina she had been carjacked by a man who drove off with her two young sons on the back seat. Nine days later, she led them to the lake into which she had driven the vehicle, drowning both boys. This horrific tale has been thoroughly […] More The post Is D’Andre Lane Innocent? appeared first on The Duran.

Adam Schiff is allergic to the truth: Impeachment edtion

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 13 hours ago
While the #FakeNews media, which couldn't be bothered to investigate if Democrat Ilhan Omar married her brother as part of an immigration scam, are extolling the wonders of Adam Schiff's wall to wall lying we should look at a few of the lies that Schiff told. 1) Schiff keeps telling us, even after Mueller, that the Steele dossier is truth. Even though we now know thanks to the IG report that the Hillary paid for lies from Russia wasn't trusted by the FBI once they interviewed the primary sub source who basically said it was all made up. Even worse the FISA court has stated that at ... more »

Weekend reads: Texas A&M vs. Harvard; scientific publishers a “threatened species”; six researchers with “greed and a disregard” for rules

Ivan Oransky at Retraction Watch - 13 hours ago
Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured: A researcher starting 2020 off with a forthright retraction; A … Continue reading Weekend reads: Texas A&M vs. Harvard; scientific publishers a “threatened species”; six researchers with “greed and a disregard” for rules

Editor's Note

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 13 hours ago
Blogging will return later today.

WATCH: Cops Follow Unarmed Man into Bathroom for Jaywalking and Kill Him—Taxpayers Held Liable

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 13 hours ago
[image: jaywalking]For jaywalking, a man was followed into the bathroom by police and killed. After the cops got off Scot free, the taxpayers are now shelling out $4.5 million.

A Job Not Worth Having

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
It was interesting to see which people said no to the Conservative Party this week. Rona Ambrose, Pierre Polievre and Jean Charest all said, "No, thank you." Susan Delacourt writes: Just as Harry and Meghan’s story shed some light on the downside of the monarchy, the non-leadership choices of Rona Ambrose, Jean Charest and Pierre Poilievre might also force us to take a look at how political leadership in Canada is not exactly a prized occupation at the dawn of the 2020s. It’s maybe too early to give this year a theme, but the first month seems to have been dominated by stories of... more »

Nish Kumar does a Jo Brand

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 14 hours ago
As it says on his name-tag (lest he forgets) Just for prosterity, here's a comment from Monkey Brains that needs a post to itself: Incidentally, meant to mention I heard the *News Quiz *being used to promote violence against opponents of the Left. Nish Kumar said "...that HS2 would be shovel-ready...just like Laurence Fox's face." So next time Kumar comes out with his hypocritical "hope not hate" schtick. Here's that 'joke' in context, should anyone wish to complain to the BBC about it: Yes, this is a leaked report which suggests that HS2 could end up costing the government £106 ... more »

The "Parnas" tape: Much ado about nothing

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 14 hours ago
According to ABC there's a tape, illegally recorded in all likelihood, of Trump being told that Ambassador Yovanovitch had been bad mouthing him and he responding by saying she should be fired. First thing of course is that all Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the President so they can be fired for any reason. In fact when a new president comes in most Ambassadors are fired so the President can make folks who helped get him elected Ambassadors. Second the tape was made in April 2018 but Yovanovitch wasn't fired until May 2019 so it's clear that Trump didn't just suddenly fire he... more »

Miscellaneous: moving on

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 14 hours ago
Orla Geurin’s gratuitously appended remark about the Palestinians follows the same pattern as Tim Wilcox’s notorious and equally inappropriate gaffe of an attack-line during a live interview with an “Israeli-born Jewish woman” after the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Remember? “Many critics though of Israel’s policy would suggest that the Palestinians suffer hugely at Jewish hands as well.” Interestingly, the BBC defended Willcox just as they are defending Orla Geurin. Nevertheless, Willcox apologised (for any offence caused) “on Twitter”. I don’t know if Orla will be apologising, but I... more »

Greta never went on strike

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 14 hours ago
...she is served by apparent gangsters funded in an opaque way... Willie Soon sent me this 28-minute long Rebel News video that was posted yesterday: The journalist, Mr Keean Bexte, has shown quite some courage and professional attitude when he tried to find the answers to some elementary questions about the first events that led to her fame (or infamy), about the funding for assorted activities that surround her, and other things. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); So we were shown nontrivial research about Mr Ingmar Rentzhog, a green billionaire, who supposedly ran... more »

Trump Has Recklessly Dragged the Persian Gulf to the Brink of War

Seyed Hossein Mousavian at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Seyed Hossein Mousavian* *Security, Middle East* The 12 consequences of Suleimani’s assassination Millions of Iraqi citizens recently gathered together to participate in a "million-strong” march, the biggest demonstration during the history of Iraq in the capital Baghdad to demand the withdrawal of all U.S. forces. Al-Sadr, whose party holds the most number of seats in Parliament, seized on the public anger over the drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Soleiman to call “a million-strong, peaceful, unified demonstration to condemn the American presence and its violations.” R... more »

Here's What the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Teaches Us About Trump's Impeachment Trial

Jarrett Stepman at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Jarrett Stepman* *Politics, Americas* [image: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2020%3Anewsml_RC2WLE93YO03&share=true] Lessons to be learned? *Key point:* Andrew Johnson was the first president impeached, but he wasn't removed from office. Could the same fate await Trump? Impeachment talk has been ongoing since President Donald Trump first stepped into office. Democrats in Congress, moving on from the Russia collusion allegations, have now launched an attempt to bring up impeachment over a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zel... more »

Küstrin: The Last Stand of the Nazi Fortress Guarding Berlin From Stalin

Pat McTaggart, Warfare History Network at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Pat McTaggart, Warfare History Network* *History, Europe* [image: Training area of the Stülpnagel barracks Küstrin, Training of recruits (1944)] It was the end of the line for the Hitler regime. “We felt that we were already dead men,” wrote former Captain Albrecht Wüstenhagen in a May 1988 letter to the author of his time in the fortress garrison of Küstrin. In 1945, Wüstenhagen found himself in command of an infantry gun company, part of the garrison, estimated at between 9,000 and 16,000 men and boys, in the small town on the eastern bank of the Oder River, some 70 kilometer... more »

Cracking Down On 'Birth Tourism' Will Not Make America Safer

David Bier at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*David Bier* *Security, Americas* The State Department is restricting the activities of noncitizens seeking to visit the United States. The U.S. Department of State announced a new rule for tourist visa applicants today: prove you’re not going to give birth in America. The rule will not protect national security, will create more fraud and crime, and will cost America people who will contribute productively to this nation. The tourist visa statute allows noncitizens to visit the United States for “pleasure,” which State has always interpreted to mean “legitimate activities of a ... more »

The Air Force Has Given the F-22 a New Weapon (And a New Way to Wage War Too)

Warrior Maven at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Warrior Maven* *Security, Americas* [image: Image: Flickr.] We've got the details. *Key point:* In order to keep the F-22 relevant and deadly, the Air Force is changing up how it fights. (Washington, D.C.) The Air Force and Lockheed Martin are now arming the F-22 stealth fighter with more long-range precision attack technology, a wider targeting envelope or “field of regard” and new networking technology enabling improved, real-time “collaborative targeting” between aircraft. The new weapons not only increase F-22 lethality, but are already shaping future Air Force combat tacti... more »

Will China Invade Taiwan Before the Communist Party Approaches its 100th Anniversary?

Kent Wang at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Kent Wang* *Security, Asia* Could it happen? On September 1, 1939, the German army launched an invasion of Poland that triggered the start of World War II. The battle for Poland only lasted about a month before a Nazi victory. But the invasion plunged the world into a war that would continue for almost six years and claim the lives of tens of millions of people. Today, eighty years later, will China invade Taiwan? Could China really invade Taiwan? No one can know with any certainty how such a war would start, how it would play out, and what would follow it. But it is clear tha... more »

China is Expanding into the Indian Ocean—Here Are Five Things the Indian Navy Can Do About It

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Asia* Two emerging superpowers square off. Who wins? For decades, the Indian Navy has been the dominant regional power in the Indian Ocean, and has even boasted a carrier aviation capability that was nearly unique in Asia. But as outlined in a report by the Center for New American Security (CNAS), the growth of Chinese military power in the last two decades has dramatically eclipsed India’s own attempts to modernize and expand its forces—particularly in the maritime domain. This is problematic due to New Delhi’s tense relations with Beijing since a ... more »

How Demographics Could Spark Change in Iran

Ilan Berman at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Ilan Berman* *Security, * For years, Iran’s ruling ayatollahs have grappled with a profoundly vexing problem: how best to maintain the loyalty of the country’s growing (and increasingly unruly) population. The question isn’t strictly a political one. It is also made significantly more complicated by the age of the Islamic Republic’s population, which cuts against the regime in key ways. For years, Iran’s ruling ayatollahs have grappled with a profoundly vexing problem: how best to maintain the loyalty of the country’s growing (and increasingly unruly) population. The question i... more »

Could This Russian Stealth Fighter Shoot Down an F-35?

Mark Episkopos at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Mark Episkopos* *Security, * Stealth vs. Stealth. Who would win? As Russia's Su-57 stealth fighter moves into serial production in much larger quantities than previously expected, the U.S. expert defense community will be prompted to revisit the consensus view that Russia’s flagship fifth-generation fighter will not be produced in sufficient quantities, and is too far away, to pose a salient threat to. The full strategic implications of the Su-57 have yet to be unveiled, with earlier reports suggesting that the fighter will be compatible with a variant of the nuclear-capable, ... more »

Is Phonics Effective?

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 14 hours ago
Latest meta-analysis available here. Abstract below: There is a widespread consensus in the research community that reading instruction in English should first focus on teaching letter (grapheme) to sound (phoneme) correspondences rather than adopt meaning-based reading approaches such as whole language instruction. That is, initial reading instruction should emphasize systematic phonics. In this systematic review, I show that this conclusion is not justified based on (a) an exhaustive review of 12 meta-analyses that have assessed the efficacy of systematic phonics and (b) summariz... more »

Elizabeth Warren wants to by the votes of irresponsible people with your money

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 14 hours ago
A hard working dad who saved the money to pay for his daughters college asked Elizabeth Warren, who's proposing free college, if he'd get his money back. She unhesitatingly says "Of course not". Which is a really significant admission. Essentially if you're irresponsible and don't save for college you'll get a big fat check from the government paid for by the responsible hard working people of America. Not to mention that with only 40% of Americans going to college hard working plumbers, carpenters, small business owners, and union members will be forced to pay for upper middle cl... more »

Adam Schiff lies about impeachment

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 14 hours ago
Of course Democrat has been lying about impeachment since it started when he told us that he had nothing to do with the "whistleblower". We now have good reason to believe that Schiff and his staff were coordinating with the "whistleblower" from the beginning. His latest lie was in his closing remarks when he said: "CBS News reported last night that a Trump confidant said that key senators were warned, ‘Vote against the president and your head will be on a pike.’ I don’t know if that’s true," Senate Republicans, even the most liberal ones, were outraged because that simply wasn't ... more »

'Grave situation': Xi warns spread of coronavirus is accelerating

Just In - 14 hours ago
The virus-hit city of Wuhan has banned most vehicle use downtown as China's President Xi Jinping warns of the threat by the illness, which has infected more than 1,300 people and killed 41.

Nick Kyrgios to face Rafael Nadal after winning Australian Open five-set classic

Luke Pentony at Just In - 14 hours ago
The Australian thought he was going to lose to Karen Khachanov, but after more than four hours on court he won a gripping encounter and now he is through to a blockbuster clash with the world number one.

'Our houses collapsed': 22 dead as Turkey struck by magnitude 6.8 earthquake

Just In - 14 hours ago
More than a thousand lie injured in hospital and dozens more are trapped in rubble after a massive earthquake struck Turkey's eastern Elazig province, killing at least 22 people.

Felicity Urquhart dedicates Golden Guitars to children, praises late husband

Caitlin Furlong And Patrick Bell at Just In - 14 hours ago
After losing her husband in 2019, country music singer Felicity Urquhart has taken out six awards at the 2020 Golden Guitars in Tamworth.

Split Hearings: The Assange Extradition Case Drags On

barovsky at The New Dark Age - 14 hours ago
It is being increasingly larded with heavy twists and turns, a form of state oppression in slow motion, but the Julian Assange extradition case now looks like it may well move into the middle of the year, dragged out, ironically enough, by the prosecution. Curiously, this is a point that both the prosecutors, fronted by the US imperium, and the WikiLeaks defence team, seem to have found some inadvertent agreement with. This is the biggest case of its kind, and will determine, for an era, how journalism and the publication of nationally classified information is treated. Neither wi... more »

Come To See - A Quotation by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 15 hours ago
*Come to see that today is but a projection of yesterday and tomorrow will be that from which you dreamed of today. So, change the nature of your dreams and change the nature of your future living.* *© **M.N. Hopkins* *To read more of my poems & quotations, please click on the link below:* *Poems & Quotations by M.N. Hopkins* *or visit:* *Pinterest*

"Fukushima Update 1/25/20: 20,956.05 Hiroshima Bombs Today, More Tomorrow"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”* - Shiva ◆ *Updated 1/25/20: Fukushima Equals 20,956.05 Hiroshima Bombs Today, More Tomorrow; There is No Place On Earth to Escape the Rad: *The 3 melted-through cores of the destroyed reactors, now melted together into a single "corium" totaling over *600 tons*, at Fukushima *daily* release the radioactive equivalent of 6.45 Hiroshima bombs directly into the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean. As of 1/25/20 - 3,249 days since the disaster began - this equals the detonation of *20,956.05 *Hiroshima atomic bombs and it is still going s... more »

"Don't Be Too Sure"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*"Don't Be Too Sure"* by Charles Hugh Smith "If there is anything that characterizes this moment in history, it's complacency: everyone's so sure that current trend lines will continue, onward and upward, and risk has been tamed for the foreseeable future. Don't be too sure. *1.* Don't be too sure that the coronavirus will blow over and have no effect on global growth. *2.* Don't be too sure that "the Fed has our back" so stocks will always resume their steady climb after every spot of bother. *3.* Don't be too sure that the official Chinese pronouncements that the coronavirus is c... more »

Conservatives Versus Liberals

Unknown at The Verma Report - 15 hours ago
The energy of a conservative is directed inwards—his mindset is traditional, practical, isolationist, and nationalist. The energy of a liberal is directed outwards—his mindset is alienated, utopian, expansionist, and globalist. When the major nations of the world are being ruled by conservative governments, there is less likelihood of a great war breaking out because the conservatives prefer to focus on their own nation. But when the major nations are under liberal control, a great war becomes possible because the liberals focus on minding the business of other nations.

Liberals : “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”….

Terry at 'Nox & Friends - 15 hours ago
.…But America Has Got What It Needs ! ~Terry

LIVE: President Donald Trump Defense Team Presents Case Impeachment Trial

Hardnox at 'Nox & Friends - 15 hours ago
The Schiff Show is finally over. Now President Trump’s lawyers will begin extracting their pound of flesh beginning at 10 AM (Eastern time). Lefties will now begin screaming “not fair”. ~ Hardnox

Guiliani: “Shocking Crimes” will be Revealed

Hardnox at 'Nox & Friends - 15 hours ago
Rudy Guiliani is president Trump’s personal lawyer who has ferreted out a ton of corruption by the Democrats. You need to watch this. The shit is about to hit the fan. Lefty heads are about to explode. ~ Hardnox

Day Five – Senate Impeachment Trial, Defense Begins – 10:00am Livestream…

sundance at The Last Refuge - 15 hours ago
There will be 24 hours of presentation by House Impeachment Managers (over 3 days); 24 hours of presentation by Defense team (over 3 days); 16 hours of Senate questioning; 4 hours of closing arguments, equally divided; and then a Senate … Continue reading →

Intervention in Libya as another Erdogan’s reckless attempt to revive Neo-Ottoman Empire

InfoBrics at The Duran - 15 hours ago
EU Has Proven Weak Against Turkish Imperial Ambitions More The post Intervention in Libya as another Erdogan’s reckless attempt to revive Neo-Ottoman Empire appeared first on The Duran.

“Being A Human in This World, A Personal Credo”

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*“Being A Human in This World, A Personal Credo” * by John Robbins “I am someone who works and prays for world peace. Perhaps you are, too. But our society is spending a billion dollars a day preparing for war. I believe that inner peace is found when you love the world as it is, rather than faulting it for not living up to your expectations. I believe in forgiveness. I believe in accepting others for who they are. But I am part of a society that is spending far more on weapons of mass destruction and producing far more toxic waste than any other in the history of the world. I b... more »

On Fergal Keane

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 15 hours ago
Fergal Keane Talking of Orla Guerin (salary £160,000 to £164,999), her name often used to get linked with Fergal Keane (salary £195,000 to £199,999) as one of the (then) new breed of emotive and emoting BBC journalists who emerged at the BBC in the 1990s. Both were seen as an acquired taste. Fergal has considerably grown on me as the years have gone by - unlike Orla. Sadly, he's now had to step down as the BBC's Africa Editor due to those very emotions. Decades of covering wars and genocides have left him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Hope he recovers soon.

On Orla Guerin

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 15 hours ago
An unusually cheerful-looking Orla Guerin It isn't every day that a senior BBC reporter is condemned for being “unjustifiably offensive” by a former BBC Chairman (Michael Grade) and a former BBC Director of Television (Danny Cohen). Nor is it every day that the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Campaign Against Antisemitism both come out against the same BBC reporter - the former calling her “crass”, the latter “sick”. But lugubrious BBC international correspondent Orla Guerin managed to pull off both feats this week, after that *News at Ten *report which seemed to link t... more »

Things in life leave a mark

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 15 hours ago
Contemporaneous image I offer you a hand-made (not fully proof-read) transcript of the Today Programme featuring Jeremy Bowen’s take on President Trump’s upcoming Middle East peace deal. (1:47) I realise long transcriptions make pretty dry reading, and in case you can’t face ploughing through it, suffice it to say that Jeremy Bowen and Sarah Smith are not entirely on board with the deal, nor seemingly very optimistic about its prospects. It seems the Palestinians are going to be trounced, done over and thrown under a bus and their long-held desire for a state is about to be consig... more »

"We All Know..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
“We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars... everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always losing hold of it. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being." - Thornton Wilder ◆ “I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. I believe th... more »

Free Download: Olaf Stapledon, "Star Maker"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*"The Sharp Tang And Savor Of Existence..."* "The thought of the disaster which almost certainly lay in wait for the Other Men threw me into a horror of doubt about the universe in which such a thing could happen. That a whole world of intelligent beings could be destroyed was not an unfamiliar idea to me; but there is a great difference between an abstract possibility and a concrete and inescapable danger. On my native planet, whenever I had been dismayed by the suffering and the futility of individuals, I had taken comfort in the thought that at least the massed effect of all our... more »

Small epidemiological associations do not imply a significant risk

drinkingwateradvisor at The Drinking Water Advisor - 15 hours ago
“When effects are this small, it is extremely possible that the effects are not real, but are artifacts of the statistical methods used in the original analysis. If these findings had had Relative Risks or Risk Ratios of 4.0 or … Continue reading →

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