11:25 pm MDT
The Failure of Peer Review
*Brendan D. Murphy* - The notion of peer review occupies special territory in the world of science. The post The Failure of Peer Review appeared first on Waking Times.
The U.S. Navy Wants A New Warship To Crush All Future Threats
*Kris Osborn, National Interest:* *The U.S. Navy Wants a New Warship to Crush the Threats of the Future* The US Navy seeks a new combat-capable Frigate able to destroy swarming small boat attacks, support carrier strike groups, conduct disaggregated operations, attack enemies with an over-the-horizon missile and engage in advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare, according to a recently completed service requirements review. Findings from a Navy Requirements Evaluation Team, delineated in a recently released Request for Information (RFI) to industry, offer a unique and unprece... more »
CO2 Intensity of Electric Cars
From Euan Mearns’s Energy Matters site: http://euanmearns.com/co2-intensity-of-electric-cars/ CO2 Intensity of Electric Cars Posted on July 17, 2017 by Euan Mearns Electric cars (or EVs) are more expensive than internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents and return little tax revenue on their fuel use in the UK. In the UK electric cars are subsidised to the tune […]
Mexican American or Mexican Mexicano?
During a time of changing identities, I remember a student of mine at the University of Arizona once defined himself as a Mexican Mexicano, this in contrast to Mexican American, as was the case for many of his classmates. I understood that identity. For the rest of the column, go to: http://diverseeducation.com/article/99152/ http://diverseeducation.com/article/99152/
Lukin's 51-qubit Russian-American analog quantum computer
My former ex-colleague Mikhail Lukin has been doing some cool things in atomic physics and the most recent one is a 51-qubit quantum computer of a sort. Read the story Russian, US Scientists Team Up to Create World's Most Advanced Quantum Computer at the semi-official Russian Sputnik News server (or an original story in Russian or Google News). You may see the different attitudes of the media in the two countries. While the U.S. media are obsessed with witch hunts against a son of Donald Trump who may have touched the hand of a Russian woman in the recent year, Russian media are ce... more »
Picture Of The Day
*Osprey Landing* A sailor uses hand signals as a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft prepares to conduct a vertical landing aboard the USNS Lewis B. Puller in the Atlantic Ocean, July 5, 2017. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Austin A. Lewis *WNU Editor:* The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... *Sailors, Marines Conduct Vertical Flight Deck Operations* (Department of Defense).
Finkel Fails
*Viv Forbes and Helpers* The Carbon Sense Newsletter, July 2017. *To view or print the whole newsletter plus images click: * *http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/finkel-fails.pdf* Dr Finkel, grandly titled as “Australia’s Chief Scientist”, was paid by tax payers to produce: *“A Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market”.* *This report has been studied and is rated “FAIL”.* * It Fails in Science It Fails Electricity Consumers It Fails Australia* *But Green Energy Promotors are Delighted.* *To view or print the whole newsle... more »
US Navy Showcase Their New Laser Weapon In Action
*CNN: **Exclusive: CNN witnesses US Navy's drone-killing laser* (CNN)In the sometimes hostile waters of the Persian Gulf looms the US Navy's first -- in fact, the world's first -- active laser weapon. The LaWS, an acronym for Laser Weapons System, is not science fiction. It is not experimental. It is deployed on board the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship, ready to be fired at targets today and every day by Capt. Christopher Wells and his crew. CNN was granted exclusive access to a live-fire test of the laser. *Read more* .... *Update #1:* US Navy Tests Laser Weapons System in ... more »
‘Just in Case,’ Is That Our New Anthem These Days?
In 2017, Black men in America walk a dangerous walk. The relationship between Black men and the police is problematic, at best.
Black Former Professor Files Pay Bias Complaint Against Campbell University
A Black former law professor whose discrimination battle against Campbell University boiled over into Christian radio and social media on July 7, has filed a new federal complaint against the Raleigh, N.C. law school.
Diversity Pacesetter Maryam Mirzakhani Dies
Stanford professor Maryam Mirzakhani, first and only female winner of prestigious Fields Medal in math, succumbs to cancer.
Mexican American or Mexican Mexicano?
I remember a student of mine at the University of Arizona once defined himself as a Mexican Mexicano, this in contrast to Mexican American, as was the case for many of his classmates. I understood that identity.
Experts: So Far, DeVos’ Steps Headed Backward
As the administration of President Donald J. Trump reaches the six-month mark, some critical observers say some troubling higher ed scenarios have all become closer to reality under the leadership of Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos.
Shaw University Names Dillard Interim President
Shaw University vice-president for academic affairs, Dr. Paulette Dillard, was announced Monday as the interim president of the historically Black institution. Shaw is conducting a search for its next president following the resignation of Dr. Tashni -Ann Dubroy earlier this month to become an executive vice president and chief operating officer at Howard University. The […]
Will Trump Resign By Wednesday Evening? Or Will It Take Longer?
36% is pretty bad-- the worst approval rating any president has had in 70 years-- and Trump's approval ratings just keep getting worse and worse. Is their a floor? At around the 33% mark, cowardly Democrats-- like Pelosi and Hoyer-- and panic-stricken Republicans will start talking about impeachment. And once the first number is a "2" for a month or so, only hard-core neo-fascists and actual Confederates in Congress will still stick with Trump. But Philip Bobbitt, LBJ's nephew and a distinguished constitutional law professor at Columbia University, says it's not likely to come to ... more »
Breaking: CBS: 777,000 tons of Fukushima radioactive is getting dumped in the Pacific ocean, but now company backpedaling
Update:Japan Times (linked at bottom) update now reports that the Construction Minister of Japan said TEPCO would ruin the fish industry (um, what about the planet!?) so now TEPCO is backpedaling. Do you think it’s because they care about destroying our planet? Or bad PR? You can see above as an employee walks past storage
Engaging Colombia's students may be key to long-term peace
Nadia Rubaii, Co-Director, Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, and Associate Professor of Public Administration, Binghamton University, State University of New York at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 2 hours ago
A FARC member waves a white peace flag to commemorate the completion of their disarmament. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara The end of violence does not always constitute peace. In June, Colombian officials announced that members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia had officially disarmed and become civilians after turning over the last of their weapons. This comes after the militant group signed a peace accord with the government in 2016. Steps are being taken to promote truth, justice and reparations, and to remember victims of a conflict that saw the deaths of 220,000 Colomb... more »
How to make NASA great again
NASA once again can soar to the heights that once put the world in awe.
'Dunkirk' Is Being Hailed As A Masterpiece
*Variety:* *Film Review: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’* Christopher Nolan recreates the World War II evacuation from land, sea and air, interweaving events in a bravura virtual-eyewitness account. Steven Spielberg laid claim to the Normandy beach landing, Clint Eastwood owns Iwo Jima, and now, Christopher Nolan has authored the definitive cinematic version of Dunkirk. Unlike those other battles, however, this last was not a conventional victory, but more of a salvaged retreat, as the German offensive forced a massive evacuation of English troops early in World War II. And unlike t... more »
Full map of battle for central Syria
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:25 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is rapidly advancing in the Al-Raqqa and Homs governorates, capturing large areas once occupied by the so-called Islamic State (ISIL) in central Syria. While the battle has been far from easy, the Syrian Arab Army has managed to achieve several breakthroughs, which include the liberation […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Russian diplomat fires back at Israel’s disapproval of Syrian ceasefire
The ceasefire agreement in southern Syria reached by Moscow and Washington will not be revoked because Israeli fears, a senior Russian parliamentarian wrote on his Facebook page on Monday. Israel categorically opposes the ceasefire agreement reached by the US and Russia as it will give an opportunity for Iran to expand its presence in the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Syrian Army intercepts jihadist weapons en route to Raqqa: video
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:55 A.M.) – Syrian government forces stated they captured an armaments cache that was allegedly being smuggled by militants en route to western Raqqa from Idlib province, Sunday. Footage shows the highway towards Aleppo which reportedly acts as the main artery to the country’s eastern districts. The establishment of control over at least […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
X22 Report, “The Credit Cycle Has Shifted, The Last Time We Saw This You Know What Happened”
X22 Report, “The Credit Cycle Has Shifted, The Last Time We Saw This You Know What Happened” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0tC9wMkhlU *Related followup report:* X22 Report, “Russia Is Using A Unique Strategy In The Middle East” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbxgphThZ2Y
Musical Interlude: 2002, “We Meet Again”
2002, “We Meet Again” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_OmsxDef9c
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Thunderstorms almost spoiled this view of the spectacular 2011 June 15 total lunar eclipse. Instead, storm clouds parted for 10 minutes during the total eclipse phase and lightning bolts contributed to the dramatic sky. Captured with a 30-second exposure the scene also inspired one of the more memorable titles (thanks to the astrophotographer) in APOD's now 22-year history, "Lightning Eclipse from the Planet of the Goats." *Click image for larger size.* Of course, the lightning reference clearly makes sense, and the shadow play of the dark lunar eclipse was widely viewed across plan... more »
The Poet: Joy Harjo, "A Map to the Next World"
*"A Map to the Next World"* "In the last days of the fourth world I wished to make a map for those who would climb through the hole in the sky. My only tools were the desires of humans as they emerged from the killing fields, from the bedrooms and the kitchens. For the soul is a wanderer with many hands and feet. The map must be of sand and can't be read by ordinary light. It must carry fire to the next tribal town, for renewal of spirit. In the legend are instructions on the language of the land, how it was we forgot to acknowledge the gift, as if we were not in it or of it. Take note... more »
Corruption Is Still Widespread In Ukraine
*Adam Ereli, FOX News: **Corrupt Ukraine is ground zero in clash between East and West, US and Russia* Ukraine is the central battleground between the rapidly fraying West and the brutally ascendant East. As NATO bickers over defense contributions by member states, Article 5 commitments and its renegade member Turkey, Russia is taking concerted action to secure its borders, expand its influence and weaken the bedrock alliance that has kept the peace in Europe for the past 60 years. Ukraine lies at ground zero in this clash of civilizations between the rule of law and the power of ... more »
UPDATE on the Story about the USS Liberty being rescued by a Russian Destroyer - Has Russia's Official Memory Improved????
*UPDATE on the Story about the **USS Liberty* *being rescued by a Russian Destroyer* I can't seem to get the mystery of the *Russian Destroyer 626/4* of the Soviet Navy off my mind. I did some further research this afternoon and came up with this link...which appears to debunk the testimony of Liberty survivor and crew member John Hrankowski. Surely there are other survivors of the Liberty that could validate or invalidate the story. *The Hrankowski story, complete with ship number certainly rings more authentic to me than the subsequent stories*. Russia likely doesn't want to... more »
As ASEAN Shifts East, ISIS Follows
Where US interests are threatened, ISIS coincidentally appears, threatening those standing in the way. What is behind this increasingly transparent pattern of geopolitical coercion? *July 18, 2017* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - As protracted warfare continues in southern Philippines between government forces and militants linked to the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS), fears that the US is leveraging the terrorist group far beyond Syria and Iraq where it was created are rising. Nations opposing or obstructing US interests beyond America's borders now find themselves likely targets of t... more »
More Venezuelans Flee As Crisis Deepens
People line up, right, to cross over the Simon Bolivar international bridge to Colombia to take advantage of the temporary border opening as others come back after shopping in San Antonio del Tachira, Venezuela, July 16, 2016.REUTERS/Carlos Eduardo Ramirez *The Guardian:* *'At home, we couldn’t get by': more Venezuelans flee as crisis deepens* As Venezuela falls further into turmoil, more of its citizens are leaving a country that once served as a haven for economic migrants and political refugees. There are no luxuries in the four-room house in southern Bogotá, where 12 recently... more »
Legendary Investor Predicts Worst Crisis In His Lifetime | Exclusive with Jim Rogers
Published on Jul 17, 2017 https://sdbullion.com http://www.silverdoctors.com/precious… Legendary investor Jim Rogers says Western Civilization is going to collapse. Debt is higher than ever. Therefore, this crisis “will be worse than anything in our lifetime,” Rogers predicts. Governments, countries, and banks will fail, he says. How should we prepare? “If you start investing in things you […]
MIT Research Team Slams Global Warming Data In New Report: “Not A Valid Representation Of Reality… Totally Inconsistent With Credible Temperature Data
Research Team Slams Global Warming Data In New Report: “Not A Valid Representation Of Reality… Totally Inconsistent With Credible Temperature Data” by Mac Slavo, http://www.SHTFplan.com As world leaders, namely in the European Union, attack President Trump for pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement which would have saddled Americans with billions upon billions of dollars […]
NATO Gets Involved in Germany — Turkey Dispute as Tensions Rise
Published on Jul 17, 2017 Berlin’s right to visit German troops at a NATO Konya airbase in Turkey is non-negotiable, says Chancellor Angela Merkel, adding she will “flatly” deny any pre-conditions. end
Bank Of England Warns “Bigger Systemic Risk” Now Than 2008
Bank Of England Warns “Bigger Systemic Risk” Now Than 2008 by janskoyles, http://www.goldcore.com/uk/ – Bank of England warn that “bigger systemic risk” now than in 2008 – BOE, Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) concerns re financial system – Banks accused of “balance sheet trickery” -undermining spirit of post-08 rules – EU & UK corporate bond markets may be bigger source of […]
What Did Lamar Smith Learn On His Taxpayer-Funded Trip To Greenland?
Texas Congressman Lamar Smith is a joke. NO, I don't mean he's a joke the way most of the Texas GOP delegation is a joke. Smith is a very special joke. When the House GOP leadership decided to make Lamar Smith chairman of the House Science Committee, it was a big yuck all over Capitol Hill. Smith is a crackpot Christian Scientist who doesn't believe in Science itself-- nor in the whole concept of "facts." The committee dates back to 1959 when it was established as the House Committee on Science and Astronautics. The committee's heyday was under a mainstream and conscientious Republ... more »
Here's How to Update the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
*David Inserra* *Politics, Middle East* [image: A Kurdish refugee boy from the Syrian town of Kobani holds onto a fence that surrounds a refugee camp in the border town of Suruc, Sanliurfa province November 3, 2014. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis] Current policy asserts American leadership, helps partners and rescues some of the world’s most vulnerable people. But it needs reform. The Supreme Court has given a temporary green light to President Donald Trump’s travel and refugee “ban.” It will stay in effect until the court can consider the case in the fall. While much ink has been spil... more »
This Group Hopes to Push America toward Regime Change in Iran
*Ted Galen Carpenter* *Politics, Middle East* The Trump administration needs to avoid the Mujahedeen Khalq like the plague. American policymakers and pundits have an unfortunate history of embracing odious foreign political movements that purport to be democratic. During the Cold War, embarrassing episodes included Washington’s support for the Nicaraguan Contras and Jonas Savimbi’s National Union for the Total Independence of Angola. The post–Cold War era provides ample evidence that influential Americans have not learned appropriate lessons from those earlier blunders. The Clin... more »
Wanted: A Give-And-Take Diplomacy for the North Korea Crisis
*Amitai Etzioni* *Security, Asia* [image: Chinese soldiers marching in Red Square as part of Victory Day celebrations.] America should make a serious attempt at give-and-take diplomacy with China before the situation with North Korea becomes untenable. Let me play for a moment the academic and question the international-relations theory that underlies the Trump administration’s approach to pushing China to help curb the North Korean nuclear threat. Much of that approach seems to be building on what could be called the Dale Carnegie theory of international relations. Trump asks C... more »
I Interviewed the War-Weary Residents of Mosul. The Fight for the City Is Far from Over.
*Daniel L. Davis* *Security, Middle East* [image: Girl in a refugee camp.] If the Iraqi government isn’t careful, the fall of ISIS in mosul may simply herald a transition to the next phase of conflict. I am currently in Iraq exploring the region in and around Mosul, assessing the current state of the city following Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s declaration on July 9 that ISIS had been driven from Mosul. Last Thursday I interviewed a number of Mosul residents living in a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) outside of Erbil to get their views. What I discovered w... more »
How Russia's New Husky-Class Submarines Borrow from the U.S. Navy's Playbook
*Dave Majumdar* *Security, * And it could work out very nicely for Moscow. The Russian Navy is taking a page out of the United States Navy’s playbook as it develops its family of next generation nuclear submarines. Tentatively called Project Husky, the new submarines will be built in three variants—a basic attack submarine model, an expanded guided-missile submarine (SSGN) version and an enlarged ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) variant writes Ilya Kramnik, a defense reporter with Lenta.ru. The new vessels are expected to start construction in the 2020-2021 timeframe. The Rus... more »
Fact: Japan Wanted to Drop Plague Bombs on America Using 'Aircraft Carrier' Subs
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Asia* A World War II tale like no other. During World War II, Japan infamously deployed biological weapons in attacks that infected and killed thousands of Chinese citizen. Less well known, however, is the fact that Japanese strategists also planned to deploy plague bombs against U.S. forces on at least four separate occasions—each only narrowly averted by circumstance. The last such attack, known as Operations Cherry Blossoms at Night, envisioned bombing San Diego with plague-infected fleas. The Japanese bioweapons program was the brainchild of Gen... more »
The Story of Project Cannikin: In 1971, the U.S. Military Nuked Alaska
*Steve Weintz* *Security, * Project Cannikin’s origins, purpose and politics angered a lot of people. On Nov. 6, 1971, the United States conducted its most powerful underground nuclear test to date. The massive, five-megaton blast detonated more than a mile below remote, windswept Amchitka Island in Alaska. The Cannikin shot tested a huge warhead the Pentagon planned to fit to a controversial anti-ballistic missile system. Its novel design drew from an equally controversial civilian nuclear explosive program. And America’s most controversial president demanded the test take plac... more »
Fox News Banned in Canada?
Claims that the Fox News Channel has been banned in Canada because they report false information are inaccurate.
60 million years old: Bismarck students find rare fossils during Medora dig
Tenth-grader Ashley Ulmer made a discovery Wednesday that brought a North Dakota paleontologist running. Ulmer, one of about 30 Bismarck high school students who participated in a fossil dig, found the jaw of a 60 million-year-old mammal sticking out of the dirt. It was a significant find for North Dakota Geological Survey paleontologists, who said finding a complete mammal jaw is rare. “That very well could be the find of the week,” said senior paleontologist Clint Boyd. The students from Century and Legacy high schools joined the paleontologists for a field trip near Medora f... more »
Vladimir Putin spent a fortune helping Donald Trump get elected, and in many ways was on of his biggest campaign donors.
Courtesy of HuffPo: *The U.S. intelligence community’s Jan. 6 report about Putin’s work to help Trump says the propaganda campaign began with state-paid news organizations like RT and Sputnik. * *“RT’s coverage of Secretary Clinton throughout the U.S. presidential campaign was consistently negative and focused on her leaked e-mails and accused her of corruption, poor physical and mental health, and ties to Islamic extremism,” the report states, adding that there was a sophisticated organization to widely distribute that propaganda on the Internet through “professional trolls.” * ... more »
Bonus Quote of the Day: On the ever-accelerating downward pull of the welfare state
*"Morally and economically, the welfare state creates an ever accelerating downward pull. Morally, the chance to satisfy demands by force spreads the demands wider and wider, with less and less pretense at justification. Economically, the forced demands of one group create hardships for all others, thus producing an inextricable mixture of actual victims and plain parasites. Since need, not achievement, is held as the criterion of rewards, the government necessarily keeps sacrificing the more productive groups to the less productive, gradually chaining the top level of the economy... more »
Winnie The Pooh Has Been Banned By Chinese Censors Because He Is Being Compared To Chinese President Xi Jinping
In 2013, Chinese social media users began circulating a pair of pictures (above) that placed an image of Pooh and his slender tiger friend 'Tigger' beside a photograph of Xi walking with then-US President Barack Obama *Daily Mail:* *China censors ban Winnie the Pooh after President Xi Jinping is compared to the lovable bear* * Mentions of the bear have apparently been blocked on Chinese social media * The character has been compared to President Xi Jinping in a series of memes * A Winnie the Pooh image was 'the most censored picture' in China in 2015 Has Winnie the Pooh done somethi... more »
The Role of ‘Ocean Upwelling’ and ‘The Deep Ocean’ in the Glacial Cycles
Originally posted on Watts Up With That?: Guest Post by Wim Röst Abstract Glacial cycles show a gradual diminishing temperature during the slide into the glacial period, but a steep increase of temperature at the start of an interglacial period. As argued here, both ‘ocean upwelling’* and the temperature of the deep ocean might play…
Surprisingly Good Technical Series on Climate
Source: Surprisingly Good Technical Series on Climate
The Uncertainty Has Settled, Critical Documentary About Climate, Agriculture and Energy Now Online
Originally posted on Watts Up With That?: From the GWPF. “This documentary has all the ingredients to become a milestone in the debate on climate change” – is what Science journalist Jan Jakobs wrote after seeing the 90 minutes documentary `The Uncertainty Has Settled`. The multiple award winning film is now available worldwide through online-demand.…
How great are the CO2 emissions of South Australia’s world’s biggest lithium ion battery?
Lithium-ion batteries and CO2 emissions How great are the CO2 emissions of South Australia’s world’s biggest lithium ion battery? Master Resource recently published an article: *Are Electric Vehicles ‘CO2 Friendly’? (Swedish study raises questions)* It contains these facts: “Based on calculations using the Swedish study’s various battery CO*2* emissions estimates, as well as the methodology described by the EPA, I estimate that the carbon emissions sinkhole would equal between three and 5.4 years of driving an ICE car.” “The Swedish study showed substantial CO*2* emissions comi... more »
Trump Discusses a Border Wall Topped With Solar Panels and With See-through Openings
[image: trump-discusses-a-border-wall-topped-with-solar-panels-and-with-see-through-openings] President Trump proposed having a border wall topped with solar panels to generate electricity, which could be sold to produce revenue, as well as see-through openings.
From Hero to Zero: $2-Billion Private Equity Fund Goes Broke in Oil
[image: from-hero-to-zero-2-billion-private-equity-fund-goes-broke-in-oil] Life's investing rules are like the law of gravity: They cannot be broken, only violated.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- July 17, 2017
A detained man, accused of being an Isis fighter, sits in front of newly displaced men near a checkpoint east of Mosul last year Reuters *Patrick Cockburn, The Independent: **More than just revenge: Why Isis fighters are being thrown off buildings in Mosul* *Last Days of the Caliphate: In the latest in his special series on the fall of Mosul, Patrick Cockburn examines why the number of extrajudicial killings has been so high in the recent conflict* Iraqi security forces kill Isis prisoners because they believe that if the militants are sent to prison camps they will bribe the autho... more »
Are These Golfers Getting Lessons from a Robot Trainer?
A photograph purportedly showing two women receiving golf lessons from a robot likely originated on the set of a 1930s movie.
Choosing A New Trainer Might Prove Challenging For The Air Force
*Dan Goure* *Secuirty, * In making their decision, the Air Force’s proposal evaluators should weigh all the factors that are likely to impact the program, not just price. Later this year, the U.S. Air Force will select a company to build a new jet trainer designated T-X to replace the aging T-38 Talon. Although not a large procurement, the Air Force plans to acquire just 350 aircraft, it is an important one. The Air Force’s fleets of fifth generation fighters, the F-22 and F-35, do not include two-seat trainer variants. The next-generation trainer will provide means for new pilot... more »
Car bomb strikes jihadist bastion in southern Idlib town
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (0:40 A.M.) – On Monday evening, a vehicle loaded with ammunition blew up in Maarat Al-Numan, leading to the death of one person and inflicting injuries upon five non-combattants. More photos of the incident: Located on the M5-highway in southern Idlib, Maarat Al-Numan was also struck by another bombing exactly a week ago, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
In pictures: Syrian Army in high spirits as east Damascus offensive yields more gains
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (0:10 A.M.) – After reaching out to a Republican Guard source, Al-Masdar News received a new batch of photos showing the 105th and 106th Brigades in action against jihadist insurgents in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ayn Tarma which after over a month of heavy clashes has been largely razed to the ground. […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
US Army, Kurdish forces secure last stretch of ISIS-held farmland around Raqqa city
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (10:20 P.M.) – Kurdish units, heavily assisted by US Marines, Special Forces and warplanes, officially imposed full control of the Al-Yarmouk district on Monday, thereby kicking ISIS militants out of their last rural area on the northern bank of the Euphrates River. In effect, the Kurdish-led ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) and Manbij Military […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
In pictures: ISIS hits jackpot after capturing spoils of war from Syrian troops near Deir Ezzor
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (9:30 P.M.) – Over 20 images were released by Amaq Agency today covering a huge counter-offensive against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) on the provincial desert border between Homs and Deir Ezzor, directly west of Hamimah town and the T2 Pumping Station. The attack caused SAA infantry units to retreat, the photos suggest. […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
In the Diplomat: The Chinese Cult of Cairo and the Status of Taiwan
[image: ZebLanyu_DSC02742] *Lanyu.* Michal Thim and myself begin this piece.... In Taiwan a small but remarkably positive step took place this month: on July 12 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan quietly removed a webpage that erroneously claimed that Taiwan was part of China. The Tsai administration also announced changes to the school curriculum, under which the Cairo Declaration will no longer be taught in Taiwan’s schools as the canonical definition of Taiwan’s status. Predictably, this action met with outrage from Beijing and its all... more »
The man behind Trump Junior's meetup with the Russians is now in fear for his life. Update:
Courtesy of Fox News: *Goldstone, a PR man for recording artists who set up the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian attorney who promised dirt on Hillary Clinton, reportedly fears for his own safety. The 57-year-old British flack is globetrotting with his much-younger companion, and posting photos from around the world on social media to “hide in plain sight,” according to reports. * *Photos posted online since the trip began last month in London haveshown them in Venice, Croatia, Montenegro and Greece. Goldstone is currently believed to be aboard a ship in the Medite... more »
World News Briefs -- July 17, 2017 (Evening Edition)
*Washington Post*: *After protest vote, Maduro’s foes warn of ‘zero hour’ for Venezuela’s democracy* CARACAS, Venezuela — Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Monday pledged to defy the government with escalating protest tactics, a day after showing their strength in an unofficial referendum that they said drew more than 7 million votes condemning his rule. Leaders of the Democratic Unity (MUD) coalition say they will bring the country to a halt with a 24-hour general strike Thursday, urging workers to stay home and businesses to shut their doors to protest Maduro’s... more »
Did George Orwell’s ‘1984’ Predict the Power of Smartphones?
A widely-shared quotation comes from a 2014 theater adaptation, not the original 1949 novel.
Scholar Defends Chinese-American Researcher Jailed in Iran
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A Chinese-American graduate student sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran for allegedly “infiltrating” the country and sending confidential material abroad is innocent of all charges against him, his professor at Princeton University said on Monday. Xiyue Wang’s arrest, which authorities said happened nearly a year ago, only came […]
Illinois Budget Gives Temporary Fix for Public Universities
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A new Illinois budget will give public universities funding for the 2017-18 school year. The Chicago Tribune reports that this is the first time in two years that the state’s 12 public universities will receive funding. In 2015, universities received more than $1.2 billion from the state’s spending plan. But the budget […]
Leader of Pennsylvania’s Public University System to Retire
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The head of Pennsylvania’s state-owned university system is leaving after four years on the job. The State System of Higher Education said Monday that Chancellor Frank Brogan will retire on Sept. 1 from the position that pays him $346,000 a year. Brogan, who is 63 years old, told the board of his […]
Speaker Ryan Opposes Effort to Repeal AUMF
[image: speaker-ryan-opposes-effort-to-repeal-aumf] While some members of Congress appear ready to reassert its power to authorize war, and rein in presidents, Speaker Paul Ryan is blocking that effort.
Supreme Court Puts Travel Ban Case Back in Hawaii’s Court — Gives Them Until July 18 to Respond
[image: supreme-court-puts-travel-ban-case-back-in-hawaii-s-court-gives-them-until-july-18-to-respond] The Supreme Court has asked Hawaii to respond by July 18 to the Justice Department’s appeal of Hawaii District Court Judge Derrick Watson’s July 13 ruling on the ban.
Fukushima Contamination Never Ceases
Fukushima Daiichi has looked steamy and funky during night hours over the last week on TEPCO cams 1 and 4, with yellow-tinged discoloration over the site visible on the Futaba cam during day time hours: Fukushima Daiichi July 18, 2017 2:00 Fukushima Daiichi Futaba Cam Sunrise Over Fukushima shows yellow-haze over site: Kodama Tatsuhiko, Professor and head of the Radioisotope Center at the University of Tokyo, described the Fukushima BLASTS in March 2011 in comparison to the atomic bombs while addressing the Committee on Welfare and Labor of the House of Representatives on July... more »
"A Little Parenthesis In Eternity..."
"We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity." - Paulo Coelho, "The Alchemist"
This Is Why the Korean War Never Really Ended
*Ron Huisken* *Security, Asia* The truce is still in place, which means that all the belligerents are still, in formal terms, at war with one another. The three countries that started the Korean War in June 1950—Russia (USSR), China and North Korea—are still maneuvering to secure a better outcome. When World War II ended in August 1945, American and Soviet troops had met more or less amicably at about the 38th parallel on the Korean peninsula. In 1949, both those powers withdrew their forces, leaving behind feeble local administrations in the north and the south that each aspire... more »
Islamic State Families Fear Retribution
Civilians leave the city to escape from clashes during a battle with Islamic State militants, in al-Zirai district in Mosul, Iraq, January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed *Reuters*:* As Islamic State militants routed in Iraq, their families fear reprisals* BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Their husbands, sons and brothers are dead, but the women and children Islamic State militants left behind will live to pay the price for their actions. As Islamic State's days of ruling over vast swathes of Iraq come to an end, questions are emerging about what to do with their families. For now, ma... more »
Dead Bigfoot Confirmed at Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico?
A "prank" Facebook post claimed that Bigfoot was found dead on a lakeshore.
As A Voter, How Important Is Single Payer-- Medicare-For-All-- To You?
Last night we embedded a graphic from the ABC News poll showing that although a growing number of Americans really don't like Trump at all, a majority and disappointed that the Democratic Party doesn't stand for anything other than opposition to Trump. Now, they're not talking about people like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Ted Lieu, Pramila Jayapal, Raul Grijalva-- or any of these House incumbents-- but they are very much talking about the party leadership. Let's turn to single payer healthcare as the perfect example. John Conyers' Medicare-For-All bill was introduced January... more »
Appeals Court Rules Against CREDO And CloudFlare’s Challenge To FBI’s National Security Letters
Federal appeals court argued the USA FREEDOM Act reformed national security letter law enough to make FBI's gag provisions constitutional. The post Appeals Court Rules Against CREDO And CloudFlare’s Challenge To FBI’s National Security Letters appeared first on Shadowproof.
Brave golden retriever rescues fawn from drowning
When a young deer got in trouble in the Long Island Sound, it took a surprising team to bring it to safety; first a dog, then a few good Samaritans. As CBS2’s Erin Logan reported, it was all caught on video. The owner of Storm, an English golden retriever, knows he’s loyal and caring, but on Sunday morning, Storm really surprised him. “Storm just plunged into the water and started swimming out to the fawn, grabbed it by the neck, and started swimming to shore,” Mark Freeley said. Freeley recorded the video on his walk with Storm and his other dog Sara, not knowing what would come... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Port-of-spain, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and TobagoThanks for stopping by!
"What I Think Is Right..."
“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right, even though I think it is hopeless.” - Adm. Chester W. Nimitz
"Wrecking Ball: The Date Of The 'Finite-Time Singularity'”
*"Wrecking Ball: The Date Of The 'Finite-Time Singularity'”* by John P. Hussman, Ph.D. "I’ve periodically framed market action from the perspective of Didier Sornette’s model of log-periodic power-law bubbles (see my recent comments in Fair Value and Bubbles: 2017 Edition). Our current best-fit to this structure is presented below. Based on recent market dynamics, I’ve refined the date of the “finite-time singularity” in this model. That “critical point” is not necessarily the date of a peak or the beginning of a crash, but what Sornette describes as “an inflection point from self-r... more »
Mosul -- News Updates July 17, 2017
*Washington Post:* *After Islamic State defeat, a daunting search for bodies in Mosul’s rubble* MOSUL, Iraq — The streets of Mosul’s Old City are littered with bodies, tangled between shattered stones and remnants of the lives they left behind. In the baking summer heat, exhausted rescue crews are now sifting through the debris of the toughest battle against the Islamic State in what became its final redoubt in the city. As Iraqi ground troops, U.S.-led coalition jets and Islamic State militants pulverized the Old City’s winding maze of streets, thousands of civilians were caug... more »
Is This What Weather Reports in Sweden Look Like?
A video comparing weather reports from Sweden and Iraq used footage from a short-lived Swedish program called Halal TV.
Ex-Texas Officer Indicted on Murder Charge in Teen’s Death
A white former Texas police officer has been indicted on a murder charge in the April 2017 shooting death of a black teen.
See This? Doctors Find 27 Contact Lenses in Woman’s Eye
Doctors in the UK discovered 17 contact lenses mashed together in a woman's right eye.
Maddow loses count of the Russians!
*MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017Her actual count came to one:* Last Friday night, she made it official: Rachel Maddow is one of least disguised major dissemblers in the history of "cable news." Her opening segment on that night included a rich assortment of cons. To watch the full segment, click here. At one point, Maddow was astonished to think that a Russian lawyer who doesn't speak English might have had a translator present. This is the bullshit she served: MADDOW (7/14/17): And then we learned that it wasn't just Donald Trump Jr. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were at that meeting... more »
Palestine in America
After lunch today Craig Wood drove us over to the neighborhood where the 40 year old Australian meditation teacher Justine Damon was shot to death late Saturday night after she called police to report some noise in her back yard. As we drove up to her home a large scrum of media folks were outside the house waiting for some family member to come out and make a statement. Several of the media people were from Australia. One media person told us that the story circulating is that she was shot dead by a policeman sitting in the passenger side of their cop car while she leaned on t... more »
Four Major Famines - Unintended Consequences Of US Foreign Policy
The UN has identified four countries where the threat of major famine -- with potentially millions dead -- is becoming reality. Though there are many factors contributing to famine, including bad economic policies, weather disturbances, and so one, in fact these four countries all have one thing in common: US military intervention. From Sudan to Somalia to Yemen to Nigeria, US foreign policy produces famine and death rather than destabilization overseas. We break it down in today's Liberty Report:
Quote of the Day: Corbynomics explained
Satirical magazine *Private Eye* explains Corbynomics — and the electoral bribery thereof— better then the man himself. Metiria Turei, among others, appears to have been listening …. [Hat tipHani Mustafa] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Permission to republish is granted, with attribution.
Israel Rejects US, Russia Syrian Ceasefire Deal – Presents List Of Demands
*French President Emmanuel Macron, left, welcomes* *Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the* *Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 16, 2017. * *(AP/Michel Euler)* I didn't post anything new on this blog over the weekend mainly because I wanted my previous post about the 1967 attack and attempted sinking of the *USS Liberty* by Israel to *"sink" in* with Americans. I wanted this despicable hidden history to reach as many Americans as possible, so that they could understand who their *real friends* and who their *real enemies* are. Of course, the recent revelation that *there... more »
REPUBLICANS ARE LETTING US KNOW THAT THE NEXT NANCY PELOSI IS ELIZABETH WARREN
I've been saying for a while that Nancy Pelosi shouldn't step down as House Democratic leader simply because she's regularly used in attack ads against other Democrats -- if Pelosi isn't the GOP's Antichrist, it's going to be someone else. A story in *The Washington Times* today tells us that the next Antichrist is -- surprise! -- another woman, Elizabeth Warren: Sen. Elizabeth Warren isn’t as toxic as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — yet — but Republican operatives are laboring to change that, saying they will use the run-up to the elections next year to try to make the rising ... more »
Donald Trump claims that anybody would have attended that meeting with the Russians in Trump Tower. Then why the coverup? Update!
Most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one Don jr attended in order to get info on an opponent. That's politics! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 17, 2017 Okay first off this is patently incorrect. Receiving opposition research is one thing, but getting it from a hostile foreign government is quite another thing indeed. And IF Trump and his people truly believed this then why was this meeting not mentioned on Jared Kushner's security application? And why did Junior initially lie about it and say it was about Russian adoptions? And why did the Trump campai... more »
The Supreme Court and Cake
[image: the-supreme-court-and-cake] Cake maker Jack Phillips says he has a right to refuse the business of a particular customer whose fundamental intention is not to purchase a decorated cake but to use the transaction to force acceptance of homosexual “marriage.”
Decline in Moral Values Costing Millennials Big
[image: decline-in-moral-values-costing-millennials-big] The decline in moral values among so many millennial Americans, especially as it relates to marriage and family, is costing them big time — not just spiritually and intellectually, but financially as well. And the consequences are becoming increasingly widespread.
Big Military Spending Boost Threatens Our Economy and Security
[image: big-military-spending-boost-threatens-our-economy-and-security] Unfortunately President Trump seems to be incapable of understanding that it is US intervention and occupation of foreign countries that creates instability and feeds terrorism.
6 ways to detox fluoride – a known neurotoxin – from your body
Sodium fluoride is classified as a neurotoxin – in the same category as arsenic, lead, and mercury, but it’s still prevalent in the United States’ water supply. Here are six ways to detox the substance from your body. RELATED ARTICLES: 10 Facts About Fluoride You Need to Know For years, health experts have been debating
Hospital suspends MY holistic MD because she carries a gun after alleged assassination attempts
Dr. Susan Kolb, who performed a life saving 5 and a half hour surgery for me, removing my leaky saline implants, is a world renowned board certified MD and plastic surgeon. She’s starred on Nat Geo and many other TV shows because of her work and the many books she’s written. Dr Kolb was suspended
How to make a $12 DIY compost bin (and 50 things you can compost in it)
Have you ever priced out those compost bins that you can buy? They have all sorts of bells and whistles, like cranks that turn the contents for you and fancy slide-out trays at the bottom. They can also cost hundreds of dollars. Since that was totally out of my budget, I decided to make a
9 ‘Food Scraps’ Everyone Needs To Stop Throwing Out
Banana peels, lemon rinds, strawberry tops and more. If you toss these edible foods out, you’re throwing away more than just “scraps” – you’re missing out on loads of nutrition. The bitter taste of banana peels and other undesirable parts of fruit and veggies are usually the reason we chuck them out. However, these “inedible” foods
The witch hunt for “Alternative” Medicine practitioners
(Editor’s Note: This is an amazing story from our great friends at The Truth About Cancer. Please read it and pass it along.) Old wives tales and recipes for remedies from your grandmother is woven into the fabric of most lives. Many of us grew up with parents who attempted a home cure before buying
Dutch parliament votes to close down country’s coal power plants
(This exciting news is from 2016 but I still wanted to pass it along. It’s nice to know there are some countries we can look up to for environmental inspiration!) The Dutch parliament voted to reduce the carbon emission in the country by 55 percent. The country can reduce its carbon footprint by 2030 only
If you get less than 7 hours of sleep, this is what can happen to your belly fat
By Dr. Mercola After waking up from a night of poor sleep, have you ever felt like you wanted to eat everything in sight? It’s not your imagination; sleep quality has been shown time and again to play a major role in what you eat the next day. The link is so strong that if
Vaccine industry is worried about accountability
By Dr. Mercola Many people are unaware that in 1986 Congress gave the U.S. vaccine industry a shield from product liability that is unlike any other in existence. In most cases, if a pharmaceutical product injures or kills a person, the manufacturer of that product can be held financially accountable in a civil court of
6 simple tricks to teach yourself how to cook healthy meals (even when you have no time)
By Dan Scalco If your cooking repertoire consists of boiled noodles, frozen pizza and take-out Chinese food, then it is time to familiarize yourself with your kitchen. When you cook for yourself, you will eat healthier (and save money otherwise spent on eating out), learn about different flavors and cultures, and know exactly what you
This root vegetable ice cream boosts your brain and immunity, not blood sugar
You may have heard about banana ice cream, avocado pudding and chocolate desserts that use cocoa powder instead of real chocolate, but I bet you have never heard of sweet potato ice cream. RELATED ARTICLES: Vegan Ice Cream Recipes That Are Better Than The Real Thing The Healthiest Ice Cream You’ve Ever Had – Turmeric
Electric Universe - Species with Amnesia - effects of discharge plasma attack on Earth?
writers like Graham Hancock have never talked about the Electric Universe. They tend to talk about 'ending an ice age using a massive collision of rock from space'. And there's nothing wrong with having ideas about the way this world used to be. Electric Universe (itself) is only an *idea about the way this world used to be*. If the likes of Hancock who coined the phrase *a species with amnesia* were to look at an alternative source for the end of the last ice, when people fled to caves, and the AUM sound was reflective of the utter destruction in the sky as planet-wide plasma... more »
Western media is done with Angela Merkel. Praises Macron as “leader of the free world”
In a post published by the AFP entitled “Macron outshines Merkel as EU’s top diplomat” highlights the obvious shift in … The post Western media is done with Angela Merkel. Praises Macron as “leader of the free world” appeared first on The Duran.
John McCain’s illness could keep him out of politics for longer than expected
As medical experts state that John McCain's condition is "more serious" than originally reported, many are questioning the hawkish Senator's political longevity. The post John McCain’s illness could keep him out of politics for longer than expected appeared first on The Duran.
Former Haitian government official, ready to expose Clinton corruption, found dead
Another suspicious Clinton connected death. The post Former Haitian government official, ready to expose Clinton corruption, found dead appeared first on The Duran.
Mosul versus Aleppo: US bombing ‘good, Russian bombing ‘bad’; ISIS ‘bad’, Al-Qaeda ‘good’
The West's selective indignation concerning Syrian and Russian conduct of the battle of Aleppo, in contrast to Iraqi and US conduct of the battle of Mosul, is not an only an offence against reason and truth. It also excuses Al-Qaeda, which was as responsible for the suffering in Aleppo as ISIS has been for the suffering in Mosul. The post Mosul versus Aleppo: US bombing ‘good, Russian bombing ‘bad’; ISIS ‘bad’, Al-Qaeda ‘good’ appeared first on The Duran.
Former Top Israeli Security Chief: Israel May Have To Launch Military Operations Against Iranian And Hezbollah Bases In Syria
Israeli soldiers stand atop tanks in the Golan Heights near Israel's border with Syria, March 19, 2014. Thomson Reuters *Business Insider/Jerusalem Post:* *Former Israeli security chief: Israel may have to take military action against Iranian bases in Syria* Israel may need to take military action to prevent Iran or Hezbollah from setting up permanent bases in Syria, former National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror said on Monday. Amidror’s comments come a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told journalists in Paris that Israel was opposed to the Syrian cease-fire bro... more »
Scarborough spots former KGB agent!
*MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017Maddow was even worse:* Friday night, she made it official: Rachel Maddow is one of least disguised major dissemblers in the history of "cable news." Assuming even minimal competence, Maddow's opening segment was a masterwork of dissembling, misstatement and scary-time propaganda, all aimed at the brains of us unsuspecting liberal viewers. Liberal viewers were misled in an array of ways. But first, let's talk about Morning Joe's self-promoting rock star, Morning Joe's own Morning Joe. Despite the fact that he's 54 years old, his rock songs are still about ... more »
Libya Report: Is Saif Gaddafi in the West's Crosshairs?
[image: undefined] The struggle for power from the ruins of Libya is likely to get even uglier, and what is becoming decidedly more noticeable is the role of other interfering states who are betting on one side or another in the game for the prize that is Libya. The latest international intrigue, orchestrated by what we might call the "new colonialist alliance," surrounds the future of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s most prominent son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The United States, UK, the UN are egging on the United Arab Emirates and their allies including France and Jordan to finish the jo... more »
Libya Report: Is Saif Gaddafi in the West's Crosshairs?
[image: undefined] The struggle for power from the ruins of Libya is likely to get even uglier, and what is becoming decidedly more noticeable is the role of other interfering states who are betting on one side or another in the game for the prize that is Libya. The latest international intrigue, orchestrated by what we might call the "new colonialist alliance," surrounds the future of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s most prominent son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The United States, UK, the UN are egging on the United Arab Emirates and their allies including France and Jordan to finish the jo... more »
Libya Report: Is Saif Gaddafi in the West's Crosshairs?
[image: undefined] The struggle for power from the ruins of Libya is likely to get even uglier, and what is becoming decidedly more noticeable is the role of other interfering states who are betting on one side or another in the game for the prize that is Libya. The latest international intrigue, orchestrated by what we might call the "new colonialist alliance," surrounds the future of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s most prominent son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The United States, UK, the UN are egging on the United Arab Emirates and their allies including France and Jordan to finish the jo... more »
Libya Report: Is Saif Gaddafi in the West's Crosshairs?
[image: undefined] The struggle for power from the ruins of Libya is likely to get even uglier, and what is becoming decidedly more noticeable is the role of other interfering states who are betting on one side or another in the game for the prize that is Libya. The latest international intrigue, orchestrated by what we might call the "new colonialist alliance," surrounds the future of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s most prominent son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The United States, UK, the UN are egging on the United Arab Emirates and their allies including France and Jordan to finish the jo... more »
The Pteranodano and Billy Meier
Because it isn’t time for the premiere of *Game of Thrones* Season 7, and I have nothing better to do, I thought I’d kick another sleeping dog (sorry of that analogy offends). For laughs, I took a look at the Pteranodano photograph that was allegedly taken by Billy Meier during a July 1975 trip to a world some 9.38 billion light years away which is about halfway across the known universe. It’s a badly focused picture with little real detail that is actually somewhat reminiscent of those first photographs taken in the early 19th century but you can recognize the flying dinosaur. Billy... more »
LaRouchePAC Policy Committee Show
Video of wf5FtbK4xvs Join us at 2:00 pm eastern for our weekly Policy Committee Show, with your host, Matthew Ogden.
Trump Lawyer Kasowitz Defends Russian Gov Sberbank; Sberbank Was To Fund Trump Tower Moscow – Is Russiagate All About Another Trump Phallic Symbol?
Is This All About Another Trump Phallic Symbol? Trump Tower Moscow to be funded by the Russian Gov Bank Sberbank? … Continue reading →
VIDEO: Al-Qaeda strikes deep behind enemy lines in Aleppo city
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (8:00 P.M.) – Fitted with Go-Pro cameras on their helmets, Al-Qaeda militants raided western Aleppo this weekend, targeting the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) positions near the abandoned Orphanage Center in the Jamiyat Al-Zahraa district. According to the official media wing of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the jihadist group somehow snuck behind the frontline […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
BREAKING: ISIS defenses disintegrate in southern Raqqa in the face of Tiger Forces advance
BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:00 P.M.) – After liberating the Dailaa oil field from ISIS earlier on today, the elite Tiger Forces of the Syrian Arab Army have since continued to roll on through the vast desert spaces of southern Raqqa. Now it appears that another three strategic sites have been returned to government control. According to […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
ISIS flags raised over Idlib
BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:30 P.M.) – Unknown residents from Idlib have raised ISIS flags over many of the city’s tall buildings last night, perhaps revealing that there is a large, but secret, support for the terrorist group within the city. This comes after recent clashes between jihadists of the Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group and […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Turkey-led rebels assault US-backed forces in northern Aleppo
BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:40 P.M.) – Today, Turkey-led Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants launched a surprise attack in the northern countryside of Aleppo, striking at the defenses of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) around the town of ‘Ayn Daqqinah. Following a heavy pre-assault bombardment with howitzers, mortars and improvised rocket systems (seen in the video […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Did a Former Haitian Official Commit Suicide Before Clinton Testimony?
After Klaus Eberwein's suicide, inevitable links to the "Clinton Body Count" rumor emerged, but without clear merit.
How Impeachment Works, and Why Donald Trump is Safe (For Now)
No sitting U.S. president has ever been impeached, convicted, and removed from office. Could Donald Trump be the first?
Exclusive: Iran's Foreign Minister Warns Donald Trump That Tehran Can Abandon the Nuclear Deal
*Mohammad Javad Zarif* *Politics, Middle East* [image: Javad Zarif listens as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addresses reporters before a bilateral meeting on April 22, 2016, at the Lotte Palace Hotel in New York. Flickr/U.S. Department of State] TNI’s Jacob Heilbrunn just sat down with Tehran’s top diplomat—and he was not happy with the Trump administration. *Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the *National Interest*, spoke with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister in an interview in New York on Monday, July 17, 2017. The following is a lightly edited transcript.* *Jacob H... more »
July 17: Disgusting stuff
This might be a long and wordy one. Forgive me. It's because I'll be away at the shore at some point this week - and without a computer. As well, writing it got me thinking about a lot of things - and I have added them. http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/veterans-khadr-settlement-1.4206063 This first item is not a repeat of that I have written before about the Khadr court settlement. This is about some very bad journalism by the CBC (which is usually better). Read the above carefully. This a prime example of bad, journalistic commentary. And from CBC, of all people. It's full of emo... more »
"US to Spend on Military in 2018 What Russia Spends in 15 Years"; A Comment
*"US to Spend on Military in 2018 What Russia Spends in 15 Years"* by RI Staff "The US Congress is set to pass a defense budget for fiscal 2018 (October 2017 through September 2018) of $696 billion. Meanwhile the defense spending for 2017 over in Russia (spending for 2018 won't be set until late 2017) is 2.84 trillion rubles, which at today's exchange rates amounts to just under $48 billion. In other words, for Russia $696 billion would represent enough money to fund its military for fourteen years and six months. US taxpayers must be truly rich." - http://russia-insider.com/ *A Co... more »
Battle For The Syrian City Of Raqqa -- News Updates July 17, 2017
*The Australian/The Times:* *Coalition forces capture half of Old Raqqa from Islamic State* Militias backed by the US now control more than half of the old city of Raqqa but face a gruelling battle similar to that in Mosul, monitors and commanders say. Western special forces are fighting inside the city itself, a spokesman for the coalition against Islamic State confirmed, alongside units of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led alliance in the east of the country. The battle is causing a rising toll of casualties, including from allied air raids in support of ground troops... more »
News Alert: World Will Not End Over Trump’s “Climate” Decision
[image: news-alert-world-will-not-end-over-trump-s-climate-decision] Despite mainstream media claims to the contrary, the world will not end because Trump pulled America out of the Paris climate agreement.
America’s Grand Entry Into the Great War
[image: america-s-grand-entry-into-the-great-war] Despite the fact that the British interfered with U.S. shipping early in WWI and refused to abide by international rules of naval warfare, America sided with them against Germany.
3,500 Colorado Voters Cancel Their Registrations in Protest
[image: 3-500-colorado-voters-cancel-their-registrations-in-protest] Is a seemingly innocuous request by President Trump's election commission a prelude to a federal registry of all voters?
World War I — The War on Western Civilization
[image: world-war-i-the-war-on-western-civilization] The “Great War,” largely a result of England’s intent to squash its new rival, was fostered by American politicians and financiers. The result: millions dead and political chaos.
Report Explodes Global-warming Alarmism — “Adjusted” Data Accounts for All the Hyped Temperatures
[image: report-explodes-global-warming-alarmism-adjusted-data-accounts-for-all-the-hyped-temperatures] New peer-reviewed study shows the main climate data providers have been persistently altering the data to support their global-warming alarmism.
Repeal of ObamaCare? There’s No There There
[image: repeal-of-obamacare-there-s-no-there-there] There’s one great exception to the rule that it’s easier to destroy than create: big government programs. This truth is painfully evident in the effort to reform ObamaCare.
Nature’s Sunscreen
A recent post Planetary Warming: Back to Basics discussed a recent paper by Nikolov and Zeller on the atmospheric thermal effect measured on various planets in our solar system. They mentioned that an important source of temperature variation around the earth’s energy balance state can be traced to global brightening and dimming. This post explores […]
Future Energy Scenarios
By Paul Homewood http://fes.nationalgrid.com/fes-document/fes-2017/ The National Grid has published its annual Future Energy Scenarios (FES). It works around four scenarios, but I’ll concentrate on the Two Degrees one. In particular, this scenario assumes a rapid uptake of electric cars, with 17% of all cars on the road in […]
Islamic State Will Become 'al-Qaeda On Steroids' After Its Defeat In Iraq And Syria
A view of a part of western Mosul during the battle to remove Isi from the city taken on 29 May 2017 REUTERS *The Independent*:* Isis will become 'al-Qaeda on steroids' after defeat, warns top official* Following the loss of its territory, Isis will morph into an insurgency that will resemble "al-Qaeda on steroids", the most senior anti-terrorism official in Iraqi Kurdistan has said. While the group was defeated in Mosul earlier this month, effectively spelling the end of the Iraqi half of its so-called caliphate, the battle against the militants could take another three or four y... more »
Will Chinese Private Debt Trigger the Next Great Crash?
*Private (non-government) debt of six nations as a percentage of GDP from 1952 (source; click to enlarge).* *by Gaius Publius* A quick-hits piece, just to put the idea on your radar. I've been reading for months about brewing trouble in the Chinese economy due to any number of factors, and have been meaning to write this up, since if it comes, the "next great crash" may well have a Chinese trigger that starts it and world-wide private debt that fuels it (click the link above to see why). The following seems the easiest-to-grasp way to present the idea. It's from a piece that appea... more »
Our Victory Will Be Strategic, Won or Lost on an International Stage
Helga Zepp LaRouche *The following remarks were delivered by Helga Zepp-LaRouche during a meeting with associates on Sunday, July 16, 2017.* "At the beginning of this year, we said Trump can become one of the greatest Presidents of all of U.S. history, if he manages to get the United States to cooperate with the New Silk Road; I think we have made quite a significant advance on that. I would not underestimate the influence of our mobilization on that point. Because the Mar-a-Lago meeting, the fact that Trump sent a high-level delegation to the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, the f... more »
"We are pretty close to a laughingstock" says outgoing ethics watchdog.
Courtesy of the New York Times: *Actions by President Trump and his administration have created a historic ethics crisis, the departing head of the Office of Government Ethics said. He called for major changes in federal law to expand the power and reach of the oversight office and combat the threat. * *Walter M. Shaub Jr., who is resigning as the federal government’s top ethics watchdog on Tuesday, said the Trump administration had flouted or directly challenged long-accepted norms in a way that threatened to undermine the United States’ ethical standards, which have been admire... more »
Minneapolis Police Officer Fatally Shoots Australian Woman
Justine Damond was shot dead during a 911 call, but details surrounding the incident are unclear.
Butter vs. Margarine
Claims about the (un)healthfulness of margarine include the false assertion that the product was originally created to fatten turkeys.
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