Our intelligence agencies, law enforcement and USA military know what is going on with the crossing of illegal drugs. This is not a new discovery!
SIGN THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL.
July 25, 2017
By Ron Nixon
...The majority of illegal drugs enter the United States (click here) in an assortment of vehicles, with drugs hidden in secret compartments in door panels or the roof, gas tanks, tires and even engines.
Smugglers also dig cross-border tunnels, primarily to move large volumes of marijuana. While many tunnels are rudimentary, others have lighting, tracks and ventilation systems, even elevators. As of March 2016, a total of 224 tunnels were discovered on the Southwest border since 1990.
Cargo trains, tractor-trailers and passenger buses have been used to move illegal drugs. Trucks and trains carrying fresh produce such as watermelons, limes and other fruits and vegetables have been used to bring in narcotics.
Drug shipments are often painted green and hidden within crates with fake watermelons or limes. Cocaine has been found in tomato crates.
In recent years, the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection have started to see small speedboats from Mexico used to smuggle drugs into the United States, particularly in California, in an effort to get around border walls and Border Patrol agents. From 2011 to 2016, border officials said there were 309 known attempts to smuggle drugs across the border using boats; officials said there was no way of knowing how many boats actually reach shore.
Drug trafficking organizations have also taken to the air. Border Patrol and other law enforcement agents have encountered smugglers using ultralight aircraft to conduct drug drops. Customs and Border Protection data showed that ultralight aircraft may have been used to transport drugs on 534 occasions from 2011 to 2016. Drones have also been used....
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Everyone in the USA is tired of the assault against their conscience!
January 17, 2019
By Kevin Breuninger
President Trump (click here) is hemorrhaging support amid a political standoff over his proposed border wall that has resulted in the longest government shutdown on record, recent polls show.
The president even appears to be losing favor with his core constituents.
The poll results come as multiple Democratic lawmakers announce 2020 bids to challenge Trump.
President Donald Trump is hemorrhaging support amid a political standoff over his proposed border wall that has resulted in the longest government shutdown on record, according to polls.
As the shutdown of about a quarter of the federal government lumbers toward its fifth week, the president even appears to be losing favor with his core constituents, whose support for Trump until this point has been rock-solid since the 2016 campaign.
The erosion in support has contributed to a sharp increase in the Real Clear Politics polling average of Trump's disapproval ratings. The RCP average Thursday showed overall disapproval for Trump at 55.7 percent, nearly 15 points higher than his average approval rating. Trump's disapproval rating hit an all-time high of 58.1 percent in December 2017, according to RCP....
This isn't the way the United States government is suppose to work. Politics is not facilitated by blackmail against the American people.
President Obama set a model that works, in coming to Americans and asking them to write or call their federal legislators.
Currently, the Republicans are DEFAULTING the USA government on PLANNED APPROPRIATIONS.
Appropriations are suppose to reflect the debts made by the government, NOT, the wish lists of a president.
Legislation is passed and spending is planned. What is occuring is a breakdown of the legislative process to accommodate a dictator.
President Obama set a model that works, in coming to Americans and asking them to write or call their federal legislators.
Currently, the Republicans are DEFAULTING the USA government on PLANNED APPROPRIATIONS.
Appropriations are suppose to reflect the debts made by the government, NOT, the wish lists of a president.
Legislation is passed and spending is planned. What is occuring is a breakdown of the legislative process to accommodate a dictator.
Donald, stop holding the United States of America hostage !
In your speech today you admitted the legislation for immigration reform is a separate issue and should not be a part of the appropriations for the FUNCTIONAL OPERATION of the United States of America.
Mitch McConnell is willing to bring this for a vote this week. It is a SEPARATE issue!
STOP HOLDING THE COUNTRY HOSTAGE!
SIGN THE BILL PASSED BY THE US HOUSE AND SENATE TO PAY THE BILLS!
Mitch McConnell is willing to bring this for a vote this week. It is a SEPARATE issue!
STOP HOLDING THE COUNTRY HOSTAGE!
SIGN THE BILL PASSED BY THE US HOUSE AND SENATE TO PAY THE BILLS!
I just read the statement from the Special Prosecutor regarding Buzzfeed’s report that Mr. Cohen was ordered by Trump to lie to Congress. According to Buzzfeed their reporting is correct. According to the Special Council the report is not exactly accurate.
It gets kind of interesting about the Special Council’s report long about now, if it is concluding the fact finding and investigation. It is my estimation the focus of the Special Council is not about Trump exactly, but, about the presidency under pressure from a foreign power during an election. This isn’t so much about the corrupt, but, more the corruption. I am not saying there was no one breaking the law. But, to the Special Council the lawbreakers are almost secondary to the fateful flaw ruining the election and threatening the USA Constitution and the country.
I think of the very distinguished Robert Mueller as a person more interested in the truth to find where and how a foreign power infiltrated the election process in the USA to effect a result it would benefit from.
I believe Robert Mueller is assuming everyone is innocent of wrong doing until it becomes obvious Americans involved with a political campaign drank the Russian Koolaid and committed crimes. If one counts the charges brought by the Special Council there is one that frequently repeats itself; namely lying to the FBI/Special Council/Congress.
Robert Mueller wants to bulletproof the American election process over and above law breaking. If one remembers the original team it included every possible; and of course you will excuse the graphic language that is mine and not theirs; orifice Russia could fuck with.
So, as to Michael Cohen, who obviously lied to any number of people including the Special Council, the US Attorney of the Southern District of New York, and Congress; he was Trump’s well paid personal attorney that fixed everything. He was acting to protect Trump. Michael Cohen is a well educated adult able to discern right and wrong. He was not a lifeless puppet ready to spring into action at Trump’s command.
Michael Cohen knew Trump well enough to act to protect him. As we have seen with Karen McDougal and Stefanie Clifford, arrangements were clearly articulated to Trump with very little to no conversation between the two men. It was business as usual for Michael Cohen. So with dedication to the truth and the rule of law, the Special Council does not exactly view Michael Cohen as a servant with exact orders so much as a man with legal capacity willing to take risks with his license in exchange for large amounts of money.
If Cohen acted on Trump’s behalf by lying there was nothing so concrete such as a tapped conversation or hand written note or signature to link Trump to that act. So, it was an unsubstantiated THOUGHT by Michael Cohen, as Giuliani would say. You know, “The truth is not the truth.”
So, while Buzzfeed’s reporting may be accurate from a reporting point of view, it may not be substantiated legally to make that statement from the Special Council’s point of view to equate to a violation of the law.
I am sure that is probably clear as mud, but, that is Giuliani, the power player who created the definition of SLICK.
It gets kind of interesting about the Special Council’s report long about now, if it is concluding the fact finding and investigation. It is my estimation the focus of the Special Council is not about Trump exactly, but, about the presidency under pressure from a foreign power during an election. This isn’t so much about the corrupt, but, more the corruption. I am not saying there was no one breaking the law. But, to the Special Council the lawbreakers are almost secondary to the fateful flaw ruining the election and threatening the USA Constitution and the country.
I think of the very distinguished Robert Mueller as a person more interested in the truth to find where and how a foreign power infiltrated the election process in the USA to effect a result it would benefit from.
I believe Robert Mueller is assuming everyone is innocent of wrong doing until it becomes obvious Americans involved with a political campaign drank the Russian Koolaid and committed crimes. If one counts the charges brought by the Special Council there is one that frequently repeats itself; namely lying to the FBI/Special Council/Congress.
Robert Mueller wants to bulletproof the American election process over and above law breaking. If one remembers the original team it included every possible; and of course you will excuse the graphic language that is mine and not theirs; orifice Russia could fuck with.
So, as to Michael Cohen, who obviously lied to any number of people including the Special Council, the US Attorney of the Southern District of New York, and Congress; he was Trump’s well paid personal attorney that fixed everything. He was acting to protect Trump. Michael Cohen is a well educated adult able to discern right and wrong. He was not a lifeless puppet ready to spring into action at Trump’s command.
Michael Cohen knew Trump well enough to act to protect him. As we have seen with Karen McDougal and Stefanie Clifford, arrangements were clearly articulated to Trump with very little to no conversation between the two men. It was business as usual for Michael Cohen. So with dedication to the truth and the rule of law, the Special Council does not exactly view Michael Cohen as a servant with exact orders so much as a man with legal capacity willing to take risks with his license in exchange for large amounts of money.
If Cohen acted on Trump’s behalf by lying there was nothing so concrete such as a tapped conversation or hand written note or signature to link Trump to that act. So, it was an unsubstantiated THOUGHT by Michael Cohen, as Giuliani would say. You know, “The truth is not the truth.”
So, while Buzzfeed’s reporting may be accurate from a reporting point of view, it may not be substantiated legally to make that statement from the Special Council’s point of view to equate to a violation of the law.
I am sure that is probably clear as mud, but, that is Giuliani, the power player who created the definition of SLICK.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Flint, Michigan's water treatment plant was not state of the art, it was sadly out of repair.
There was no need for a water treatment facility in Flint with pre-treated water from Lake Huron running through the pipes. When the water treatment facility was reopen there was even no assessment ti reflects the poor conditions of the plant.
January 17, 2019
By Ron Fonger
Flint -- A drinking water expert (click here) says regulators at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality should have known they were flirting with disaster when they allowed the city to treat its own water in 2014.
Robert Bowcock, who visited Flint’s water plant in early 2015, told Genesee District Court Judge Jennifer Manley Wednesday, Jan. 15, that he could see problems as soon as he walked in the front door and so should have DEQ officials who had oversight responsibilities.
“It was a mess and the reason it was a mess was it was a treatment plant ... that was seldom used ... and sat in mothballs 50 weeks out of the year ...,” said Bowcock, a longtime associate of environmental activist Erin Brockovich. “It was sort of like grandma’s Chevy .. full of spider webs, dust and bad oil.”
Flint’s water source was changed from pre-treated Lake Huron water to the Flint River in April 2014 and the city’s treatment plant was put into full-time operation for the first time since 1967 in what was promoted as a temporary, cost-saving move while the city was being run by a state-appointed emergency manager....
The idea the water treatment plant in Flint was out of repair and out of any operation 50 out of 52 weeks of the year raises the issue as to why the assessment of the plant never too place. Snyder was operating on the cheap. If the water treatment plant was assessed for it's WORTHINESS to treat the Flint River water it would probably cost a great deal of money to repair. Snyder wasn't interested in spending money, he wanted to sell assets.
Snyder's demands of his Emergency Managers was to end spending by the governing authority regardless the expense and to sell assets to pay down any debt. When the clean water from Lake Huron was stopped and the river water introduced, there was absolutely no preparation for the change except closing the access to one and opening the river water to the pipes of Flint, Michigan.
Snyder demanded a strict discipline of this Emergency Managers with only one focus, pay the debt and don't spend a dime. Snyder's orders to his Emergency Managers were arrogant, racist, grossly negligent and criminal causing the deaths and injuries to many.
18 January 2019
By Tom Perkins
New Democratic leadership (click here) in the investigation into the Flint water crisis has sparked hope among activists that a tougher line will be taken on prosecuting officials and compensating victims of the environmental disaster.
The move comes after three years of Republicans leading the investigation saw 15 state and city officials face criminal charges or be prosecuted over decisions that led to at least 12 deaths, and likely sickened thousands more. At the same time, hundreds of civil lawsuits representing tens of thousands of victims are working their way through state and federal courts.
But critics say there’s been little accountability when Republicans headed the investigation and its targets have been let off lightly. None of the crisis’s perpetrators have paid a fine or served a day in jail for poisoning the city’s water or the subsequent cover-up. Likewise, the state isn’t paying reparations for the deaths or health problems resulting from Flint’s lead-tainted....
January 17, 2019
By Ron Fonger
Flint -- A drinking water expert (click here) says regulators at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality should have known they were flirting with disaster when they allowed the city to treat its own water in 2014.
Robert Bowcock, who visited Flint’s water plant in early 2015, told Genesee District Court Judge Jennifer Manley Wednesday, Jan. 15, that he could see problems as soon as he walked in the front door and so should have DEQ officials who had oversight responsibilities.
“It was a mess and the reason it was a mess was it was a treatment plant ... that was seldom used ... and sat in mothballs 50 weeks out of the year ...,” said Bowcock, a longtime associate of environmental activist Erin Brockovich. “It was sort of like grandma’s Chevy .. full of spider webs, dust and bad oil.”
Flint’s water source was changed from pre-treated Lake Huron water to the Flint River in April 2014 and the city’s treatment plant was put into full-time operation for the first time since 1967 in what was promoted as a temporary, cost-saving move while the city was being run by a state-appointed emergency manager....
The idea the water treatment plant in Flint was out of repair and out of any operation 50 out of 52 weeks of the year raises the issue as to why the assessment of the plant never too place. Snyder was operating on the cheap. If the water treatment plant was assessed for it's WORTHINESS to treat the Flint River water it would probably cost a great deal of money to repair. Snyder wasn't interested in spending money, he wanted to sell assets.
Snyder's demands of his Emergency Managers was to end spending by the governing authority regardless the expense and to sell assets to pay down any debt. When the clean water from Lake Huron was stopped and the river water introduced, there was absolutely no preparation for the change except closing the access to one and opening the river water to the pipes of Flint, Michigan.
Snyder demanded a strict discipline of this Emergency Managers with only one focus, pay the debt and don't spend a dime. Snyder's orders to his Emergency Managers were arrogant, racist, grossly negligent and criminal causing the deaths and injuries to many.
18 January 2019
By Tom Perkins
New Democratic leadership (click here) in the investigation into the Flint water crisis has sparked hope among activists that a tougher line will be taken on prosecuting officials and compensating victims of the environmental disaster.
The move comes after three years of Republicans leading the investigation saw 15 state and city officials face criminal charges or be prosecuted over decisions that led to at least 12 deaths, and likely sickened thousands more. At the same time, hundreds of civil lawsuits representing tens of thousands of victims are working their way through state and federal courts.
But critics say there’s been little accountability when Republicans headed the investigation and its targets have been let off lightly. None of the crisis’s perpetrators have paid a fine or served a day in jail for poisoning the city’s water or the subsequent cover-up. Likewise, the state isn’t paying reparations for the deaths or health problems resulting from Flint’s lead-tainted....
An now the Water Plant is stated to have been a poor condition.
...Flint’s Water Treatment Plant foreman, (click here) McFarland, died “suddenly,” according to his obituary, and though the Flint Journal reported there were no indications of foul play, his cause of death was unknown as of Thursday. Officials were awaiting toxicology reports. According to ABC, McFarland had been questioned by officials investigating Flint’s water crisis.
Several reports have connected Bell and McFarland’s deaths and suggested that taken together, they are “suspicious” (the Daily Mail) or constitute an effort to cover up the water crisis (Natural News).
Flint’s water crisis first made national news in December, when the city declared a state of emergency due to local children’s lead levels. (Lead-tainted water, like the water in Flint, especially severe long-term effects on children.) The first criminal charges related to the crisis rolled out last week, and Michigan’s Attorney General, Bill Schuette, tweeted that the charges were “just the beginning.”
April 27, 2016
By Alexander Lee
Two people were found dead (click here) in their homes over the past two weeks during the ongoing Flint, Michigan water crisis investigation. Sasha Bell, 19, and Matthew Bell (McFarland), 43, died in seemingly unrelated incidences, some startling facts may state otherwise."A 19-year-old Michigan mother who was one of the first to file lawsuits on behalf of the thousands of children poisoned by water in Flint was found shot to death this week." "The body of Sasha Bell was discovered Tuesday night at Ridgecrest Village Townhouses in Flint, authorities said. The body of a second woman, Sacorya Reed, was also found in the home." in a report from the NY Daily News.
"The Lapeer County Sheriff's Department said a friend found McFarland unresponsive at a home in Otter Lake. There were no signs of foul play," reported Mlive.com. "An autopsy did not determine a cause of death and police are awaiting toxicology reports. The investigation remains open... Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's office confirmed that McFarland was previously interviewed as part of its ongoing investigation into the city's water crisis."
18-year-old Malek Thornton is in custody for the murders of Sasha Bell and Sacoyra Reed. "Thornton has been charged and arraigned in this case for two counts of first degree murder, two counts of open murder and felony fireman," according to NBC 25.
It is hard to rule out the speculation that Bell and McFarland were murdered for standing up against the Flint Water Crisis. Matthew, who is a foreman of the Flint Water Treatment died days before he was to stand trial on the ongoing investigation of the water crisis that has left many families damaged from the poisonous water they had been consuming for years.
What you should consider...
It is ironic that every time the government is behind an incident such as this, they find immunity and walk away free. Upon the notice of Flint residents that their water was tainted, an EPA official resigned and walked away free despite knowing what was happening for months. Uproar of protests called for Governor Rick Synder to resign for his role on this issue. Back in 2014, Flint was in the guidance of an emergency manager appointed by the state to repair the shattered city. Governor Rick Synder was responsible for selecting those on staff for this task and once he picked his officials, they immediately went to work. The governor wanted to save as much money possible, so instead of pumping water from the Detroit system, they chose to take water from the Flint River. Unaware of the immense salt content in the river, it immediately began corroding Flint's archaic water pipelines thus flowing lead into the water system. Although the project did save millions, more harm was done than good....
January 16, 2019
By Roberto Acosta
Flint - A 21-year-old man (click here) has been found guilty in connection with an April 2016 double homicide at a Flint apartment complex.
Jurors convicted Toron Cortez Fisher on Wednesday, Jan. 16 of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and two counts of felony firearm in the shooting deaths of 19-year-olds Sasha Bell and Sacorya Reed.
Fisher and cousin Malek Emmanuel Thornton went to the victim’s residence at Ridgecrest Apartments in Flint on April 18, 2016 to retaliate for an earlier incident in which Thornton had been robbed, according to a statement from the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office.
It is convenient the 19 year olds aren't alive to testify for themselves. I find it unusual that there exists testimony that pins the blame of the actions of murderers initially on the victims. Supposedly the robbery of Mr. Thornton, which was never reported, provided a reason for murders three months later. That is the strangest reporting about murder I ever heard.
Fisher and Thornton believed the 19-year-olds were involved in setting up the robbery, per the statement. Court testimony revealed Thornton was robbed at Bell’s apartment in late 2015, according to MLive-The Flint Journal records.
Thornton pleaded guilty in October 2018 to second-degree murder and felony firearm while agreeing to testify against Fisher in the case.
Bell’s murder garnered national and international headlines due to her involvement in a lawsuit in which she alleged her child had been poisoned by lead as a result of the Flint water crisis. Police have said the murders had no direct connection to Bell’s involvement in the lawsuit....
If the only legal authority left to deal with Trump's corruption is the US House, the Democrats need to get busy.
19 January 2019
By John Wagner and Tim Elfkink
Democrats in Congress vowed Friday (click hereT) to aggressively investigate a new report that President Donald Trump personally directed his former attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the president's push for a Moscow real estate project ahead of the 2016 election.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said his panel would "get to the bottom" of the allegations in a Thursday night report from BuzzFeed News that have caused an uproar among congressional Democrats.
"We know that the President has engaged in a long pattern of obstruction," Nadler said in a tweet. "Directing a subordinate to lie to Congress is a federal crime. The @HouseJudiciary Committee's job is to get to the bottom of it, and we will do that work."
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, also said that his panel would do "what's necessary to find out if it's true" that Trump had directed Cohen, a longtime loyalist and fixer, to lie to Congress about plans for a massive Trump Tower in Moscow....
By John Wagner and Tim Elfkink
Democrats in Congress vowed Friday (click hereT) to aggressively investigate a new report that President Donald Trump personally directed his former attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the president's push for a Moscow real estate project ahead of the 2016 election.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said his panel would "get to the bottom" of the allegations in a Thursday night report from BuzzFeed News that have caused an uproar among congressional Democrats.
"We know that the President has engaged in a long pattern of obstruction," Nadler said in a tweet. "Directing a subordinate to lie to Congress is a federal crime. The @HouseJudiciary Committee's job is to get to the bottom of it, and we will do that work."
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, also said that his panel would do "what's necessary to find out if it's true" that Trump had directed Cohen, a longtime loyalist and fixer, to lie to Congress about plans for a massive Trump Tower in Moscow....
Questions? Literally.
Who needs judges and the Supreme Court when Trump can make time stand still? What exactly is the US Senate propose to do about the shutdown of the federal courts? The US Senate Judiciary Committee? Kavanaugh my quit to teach or something.
After the 2016 election when Trump said, "I will take care of you guys," He really meant it.
January 15, 2019
The U.S. District Court (click here) for the Southern District of New York's ruling to halt the inclusion of a citizenship question in the 2020 census is a victory for New York and for everyone who calls it home.
Under the guise of enforcing the Voting Rights Act, the Trump administration insisted that the question is necessary to protect eligible voters. But we see it for what it is - a blatant attempt to weaponize the census against immigrants, communities of color and sanctuary cities and states. The question is designed to intimidate immigrants into not responding to the census, leaving their communities undercounted, underrepresented and underfunded.
Time and again, the Trump administration has used illegal tactics to mislead, disenfranchise and intimidate minorities. And while they are sure to appeal the Court's decision, we believe that today's ruling is indicative of a larger victory - that our democratic institutions will not be manipulated to instill fear or to divide us.
January 18, 2019
By Thomas Kaplan
United States (click here) District Court for the Southern District of New York (Nassau County)
Washington — The federal courts (click here) are running out of money as the partial government shutdown continues with no end in sight, raising concerns that the legal system will be significantly hobbled if the standoff is not resolved soon.
Judges and court officials around the country are bracing for the likelihood that the federal judiciary will be unable to maintain its current operations within the next two weeks, once it exhausts the money it has been relying on since the shutdown began last month.
Already, courts have been cutting down on expenses like travel and new hiring. Court-appointed private lawyers who represent indigent defendants have been working without pay since late December, according to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, which provides support for the court system.
There have been other disruptions. The Justice Department is among the executive branch agencies whose funding has lapsed, and at the department’s request, some federal courts have issued orders postponing civil cases in which the Justice Department is a party while the shutdown continues, according to the administrative office....
But, the good news is though that First Lady Melania was able to be whisked away to Maralago. No problem with TSA workers, just orders from the president.
January 18, 2019
by Martha Ross
After the 2016 election when Trump said, "I will take care of you guys," He really meant it.
January 15, 2019
The U.S. District Court (click here) for the Southern District of New York's ruling to halt the inclusion of a citizenship question in the 2020 census is a victory for New York and for everyone who calls it home.
Under the guise of enforcing the Voting Rights Act, the Trump administration insisted that the question is necessary to protect eligible voters. But we see it for what it is - a blatant attempt to weaponize the census against immigrants, communities of color and sanctuary cities and states. The question is designed to intimidate immigrants into not responding to the census, leaving their communities undercounted, underrepresented and underfunded.
Time and again, the Trump administration has used illegal tactics to mislead, disenfranchise and intimidate minorities. And while they are sure to appeal the Court's decision, we believe that today's ruling is indicative of a larger victory - that our democratic institutions will not be manipulated to instill fear or to divide us.
January 18, 2019By Thomas Kaplan
United States (click here) District Court for the Southern District of New York (Nassau County)
Washington — The federal courts (click here) are running out of money as the partial government shutdown continues with no end in sight, raising concerns that the legal system will be significantly hobbled if the standoff is not resolved soon.
Judges and court officials around the country are bracing for the likelihood that the federal judiciary will be unable to maintain its current operations within the next two weeks, once it exhausts the money it has been relying on since the shutdown began last month.
Already, courts have been cutting down on expenses like travel and new hiring. Court-appointed private lawyers who represent indigent defendants have been working without pay since late December, according to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, which provides support for the court system.
There have been other disruptions. The Justice Department is among the executive branch agencies whose funding has lapsed, and at the department’s request, some federal courts have issued orders postponing civil cases in which the Justice Department is a party while the shutdown continues, according to the administrative office....
But, the good news is though that First Lady Melania was able to be whisked away to Maralago. No problem with TSA workers, just orders from the president.
January 18, 2019
by Martha Ross
Hours after President Donald Trump abruptly grounded (click here) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s flight on a military aircraft to visit troops in Afghanistan, Melania Trump flew on an Air Force plane to Florida for a weekend at Mar-a-Lago, multiple outlets are reporting.
Melania Trump, reportedly accompanied by son Barron, boarded an Air Force plane at Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday afternoon, according to to reports. She landed in West Palm Beach about 4:30 p.m., according to tweets by CNN White House correspondent Betsy Klein....
Melania Trump, reportedly accompanied by son Barron, boarded an Air Force plane at Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday afternoon, according to to reports. She landed in West Palm Beach about 4:30 p.m., according to tweets by CNN White House correspondent Betsy Klein....
Ethnic cleansing in Syria. (click here for the article - thank you)
President Obama's red lines, but, they enforced or not meant there was a cop on the beat. The USA did react to chemical weapons used by Assad and the fact they were being used for ethnic cleansing.
20 February 2018
by Kareem Shaheen
20 February 2018
by Kareem Shaheen
Almost 200 civilians (click here) have been killed in dozens of airstrikes and shelling by forces loyal to Syria’s Bashar al-Assad in eastern Ghouta over two days of “hysterical violence”, which has led to warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe that could eclipse past atrocities in the seven-year war.
The surge in the killing in the besieged region came amid reports of an impending regime incursion into the area outside Damascus, which is home to 400,000 civilians. More than 700 people have been killed in three months, according to local counts, not including the deaths in the last week.
Amnesty International said “flagrant war crimes” were being committed in eastern Ghouta on an “epic scale....
In less than two years the Republicans have turned the USA into a banana republic. (click here for link - thank you)
Trump is afraid of what Speaker Pelosi will find in Afghanistan.
January 18, 2019
By Kyle Rempfer
...If the change indeed goes through, (click here) it would come after the bloodiest year for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since the previous drawdown in 2014, when the U.S.-led coalition shifted to an advisory role under NATO’s Resolute Support mission.
The death toll has been matched with increased airstrikes against insurgent forces that rival all other years on record. The bombing was a component of Trump’s South Asia Strategy, a plan designed to drive the Taliban to the negotiating table through a mix of international pressure and kinetic operations....
With increased airstrikes came increase in civilian deaths caused by war. The suicide attacks were against civilian people for the continued presence of the USA. When there is an escalation in war, there is always retribution against civilians in the Middle East. The people are used as pawns in a very disturbing game of killing. Killing isn't the answer to war, peace negotiations are.
Where is any strategy going to go with simply killing people? How many have to die to satisfy a pathetic terrorist attempt at a coupe? There is no other way for the Taliban or Daesh to register an impact when their own die. They have no major weapons as do the USA and the Afghanistan government, but, they have fear of dying among the people. That is how they turn the tide on the Afghan government. It is what inspires Green on Blue Attacks (click here).
The USA military likes to say talks about leaving Afghanistan only makes the war worse. Not. The increase of attacks on the Taliban increases the blood spilled by civilians.
Since Trump was sworn into office the civilian deaths have escalated.
11 January 2019
By Karen McVeigh
January 18, 2019
By Kyle Rempfer
...If the change indeed goes through, (click here) it would come after the bloodiest year for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since the previous drawdown in 2014, when the U.S.-led coalition shifted to an advisory role under NATO’s Resolute Support mission.
The death toll has been matched with increased airstrikes against insurgent forces that rival all other years on record. The bombing was a component of Trump’s South Asia Strategy, a plan designed to drive the Taliban to the negotiating table through a mix of international pressure and kinetic operations....
With increased airstrikes came increase in civilian deaths caused by war. The suicide attacks were against civilian people for the continued presence of the USA. When there is an escalation in war, there is always retribution against civilians in the Middle East. The people are used as pawns in a very disturbing game of killing. Killing isn't the answer to war, peace negotiations are.
Where is any strategy going to go with simply killing people? How many have to die to satisfy a pathetic terrorist attempt at a coupe? There is no other way for the Taliban or Daesh to register an impact when their own die. They have no major weapons as do the USA and the Afghanistan government, but, they have fear of dying among the people. That is how they turn the tide on the Afghan government. It is what inspires Green on Blue Attacks (click here).
The USA military likes to say talks about leaving Afghanistan only makes the war worse. Not. The increase of attacks on the Taliban increases the blood spilled by civilians.
Since Trump was sworn into office the civilian deaths have escalated.
By Karen McVeigh
Civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan (click here) from explosive weapons rose by more than a third last year, against a downward trend globally, according to a survey seen by the Guardian.
Most of the 4,260 civilians killed or injured in explosions in the country in 2018 – up from 3,119 in 2017 – were victims of suicide attacks, found a report by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).
Globally, however, the picture was different. The report recorded a total of 22,335 civilian deaths and injuries from the use of explosive weapons in 2018, compared with 31,904 the previous year, suggesting civilian casualties fell by about a third. There was also a 26% decrease in attacks recorded on populated areas around the world.
In total, 78% of civilians casualties recorded in Afghanistan were caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) – 62% in suicide attacks, AOAV found. Civilian casualties caused by Isis explosives in Afghanistan rose by 90% compared with the year before. The number of civilian casualties from airstrikes almost doubled, from 238 in 2017 to 463 last year. The report attributed the increase – which the organisation said was probably underestimated, given that not all casualties are reported – to the US conducting a greater number of strikes aimed at the increased military presence....
...The overall decrease in civilian casualties worldwide was largely due to the short-term defeat of Isis in Iraq and Syria, Overton said, as well as the decline of Boko Haram in Nigeria....
January 5, 2019
New Delhi - Russia, Wednesday (click here) said India's role in Afghanistan is "indispensable" and complimented it for carrying out various developmental initiatives.
...The overall decrease in civilian casualties worldwide was largely due to the short-term defeat of Isis in Iraq and Syria, Overton said, as well as the decline of Boko Haram in Nigeria....
January 5, 2019
New Delhi - Russia, Wednesday (click here) said India's role in Afghanistan is "indispensable" and complimented it for carrying out various developmental initiatives.
The comments by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov about India's engagement in the war-ravaged country came days after US President Donald Trump mocked New Delhi's role in Afghanistan.
The minister, currently visiting India, was also critical of the US and some other countries for their tendency to display "raw power" in some cases, without thinking of the consequences.
"In all countries, where we see domestic conflicts, the issue of development is the number one issue. Wars can be won, but peace cannot be ensured without any material investment into economic development, social stability," he said in response to a question on India's role in rebuilding of Afghanistan.
Indian efforts and that of other countries in the area of material support to Afghanistan is an "indispensable one," Sergei Ryabkov said at a press conference....
Thursday, January 17, 2019
No ally should trust Trump and allied militarizes should have relationships with USA Generals, not Trump.
Trump is not trustworthy. Allies should not trust him so long as he is courting the communists and dictators.
Michael Cohen, (click here) a former personal lawyer for US President Donald Trump, said on Thursday he paid a firm to manipulate online polling data "at the direction of and for the sole benefit of" Trump.
Cohen had paid the data firm Redfinch Solutions (click here) to manipulate two public opinion polls in favour of Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Cohen appeared to confirm the newspaper report via Twitter.
This is our president. It doesn't matter how he wins just so long as he wins. He does not care the damage he leaves in his corrupt wake.
Corrupt.
Immoral.
Manipulative.
Those are the characteristics of a president of the USA? Who can trust anything he does or anyone he endorses?
Redfinch Solutions should be held responsible for fraud.
This is our president. It doesn't matter how he wins just so long as he wins. He does not care the damage he leaves in his corrupt wake.
Corrupt.
Immoral.
Manipulative.
Those are the characteristics of a president of the USA? Who can trust anything he does or anyone he endorses?
Redfinch Solutions should be held responsible for fraud.
Alita: Battle Angel | Official Trailer [HD] |
This is where we are today, America. Happy Valentine's Day. Jerks.
This is more of the same USA RETREAT FROM LEADERSHIP under this administration. Massive Missile Defense adds to fears of nuclear proliferation.
The Trump administration has been removing the USA from global leadership since it's beginnings and adding missile defense at a time of government shutdown is asking the computers to protect the USA from nuclear annihilation.
To begin the Legislature has to be involved in any major shift in national defense strategy. So, the president can act as an executive branch leader and explore these options, he can deploy the assets the USA already has, but, he cannot completely change the national defense of the USA alone.
Today, (click here) Fort Greely (Alaska) proudly serves as the primary support base for a host of tenants that support the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) initiative. The main component support is the Alaska Air National Guard whose key mission is security and operation of the Missile Defense Site. A small regular Garrison unit is in charge of oversight of the post and main cantonment areas.
There are several components to nuclear proliferation and one is hiding behind missile defense systems such as those deployed in Alaska and Israel. Israel is a place where such defense systems are in frequent use and proves their effectiveness. However, they can be overwhelmed and that has occurred on occasion in Israel. The missile defense systems are not perfect and there are options to turn the system into an aggressive tool as well by tracing the missile trajectory back to the place of origin. Currently, the USA does not employ that option. I believe Israel does not either.
Of course, Russia and China have their own systems. The Russian system was recently deployed in Syria as an answer to Israel's attacks against Hezbollah and munitions sent from Iran. That decision followed the downing of a Russian jet, but, also added a layer of aggression by Syria that it did not have before. If Syria is immune to rocket fire there is nothing to say Assad won't view that new capacity as a reason to war. Then The West and Russia will have more than a danger to the people of the region, it will have a proxy war between The West and the communists. Putin did not carry out any intention to peace in the Middle East by deploying missile defense in Syria. There is more danger today than ever. At least Israel used it's discretion wisely when preventing munition shipments to Hezbollah.
If the five permanent nuclear countries arm themselves to the teeth with missile defense systems, the world is not a better place. The communists, especially Russia, will continue to seek to undermine the USA technology through computer hacking and the like while having their nuclear weapons set for destruction. I know there was "Stuxnet" (click here), but, it is no longer a secret now is it?
I think it is fine for the president to review the nuclear capacity of the USA and it's READINESS, but, to plan to expand the missile defense system is an open statement the USA is pulling back into it's borders and it may let the rest of the world figure out the balance of power by itself. That is where the USA was before WWII.
With global expansion of missile defense systems, the world enters into a place where peace is unheard of and only nukes and their interceptors are important. The entire scenario is hideous. The interception of nuclear missiles has to occur at high altitudes and what happens when nuclear warheads are destroyed at high altitudes? I don't believe it is even possible to test such a scenario and completely foolish to try. Is Bikini Island/Atoll habitable yet? Just curious. I suppose inhabit is the wrong word. Let me put it this way, is it still the place to test Geiger Counters?
One has to ask when does the world return to nuclear non-proliferation? Pakistan needs to desperately remove it's nuclear capacity from the world. How did that mess ever happen anyway? Oh, yeah, a national hero called Dr. Kahn. Which in turn provided technology to North Korea and the nightmare scenarios were fit for the "Twilight Zone." I think the modern day paranoia is called, "Preppers."
I refuse to propagate the paranoia that goes along with missile defense. There is a far better answer and it is to engage the world for peace and end this hideous nonsense in fear of each other. Ronald Regan was on that path and made remarkable steps in the direction of peace, who has the right to reverse that? In my opinion NO ONE.
September 11th was about men who sought to turn infrastructure against the people that built it. It was not about nukes until someone in DC dreamed up the idea of "dirty nukes." Today, the greatest danger to civilization other than the Climate Crisis remains the angry men that want to kill "The Other" with merciless hatred. It seems to me the idea of missile defense is so far outdated it has outlived it's ability to be effective as a national defense. This march by Trump to raise the fear level in the USA by highlighting missile defense is as old as he is and it needs to stop. If Russia is that much of a threat, China needs to realize its nations of people are equally in danger when the missile exchange between opposing parties begins.
Nukes are pure foolishness and the missile defense system more so.
January 17, 2019
By William J. Broad and Annie Karni
Washington — President Trump (click here) is heading to the Pentagon on Thursday morning to announce what the White House has billed as a “Missile Defense Review” at 11 a.m. He will be accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, John R. Bolton, the White House national security adviser, and other senior members of his administration.
Here’s what he’s going to say:
Mr. Trump is expected to announce the administration’s plans to expand American missile defenses, with new investments in missile-defense technologies. The goal is to bolster the nation’s defenses against new strides in nuclear arms and missiles in Iran, North Korea, Russia and China and other potentially hostile states. The document that Mr. Trump will unveil, known as the Missile Defense Review, was originally planned for release last year, but was delayed. The changes mark the first update to the policy since a 2010 review by the Obama administration.
Here’s some background on that:
The gargantuan effort to shield the nation from missile strikes is often said to start with President Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” program that began in 1983. Over the decades, the United States has spent more than $300 billion on the antimissile goal, according to Stephen I. Schwartz, a military cost expert....
To begin the Legislature has to be involved in any major shift in national defense strategy. So, the president can act as an executive branch leader and explore these options, he can deploy the assets the USA already has, but, he cannot completely change the national defense of the USA alone.
There are several components to nuclear proliferation and one is hiding behind missile defense systems such as those deployed in Alaska and Israel. Israel is a place where such defense systems are in frequent use and proves their effectiveness. However, they can be overwhelmed and that has occurred on occasion in Israel. The missile defense systems are not perfect and there are options to turn the system into an aggressive tool as well by tracing the missile trajectory back to the place of origin. Currently, the USA does not employ that option. I believe Israel does not either.
Of course, Russia and China have their own systems. The Russian system was recently deployed in Syria as an answer to Israel's attacks against Hezbollah and munitions sent from Iran. That decision followed the downing of a Russian jet, but, also added a layer of aggression by Syria that it did not have before. If Syria is immune to rocket fire there is nothing to say Assad won't view that new capacity as a reason to war. Then The West and Russia will have more than a danger to the people of the region, it will have a proxy war between The West and the communists. Putin did not carry out any intention to peace in the Middle East by deploying missile defense in Syria. There is more danger today than ever. At least Israel used it's discretion wisely when preventing munition shipments to Hezbollah.
If the five permanent nuclear countries arm themselves to the teeth with missile defense systems, the world is not a better place. The communists, especially Russia, will continue to seek to undermine the USA technology through computer hacking and the like while having their nuclear weapons set for destruction. I know there was "Stuxnet" (click here), but, it is no longer a secret now is it?
I think it is fine for the president to review the nuclear capacity of the USA and it's READINESS, but, to plan to expand the missile defense system is an open statement the USA is pulling back into it's borders and it may let the rest of the world figure out the balance of power by itself. That is where the USA was before WWII.
With global expansion of missile defense systems, the world enters into a place where peace is unheard of and only nukes and their interceptors are important. The entire scenario is hideous. The interception of nuclear missiles has to occur at high altitudes and what happens when nuclear warheads are destroyed at high altitudes? I don't believe it is even possible to test such a scenario and completely foolish to try. Is Bikini Island/Atoll habitable yet? Just curious. I suppose inhabit is the wrong word. Let me put it this way, is it still the place to test Geiger Counters?One has to ask when does the world return to nuclear non-proliferation? Pakistan needs to desperately remove it's nuclear capacity from the world. How did that mess ever happen anyway? Oh, yeah, a national hero called Dr. Kahn. Which in turn provided technology to North Korea and the nightmare scenarios were fit for the "Twilight Zone." I think the modern day paranoia is called, "Preppers."
I refuse to propagate the paranoia that goes along with missile defense. There is a far better answer and it is to engage the world for peace and end this hideous nonsense in fear of each other. Ronald Regan was on that path and made remarkable steps in the direction of peace, who has the right to reverse that? In my opinion NO ONE.
September 11th was about men who sought to turn infrastructure against the people that built it. It was not about nukes until someone in DC dreamed up the idea of "dirty nukes." Today, the greatest danger to civilization other than the Climate Crisis remains the angry men that want to kill "The Other" with merciless hatred. It seems to me the idea of missile defense is so far outdated it has outlived it's ability to be effective as a national defense. This march by Trump to raise the fear level in the USA by highlighting missile defense is as old as he is and it needs to stop. If Russia is that much of a threat, China needs to realize its nations of people are equally in danger when the missile exchange between opposing parties begins.
Nukes are pure foolishness and the missile defense system more so.
January 17, 2019
By William J. Broad and Annie Karni
Washington — President Trump (click here) is heading to the Pentagon on Thursday morning to announce what the White House has billed as a “Missile Defense Review” at 11 a.m. He will be accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, John R. Bolton, the White House national security adviser, and other senior members of his administration.
Here’s what he’s going to say:
Mr. Trump is expected to announce the administration’s plans to expand American missile defenses, with new investments in missile-defense technologies. The goal is to bolster the nation’s defenses against new strides in nuclear arms and missiles in Iran, North Korea, Russia and China and other potentially hostile states. The document that Mr. Trump will unveil, known as the Missile Defense Review, was originally planned for release last year, but was delayed. The changes mark the first update to the policy since a 2010 review by the Obama administration.
Here’s some background on that:
The gargantuan effort to shield the nation from missile strikes is often said to start with President Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” program that began in 1983. Over the decades, the United States has spent more than $300 billion on the antimissile goal, according to Stephen I. Schwartz, a military cost expert....
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Facts please.
I think it is perfectly fine if Speaker Pelosi cites security as an issue with the State of the Union address since Trump's government shutdown. We already know the hearings for nominee to the Attorney General's office was changed because of security issues due to the government shutdown. So, the idea the problem with security running over into other official capacities under the Capital Dome is more than reasonable.
I would suggest that Speaker Pelosi make public the assessment that brought her to that conclusion. We did not see proof from Trump or the US Senate stating why security was an issue with the Senate hearing for the Attorney General office, so perhaps the Speaker will have greater respect for the American people and allow them to understand why there is a delay in the State of the Union address.
That is all the American people want is clarity in these particular problems because otherwise the Republicans treat it like a football and turn it into rhetoric to score points for elections. Americans need to understand the facts and that is what President Obama always brought to his speeches. He brought facts and the American people responded in kind to his requests.
This is not difficult. It is based in truth and honest. The American people want a strong voice from their government about any issue that manifests based in truth, honesty and justice.
January 16, 2019
By Ramesh Ponnuru
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (click here) is rescinding her invitation to President Trump to give the State of the Union address on January 29. She says he should not give it until the shutdown is over, or should deliver it in writing. The president can give the same speech if he wants to — but he will have to give it in a less traditional venue.
The House Republicans’ campaign committee has sent out an email grouping Pelosi’s decision with other Democrats’ expressions of hostility to the Senate, the Electoral College, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But the Senate and the Electoral College are part of our Constitution, and ICE is necessary to carry out an important government function. An annual presidential speech to Congress is neither. If the shutdown results in the end of this tradition begun by Woodrow Wilson, something good will have come of it....
I would suggest that Speaker Pelosi make public the assessment that brought her to that conclusion. We did not see proof from Trump or the US Senate stating why security was an issue with the Senate hearing for the Attorney General office, so perhaps the Speaker will have greater respect for the American people and allow them to understand why there is a delay in the State of the Union address.
That is all the American people want is clarity in these particular problems because otherwise the Republicans treat it like a football and turn it into rhetoric to score points for elections. Americans need to understand the facts and that is what President Obama always brought to his speeches. He brought facts and the American people responded in kind to his requests.
This is not difficult. It is based in truth and honest. The American people want a strong voice from their government about any issue that manifests based in truth, honesty and justice.
January 16, 2019
By Ramesh Ponnuru
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (click here) is rescinding her invitation to President Trump to give the State of the Union address on January 29. She says he should not give it until the shutdown is over, or should deliver it in writing. The president can give the same speech if he wants to — but he will have to give it in a less traditional venue.
The House Republicans’ campaign committee has sent out an email grouping Pelosi’s decision with other Democrats’ expressions of hostility to the Senate, the Electoral College, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But the Senate and the Electoral College are part of our Constitution, and ICE is necessary to carry out an important government function. An annual presidential speech to Congress is neither. If the shutdown results in the end of this tradition begun by Woodrow Wilson, something good will have come of it....
How many knew the shutdown would effect the USA economy?
Yep, that is what I thought. Everyone who walks upright and a few who don't, knew that the government shutdown would effect the USA economy. That makes Trump the president that can't get a clue.
January 16, 2019
By Chris Riotta
As Democrats and Republicans clash (click here) over Donald Trump’s demands for $5.7bn in funding for a southern border wall, the president's Council of Economic Advisers has acknowledged the government shutdown will have a far worse impact on economic growth than anticipated.
The agency — which advises the president on matters of economic policy — revealed in its latest analysis the shutdown could force the US economy to contract, meaning a drop in national output, along with declines in real personal income and industrial production.
The loss in economic growth will nearly double what the council had predicted in its original estimates. The shut down is currently in its 26th day....
January 16, 2019
By Chris Riotta
As Democrats and Republicans clash (click here) over Donald Trump’s demands for $5.7bn in funding for a southern border wall, the president's Council of Economic Advisers has acknowledged the government shutdown will have a far worse impact on economic growth than anticipated.
The agency — which advises the president on matters of economic policy — revealed in its latest analysis the shutdown could force the US economy to contract, meaning a drop in national output, along with declines in real personal income and industrial production.
The loss in economic growth will nearly double what the council had predicted in its original estimates. The shut down is currently in its 26th day....
Evidently, everything Trump purports are lies. Why did he victimize a young man with a hopeful future?
Trump has no morals what so ever. This was a great moment for those young men and AGAIN he makes it about himself. Did Trevor Lawrence have to learn that politicians can't be trusted?
January 15, 2019
By Jacob Bogage
“President Trump got all our favorite foods, it was the best meal we ever had. Then we go see the coastal elite media trashing it for not being organic vegan. We’re football players, not bloggers. This was a perfect blue collar party.”...
...But Tuesday afternoon, the fake quote attributed to Lawrence spread on social media. Pasted below a photo of Lawrence celebrating Clemson’s national championship victory over Alabama, with the headline of “Clemson QB speaks out to defend America,” it circulated mostly in far-right circles on Twitter....
...Lawrence refuted the image in a tweet, saying he never made those remarks and the trip to the White House was “awesome.”
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