Mohammed bin Salman didn't come into power until 2017.

The take over of this branch of the bin Salman family changed the relationship. The USA should rethink it's relationship with Saudi Arabia. I do not believe that we should be involved with them anymore, except, if the USA doesn't sell them munitions, the Russians will. That would be worse.

October 18, 2022
By Craig Whitlock and Nate Jones

The picture (click here) of President George W. Bush leading an aged Saudi King Abdullah by the hand through the gardens of his Texas ranch in 2005 has become both iconic and symbolic of the U.S.-Saudi relationship. For over 40 years, the United States has walked hand-in-hand with Saudi Arabia through the thicket of Middle Eastern crises.

More than 500 retired U.S. military personnel (click here) - including scores of generals and admirals — have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses and political repression, according to a Washington Post investigation.

In Saudi Arabia, for example, 15 retired U.S. generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants for the Defense Ministry since 2016. The ministry is led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, who U.S. intelligence agencies say approved the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributing columnist, as part of a brutal crackdown on dissent....

Holding hands is a cultural issue with the former Crown Prince. It was a different time not long ago when the USA and Saudi Arabia were friends. However, a branch of the bin Salman family took over control and placed the current Crowned Prince, Mohammad bin Salman in power. This Saudi Arabia is more close to Russia then the previous leadership ever was. I am not making excuses, that is a fact.

The USA military is a unique entity in the world and it is sought after as a mimic to other countries. Being American is unique and it produces an incredible military. I honestly don't believe any other country in the world can mimic the USA. The soldiers of the USA democracy are incredible and every person in this country has a debt to them for the protections they receive.

Any military authority that went to work for Saudi Arabia before MBS would not compromise the USA's national security. There was just a different understanding then. With Trump in office there was an emergence of cooperation with adverse leadership around the world, including the Phillipines, Russia, China and countries like Saudi Arabia that had a change in leadership. Trump was a new danger to national security, only at the time there was no Republican willing to impeach him and the danger to the USA national security continued to the point where highly classified documents were hidden from the American people, even today.

Below is the kind of assault against the USA Constitution that Trump demanded from US Attorneys. 

October 18, 2022
By Salvador Rizzo and Rachel Weiner

A jury on Tuesday found Igor Danchenko (click here) - a private researcher who was a primary source for a 2016 dossier of allegations about former president Donald Trump’s ties to Russia - not guilty of lying to the FBI about where he got his information.

The verdict in federal court in Alexandria, Va., is another blow for special counsel John Durham, who has now lost both cases that have gone to trial as part of his nearly 3½-year investigation. Durham, who was asked by Attorney General William P. Barr in 2019 to review the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign in 2016, is sure to face renewed pressure to wrap up his work following the verdict.

Trump predicted Durham would uncover “the crime of the century” inside the U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies that investigated his campaign’s links to Russia. But so far, no one charged by the special counsel has gone to prison, and only one government employee has pleaded guilty to a criminal offense. In both trials this year, Durham argued that people deceived FBI agents, not that investigators corruptly targeted Trump....

Fusion GPS was a partnership of very experienced journalists with credentials that withstood scrutiny. Christopher Steele was a very good choice in asking for his experience and his connections to learn more about Trump's relationship with Putin and Russia. There were issues that came to the surface, but, the GOP once AGAIN decided to play politics with national security and insisted on discrediting Steele's work rather than following the evidence to validate it. 

...Fusion, (click here) in turn, subcontracted with Christopher Steele, a retired MI-6 officer with considerable expertise on Russian matters, to use his contacts in Moscow to find what he could about Trump’s connections to the Russian government. That work led to the compilation of Steele’s dossier, written up in the style of an intelligence report and based on unnamed sources, that contained a variety of serious charges against Trump....

Here we are today with a Mueller Investigation and now January 6th Committee under the same damn stupid pressure from the GOP that wants to deny the existence of a dangerous element of American politics in Donald Trump. THE SAME DAMN THING!

The GOP in the USA is corrupt. End of discussion. No one should be voting for Republicans that not only will side with Trump, but, sides with the entire dictator culture of White Supremacists and Christian Nationalists in the style of Viktor Orban. Americans, get over it. This entire episode with the GOP is about the worst scenario in American history. The GOP is sacrificing the USA Constitution in favor of a dictator modeled after Orban.

But, to get back to Saudi Arabia. There needs to be a change in relationship. OPEC voted with Russia. It favored profit over human lives and that is beginning to be the character issue with Saudi Arabia. 

What do we know about Russia and it's communists?

THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS.

What are we seeing with Saudi Arabia?

THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. 

No one is safe in a country where that paradigm rules the day, that includes Orban.

October 18, 2022

In this photo (click here) provided by Ibrahim Almadi, Saad Ibrahim Almadi sits in a restaurant in an unidentified place, in the United States, on August 2021. Almadi, 72, who is a citizen of both Saudi Arabia and the U.S., was arrested in Saudi Arabia last November and was recently sentenced to 16 years in prison over tweets critical of the Saudi government.

Dubai - An American citizen (click here) has been arrested in Saudi Arabia, tortured and sentenced to 16 years in prison over tweets he sent while in the United States, his son said Tuesday.

Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old retired project manager living in Florida, was arrested last November while visiting family in the kingdom and was sentenced earlier this month, his son Ibrahim told The Associated Press, confirming details that were first reported by The Washington Post. Almadi is a citizen of both Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials....

At least they didn't dissolve this one in acid. But, at the age of 72 he will die in a Saudi prison and most probably under harsh conditions.

This is a problem for the USA and it has yet to develop a policy regarding immigrants to the USA with continued ties to radically different governance than they becomes used to as citizens here. I believe this is a growing problem and it needs to be taken head on within the USA State Department to develop relationships with these people to prevent such heinous issues such as being jailed for speaking openly in the USA about someone like MBS.

I think the freedom of speech such immigrants find in the USA only sets them up for danger when they return to see family. There is an American, Paul Whelan (click here), currently jailed in Russia for spying. He went there quite innocently to attend a wedding. Paul Whelan is a very bright man, worked in security after he served in the USA as a Marine (click here). Such people are noticed by these extremist countries and watched. When their presence in a hostile country occurs they are arrested for no reason, except lies. Lies are legal tender in places like Russia and Saudi Arabia. People die in these countries for absolutely no reason. 

Russia arrests people like Paul Whelan because he is viewed as an honorable American that will carry great sympathy with the American public. Then political pressure comes to bear in the USA and Whelan becomes a chip in an international game for exchange of prisoners. That is why Paul Whelan is in a Russian prison and no other reason.

So, while there was a time in America when international relations was open and prosperity was linked to economic advantages for both countries, that door is closed. No, it is not closing, it is closed and primarily by dictators willing to see the Free World come to an end. Not just willing, but, desirous of seeing the Free World come to an end.

The Late President George H. W. Bush used the phrase, "family of countries" when carrying out international relations and seeking peace and prosperity. He did that as a USA ambassador and he carried it into his presidency. That held for some time, but, there is no longer that priority. Russia had destroyed every aspect of peace and prosperity as advocated by the USA when it began genocide of Ukrainians. The break down of such a dynamic actually began when Putin invaded Crimea and lit the Donbas on fire.

I would not call this a return of the Cold War, the players are different. Russia is no  longer the USSR and NATO is larger. It isn't the same. I sincerely think NATO has an opportunity to become disengaged with these countries and find autonomy rather than dependency. It is sad, but, it is true that men like Orban and Putin are in power in countries that embrace war as if the past can be resurrected.

The world is very different. There are problems with countries today we didn't face a short time ago. Communists are not benevolent by nature. And now, Saudi Arabia is looking more as if it has lost principles of international relationships and instead wants to be a strong man country.

For decades, (click here) the United States has operated out of bases and facilities throughout the Middle East. As security priorities have changed and relationships with host countries have evolved, so have the locations and needs of U.S. forces in the region....

Some of what the USA is seeing with issues presenting themselves with Saudi Arabia is Russia's influence due to OPEC. Russia's allies don't like the idea of USA military power anywhere in the Middle East. We are there to protect our allies in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Saudi Arabia has been an ally, but, that is changing. Old men like peace, young men like ideals. That is the problem with MBS. He is an ideological leader that refuses to allow freedom of speech surrounding his name. 

It is strange. The USA intercepts ships carrying munitions from Iran that would ultimately target Saudi Arabia, yet there are reasons to change American policy with the kingdom.

Along the Persian Gulf there is Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the UAE and don't forget Kuwait. Then there is India. It will be very difficult to separate from Saudi Arabia and it's relationship with our military. 

Why Saudi Arabia wants to vote profit over human lives in backing Russia within OPEC is more a character issue with MBS. I cannot say is he not leading the country well domestically when it comes to changing from an oil based economy to a service based economy. Saudi Arabia has transformed a segment of it's economy that never existed before and the reason is Peak Oil and the climate crisis. 

In all sincerity the problem is MBS and his need for control in an immature manner. I think he needs to stop being a bully, quite frankly, because I don't see stability in Saudi Arabia if the USA abandons it.

The real question is how does the USA engage peace over war in the Middle East? That is the basic problem. Israel has been working hard to build benevolent relationships in the region and has succeeded to a greater extent. I don't think MBS or Egypt understands the stabilizing force Israel is as they sympathize with Palestine. I am not saying abandon Palestine, that isn't it. But, Israel is a valuable partner in the stability of the region.

I think the problem with Saudi Arabia is MBS. It was for the Khashoggi murder and it is for the recent jailing of Saad Ibrahim Almadi. I think that is where the USA should seek pressure to bring about a better relationship with Saudi Arabia. The problem is MBS. Israel has to be brought into the picture regarding any shift in USA presence in the region and it may be that will bring about a different stance. Israel is the key player here and the USA cannot make moves without our strongest ally.

Freedom of Speech is on the chopping block with all these leaders. Real lives are being destroyed because of the hatred of Freedom of Speech. Freedom of Speech is happening. It is called the internet and the future has little tolerance for dictators. MBS needs to rethink the future of freedom in Saudi Arabia. It just isn't letting ladies drive automobiles.

There is another issue that Israel might be able to cast light on and that is the families seeking justice pursuing Saudi Arabia. There needs to be a change in policy, but, it must be carried out well and in a way that doesn't cause greater destabilization leading to unwanted wars. If there are such wars, the USA could be pulled into them.

While engaging Israel, get the advise about former USA military leadership and jobs in places like Saudi Arabia. I am quite sure Israel has strong opinions.

It's genocide.

The attack upon Ukraine has brought about  a reality that cannot be ignored or corrupted. There is only one moral side to this conflict and it is to oppose Russia in every way. There are no excuses for minimizing the impact of Russian assaults. It cannot be tolerated or brought into perspective to serve the purpose of providing comfort to Putin or the people of Russia endorsing this genocide. Countries that believe their economy should override human life are not allies or friends. There really isn't anything else to say about this atrocity.

We thought nothing like this would ever occur again after the Nazis were removed from power and held for trial. Certainly it wouldn't happen again. Well, it has. To live in denial for the convenience of profit is not living with the actual horror of the current actions of Russia and it's current president.

We want our money back. Now!

Who approved those payments? Just that simple. When the government has an agreement as to prices it will pay, anything else is corruption. It is inappropriate use of taxpayer money. I don't care if it came out of the president's budget, it was wrongfully paid and it all needs to be returned now!

October 17, 2022

By Carol D. Leonnig

Former president Donald Trump’s company (click here) charged the Secret Service as much as five times more than the government rate for agents to stay overnight at Trump hotels while protecting him and his family, according to expense records newly obtained by Congress.

The records show that in 40 cases the Trump Organization billed the Secret Service far higher amounts than the approved government rate — in one case charging agents $1,185 a night to stay at the Trump International Hotel in D.C. The new billing documents, according to a congressional committee’s review, show that U.S. taxpayers paid the president’s company at least $1.4 million for Secret Service agents’ stays at Trump properties for his and his family’s protection.

“The exorbitant rates charged to the Secret Service and agents’ frequent stays at Trump-owned properties raise significant concerns about the former President’s self-dealing and may have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) wrote to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle....

Close the loopholes. All these military projects are supposed to be classified and our national security protected.

I refuse to believe these are open ended contracts and/or funding. No one is saying go ahead and make megadollars  by exporting American national security to China. No one is saying that.

This is no different than that wacko Chinese telecommunications outfit. This is all espionage, corporate or otherwise. The DOJ needs to step in and ask for an investigation into the wrongful dealings of these companies and the people acting as Chinese agents regardless of their American citizenship.

October 17, 2022

By Cate Cadell

 and 

Ellen Nakashima

In a new revelation (click here) by a Taiwanese news agency, the Chinese PLA has deployed its latest hypersonic cruise missile “DF-17” near the coastline aimed at Taiwan, allegedly in preparation of an invasion.

Military research groups (click here) at the leading edge of China’s hypersonics and missile programs — many on a U.S. export blacklist — are purchasing a range of specialized American technology, including products developed by firms that have received millions of dollars in grants and contracts from the Pentagon, a Washington Post investigation has found.

The advanced software products are acquired by these military organizations through private Chinese firms that sell them on despite U.S. export controls designed to prevent sales or resales to foreign entities deemed a threat to U.S. national security, the investigation shows.

Scientists who work in the sprawling network of Chinese military research academies and the companies that aid them said in interviews that American technology — such as highly specialized aeronautical engineering software — fills critical gaps in domestic technology and is key to advances in Chinese weaponry....

The Biden Administration needs to intervene early in the contract talks of the Longshoremen unions.

The EPA has a role in these talks as well. If the unions are responsible for the increased pollution to the area, that is something that cannot be ignored. Pollution shortens lives and no union is allowed to put lives in peril in these circumstances. The hospitals should be interviewed for increased asthma attack rates, especially with children.

October 17, 2022
By Tony Biscoe

When Janet Schaaf-Gunter peered (click here) through the window at San Pedro Bay last year, she saw so many cargo ships it looked as if Southern California was on the brink of an invasion.

As a veil of gray exhaust settled over the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Schaaf-Gunter worried about how much more diesel pollution she and her neighbors would be inhaling during the shipping logjam.

“I’m looking out my window, and I have a view of the harbor, which is lovely — and used to be more lovely,” said Schaaf-Gunter, a member of San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United. “And I’m seeing dozens of ships that are along our coast sitting out there spewing.”...

Importing these cars to the USA is possible as there are no emission requirements for electric cars.

October 16, 2022
By Saritha Rai

When Bhavish Aggarwal (click here) arrived for a recent visit at the Ola Futurefactory, marketed as the world’s largest electric two-wheeler plant, the company’s founder was quick to spot a shuttered entryway that should have been left open. He immediately summoned a custodial manager, people who were present said, and meted out a punishment: run three laps around the several-acre-large plant.

Such an unsparing attitude has made Aggarwal, 37, one of India’s most determined entrepreneurs but also one of its most divisive. In his twenties, the founder of India’s largest ride-sharing company held off deep-pocketed rival Uber to remain the country’s top brand. Now, Aggarwal wants his Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd to displace Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc and China’s BYD Co. as the industry leader for electric vehicles by carving out a niche in lower cost designs....

Half a billion in FEMA relief and five disaster centers in Florida.

Hurricane Ian was more of a climate storm than any other. The map of Florida is changing as I write this and there is more land lost to flooding in now three weeks since the hurricane.

Sure the hurricane has passed, but, it was assisted by sea level rise to impact Florida permanently.

October 16, 2022

FEMA is providing (click here) rental assistance, hotel stays, repair assistance, reimbursement for temporary lodging and other forms of support for Floridians affected by Hurricane Ian who can’t live in their homes.

Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists are going door-to-door in Florida neighborhoods to help individuals register for assistance. These teams have interacted with 26,500 individuals.

FEMA will pay hotel and motel costs for eligible survivors. FEMA and the state of Florida activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program, which allows FEMA to make payments directly to participating hotels and motels in Alabama, Florida and Georgia that provide emergency shelter to survivors. As of today, the program is providing housing for 1,256 households with 3,233 members.FEMA has made individual assistance available to 26 counties in Florida. Residents in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam....

There is just no argument. The melting that is occurring in Antarctica and in Greenland is causing storms such as Ian to far higher storm surges. Not only are there the wind driven waters, but, also the waters now find its way inland with paths opened by the storm. These lands will fill with water and will not be recoverable.

October 4, 2022

by Ben Clarke and Friederike Otto

Greenland Ice Melt (click here)

...On reaching the coast of Florida, (click here) Ian made landfall as a category 4 storm with winds of up to 249km/h (155mph) as well as storm surges and torrential rain.

But Ian wasn't finished there. The hurricane carved a path of destruction across the state before sweeping back out to sea, where it refueled and turned northwards, striking South Carolina and driving deeper into the U.S....

Florida was created and not actual land when real estate was developed. There are a lot of sink holes because there were drained swamps replaced with concrete and dirt fill for lawns, roads and communities. Florida has a high level of water intrusion with this storm and it isn't going to resolve. To believe it is a good idea to reclaim the land and make the same mistake all over again is foolish. People need to realize the climate crisis is doing immense damage and they need to move on. That may hold true for businesses as well. 

This is a USGS map of the Florida substrate (click here). The blue is all limestone and the yellow clay and mud. With water intrusion these lands are vulnerable to permanent instability and flooding.

Map color key (click here)

(from the article above)

...Scientists have studied the rainfall from several recent storms and consistently confirmed this pattern. The rainfall totals from Hurricanes Katrina, Irma, Maria, Harvey, Dorian and Florence were all made more intense by climate change....

The way I look at land reclamation, is the survivability this time as opposed to next time. Not all land should be recovered. 

October 12, 2022

By Maria Martin

Tallahassee – The state of Florida (click here) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have opened two additional Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC), one in Polk County and one in Seminole County.

Polk County

W.H. Stuart Center, 1702 S. Holland Pkwy, Bartow, FL 33830

Seminole County

Seminole State College - Barbara Miller Automotive Center, 100 Weldon Blvd., Sanford, FL 32773

The Centers are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

Disaster Recovery Centers provide disaster survivors with information from Florida state agencies, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Survivors can get help applying for federal assistance and disaster loans, update applications and learn about other resources available.

Counties eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance include Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia. Impacted residents can apply at DisasterAssistance.gov....

I will be blogging tomorrow.

 I hope everyone is well.

Joe Biden is a great president. The country has done well even considering the monstrous problems it has faced. If it weren’t for President Biden’s leadership, the people of Ukraine would be lost to us. We have a fabulous First Lady in Jill.

Until tomorrow, thank you for your interest.

Joseph R. Biden, our president…

 …has the global moral high ground. Not all presidents can claim that. That fact should bring the American people closer to a senior statesman, not seeking ageism as an excuse for politics.

OPEC could have acted on a humanitarian basis rather than what the market dictates. OPEC voted with Russia.

A crater (click here) left by a missile strike on a playground in Taras Shevchenko Park on Monday in Kyiv,

The path forward for the Free World should be obvious. 

The Free World needs to act responsibly in targeting zero greenhouse gas emissions and those it trades with that does not adhere to those standards.

October 13, 2022
By Luke Broadwater

“He is required to answer for his actions,” (click here) said the chairman of the committee investigating the Capitol attack. The panel revealed new video of congressional leaders desperately seeking help from the Trump administration and the National Guard as rioters stormed the building.

October 13, 2022
By Adam Liptak

Washington - The Supreme Court (click here) on Thursday rejected a request from former President Donald J. Trump to intervene in the litigation over documents seized from his Florida estate.

The court’s order, which was a sentence long, was a stinging rebuke to Mr. Trump. There were no noted dissents, and the court gave no reasons, saying only: “The application to vacate the stay entered by the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on Sept. 21, 2022, presented to Justice Thomas and by him referred to the court is denied.”

Perhaps Trump's lawyers can subpoena the documents from Vladimir Putin or Xi or Un or whoever was on the fax list of preferred friends.

Russia MUST relinquish the Ukraine nuclear facility to prevent another nuclear accident.

The United Nations has voted that Russia must relinquish land that belongs to Ukraine. Russia needs to return to it's own borders and stop harassing the world with nothing but horror, genocide and one problem after another. 

This is the most ridiculous war carried out by what every other country believed was a powerful nation. It is hideous and Putin keeps hanging on to an ideology that is dead with the fall of the Soviet Union. Putin is now proving to the world why the Soviet Union could not succeed as Russia fails nearly every test of a degree of morality rather than hatred and a ridiculous thirst for power.

This cannot continue.

The plant was stable on 15 March 2022, it is no longer!

October 12, 2022

By Adam Schreck and Hanna Arhirova

‘The worst case (click here) is an accident like six times Fukushima,’ says Ukrainian nuclear safety expert Dmitry Gumenyuk. He is worried about the Zaporizhzhya power plant that fell into the hands of Russian troops 11 days ago....

Ukraine’s biggest nuclear plant, (click here) which is surrounded by Russian troops, has lost all external power needed for vital safety systems for the second time in five days, the head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said Wednesday, calling it a “deeply worrying development.”

The warning from International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi came amid a flurry of developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s military command said its forces recaptured five settlements in the southern Kherson region, and Russia’s main domestic security agency said eight people had been arrested in connection with the weekend Crimea bridge blast....

We miss everyone of them. They were slaughtered and to deny it is heinous all by itself.

The assassinations of the students and teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary School occurred December 14, 2012. 

October 12, 2022
By Dave Collins

Waterbury - The conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (click here) should pay $965 million to people who suffered from his false claim that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax, a jury in Connecticut decided Wednesday.

The verdict is the second big judgment against the Infowars host over his relentless promotion of the lie that the 2012 massacre never happened, and that the grieving families seen in news coverage were actors hired as part of a plot to take away people’s guns.

It came in a lawsuit filed by the relatives of five children and three educators killed in the mass shooting, plus an FBI agent who was among the first responders to the scene. A Texas jury in August awarded nearly $50 million to the parents of another slain child....

Trump clearly had his own agenda for the property of the American people.

October 12, 2022
By Devlin Barrett and Josh Dawsey

A Trump employee has told federal agents (click here) about moving boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago at the specific direction of the former president, according to people familiar with the investigation, who say the witness account — combined with security-camera footage — offers key evidence of Donald Trump’s behavior as investigators sought the return of classified material.

The witness description and footage described to The Washington Post offer the most direct account to date of Trump’s actions and instructions leading up to the FBI’s Aug. 8 search of the Florida residence and private club, in which agents were looking for evidence of potential crimes including obstruction, destruction of government records or mishandling classified information.

The people familiar with the investigation said agents have gathered witness accounts indicating that, after Trump advisers received a subpoena in May for any classified documents that remained at Mar-a-Lago, Trump told people to move boxes to his residence at the property. That description of events was corroborated by the security-camera footage, which showed people moving the boxes, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation....

Russia needs to realize it's actions against Ukraine are not at all accepted on a global basis.

October 12, 2022
By Emily Rauhala, Ellen Francis, Bryan Pietsch, Leo Sands, Victoria Bisset, Maite Fernández Simon and
Sammy Westfall

The United Nations on Wednesday (click here) voted to condemn Russia’s illegal seizure of Ukrainian territory, dealing a symbolic but important blow to Moscow’s diplomatic standing as it ramps up attacks on civilian sites and infrastructure.

The U.N. General Assembly adopted a U.S.-sponsored resolution that demands Russia reverse its annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine. The text, which is not legally binding, was adopted by a vote of 143-5 with 35 abstentions.

The vote came as NATO defense ministers convened in Brussels to discuss sending more air defense systems to Ukraine. The “malice and cruelty” of Russia’s recent escalation has only deepened allies’ commitment to supporting Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a group of officials at the meeting.

The UN vote comes at an important time when NATO is meeting. This vote provides the solid ground that NATO is standing on. Ukraine is not at fault. 

I thought this might be of interest.

Every comment is read and/or heard and recorded as part of the public record to effect policy to protect those that cannot protect themselves. The comments submitted via the public docket do not have to be formal legal comments, but, rather important information regarding the effects of lead nd copper on our children and older adults as well as the general population. Every American is important and every comment given esteem. No lawyer is necessary to write to the public docket.

October 12, 2022

Washington – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (click here) will host two virtual public meetings to discuss and solicit input on environmental justice considerations related to the development of the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). These sessions will provide opportunities for EPA to share information about the upcoming LCRI rulemaking and for individuals to offer input on environmental justice considerations related to the rule.

“Our work to engage disadvantaged communities negatively impacted by lead is critical to ensuring environmental justice within the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “This is an important step towards the development of our rule improvements and towards replacing all lead service lines, a commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.”

EPA is committed to protecting families and communities from lead in drinking water. As part of the LCRI rulemaking process EPA is considering prioritizing protections for historically underserved and overburdened communities. EPA intends to propose the LCRI for public comment in 2023 and take final action by October 16, 2024. Obtaining public input on the development of the proposed LCRI is critical to the rule development process.

The two public meetings will be identical and will be held in an online-only format on October 25 (1-4 pm EDT) and November 1, 2022 (5-8 pm EDT). Members of the public interested in participating in a meeting can register here and will also have the opportunity to sign up to provide verbal remarks. EPA encourages the public to share thoughts on how to equitably address lead in drinking water issues in their communities.

EPA is also accepting written comments via the public docket at http://www.regulations.gov/, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0801 until November 15, 2022.

EPA intends to propose the LCRI for public comment in 2023 and take final action by October 16, 2024....

Tomorrow is World Sight Day. Maintaining sight with annual exams is important.

World Sight Day (click here) is a global event that focuses on bringing attention on blindness and vision impairment. It is observed on the second Thursday of October each year.

Thank you for joining (click here) our celebration of Blindness Awareness Month, which we mark every year to help others understand the realities of living without sight.

100% of your gift helps bring life-changing independence and dignity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired through Seeing Eye® dogs at little or no cost.

Make an even greater impact by giving monthly. Learn about the benefits of joining Paw Partners, our monthly giving program, by clicking here.

There is nothing Russia says that is trustworthy.

 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-fsb-arrests-eight-crimea-bridge-blast-2022-10-12/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily-briefing&utm_term=10-12-2022

We all know torture is not likely to result in the truth about anything. Putin also is attempting to create a STORYLINE to justify escalation of the illegal genocide he started. Nothing is trustworthy from Russia.

President Zelensky has also denied involvement in both the pipeline explosion and the explosion on the bridge. These explosions are uncharacteristic of the DEFENSIVE war Ukraine has carried out to date.

October 10, 2022
By John Konard

A subsea power cable (click here) is now online after an earlier outage caused a complete blackout on a small Danish island. The cable is located near the Nord Stream pipeline which caused some European media pundits to worry that it was an attack on the power grid.

The cable, which links the island of Bornholm Denmark to the Swedish mainland, was reconnected just before noon today a spokesman for the German Energy giant EON SE told Bloomberg. The company said the power was shutdown because of a small fault landside and not an attack on the cable or cyber system.

The cable is the only link to a major power grid and supplies the 40,000 people who live on the island. It’s located near the Nord Stream pipelines.

The power cable has been damaged several times in the past, most recently earlier this year, but an investigation showed that a ship’s anchor had likely caused the damage.

A power plant on the island was put online to produce electricity during the cable outage, Danish media reported.

October 10, 2022
By Mike Schuler

All 33 offshore wind turbines (click here) have now been installed at Japan’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm.

The installation was carried out by Seajacks International’s Seajacks Zaratan jackup vessel at the Akita and Noshiro offshore wind farm situated off the Japanese Akita Prefecture.

The project, which is owned by Akita Offshore Wind Corporation (AOW), is the first commercial-scale fixed-bottom wind farm to be constructed in Japan. It is being constructed at two locations just off Akita Port and the nearby Noshiro Port.

The two locations have a total capacity of 140 megawatts (MW), enough to power approximately 150,000 homes. The power will be sold to Tohoku Electric Power Co. under a 20-year purchase agreement....