Guiliani has FARA violations, but, "The Grenade" has been carrying out and planning regime change.

October 30, 2019

...More than a decade ago, (click here) shortly after withdrawing from the 2008 presidential race, Giuliani took on an advisory role with Vitali Klitschko, a former boxer who at the time was running for mayor of Kyiv. The two convened a press conference in Times Square in May 2008, according to press reports at the time, during which Giuliani told Klitschko that Ukraine needs "a leader like you who can deal with corruption, who can deal with reform of government, which is so necessary."

Klitschko lost that race, but won the job when he ran again in 2014. He remains in the post today. After becoming mayor, Klitschko hired Giuliani on a $300,000 contract to advise Kyiv’s local authorities on how to restore order in the capital after the country’s Maidan Revolution, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Klitschko told The Washington Post earlier this month that he never paid Giuliani for his consultations, but the two appear to remain close. Giuliani recently tweeted his support of Klitschko: "The former champion is very much admired and respected in the US."...

Today, Trump and Pompeo authorized the release of information regarding the Mojahedin that Guiliani has been representing. Previous to today, it was all under wraps.

This is all pure speculation on my part, but, it seems more or less very feasible. What is the chance Guiliani is attempting to pull off a "W" in securing regime change?

Ahmed Chalibi (click here) was the one Iraqi that pushed "W" to invade Iraq. He was a guest of the president at his State of the Union address. Guess what's coming up? Trump's State of the Union address.

Rudy Guiliani is the president's State Department and is why he is wielding power in some areas of the world and "The Grenade" in foreign policy. The killing of Iranian generals should have lead to war. How perfect is this? Trump has war with Iran and Giuliani has ready people for regime change.

January 7, 2020

...The former New York City mayor (click here) has had a long-standing interest in Iranian affairs. He was once paid by organizations linked to an Iranian dissident group formally designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization—until Giuliani helped get the outfit off the terror list. As recently as the summer of 2018, Giuliani appeared on stage at an event for the People’s Mojahedin of Iran, known by its Farsi acronym, MEK. He’s stayed in touch with the group’s U.S. lobbyists, meeting with representatives of its political arm as recently as last fall. And when Trump authorized the strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top general, Giuliani jubilantly referred to the MEK in the first person. Soleimani was “directly responsible for killing some of my MEK people,” he told The Daily Beast in an interview on Monday afternoon. “We don't like him very much.”...

What is it with these guys already? The mayor of Kyiv is a whole world away from overthrowing governments and regime change. With the lawlessness of the Trump administration, it is not a far reach to see this cabal plotting to overthrow the USA Constitution.

This is a conspiracy. It is a heck of a lot more than FARA violations.

Russian IRA and/or GRU. This is unfortunate.

Russian hackers are getting to be known as a real nuisance. But, Russia and Ukraine are seeking a peace process. This isn't helpful.

President Zelinskyy and his new Prosecutor General already decided to re-examine the intelligence regarding Burisma. The Russian Hackers won't find anything different than Ukraine's government. If the IRA or GRU intends to modify any information, it will be brought into question with information already secured by the Zelinskyy administration.

Russia needs to stop being an international nuisance. 

January 13, 2020
By Mike  Murphy

Russian hackers (click here) have successfully penetrated servers of the Ukrainian gas company at the center of President Donald Trump's impeachment, the New York Times reported late Monday. Cybersecurity officials told the Times that Russian military hackers have breached Burisma in a campaign that started in November, as impeachment hearings were in full swing. Burisma is the company where former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, was a board member, and experts said the timing and target indicate the Russians may be trying to find potentially embarrassing material against the Bidens, the Times said. The attack reportedly bears striking similarities to the 2016 Russian hack into the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. The Burisma hack was carried out by members of Russia's GRU, a military intelligence unit, the Times reported, who used phishing emails to gain access through Burisma subsidiaries. It it not clear what exactly the hackers might have been searching for, or what they discovered, the Times said....

The deaths of two Iranian generals is not the same as the death of Osama bin Laden or al Baghdadi.

Trump has stated General Soleimani was a terrorist leader. He was not leading terrorists and hiding in a cave. His status as a general of a sovereign country is far different than that of the terrorist leaders hiding in caves. Trump's killing of Iranian generals was a very hostile act and a complete departure from USA policy.

Trump is backpedaling his shameful record on health care.

Trump's statements (click here) on health care is an attempt to discredit Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

If Trump wants to begin to build his credentials in health care he can stop the hideous lawsuit to end the Affordable Care Act.

There were never any embassies targeted by Iran. FACT.

Trump is lying and lying is not semantics. Trump is trying to raise the public's anger with Iran.

FACT:

After the death of two Iranian generals, the Iranian military stated they would continue to carry the Late General Solemani''s plans. They did. They targeted USA military installations.

Iran has never attacked a foreign embassy with the exception of the American Embassy during the Iranian revolution that removed the Shaw from power. There is no embassy anyone can point to that was ever a target of the Iranian military.

As a matter of fact, Iran stated before they attacked American military instillations that Iran was not interested in killing Americans.

These are all facts and documented.

In regard to Ukraine's downed airliner, there were Ukrainian inspectors or people qualified to inspect the wreckage of the jet who stated there was evidence of parts of a missile. It was after Ukraine made that statement that Iran took ownership of the matter. It was helpful for Ukraine to have Canada also state the responsibility of Iran to be known. Having allies is a good thing.

I am leaving early to a half day of travel tomorrow morning. I may move “It’s Sunday Night” to Sunday afternoon. The past two months have provided too many interruptions this late on a Sunday. 

I thank you for your interest. I think Sunday afternoon will serve as a better time for these postings.

Until later.

Give with one hand and take with the other.

I think it is appropriate that higher-income individuals pay more in taxes, but, don't increase taxes with the idea seniors will be served by it, they won't. The cost of living increases are vital to older Americans, but, don't penalize them with higher costs to Medicare.

January 7, 2020
By Cherly Winakur Munk

...For starters, (click here) higher-income workers will pay more Social Security taxes this year. As a result of an increase in the maximum taxable wage base, workers earning $137,700 or more will see their FICA taxes increase to $10,534.05 this year, up $367.20 from 2019, the publication reports. Self-employed individuals will pay double that amount, up to $21,068.10 in FICA taxes in 2020.

Social Security recipients will receive a 1.6% cost-of-living adjustment, but, alas, higher Medicare premiums will offset some of this boost....

...One bit of good news for certain recipients: Social Security beneficiaries who are under full retirement age and continue to work can earn $600 more in 2020 than they could in 2019—without forfeiting benefits. A person who reaches full retirement age in 2020 can earn an additional $1,680 without sacrificing benefits....

That is right, older Americans work besides getting benefits to MAKE ENDS MEET. In earning their additional much needed income they also pay taxes, including into Medicare. So for the "Working Elderly", they get hit with taxes both in their Social Security Check in having Part B deducted and in their paychecks. That is double taxation and there is something very wrong about it.

Very little reporting occurred about Trump's new director of SSI. There was plenty of objection by some special interest groups in opposition to him. As is the usual fashion, Trump never cares about ethical issues with his appointees, he bearly cares about legal worthiness, Andrew Saul is laughable in his self-righteous behaviors.

October 1, 2018
By Linda Benesch

(Washington, DC) — The following is a statement (click here) from Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, in anticipation of tomorrow’s Senate Finance Committee hearing on Donald Trump’s nomination of Andrew M. Saul for Commissioner Of Social Security:

“Like so many of Donald Trump’s nominees, Andrew Saul is utterly unqualified for the position to which he has been nominated. He has no background in Social Security whatsoever.

He did, however, serve on the board of the right-wing Manhattan Institute which has consistently been extremely hostile to Social Security, including publishing articles advocating for drastic cuts to benefits.

Furthermore, Saul has a track record of deeply concerning personal conduct. In November 2007, Saul was forced to drop out of the race for a New York Congressional seat due to unethical campaign contributions. In April 2012, Saul tried to lie “his way out of a trespassing rap by falsely identifying himself as a police commissioner.”

Saul graduated from The Wharton School in 1968, the same year as Donald Trump. Like Trump and many of Trump’s appointees, including Brett Kavanaugh, Saul appears to believe that his wealth and privilege should make him above the law....

Saul's appointment may outlive that of Trump in that he can hold the office until 2025. He can do a lot of damage in his remaining commission.

With the cost of living benefit this year the AVERAGE Social Security benefit will increase to $1,503 in 2020, up just $24 per month from the previous year. It is any wonder there are so many elderly working in places where they can find work that is simple and part-time. The employers know who they are and they don't pay a minimum wage of $15.00 per hour.

Then realize they are paying taxes in their part-time income checks and increases in the Part B Medicare premiums. There is no justice for the "Elderly Workers."

The standard Part B premium for outpatient services, which is usually deducted directly from Social Security benefits, increased by $9.10 per month to $144.60 in 2020. That’s a 6.7% increase in the base Medicare premium.

So, the COLA was a 1.6 percent increase in SSI, BUT, the cost increase in Part B was 6.7 percent. There is something VERY wrong with this picture.

I also don't want to hear how any SSI rescue plan is going to see people living into their 90s or later. The truth is American longevity is decreasing and not increasing. I wonder why.

November 29, 2018

If life expectancy (click here) gives us “a snapshot of the nation’s overall health,” then new federal numbers released Thursday “are a wakeup call that we are losing too many Americans, too early and too often, to conditions that are preventable,” says Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the government’s annual mortality report, life expectancy in the U.S. overall fell in 2017 for the second time in three years.

The average American could expect to live 78.6 years, down from 78.7 years in 2016, according to the report from the National Center for Health Statistics....

Plenty of the "Working Elderly" are choosing to retire at 72 years old with an incentive that they will receive the monies per month that were promised to them a decade ago but have since been reduced. Realize life into the 80s or 90s is in the minority and those retiring at 72 are only seeing about six years of SSI retirement.

Is it any wonder why White Men in their 50s are dying prematurely due to a lifestyle that removes the word caution from the dictionary. What kind of retirement do they have to look forward to? Why not live it all now and at least know something about what they are promised if they had made it to retirement? I doubt any of those 50 somethings have pensions to look forward to because they have been talked out of them politically.

By the way, for the employers, PENSIONS (when intact) is a way of delaying some salary increases. Sometimes the promise of a healthy pension at retirement is pleasing to workers. Gee, I wonder why? Pensions are not susceptible to government legislation reducing or imposing deductions on them because Congress can't contain it's spending or tax cuts to the wealthy.

The year 2020 will be a big year for elections regarding the ENTITLEMENTS of the USA to it's elderly. It might not be discussed and even swept under the table as nothing to worry about, but, if the wrong people make it into the White House and Congress the elderly and their well being will not be on the agenda.

The people of Puerto Rico should be brought to the mainland USA for an expected period of time.

US Navy and Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is close to the deepest submarine depression in the North Atlantic Ocean (second in the world). The Puerto Rico Trench, roughly parallel to the northern coast of the island of Puerto Rico and lying about 75 miles (120 km) to the north. The Puerto Rico Trench is about 1,090 miles (1,750 km) long and 60 miles (100 km) wide. The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, the Milwaukee Depth, lies within the Puerto Rico Trench, at a depth of 27,493 feet (8,380 meters) in the western end of the trench, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Puerto Rico. The origin of the trench can be traced back to the beginning of the Tertiary period. The Puerto Rico Trench appears to be part of a complex system of sinistral strike-slip faults in the north Caribbean; the trench seems to have been opened continuously for about 70 million years. It is partially filled with sediments.

The Caribbean's greatest known depth is Cayman Trench (Bartlett Deep) between Cuba and Jamaica, at approximately 25,216 feet (7,686 meters) below sea level.

January 11, 2020
By Grace Hauck

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake (click here) shook Puerto Rico on Saturday morning, causing a landslide in the southern municipality of Peñuelas.

The quake at 8:54 a.m. local time struck 8 miles southeast of Guanica at a shallow depth of 3 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It is the most recent in a string of quakes and aftershocks that have left thousands on the island without power and water.

Preliminary reports by the USGS said the quake was a magnitude 6.0 at a depth of 6 miles.

The quake caused outages across the island, including areas of Lares, Adjuntas, Ponce and San German, according to Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority. The department was evaluating the extent of the damage.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

In Peñuelas, a landslide sent people running, Telemundo Puerto Rico reported. Video of the landslide shows dust kicking up on a hillside as people below run in different directions. Drone video published by Me...

January 10, 2020
By Doyle Rice

Following a series of earthquakes, (click here) the situation in Puerto Rico remains dire, with more than 2,000 people in shelters, nearly 1 million without power and hundreds of thousands without water as of Thursday.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there have been more than 950 earthquakes and aftershocks recorded on Puerto Rico since Dec. 31, though many were weak and could not be felt. More than 500, however, have been of magnitude 2 or higher.

The worst quake – a magnitude 6.4 that struck early Tuesday – killed at least one person, injured at least nine and caused the power outage.

So why have there been so many earthquakes in Puerto Rico over the past few days?

"Puerto Rico has been hit by what scientists call an earthquake swarm, which is a series of earthquakes rather than the usual pattern of one dominant earthquake followed by aftershocks," John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Southern California, told USA TODAY....

There is a great deal of instability in this region with the smaller techtonic plates. There is Haiti and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system (click here) between the North American and Caribbean plates.

Mexico experienced a devastating earthquake due to the fracturing of the Cocos plate (click here). The quake was so extreme it produced "earthquake lights." (click here)

October 24, 2018
By Robin George Andrews

Tectonic evolution of the Cocos Plate

On September 7, 2017, (click here) a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck southern Mexico, killing dozens and injuring hundreds. While earthquakes are common enough in the region, this powerful event wasn’t any run-of-the-mill tremor.

That’s because part of the roughly 37-mile-thick tectonic plate responsible for the quake completely split apart, as revealed by a new study in Nature Geoscience. This event took place in a matter of tens of seconds, and it coincided with a gargantuan release of energy.

“If you think of it as a huge slab of glass, this rupture made a big, gaping crack,” says lead author Diego Melgar, an assistant professor of earthquake seismology at the University of Oregon. “All indications are that it has broken through the entire width of the thing.”...

The point to all this is to realize Puerto Rico is in danger from the climate crisis and in an ever growing frequency, earthquakes strong enough to bring about landslides and frequent electrical outages. The Puerto Rican people can't be expected to continually pull themselves up by the boot straps. They need to be provided refugee status and brought to the mainland USA. 

It will be years before any further geological survey by the US Navy and/or the USGS is completed. The Puerto Rican people are our responsibility and they need a home where life can go forward rather than always falling back into paths of recovering from disaster.

A welcome change between The West and Iran.

January 11, 2020
By Grace Hauck

Hours after Iranian officials (click here) accepted blame for shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet, Canada's prime minister called for justice for the families of the 176 people killed.

"Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific. Iran must take full responsibility," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a press conference Saturday. He called the crash, which killed 63 Canadians, a "senseless loss of life."

"Even in a moment of heightened tensions, this should never have happened," he said. "There are going to be many conversations and reflections on consequences."

In a phone call with Trudeau on Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had committed to collaborate on the investigation, de-escalate tensions in the region, and continue a dialogue, Trudeau said....

There needs to be a change in international policy that provides for a redirection and/or suspension of air travel when any act of war is expected and/or underway. This is the second time in only a few years that airliners were destroyed because of war. It is hard to believe there aren't such standards in place already, but, evidently there isn't significant enforcement to provide for safe passage.

(1)     At its 13th session (September 1952: CO-ORDINATION/R.132) (click here) CCAQ adopted certain guiding principles to secure uniformity in many conditions of travel and removal.

Where air travel is in jeopardy, other means must be available to people even if passing through other countries is necessary to provide for their safety. International cooperation in saving civilian lives should be a strong initiative. Taking civilian hostages should never be allowed and every effort should be made to return them to their homeland uninjured.

January 11, 2020

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (click here) said today that Iran’s admission that the Iranian military has dropped a Ukrainian passenger plane with a rocket is a step in the right direction, but those responsible for it need to be looked into, Reuters reported. Iran has admitted today that the Ukrainian plane was shot down by a missile by mistake.

Zelensky wrote this on Twitter after having a telephone conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rohani earlier today.

“I urge that the identification of the bodies and their return to Ukraine be completed immediately,” Zelensky said in a tweet.

A message from the Ukrainian presidency about Zelensky’s telephone conversation with Rohani says that the Iranian president has promised his Ukrainian counterpart that the perpetrators of the crash with the Ukrainian plane will be tried, France reported.

Rohani also had a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today and promised him a further inquiry into the descent of the Ukrainian plane, Reuters quoted Iran as saying....

The deaths are extremely unfortunate, but, at least Iran has come forward to take responsibility. I am confident Iran will be hearing from families and their legal representatives. I would expect the same cooperation for them as well.

Brian Morley, attorney for Shekter Smith may have said the profound words for Flint to date, “I understand the frustration. I understand what happened here, but, you have to make sure it is the right people that are being punished. 

Flint has yet received justice for it’s trauma.

Twenty years ago, the USA government believed this was simply a 15 to 20 year PHASE for Earth.

"W"rong!

January 8, 2020
By Isabel Togoh

...2010–2019 (click here) was the warmest decade since records have been kept of the Earth’s temperature, beginning in 1979. Over the past five years, the Earth’s temperature has been between 1.1°C and 1.2°C above preindustrial levels....

Ten years of record setting global temperatures is not a trend that will end, but, a profound reality of the climate crisis on Earth.

Europe witnessed its warmest year ever recorded in 2019, while the rest of the world experienced its second-warmest year on record, marginally behind 2016’s unprecedented conditions, according to the European Union’s Climate Change Service.

2019 was the fifth year in a series of “exceptionally warm years,” scientists found. The most pronounced warming was measured in Alaska and across parts of the Arctic. ...

I and many others never believed Earth was simply going to straighten out in 20 years of some silly cycle. There was and is absolutely no historic record of a 20 year cycle. It was a politically propagandized position and I suppose it saved many jobs. The one person inside the government that never stated such totally wrong rhetoric, James Hanson (click here).


19 June 2020
By Oliver Milman

...Hansen (click here) provided what’s considered the first warning to a mass audience about global warming when, in 1988, he told a US congressional hearing he could declare “with 99% confidence” that a recent sharp rise in temperatures was a result of human activity....

Thirty long years in carrying forward the climate crisis message and it was all ignored. Why? Because of Big Oil. They paid the bills for a corruptible Congress. Is there any reason those that ignored all these years of warnings, scientific evidence and professional articles and white papers, should be re-elected to continue the same corrupt priorities?

2019 saw a tipping point by losing it's carbon sinks, the reefs, the forests and any moisture in the land. Is there any wonder as to why fire tornadoes reached as high as three miles into the troposphere?

The US House did the hard work needed to bring a valid impeachment to trial in the Senate. It is not Speaker Pelosi's fault that Moscow Mitch is corrupt to the core.

January 10, 2020
By Lissette Voytko

After weeks of uncertainty (click here) about next steps in Trump’s impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter Friday that a resolution will be brought next week for representatives to vote on transmitting articles of impeachment to the Senate⁠—which means the Senate’s trial will begin shortly thereafter. 

- Pelosi has been withholding the transmission of the articles until she was assured that Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell would ensure a fair trial would be held.

- According to Pelosi’s letter, “Yesterday, [McConnell] showed his true colors and made his intentions to stonewall a fair trial even clearer by signing on to a resolution that would dismiss the charges.” 

- Pelosi’s letter also says that while the House was able to obtain enough evidence that Trump exhibited impeachable conduct, four new developments have strengthened their case.


- House Judiciary Committee chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) will bring the resolution to the House floor next week, according to Pelosi’s letter, and she will consult with the Democratic caucus Tuesday on how to proceed....

Speaker Pelosi was correct in asking the US Senate to present it's rules so decisions as to who would present the articles to the US Senate could be made. Little did anyone know, Moscow Mitch isn't interested in the USA Constitution so much as politics. I think he is losing on the politics, though.

January 3, 2020
By Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux and Laura Bronner

...But in the latest installment of our survey with Ipsos, (click here) where we use Ipsos’s KnowledgePanel to poll the same group of respondents every two weeks, a majority (57 percent) of Americans said they think Trump committed an impeachable offense. Fifty-two percent said they think Trump’s actions regarding Ukraine or his refusal to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry constitute enough evidence to remove him from office....

Republicans need better leadership. There are at least two women who are worthy of Majority Leader:

January 10, 2020
By Michael Shepard

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine (click here) told reporters on Friday that she is working with a “fairly small group” of fellow Republican senators toward a goal of ensuring witnesses can be called in the chamber’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump....

I think it would be a surprise if Senator Lisa Murkowski changed her position in any way. She embraces the ethical demands of the USA Constitution in providing an open and fair US Senate hearing.

...Murkowski told NBC affiliate KTUU (click here) that she believes there should be distance between the Senate, which will serve as the jury for [President] Trump’s impeachment trial, and the White House. McConnell’s comments, she said, have “further confused the process.” "To me, it means we have to take that step back from being hand in glove with the defense,” Murkowski said. ... Murkowski told KTUU she is committed to observing Trump’s trial objectively. It would be “wrong,” she said, “to prejudge and say there’s nothing there.” To jump to conclusions about Trump’s guilt would also be unfair, Murkowski added....

The country is watching.

The Executive Branch cannot unilaterally change law.

There will be lawsuit after lawsuit filed when any entity attempts to break the law.

42 U.S.C. §4321 et seq. (1969) (click here)

NEPA needs to be made stronger and include assessments of the Climate Crisis.

January 9, 2020
By Lisa Friedman

The White House on Thursday (click here) introduced major changes to the nation’s benchmark environmental protection law, moving to ease approval of major energy and infrastructure projects without detailed environmental review or consideration of climate change.

Many of the changes to the law — the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act, a landmark measure that touches nearly every significant construction project in the country — had been long sought by the oil and gas industry as well as trade unions, which have argued that the review process is lengthy, cumbersome and used by environmental activists to drag out legal disputes and kill infrastructure projects.

Under the law, major federal projects like bridges, highways, pipelines or power plants that will have a significant impact on the environment require a review, or environmental impact statement, outlining potential consequences. The proposed new rules would narrow the range of projects that require such a review and impose strict new deadlines on completing assessments....

Any protests of the Department of the Interior and the USA EPA under Trump can begin with this!

This is time lapse photography of the Mendenhall Glacier of the Juneau Ice Fields. This in Juneau, Alaska. The lake gets bigger, the ice into the lake becomes less and less and the moraines at it's outside boundaries become exposed.

The albedo of the glacier is diminished setting up a negative feedback loop. The soot on the terminus of Mendenhall is caused from air pollution and the melting of the ice. As the ice melts the water runs off and the soot accumulates. The more dense the soot, the more heat from the sun is absorbed in the form of infrared.

A visit to the homeland can be very enlightening.

January 9, 2020
By Heidi Glen

GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah (click here) says he found a classified military briefing from administration officials Wednesday so "upsetting" that he will now back a proposal to limit President Trump's power to take military action against Iran and to reassert Congress' role in authorizing the use of military force.

Lee says that at the Senate briefing about the military strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani was led by administration officials, including Defense Secretary Mike Esper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and CIA Director Gina Haspel. He said the briefers instructed lawmakers not to ask tough questions about the president's ability to use military force against Iran.

"It was terrible. It was an unmitigated disaster," Lee told Morning Edition host Rachel Martin Thursday.

Lee says his frustration is not over Soleimani's killing.

"It was instead about the possibility of future military action against Iran. And it was on that topic they refused to make any commitment about when, whether and under what circumstances it would be necessary for the president — for the executive branch of government — to come to Congress seeking authorization for the use of military force," he says. "I find that unacceptable."...

It is generational change.

It has always been anticipated even from the marriage of William and Kate. Harry is right. He is the guardian of the future when it comes to a changing monarchy. He is sixth in succession to the thrown and he can, with ease, begin the idea of a self-sufficient monarchy that continues to serve the people and their cultural heritage. I applaud the monarchy for moving forward into a far more inclusive life of royal and private.

I think Harry and Meghan have their place in the royal family exactly right. With Charles to become the next King his role is complimented by a son seeking a higher road. This is new, fresh and very exciting. I am quite confident everyone will want them to succeed.

January 2020

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, (click here) we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge, and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”

Their Royal Highnesses, 
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Two different jets. Were they both shot down. It doesn't appear that way.

One of these jets was definitely hit by a powerful missile, Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. Care to render a guess? The debris fields are different. I am not an inspector, but, since the authorities are leaving his up to others to decide, I can try to find similarities to find where a powerful explosion from a missile brought down a commercial airliner.

Above:

July 18, 2014
By BellaNaija.com

The final Facebook (click here) post of a passenger who was on the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, is currently trending.

Hours before the plane crashed in Ukraine, a man believed to be a passenger made reference to the missing Malaysian Airlines MH370 which mysteriously vanished in March.

On his Facebook page, Cor Pan shared a photo of the plane he was about boarding with a caption, “Mocht hij verdwijnen , zo ziet hij d’r uit”. It has been translated to “If it disappears, this is what it looks like”....

I really think this is a no brainer and here is why:

How MH17 Came Apart Over Ukraine (click here)

The Malaysian flight was hit at a higher altitude and with a missile strike; the debris field is much larger as the pieces feel from the sky.


The center structure is number 3 and the debris field is huge and on closer inspection is decimated. The other parts of the jet were further downfield and mostly intact. The missile obviously exploded the main body of the jet in Ukraine.


Below:

January 9, 2020
By Jim Sciutto, Pamela Brown, Barbara Starr and Maegan Vazquez

The US increasingly believes that Iran (click here) mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian airliner on Wednesday, according to multiple US officials. The working theory is based on continuing analysis of data from satellites, radar and electronic data collected routinely by US military and intelligence.

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he suspected the crash was not due to mechanical issues, indicating that "somebody could have made a mistake on the other side."

Asked during a White House event what he thought happened to the plane, Trump said, "Well, I have my suspicions."...

The disruption of the 737-800 was at a far lower altitude and occurred on take off. It is difficult to believe an Iranian military missile could carry out such a trajectory. It was too low to the ground for the type of missiles Iran was firing into Iraq. This was either something that went wrong with the jet itself which is indicated by the reverse course of the pilot or a rocket fired from the ground similar to that fired at an Israeli jet in Kenya years ago by terrorists.

Wikipedia:

Almost simultaneous to the attack on the hotel, (click here) two shoulder-launched Strela 2 (SA-7) surface-to-air missiles were fired at a chartered Boeing 757 airliner owned by Israel-based Arkia Airlines as it took off from Moi International Airport. The Arkia charter company had a regular weekly service flying tourists between Tel Aviv and Mombasa. Kenyan police discovered a missile launcher and two missile casings in the Changamwe area of Mombasa, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the airport. The pilots planned on an emergency landing in Nairobi after seeing the two missiles streak past them, but decided to continue to Israel. The airliner landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv about five hours later, escorted by Israeli F-15 fighter jets.^[7] Following the attack, all flights from Israel to Kenya were cancelled indefinitely.

It is grossly hostile and negligent to simply accuse the Iran government of downing a commercial jet when absolutely nothing is known officially about this crash, except, that it happened. Here again the Trump administration is putting a political spin on this to benefit some kind of idea of omnipotent knowledge of events as they happen. Trump's administration is FRAUDULENT in their assessment. These assessments don't happen overnight. Evidence to the cause of such downings takes months and years to determine.

January 8, 2020
By Taylor Telford and Douglas MacMillan

As investigators scramble (click here) to determine what caused a Boeing 737-800 to crash early Wednesday, the plane’s maker is grappling with another catastrophe as it continues to reel from its 737 Max crisis.

The Ukraine-bound 737-800 crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s main international airport, killing all 176 on board. Early reports from Iranian state media attributed the crash to engine failure. Ukraine’s embassy in Iran at first concurred, issuing a statement ruling out terrorism, but then removed it without explanation.

A later statement from the embassy said a panel has begun an investigation and “any statements about the causes of the accident before the decision of the commission are not official.”...

Ukraine is taking the correct and best approach to this downing. There has to be evidence, such as what caused the explosion or fire. Residues can be found at a microscopic level if this were an artificial explosion caused by a bomb on board or a rocket in proximity to the jet. Either way, Ukraine will have an answer for everyone once proper forensics occurs.

The statements out of Washington, DC are inflammatory.