Beer Countess Who Flew Epstein's 'Lolita Express' 32 Times Quits Child Protection Charity

The wife of a British aristocrat and frequent flyer on Jeffrey Epstein's 'Lolita Express' has stepped down from her role volunteering for the UK's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

Clare Hazell - an interior designer who became the Countess of Iveagh after her 2001 marriage to the 4th Earl of Guinnes (of the brewing dynasty) - took 32 flights on Epstein's infamous airplane between 1998 and 2000, which included "trips to his homes in New York, Florida, the Caribbean and New Mexico," according to the Daily Mail. Epstein accompanied Hazell on all but one of the trips aboard the plane, per flight logs.

Ms Hazell was studying at Ohio State University in the 1990s and reportedly had a modelling agency and an apartment in Columbus, Ohio.

The friend described her as being at Epstein's 'beck and call', saying how mutual plans would be cancelled immediately if she was needed by Epstein and Maxwell. -Daily Mail

Hazell, now known as Lady Iveagh, worked for Epstein 'Madam' Ghislaine Maxwell according to accuser Maria Farmer, who says she also interacted with Iveagh at the Ohio estate of Victoria's Secret boss Leslie Wexner. Farmer said that Hazell "liked having nice drinks, piles of cash and nice outfits." She was listed in Jeffrey Epstein's famous Black Book as "Clare Hazell-Iveagh."

Another Epstein accuser, Virginia Giuffre, accused Hazel of sexually abusing her:

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/eyes-wide-shut-countess-who-flew-epsteins-lolita-express-32-times-quits-child-protection

Backlash after NYT columnist says Republican voters would rather burn ‘entire neighborhood’ than rent room to non-whites

New York Times columnist Wajahat Ali has faced backlash after he said that, if given a choice between having a non-white tenant or burning their house down, GOP voters would rather set fire to the whole area.

Ali, who is the Times’ contributing op-ed writer and was formerly a CNN commentator, raised quite a few eyebrows when he tweeted the claim on Sunday.

“I hope people realize that there are many white Republican voters in this country if they're given a choice between renting a room in their house to a person of color or burning down the house, they will elect to burn down the entire neighborhood,” he tweeted.

The journalist argued that such sentiment is quite common among caucasian Republicans, adding: “It’s not just a small fringe.”

If you think this is an exaggeration, you should study US history. Look at what many white communities did after desegregation. Some shut down the local pools instead of allowing equal access for everyone.

— Wajahat "Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic" Ali (@WajahatAli) July 19, 2020

The pushback was swift, with netizens accusing Ali of “pushing an agenda” by using an example from times long gone.

“That was almost 70 years ago, in one region of the US. MOST states in the US at that time thought what was going on in the deep south was horrific, even then,” a commentator said.

That was almost 70 years ago, in one region of the US. MOST states in the US at that time thought what was going on in the deep south was horrific, even then. If you think nothing has changed in 70 years you are the one with the problem. You're trying to push an agenda.

— Skeptical (@CatchJB) July 19, 2020

You are a deeply unserious human being. https://t.co/ELfGa2k3rI

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 20, 2020

“Do you have any numbers from present day to back up your outlandish claims?” another quipped.

Do you have any numbers from present day to back up your outlandish claims?Because, I have not heard of too many white people burning down the entire neighborhood.

— Sheila (@sheila22941708) July 19, 2020

Some even implored Ali to delete the tweet, which he refused to do, referring to the request as an example of cancel culture while responding to black American writer and pro-Israel activist Chloe Valdary.

I feel like maybe delete this?

— Chloé S. Valdary 📚 (@cvaldary) July 19, 2020

Valdary shot back, arguing that Ali offered “zero evidence” for his claim, noting that such “overgeneralized” messages “helped get Trump elected in the first place.”

Are you saying my tweet is indicative of cancel culture? Because it isn’t. It’s “take this thing down for which there is zero evidence and an overgeneralization and the part of the sentiment that helped get trump elected in the first place” culture.

— Chloé S. Valdary 📚 (@cvaldary) July 20, 2020

Ali is no stranger to controversy. Last August, he came under fire after tweeting a message seemingly in support of killing US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in response to him opposing gun control legislation.

“#MassacreMoscowMitch is trending. I still have faith in America,” the journalist tweeted at the time, but removed the post after backlash.

https://www.rt.com/news/495251-nyt-gop-non-white-tenant/

Republican Congressman Proposes Legislation Forcing Declaration Of War On China If Taiwan Is Invaded

“Over by Christmas.” So says PM Boris Johnson, bumbling on happily about how Coronavirus is under control in the UK, and so how employers should strongly reconsider sending everyone back to work in offices as normal from 1 August – and against the backdrop of such opening ups failing in Hong Kong, Israel, and Australia and against the warnings of his scientific advisors. Whatever happened to “guided by the science”? It would appear to now be “guided by the dismal science” – let’s pretend the economy is going to Boris back. ‘Pretend’ being the operative word.

The last time that the UK said something this serious would be over by Christmas it was WW1, where the patriotic, aristocratic BoJo/Rees-Moggs of the country leap-frogged their way to sign up to fight under a leadership by the same class best satirised by Blackadder’s General Melchett proclaiming that to repeatedly attack where the enemy was strongest, not weakest, would ensure Britain would: “win the greatest victory since the Winchester flower-arranging team beat Harrow by twelve sore bottoms to one!” Of course, there was also a killer virus then too.

“Over by Christmas” might well have also applied where British leap-frogging in 1914 led, as the key Euro-summit that has been dragging on since Friday dragged on until the early hours of Monday morning; you know, the urgent summit to try to shape the apparently-Rubicon-crossing fiscal package that will help Europe recover from the same virus the UK thinks will be over by 25 December anyway. (Which, I should also further add, is peak flu season anyway.) At this stage Europe appear to be stuck on the final EUR50bn difference between either EUR350bn or EUR400bn in grants in a EUR700bn supplement to the 10-year budget – or the EU might have just found common ground at a figure of EUR390bn in grants. Indeed, the Frugal Five are perhaps now only the Frugal Four as Denmark has apparently defected (which anyone might want to do after being stuck in a room talking about an EU budget for three whole days.) What is notable besides the EU again showing that when the chips are down it still behaves like the People’s Front of Judea, NOT the Judean People’s Front, in ‘The Life of Brian’ (“Right! This calls for immediate discussion!”) is that even EUR390bn is out of scale with what is being spent elsewhere, and with this much effort to get that far, surely hopes for more are ‘Boris-like’?

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/republican-congressman-proposes-legislation-forcing-declaration-war-china-should-beijing

Report: Uyghur Slave Labor Produces Cheap ‘Made in China’ Masks

A report published by the New York Times (NYT) on Sunday revealed that forced labor from the Uyghur concentration camps of Xinjiang province is part of the production chain for at least 17 Chinese companies that produce medical masks and other protective equipment.

Some of those masks are reportedly exported to other countries by companies based outside of Xinjiang province.

The NYT noted that, based on Chinese government agencies, there were only four companies producing medical-grade equipment in Xinjiang before the coronavirus pandemic, but there are at least 51 of them now, and 17 of them participate in a program that provides them with cheap forced labor from captive Uyghurs.

The Uyghurs are a mainly Muslim minority group living in the Xinjiang region. The Chinese government declared them a security risk several years ago and began a program of incarceration and surveillance that led to the construction of concentration camps so large they can be seen from orbit.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) insists these camps are “vocational training schools” and most of the inhabitants are attending voluntary programs to improve their job prospects, but human rights groups around the world maintain the Uyghurs are prisoners subjected to brutal re-education programs and forced to work in Chinese factories. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) published a study in March that named 83 companies, both Chinese and foreign, that are directly or indirectly benefiting from compulsive Uyghur labor programs.

Most of the masks made by the 17 companies determined by the NYT to use forced Uyghur labor are sold domestically, but some of them are evidently shipped and sold overseas.

“We traced a shipment of face masks to a medical supply company in the U.S. state of Georgia from a factory in China’s Hubei Province, where more than 100 Uighur workers had been sent. The workers are required to learn Mandarin and pledge their loyalty to China at weekly flag-raising ceremonies,” the NYT reported.

The NYT disputed claims by Chinese officials that the Uyghurs are voluntarily learning useful skills and agreeing to work for Chinese companies, noting that “quotas on the number of workers put in the labor program and the penalties faced by those who refuse to cooperate” make the program coercive.

As an earlier report from the NYT made clear, Chinese officials might be telling international critics that their forced-labor schemes are benevolent social programs the impoverished residents of Xinjiang are eager to join, but intercepted Chinese Communist Party describe the Uyghurs as “lazy, lax, slow, sloppy, freewheeling, and individualistic” layabouts who must be forced to “renounce their selfish ideas” and put to work against their will for the greater good.

https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2020/07/20/report-uyghur-slave-labor-produces-cheap-made-in-china-masks/

UK suspends extradition arrangement with Hong Kong ‘immediately and indefinitely’ over new national security law

The UK has “immediately and indefinitely” suspended its extradition agreement with Hong Kong in reaction to China’s new national security law there, amid rising tensions between Beijing and London.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the House of Commons on Monday that China’s “imposition” of a new national security law in Hong Kong was a “serious violation” of its international obligations. He also said that an existing arms embargo on mainland China will be extended to Hong Kong.

The national security law was introduced in Hong Kong in June, outlawing secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. Britain says it breaches the agreement it had made with China when it returned Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, and that it threatens the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle that gives Hong Kong a level of autonomy.

“The imposition of this new national security legislation has changed key assumptions underpinning our extradition treaty arrangements with Hong Kong,” Raab said.

Under the extradition agreement, a person in the UK who is wanted to stand trial for a crime in Hong Kong would be sent back there, and vice versa. Australia, the US and Canada have also suspended their extradition arrangements with Hong Kong.

The UK said it would offer three million Hongkongers a path to citizenship as a result of the national security law, which sparked Western-backed protests in the territory when it came into effect. China has accused Britain of “gross interference” in its affairs and said on Sunday that there would be a “resolute response” if the UK withdrew from the extradition arrangement.

https://www.rt.com/news/495315-uk-suspends-extradition-hong-kong/

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Blasts Local Governments over Masks, Threatens to Shut Down Restaurants and Bars

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday slammed local governments and threatened to shut down restaurants and bars across the state.

“This weekend COVID didn’t quit but too many NYers did. This is not NY Tough and it sure isn’t NY Smart. Wear a mask. Social distance. It is NOT worth the risk.” Cuomo said on social media, appealing to an article detailing hundreds gathering in Queens without wearing masks or social distancing:

This weekend COVID didn’t quit but too many NYers did.

This is not NY Tough and it sure isn’t NY Smart.

Wear a mask. Social distance.

It is NOT worth the risk.https://t.co/ivaOz4ycL1

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 20, 2020

pic.twitter.com/JihOF5ujVw

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 20, 2020

Cuomo rebuked young people participating in crowded gatherings across the state and stated that local governments and law enforcement are “not doing their job” in enforcing the orders.

“We will have to roll back the bar and restaurant opening if the congregations continue, if the local governments don’t stop it, that is what is going to happen,” Cuomo warned.

“The police department is not there to inform them of mask compliance. Police departments have to enforce the law. That is the only line between anarchy and civilization,” he said. “They have to enforce the law and they’re not.”

“We know enough about this virus, we know that there are inevitable consequences to our actions. If you have congregations of people, they are going to spread the virus,” Cuomo continued, admonishing not only those who don’t social distance but local governments for failing to implement the rules.

“You could kill someone,” he added. “There hasn’t been any social responsibility at all. It’s not just about you … I’ve said it repeatedly that local governments are in charge of compliance and enforcement.”

Last week, Cuomo warned that the state would take action to shut down bars and restaurants that were failing to adhere to coronavirus restrictions.

“Three violations and you’re closed. We’re also going to post the names of the establishments facing disciplinary charges,” Cuomo said Thursday. He also announced further restrictions for establishments serving alcohol, banning the sale without the purchase of food. One New York bar maneuvered around the red tape by offering $1 bags of “Cuomo chips.”

New York State reported 411,515 confirmed cases of the virus and 32,187 related deaths as of Monday morning.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/07/20/gov-andrew-cuomo-blasts-local-governments-threatens-shut-down-restaurants-bars/

Iran executes man convicted of selling General Soleimani’s location to CIA – official

Iran has executed a man convicted of spying on Major General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in January. It was alleged that the convict had shared sensitive information with both the CIA and Mossad.

The death sentence was carried out against a man called Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd, local media reported, citing judiciary spokesperson Gholamhossein Esmaeili.

According to the report, Mousavi-Majd had received payment from the CIA and Mossad in exchange for information about Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Quds Force, its unit tasked with operations overseas. Among this data were the movements and locations of Soleimani, who led the Quds Force, and of other top commanders.

Mousavi-Majd, who was fluent in both Arabic and English, reportedly had access to sensitive information because he worked as a translator for an Iran-linked company in Syria. It was said that he was discovered through an intercepted phone call.

Soleimani was killed in a targeted US drone strike near Baghdad’s airport. Washington had accused him of masterminding terrorist attacks against US personnel and civilians, and argued that his killing prevented the deaths of more Americans. Officials in Tehran, meanwhile, condemned his killing as illegal under international law, and his death sparked massive protests across Iranian cities.

Mousavi-Majd was not the only person executed after being convicted of espionage in Iran this month. Iranian judiciary reported last week that a death sentence was carried out against a man accused of selling information about the county’s missile program to the US.

https://www.rt.com/news/495258-iran-executes-espionage-convict/

NBC's Jeremy Roenick sues network, saying he was terminated because he is heterosexual and supports Trump

The network fired Roenick in February

Former NBC Sports analyst Jeremy Roenick is suing his former employer for wrongful termination, insisting that there is a gross double standard at work within the network.

POLL: If the election were held today, who do you think would win?

Roenick filed the lawsuit in New York Supreme Court on Friday.

NBC Sports fired Roenick, a former NHL star, in February after determining he made vulgar, crass remarks about his wife and one of his female co-workers.

According to the Wrap, Roenick insists that a gay colleague made similar remarks, but was not reprimanded for the comments, let alone fired from the network.

Roenick's suit insists that the network fired him "because of his sex and sexual orientation."

In December, Roenick appeared on an episode of Barstool Sports' "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast, where he jokingly said he'd like to have a sexual threesome with his wife and Kathryn Tappen, an NBC Sports co-worker.

Roenick, who recalled a vacation he and his wife took along with Tappen, a family friend, said that a woman approached him and asked if he was with both his wife and Tappen. Roenick said he jokingly told the woman, "Yes, they are," and proceeded to banter and joke with the woman about having "blonde bombshells" on either arm while on vacation.

He joked, "I play it off like we're going to bed together every night [while on vacation], the three of us. If it really came to fruition, that would be really good, but it's never going to happen."

Roenick apologized after outcry over the remarks, and the network initially suspended him for the comments. By February, the network fired him.

What's the double standard here?

Roenick's suit insists that during coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics, NBC Sports analyst Johnny Weir made "colorful commentary" in regard to the "body parts of ice skaters."

Roenick said that he brought the remarks up to NBC Sports executive Sam Flood at the time, but said that Flood dismissed his concerns and responded by saying that Weir is "gay," which means he can "say whatever."

Roenick's suit, according to the outlet, "also points to a story from earlier this month about a video where Weir and Tara Lipinski (another NBC commentator)" reportedly used a "vulgar term for a women's groin and joked about a sexual affair" while discussing Olympic bronze medalist and figure skater Bradie Tennell.

"To date, there has not been any remedial action taken against Lipinski or Weir," the suit says.

Anything else?

Elsewhere in the suit, Roenick alleges that his open support for President Donald Trump has also factored into the network's decision to fire him in February.

Roenick's suit alleges that he asked Flood in 2016 if he could speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Flood reportedly responded, "I'm not saying what you can do. You know who you work for. You work for NBC. That would not look good on your NBC record."

In a statement to the New York Post, Roenick's lawyer, Scott William Clark, said, "Mr. Roenick is the victim of double standards wrongfully asserted against him. A person's career should not be thrown away by a company as Mr. Roenick's career was with NBC. We are confident that the evidence that will be brought to light from this lawsuit will reveal the rampant disregard of Mr. Roenick's rights."

The Post also reports that Roenick's suit says NBC could have used other means to discipline him rather than exercising a termination.

Reprimanding Roenick, according to the suit, "would have allowed NBC to send the message to the community at large that his comments were inappropriate and could not be tolerated while not ruining Roenick's post-playing career."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/nbcs-jeremy-roenick-sues-network-over-heterosexual-discrimination-in-wrongful-termination-lawsuit

Elderly Man Shot Dead by Police After Refusing to Wear a Mask in Grocery Store

The debate over face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has torn friendships apart, pitted family members against each other, and even led to an innocent bus driver being beaten to death in France by a group of thugs who became angry when he said it was the law they put on their masks. Now, a 73-year-old man has been killed after an incident sparked from a mask dispute. This time, it was the mask refuser on the end of the violence.

According to police, they were called out to the Valu-Mart in Minden, Ont. just after 8 a.m. last Wednesday because an elderly man wanted to shop without wearing his mask. It is unclear at this point whether or not the man had a medical condition which prevented him from wearing a mask. What is clear, however, is that his choice not to wear one would set off a chain of events leading to his untimely death at the hands of police.

“When I got here everyone was talking about it,” Tianna Frances, a worker at the Valu-Mart in Minden, said. “My coworkers were a little bit shaken up, yes.”

“I guess he just got angry and didn’t want to. We couldn’t really deal with that ourselves because it’s really against the rules. So we had to call the police and everything,” Frances said.

Police say that after the store employees confronted the man for not wearing a mask, he allegedly assaulted one of the employees before driving away. According to police, officers tried to stop the suspect’s car, but they refrained “in the interest of public safety” before doing a follow-up investigation, Sgt. Jason Folz said.

As CBC reports, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said the man drove away, and an officer saw the car and started following it for a short while. Based on the licence plate, officers made their way to a home on Indian Point Road, the SIU said.

When two police officers arrived at the man’s home, an “interaction” unfolded and the two officers opened fire on the 73-year-old man, according to authorities. The man was shot and 3 hours after he refused to wear a mask, he was dead.

Officers claimed to have recovered two firearms from the man’s property. However, they stopped short of indicating whether or not the man fired upon them or was even in possession of the firearms when they opened fire.

The neighbors of the man who spoke with CBC News said the incident has shone a spotlight in the usually quiet neighborhood.

“It puts us on the map for the wrong reason,” Gary Barnett said. “Haliburton is a great place, It’s a super quiet cottage country, It’s a great place to live. This is a shock. We never have this type of thing.”

Barnett also described the 73-year-old man as a recluse.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/73yearold-man-killed-police-mask/

Farage Compares Communist China to Nazi Germany over Treatment of Minorities, Dissenting Voices

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has said that the West must confront China over its human rights abuses, saying that Communist China’s treatment of minorities and those with dissenting voices is comparable to conditions under Nazi Germany.

Speaking to supporters on Sunday, Mr Farage said that while it is essential that the West fights Chinese hegemony on economic and security fronts, the Communist State’s human rights abuses must also be exposed, warning that unchallenged, China could become the dominant world power.

Sino-sceptics, Mr Farage said, “have not been making the argument, properly, and fully, about the plight of the Falun Gong, the plight of the Uighurs”.

“The brutal truth that it is utterly right to compare the way the Chinese government treats minorities, treats different points of view, within its country… with what the National Socialists did between 1933 and 1945.

“There is a form of state-sponsored genocide that is going on in China, and we’ve done too little to expose this.”

The Brexit Party leader related reports from Thursday’s BBC radio episode of David Aaronvich’s The Briefing Room entitled: What is happening to the Uighurs in China?

Up to 1.5 million of the 12 million population of the northwestern province of Xinjiang — home to the Sunni Muslim-majority Uighur population — is believed to have been imprisoned in ‘reeducation camps’ in the past decade.

Oppression against the minorities started at around the rise of the Communist revolution, with greater the crackdowns increasing in the past decade, according to the report.

Exclusive Video — ‘Torture and Rape’: Uyghurs in London Protest Communist China’s Concentration Camps https://t.co/NOEFHdAqq8

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 9, 2019

Josh Chin, Deputy China Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal, told the BBC of the “ubiquitous” nature of the surveillance. Chin said that there are not just police checkpoints every 200 yards, but visual and audio surveillance throughout the city. Entry into public spaces and building requires identity card scanning and facial recognition. Virtually every movement by citizens is tracked; there is not a moment where Uighurs are not being observed when out in public.

Asked of the major tech players involved in the Communist State’s business of surveillance, the WSJ bureau chief named Huawei, the Chinese State-controlled tech firm that Britain has recently frozen out of its 5G.

It is not just in public that minorities are observed, however, with Dr Jo Smith Finley, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies at Newcastle University, detailing the Communist State’s “visit” programme. Communist Party officials move into the homes of Uigur families for nine to 14 days a month to observe them, where, in many cases, the men had already been interred in a reeducation camp. Visitors are trained to encourage the Uigurs “to open up and reveal their disloyalty to the State”.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/07/20/farage-compares-communist-china-nazi-germany-treatment-minorities-dissenting-voices/

200 Migrants Cross Channel In Dozens of Boats In Worst-Ever Day for Border Force

Around 200 illegal migrants reached Britain in dozens of vessels on Sunday in what was reportedly the worst-ever day for illegal Channel crossings.

“Many migrants see it as a ‘now or never’ moment before the UK government cracks down on crossings,” a source told The Sun newspaper.

“They fear there will be a major push to curb the attempts and see July as their best opportunity,” they added — although, despite tough talk dating back to Home Secretary Priti Patel’s predecessor Sajid Javid’s time in office, such a push still shows no sign of materialising.

The migrants reportedly put to sea in as many as 40 vessels, many small inflatables dropped off by so-called “mother ships”, with the Sun source saying that the authorities even found one migrant who had put to sea in a stolen pedalo.

Patel was quoted by the newspaper as saying “We will stop at nothing to end these crossings” — although this evidently does not include simply taking migrants intercepted at sea or received on shore back to France immediately.

Indeed, she has made similar statements about the Government’s determination to end illegal Channel crossings for months now, but new “worst-ever” days continue to be reported.

The influx followed 65 migrants in five boats — “58 males and seven females”, according to the BBC — arriving on Saturday, and 125 migrants on nine boats arriving on Friday.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who has done much to expose the sheer scale of the Channel crisis and the co-operation of the British and French authorities in ferrying illegal aliens to England, said he was not convinced Boris Johnson and Priti Patel will ever take meaningful action on the crossings.

“Official figures show that approaching 500 illegal immigrants crossed the Channel this week,” he claimed in a social media post.

“I predicted an invasion and it is happening. Government say they will return many,” he added.

“I don’t believe a word of it.”

The Government’s record on deporting illegal migrants from France — few of whom, if any, have any legitimate grounds to claim asylum in Britain, having travelled through a safe, first world, European Union member-state to get there — is certainly very poor, with a mere 155 out of roughly 4,000 illegal arrivals since January having been deported as of early May.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/07/20/200-migrants-cross-channel-in-dozens-of-boats-on-worst-ever-day-for-border-force/

>>10023302

sure smells like it

'I Don't Care What The Military Says:' Trump Rejects Renaming Fort Bragg

President Donald Trump singled out Fort Bragg, North Carolina in restating his opposition to renaming Army posts now named for generals and leaders of the Confederacy during a wide-ranging Fox News interview that aired Sunday.

Trump also renewed his threat to veto next year's defense budget bill unless amendments passed by the House and Senate to change the names were eliminated, but added that he would protect the 3% military pay raise that is part of the bill.

"I might. Yeah, I might," he told journalist Chris Wallace in the interview, which took place on White House grounds.

When told that the Defense Department and the Army were open to a review of base names, Trump said "excuse me, excuse me. I don't care what the military says. I do – I'm supposed to make the decision."

He said the community in Fayetteville, North Carolina, outside the sprawling Bragg would likely be opposed to the name change, and noted the contribution soldiers trained at the base made to the nation's defense.

"Fort Bragg is a big deal," Trump said. "We won two World Wars … nobody even knows Gen. Bragg."

The base was founded in 1918 as Camp Bragg, and is named for Gen. Braxton Bragg, a slaveholder described by historians as a failed commander.

"Go to that community where Fort Bragg is, in a great state, I love that state, go to the community, say how do you like the idea of renaming Fort Bragg, and then what are we going to name it," Trump said.

He also asked who the base could be renamed for: "The Rev. Al Sharpton?"

In citing the New York activist and MSNBC host, Trump said that renaming the bases would spark controversy.

"What are you going to name it, Chris, tell me what you're going to name it? So there's a whole thing here," he said.

"We won two world wars … beautiful world wars that were vicious and horrible, and we won them out of Fort Bragg, we won out of all of these forts that now they want to throw those names away," he said.

By most counts, the Army now has 10 bases named for Confederate leaders, including Bragg, Fort Benning, Fort Lee and Fort Polk.

"And, no, I'm against that, and you know what, most other people are," he said, citing a poll he did not identify showing 64% were against changing the base names.

In the interview, Trump also defended the display of the Confederate flag, a practice that has come under fire amid racial justice protests following the May 25 killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd while in police custody.

The Marine Corps, U.S. Forces Korea and U.S. Forces Japan have all banned display of the Confederate flag.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/07/20/i-dont-care-what-military-says-trump-rejects-renaming-fort-bragg.html

Chinese Ambassador Says US Must Make a ‘Fundamental Choice’

US and Chinese embassies in Myanmar trade barbs over South China Sea

With tensions between the US and China rapidly increasing by the day, China’s ambassador to the US said Washington must make a “fundamental choice” over its relationship with Beijing.

“I think that the fundamental question for the United States is very simple,” Ambassador Cui Tiankai said in an interview with CNN on Saturday. “Is the United States ready or willing to live with another country with a very different culture, a very different political and economic system … in peace and cooperate on so many and still growing global challenges?”

Cui’s comments come as the Trump administration has taken actions over multiple flashpoints between the two powers, like Hong Kong, Xinjiang, the South China Sea, and trade. The Trump administration is also considering a sweeping travel ban that would target members of the Chinese Communist Party and their families.

On Sunday, China’s embassy in Myanmar responded to allegations against Beijing over the South China Sea. The Chinese embassy said the US is “outrageously smearing” the country and driving a wedge between China and its Southeast Asian neighbors. The embassy said the US was doing “disgusting things” to contain China and has shown a “selfish, hypocritical, contemptible, and ugly face.”

The Chinese embassy was responding to a statement released by the US embassy in Myanmar on Saturday. The US embassy said China’s recent actions in the South China Sea and Hong Kong were part of a “larger pattern to undermine the sovereignty of its neighbors.”

In recent weeks, the US has conducted massive military exercises in the South China Sea, including twice sending two aircraft carrier strike forces into the contested waters.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/07/19/chinese-ambassador-says-us-must-make-a-fundamental-choice/

Good Cop Forced Out for Exposing Corruption Says Fellow Cop Put Gun to His Head to Scare Him

Redwood City, CA — In 2015, the Free Thought Project brought you the exclusive story of the whistleblower Chicago Police officer, Shannon Spalding, who was retaliated against by her fellow cops for exposing corruption. Spalding and her partner Daniel Echeverria uncovered a massive level of corruption in their department, leading to the arrest of other officers. However, being good cops got them threatened with “going home in a casket.” Since then, we have reported on countless similar incidents in which good cops are forced out for trying to stay good cops.

“It’s no secret that if you go against the code of silence, and you report corruption, it will ruin your career,” Spalding said. And as the following case illustrates, she is right.

Despite knowing it would ruin his career, Redwood City Police officer Ryan Adler could no longer stay silent about the atrocities he witnessed committed by his fellow officers in the Redwood City Police Department.

When he worked up the courage to come forward, he was labeled a “rat” and a “snitch” and forced out of his job. Now, after watching the recent police violence across the country, Adler is telling the world how the system is set up in such a way that it protects the bad cops while purging the good ones.

“The real problem that we have right now is that we have a system that does not allow good cops to come forward,” Adler said. “You have a system where if you complain, you’re ostracized, and you’re shunned, and you might not get cover on that next call when you need help.”

Adler mentioned a chilling example of this “shunning” when he called out a fellow officer who would talk about colleagues being “thrifty,” and then called them “F–ing Jews.”

According to KTVU, Adler said the same officer, who has now been promoted to sergeant, would intimidate him by clicking an unloaded gun near the back of his head to scare him.

“He would take his gun out of the holster…and stand behind me,” Adler said. “And he would rack the slide ….and he would dry fire …and it would go ‘click.’”

The depravity is seemingly unlimited. Adler talked about another example in which sadistic cops recorded a woman’s cries on a domestic violence call and then emailed it to the entire department so they could use it as a ringtone.

Adler said because he was so new at the time, he was scared to speak out at first.

“When you’re in a situation and you want to speak up, it’s hard to know when to do it,” he said. “You learn really quickly there are things you can talk about and things you can’t. We were expected to accept it, or chuckle with this inner circle of officers.”

When Adler finally worked up the courage to blow the whistle and go to human resources to make his complaints, he was told he’d have to go on medical leave, even though he had been working as a detective with a slightly injured shoulder for months before that.

He would eventually sue the department for retaliating against him and won a $150,000 settlement. He is now speaking out as he watches this rampant corruption unfold across the country.

Adler’s retaliation is not unique, and officials agree.

“This isn’t just Redwood City. Don’t kid yourself. It’s sad. But this is not just at one police department. It’s throughout the entire country,” said LaDoris Cordell, a retired Santa Clara County judge and the city of San Jose’s former independent police monitor.

KTVU spoke with 16 other sources from within the department who all detailed similar stories.

https://www.activistpost.com/2020/07/good-cop-forced-out-for-exposing-corruption-says-fellow-cop-put-gun-to-his-head-to-scare-him.html

Israel soldiers destroy Palestinian coronavirus testing centre

Israeli soldiers demolished a Palestinian security checkpoint used to test for coronavirus in the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa news agency.

The checkpoint was set up by Palestinian security forces at the entrance to the occupied West Bank city of Jenin to prevent the spread of the virus.

A total of 468 new coronavirus cases and three deaths from the disease were recorded in the occupied Palestinian territories over the past 24 hours, confirmed the Ministry of Health today, leaving the active cases at 8,360 and total deaths at 65.

It added that 40 patients are currently in intensive care units, including three placed on respirators, with no reports of recoveries.

Israeli forces also injured a Palestinian man at the Jenin refugee camp, reported Wafa.

Local sources said soldiers stormed Jenin and its refugee camp early this morning to arrest activists. Occupation forces shot at Palestinians in the area, according to the reports, injuring one person in the leg.

Two people were arrested before the soldiers left the city and the checkpoint was destroyed.

Despite the coronavirus outbreak, Israeli authorities continue to abuse the most vulnerable Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, as part of decades-long attempts to drive them out of the area, and to similarly mistreat Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

According to B’Tselem, last month saw a spike in Israeli demolitions, which left 151 Palestinians, including 84 minors, homeless – despite the danger of remaining without shelter during a pandemic.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200720-israel-soldiers-destroy-palestinian-coronavirus-testing-centre/

Partisan Media Coverage of Epstein Masks His Links to Both Sides of the Political Establishment

A study conducted by MintPress’ Alan Macleod revealed that both MSNBC and Fox News intentionally slanted their coverage to highlight Epstein’s links to either Bill Clinton or Donald Trump

The Jeffrey Epstein saga continues to rumble on. Earlier this month, the deceased sexual predator’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested and charged with luring and grooming children into his sex ring. Epstein, who died in prison in suspicious circumstances last August, was connected to huge swaths of the global elite, counting billionaire business owners, hotshot lawyers and professors, members of the royal family, and foreign leaders among his closest acquaintances.

Perhaps the two most important and notable, however, given their enormous influence, are former President Bill Clinton and current President, Donald Trump. Clinton, already infamous for the numerous women accusing him of sexual misconduct (including rape), is known to have flown all around the world with Epstein on his private jet, the Lolita Express, which he used to ferry girls to his private Caribbean island where he allegedly imprisoned and raped them. Locals report seeing the former president there.

President Trump also has deep ties to the disgraced New York fraudster. “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy,” he said in 2002, “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it.” Like Clinton, Trump was also a flyer on the Lolita Express, Epstein claiming both that it was he who introduced him to his wife Melania and that Clinton “owed him some favors.”

The office of the president of the United States is the most powerful in the world. Epstein is known to have cajoled and blackmailed his powerful associates. Did the two presidents’ connections to him influence U.S. public policy? If we do not investigate, we cannot know.

We rely largely on the corporate press to carry out such investigations, shaping our understanding of the world in the process. However, the great majority of what we consume comes mediated through ultra-partisan outlets pushing a clear agenda. The two most widely viewed networks in the U.S. are Fox News and MSNBC, both of which have clear party loyalties, Fox to the Republicans, and MSNBC to the Democrats. Unfortunately, as well shall see, they are both spinning the Epstein story hard to shield their champion from blame while simultaneously demonizing the opposing president. As Liz Franczak from the Epstein-focused TrueAnon podcast said, the story, “so perfectly encapsulates and implicates both sides of the ruling class and yet you have these polarized sides, team red, team blue, pulling out what they want for their own purposes and refusing to understand, see or even admit that this crosses both. This encapsulates everyone.”

Media have already been under the spotlight for their poor coverage of the affair. Epstein is known to have had connections to influential media figures like George Stephanopoulos, Katie Couric, Charlie Rose in addition to some of the media’s biggest sponsors, such as Bill Gates. Last year, ABC News anchor Amy Robach was caught on a hot mic lambasting network executives for killing her investigations into his network — precisely because of his connections — allowing him to remain at large for three more years. Yet the only one facing consequences was the producer accused of leaking the clip in the first place, not those who protected, “ the most prolific pedophile this country has ever known,” as Robach described him.

In order to gauge the level of partisan coverage, this study analyzed all articles or show transcripts from MSNBC.com featuring the words “Jeffrey Epstein Donald Trump” or “Jeffrey Epstein Bill Clinton” and all results appearing under the “Jeffrey Epstein” topic on FoxNews.com, counting the number of articles mentioning each president’s links to the deceased sex offender. The date range was July 6, 2019 (Epstein’s arrest) to July 13, 2020 (the first day of data collection). Full documentation can be found here.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/study-media-coverage-jeffrey-epstein-political-establishment/269624/

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>>10023413

I think Donald Trump is trying to deflect. If Bill Clinton has exposure then so does Donald Trump. Bill Clinton’s social lies with Epstein. So did Donald Trump. Bill Clinton was on the private plane. so was Donald Trump. The fact is that Mr. Epstein took his own life. He died while he was in the custody of the Trump administration. Bill Barr directs the Bureau of Prisons, and they allowed, in so ways that facilitated Mr. Epstein`s suicide.

Thus, both networks did their level best to maintain the illusion that their champion remained relatively taint-free, while the other president was deeply implicated in the scandal, feeding into a climate of extreme polarization, where each side believes that the other is hopelessly implicated, while theirs remain relatively blameless. Regular viewers of each network would routinely be presented with great details about the enemy president’s crimes, but, if relying solely on that network for information, would be largely clueless about their own president’s profoundly suspicious links. Indeed, MSNBC has not mentioned Clinton with regards to Epstein since last September.

The Epstein story should not be a left-right issue. Instead, it exposes how so many of those at the top of society belong to a sordid network of extremely wealthy and powerful people, sharing far more in common with each other than they do with the rest of us. His connections to all manner of business tycoons, royals, celebrities and politicians from both sides of the political spectrum expose the system as rigged and fundamentally corrupt. Yet corporate media, who we rely upon to inform us and curate our reality, have managed to make even Epstein a partisan affair by constantly emphasizing only one party’s connections to the pedophile. Hats off to them: it was not an easy achievement.

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Portland: “Wall of Moms” Mobilizes to Protect Protests From Police Violence

Chanting, “Feds stay clear! Moms are here!,” groups of women congregated at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other locations in Central Portland. They were met with tear gas, flashbangs, and pepper round bullets, injuring many.

Despite a widely-condemned federal crackdown, Portland’s anti-racist police brutality protests show no signs of abating. Last night a group of local moms dressed in white and yellow tried a new tactic; placing themselves between law enforcement and protesters in order to prevent more violence. Chanting, “Feds stay clear! Moms are here!,” groups of women congregated at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other locations in Central Portland. They were met with tear gas, flashbangs, and pepper round bullets, injuring many.

Jesus Christ feds came out of the courthouse in Portland and fired a flash bang at the moms against police brutality. At least one of these mothers is pregnant.

pic.twitter.com/4qajHKtvaq

— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) July 19, 2020

I am a 49 year old mother with a Masters in Education and I just got gassed by my own government. We were peaceful. I think I stood in the middle of the gas for longer than i should have… #wallofmoms #PortlandMoms #PortlandProtest #Teargas #BLM

— Jen (@UnderAGraySky) July 20, 2020

Oregon’s largest city has been the site of particularly intense struggle over the past week, as the Trump administration has tried to neutralize ongoing demonstrations that began in late May. Last week, federal agents were deployed to that end. Viral video shows masked, anonymous units emerging from an unmarked minivan and seemingly abducting people off the street randomly. A disabled veteran, Christopher David, was also attacked, federal officers beating him with clubs and macing him at point-blank range. “They just started wailing on me,” David told The Independent, after images of the attack hit social media, turning him into an overnight local celebrity.

Washington’s move to bring in federal agents to Portland was roundly condemned, especially by local politicians, including the mayor, who deemed it irresponsible and escalatory, demanding that they be withdrawn. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has justified its actions, claiming that “violent anarchists” have taken over and destroyed the city, although the only examples of destruction it provided were stone throwing, graffiti, and a broken fence, leading to questions of whether a federal intervention was truly necessary.

Nevertheless, the DHS has declared the move a successful one, its acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli telling NPR that he intends to take the tactic nationwide:

With as much lawbreaking [that] is going on, we’re seeking to prosecute as many people as are breaking the law as it relates to federal jurisdiction. That’s not always happening with respect to local jurisdiction and local offenses. But, you know, this is a posture we intend to continue not just in Portland but in any of the facilities that we’re responsible for around the country.”

Portland, USA🇺🇸:

Police bull rush, tear gas and fire projectiles on #BlackLivesMatter protesters.

The state of Oregon has sued the federal government for using federal agents to detain protesters

Had this happened in China🇨🇳, Congress would have already passed sanctions. pic.twitter.com/ZJ1V2SzhiM

— Going Underground on RT (@Underground_RT) July 20, 2020

In June, Portland temporarily suspended the use of tear gas by police and blocked police from using physical force on journalists. However, federal agents are not subject to the same laws. On Saturday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced it was taking the Trump administration to court over its actions. “Federal agents are terrorizing the community, threatening lives, and relentlessly attacking protesters demonstrating against police brutality. This is not law and order. This is lawlessness — and it must be stopped,” they announced, adding that they should be removed from the city. The lawsuit is aimed at stopping the feds from wantonly attacking journalists and observers.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/portland-wall-moms-mobilizes-protect-protests-police-violence/269613/

Maxine Waters ‘Yells At’ Deputies After She Intervenes In Traffic Stop Of Black Man

Rep. Maxine Waters intervened when saw Los Angeles law enforcement officers detaining a black man, according to a report.

“They stopped a brother, so I stopped to see what they were doing,” the California Democrat tells a person who recorded the Friday incident on South Vermont Avenue, TMZ reported.

Waters claims that the officers threatened her with a ticket for pulling over the way she did. “They said I’m in the wrong place and that they’re going to give me a ticket,” she adds about the LA County sheriff’s deputies. “That’s OK as long as I watch them.”

A woman is heard on the video saying: “Gotta’ do what you gotta’ do! Make sure!”

“I will,” Waters says as she walks toward a female officer who watched her from nearby.

“Bye, Maxine!” a man then shouts.

Waters, 81, was driving in her Los Angeles district when pulled over.

https://twitter.com/exavierpope/status/1284963340461252612

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office later told DailyMail.com that the motorist had been pulled over as part of a burglary investigation.

They said Waters initially pulled her vehicle up to the traffic stop and began ‘yelling at the deputies’. The congresswoman was told she was obstructing traffic and to pull over.

She was later released with a warning after she refused to sign a citation for the possible violation, the spokesperson said. The man who was pulled over was found to be in possession of a metal pipe, however, he also was released.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/07/maxine-waters-yells-deputies-intervenes-traffic-stop-black-man/

Colonel Allen West Selected As Head of Republican Party in Texas

Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, originally from Florida and a real conservative who once called for President Barack Obama’s impeachment. following a short stint in Congress, was elected chair of the Republican Party of Texas early today.

West, who was elected to Congress in 2010 in Florida and then moved to Texas after serving one term, won the leadership post during a virtual convention that was wracked by delays and technical problems.

“I am honored and privileged that Republicans of Texas have selected me to Chair their party and to be at the helm during this coming election cycle,”

West said in a statement. “We need to focus on maintaining the conservative policies that made Texas strong and drive outer outreach across the state.

West’s selection comes four months before what could be an unusually competitive election day in America’s biggest red state. Democrats need just nine seats to flip the Texas House for the first time in 20 years. Meanwhile, Joe Biden has put up a modest ad buy in Texas trying to raise questions about President Trump’s vulnerability in the Texas stronghold.

Trump acknowledged West’s victory today, tweeting, “Congratulations Allen, great job.!”

West unseated James Dickey, who had been the party’s chair since 2017.

For additional information visit our friends at ABC News.

https://thedcpatriot.com/huge-colonel-allen-west-selected-as-head-of-republican-party-in-texas/

Israeli strikes in Syria: Iran reveals extent of losses & warns Tel Aviv

Translation: resistancenews.org

Iranian Armed Forces’ spokesman Brigadier General Abu Al-Fadl Shukarji has warned Zionists against continuing their lies about targeting Iranian sites in Syria.

Brigadier Shikarji added that only 8 Iranian advisers have found martyrdom under Israeli strikes during the 9 years of their legal presence in Syria, while stressing that Iranian forces have retaliated to Zionist attacks: he pointed out that when an Iranian adviser found martyrdom under Zionist fire 6 years ago, the Resistance retaliated by killing 5 Zionist soldiers in Palestine.

See Nasrallah: Syria triumphs, Israel is waging an imaginary war

Brigadier Shikarji added that when the Zionists targeted the T-4 base in Syria, the Resistance responded by targeting their bases in the Golan with 50 missiles and shells.

Claiming that the Zionists have used the media in psychological warfare to present themselves under an apperance of strength in Syria, he warned them not to continue their lies about targeting Iranian sites in Syria and said: “If the Zionists continue their criminal behavior, we will make it clear that Iran has the upper hand.”

See Nasrallah: Syrian response shook Israel and shattered its prestige

Brigadier Shikarji revealed the names of Iranian martyrs in Syria killed by Zionist attacks:

1 – Martyr HujjatAllah Nujmani

2 – Martyr Mortadha Basiri Bour

3 – Martyr Muhammad Mahdi Lutfi Nyaser

4 – Martyr Ammar Mousawi

5 – Martyr Akbar Zouwar Jannati.

6 – Martyr Muhammad Ali Allah Dadi

7 – Martyr Hamid Rezai

8 – Martyr Mahdi Dahqan Yazdali

He pointed out that the Zionist media empire and its mouthpieces in the region have for some time been trying to paint a fictitious and misleading picture of the capabilities of the occupying Zionist entity, child murderer and enemy of humanity, resorting to psychological warfare to spread lies and slander, suggesting falsely that Israel killed hundreds if not thousands of Iranians in Syria.

See Syria imposes new confrontation rules on Israel

Brigadier Shikarji stressed that the Zionist entity knows very well that when it targeted the car of the martyr Muhammad Ali Allah Dadi on January 18, 2015 in the Syrian region of Quneitra, the Lebanese guerrillas of Hezbollah directly crossed the Palestinian borders and destroyed 3 vehicles of Zionist forces, killing 5 of their soldiers and wounding others.

https://dailymotion.com/video/x7v30y3

He also recalled the response of the Resistance forces to the Zionist attacks, noting that in response to the martyrdom of 7 Iranian defenders by Zionist strikes of the T-4 base on April 9, 2018, the Resistance forces bombed Zionist military positions in the Golan Heights with 50 missiles, killing and wounding large numbers of Zionist soldiers.

https://thesaker.is/israeli-strikes-in-syria-iran-reveals-extent-of-losses-warns-tel-aviv/

Supreme Court denies Democrats' bid to fast-track ongoing fight for Trump financial records

The Supreme Court on Monday denied a request by House Democrats to accelerate the timeline of remaining court battles over congressional subpoenas for President Trump’s tax returns.

The bid by lawmakers came in response to the court’s landmark 7-2 ruling earlier this month to shield a trove of Trump’s financial records from several Democratic-led House committees and return the dispute to lower courts for further litigation.

Under regular Supreme Court procedure, the ruling would reach the lower courts no earlier than Aug. 3, a delay Democrats sought to avoid by asking the justices to expedite the process.

But the conservative-majority court rejected that request Monday in an unsigned order. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the more liberal justices, said she would have granted it.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court issued a blockbuster split decision that handed a win to New York state prosecutors seeking Trump’s tax returns, but dealt a setback to Democrats who sought a similar financial paper trail.

While the justices settled some of the major legal issues embedded in the disputes, they left it to lower courts to resolve other unanswered questions.

On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to expedite its order in the New York case, where the justices had ruled 7-2 against Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from a grand jury subpoena for eight years of tax returns. Chief Justice John Roberts ordered the decision to go into effect immediately, which allows the Manhattan district attorney to advance more swiftly in pursuit of Trump’s records.

But Monday's order means a trio of Democratic-led House committees will have to wait nearly a month from the date of the court’s decision before they can proceed in the lower courts.

The committees have long maintained that four congressional subpoenas issued to Trump’s bankers and accountants for his personal and corporate records were necessary to carry out their legislative and oversight functions.

Before the case reached the Supreme Court, lawmakers had prevailed in every round of battle in federal district and appeals courts.

But the justices' July 9 decision in Trump v. Mazars USA found that the lower courts had failed to properly consider the weighty separation of powers concerns at hand.

“When Congress seeks information needed for intelligent legislative action, it unquestionably remains the duty of all citizens to cooperate,” Roberts wrote for the majority on July 9, citing prior Supreme Court rulings. “Congressional subpoenas for information from the President, however, implicate special concerns regarding the separation of powers. The courts below did not take adequate account of those concerns.”

While the decision reaffirmed Congress's subpoena power, it also enumerated some of its constraints when information at issue concerns the president. Specifically, the court laid out parameters for the appropriate scope and relevance of such subpoenas.

The committees may now continue to press their case in the lower federal courts of Washington, D.C., and New York, but only after the Supreme Court decision takes effect early next month.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee claims its subpoena of Trump’s accounting firm, Mazars USA, is needed to inform rules governing ethics, conflicts of interest and presidential financial disclosure.

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/508092-supreme-court-denies-dems-bid-to-fast-track-ongoing-fight-for-trump

Egypt and Ethiopia on the brink of war

Ethiopia fills dam reservoir that could destroy agriculture in Egypt and Sudan

The tension between Egypt and Ethiopia is worsening. Both countries are raising their regional rivalry and threatening the North African international security with the imminence of a new conflict. The cause of the tension is due to Ethiopia’s intentions to build a large hydroelectric dam on one of the tributaries of the River Nile, the so-called “Blue Nile”. The big problem around the issue is that several studies prove that the project would result in a series of devastating environmental effects for some nearby regions, mainly in Egypt and Sudan, where such consequences would annihilate all traditional farming systems.

Egyptian authorities are trying to prevent the project from advancing by legal and peaceful means. First, trilateral negotiations were established between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, with the aim of reaching an agreement of common interest. But the negotiations were unsuccessful and the authorities in Cairo and Addis Ababa, the main antagonists in the conflict, were unable to reach a compromise. The next step taken by the Egyptian government was to appeal to the United Nations with its demand that Ethiopia be coercively prevented from building the plant.

Despite Egypt’s efforts, the United Nations’ inertia prevented the conclusion of an international agreement on the subject. Last Tuesday, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia again met to try to resolve the issue with a common agreement. Again, the attempt failed, and countries left the meeting with even more disagreements. As a result, Ethiopia went ahead with the project and has already started filling the dam’s reservoir. When this process is finished, traditional agriculture in Egypt and Sudan will be wiped out.

In fact, the Ethiopian project has come a long way. Since 2011, the country has been trying to build a dam to resolve its electricity issue. Currently, less than 45% of the Ethiopian population has access to electricity. The project, however, would not only solve the energy issue within the country, supplying the population entirely, but it would also allow the Ethiopian State to export surplus energy to other African countries, guaranteeing profits to the public coffers. All Ethiopia’s international claims, both regionally and globally, depend fundamentally on the triumph of the hydroelectric dam project, even becoming a matter of national pride. In short, the project is a fundamental part of the consolidation of Ethiopia as a sovereign national state in the contemporary world.

https://theduran.com/egypt-and-ethiopia-on-the-brink-of-war/

President Trump Says He May Send “More Federal Law Enforcement” to New York, Chicago and Other Cities to Quell the Riots

President Trump said on Monday he may send “more federal law enforcement” to New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia and other cities to deal with the riots.

“The fact is they’re restricted from doing anything,” President Trump said referring to the NYPD. “I’m gonna do something, I tell you.”

President Trump slammed the cities run by liberal Democrats allowing anarchists to riot non-stop.

“In Portland they’ve done a fantastic job,” said Trump of the DHS agents.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the DHS is planning on deploying 150 agents in Chicago this week.

The Democrat-media complex exploded last week after DHS agents moved in to quell non-stop weeks of rioting in Portland, Oregon.

Like clockwork, the Democrats and their stenographers in the media called the DHS agents “stormtroopers” and compared them to the Nazi Gestapo.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/07/president-trump-says-may-send-federal-law-enforcement-new-york-chicago-cities-quell-riots-video/

Brazil is about to become unofficial NATO member

The Brazilian government on Friday made an announcement on its so-called Defense legal base, a set of documents comprised of the National Defense Policy, National Defense Strategy and White Paper on National Defense. Every four years Brazil’s Congress must approve the three documents. These documents contain the guidelines for the Defense of Brazil and due to legal determination, they discuss important issues such as Brazil’s strategic planning for the 21st century, modernization of the Armed Forces, economic support for national defense, and peace and humanitarian aid operations.

The new edition of the documentation will likely be delivered to the National Congress on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the National Defense Policy points to the risk of tensions and crises in South America. This is the first time this has happened since these documents began. As an example of highlighting tension and crises in the region, the ministry cited the crisis of Venezuelan immigrants on the Brazilian border, demonstrating that the document is a consequence of Brasilia’s current close alignment with Washington. Diplomatic alignment with the U.S. certainly creates conflict and the issue of Venezuela is one example of that. Something that would normally not be a source of conflict between states as it is an internal political dispute, has now become a continental issue, according to Brazil’s new defense policies. Brazil has many times expressed their enthusiasm to invade Venezuela if the U.S. were to do so as well.

The pressure for conflict in Latin America is mostly caused by American diplomacy. Brazil’s diplomacy under President Jair Bolsonaro, dubbed the “Tropical Trump,” is totally subjugated to American interests. As tensions between Washington and Caracas escalate, a change of Brazil’s formerly friendly policies towards Venezuela was inevitable. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has aggressively attempted to cause a civil war in Venezuela by orchestrating political and military coup’s against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Ruling parties in the U.S. traditionally support international crises during electoral time to try and unify voters to justify their re-election.

https://theduran.com/brazil-is-about-to-become-unofficial-nato-member/

Chevron’s $5b Noble Energy buy brings a new owner to Israel natural gas fields

Noble Energy has played a key role in discovering and developing Israel’s mammoth offshore natural gas fields, Tamar and Leviathan

Chevron Corporation, the multinational energy firm, said Monday it had entered into a definitive agreement with Noble Energy, Inc. to buy all of the outstanding shares of the Huston, Texas-based oil and gas explorer, in an all-stock transaction valued at $5 billion, or $10.38 per share.

The deal was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Monday.

Noble Energy has stakes in Israel’s mammoth gas fields Tamar and Leviathan.

Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said in a text message that he welcomed the acquisition and the entry of Chevron to the Israeli energy market.

“The acquisition of Noble Energy by the energy giant Chevron is a tremendous expression of confidence in the Israeli energy economy, and in the continued development and export of natural gas from the State of Israel,” he said, adding that the energy ministry will examine the request for the transfer of ownership of the rights to the fields once it is submitted to the ministry. By Israeli law, the rights to energy fields cannot be transferred without approval of Israel’s petroleum council.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/chevrons-5b-noble-energy-buy-brings-a-new-owner-to-israel-natural-gas-fields/

2 Ukrainian nationals plead guilty to smuggling counterfeit cancer, hepatitis drugs

HOUSTON – Two Ukrainian nationals pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to smuggle and distribute counterfeit cancer and hepatitis drugs into the United States.

This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston, Texas, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations.

Ukrainian nationals Maksym Nienadov, 36, and Volodymyr Nikolaienko, 33, pleaded guilty July 17 in the Southern District of Texas to conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit drugs and smuggling goods into the United States. Nienadov also admitted to introducing misbranded medicine into the U.S.

In June 2018, undercover HSI special agents began communicating with Nienadov about the illegal sale of Keytruda. This prompted a months-long exchange which also involved Nikolaienko and resulted in the unlawful sale of counterfeit or unapproved Keytruda, Abraxane and Epclusa. Neither Nienadov or Nikolaienko are medical doctors, pharmacists or licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers in the United States and did not have authorization to sell the drugs.

Merck & Co. manufactures Keytruda, a medicine to treat cancer, while Gilead Sciences Inc. manufactures Epclusa, a prescription drug for the treatment of hepatitis-C. Celgene Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb and manufactures the oncology product Abraxane. In their legitimate form, the FDA approved all three drugs for distribution in the U.S.

During the undercover investigation, law enforcement received Nienadov’s banking information, which included the name “Maksim Nenadov” and his Ukrainian bank account number. Authorities transferred $2,400 to his bank account for the purchase of the purported Keytruda. Soon after, they received a shipment from “Maxim Nenadov” which contained two boxes represented to contain Keytruda. However, the items were sent to Merck for testing and were determined to be counterfeit.

Authorities then negotiated the purchase of more Keytruda as well as Abraxane. The online messaging and email conversations resulted in a $3,400 undercover payment to Nienadov for the purchase of both drugs. On July 30, 2018, “Maxim Nenadov” sent two boxes of purported Keytruda and two boxes of supposed Abraxane to undercover agents. Merck and Celgene performed analyses and confirmed the packaging and medication to be counterfeit.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/2-ukrainian-nationals-plead-guilty-smuggling-counterfeit-cancer-hepatitis-drugs

UCal Snubs Local Students To Woo Chinese Elite, Lawsuit Alleges

Suit accuses state schools of shortchanging locals in favor of international students

The University of California has used a loophole to fill classrooms with underqualified international students while turning away some of California's brightest high schoolers, according to multiple state reports and interviews with current and former faculty members.

Two state reports now at the center of a civil lawsuit against the U.C. system say the U.C. administrators are using a loophole to get around a state requirement to admit the top 9 percent of California high school graduates.

The main beneficiaries have been international students, with the number rising to 13.9 percent of the total student body in 2017 from 4.8 percent a decade earlier, according to admissions data. Chinese international students, who represent about 75 percent of the international student population, have reaped the largest benefit.

https://freebeacon.com/campus/ucal-snubs-local-students-to-woo-china/

Hungarian FM makes solidarity visit with Israel amid COVID-19, annexation

Szijjártó will only visit Jerusalem, where he will meet with Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Science Minister Yizhar Shay.

Staunch Israeli ally Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó is scheduled to visit Israel on Monday to sign a deal with regard to space research, as other European allies are warning of weakened ties due Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to annex portions of the West Bank.

Hungary and Israel have tight ties and the country is considered to be a very “close friend” of Israel, Avi Nir-Feldklein, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s Europe department, told reporters on Sunday in advance of the half-day-visit.

Szijjártó will only visit Jerusalem, where he will meet with Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Science Minister Yizhar Shay.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister has made a number of visits to Israel. Unlike last month’s visit by Germany Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to warn Israel against annexation, Szijjártó’s trip is viewed as a sign of friendship between the two nations.

Hungary has worked to block anti-Israel moves in the European Union. Last year, Szijjártó visited Israel to open a trade office in Jerusalem, in a show of support for the US’s decision to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to the capital.

Hungary has expressed support for US Donald Trump’s peace plan. In June Szijjártó visited the US and met with Jared Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy who authored the US peace plan.

“Hungary … will continue to oppose unilateral and unjust international political approaches against Israel,” Szijjártó wrote on Facebook on June 10, as Maas flew to Israel to warn against annexation.

Hungary is one of eight countries, which has argued that the International Criminal Court lacks the jurisdiction to hear war crimes suits that related to activities in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister made similar statements in May, after his first conversation with Ashkenazi, who had just become foreign minister.

The Hungarian readout of the call said their governments "are founded on patriotic, national values" and "are being attacked in international political life as a result of hypocrisy, bias and political correctness."

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/hungarian-fm-makes-solidarity-visit-with-israel-amid-covid-19-annexation-635643