Army’s Top General Says He’s Reassured Allies That US Troops Will Stay Out of Policing

Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said Friday that he has sought to ease allies' concerns about the U.S. military becoming involved in law enforcement actions in response to nationwide protests.

"As we talk to other countries and other militaries, we have that discussion to make sure they understand that the purpose of the U.S. Army is to protect the nation, not police the nation," he said. "We should leave policing the nation to law enforcement."

"When it comes to the military, we need to do the right thing, the right way, in all circumstances," McConville said in response to questions at a Center for Strategic and International Studies forum on the Army's role in the Indo-Pacific region.

He had been asked whether the turmoil across the nation is affecting the "U.S. brand" overseas and possibly raising questions among allies about military-to-military partnerships.

"We did not deploy regular Army troops" in Washington, D.C., or elsewhere during disturbances, McConville stressed, although such units were briefly poised at bases on the District's outskirts in early June.

"As far as employing regular Army troops" for domestic law enforcement, "that's only to be done as the absolute last resort. Even the National Guard should only be employed as a last resort," he added.

In the Indo-Pacific region, the Army's top priority is developing long-range, precision-fire artillery and missiles to counter China, and securing basing rights from allies for the weapons systems, McConville said.

"We know we need long-range precision fires," including extended-range artillery, he said, adding that the Army will seek to protect the weapons systems should defense budgets decline in coming years.

To back up the long-range weapons, "We're standing up a new organization. It's called multi-domain task forces that provide the ability to do long-range precision effects," McConville said. Where the new weapons would go in the region has yet to be decided, he added.

"That's something we're still working on," he explained. "As far as the exact positioning, we do have some capability in the extremely long-range precision fires to give us certain effects, but that capability as far as exact positioning is still being determined."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/08/01/armys-top-general-says-hes-reassured-allies-us-troops-will-stay-out-of-policing.html

22 Killed in Clashes at Afghan-Pakistan Border

Kandahar Governor says many killed in Pakistani shelling of homes

Heavy fighting erupted Friday at the border crossing between Afghanistan and Chaman, Pakistan, leaving at least 22 people dead and scores wounded. The fighting broke out with crowds impatiently waiting to cross during the extra-busy holiday.

Pakistan reported seven deaths and 31 injuries, while the Kandahar Governor reported that Pakistan shelled a border town, killing 15 people and injuring at least 80. The Afghan Defense Ministry threatened retaliation against them.

The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is long and often details are contested. This means that such outbreaks are violence are not entirely uncommon, though they usually don’t last more than a few days. Holiday crowds often raise tensions there.

Pakistan defended the large civilian casualties in Afghanistan, saying they acted in “self-defense.” They threatened more such defense if the Afghans retaliate in any way.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/07/31/22-killed-in-clashes-at-afghan-pakistan-border/

Marines Suspend All AAV Water Ops as Search for 8 Missing Troops Continues

The Marine Corps will inspect its entire fleet of amphibious assault vehicles after one took on water during a training mishap, leaving one dead, two in critical condition and eight missing.

Search and rescue efforts continue off the coast of California to locate seven Marines and a sailor whose AAV sank during a Thursday training exercise. The troops, assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, were training near San Clemente Island, northwest of San Diego, when their vehicle began filling with water.

"I've directed an immediate suspension of amphibious assault vehicle water operations until the causal factors of this mishap are better understood," Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger said during a Friday press conference from Camp Pendleton in California. "All AAVs across the fleet will be inspected."

Three AAVs and a rescue boat were in the water Thursday night conducting amphibious training between 1,000 and 2,000 yards from San Clemente Island, Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, said during the press conference.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/07/31/marines-suspend-all-aav-water-ops-search-8-missing-troops-continues.html

Israel’s Netanyahu accused of promoting fake death threats to garner sympathy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was accused by activists of promoting fake death threats to garner sympathy, i24 News reported.

Netanyahu, who is due to stand trial for corruption in office, tweeted a screenshot of the alleged death threat, which was posted on Facebook by the profile of a woman called ‘Dana Ron’, where she threatened to “put a bullet in his head”.

He tweeted: “Today I shall file a complaint against the threat attached hereby, that calls to murder me by ‘a bullet in the head.'” The enclosed Facebook post stated that “Bibi [Netanyahu’s nickname] needs to be taken down by force alone… Dictators are moved with a bullet in the head.”

However, when independent journalist and social activist Yossi Dorfman investigated the claims, including combing through Ron’s Facebook account to find bizarre usage patterns and possible links to the right, coming to the conclusion that the threat was potentially fake.

He tweeted: “Since I do not trust Bibi, I went to check who is this Dana Ron that he said he would file a complaint against for inciting murder.”

He continued: Is this a “false flag” exercise in which an activity is disguised to blame another party?

Come with me for a detective thread.”

נתניהו התלונן על הסתה, בדיוק באותו הזמן שהכותרות עסקו באלימות מצד תומכיו.

מאחר שאני לא סומך על ביבי, הלכתי לבדוק מי זו אותה Dana Ron שאמר שיגיש נגדה תלונה במשטרה על הסתה לרצח.

האם זהו תרגיל "דגל כוזב" (False Flag) שבו מסווים פעילות כדי להאשים צד אחר?

בואו איתי לשרשור בלשי

1/16 pic.twitter.com/fO0NAGi8gf

— Yossi Dorfman (@Yossi_Dorfman) July 30, 2020

His findings revealed that Ron had updated her bio twice in the space of a minute, and posted anti-Netanyahu posts in quick succession, and there were in fact several accounts under the name ‘Dana Ron’.

Dorfman then speculated that the account was fake and being used by Netanyahu’s affiliates or Netanyahu himself as a political tool.

These posts coincided with attacks on protesters by far-right Likud activists.

The more sceptical of the prime minister’s critics further accused Netanyahu of being behind the post himself, planting a digital ‘false flag’.

Facebook’s Israeli headquarters confirmed that the profile was in fact not authentic and earmarked for deletion.

This comes as Netanyahu faces unrest and protests from angry Israelis dissatisfied with the government’s coronavirus response, and anti-annexation opposition.

In the latest general election, the third in the space of a year, Netanyahu managed to cling to the premiership by the tips of his fingers after making a deal with Kahol Lavan’s Benny Gantz, making him Defense Minister and ‘alternate Prime Minister’.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200731-israels-netanyahu-accused-of-promoting-fake-death-threats-to-garner-sympathy/

Man Who Fatally Shot Air Force Vet at Protest Was Fort Hood Soldier

A lawyer for the man accused of fatally shooting Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster in Texas has identified his client as an active-duty sergeant in the Army, and released a statement saying the shooting was an act of self-defense.

Sgt. Daniel Perry shot 28-year-old Foster in downtown Austin July 25 at a late-evening protest, according to Perry's attorney, Clint Broden of the Dallas-based firm Broden Mickelson. In a statement, Broden said Perry had been working for a ride-share service when he turned right onto Congress Avenue and encountered the protesters. Foster, who was seen carrying an "AK-47-style" assault rifle, motioned to Perry to roll down his driver's-side window, then raised his rifle at him, according to Broden's statement.

The Washington Post first published the statement in full. The law firm did not immediately respond to Military.com's request for additional comment. Law enforcement officials have not publicly identified the shooter in the case.

"It was only then that Sgt. Perry, who carried a handgun in his car for his own protection while driving strangers in the ride share program, fired on the person to protect his own life," the statement continues.

Army Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, a spokesman for 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas, confirmed to Military.com that Perry was an active-duty sergeant assigned to 1st Cav.

"Any questions or information requests related to the ongoing Austin Police investigation should be addressed to the Austin Police public information officer," he said. "The unit continues to cooperate with the Austin Police Department in their ongoing investigation."

Brautigam did not confirm any additional career specifics for Perry, but Broden's statement said he had served honorably for eight years, deployed once to Afghanistan and "has been the recipient of numerous [A]rmy awards and commendations."

Foster also had a history of service; he was a former Air Force flight mechanic who received an early discharge to provide full-time care to his fiancee, Whitney Mitchell, a quadruple amputee.

There is some disagreement among witnesses regarding what took place in the confrontation. Witnesses told the Austin American-Statesman that Perry's car had appeared to accelerate into the crowd, and also that Foster had his weapon pointed down.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/07/31/man-who-fatally-shot-air-force-vet-protest-was-fort-hood-soldier.html

Japan to Ban TikTok For Allegedly Sharing Data With Chinese Government

Following India, Japan is also likely to ban the popular video-sharing app Tiktok.

Lawmakers from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party have decided to push for a ban on Tiktok. The party has accused Tiktok of misusing data of the Japanese and handing over it to the Chinese government.

A group of lawmakers from the ruling party of Japan, led by Japanese Finance Minister Akira Amari, decided at a meeting on Tuesday to take action against the Tiktok. A team of parliamentarians of Japan has decided to submit a proposal to the government by next September.

Tiktok has been the target of criticism since India imposed the ban last month. It is said that even the United States is preparing to ban Tiktok, followed by the Australian government.

Tiktok, meanwhile, has been denying claims of Japan that user data is available to the Chinese government. Tick ​​has made it clear that the Chinese government has not yet requested user data and will not do so.

What do you think? Should Japan put a ban on Tiktok?

http://www.scoopyweb.com/2020/07/japan-to-ban-tiktok-for-allegedly.html

28 Million Mail-In Ballots Went Missing in Last Four Elections, Who Still Thinks Mail-In Balloting is a Good Idea?

A new report from our friends at Real Clear Politics shows a staggering number of missing mail-in ballots. We’re not talking a few hundred, or even a few hundred thousand. We’re talking tens of millions in just the last four presidential elections went missing.

The following is from Real Clear Politics.

Between 2012 and 2018, 28.3 million mail-in ballots remain unaccounted for, according to data from the federal Election Assistance Commission. The missing ballots amount to nearly one in five of all absentee ballots and ballots mailed to voters residing in states that do elections exclusively by mail.

States and local authorities simply have no idea what happened to these ballots since they were mailed – and the figure of 28 million missing ballots is likely even higher because some areas in the country, notably Chicago, did not respond to the federal agency’s survey questions. This figure does not include ballots that were spoiled, undeliverable, or came back for any reason.

Although there is no evidence that the millions of missing ballots were used fraudulently, the Public Interest Legal Foundation, which compiled the public data provided from the Election Assistance Commission, says that the sheer volume of them raises serious doubts about election security.

These questions are particularly relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing states across the country to rapidly expand vote-by-mail operations in an election year. Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Ron Wyden have proposed the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020, a bill that would allow every eligible voter the opportunity to vote by mail, regardless of state laws governing mail-in ballots.

A significant increase in mail-in voting this fall could greatly incentivize “ballot harvesting,” where third parties collect mail-in ballots on behalf of voters and deliver them to election officials. There’s long been a consensus that such a practice incentivizes fraud, and ballot harvesting is illegal in most of the country. Public debate over the issue has intensified in recent years after a GOP operative in North Carolina was indicted for crimes related to ballot harvesting in 2018.

https://thedcpatriot.com/28-million-mail-in-ballots-went-missing-in-last-four-elections-who-still-thinks-mail-in-balloting-is-a-good-idea/

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/04/24/28_million_mail-in_ballots_went_missing_in_last_four_elections_143033.html

McCloskey Case: St Louis Police Detective Refused to Sign Prosecutor's Biased Probable Cause Statement

The probable cause statement against the McCloskeys written by St Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's underling was dripping with bias and filled with so many ridiculous falsehoods that the lead police detective investigating the case reportedly refused to sign at least two different versions.

From KSDK, "St. Louis prosecutor to detective on McCloskey case: 'I suggest you quickly reassess this evidence'":

The lead St. Louis police detective investigating the McCloskey case refused to sign at least two versions of court documents prosecutors drafted, according to a review of those documents obtained by 5 On Your Side.

In addition, police contend at least one person in the crowd was armed and another was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, after analyzing videos taken June 28, when the couple confronted protesters with guns.

[…] The documents obtained by 5 On Your Side include an email Gardner's Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Hinckley sent to the lead investigator on the case, Sgt. Curtis Burgdorf. Hinckley emailed police the day before the McCloskeys were served with a search warrant, stating it needed to happen "now."

"At this point, everything points to these weapons being real and loaded, but no one has asked or confirmed," he wrote. "Come trial, they'll say they were waiving around a BB gun and an air rifle."

[…] [Burgdorf] noted in follow up reports that at least one of the protesters was armed with a handgun, and another was wearing a bullet-resistant vest with the words, "Human Shield" on it.

Some of the phrases he was able to decipher from the footage collected by prosecutors from protesters included:

"You own a business. Your business is gone."

"We coming back baby."

"You ain't the only (expletive) with a gun."

"They coming back to your house."

In another livestream video, Burgdorf wrote a man was heard saying, "I was in front so I was the one who opened the gate. The gate was broken after they pulled a gun. What law did we break? We keep guns there but not for show though. Not to look a certain way, but for use. If they would've shot then they would've been put down."

The only thing Burgdorf wrote from what he could hear from the McCloskeys included Patricia McCloskey shouting "Go," as she pointed her gun at demonstrators.

As KSDK reported last week, Gardner's office ordered the St. Louis police crime lab to reassemble Patricia McCloskey's "prop" gun which was incapable of firing:

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=61623

Trump Must Investigate How Inflated Our COVID-19 Death Count Is

In mid-March, the Imperial College in London projected as many as 2.2 million deaths in the United States alone, with the peak mortality in three months, if nothing was done to mitigate the spread the disease. There were many problems with this model, but nevertheless, it prompted quick action, and as you’ve probably noticed, we’re nowhere near 2.2 million deaths. It’s not even close.

Several months in, we’re at roughly 153,000 deaths, a tragic number for sure, but far below the doomsday predictions that prompted the nationwide lockdowns. With the exception of few states like New York and New Jersey, most successfully flattened the curve, and even as cases spiked in recent weeks, treatments for COVID-19 have improved, decreasing mortality.

But, the same people who justified the lockdowns because of doomsday scenarios with apocalyptic death projections aren’t willing to concede the success of the United States’ response. After all, there’s an election coming and the best thing to ensure Joe Biden emerging victorious is for people to believe the United States’ response to the pandemic was a failure, and that the reason for that failure is Donald Trump.

Deaths may be lower than many of those early projections, but there’s reason to believe that we’re doing even better than the official counts indicate. The question is: by how much?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) actually directed physicians to put COVID-19 on death certificates even if the patient never tested positive for the disease. A CDC memo from March 24, 2020, stated “COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death.”

“I can’t imagine if someone comes in with coronavirus, goes to an ICU, and they have an underlying heart condition and they die—they’re going to say, ‘Cause of death: heart attack,’” remarked Dr. Fauci back in April. “I cannot see that happening.”

How does one assume COVID-19? Based on symptoms. But, here’s the problem. COVID-19 has a wide range of symptoms: fever or chills, cough, breathing difficulty, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Any one or combination of these symptoms could be due to any number of different sicknesses. Heck, most of these are typical with the common cold, and some of the symptoms can be caused by seasonal allergies.

And hospitals are financially incentivized to assume a COVID-19 diagnosis.

So, one can imagine how many deaths are falsely attributed to being caused or contributed to by COVID-19. At least 30 percent of COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic. Probably even more. According to the CDC, roughly 80 percent of cases only have mild symptoms.

But it gets worse than that.

In Florida, a fatal motorcycle accident was listed as a COVID-19 death. An investigation has shown other deaths were falsely attributed to the coronavirus in the state as well. In Washington State, gunshot victims were listed as COVID-19 deaths.

In short, we know COVID-19 deaths are inflated. The question is by how much. We can’t wait until after the election to get the answer to this question.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/08/01/trump-must-investigate-how-inflated-our-covid-19-death-count-is-n739147

Police: 'Israel is in a state of social chaos'

"At some point, they began attacking [protesters] with knives, bats and glass bottles."

"Israel is in a state of social chaos," a senior police official said behind closed doors, N12 reported last week as violence broke out at anti-government protests.

Four demonstrators protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in central Tel Aviv were hospitalized last week after being attacked by far-right activists. The group reportedly infiltrated the demonstration, attacking a group of protesters with pepper spray and glass bottles.

The photograph of 27-year-old protester Shai Sekler, who was injured by the group, began circulating social media following the violent incident.

"When the rally reached the Cinematheque area, a group of ten people in black joined [the protest]," Sekler said in an interview with Ynet. "At first, we thought they were undercover detectives because they moved as an organized group," he added.

"At some point, they began attacking [protesters] with knives, bats and glass bottles," he continued. "I ran to help those injured and then one of them attacked me with a sharp object and another two toppled me."

More

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/police-israel-is-in-a-state-of-social-chaos-637135

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/police-israel-is-in-a-state-of-social-chaos-637135

Iran Captures Ringleader Of U.S.-Based ‘Terrorist Group’

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence announced on August 1 that it had captured the ringleader of the U.S.-based Tondar [Thunder] group, Jamshid Sharmahd.

In an official statement, the ministry said Sharmahd was captured in complicated operations by security forces, adding that his capture was a “heavy and serious blow” to Tondra.

Sharmahd, 65, introduces himself on the official website of Tondar as an Iranian-American broadcaster and opposition activist based in Los Angeles.

Tondar, or the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, is an group seeking to overthrow the Islamic regime in Iran and restore the monarchy. Iran says the group is armed and responsible for terrorist activities in the country.

The group allegedly claimed responsibility for the 2008 Shiraz explosion at the Hosseynieh Seyed al-Shohada. At least 14 people, including children, were killed and 215 others were injured in the bombing.

Iran claims that its security forces foiled several terrorist plot by Tondar over the last few years. The group supposedly plotted to blow up the Sivand dam in Shiraz, detonate cyanide bombs at the Tehran book exhibition and bomb the general ceremonies at late Imam Khomeini’s shrine.

While the group is based in the U.S, it remains unclear if it is receiving any support from Washington. Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence said that it will provide more details on the capture of Sharmahd soon.

https://southfront.org/iran-captures-ringleader-of-u-s-based-terrorist-group/

Texas Downgrades COVID-19 Deaths After ‘Automation Error’

The Texas Department of State Health Services revealed this week that an “automation error” in a new method of reporting COVID-19 deaths led to hundreds of people being mistakenly reported as having died of the coronavirus.

The statistical error put 225 fatalities on the state’s COVID-19 related death toll. A local Texas NBC affiliate stated: “On July 27, the state said 675 deaths were being added to the list of those killed by COVID-19 and that the increase was due to a change in reporting method that relied on death certificates rather than reports from various public health departments.“

According to the data changes from Texas DSHS and posted by NBC Dallas Fort Worth:

The state health department then revised the death totals published those days as follows:

June 27 — changed from 5,713 to 5,489, +451 instead of +675

June 28 — changed from 5,877 to 5,650, +161 instead of +164

June 29 — changed from 6,190 to 5,952, +302 instead of +313

On Thursday, the state said another 322 Texans had died after contracting the virus when they reported the state’s death total reached 6,274.

The Texas DSHS stated in a Tweet that it has corrected the “COVID-19 fatality counts for the week of July 27.”

“An automation error caused 225 fatalities to be included even though COVID-19 was not listed as a direct cause of the death on the death certificate,” it stated.

DSHS corrects COVID-19 fatality counts for the week of July 27.

An automation error caused 225 fatalities to be included even though COVID-19 was not listed as a direct cause of death on the death certificate. #COVID19TX dashboard: https://t.co/ofycOLqWQZ pic.twitter.com/4mKBzjIrfO

— Texas DSHS (@TexasDSHS) July 30, 2020

https://saraacarter.com/texas-downgrades-covid-19-deaths-after-automation-error/

Kodak a first step: Trump White House plans new ways to break Chinese supply chain dominance

'It doesn't mean we can't buy from certain sources. But you've got to think about it like a backup generator. You've got to have those sources in the United States, too.' - White House official

As the Trump White House this week announced a major deal to pivot photo giant Kodak toward pharmaceutical manufacturing, it made clear this was just the first step in a broader plan to break Chinese dominance of supply chain in manufacturing.

With a focus first on healthcare manufacturing, the White House brokered a $765 million loan to Kodak after noticing 90% of the main ingredients of the most common pharmaceuticals taken each day in the United States are manufactured abroad.

Adam Boehler, CEO of U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, is a lead administration official on the Kodak deal, and said the White House plans to move beyond drugs toward other medical supply areas vulnerably exposed during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We're going down the list," Boehler said in an interview with Just the News. "Look at masks, gloves. Right now, rubber gloves, they're 80%, 90% made outside of the country, we can't have that risk. It doesn't mean we can't buy from certain sources. But you've got to think about it like a backup generator. You've got to have those sources in the United States, too. So we're going through list of items of PPE. We're looking at generic pharmaceuticals, a number of other areas as well."

The White House said the Kodak Pharmaceuticals project is expected to add 350 new direct jobs to Kodak, along with "thousands of jobs" due to the "multiplier effect" of new demand within the local community of upstate Rochester, New York. That region has been decimated by Rust Belt trends, and Boehler said he's hopeful that Kodak will serve as a model for future federal-state partnerships to invest in rebuilding the United State's industrial base.

"Kodak is the first example," Boehler said. "If you think about Kodak, you think about film. Well, the way you make film is with chemicals. That's also how you make ingredients for generic pharmaceuticals. So I think the implications of this are: one, Americans will be safer if we're making them domestically. Number two, think about where manufacturing is in the United States. They're in blue collar towns and cities across the United States, where we've lost these jobs to China and to others, and we want to bring them back. So upstate New York is a great example. There are plenty of other examples of manufacturing towns in the United States where we're going to bring the jobs back."

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/all-things-trump/kodak-first-step-trump-white-house-plans-new-ways-break-chinese

Israel Informed Hezbollah That It Will No Longer Target Its Fighters In Syria – Report

Israel has informed Hezbollah that it will no longer target its fighters in Syria, the Palestinian al-Hadath newspaper reported on August 1, citing Israeli media reports.

According to the newspaper, Hezbollah was informed of the Israeli decision in a message that was delivered by the UN.

“The occupation [Israeli] government sent a message to Lebanese Hezbollah, through the UN, saying it will refrain from targeting Hezbollah fighters in Syria once and for all,” the al-Hadath’s report reads.

Hezbollah lost one of its fighters in the July 20 Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital, Damascus. Since then, Israel has been anticipating an attack by the Lebanese group, which is well-known for responding to such incidents.

Al-Hadath said the new Israeli message to Hezbollah also included a threat. Tell Aviv warned the group that it will strike “six sensitive targets” in response to any attack from Lebanon on its territory.

This was the second Israeli message to Hezbollah since July 20. In the first message, Israel told the group that it didn’t intend to kill its fighter in the recent airstrikes on Damascus. Tel Aviv also warned the group from responding.

Israel’s promise to stop its attacks on Hezbollah fighters in Syria may de-escalate tensions with the group. Nevertheless, Hezbollah has never backed down from a stand-off with Israel.

https://southfront.org/israel-informed-hezbollah-that-it-will-no-longer-target-its-fighters-in-syria-report/

Military Situation In Syria On August 1, 2020 (Map Update)

A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:

Clashes between the SAA and militant groups were reported near the village of Ruwaiha;

SAA artillery shelled militant positions in the Ruwaiha area;

The Syrian security services seized a large amount of weapons and ammunition on the administrative borders between Homs and Hama, which were intended to be smuggled to the northern Idlib countryside;

Three explosions in the town of Sarmada destroyed oil facilities.

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-syria-on-august-1-2020-map-update/

Anti-Netanyahu protest movement goes global over weekend

Demonstrations planned for New York, London, San Francisco; Likud drafts Trump

The protest movement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expanded internationally on Friday, when a demonstration was held on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

The demonstrators in San Francisco carried black and Israeli flags and warn about danger to Israeli democracy.

"The foundations of Israeli democracy are being challenged by a prime minister indicted for criminal bribery charges and we American Israelis and Israeli expats will not stand idle," protest leader Offir Gutelzon wrote.

A protest is also planned for Washington Square in New York, in London and in Berlin on Sunday. The Bay Area activists are also in touch with people who want to protest in Boston and Seattle and activists who have

demonstrated against Netanyahu in Sydney.

“The easy answer about why we are protesting a 14-hour flight away is that we cannot fly to demonstrate during corona times,” Gutelzon told The Post. “If we could come, we would. We want to show solidarity with the protesters for democracy. The big threat to our democracy comes from Bibi’s divisiveness. We want to raise awareness of the threat to the Jewish and democratic state caused by Bibi.”

The Likud is also planning to add a global element to the protests. A group of Likud central committee members are planning a video of US President Donald Trump supporting Netanyahu that will disrupt an anti-Netanyahu protest outside Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence on Saturday night.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/anti-netanyahu-protest-movement-to-go-global-over-weekend-636990

McConnell: Vulnerable Candidates Should Consider Distancing Themselves From Trump

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been signaling vulnerable GOP Senate candidates over the last few weeks that they should distance themselves from Donald Trump if they feel it’s necessary.

GOP polls have dropped through the floor in recent weeks and Republican incumbents and challengers are being outspent by Democrats who smell blood in the water.

But “running away” from an incumbent president rarely, if ever works. It might have been possible a hundred years ago but modern communications make trying to avoid being tied to an unpopular president from your own party nearly impossible. There is also the fact that Trump remains enormously popular with the GOP base and candidates risk slitting their own throat if they try criticizing the president.

CNN:

“These vulnerable senators can’t afford to explicitly repudiate Trump,” said one senior Republican on Capitol Hill. “They just need to show they are independent on issues important in their states.”

Still, Trump continues to give GOP senators ways to make their break with him easier.

The President’s sustained assault on mail-in voting lacks GOP allies. And his suggestion on Thursday morning to delay the election drew open rebukes from many top Republicans, including multiple senators up for reelection, as well as McConnell.

“Never in the history of the country, through wars, depressions and the Civil War, have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time. We’ll find a way to do that again this November 3rd,” the majority leader said in an interview with WNKY.

There are at least 6 GOP Senators who are vulnerable. Martha McSally of Arizona tops the list as she is lagging both in fundraising and the polls behind Mark Kelly. Cory Gardner of Colorado is losing to a popular former governor John Hickenlooper. What’s worse for Gardner is Trump appears hopelessly behind in the state, making Gardner’s task that much more difficult. And in North Carolina, Republican Thom Tillis is losing badly to Democrat Cal Cunningham.

Susan Collins in Maine, Joni Ernst in Iowa, and Steve Daines in Montana are all running against well known, popular Democrats who are well funded and giving the Republican incumbents all they can handle.

So the 3-seat Republican majority in the Senate is hanging by a thread. But why run away from Trump?

For every vote those vulnerable Senators may get by abandoning Trump they will lose at least one vote when Trump supporters stay home on election day.

Some Republican analysts are thinking beyond election day and believe holding on to every seat matters.

But the size of a net defeat for the GOP matters. Even if they lose control of the majority, Senate Republicans can effectively play defense against Democratic legislation with a large enough minority and a handful of moderate Democratic defectors. But if GOP losses in the Senate are too great, their ability to use the filibuster to force a supermajority vote to proceed on legislation will be rendered meaningless.

“Even if we lose the majority, it matters that we have 49 seats,” said the senior Republican on the Hill. “If we have 45, we can’t stop (with) the filibuster. Every seat counts.”

It’s still too early to give up on most of those vulnerable Republicans. And it’s too late for them to abandon Trump. The best they can do is keep their heads down and keep going forward, hoping the national conversation changes from the coronavirus and racial justice back to friendlier Republican issues.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2020/08/01/mcconnell-vulnerable-candidates-should-consider-distancing-themselves-from-trump-n739150

Six Polish towns that declared themselves 'LGBT free zones' in gay rights backlash are denied funding by Brussels

Polish towns that declared themselves 'LGBT free zones' in a backlash against gay rights are to be denied EU funds.

Hardline president Andrzej Duda has just won five more years in power after a campaign that included attacks on the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.

Now six towns that declared themselves as 'LGBT Free' or banned campaigning for the rights of same-sex couples, have had their requests for town twinning, which comes with potentially lucrative funding, rejected by Brussels.

EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli tweeted to say that six town twinning applications from 'Polish authorities that adopted 'LGBT free zones' or 'family rights' resolutions were rejected.'

'EU values and fundamental rights must be respected' by the 27 member countries, Dalli said.

The move came as Poland's prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he was looking to potentially withdraw from the European Istanbul Convention, which guards against domestic violence.

Poland's government has described the treaty as 'ideologically tainted' and Mr Morawiecki has said the convention raised 'serious doubts', indicating he was leaning toward exiting the convention.

http://www.hideoutnow.com/2020/08/six-polish-towns-that-declared.html

Red Flags Soar As Big Pharma Will Be Exempt from COVID-19 Vaccine Liability Claims

Last week we warned readers to be cautious about new COVID-19 vaccines, highlighting how key parts of the clinical trials are being skipped as big pharma will not be held accountable for adverse side effects for administering the experimental drugs.

A senior executive from AstraZeneca, Britain’s second-largest drugmaker, told Reuters that his company was just granted protection from all legal action if the company’s vaccine led to damaging side effects.

“This is a unique situation where we as a company simply cannot take the risk if in … four years the vaccine is showing side effects,” said Ruud Dobber, a top exec at AstraZeneca.

In the contracts we have in place, we are asking for indemnification. For most countries, it is acceptable to take that risk on their shoulders because it is in their national interest,” said Dobber, adding that Astra and regulators were making safety and tolerability a top priority.

AstraZeneca is one of the 25 pharmaceutical companies across the world, testing experimental drugs that could be used to combat the deadly virus. And, of course, if testing yields positive results, AstraZeneca could manufacture hundreds of millions of doses, with no legal recourse if side effects are seen.

European officials told Reuters that product liability was a significant discussion to secure new vaccine drugs from Pfizer, Sanofi, and Johnson & Johnson.

As for the US, well, when it comes to the legal framework around vaccines, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already has a law called the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, which provides immunity to vaccine companies if something goes wrong.

With AstraZeneca, and many US big pharma companies rushing COVID-19 vaccines to market with governments granting them immunity if the vaccine has side effects, all suggest corporate elites and government regulators have very little faith in these drugs.

For more color on leading vaccines in development that produce “severe” side effects, read our latest piece titled “Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Induced Adverse Reactions In ‘More Than Half’ Of Trial Participants.”

Maybe these rushed vaccines are more for optics, get consumers back into airplanes, hotels, resorts, and malls.

The major red flag is how governments are allowing big pharma to rush experimental vaccines, with no legal recourse if something goes terribly wrong.

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2020/08/red-flags-soar-as-big-pharma-will-be-exempt-from-covid-19-vaccine-liability-claims.html

NY Bar Says Liquor License Suspended Over "F*CK CUOMO" Menu

A bar in Western New York says the state suspended their liquor license over a satirical menu which spells out "FUCK CUOMO" - meant to mock the governor over his executive order requiring customers to purchase food with alcohol, according to Spectrum News.

"He doesn't have a right to selectively enforce laws or directives against certain people just because he has a personal beef with them," said Chris Gardella, whose brother owns The Village Line in Kenmore.

According to state officials, a State Liquor Authority Investigator entered the bar and asked for a menu. He says he was told that he could order pizza next door and bring it back to the bar. The investigator also says he witnessed three patrons with alcohol and no food - which Gardella said they had probably already finished.

"The messaging was satirical in nature which I think anyone, any reasonable person would be able to understand. With that said, the menu is very much available with all the items listed on there," said Gardella.

The menu includes flour tortilla, Utz BBQ chips, a carrot stick, going on to eventually create an acrostic spelling out an obscenity and the governor's last name. Gardella didn't want to litigate whether the items were in compliance with the liquor license but rather asked if there was a reason the SLA was there in the first place.

"Look at other bars on Elmwood Avenue that don't serve any food, that if you walk by there on any given day are still operating without any level of harassment from the state," he said. -Spectrum News

"I can only assume that the governor's thin skin has led him to purposely target The Village Line," he said.” If you go to The Village Line, we're not a well-known bar outside of the neighborhood. This isn't something that a state official just stumbles upon into because they were taking a walk through Buffalo," he added.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ny-bar-says-liquor-license-suspended-over-fck-cuomo-menu

Antifa Terrorists Are Now Being Donated “Riot Gear” From Out of State Donors to Assist With Their Nightly Mob Violence

The Antifa terrorists in Portland are being donated riot gear from out of state donors.

They’ve organized out of state donations for their nightly riots.

The Antifa and Black Lives Matter mob have been rioting nightly for the past 60 nights in downtown Portland.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/antifa-terrorists-now-donated-riot-gear-state-donors-assist-nightly-mob-violence/