Sweden’s Top Epidemiologist: ‘We See No Point In Wearing Masks’

Sweden’s top epidemiologist says he sees “no point” in mandating masks in public across the country, which has seen its COVID-19 numbers plunge in recent months.

“With numbers diminishing very quickly in Sweden, we see no point in wearing a face mask in Sweden, not even on public transport,” Anders Tegnell said, according to Fortune.

Newsweek reports that as of Sunday, “the latest death rate in Sweden (deaths per 100,000 people) was reported to be 56.40. The figure is lower than that reported in the U.K. (69.60), Spain (60.88) and Italy (58.16), according to the latest report Sunday by Johns Hopkins University.”

“That Sweden has come down to these levels is very promising,” Tegnell told reporters in Stockholm on Tuesday. “The curves are going down and the curves for the seriously ill are beginning to approach zero.”

The Swede’s comments follow those from Holland’s top scientist, who have examined data and research about COVID-19 and declared there is no clear evidence that wearing face masks protects — anyone.

In fact, the scientists say wearing masks may actually hamper the fight against virus.

“Face masks in public places are not necessary, based on all the current evidence,” said Coen Berends, spokesman for the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. “There is no benefit and there may even be negative impact.”

Writes the Daily Mail:

Holland’s position is based on assessments by the Outbreak Management Team, a group of experts advising the government. It first ruled against masks in May and has re-evaluated the evidence several times, including again last week. It believes they detract from a clear three-pronged message that has kept deaths from coronavirus down to less than half the rate in Britain: wash hands regularly, maintain social distancing of 1.5 metres and stay at home if suffering any symptoms.

The one exception outside of the medical frontline has been on public transport, where masks are mandatory on the basis it is difficult to stay apart on crowded buses, ferries and trains. ‘We have seen this approach works,’ said Christian Hoebe, a professor of infectious diseases in Maastricht and member of the advisory team. ‘Face masks should not be seen as a magic bullet that halts the spread.

‘The evidence for them is contradictory. In general, we think you must be careful with face masks because they can give a false sense of security. People think they’re immune from disease or stop social distancing. That is very negative.’

http://www.stationgossip.com/2020/08/swedens-top-epidemiologist-we-see-no.html

U.S. Invokes “State Secrets” to Keep Intel Given to 9/11 Mastermind’s Defense from Victims

Government documents already provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to lawyers defending 9/11 terrorists continue to be withheld from survivors of the attacks and family members of those who died. The DOJ claims the roughly 25,000 pages of files are “State Secrets,” even though 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s (KSM) attorneys have been granted access. KSM is incarcerated at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and faces a death sentence. His victims and their family members claim in a federal lawsuit that Saudi Arabia helped carry out the 2001 attack and they need the U.S. government documents to help prove it.

A few weeks ago, thousands of 9/11 family members wrote a letter to Attorney General William Barr demanding access to the protected intelligence files that could help determine if Saudi Arabian officials are responsible for the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. Fifteen of the 19 Islamic terrorists who hijacked commercial airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field were from Saudi Arabia. Besides KSM, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi helped organize the deadly event. Relatives of the victims assert that the documents being withheld by the U.S. government identify multiple witnesses who transported two of the hijackers to Los Angeles International Airport as well as information involving a terrorist support cell in California and photos identifying members of the support cell.

“This situation is reprehensible and unacceptable,” states the letter which is signed by 3,361 family members. “How can it be that the mastermind behind the deadliest attack on American soil is somehow entitled, under your DOJ’s direction, to relevant U.S. government investigative documents about the 9/11 plot, yet the families whose loved ones were wrenched from us so painfully and ruthlessly that day are prohibited from seeing this same information?” They proceed to accuse the DOJ of manipulating and blocking their pursuit of justice into one of the most significant events in U.S. history. “The FBI, the DOJ, and you, Mr. Barr, turned your backs on the 9/11 community when you chose to side with Saudi Arabia, the sponsor of the 9/11 attacks, over the American people. Your continued misguided and inappropriate obstruction of the 9/11 community’s lawsuit against Saudi Arabia is an affront to the judicial system and justice itself, and a betrayal of the American people you are duty-bound to serve.”

https://www.judicialwatch.org/corruption-chronicles/u-s-invokes-state-secrets-to-keep-intel-files-provided-to-9-11-mastermind-from-victims/

Transparency is the only way forward, yeah right!

Pocatello man sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography

POCATELLO – Carlos Brewer, 42, of Pocatello, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 235 months in federal prison for receiving sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Eben Roberts and U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Senior Ninth Circuit Judge N. Randy Smith, sitting as a U.S. District Court judge, also ordered Brewer serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence. Brewer pleaded guilty to the charge Jan. 6.

According to court records, in August 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Brewer’s Pocatello home. Officers previously received information that Brewer possessed a thumb drive containing child pornography. At the home, Brewer informed officers that the thumb drive was located in his messenger bag and he admitted that he previously transferred child pornography to the thumb drive from images on his computer. During a forensic search of Brewer’s devices, officers found hundreds of images of child pornography. Brewer admitted in court that he received the child pornography by downloading it to his computer.

At sentencing, Judge Smith also ordered Brewer to forfeit the computer and thumb drive used in the commission of the offense. As a result of his conviction, Brewer will be required to register as a sex offender.

This case was investigated by HSI in Idaho Falls and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/pocatello-man-sentenced-over-19-years-federal-prison-receipt-child-pornography

Trump Confirms 4,000 US Troops to Withdraw From Afghanistan by November Vote

Says 4,000 to 5,000 will be left after pullout

As part of his Axios interview, President Trump reiterated plans to cut another 4,000 US troops from Afghanistan by the November election, saying he estimates 4,000 or 5,000 will be left after that. Pentagon officials announced planned cuts awhile ago.

Trump has been wanting to cut US troops from Afghanistan since the peace deal was worked out, and was particularly interested in removing much of the force before the election. At the same time, it seems unlikely he’ll get all US troops out by then.

It’s not impossible, however. US drawdowns have been way ahead of schedule in Afghanistan, despite intra-Afghan talks being rather slow. The question is if the US wants to finish up by then or simply get close enough.

Trump has played on the 19 years in Afghanistan being too long, and it is hopeful that it might come to an end. At the same time, the Pentagon emphasizes any cuts are “conditions-based.”

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/08/04/trump-confirms-4000-us-troops-to-withdraw-from-afghanistan-by-november-vote/

Media Deems Cashless Society a “Conspiracy Theory” After Admonishing Cash Use

Before there was a coin shortage, cash was under attack in the media and portrayed as a COVID-19 hazard. Now news outlets are making sure everyone knows only to think of a looming cashless society as a “conspiracy theory.”

At the height of anxiety over the coronavirus, CNN berated the American people for using cash. “Do NOT take a bunch of cash out of the bank” rang one headline, and “Dirty money: The case against using cash during the coronavirus outbreak” read another.

CBS News similarly ran an anti-cash story at the time, as did other mainstream networks, but more recent stories feign concern about the growing suspicion of an impending digital coup against paper and coined money.

It’s always funny how the media manipulates emotions, giving us something to be outraged about one day and trying to calm us down the next day if we’re outraged about the wrong thing.

Americans should be concerned about moves away from cash, and there is nothing wrong about questioning who would benefit and who would lose in a cashless society. If that makes you a conspiracy theorist in the eyes of the average journalist, who cares.

It was just last year that Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said, “We want a cashless society.”

Big banks and financial institutions would reap obvious benefits, beyond saving on the costs of transacting in coins and paper as well as transporting them. They would have that much more data to collect in bulk on their customers.

In the era of Cancel Culture, other more nightmarish consequences are stunningly easy to fathom. The difference between being banned from social platforms and financial platforms is a matter of degree, and the latter is already happening.

There is no downside to a cashless society for its fiercest proponents. They aren’t worried about finding an under-the-table side hustle or working for tips. They aren’t kids trying to mow a lawn or who are otherwise priced out or regulated out of the market by minimum wage and child labor laws.

The big players thrive in heavily top-down regulatory regimes. The smaller ones who might improve their standing need the freedom that cash provides.

Unfortunately, some leftist progressives are spearheading efforts to “help” people in lower economic strata be swathed up in the post-cash digital system. That would entail subsidizing free checking accounts or other special access to the financial system.

At last, inclusiveness and equality will be guaranteed once that “fascist cash” is out of the way. The campaign slogan will go something like that.

Many anti-cash advocates also tend to favor negative interest rates and much freer rein for central banks. Such policies are easier to enact without physical forms of legal tender. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell expressed his aversion to negative interest rates “for now” back in May, but President Donald Trump and other monetary theorists support the idea.

Negative interest rates mean an end to savings, so that consumerism becomes all-encompassing for economic activity. The permanent stimulus would become a compulsory force, rather than a relief amid a downturn.

So, the threat of a cashless society is real. How urgent the threat is in today’s fast-paced and unpredictable environment, people will have to decide for themselves.

https://www.activistpost.com/2020/08/media-deems-cashless-society-a-conspiracy-theory-after-admonishing-cash-use.html

Ex-Israel MK declares Lebanon blast as 'gift from God'

August 5, 2020 at 4:45 pm

Former Israeli Member of the Knesset Moshe Feiglin gleefully hailed yesterday’s devastating explosion in Beirut as a “gift” from God in time for the Jewish festival Tu B’Av.

Feiglin posted on Facebook that he thanked God that the deadly blast took place in Beirut, and claimed it was just in time for Tu B’Av, which is a festival of love, and in modern times has become a romantic Jewish holiday for dancing, handing out flowers and singing.

“Today is Tu B’Av, a day of joy, and a true and huge thank you to G-d and all the geniuses and heroes really (!) who organized for us this wonderful celebration in honor of the day of love.”

He went on to speculate that the explosion was no accident, claiming he had “experience” in explosives. He said: “You don’t really believe that this was some messy fuel warehouse, yeah? Do you understand that this hell was supposed to fall on us as a rain of missiles?! I have some experience with explosives. The largest explosion I took part in was 2.5 tons of TNT.”

He added: “What we saw yesterday at the Port of Beirut was much bigger. The destructive effect (without the radiation) was like a nuclear bomb.”

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200805-ex-israel-mk-declares-lebanon-blast-as-gift-from-god/

Interesting that the Kabbalah Jews think of themselves as God's

Democrat Congressman on Portland Rioters Burning Bibles, “That’s Their Business”

When you hear about Portland Rioters burning bibles in the streets, it probably doesn’t shock you after the way that 2020 has went so far. But what should shock you is the response from a United States Congressman who took an oath on a bible.

When he was asked about the rioters in Portland burning bibles, the long time Democrat Rep. James Clyburn responded with, “that’s their business.”

Then, after we’ve seen months of rioters targeting the federal courthouse in Portland, he asks, “what federal building has been under threat?”

You can watch the full video below of rioters in Portland, Oregon burning bibles. Democrats seem okay with this. Wait a minute, they are okay with it.

“Burning a bible doesn’t do anything about burning down a federal building. I don’t know if I’ve seen — what federal building has been under threat? Who attempted to burn any federal building?” Clyburn asked.

The level of excuses and ignorance from those on the left is at an all time high. They aren’t dumb America, but make no mistake about it, they know what they are doing.

https://thedcpatriot.com/watch-democrat-congressman-on-portland-rioters-burning-bibles-thats-their-business/

Trudeau’s third Canada scandal is MASSIVE billion dollar family pay-off

According to Justin Trudeau, the reason his government handed a sole-source contract to WE Charity to run a $912-million student-grant program is a pretty simple one.

WE Charity was the only organization in Canada capable of doing the job, the prime minister has said repeatedly.

“We needed to have a partner to help establish the networks and to deliver,” Trudeau said, shortly after his government waived any requirements to obtain competitive bids, delivering the deal directly to WE.

The contract unravelled soon after concerns were raised about WE’s personal connections to Trudeau and his family.

Trudeau and his government were rocked by revelations that his mother and brother received hundreds of thousands of dollars in lucrative speaking fees to appear at WE events. Now Trudeau is under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner for his handling of the contract.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau is under investigation, too, following revelations his daughter works for the organization and that he refunded more than $41,000 in travel benefits he received from WE.

As the investigations continue, Trudeau is clinging to the explanation that the federal civil service recommended the exclusive deal with WE.

“As the public service dug into it, they came back with only one organization that was capable of networking and organizing and delivering this program on the scale that we needed it,” Trudeau said.

“That was the WE program.”

It’s an explanation that draws a blunt response from the union representing 140,000 federal employees.

“It’s insulting,” Chris Aylward, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said.

https://theduran.com/trudeaus-third-canada-scandal-is-massive-billion-dollar-family-pay-off-video/

Giuliani: BLM 'close to being able to be designated as a domestic terrorist organization'

The former New York City Mayor said 'you got the beginnings of a pretty good case' for slapping the group with the designation.

Rudy Giuliani says that Black Lives Matter could possibly be designated a domestic terror group.

"This organization is this close to being able to be designated as a domestic terrorist organization," Giuliani said in an interview with Just the News, holding his thumb and index finger very close together .

The former New York City mayor and private lawyer to President Trump said "you got the beginnings of a pretty good case" for slapping the group with the designation.

"First of all, they're dedicated to hating America. Second they're dedicated to tearing down most of the institutions, not only of our government but also of our society," Giuliani said, mentioning "the family, and schools, and religious education and religion." He added, "they have a pretty close connection with violence."

He also alleged during the interview that the group opposes the traditional family.

"They're dead set against the nuclear family," he said. "Basically, they're dead set against fathers. They don't like fathers."

Listen to David Brody's interview with Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday's new episode of "The Pod's Honest Truth" podcast.

https://justthenews.com/nation/culture/former-nyc-mayor-giuliani-suggest-black-lives-matter-could-potentially-be-designated

Senate Hearing Witness Says Dem Senators Used Antifa Talking Points: ‘This Is Exceedingly Dangerous’

Several witnesses spoke at the Tuesday hearing for the Subcommittee on The Constitution of the Judiciary Committee regarding Antifa and the political conflict that has torn the country apart over the past months — one such witness said “Senate Democrats used antifa talking points to label American law enforcement as secret police & compared them to ‘right wing militias.'”

Kyle Shideler, Senior Analyst for Homeland Security & Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, took to Twitter to explain what he saw during his time at the hearing and to present grave predictions of Antifa if Democrats continue to ignore and consent to the domestic terrorist organization.

He explains Democrat silence and seeming acceptance — at least total unwillingness to denounce — of Antifa and their criminal behavior emboldends the group to go further and increase violence. It will “get much worse” if Democrats don’t speak out against the group. Shideler points to the condemnations from Democrats after the 2017 Berkeley Antifa attacks on journalists as proof that speaking against the group stops them from advancing.

“Antifa’s strategy is to radicalize the mainstream & push the center-left into their camp by endlessly expand concept of “fascism” until it encompasses anyone who opposes them. Calling the @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, the police & (implicitly) 63 million voters fascists does this,” Shideler tweeted.

He furthers saying the silence only pushes Antifa to be more violent — their violence is currently tamed for strategic reasons as they can’t get too out of hand or they risk losing political influence.

If Democrats purposefully keep refusing to condemn the terrorist organization — like Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) yesterday when she walked out of the room after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) gave her an open mic to condemn the group — the group will continue to grow in prominence in violence.

Democrat silence “pushes antifa to be even more violent. Right now their violence is tightly controlled ONLY for strategic reasons. They seek to do only as much violence as will terrorize while not losing their political top cover,” Shideler tweeted.

It’s time for Democratic members of the Senate, House, and across the country to condemn Antifa to stop the group in its tracks before their violence destroys the nation and all the things in it so many Americans hold dear.

https://saraacarter.com/senate-hearing-witness-says-dem-senators-used-antifa-talking-points-this-is-exceedingly-dangerous/

Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham Acknowledged Defeat In Greater Idlib Battle In New Video Release

Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) acknowledged its defeat in the last battle in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib in a new video release.

The video, titled Wa Tuhadithu Akhbaraha [Telling Its Stories], documents the battle from HTS’ point of view. The video was released by the group’s media agency, Amjad, on August 3.

In the documentary, HTS explains how its terrorists attempted to stop the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) attack on Greater Idlib in 2019 using an array of tactics.

The group built its entire strategy around a single principle, “the best defense is a good offense.” Under this strategy the group’s terrorists launched a series of counter-attacks and raids at the beginning of the battle.

While this tactic granted HTS some limited, temporary success in the battlefield, it failed to stop the SAA. In the first phase of the battle, the army managed to secure vast areas in northern Hama and southern Idlib, including the town of Khan Shaykhun.

As the army began advancing on the Damascus-Aleppo highway, the M5, in early 2020, HTS started to rely on more radical tactics.

The group launched large-scale attacks on other fronts, mainly Aleppo, to distract the army. The group also carried out more suicide attacks with booby-trapped vehicles and well-trained fighters who were left behind as sleeper cells.

https://southfront.org/hayat-tahrir-al-sham-acknowledged-defeat-in-greater-idlib-battle-in-new-video-release/

Advanced S-300 Air-Defense System Spotted Near Key Libya Oil Port

On August 5, Libyan sources shared images claiming to show an advanced S-300 long-range air-defense system in Libya.

The photos were supposedly taken near the town of Ras Lauf, a key oil export port controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA). The town is located more than 200 km to the east of the town of Sirte, where LNA forces are preparing for an attack by Turkish-backed forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA)

The photos show a 96L6E Cheese Board radar and a transporter erector launcher (TEL) similar to those used in S-300 and S-400 air-defense systems.

The 96L6E is a 3D early-warning and acquisition radar operating in C-Band designed to work with the S-300 and S-400 air-defense systems. The radar has a range of 300 km and can track up to 100 targets simultaneously.

The photos are yet to be verified by an independent side. They can be forged, taken in another country or even completely fake.

Last month, several Arab sources reported that an S-300 system was deployed in Libya. Egypt, an ally of the LNA, operates a variant of the system that is different from the one allegedly spotted near Ras Lanuf.

If confirmed, the presence of an S-300 or even an S-400 system could grant the LNA complete control of the skies over the frontline in Sirte. GNA forces, which relied on the support of Turkish combat drones during the recent battles, will lose their advantage.

https://southfront.org/advanced-s-300-air-defense-system-spotted-near-key-libya-oil-port-photos/

Abortion Giants, Soros Propel Wendy Davis Run

Wendy Davis struggles to raise a buck in her own backyard

Failed gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis is relying heavily on out-of-district donors in her bid to unseat Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas), hauling in max contributions from the Soros family and big-spending national abortion groups.

Davis has repeatedly touted her "grassroots" campaign, boasting that she'll stack up her donors against Roy's "special interest supporters any day of the week." The Texas Democrat, however, has raised 60 percent of her itemized campaign funds—more than $2.1 million dollars—from outside of the state's 21st Congressional District. Just 46 percent of Roy's campaign cash, meanwhile, comes from outside of the district, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Davis catapulted to prominence in 2013 following an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to filibuster a pro-life bill in the Texas Senate. The national attention has proven lucrative for her campaign—Davis has received at least $13,000 in direct contributions from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, EMILY's List, and NARAL Pro-Choice America. She has also received nearly $50,000 in contributions funneled through the abortion giants. All three groups have endorsed Davis.

In addition to her support from national abortion groups, Davis has accepted $5,600—the maximum allowed under federal law—from Jennifer Allan Soros, the wife of liberal billionaire George Soros's son, Jonathan. Davis has also received $5,600 and $2,800, respectively, from billionaires and top Democratic donors Eli Broad and Lynda Resnick.

Davis's national profile has won her endorsements from top liberals, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and former president Barack Obama. Davis is also backed by a slew of top gun-control groups, including Giffords, Brady PAC, and Moms Demand Action. The groups have combined to contribute at least $11,000 to the Texas Democrat's campaign.

https://freebeacon.com/2020-election/abortion-giants-soros-propel-wendy-davis-run/

CA Pastor Hires Prominent Lawyers To Fight Newsom’s ‘Unconstitutional’ Order To Shut Down Church

A well-known California pastor has hired several prominent lawyers to challenge the state of California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom and the city of Los Angeles over its draconian measures to keep his church closed as part of the state’s COVID-19 response.

Grace Community Church Pastor John MacArthur, who has been in a front line battle against Newsom, will now be represented by nationally renowned attorneys Jenna Ellis and Charles LiMandri. Ellis serves as private counsel to President Donald Trump and LiMandri is a constitutional law attorney, religious freedom expert, and Special Counsel for the Thomas Moore Society.

The announcement was made Wednesday through The Thomas More Society, which is a non-profit “national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty.”

Ellis, who also served on Trump’s legal team for the 2020 impeachment trial, has staunchly supported the churches against what she has said are unconstitutional actions by a number of Democratic governors to target religious institutions.

MacArthur has stood his ground against Newsom. He told Fox News this week that “never before has the government invaded the territory that belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ and told us, we can’t meet. We can’t worship. We can’t sing.”

Recently, the city of Los Angeles sent a cease and desist letter threatening the pastor and the Grace Community Church of a daily fine of $1000 or arrest if it remains open. MacArthur isn’t budging.

He is one of many pastors and religious leaders across the country questioning stringent measures being implemented by some governors that are intended to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, many church leaders are rightfully fighting back by pointing out that people are congregating in many social settings, like grocery stores, and that religious needs are not only essential but a constitutional right.

https://saraacarter.com/ca-pastor-hires-prominent-lawyers-to-fight-newsoms-unconstitutional-order-to-shut-down-church/

Nolte: Only 42% Say They Will Get the Coronavirus Vaccine

Only 42 percent of American adults say they will get the coronavirus vaccine, according to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll.

This is a tracking poll of 1,506 American adults taken between July 28 – 30.

Back in early May when the poll first started asking this question, 55 percent said they would agree to get vaccinated. Slippage has occurred every month since. In late May the number dropped to 50 percent. In early July it was just 46 percent. Now we’re down to 42 percent.

It should be noted that there is no vaccine as of yet. But there has been much talk of a miracle vaccine right around the corner — you know, just like the findings of the Durham investigation.

Regardless, the question is what is driving this lack of trust? Why would only 42 percent agree to a vaccine?

Well, to begin with, no one likes to hear the words “rushing” and “vaccine” in the same sentence.

However, the poll does show that only 19 to 25 percent are adamant about never being vaccinated, while 26 to 33 percent are unsure of what they will do. So, in the end, we could have 70 to 80 percent of the public agreeing, which puts us in the realm of herd immunity.

Most of us are going to wait to see what happens to others, to those who are willing to jump immediately on board the vaccination train.

That will not be me.

Sorry, I’m no hero. If I were single, maybe, but my only obligation is to my wife, and because her health is sketchy, mine needs to hold on. And I’m sure as hell not going to offer her up as an early volunteer, although ultimately that is her decision.

Overall, I’m pro-vaccine. I think these anti-vaxxers are nuts. Like air conditioning and Blu-rays, vaccines are proof of God’s love for us. But when you’re born into the privilege of modern America, and no matter if the government classifies you as “poor,” you are still born into privilege of the bounty of modern America. It’s easy to forget what life was like when polio, smallpox, and diphtheria could wipe out your children without so much as a howdy do.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/08/05/nolte-only-42-say-they-will-get-coronavirus-vaccine/

Sally Yates Testifies Comey Went “Rogue” in Decision to Ambush General Flynn in January 2017

Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates threw fired FBI Director James Comey under the bus on Wednesday in her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Lindsey Graham (SC) held a hearing on Wednesday on oversight of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

Sally Yates testified that she never authorized a counter-intelligence investigation of General Mike Flynn and agreed that Comey had gone “rogue.”

Comey sent FBI CI chief Peter Strzok and Special Agent Joe Pientka to the White House on January 24, 2017 to ambush General Flynn without his lawyers present.

Comey even bragged about this publicly.

Yates made the comments about Comey as she was being questioned by Senator Lindsey Graham.

“I was upset that Director Comey didn’t coordinate that with us and acted unilaterally,” Yates said.

“Did Comey go rogue?” Graham questioned.

“You could use that term, yes,” Yates said.

Yates later clarified her ‘Comey rogue’ statement and told Republican Senator Thom Tillis that Comey’s decision to interview Flynn without coordinating with the DOJ could be considered “rogue.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/sally-yates-testifies-comey-went-rogue-decision-ambush-general-flynn-january-2017-video/

Blackstone To Acquire Majority Stake In Ancestry.com In $4.7 Billion Deal

The stake will be purchased from investment firms Silver Lake, GIC, Spectrum Equity, Permira, among others

Ancestry generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue

Company is facing a lawsuit over its automatic renewal policy.

Blackstone Group Inc. (BX) said on Wednesday that some of the private equity funds it manages reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Ancestry.com, the online family history business, in a deal that is valued at about $4.7 billion.

The stake will be purchased from investment firms Silver Lake, GIC, Spectrum Equity, Permira, and other equity holders.

Bloomberg reported that at closing Blackstone will own 75% of Ancestry, with Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC holding the other 25%.

Based in Lehi, Utah, Ancestry operates in more than 30 countries with more than 3 million paying subscribers and generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Ancestry also operates a consumer genomics business, which “informs consumers about their heritage and key health characteristics.”

“We are very excited to partner with Ancestry and its management team,” said David Kestnbaum, a senior managing director at Blackstone. “We believe Ancestry has significant runway for further growth as people of all ages and backgrounds become increasingly interested in learning more about their family histories and themselves.

"We look forward to investing behind further data, functionality, and product development across Ancestry’s market leading platform to continue to provide a differentiated service,” he added.

Sachin Bavishi, a managing director at Blackstone, said: “Ancestry’s large network of highly engaged users, unique content, and scaled technology platform have made it a market leader.”

Looking ahead, said Margo Georgiadis, president and chief executive officer of Ancestry, “we will continue to leverage our unique content, powerhouse consumer brand and technology platform to expand our global Family History business while bringing to life our long-term vision of personalized preventive health.”

Ancestry.com initially went public in 2009, when it raised about $100 million. The company was taken private in 2012 in a $1.6 billion buyout led by Permira.

AdLawAccess reported that Ancestry was just hit with a $250 million lawsuit related to its auto-renewal policies.

https://www.ibtimes.com/blackstone-acquire-majority-stake-ancestrycom-47-billion-deal-3023206

Facebook’s Instagram Launches Reels Video Tool To Compete With TikTok

Instagram Reels allows its users to shoot and edit short-form videos

TikTok allows videos to go as long as 60 seconds, while Instagram limits them to 15 seconds

President Donald Trump has alleged TikTok is feeding U.S. user data to the Chinese government

Facebook’s (FB) Instagram unit has launched a new video tool – Instagram Reels – that will reportedly compete directly with TikTok, which is facing pressure to sell its U.S. assets to Microsoft (MSFT) or another company or be banned in this country.

The Washington Post reported that Instagram Reels allows its users to shoot and edit short-form videos, while watching others in a scrolling feed.

The main difference has to do with length – TikTok allows videos to go as long as 60 seconds; Instagram limits them to 15 seconds.

The introduction of Reels comes only one week after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced tough questions in Congress about his company’s allegedly anticompetitive practices, including allegations that it sometimes copies ideas from smaller rivals.

But Instagram’s product chief, Vishal Shah, insisted the timing of the release was coincidental, noting Reels has been in development for more than a year.

“Inspiration for products comes from everywhere,” he said. “We’ve been very clear in products in the past that were inspired by other companies, too.”

Shah also said Reels will have a different feel from TikTok and will be linked to the Instagram system – which currently has some 1 billion users.

https://www.ibtimes.com/facebooks-instagram-launches-reels-video-tool-compete-tiktok-3023125

Satanist Police State in Melbourne

"Melbourne has become a living hell, not because of the virus (which is still mild) but because of the unleashing of a hellish police state."

Only one person per household, per day, can leave the house (including for groceries). Can't go more than 3 miles from your home. The army is on the streets fining/arresting people.

Madness in Melbourne

by Jeffrey Tucker

Melbourne, that glorious city in the state of Victoria in Australia, granted me some of the best travel days of my life during two separate trips each lasting a full week.

A happy, civilized, highly educated people are here living amidst modern architecture, inspiring bridges, and natural beauty, a place where even the police are kind, and when you ask them for directions they reply with a smile, and when you say thank you, they say "No worries."

Now there are big worries in Melbourne.

The Premier has imposed a vicious police state without precedent in this country's history. His name is Dan Andrews (a sweet-sounding name that masks the tyrant he has become), and he tweets out pictures of empty streets to brag about what he has achieved in the name of suppressing a virus.

Tacitus's line about the Roman empire comes to mind: "Where they make a desert, they call it peace."

Australia is the only country in the world that has a law that people can't be mean to each other. Now it is host to one of the world's meanest governments.

The catastrophe began with a spring lockdown before there were any cases of C-19 and much fewer deaths. The ethos in Australia was one of extreme exclusion and suppression of the virus, not as bad as New Zealand but pretty bad. The rest of the world can catch this disease, but Australia would use its geographical isolation and political intelligence to ban the virus. The virus will be in awe and know to stay away forever.

It's not a good theory because that's not how viruses work.

Still, it seemed to work, at first. That's because the virus had yet to arrive.

When the virus did arrive, the futility of the suppression strategy was revealed.

https://www.henrymakow.com/2020/08/melbourne-nwo-police-state.html

‘American Ninja Warrior’ Champion Accused of Having Sex With Teen Girl

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Florida man was arrested today and charged with seeking sex with a minor and inducing her to send him sexual explicit images.

Andrew Drechsel, 31, of Saint Cloud, Florida, is charged by complaint with manufacture of child pornography, enticement of a minor to travel for illicit sexual conduct, travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and use of interstate commerce to entice a minor. He made his initial appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, prior to his transfer to the District of New Jersey.

Drechsel sought to have sex with a minor girl and traveled to New Jersey with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with that minor. He also enticed and coerced a minor to travel to Connecticut to engage in illicit sexual conduct and engaged in online sexual communications with a minor and induced her to manufacture sexually explicit images of herself and send them to Drechsel.

NBC Philadelphia reported: Drechsel met the victim in 2014 after an “American Ninja Warrior” event, according to the criminal complaint. The two then began a sexual relationship in 2015 when Drechsel was 26 and the girl was 15, investigators said.

In June 2015, the girl visited Drechsel at his gym in Hamden, Connecticut, for her “15th birthday present,” according to the criminal complaint. After the two had sex, the girl told her mother about it the next day, investigators said.

When the girl’s mother confronted Drechsel, he didn’t deny having sex with her but claimed he didn’t know her age, according to the criminal complaint.

Drechsel then continued to have sex with the girl at various locations over a two-year period, including a restaurant parking lot in Marlton, New Jersey, as well as outside a gym in Hainesport, police said. The two also sent each other sexually explicit messages and Drechsel repeatedly told the girl to speak to him via Skype while she was naked, according to the criminal complaint.

The girl and her mother reported Drechsel to Cherry Hill police in 2019 and investigators executed a search warrant at his home in Hamden, Connecticut, in November. Police found Drechsel’s phone which contained several sexually explicit pictures of the teen dating back to when she was 14, according to the criminal complaint.

https://breaking911.com/american-ninja-warrior-champion-accused-of-having-sex-with-teen-girl/

25 YEARS OF CN: ‘How Israel Stole the Bomb

When Israel launched a covert scheme to steal material and secrets to build a nuclear bomb, U.S. officials looked the other way and obstructed investigations, as described in a book reviewed by James DiEugenio.

In 1968, CIA Director Richard Helms was presented with a disturbing National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) stating that Israel had obtained atomic weapons, a dangerous development that occurred earlier than the CIA had anticipated.

It was particularly dangerous because just the year before, the Six Day War had marked the beginning of open hostilities between the Israelis and Arab nation states. To prevail, Israel had launched preemptive air attacks against Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq at the start of the conflict. Considering that violent backdrop, Helms immediately arranged a meeting with President Lyndon Johnson to inform him of this troubling milestone.

The man who had prepared the NIE and gave it to Helms was the CIA’s chief science and technology officer, Carl Duckett. After Helms met with Johnson, the CIA Director told Duckett about the President’s rather odd reaction. LBJ did not get upset, and he did not order an investigation into how it happened. Further, he did not tell Helms to let both the Defense Department and State Department know about it so they could establish intelligence inquiries or consider sanctions.

Instead, Johnson did the opposite. He told Helms to keep the news secret and specifically told the Director not to let the secretaries of State or Defense know about it.

Helms obeyed the orders of his Commander in Chief, but he decided to talk to the FBI about how this development had occurred earlier than expected. Thus begins Roger Mattson’s Stealing the Atom Bomb: How Denial and Deception Armed Israel, the riveting story of duplicity, betrayal, cover-ups and deceit.

As the book shows, the cover-ups and duplicity did not just come from Israel and its agents in America. The deceit also came from men inside the American government who, for whatever reasons, decided to cast a blind eye on what was really happening under their jurisdiction, even after they had been alerted to it.

What Mattson reveals is no less than an atomic heist – one that could have been prevented if men in high positions had done their duty.

Highly Enriched Uranium

After Johnson told Helms not to tell State or Defense, the CIA Director called Attorney General Ramsey Clark, because what made this news even more ominous — and a potential crime — was what the CIA had discovered when it conducted a chemical test around the Israeli nuclear reactor at Dimona, in the Negev desert.

More

https://consortiumnews.com/2020/08/05/25-years-of-cn-how-israel-stole-the-bomb-sept-11-2016/

Was Beirut Explosion Handiwork of Israel Following Natanz Attack?

A massive explosion rocked the Beirut Port on Tuesday, August 4, killing 100 people and injuring nearly 4,000. Although the blast occurred in a storage facility containing 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and bombs, stored in the warehouse since 2013, a subversive attack cannot be ruled out, considering that regional spy agencies and their moles were well aware that highly explosive material was stored in the unguarded facility for nearly seven years.

In fact, US President Donald Trump has described the explosion [1] as a “bomb attack.” In an opening statement at a news conference, Trump expressed solidarity with the people of Lebanon, and said: "We will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack." When pressed by reporters about characterizing the incident as an "attack", Trump stood by his statement, saying US generals believe the explosion was caused by a "bomb of some kind."

Although Trump was likely pointing out the “bomb attack” was a handiwork of Lebanon-based resistance group Hezbollah, the fact is a joint American-Israeli program [2], involving a series of short-of-war clandestine strikes, aimed at taking out the most prominent generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and targeting Iran’s power stations, industrial infrastructure, and missile and nuclear facilities has been going on since early this year when commander of IRGC’s Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani was assassinated in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport in January.

As the US presidential race is heating up, the pace and sophistication of subversive attacks in Iran and Iran-aligned countries, including Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, is picking up simultaneously. Since June, “mysterious explosions” were reported in a missile and explosives storage facility near a military base in Parchin, east of the capital Tehran, in power stations in the cities of Shiraz and Ahvaz, and the Natanz nuclear site on July 2 that has reportedly set back Iran’s nuclear program by at least two years.

Besides whipping up nationalist sentiment among America’s conservative electorate on the eve of US presidential election slated for November, another purpose of the subversive attacks appears to be to avenge a string of audacious attacks mounted by Iran-backed forces against the US strategic interests in the Middle East that brought the US and Iran to the brink of full-scale war last year.

In addition to planting limpet mines on oil tankers off the coast of the UAE in May last year and the subsequent downing of the US surveillance drone in the Persian Gulf by Iran, the brazen attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility and the Khurais oil field in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia on September 14 was the third major attack in the Persian Gulf against the assets of Washington and its regional clients. That the UAE had forewarning about imminent attacks is proved by the fact that weeks before the attacks, it recalled forces from Yemen battling the Houthi rebels and redeployed them to man the UAE’s territorial borders.

Nevertheless, a puerile prank like planting limpet mines on oil tankers can be overlooked but major provocations like downing a $200-million Global Hawk surveillance aircraft and mounting a drone and missile attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility that crippled its oil-processing functions for weeks could have had serious repercussions.

https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/77662/was-beirut-explosion-handiwork-of-israel-following-natanz.html

Deputies Accused of Being in Secret Societies Cost L.A. County Taxpayers $55 Million

Los Angeles County has paid out roughly $55 million in settlements in cases in which sheriff’s deputies were alleged to belong to a secret society, records obtained by The Times show, illuminating the entrenched nature of a subculture that has plagued the Sheriff’s Department for years.

The figure comes from a list that includes payouts in dozens of lawsuits and claims involving deputies associated with tattooed groups accused of glorifying an aggressive style of policing. The report, prepared by L.A. County attorneys, lists nearly 60 cases, some of them still pending, and names eight specific cliques.

The county has paid out nearly $21 million in cases that began in the last 10 years alone, according to the document.

The high cost underscores how these deputy groups — with monikers such as the Vikings, Regulators, 3000 Boys and the Banditos — have operated out of several Sheriff’s Department stations and jails for decades, exhibiting what critics have long alleged are the violent, intimidating tactics similar in some ways to criminal street gangs. The cases involve incidents that date to 1990.

Over the years, a succession of elected sheriffs has failed to bring the subgroups under control despite multiple internal investigations and, more recently, a probe by the FBI. Many civil liberties advocates and county watchdogs have accused the Sheriff’s Department of turning a blind eye.

https://www.cryptogon.com/?p=59064

Lebanon ARRESTS ALL port officials as images are thought to reveal the poorly stored ammonium nitrate which blew up Beirut

After a colossal port explosion rocked the capital city of Beirut, the Lebanese government has decided to put all officials who oversaw storage and security there since 2014 under house arrest, until investigations are complete.

The country’s Information Minister Manal Abdelsamad said the military will oversee their confinement, until all those responsible among the suspects are found. The port officials will be put under arrest "as soon as possible," according to Abdelsamad, and the whole procedure is expected to be finished "within the next five days." It is unclear as yet how many people are going to be arrested.

The investigation is being conducted by a special committee headed by the justice minister and includes Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the heads of major security agencies.

Diab has previously said that the explosion likely occurred due to the 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate which had been improperly stored in a port warehouse.

An open-source intelligence-gathering group, Aurora Intel, claims to have found a picture of the warehouse before the explosion. The unverified images show a thick pile of dirty containers labeled “Nitroprill HD.”

The port’s newsletter also seems to confirm that a ship with 2,750 tons of Ammonium Nitrate had entered Beirut in 2013. Lebanese media reported this exact amount of highly explosive chemical was held in Beirut's port for six years, having being seized from an abandoned ship.

https://www.rt.com/news/497206-lebanon-arrests-port-officials-beirut/

Packaged narrative all ready and presented within 24 hours……FFS

We Were Not Told The Cost to Us of Multiculturalism

When white gentile and Jewish liberals imposed diversity and multiculturalism on the rest of us without asking if we agreed, they did not tell us what it was going to cost us and how much it would cause the quality of our lives to decline.

They did not say that the price would be the loss of public safety and law and order in society as, for example, the Minneapolis Police Department said in its recent advice to Minneapolis citizens to “give up your cell phone and purse/wallet” if approached by robbers and “do not argue or fight with the criminal. Do as they say” —https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2020/08/02/minneapolis-police-department-advises-residents-to-give-in-to-criminals/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=todays_hottest_stories&utm_campaign=20200802

In Democrat controlled cities and states, the impunity the governing officials gave to looters, who burned down portions of the cities and stole everything from looted businesses that they could carry away, has encouraged a big jump in already high black crime. The police are advising that, with the limitations Democrats have placed on them, that the public’s safety depends on doing as the criminals say. If they want your car keys, give them to them. Otherwise, you might be killed.

When white gentile and Jewish liberals imposed diversity and multiculturalism on us without our permission, they did not tell us it would cost us our history. The preferred diverse elements now require that we rewrite our history, raising them up as unjustly harmed by racist white gentiles such as ourselves, and lowering ourselves down as racist oppressors. This was already the fashion for some tme in liberal universities, and now it is incorporated into public education via the New York Times 1619 Project.

The white gentile and Jewish liberals did not tell us that another cost would be the loss of our self-respect and pride in our country’s accomplishments in raising up so many diverse people such that non-white gentiles now are abundently present among corporate executive ranks, university faculty and administrators, news media propagandists, police force captains, and aggresively outspoken members of Congress, while “racist whites” are disappearing from public view.

https://www.theburningplatform.com/2020/08/05/we-were-not-told-the-cost-to-us-of-multiculturalism/

The Book of Revelation Is Deception of Enormous Proportion

'Multiple firearms' are seized at YouTube star Jake Paul's $6.9million Calabasas mansion after heavily-armed FBI agents descended on the property in military trucks and armored vehicles

FBI agents acting on a search warrant raided Jake Paul's Los Angeles home early Wednesday morning

Video footage taken from the scene showed heavily-armed feds arriving at the home in armored trucks

A number of U.S. government marked cars were also spotted on the 23500 block of Parksouth Street

The FBI refused to comment on the nature of the raid since the search warrant has been sealed by a judge

No arrests were planned and it is unknown what was seized from the Calabasas mansion

It is unclear if Paul, 23, had been at the home at the time of the raid

Heavily-armed FBI agents descended on YouTube star Jake Paul's Los Angeles home on Wednesday morning where authorities were seen seizing multiple firearms.

Aerial footage of the raid, taken by ABC7, showed law enforcement officers walking out of the $6.9million Calabasas mansion with weapons in hand, before loading them onto police vehicles as evidence.

Several FBI units dressed in tactical gear had arrived at the influencer's mansion on the 23500 block of Parksouth Street, after executing a search warrant, TMZ reported.

At least 20 federal agents were seen riding in on a procession of military vehicles, including an armored truck, during the operation. Several U.S. government marked cars were also spotted in the vicinity.

Authorities refused to comment on the nature of the raid since the warrant has been sealed by a judge, but said they did not plan to make any arrests in the search. It is unknown if Paul was at the home at the time of the raid.

Sources told the LA Times a SWAT team was deployed to gain entry into the viral star's house. The heavily-armed units are usually called in during situations that are deemed high-risk, such as properties where weapons are present.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8596499/YouTube-star-Jake-Pauls-LA-home-raided-FBI.html

Facebook's Fact-Check Board Gets a Lot of 'Likes' From Soros

In announcing the formation of an independent oversight board with authority to allow or remove content from Facebook and Instagram, the board’s four co-chairs stressed the body’s diversity.

“The board members come from different professional, cultural and religious backgrounds and have various political viewpoints,” they wrote in a New York Times op-ed on May 6. “Some of us have been publicly critical of Facebook; some of us haven’t.”

Contemporaneous news articles reinforced this message, reporting that the board’s ideologically and geographically diverse members criss-cross the ideological spectrum.

A closer look, however, reveals that 18 of its 20 members collaborated with or are tied to groups that have received funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations – which is one of the most well-funded and influential progressive organizations in the country.

Open Society’s reach is so vast that simply receiving support from the institution is not a proxy for political leanings – one member has received support from Soros and the Charles Koch Foundation. But the fact that 90% of the board’s members have ties to that progressive group raises questions in an environment where conservatives complain about big-tech bias and internet censorship.

Here’s a list of the oversight board’s members:

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2020/08/04/factcheck_sidebar_factcheck_sidebar_factcheck_sidebar_factcheck_sidebar__124710.html

US Defense Chief Contradicts Trump, Says Military Experts Believe Beirut Blast Was Accident

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Wednesday that most of the country's military experts believe the massive explosion that destroyed downtown Beirut, Lebanon, the day prior was an accident, not a bomb, as US President Donald Trump has asserted.

Esper told reporters at the Aspen Security Forum on Wednesday the Pentagon was "still getting information on what happened. Most believe it was an accident as reported, and beyond that I have nothing further to report on that."

On Tuesday afternoon, a colossal explosion at the Port of Beirut annihilated the port and destroyed much of downtown, killing at least 135 people and injuring thousands. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Tuesday the explosion was an accident, caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored at the port for several years.

However, at a news conference Tuesday evening, Trump told reporters he believed it had been an attack.

"It looks like a terrible attack," Trump said, later clarifying that "it was a bomb of some kind."

"It would seem like [an attack] based on the explosion. I've met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was. This was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion-type of event. This was, seems to be, according to them, they would know better than I would, but they seem to think it was a attack," Trump added.

https://sputniknews.com/world/202008051080077670-us-defense-chief-contradicts-trump-says-military-experts-believe-beirut-blast-was-accident/