22 arrested, facing federal charges after violent protests at federal courthouse in Portland

Charges include assaulting federal officers, failing to obey lawful orders, and operating a drone in restricted airspace

PORTLAND, Ore. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Eben Roberts and U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced July 24 that 22 people have been arrested and are facing federal charges for their roles in protests at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland.

According to court documents, since May 26, 2020, protests in downtown Portland have been followed by nightly criminal activity including assaults on law enforcement officers, destruction of property, looting, arson, and vandalism. The Hatfield Federal Courthouse has been a nightly target of vandalism during evening protests and riots, sustaining extensive damage.

U.S. Marshals Service deputies and officers from the Federal Protective Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection working to protect the courthouse have been subjected to nightly threats and assaults from demonstrators while performing their duties.

Six people have been charged for alleged criminal conduct during a protest beginning July 23, 2020 and continuing into the early morning hours of July 24, 2020. Carly Anne Ballard, 34, and David Michael Bouchard, 36, are charged with assaulting federal officers; and Josslynn Kreutz, 28, Dakota Eastman, 30, Ezra Meyers, 18, and Mark Rolycanov, 28, are charged with failing to obey lawful orders.

On July 24, 2020, agents from HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested Tawasi (no last name), 44, of Corvallis, Oregon, for harassing and stalking federal employees assigned to assist the Federal Protective Service (FPS) with ongoing civil unrest in Portland. Tawasi used his Twitter account, @TawasiSoce, to knowingly release personal information of these employees in an attempt to threaten, intimidate, or incite violence against them.

Eight people have been charged for alleged criminal conduct during a protest beginning July 25, 2020 and continuing into the early morning hours of July 26, 2020. Rebecca Gonzales-Mota, 37; Stephen O’Donnell, 65; Thomas Johnson, 33; Nathan Oderdonk-Snow, 21; Joshua Webb, 22; Pablo Avvacato, 26; and Doug Dean, 34, are charged with assaulting federal officers. Richard Lindstet, 33, is charged with operating a drone in restricted airspace.

Seven people have been charged for alleged criminal conduct during a protest beginning July 26, 2020 and continuing into the early morning hours of July 27, 2020. Michael Stephenson, 23; Caleb Willis, 29; Noelle Mandolfo, 30; Travis Williams, 27; Patrick Stanford, age unknown; Coree Jefree, age unknown; and Tyler Gabriel, 22, are charged with assaulting federal officers.

All defendants, unless noted, are presumed to be local residents.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/22-arrested-facing-federal-charges-after-violent-protests-federal-courthouse-portland

Facebook REMOVES one of the Largest QAnon Groups On It’s Platform, Claims False Information & Bullying

The censorship of conservative accounts continues, as this time Facebook has taken down one of the largest Qanon groups on it’s platform.

The following is from Reuters:

Facebook said on Thursday it had removed one of the largest public groups devoted to the QAnon web of “conspiracy theories” after repeated violations of the company’s policies.

The group, called Official Q/Qanon and with nearly 200,000 members, had been deleted after multiple individual postings were removed for crossing the lines on bullying and harassment, hate speech, and false information that could lead to harm, a Facebook spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman, who declined to be identified, said Facebook took the action on Tuesday and was monitoring other QAnon groups as it strengthens enforcement in the area.

QAnon followers espouse an intertwined series of beliefs based on anonymous web postings from someone claiming special insider knowledge of the Trump administration. The core tenet is that President Donald Trump is secretly fighting a cabal of child-sex predators including prominent Democrats.

What are your thoughts on Facebook taking down one of the largest Qanon groups?

https://thedcpatriot.com/facebook-removes-one-of-the-largest-qanon-groups-on-its-platform-claims-false-information-bullying/

At the Atlantic Council, Foreign Money Talks

Sources tell the Washington Free Beacon that foreign governments exert pressure on the ostensibly independent think tank’s scholarship and programming

When Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s bodyguards were arrested after attacking a crowd of protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in May 2017, Erdogan and his crew were heading inside for a private, off-the-record meeting with Atlantic Council fellows and board members.

That event is just one example of the close relationship between the Washington, D.C., think tank and the Erdogan government.

Starting in 2008, the Atlantic Council hosted an "Istanbul Summit" bankrolled by several business conglomerates closely aligned with Erdogan’s Justice and Development party, including the state-owned Halkbank, which has been accused of evading U.S. sanctions on Iran. Calik Holding, another conference sponsor and current Atlantic Council donor, is a Turkish business giant that was until late 2013 led by Erdogan’s son-in-law, Berat Albayrak.

Calik acquired the once-reputable Turkish newspaper Sabah in 2008 and, according to Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, turned it into "a wild mouthpiece of the Erdogan government."

The Turks have tried to do the same with the Atlantic Council, sources say, routinely objecting to the panelists—and even guests—participating in the organization’s Turkey events because their views did not align with those of the Erdogan government.

In 2018, the Atlantic Council moved the annual conference, now known as the Global Energy Forum, to Abu Dhabi because, according to a source familiar with the conference's operations, Erdogan’s son-in-law "was basically the shadow organizer of the event."

A spokesman for the Atlantic Council, Alex Kisling, said that the move to Abu Dhabi had nothing to do with the efforts of Turkish officials to influence programming and that the organization "receives support from a diverse set of organizations, including Calik Holding, which has a significant global footprint."

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/at-the-atlantic-council-foreign-money-talks/

Judicial Watch Sues Virginia County Over Secret Democrat Officials’ Meeting on Police Response to BLM Riot

Judicial Watch announced today that it has teamed up with residents of Prince William County, Virginia, and their Virginia law firm, McSweeney, Cynkar & Kachouroff, PLLC to file a lawsuit against members of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors regarding a violation of Virginia’s open meetings law. The lawsuit was filed in Prince William County Circuit Court (Gloss, et al. v. Wheeler, et al. (No. 20-7521)).

On Saturday night May 30, various protests and rioting occurred in Prince William County, resulting in numerous injuries to police officers and extensive property damage. Police officers reportedly used tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. The next day, a meeting of the police department’s Citizen Advisory Board was held. All five Democrat supervisors attended the meeting, but the board’s three Republican members were not notified of the meeting and did not attend. The individual who chairs the Citizen’s Advisory Board is the husband of one of the Democrat supervisors.

As explained in the lawsuit, the Democrat supervisors violated Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act/open meeting law by holding a meeting in secret, without notice any Republican supervisor nor advance notice to the public as required by law. Virginia law prohibits any gathering of two or more members of the same public body if public business is transacted or discussed. While no votes were cast during the meeting, the Democrat members posed questions and provided directives to the police leadership to curtail the use of crowd control measures in future disturbances. As set forth in the lawsuit, this constituted a discussion of public business in violation of Virginia Code section 2.2.-3707(A).

“Now, more than ever, citizens need transparency in their government. Secret meetings on police policy undermines public confidence and violates the law,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-releases/blm-secret-democrats/

Bodyguard Of Senior Hamas Leader Survived Assassination Attempt In Lebanon

The Palestinian Hamas Movement announced on August 7 that one of its members had survived an assassination attempt in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon.

In a statement, the movement’s media office said the member, Bilal Ghali, was injured by a blast while approaching his car.

“Brother Bilal Ghali, who belongs to the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, and is a former bodyguard in the movement, was subjected to an incident while approaching his car on his way to work, which resulted in light injuries,” the statement read.

Hamas said Ghali is now in a good condition. Lebanese authorities have reportedly launched an investigation into the incident.

Ghali is the former bodyguard of Osama Hamdan, senior representative of Hamas in Lebanon and a member of the organization’s politburo.

In January of 2018, a similar assassination attempt injured Hamas official Mohammed Hamdan in Sidon. Lebanese authorities revealed later that Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, was behind the attack.

The attempt of Ghali’s life was likely orchestrated by the Israeli intelligence, which is known to be active throughout Lebanon against “resistance” movements.

https://southfront.org/bodyguard-of-senior-hamas-leader-survived-assassination-attempt-in-lebanon-photos/

>>10213611

kek

Judicial Watch: Susan Rice Admits Under Oath She Emailed with Hillary Clinton on Clinton’s Non-Government Email System and Received Emails Related to Government Business on Her Own Personal Email Account

Former top Obama replied ‘do not recall’ 18 times in 13-page interrogatory

Said she ‘does not recall’ who gave her key Benghazi Talking Points she used on TV, ‘does not recall’ being in any meetings regarding Benghazi in five days following attack, and ‘does not recall’ communicating with anyone in Clinton’s office about Benghazi Talking Points

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that former Obama National Security Advisor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, admitted in written responses given under oath that she emailed with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Clinton’s non-government email account and that she received emails related to government business on her own personal email account. Rice’s 2019 sworn written answers are available here.

The State Department objected to all questions, instructions and definitions posed to Rice in Judicial Watch’s court-ordered deposition and “does not recall” almost everything else, including conversations with Clinton.

In responding to each of the 13 questions asked of her, Rice claimed 18 times that she “does not recall” critical information.

When asked to describe meetings or discussions about the events in Benghazi other than daily intelligence briefings, Rice said that she had discussions with friends and family, and “does not recall attending any meetings focused on the events in Benghazi between September 11, 2012 and September 16, 2012, other than attending a ceremony on September 14, 2012, at Joint Base Andrews … ” Rice said she believes she would have discussed the Benghazi attack with members of her UN staff, colleagues at the United Nations, and individuals in attendance at the ceremony on September 14, 2012, at Joint Base Andrews.

When asked why she used a non-government email accounts to conduct U.S. government business while U.S. Ambassador to the United States, Rice acknowledged using her personal email account, at times, to conduct official government business without answering the question why she used non-government email accounts.

Rice did not directly answer a question about deleting emails. Rather, Rice answered that “when emails related to U.S. government business were sent to [her] personal email account, [she] took steps to ensure that a copy of that email was also on her government email account.” and she “does not recall having need to review and return emails form any non-governmental email account.”

Rice’s interrogatory responses come in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that seeks records concerning “talking points or updates on the Benghazi attack” (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:14-cv-01242)). This FOIA lawsuit led directly to the disclosure of the Clinton email system in 2015. Judicial Watch uncovered “talking points” created by the Obama White House and other documents showing that statements about the attack made on the eve of the 2012 elections by then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice were false.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-releases/susan-rice-emails/

Louisville Officers Find 168,000 Lethal Doses Of Fentanyl In A Spare Computer Part

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville, KY discovered 337 grams of fentanyl worth $17,000 on August 5 in a spare computer part intended to go in a car. While the amount may seem small, it’s enough to kill a person 168,000 times.

The shipment came from Mexico and was intended for Colorado. Officers recognized the package’s potential to be a dug container and opened to find the deadly cache of drugs.

“Even though this shipment may seem like a very small amount, remember two milligrams of this stuff is lethal,” said Louisville Port Director Thomas Mahn. “This seizure showcases the excellent work our officers do every day. This is a dangerous opioid, and our officers were able to prevent this deadly drug from reaching its destination.”

The release notes the discovery is dangerous and adds “officers are extremely careful when confronted with this substance.” This highlights the grave risk CBP officers face on their day-to-day duties.

The substance can leak into the officer’s skin and cause an unintentional overdose just from touching it — just two weeks ago a Gauthier, MS officer had to be hospitalized from touching the dangerous substance.

“Fentanyl and its analogues are synthetic opioids that bind to and activate the opioid receptors in the brain creating analgesic and euphoric effects,” the release reads. The substance is extremely powerful compared to many other drugs officers may come in contact with.

CBP officers protect our nation at every corner and “regularly screens arriving international passengers and cargo for narcotics, weapons, and other restricted or prohibited products.”

https://saraacarter.com/louisville-officers-find-168000-lethal-doses-of-fentanyl-in-a-spare-computer-part/

TikTok’s Parent Company Employs Chinese Communist Party Members in Its Highest Ranks

The extent of CCP membership among ByteDance management further demonstrates the company’s ties to the Chinese regime, fueling security concerns about TikTok.

By law, Chinese companies are required to set up Communist Party units within their offices to ensure that business policies and employees toe the Party line. ByteDance, founded in March 2012, set up its Party committee in October 2014.

According to Party regulations, companies’ committee members are appointed at political conferences. Members serve five-year terms.

It’s unclear exactly how many Party members or committee members are among ByteDance’s 60,000 employees across 230 global offices; the list obtained by The Epoch Times is only a partial listing of committee members at its Beijing headquarters.

At the headquarters office, at least 138 employees—mostly in management positions or technical roles—are in the company’s influential Beijing Party committee, according to the internal list. Sixty on the list are classified as having a managerial role.

The document details each committee member’s full name, gender, birthday, date they joined the CCP, ID numbers, and type of position in the company, such as managerial or technical.

The revelations come as the U.S. government intensifies scrutiny of TikTok and other Chinese-owned apps on national security grounds. U.S. officials have repeatedly sounded the alarm that American personal data collected by TikTok could be accessed by Beijing, as Chinese companies are beholden to the CCP.

ByteDance didn’t respond to a request for comment.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/tiktoks-parent-company-employs-ccp-members-in-its-highest-ranks_3451561.html

Elizabeth Warren, Others Seek Inspector General Investigation Of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

In addition to Warren, the letter was signed by Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan, Tom Carper of Delaware, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Tina Smith of Minnesota, as well as House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney of New York

It addition to the delays, the letter asks the IG to investigation DeJoy's holdings in postal service competitors

An earlier letter sent by another group of senators demands to know what DeJoy was doing to ensure his cuts do not impede the Nov. 3 election

Democrats on Friday sent a letter to the postal service’s inspector general, seeking an investigation of changes Postmaster General Louis DeJoy imposed recently to try to reduce the agency’s $161 billion debt.

Reports have been mounting of delays in mail delivery since DeJoy, a former logistic executive and major Republican donor, imposed cuts in overtime and ordered carriers not to do any sorting before they hit the streets.

CNN reported the letter asks the inspector general to look into operational changes and their potential impact on the Nov. 3 election. It was signed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Gary Peters of Michigan, Tom Carper of Delaware, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Tina Smith of Minnesota, as well as House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney of New York – all Democrats.

The letter to Inspector General Tammy L. Whitcomb charges the newly imposed changes at the postal service have made mail delivery “slower and less reliable,” threatening “the well-being of millions of Americans that rely on the postal service for delivery of Social Security checks, prescriptions and everyday mail of all kinds.” It also asks her to review the financial holdings of DeJoy and his wife, Aldona Wos, who held more than $100 million in investments in postal service competitors, the Washington Post said. DeJoy was supposed to divest those assets before assuming his post.

Lawmakers are concerned the changes could have a negative impact on the delivery of ballots in November when an unprecedented number of Americans are expected to take advantage of mail-in voting to avoid the potential threat of coronavirus infection at crowded polling places.

“Given the ongoing concerns about the adverse impacts of Trump administration policies on the quality and efficiency of the postal service, we ask that you conduct an audit of all operational changes put in place by Mr. DeJoy and other Trump administration officials in 2020,” the letter said.

President Trump has been railing against widespread mail-in voting, charging without evidence that it will lead to fraud and render election results questionable. At the same time, he urged Florida voters to cast mail-in ballots because the state has “a great Republican governor.”

https://www.ibtimes.com/elizabeth-warren-others-seek-inspector-general-investigation-postmaster-general-louis-3024714

There's a Mountain of Evidence That Hydroxychloroquine Is an Effective Treatment for COVID-19

I’m convinced that if a rabid leftist was dying of thirst and President Trump offered him water, he’d refuse to drink it.

This is perhaps the best analogy for what’s happening right now with hydroxychloroquine, a decades-old malaria drug that has repeatedly shown to be an effective treatment for COVID-19, but that Democrats and the media have relentlessly dismissed ever since President Trump first touted it back in March as a possible game-changer. The media accused Trump of “practicing medicine without a license” simply for pointing out that the drug showed promise in some small studies. A Democratic state lawmaker in Ohio said that Trump should be tried for “crimes against humanity” for touting the drug’s potential. The New York Times even alleged that Trump’s motivation for touting it was self-serving because he holds “a small personal financial interest” in Sanofi, even though the drug is out of patent, and he only owned $29 – $435 in the stock as part of a mutual fund.

The media largely ignored success stories from coronavirus patients who recovered after being treated with the drug. In April, Democrat State Rep. Karen Whitsett from Detroit, Mich., credited the drug and President Trump with saving her life. Other coronavirus patients have reported dramatic recoveries after taking the drug.

But none of this mattered.

Studies showing the drug as ineffective were covered excessively, such as the Veterans Affairs study in April, which found a higher mortality rate with patients given the drug. The study was deeply flawed, as the sickest patients were disproportionately administered the drug. It was a deeply flawed, non-peer-reviewed study that had no business being reported on. Two other studies followed linking hydroxychloroquine to higher mortality, but those studies were based on faulty data, and two well-respected medical journals had to retract one of them.

Steven Hatfill, a veteran virologist, noted at RealClearPolitics that “There are now 53 studies that show positive results of hydroxychloroquine in COVID infections. There are 14 global studies that show neutral or negative results — and 10 of them were of patients in very late stages of COVID-19, where no antiviral drug can be expected to have much effect.”

Hatfill continued, “Of the remaining four studies, two come from the same University of Minnesota author. The other two are from the faulty Brazil paper, which should be retracted, and the fake Lancet paper, which was.”

“Two recent, large, early-use clinical trials have been conducted by the Henry Ford Health System and at Mount Sinai showing a 51% and 47% lower mortality, respectively, in hospitalized patients given hydroxychloroquine. A recent study from Spain published on July 29, two days before Margaret Sullivan’s strafing of ‘fringe doctors,’ shows a 66% reduction in COVID mortality in patients taking hydroxychloroquine. No serious side effects were reported in these studies and no epidemic of heartbeat abnormalities.”

One example Hatfill cited that shows the drug has been effective in Switzerland, which briefly banned hydroxychloroquine after the bogus studies linking the drug to higher mortality rates came out.

What happened? Just look at the graph.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/08/07/theres-a-mountain-of-evidence-that-hydroxychloroquine-is-an-effective-treatment-for-covid-19-n763953

Minister: I’ve been offered ‘everything’ to ditch Gantz, form narrow government

Yoaz Hendel says he opposes short-term budget being pushed by Netanyahu as it violates coalition deal signed with leader of his Blue and White-led bloc

Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel claimed on Friday that he’s been offered “everything” to abandon the Blue and White-led bloc in the unity government and join a narrow right-wing coalition led solely by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as talk of a fourth consecutive election continued to escalate.

Hendel heads Derech Eretz, a right-leaning faction of two MKs who joined the government together with Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz. Before Gantz and Netanyahu signed a coalition deal earlier this year, Hendel said the Likud leader’s people had offered him and fellow faction member Tzvi Hauser various senior posts in order to abandon Gantz and join a narrow right-wing government. The Derech Eretz leader ultimately refused, asserting that a broad, unity government was what the country needed most.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Hendel revealed that such offers were again being made with Netanyahu apparently refused to budge from his insistence on passing a budget that only covers the rest of 2020 — despite signing a coalition deal with Gantz that envisioned a budget through 2021

https://www.timesofisrael.com/minister-ive-been-offered-everything-to-ditch-gantz-form-narrow-govt/

Florida Man Who “Sextorted” Multiple Minors Sentenced To 60 Years

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Justin Richard Testani (30, Orange City) to 60 years in federal prison for child sexual exploitation. Testani had pleaded guilty on February 6, 2020.

According to court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, for more than a year, Testani contacted multiple young girls (usually between the ages of 10 and 13) through Instagram and Snapchat. Testani frequently posed as a young, teenage girl who modeled for a prominent teen lingerie brand. Using that disguise, Testani convinced numerous victims to send him revealing photographs of themselves. After the victims sent such photographs, Testani often threatened to disseminate the photos or publicly humiliate the victims. At other times, Testani threatened to kidnap, rape, and/or kill the victims and their family members. He issued these threats to coerce victims into creating and sending him more images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Testani also used threats to coerce certain victims into giving him the passwords to their social media accounts. After gaining those passwords, Testani often took over the accounts and used those platforms to contact and exploit the victims’ friends. The investigation revealed that Testani reached out to hundreds of young girls across the United States between December 2017 and January 2019.

“This case is a prime example of how a child can be victimized even in the safety of their own home,” said Michael McPherson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division. “Parents, please talk to your children about the dangers of the internet and social media and make it clear to them they are not to blame if they fall victim to a predator. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners are dedicated to ensuring children are protected from online predators. The 60-year sentence in this case is proof of that commitment.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sanford Police Department, and the Trussville (Alabama) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

https://breaking911.com/florida-man-who-sextorted-multiple-minors-sentenced-to-60-years/

Hebephilia? Underage Teens Advised to Masturbate, Sext and Watch Porn By ‘Expert’ at Healthy Teens Network

This is an age when hebephilia, is one of the gravest crimes in America. Hebephilia is the sexual urge for post-pubescent but still under-the-age-of-consent teens. Witness the Ghislaine Maxwell-Jeffrey Epstein case. Some, therefore, might find it ironic that an ‘expert’ at a prominent nonprofit, dedicated to promoting the best in life for teens – the Healthy Teen Network – is encouraging teens to embrace sexuality in ways that others might find controversial.

In fact, some might argue they are encouraging hebephilia.

Healthy Teens Network advocates that teens masturbate, watch porn, and sext during the pandemic.

I presume this advice is proffered as a Covid-alternative to having sex with a real partner or partners to avoid catching the virus.

Maybe it is the right thing to do – encourage teens to have sex without physical partners present since teens seem to have sex regardless of encouragement or discouragement.

On the other hand, the Judeo Christian [and for that matter Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim tradition] try to encourage children in the opposite direction, away from sexuality, when they reach their teen years. There are still some old-fashioned people who advocate not having sex until marriage. And even after marriage, promulgate monogamy, and eschew pornography for its exploitative and non-monogamous implications.

This may be patriarchal, but I know fathers, living now, and many who have gone to their graves, who safeguarded their daughters’ virginity. And not one father I know would condone their teen daughters being taught how to watch porn. They would be deeply upset if some person in a supposed authority advised their teen children to masturbate.

This might then be the clash between the patriarchy and ‘woke’ people. The idea that chastity for children and teens is a worthwhile pursuit is patriarchal. Our society today seems conflicted about it. Everyone is aghast at Maxwell and Epstein luring 14-17-year-old teens into their world of debauchery – but how is advising young teens to watch porn really that much different? The sexual scenes teens find in porn are just as explicit, degrading and debauched as anything Epstein and Maxwell offered. The imagery is the same and porn can lead children to a world outside of mere viewing to actually experimenting by normalizing the explicit and shocking scenes – and leading impressionable teens to act out the scenes they see, if the opportunity arises. And it will arise for many teens.

https://frankreport.com/2020/08/07/hebephilia-underage-teens-advised-to-masturbate-sext-and-watch-porn-by-expert-at-healthy-teens-network/

ISIS Rises Again In Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado, Killing Dozens In Large Attack

ISIS terrorists have launched a new large-scale attack on government forces in the province of Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique.

The group’s news agency, Amaq, reported on August 6 that the terrorists raided two bases of the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces near the port town of Mocimboa da Praia, that is located near a $60bn gas project.

According to ISIS claims, 50 Mozambican service members were killed or injured in the attack. The remaining soldiers fled the targeted bases.

ISIS terrorists seized weapons and large quantities of ammunition, which were left behind by the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces.

Between March and April, ISIS launched a wave of devastating attacks in Cabo Delgado. Several towns were temporary captured by the terrorist group. Dozens of people were killed or injured. The group’s terrorists even reached Mocimboa de Praia.

During July, the situation in Cabo Delgado improved with government forces securing wide parts of the province and pushing ISIS terrorists away.

The new attack on Mocimboa da Praia indicates that ISIS’ presence in Cabo Delgado is still strong. The terrorist group is still posing a serious threat to stability in the province, which attracted massive foreign investments over the past few years.

https://southfront.org/isis-terrorists-rise-again-in-mozambiques-cabo-delgado-kill-dozens-in-large-attack/

Federal Court Terminates Paramount Consent Decrees

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-court-terminates-paramount-consent-decrees

Rape Suspect Murders His Accuser After Being Freed From Jail Over Coronavirus Concerns

Alexandria, Virginia – A rape suspect who was released from jail to ‘help slow the spread of Coronavirus’ went on to murder his accuser.

Ibrahim E. Bouaichi murdered the woman who accused him of rape shortly after being released from jail, reported WJLA.

The victim, Karla Elizabeth Dominguez Gonzalez, who testified against Bouaichi in December, was found shot to death on July 29 on S. Greenmount Drive.

Bouaichi was indicted on rape charges, however his lawyers argued that their client should be released from jail due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Alexandria law enforcement officials told ABC 7 that Bouaichi was released from jail on April 9.

Alexandria police spotted Bouaichi driving in Prince George’s County, Maryland earlier this week and a pursuit ensued.

Police chased Bouaichi and he crashed his car. Authorities found him inside of his car with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Tens of thousands of dangerous criminals are being released from prisons across the country over Coronavirus concerns which is one of the many reasons why crime is spiking.

Many convicted sex offenders and murderers have gone on to rape and murder again after being released from prison.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/rape-suspect-murders-accuser-freed-jail-coronavirus-concerns/

US Intelligence Says Russia Using 'Range of Measures' to Attack Biden

The last time that US intelligence agencies and Democratic leaders accused Russia of meddling in America's presidential election, in 2016, it led to a three-year-long investigation, which came up empty in 2019 with the release of the Mueller report.

Russia, China and Iran may be interfering in the 2020 US presidential campaign, with Russia specifically using a 'range of measures' to target presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden, National Counterintelligence and Security Center director Bill Evanina announced Friday.

"Many foreign actors have a preference for who wins the election, which they express through a range of overt and private statements; covert influence efforts are rarer," Evanina said in a statement published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

"We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia 'establishment'," Evanina noted.

"This is consistent with Moscow's public criticism of him when he was Vice President for his role in the Obama Administration's policies on Ukraine and its support for the anti-Putin opposition inside Russia," the official added.

Evanina did not offer any evidence to back up this allegation, except to suggest that 'pro-Russian' Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach has been "spreading claims about corruption - including through publicizing leaked phone calls," to undermine Biden and the Democrats. "Some Kremlin-leaked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump's candidacy on social media and Russian television," he added, without offering concrete examples.

China, meanwhile, wants President Donald Trump to lose the upcoming election, in the US intelligence community's estimation. "We assess that China prefers that President Trump -whom Beijing sees as unpredictable - does not win reelection. China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China's interest, and deflect and counter criticism of China," Evanina said.

The official did not point to any specific examples of these Chinese 'influence efforts', apart from statements by Chinese officials criticizing the Trump administration on issues ranging from the coronavirus to the closure of the PRC's Houston Consulate to the US move to close TikTok.

In the case of Iran, that country simply "seeks to undermine US democratic institutions" generally, to attack President Trump "and divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections," according to Evanina. The Islamic Republic's efforts are expected to be limited on "online influence," such as "spreading disinformation on social media and recirculating anti-US content," in the counterintelligence chief's view.

According to Evanina, as the 2020 election approaches, "foreign states will continue to use covert and overt influence measures in their attempts to sway US voters' preferences and perspectives, shift US policies, increase discord in the United States, and undermine the American people's confidence in our democratic process. They may also seek to compromise our election infrastructure for a range of possible purposes, such as interfering with the voting process, stealing sensitive data, or calling into question the validity of the election results."

https://sputniknews.com/us/202008071080097112-us-intelligence-says-russia-using-range-of-measures-to-denigrate-biden/

Rashida Tlaib Violated Campaign Finance Law, House Ethics Committee Unanimously Rules

Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 by paying herself a salary from her campaign after securing victory in the 2018 general election, the House Ethics Committee unanimously ruled on Friday.

The Ethics committee found that Tlaib violated FECA’s personal use restrictions by paying herself $10,800 from her campaign when she was no longer a congressional candidate in late 2018 and ordered her to repay that amount back to her campaign within one year, the committee said in a report.

The committee “determined that the evidence is sufficient to support a determination that a portion of the salary payments that Representative Tlaib received after the 2018 general election was inconsistent with the requirements outlined by [FECA] and its implementing regulations,” the report read.

“The Committee also recognizes, however, that Representative Tlaib’s violation of the applicable restrictions was one of bad timing and not ill intent,” the committee added. “Representative Tlaib engaged in good faith efforts to comply with the relevant FECA requirements.”

https://dailycaller.com/2020/08/07/rashida-tlaib-house-ethics-repay-campaign/