Hawaii home where Obama reportedly plans to retire bypassed coastal protection laws: Report

A beach property in Hawaii where former President Barack Obama reportedly plans to retire bypassed coastal protection laws for a century-old seawall that is likely causing beach loss, according to a report from ProPublica. State officials and other sources told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and ProPublica that Obama plans to one day reside at an $8.7 million property on Oahu's Waimanalo Beach. The property was purchased by a friend of Obama’s, Marty Nesbitt, in 2015. “The property had one major problem though: a century-old seawall. While the concrete structure had long protected the estate from the sea, it now stood at odds with modern laws designed to preserve Hawaii’s natural coastlines. Scientists and environmental experts say seawalls are the primary cause of beach loss throughout the state. Such structures interrupt the natural flow of the ocean, preventing beaches from migrating inland,” the investigation found.

“But the sellers of the Waimanalo property found a way to ensure the seawall remained in place for another generation. They asked state officials for something called an easement, a real estate tool that allows private property owners to essentially lease the public land that sits under the seawall. The cost: a one-time payment of $61,400. Officials with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources approved the permit, which authorized the wall for another 55 years, and Nesbitt purchased the property,” the report continued. The property was made famous by the 1980s TV show Magnum P.I., which starred Tom Selleck. Developers have since leveled the mansion on the property, and ProPublica reviewed permits to build three homes, two pools, and a guard post on the land. More than 120 property owners in Hawaii have been awarded seawall easements, with some of the owners paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to bypass the coastal protection laws.

Nesbitt told reporters in a written statement that steps to expand the seawall and redevelop the land are “consistent with and informed by the analysis of our consultants, and the laws, regulations and perspectives of the State of Hawaii.” Nesbitt currently works on the Obama Foundation board as its chairman and previously served as national treasurer for both of Obama’s presidential campaigns. He added that any damage caused by the wall is decades old “and is no longer relevant.” "Why are we, on the one hand, warning the public about climate change and professing to value beaches, and on the other hand allowing major renovations of a shoreline that was on its way out?" University of Hawaii at Manoa coastal geologist Chip Fletcher told ProPublica.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/hawaii-home-where-obama-reportedly-plans-to-retire-bypassed-coastal-protection-laws-report

Ex-CIA Officer Charged With Spying For China; Disclosed "Substantial Amount Of Highly Classified" Info

The DOJ has charged a 15-year veteran of the CIA with selling US secrets to China - after he accidentally revealed his spying to the FBI, according to NBC News - which notes that "The method prosecutors said they used to get him to reveal the nature of his espionage was worthy of a spy novel itself." Court documents said 67-year-old Alexander Yuk Ching Ma of Honolulu was charged with violating U.S. espionage laws. Prosecutors said he joined the CIA in 1967 then served as a CIA officer until he retired from the agency in 1989. For part of that time he was assigned to work overseas in the East-Asia and Pacific region. Twelve years after he retired, prosecutors said Monday that Ma met with at least five officers of China's Ministry of State Security in a Hong Kong hotel room, where he "disclosed a substantial amount of highly classified national defense information," including facts about the CIA's internal organization, methods for communicating covertly, and the identities of CIA officers and human assets. -NBC News

Following his departure from the agency, Ma became a Chinese linguist in the FBI's Honolulu field office, where he allegedly used his access to highly classified information to copy or photograph sensitive documents concerning the United States' guided missile and weapons systems, as well as other sensitive information he passed along to his Chinese handlers, according to the charging document. Ma was caught after the FBI arranged a meeting with an undercover officer claiming to be from a CCP operative investigating "how Ma had been treated, including the amount he had been compensated" by the Chinese government. The allegedly traitorous spook was captured on video counting $2,000 in cash given to him by the operative, who told Ma that it was to acknowledge his efforts for Beiing. Ma, a Hong Kong native, said on tape that he "wanted 'the motherland' to succeed,' and admitted to providing classified information to China's Ministry of State Security."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ex-cia-officer-charged-spying-china-disclosed-substantial-amount-highly-classified

Biden Sexual Assault Accuser Livid Over Bill Clinton Speech At DNC

Joe Biden sexual assault accuser Tara Reade is livid at the prospect of former president and accused sexual deviant Bill Clinton speaking in a prime slot at this week's Democratic National Convention. According to the New York Post, Tara Reade thinks it's "unconscionable" that Clinton would appear. "The Democratic National Committee has made it clear to survivors that they enable and they uphold institutionalized rape culture by allowing Bill Clinton to be a main speaker," Reade told the Post, adding "He has a history of sexual misconduct." "It is unconscionable that Bill Clinton is a main speaker, and this is coming from someone who voted for him. This is coming from a multi-generational Democrat." Reade said she believes Clinton is a sexual predator. “This is based on talking to two of the survivors and also the court documents that have now been released because of Ghislaine Maxwell.” -New York Post

Reade accused Biden of forcing her up against a wall and penetrating her with his fingers in the spring or summer of 1993, after she was told to bring him a duffel bag. When she resisted his advances, she said Biden became annoyed and said "Aw, man. I heard you liked me." He then pointed his finger at her and said, "You're nothing to me," according to Reade's allegation, after which he said "You're ok, you're fine," before walking away.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/biden-sexual-assault-accuser-livid-over-bill-clinton-speech-dnc

Scalise: Pelosi Pushing Post Office ‘Money Grab’ She’s Wanted ‘Well Before COVID’

On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) by saying she isn’t willing to bring the House back to provide help for families and businesses, but is willing to do so for a “money grab” for the Post Office that she has wanted “well before COVID,” and accused her of “trying to take advantage of a crisis.”

Scalise said, “Interesting, how the speaker has been trying to literally hold hostages for families and businesses and won’t bring the House back in for that, but when it comes to this continued desire to get — and we’re not talking about enough money to keep the Post Office running, their revenues have actually been up since the pandemic — she’s been trying to get about $75 billion, and keep in mind, their total budget is about that amount for entire year. So, she’s been trying to make a money grab for a long time, well before COVID, she’s just, once again, trying to take advantage of a crisis. The Post Office is delivering the mail. If every American voted by mail, it would represent maybe a two percent increase over what they did just in June of this year. So, this isn’t about whether or not the Post Office can deliver the mail. That’s going to be taken care of regardless. It’s about Nancy Pelosi just trying to grab more money, and leveraging and holding families hostage and businesses hostage during this pandemic.” He added that Pelosi has been trying to “mandate that every single person on voting rolls gets a ballot mailed to them” since well before the pandemic.

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2020/08/17/scalise-pelosi-pushing-post-office-money-grab-shes-wanted-well-before-covid/