The Army Now Has the Most 4-Star Generals on Duty since World War II

The Army now has more four-star generals serving on active duty than the Army and Air Force combined had during World War II.

Army Col. Christopher Coglianese, the chief of Future Operations at Army Futures Command, tweeted this month about the milestone, which the service has only hit once in the past.

"Last time we had that rank density was April 1945, when we had four five-stars and 13 four-stars," Coglianese said, adding pointing out that at that time the Air Force was known as the U.S. Army Air Force.

In addition to Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville and Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Joseph Martin, the Army has five four-stars running Army Forces Command, Army Training and Doctrine Command, Army Materiel Command, Army Futures Command and Army Pacific Command.

Currently, the Army also holds 10 four-star positions in the joint world starting with Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Three of those are newly confirmed joint positions. As of June, 30, there were 14 Army four-stars, according to Defense Department figures. But Gen. Gus Perna, who was the commander of Army Materiel Command (AMC), was confirmed by the Senate on July 2 as commander of Operation Warp Speed, the sweeping effort to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

Gen. Edward Daly took over the four-star slot at AMC.

The second new Army four-star to take over a joint position since June 30 was Gen. Daniel Hokanson, who was confirmed by the Senate on July 21 to command the National Guard Bureau. And Army Gen. James Dickinson was confirmed by the Senate on Aug. 6 to lead U.S. Space Command.

"It is true that the Army is at a high point; part of that is that the number of four-stars has been rising slowly over the last two decades," said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and a senior adviser for the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

One of those new Army four-star positions was added when Gen. Mike Murray was confirmed by the Senate on Aug. 20, 2018 to command the new Army Futures Command.

The Army has pulled ahead of the Air Force, "which seems to be the Army's main competitor," Cancian said.

"The Navy is perennially in third place, and periodically the Marine Corps surges up," Cancian said.

One reason for the Army's current dominance in the joint world is that the most recent conflicts had a heavy Army presence.

"We have been at war for two decades in Iraq and Afghanistan; those have been ground conflicts, so Army officers get more visibility and experience," Cancian said. "It's always a good sign when a service has a lot of four-stars because that means it is putting forward a level of talent and experience."

The trend is not likely to last too long, though, Cancian said.

"These things have cycles and the Army is at an upcycle now," Cancian said. "But I wouldn't be surprised if five years from now the Air Force and the Navy have a little uptick with the continuing focus on China."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/08/28/army-now-has-most-4-star-generals-duty-world-war-ii.html

Locals clash with Hassidic Jews trying to reach pilgrimage site in Uman, Ukraine

Conflict comes ahead of ban on allowing foreign nationals into country from Friday midnight, amid fears mass gatherings at rabbi’s gravesite for New Year could spread COVID-19

Dozens of locals clashed Friday with Hassidic Jews trying to enter Uman, Ukraine for an annual pilgrimage before a ban on foreign nationals entering the country goes into effect.

Videos posted to social media showed angry crowds confronting the pilgrims before dawn Friday, pushing and shoving them as they try to prevent them from entering apartments they had rented.

The confrontation, in which residents yell in Ukrainian at the Jews to get out and tell them they are acting dangerously.

Israel’s Kan national broadcaster also reported that the demonstrators prevented the pilgrims from setting up “an illegal camp” in the city where they planned to sleep before police intervened to separate the two sides.

The confrontation occurred at the site of a half-completed residential building whose construction has been stalled due to a dispute between the owners and the construction workers. Police at the scene told the Jews they could stay in Uman, but not in the building itself. In the video, a man can be seen pleading with police, in English, to let the pilgrims enter the building, saying repeatedly, “It’s my house.”

The city usually sees tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews visit the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav for the Rosh Hashanah holiday, which this year begins on the evening of September 18.

“People are afraid for their lives, we don’t want visitors here this year,” Channel 12 quoted Uman Mayor Oleksandr Tsebriy as saying.

Also Friday, some 400 pilgrims were being detained at the Odessa airport, the Ynet news site reported.

This comes after dozens of worshipers were held for up to 17 hours there Thursday before being allowed in, even though a decision by Kyiv Wednesday to not allow foreign nationals in the country only takes effect Friday at midnight.

תיעוד: תושבי אומן מתעמתים עם חסידים שהספיקו להיכנס לאוקראינה בטרם נכנס לתוקפו צו איסור כניסת הזרים למדינה

(צילום: Сергий Алексеев, פייסבוק)@BenYaniv1 pic.twitter.com/0S3VP9sAns

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 28, 2020

The group of Israelis who arrived at the Odessa airport in the early morning hours of Thursday included Arabs and Jews, according to one passenger.

“The Arabs were let through at once, but when they saw someone with a beard and side curls they told him to wait,” Moshe Grisin said, according to Channel 12. “They started taking us for individual conversations. They wanted to hear us say ‘Uman’ and then they wouldn’t let us in.”

He said some 30 people had been held at the airport for more than 12 hours, without kosher food, leading one man to faint. He said they suffered some violence, and that their phones were taken away when they attempted to film it. Other eyewitnesses said some were held behind barbed wire.

שדה התעופה ז'פרוז'ה באוקראינה. חסיד ברסלב התעלף לאחר תשאול ארוך ללא אוכל ומים. עוד עשרות מגורשים חזרה לישראל למרות שאיסור כניסת הזרים עוד לא נכנס לתוקף. תמונות עצובות, לא משנה מי צודק פה pic.twitter.com/Q6eFfzW4Zd

— יקי אדמקר (@YakiAdamker) August 27, 2020

https://www.timesofisrael.com/locals-clash-with-hassidic-jews-trying-to-reach-pilgrimage-site-in-uman-ukraine/

Former Energia space company CEO charged with misappropriation of over $13 million

Three suspects have absconded, according to the judge

MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. Former CEO of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation (a Rostec subsidiary) Vladimir Solntsev, as well as a number of other suspects, is charged with misappropriation of over 1 billion rubles ($13 million) during shipments of electronic components for the International Space Station’s Science Power Module, Moscow’s Babushkinsky Court announced Friday.

Judge Natalia Kurysheva ruled Friday to arrest Solntsev until October 3. The court will rule on other suspects shortly. Solntesev’s defense pledged to appeal the ruling.

According to the investigators, the suspects have overblown procurement prices threefold, inflicting damages of about 1,072,000,000 rubles to the Russian budget.

Solntsev’s guilt is proven by the memos, signed by the former official, as well as by witnesses’ testimonies, the investigators say. According to one case actor, a former Energia manager, who testified against Solntsev, the former CEO is a head of a crime group. Solntsev denies guilt and says the criminal case is "Roscosmos’s crackdown on the old team." Currently, Solntsev works as an advisor to the United Aircraft Corporation CEO.

Three more suspects, including Solntsev’s deputy, have absconded and are wanted, the court said. "Suspects Ignatkin [Solntsev’s deputy], Morozov and Stapovich have absconded; an arrest warrant was issued against them," the judge said.

According to the case materials, Solntsev and his accomplices used a chain of affiliated companies for misappropriation. Besides Solntsev, Istok Science and Production Corporation (a Rostec subsidiary) CEO Alexander Borisov and former Energia managers Stepan and Alexander Prokhorov were apprehended earlier over suspicion of fraud.

The criminal proceeding was initiated on August 3.

A source in the law enforcement told TASS earlier that searches were conducted at a number of premises belonging to former Energia managers and an Istok senior official over a case of a major misappropriation during shipments.

On Wednesday, Roscosmos confirmed that an investigation is underway against Solntsev and a number of other Energia managers over cases dating before 2018. Rostec refrained from commenting on the situation. On Thursday, both Rostec and Roscosmos refrained from commenting on apprehension of Solntsev and Borisov.

https://tass.com/society/1194933

TEXAS COUNTY DROPS FROM 4600+ ACTIVE COVID CASES TO UNDER 100 AFTER AUDIT

Doubting the accuracy of State of Texas Covid-19 numbers, Collin Co., Texas, dropped its active case numbers from over 4600 to under 100 overnight after an audit.

Earlier this month, Collin Co.’s ‘Covid-19 Dashboard’ claimed over 4600 active cases in the county based on data provided by the Texas Dept. of State Health Services, prompting county officials to question the accuracy of the data because, presumably, the county’s hospitals weren’t overloaded.

“Collin County is providing COVID-19 numbers and data as a convenience to our residents, however, Department of State Health Services (DSHS) officials have acknowledged that the active case count for Collin County is significantly overstated,” reads a disclaimer on the county’s web site. “We advise residents that Collin County lacks confidence in the data currently being provided to us.”

“DSHS officials have agreed to immediately redirect resources to correct the issue, but have not provided a timeline on when their reports will be corrected.”

According to the Community Impact newsletter:

County Judge Chris Hill said he has had “significant conversations” with DSHS officials about their plans to address issues raised by commissioners. After the revision to the disclaimer was approved, Hill explained DSHS planned to set up a Collin County work group Aug. 25 that will be committed to rectifying the county’s backlog of cases.

“They’re going to be working to call everyone who’s on that list that’s currently active to determine whether or not they’re still active or whether or not they’re recovered,” he said.

Hill said the work group will be checking whether patients currently classified as active cases of COVID-19 have been symptom-free for 10 days so they can be reclassified as recovered. He also explained that if the group is unable to reach a patient after three attempts, they will be reclassified as recovered.

The “work group” consists of 12 private contractors performing an audit of the data.

State officials claimed the inaccurate numbers were due to a “backlog” that had “recently included some older cases,” a questionable statement given that Collin Co. active case numbers were apparently overstated by over 5600%.

https://thedcpatriot.com/texas-county-drops-from-4600-active-covid-cases-to-under-100-after-audit/

US F-22 Jets Intercept Russian Planes Near Alaska, Says NORAD

The U.S. military intercepted six Russian military jets near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed on Friday.

American F-22 fighter jets and KC-135 refueling aircraft intercepted several groups of Russian Tu-142 patrol jets near the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, NORAD said in a statement.

Air Force moves jets ahead of hurricane

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor takes off to relocate in advance of Hurricane Florence at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia on Sep. 11, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Nin Leclerec)

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-f-22-jets-intercept-russian-planes-near-alaska-says-norad_3480097.html

Judicial Watch: New Strzok-Page Emails Show FBI Investigated President Trump’s Tweets Critical of Obama and FBI

Judicial Watch announced today that it received 323 pages of emails between former FBI official Peter Strzok and former FBI attorney Lisa Page. The records include an email from Strzok to other FBI officials about Trump’s tweets regarding them spying on him, as well as their interaction with other media outlets including CNN.

The records were produced to Judicial Watch in a January 2018 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed after the DOJ failed to respond to a December 2017 request for all communications between Strzok and Page (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:18-cv-00154)). The FBI is only processing the records at a rate of 500 pages per month and has refused to process text messages. At this rate, the production of these emails will not be completed until late 2021 at the earliest.

On March 18, 2017, Strzok emails his boss, then-Asst. Director for the Counterintelligence Division Bill Priestap, along with colleagues Jon Moffa and Page, about his research into President Trump’s tweets about being wiretapped:

Sending the tweets in question along with posting times. Doing some research, time stamping in Twitter can be glitchy … [T]he tweet times below were all -3 hours from east coast time, which I adjusted (ie, the first listed as 3:35am). I think I recall reporting at the time described the tweets as occurring around 630, not 330.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my “wires tapped” in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! – Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017 6:35 AM

Is it legal for a sitting President to be “wire tapping” a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW! – Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017 6:52 AM

I’d bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election! – Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017 6:52 AM

How low has President Obama gone to tap my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy! – Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017 7:02 AM

On March 29, 2017, then-FBI Director James Comey’s chief of staff, Jim Rybicki, emails then-Executive Assistant Director, National Security Branch Carl Ghattas, former Assistant Director for the Counterintelligence Division Bill Priestap, then-Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Strzok, Page and then-FBI General Counsel James Baker about a “Sensitive Matter Briefing:”

Rybicki writes, “The Director would like a briefing tomorrow (Thursday) on the sensitive application. [Emphasis added] I just spoke to Pete and gave him the scope. Will probably be at 5pm after the unmasking briefing.”

McCabe replies to Strzok and Ghattas, saying, “Any idea what’s driving this?”

Strzok replies, “Jim R said OAG told him the AG wanted a brief in advance of signing and would want a little bit of time to think about it.”

The second renewal application and order of the original FISA warrant on Carter Page was filed one week later, on April 7, 2017. Both the April 7 and June 29, 2017, applications were withdrawn due to fraud.

More

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-releases/new-strzok-page-emails/

UN to renew Lebanon peacekeeping mandate, reduce troops - diplomats

UNIFIL has come under heavy criticism in recent years from both the US and Israel.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) will extend the mandate for a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon for another year later on Friday, but will reduce the number of troops amid US and Israeli criticism over the mission's efficiency, diplomats said.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, which this year numbered over 11,000 personnel, has acted in southern Lebanon since 1978. As of 2006, it was tasked with monitoring compliance with UN Resolution 1701, which set out the terms of the ceasefire that ended the Second Lebanon war.

UNIFIL has come under heavy criticism in recent years from both the US and Israel. The two countries have argued that UNIFIL’s mandate fails to fully empower it to operate as an observer force against Hezbollah.

They are particularly concerned by the mandate’s failure to ensure that UNIFIL can search for terror tunnels that Hezbollah has built along the border to attack Israel.

Israel and the US would like to see the mandate expanded to include, among other things, the ability for UNIFIL to enter homes in southern Lebanon to search for entry ways to tunnels.

Israel in particular has argued that unless UNIFIL is fully empowered, there is little point in maintaining its presence on the border.

While there is broad support for UNIFIL among the 15 UNSC member states, there is sharp division with regard to the mandate under which it operates. The US is one of five permanent members on the UNSC which have veto power.

France, overseeing the resolution's progress at the United Nations, circulated a final compromise draft on Thursday, which will be put to a vote on Friday afternoon.

The troop ceiling was lowered from 15,000 to 13,000 to meet a key US demand, though one diplomat called that a symbolic change as only 10,500 troops are currently deployed.

A French presidential official said the renewal was now certain. "It's important for Lebanon and Israel," the official said. "What's expected from Hezbollah is that it doesn't do anything that could lead to an escalation."

A second Western diplomat said also said the mandate would be renewed. The United States was satisfied because it called for a detailed plan to improve the efficiency of the mission and report back to the council within 60 days, the diplomat said.

The resolution, seen by Reuters, has also been toughened, asking for UNIFIL to have access to tunnels discovered on the Blue Line, and for the Lebanese authorities to investigate them. It condemns efforts to restrict the mission's movements.

The results of the vote are expected to be announced on the evening of Friday, August 28 in New York.

Knesset Deputy Speaker Sharren Haskel (Likud) wrote a letter to the UNSC in advance of the vote in which she urged the members to either reform UNIFIL or dissolve it.

“I ask you to renew it only after reexamining UNIFIL tasks and directives and providing their troops with the authority and means to carry out their mission,” wrote Haskel, who also chairs the Knesset Foreign Affairs Subcommittee.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/un-security-due-to-vote-on-extending-unifils-mandate-640322

Coca-Cola To Reduce Workforce Through Voluntary, Involuntary Layoffs

Coca-Cola (KO) said it will restructure its business, which will include a series of voluntary and involuntary job cuts as it reallocates people and resources.

Under the restructuring program, the company will offer voluntary separation to about 4,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. The package will be based on the most recent hire date of Sept. 1, 2017. Coca-Cola also said a similar program will be offered in “many” international countries as well.

Through the voluntary separations, Coca-Cola said it expects to reduce the number of involuntary cuts. The company said it will take a charge of about $350 million to $550 million for severance payments.

The beverage giant will also reorganize its business operating units, cutting back from 17 to nine operating units as part of an effort to streamline its organization. Through the reduced number of operating units, Coca-Cola said it will reduce duplication of resources and be able to scale new products more quickly.

The business units will report to Brian Smith, president and chief operating officer at Coca-Cola. The company’s Global Ventures and Bottling Investments divisions will also remain.

In addition, the company will structure into five beverage segments, including Coca-Cola; sparkling flavors; hydration, sports, coffee and tea; nutrition, juice, milk, and plant; and emerging categories. The category leaders will report to Manolo Arroyo, chief marketing officer for the company.

Coca-Cola also said it has created a Platform Services division that will focus on service of operating units, categories, and functions to deliver greater efficiencies and capabilities globally. Platform Services will be headed by the senior vice president and chief information and integrated position.

https://www.ibtimes.com/coca-cola-reduce-workforce-through-voluntary-involuntary-layoffs-3036334

Joy Reid Compares Trump’s RNC Speech To Fidel Castro

As she watched President Donald Trump accept his nomination for reelection in 2020 at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, MSNBC host Joy Reid said she kept thinking it sounded like a speech from “Fidel Castro… That was a monarch. It was very much like Castro used to do.”

Castro was infamously a brutal Cuban Marxist dictator. His regime established a communist state in Cuba, where freedom was removed from people’s lives. Thousands of Cubans who spoke out against Castro were jailed and killed under his brutal regime. And many that just tried to get by couldn’t because basic food and medical supplies were scarce or reserved for members of Castro’s government.

That resulted in many thousands fleeing for the United States.

Sadly, that’s what Reid seems to think of Trump.

Watch her remarks here:

MSNBC's Joy Reid:

"As I'm watching this, I'm thinking Fidel Castro… That was not an American president giving an acceptance speech. That was a monarch. It was very much like Castro used to do." pic.twitter.com/Z2zNt4gmwj

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 28, 2020

https://saraacarter.com/joy-reid-compares-trumps-rnc-speech-to-fidel-castro/

When Is a Peace Deal Not a Peace Deal? When It Is a War Deal

President Trump called it “historical” citing previous peace agreements in the region (the last one being between Jordan and Israel in 1994) while his son-in-law, awkwardly, heaped praise on him in a White House moment which made the president look like a belligerent tyrant of an African state and Jared Kushner his overpaid media consultant flown in for the event.

And yet, the only thing really which can be trumpeted as “historical” is the level of how far Trump, Nethanyahu and MbZ in the UAE are prepared to go in pulling off a great sham and deceiving us all about what this “peace deal” really is. The problem with the peace deal is that it is not really a peace deal at all.

If anything, it is a “war deal” masquerading as a peace accord.

“Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperity—in this region, and in the world” gushed Trump reading from a sheet in front of him, his eyes affixed to the script surely not written by himself.

“Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God”.

Honor to God?

Levity aside, in reality, it boiled down to facts which are perhaps inconvenient to Trump, Kushner, Bibi and MbZ. The truth is that this deal is an incongruous admission of defeat to the real “Middle East peace deal” which is the elephant in the room – but which no one wants to admit is dead in the water. It is, shamefully, really nothing more than a PR stunt at best to make Trump look like he appeared to be a peace broker in the Middle East; and at worse, a consolidation of efforts between the UAE and Israel to join forces for a war against Iran at some point in the future. Indeed, some regional experts are even going as far as to say that if Trump wins a second term, that hardliners in Iran, will start a war with the U.S. and its allies as the regime in Tehran simply couldn’t take another four years of sanctions.

The odious deal itself is a farce for Palestine as it throws in the bin the cherished idea of their state being recognised and will surely bring war again between Israel and the Gaza strip.

Netanyahu won’t even offer a solid assurance that his own administration will not continue with its illegal land grab, but merely says that for the moment the annexation is “suspended”.

And the notion that the deal is a great breakthrough is also nonsense. Israel and the UAE have normalised relations for years and so Trump claiming that he played a role in it, is fatuous, if not a plain lie. Low hanging fruit.

So why now? Why just weeks before Trump faces the ballot?

Simply that it serves everyone’s purposes, dressed up as a “peace deal” which in reality gives a political boost to all three leaders when they needed it, with Palestinians picking up the tab. The free lunch which really is free.

Yet at some point, Americans will pay dearly for it, as Trump hints at what the fine print of the deal entails.

“Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economies will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation, and forging closer people-to-people relations”, he said.

UAE buying into Israel’s arms industry, basically.

https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/28/when-is-peace-deal-not-peace-deal-when-war-deal/

Russia To Deploy Advanced Anti-Drone System In Syria

Russia could deploy the advanced anti-drone system “Sapsan-Konvoy” in Syria, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu revealed on August 28.

Shoygu said the system could be sent to Syria if it passes successfully a series of tests during the upcoming “Kavkaz-2020” military exercises.

“There is a need to develop means like this, if the complex is ready for tests, we will test it during the Kavkaz-2020 strategic command-staff exercises, and if it shows positive results we will send it to Syria,” RT quoted Shoygu as saying.

DIY armed drones used by militants pose a serious threat to Russian troops deployed in Syria. In the last two years, dozens of drone attacks targeted Russian bases in the war-torn country.

Sapsan-Konvoy, which was showcased at the International Military-Technical Forum “Army-2020,” was developed by Concern Avtomatika. The system can detect drones and jam their GNSS channels.

Shoygu have reportedly given instruction to test other new weapon systems presented at Army-2020 in Syria. The exact systems were not named.

The Russian military has tested hundreds of weapon systems in Syria since the beginning of its operations there in 2015. Many systems proved to be effective, while others were further upgraded.

https://southfront.org/russia-to-deploy-advanced-anti-drone-system-in-syria/

Defending Ukrainian Democracy By Shooting And Kidnapping The Opposition And Burning Homes

On August 27th, in Ukraine, near Kharkov, in the Lyubotin area, an armed attack took place on the faction “Patriots – For Life!” of the “For Life” political party represented in Ukrainian parliament.

‘Unknown individuals’ shot a bus on the Kiev-Kharkov highway and fled the scene.

Officially, at least three people were injured, none were killed.

Illia Kyva, the leader of the faction, accused the “National Corps” and “Azov Battalion” (known for their ties with neo-Nazis and neo-Nazi-like ideology) of carrying the attack, which deny involvement in the shooting, despite the obvious hostility and the fact that literally the day before the incident, nationalists had attacked members of Kyva’s political group.

At the same time, there is a split at the level of the authorities: the police say that there was an attack on the road. And the political leadership of the department – Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko – that there was some sort of showdown, and not an attack by nationalists.

Meaning, the interior minister and his deputy claim that the individuals in the bus were fighting back and they weren’t attacked, but rather a part of a face-off with the individuals with guns shooting at them.

Ilya Kyva, People’s Deputy of the Opposition Platform – For Life, wrote about the attack on his Facebook page. According to him, there are victims, and several people have been kidnapped.

“Urgently! On the Kiev-Kharkov highway, a bus with people was shot by Azov and the National Corps with automatic weapons. Members of our public movement “Patriots – For Life!” were traveling on it. There are dead. Several people were kidnapped by criminals,” Ilya Kiva wrote and added photo from the scene.

He also posted several photographs of a shot bus and a wounded man.

Videos are also online that show the attack and then the situation afterwards, and they can be seen below.

The People’s Deputy also released a video message after the incident.

“Just near Kharkiv, on the Kyiv-Kharkiv highway, a bus carrying people from the Patriots – For Life! faction was blocked. It was blocked by people belonging to the Azov and National Corps groups. They shot the bus with automatic weapons, inflicting heavy bullet wounds on civilians.”

It was found that near the village of Lyubotin, Kharkiv district, Kharkiv region, on the road, unknown persons with a Mitsubishi car blocked the movement of a Mercedes minibus, in which representatives of the “Patriots – For Life!” faction were travelling and forced it to stop.

The official version of the police said that several people used weapons to shoot at the bus, then ran away. Two individuals were injured, none were killed and none were kidnapped.

Later, Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko said that the Patriots were attacked by representatives of another political force, without specifying which one. He also announced three injured individuals.

The deputy minister’s rhetoric was notable, as mentioned above, according to him there was no attack, but rather a “conflict”.

Later, in the evening, police officers of the Kharkiv region arrested a group of suspected attackers in the Krasnogradsky district of the Kharkiv region.

https://southfront.org/defending-ukrainian-democracy-by-shooting-and-kidnapping-the-opposition-and-burning-homes/

Jacob Blake’s Father Recites ‘Muslim Victory Call – War Cry of Allah’

Jacob Blake’s father, Jacob Blake Sr., recited a Quran verse this week when speaking to the media.

Jacob Blake was shot multiple times by a Kenosha police officer on Sunday after he resisted arrest and opened his car door, allegedly reaching for a knife.

Jacob Blake Sr. perfectly recited the first sura of the Quran: “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,” which means, “In the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate.”

“This is for my son Jacob Blake,” he said as he rattled off the war cry prayer in Arabic.

This very phrase begins every chapter in the Quran except one and is seen as a Muslim war cry.

In fact, this is the very same phrase Bowe Bergdahl’s father said in front of the White House in 2014 after Obama traded Taliban terrorists in exchange for traitor Bergdahl.

Back in 2014, Brigitte Gabriel of Act for America told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that this phrase declares the greatness of Allah over the land, calling it a “war cry of Allah” and a Muslim victory call.

Muslims often try to downplay this victory war cry as an ordinary everyday prayer, however it is seen as a ‘war cry of Allah’ by hardliners.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/jacob-blakes-father-recites-muslim-victory-call-war-cry-allah-video/

Judge Gives EPA One More Chance to Do Its Job & Halt Fluoridation of Drinking Water

In August, a landmark David-versus-Goliath federal lawsuit brought by citizens against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to end fluoridation of drinking water took another giant step forward. The lawsuit—spearheaded by a coalition of nonprofits and individual citizens—resulted in a two-week trial in June (via video conference) that synthesized the findings of hundreds of studies, including two landmark birth cohort studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. The evidence, which included important admissions from EPA’s own scientists, makes clear that the fluoridation chemicals consumed by over 200 million Americans present an unreasonable risk of neurotoxic effects, including reduced IQ and ADHD symptoms, particularly for babies in the womb and bottle-fed infants. Buttressed by a 2,500-page Citizens Petition and the expert testimony of four internationally recognized scientists, lead attorney Michael Connett asserted that the EPA has been derelict in its duty, spelled out under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), to limit or ban toxic chemicals that pose unreasonable risks—and especially, as this case underscored, risks to the developing brain.

At the close of the June proceedings—during which the EPA shunned its own in-house experts in favor of testimony from unqualified “scientists-for-hire”—presiding Judge Chen chastised the EPA for applying an improper standard of fluoride neurotoxicity and urged the agency to work with the plaintiffs to figure out a solution. Following more foot-dragging from the EPA, the judge, on August 6, issued a new order that propels the still very much alive lawsuit into encouraging but largely uncharted legal territory. Specifically, Judge Chen directed plaintiffs to file a new petition with EPA that incorporates significant scientific developments that have occurred since the original petition’s filing. As for EPA, the judge has urged the agency “to give such a petition due consideration on the merits in light of the substantial scientific evidence proffered at trial”—including the powerful testimony of Philippe Grandjean, MD, PhD, Howard Hu, MD, MPH, ScD, Bruce Lanphear, MD, MPH and Kathleen Thiessen, PhD. The Court ordered the two parties to report back on November 5 and, in the meantime, is holding the trial record open.

Those who have been following the lawsuit’s progress will enjoy watching an enlightening conversation between legal luminaries Michael Connett and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. , which highlights some of the more interesting twists and turns that this groundbreaking legal endeavor has followed. Stay tuned!

https://www.thelibertybeacon.com/judge-gives-epa-one-more-chance-to-do-its-job-halt-fluoridation-of-drinking-water/

Syrian Air-Defense System Spotted On Lebanon Territory

The image shows a Soviet-made 2K12 Kub medium-range air-defense system of the Syrian Air Defense Force (SyADF) deployed on the Syrian and Lebanese sides of a mountainous area located north of the Jdaidit Yabws border crossing, and to the west of the town of al-Zabadani.

The system consists of a SURN 1S91 target acquisition and distribution radar along with four 2P25 transporter erector launchers.

In the last few months, Israeli warplanes launched several attacks on military bases in central and western Syria from Lebanon’s airspace. This justifies the Syrian decision to deploy air-defense systems as close as possible to the border with Lebanon, which has not been officially demarcated yet.

The 2K12 Kub, dubbed the “three fingers of death,” has a range of 25 km. The SyADF operated over a 100 Kub system prior to the outbreak of the war.

While the system poses no real threat to the advanced warplanes of the Israeli Air Force, it can be very effective when used against drones and cruise missiles. In 2018, the system was one of several used by the SyADF to repel a missile strike by France, the UK and the U.S.

https://southfront.org/syrian-air-defense-system-spotted-on-lebanon-territory/

#Scamdemic "Reset" Fulfils Protocols of Zion

"There remains a small space to cross before all states of Europe will be locked in the coils of the symbolic snake, by which we symbolize our people, as in a powerful vice."

The Protocols of Zion: Introduction and Synopsis

IT IS INDISPENSABLE TO… UTTERLY EXHAUST HUMANITY WITH DISSENSION, HATRED, STRUGGLE, ENVY, AND EVEN BY THE INOCULATION OF DISEASES, BY WANT, SO THAT THE "GOYIM" SEE NO OTHER ISSUE THAN OUR COMPLETE SOVEREIGNTY IN MONEY AND IN ALL ELSE." Protocols of Zion, 10-19

Proof the Protocols of Zion are authentic is most of it has come true. World government is their "Super State."

The Protocols of Zion are required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the world in which we live. They exhibit a pathological hatred for non-Jews, and a desire to undermine and exploit them. The Protocols were part of an "initiation" for 33 degrees Masonic Jews. Most Jews are unaware of this agenda and therefore are easily manipulated. "Anti-Semitism is indispensable to us in the management of our lesser brethren." (9)

Many people think "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" is anti-Semitic "hate literature" and fraud.

Nobel Prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote that the book exhibits "the mind of a genius." Pretty good for a hoax, wouldn't you say?

Solzhenitsyn said it exhibits "great strength of thought and insight… Its design… (increasing freedom and liberalism, which is terminated in social cataclysm)…is well above the abilities of an ordinary mind… It is more complicated than a nuclear bomb."

I believe the Protocols are genuine. They are lectures addressed to Jewish Freemasons (probably at the Mizraim Lodge in Paris) detailing an incredible plan to overthrow Western Civilization, subjugate mankind, and concentrate "all the wealth of the world… in our hands." They were given as a regular series of workshops to these Masons in Paris. The author describes them as an "exposition of our programme" and often begins by saying, "Today we will discuss…"

https://www.henrymakow.com/2020/08/protocols-of-zion.html

HEROES Act: Democrats' Wasteful Bailout

Taxpayers of America, you may soon be funding a $500 billion bailout of the 50 states, all U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. But where is this vast sum of money going?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “HEROES Act” more accurately titled “Pelosi Throw-Money-at-the-States Bailout Bill” vividly illustrates why transparency is crucial. If the Senate passes the legislation, taxpaying citizens of financially responsible states will bear the burden of financially irresponsible states.

At OpenTheBooks, our goal is transparency. We are nonpartisan. We believe you, the American taxpayer, should be able to access every government expense local, state, and federal in real-time on your mobile phone, iPad, and computer. It’s your money. You deserve to see where every dime is spent. We have posted 5 billion government expenditures online.

Last year, we filed 41,500 Freedom of Information Act requests. We documented the salaries and pensions of 23 million public employee. We sued three states that refused to give us information about how they spent your money.

Here are a few of the unlimited examples in just four “deep blue” Democratic areas – California, New York, and Illinois, along with Washington, D.C. Here you can see how your tax dollars are wasted, which the Pelosi Bailout Bill conveniently overlooks, and why blank checks are unwise even during an economic crisis.

California

In the so-called Golden State, 341,000 state and local government employees earn more than $100,000 in salary or pension payments. If the cost of living in California necessitates such salaries, the state should tackle local government policies designed to keep housing prices high. Or begin taming the public employee unions, whose bargaining helped 44 lifeguards in Los Angeles County earn between $300,000 and $365,000. Not to mention the $501,000 per year nurse working for the university medical system.

In San Francisco alone, 9,425 employees earn total compensation exceeding $200,000 annually. The city disclosed that a sheriff in corrections made $315,000 in overtime. In San Francisco, taxpayers cough up $452,421 annually to pay a salary ($343,000) and benefits ($109,447) to Mayor London Breed – the top paid mayor in the country.

Members of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors are also generous to themselves, but these public servants didn’t earn their steady raises by running a tight ship. According to the state controller’s government compensation website, over a five-year period from 2013 to 2018, the amount that San Francisco paid out in total wages jumped 27.6%, from $2.9 billion for 35,771 employees to $3.7 billion in total wages to 40,951 employees in 2018.

Among the new hires: The members of “poop patrol,” who are paid $184,000 a year to clean up human waste left by the city’s burgeoning homeless population. (Feel free to add your own wisecrack here.)

However, it’s no laughing matter, and it’s not strictly a local problem: Pelosi, who came of age in San Francisco politics, and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was born and raised there, aren’t looking to local politicians to tighten their belts or enact smarter policies. Both are looking for Washington to simply bail out the city, along with the rest of the state. California would reap $48 billion from the Pelosi Bailout Bill – nearly a dollar-for-dollar bailout of its highly compensated employees.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/08/28/heroes_act_democrats_wasteful_bailout.html

Facebook bans LifeSite petition against ‘mandatory mask mandates,’ then apologizes for ‘mistake’

Hundreds of users attempted to share the petition to their Facebook profiles only to be met with warning signs that it was ‘abusive.’

Facebook censored a viral LifeSiteNews petition calling for the end of mandatory mask requirements in the United States. The petition has nearly 83,000 signatures.

Hundreds of users attempted to share the petition to their Facebook profiles only to be met with warning signs that it was “abusive” and “in violation of community standards.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/facebook-bans-lifesite-petition-against-mandatory-mask-mandates-then-apologizes-for-mistake?utm_source=featured&utm_campaign=standard

Statement from Attorney General William P. Barr on the Ninth Circuit’s Stay in the Case Concerning the Federal Courthouse in Portland

Attorney General William P. Barr issued the following statement on the Ninth Circuit's stay in Index Newspapers LLC, et al v. United States Marshals Service, et al:

“Last night, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit entered an order temporarily blocking an injunction entered by a federal district court in Portland that imposed extensive but vaguely defined constraints on federal law enforcement personnel striving to protect the federal courthouse and surrounding areas in Portland from destruction. In practical effect, the district court’s order prevented the federal government from effectively addressing violent mobs through the general crowd-control measures that are required, and it unacceptably increased the risk of serious injury to federal law enforcement officers. The Ninth Circuit’s decision is an important step that will allow federal officers to continue carrying out their important security responsibilities without being subject to untenable conditions.

As the Department of Justice explained in our briefing, federal officers in Portland – like law enforcement in other parts of the country – have confronted aggressive mob violence. Behind the veil of “protests,” highly organized violent operators have carried out direct attacks on federal personnel and property, particularly the federal courthouse in Portland. Shielded by the crowds, which make it difficult for law enforcement to detect or reach them, violent opportunists in Portland have attacked the courthouse and federal officers with explosives, lasers, projectiles, and other dangerous devices. In some cases, purported “journalists” or “legal observers” have provided cover for the violent offenders; in others, individuals wearing supposed press badges have themselves attacked law enforcement or trespassed on federal property. More than 200 federal officers have been injured in Portland alone.

The Portland city government has the ability to stop this. Instead, the city government has abetted the violence through action and inaction, neutered the ability of the police department to deal with the mobs, impeded the ability of police to coordinate with federal law enforcement, and refused to pursue charges against the rioters. By contrast, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland has charged 74 people with federal crimes arising from the Portland riots, including arson, assaulting federal officers, and destruction of federal property. The message should be unmistakable: The First Amendment protects the rights to speak and assemble, but not to attack people or property. The Department of Justice will continue to fully and fairly enforce federal law against these violent rioters.”

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-attorney-general-william-p-barr-ninth-circuit-s-stay-case-concerning-federal

REVEALED: One of the highest ranking US spies shot himself dead while his new wife tried to get away from him - and haul of bondage and S&M gear along with 24 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found at his home

Anthony Ming Schinella, 52, died on June 14 at his home in Arlington, Virginia

His death was revealed as a suicide by gunshot in new report this week

He was weeks away from retirement and had just married a new wife

Wife Sara Corcoran, a journalist, said she was trying to flee him in her car

Corcoran revealed she found a vast trove of hidden bondage gear after he died

Schinella was the highest-ranking military affairs analyst in US intelligence

He died days before reports emerged of Russian bounties paid to Taliban

Schinella was considered an expert on the Taliban and its military capabilities

A high-ranking U.S. intelligence official who died in June killed himself in his own front yard in front of his terrified new wife, it has been revealed.

Anthony Ming Schinella, 52, died on June 14 in Arlington, Virginia, but his death had not been widely reported until this week, when The Intercept revealed a medical examiner’s report listed his cause of death as suicide from a gunshot wound to the head.

Schinella was just weeks away from retirement as National Intelligence Officer for Military Issues following a long CIA career, and had newly married wife Sara Cocoran, a journalist, a few weeks prior to his death.

Corcoran said that she was in her car in the driveway of their home, trying to get away from Schinella, when she witnessed his suicide, according to The Intercept.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8674541/One-highest-ranking-intelligence-officials-shot-dead-yard.html