UK Government Funds Sexual Acts Dice Game for 13-Year-Olds

A government-funded sex education “toolkit” including a game where children roll a ‘body parts’ dice and discuss sexual acts has raised concerns over the sexualisation of young people.

Produced by the Proud Trust, the toolkit has dice featuring words including “anus”, “vulva”, “penis”, “hands and fingers”, and “mouth”, and orders children to talk through the sexual activities it would be possible to carry out using two body parts.

In the pack, teachers are told “not all combinations will be easy to discuss and some might seem impossible”, but that “the aim is to get people talking and to limit assumptions about what kind of sex people have”, according to documents seen by The Times.

“Every combination is worthy of a conversation!” it claims.

An LGBT charity which claims to be a “life saving and life enhancing organisation”, the Proud Trust promotes the toolkit, titled Sexuality aGender v2 as designed for ages 13+ and “for use in secondary schools, colleges and other youth settings”.

Parent Backlash as Cross-Dressing Men Sent Into Primary Schools to ‘Promote Tolerance’ https://t.co/7T1wdrhxnq

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 25, 2018

On its website, the Proud Trust also boasts that the kit “is “a fully planned out and resourced four lesson/session pack” that helps schools meet their “statutory requirements to deliver LGBT+ inclusive RSE” (relationships and sex education).

Sexuality aGender v2 was produced after the so-called charity was handed £99,960 from the government’s Tampon Tax Fund, which is supposed to award the money collected from tax on women’s sanitary products to projects aimed at helping disadvantaged women and girls. The Times reported that the contents of the pack have raised concerns.

Speaking to the newspaper, a spokesman for Safe Schools Alliance, Tanya Carter, stated: “This ‘resource’ clearly breaches safeguarding. The tampon tax should be used to educate girls on their rights — not prematurely sexualise them.”

Tory peer Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne wrote to the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, noting that “while the [RSE] guidelines are quite good on what they do want, they do not prohibit anything and in consequence seem to be abused”.

“Abdicating responsibility to teachers only for them to abdicate it to minority interest lobby groups is surely unsatisfactory, unhealthy and unsafe,” she said, adding: “It is right for the state to ensure that certain bases are covered. Unfortunately, as offered, the guidelines leave the door open for anyone to teach whatever they want at any age they consider appropriate.”

Six-Year-Old School Children Instructed to Write Gay Love Letters to Make Them ‘Accepting of Diversity’ https://t.co/HrnwmEvwuN

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 1, 2018

An investigation into the toolkit by campaign group Transgender Trend in May revealed that “anal sex is a constant feature” of the pack, which “normalis[es] the practice” by noting a survey which found that just under one in five 16- to 25-year-olds said they had engaged in the activity in the last year.

The toolkit also demands that learners “use the phrase ‘a person with a vagina’ rather than ‘a woman’s vagina’ and ‘a person with a penis’ rather than a ‘man’s penis'” so as to be sensitive to the beliefs of transgender people, according to the investigation.

Breitbart London has previously reported on World Health Organization (WHO) and UN-produced ‘comprehensive sex education’ guidelines, which demand countries around the world promote transgender ideology, homosexual lifestyles, and “safe access to abortion”.

The material, which critics say sexualises children, also discusses the so-called sexual ‘rights’ of children, including that children under four should be given information about “early childhood masturbation” and “the right to explore gender identities”.

WHO: Under-4s Should Learn About ‘Early Childhood Masturbation’, ‘Explore Gender Identities’ https://t.co/HW7uYugjz4

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 8, 2020

Indiana Congressman Introduces Bill To Cut Off Federal Unemployment Funds To Convicted Rioters

Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks introduced a House bill last week that would render those convicted of vandalism and violent looting during a protest ineligible for federal unemployment money, which have been enhanced in the wake of COVID-19.

The Support Peaceful Protest Act would also require those convicted to providing restitution for the cost of federal policing in a sum determined by the court.

In an Aug. 28 press release announcing the resolution, Banks said:

Antifa thugs are descending on suffering communities, disrupting peaceful protests and leaving violence, looting and vandalism in their wake. They turned Milwaukee, Seattle and Portland into warzones, and now they’re moving the chaos to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Who knows which community is next? Due to enhanced federal benefits, taxpayers are giving wages to jobless rioters that are destroying our communities. We need to cut them off from their funding and make them feel the full financial consequences of their actions.

According to the text of the bill:

In the case of an individual convicted of a Federal offense related to the individual’s conduct at and during the course of a protest with respect to which a Federal law enforcement officer was engaged in policing activity, the court shall, in addition to the penalty for such conviction, order the individual to pay an order of restitution to the appropriate Federal law enforcement agency in an amount that is equal to the cost of such policing activity, as determined by the court.

An individual convicted of a Federal offense related to the individual’s conduct at and during the course of a protest, is ineligible for any Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation under section 2104 of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9023) or any other Federal supplemental unemployment compensation during the COVID–19 public health emergency (as such term is defined in section 2102 of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 18 9021).

Banks introduced the bill the same day he denounced an activist’s vulgar harassment of an elderly couple as they were leaving the South Lawn of the White House on the final night of the Republican National Convention (RNC). Calling out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Banks tweeted, “Hey [Pelosi], these are my constituents. They are good people. If you told these mobs to stop, I have a feeling they would …”

http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2020/08/indiana-congressman-introduces-bill-to.html

‘Temporary’ Coronavirus Rules Allowing DIY Home Abortions May Become Permanent

A temporary rule change intended to allow women to have an abortion as easily as possible during the coronavirus lockdown may never be repealed, meaning the ’emergency’ situation may, in fact, become permanent.

Britain is facing a major liberalisation of its abortion laws after a temporary change enacted to allow women to continue having abortions without seeing a medical professional during the coronavirus lockdown may never be repealed.

According to an ‘exclusive’ report by British tabloid The Sunday Mirror, later followed up by newspaper of record The Times, allowing the ordering of abortion tablets over the telephone during lockdown has been considered a “success”.

The paper said on Sunday that “home abortions for women up to 10 weeks pregnant are set to become permanent following their success during lockdown”. It added that the rules, as they stood before lockdown, that abortions should take place in a clinic after a discussion with a professional were merely “outdated”.

UK Sets Grim Abortion Record with 209,519 Babies Killed in 2019 https://t.co/Ly7F41zRL6

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 11, 2020

The report cited the comments of abortion provider company spokesman Clare Murphy, who said in support of not rolling back the change: “All evidence supports the continuation of this service as in the best interests of women. Early abortion care at home has been one of the few healthcare success stories of the pandemic.”

As Breitbart London reported in March, when abortion access was made easier, the temporary change was passed without recourse to parliament under the government’s emergency powers and was intended to last two years. It meant women who were within the first ten weeks of pregnancy could terminate at home after a telephone call.

At the time, a spokesman for the government confirmed the change would be temporary, and the move was criticised by pro-life educational and caring charity Life. A spokesman for the group said: “It is unconscionable that the government is contradicting their stance, yet again, to allow women to be taking both stages of the medical abortion at home. It is an absolute disgrace that the abortion lobby should take advantage of the terrible situation we find ourselves in, with COVID-19, to instigate the biggest change to the Abortion Act (1967) we’ve seen in years, without any public consultation.”

Some 200,608 abortions took place in 2018 in England and Wales. According to the Mirror’s figures, over 90,000 women had at-home abortions through the new ‘temporary’ lockdown period alone.

Marriage Up, Abortion and Divorce Down as Hungary Chooses Family Support Over Mass Migration https://t.co/v3wPMRthNc

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 2, 2018

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/08/31/temporary-coronavirus-rules-allowing-diy-home-abortions-may-become-permanent/

Thai king 'releases his concubine from jail and flies her to Germany to join his harem' a year after she was stripped of royal titles

The king of Thailand has pardoned his concubine after throwing her in jail last year and had her flown to Germany to join his Alpine harem, it is claimed.

Playboy monarch Maha Vajiralongkorn, 68, has spent much of the pandemic in Germany with a reputed entourage of 'sex soldiers' assembled as a military unit at a four-star hotel.

According to Bild, they are about to be joined by former royal bodyguard Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, 35 - who was appointed 'royal consort' last year but quickly fell from grace and was stripped of all her titles.

Now, the king is thought to have granted her a royal reprieve - and went to Munich Airport himself to pick her up.

http://www.scoopyweb.com/2020/08/thai-king-releases-his-concubine-from.html

Breaking explosions – in Dubai and Abu Dhabi – possibly 4 killed – restaurants targeted – first ever flight from Israel arrives today

3 people were killed and several others were injured today in two separate explosions in the #UnitedArabEmirates’ capital #AbuDhabi (the @kfc and @Hardees restaurants ) and its tourism hub #Dubai !

— Tamer Yazar (@tameryazar) August 31, 2020

gulfnews.com/uae/fire-in-dubai-restaurant-one-person-dies-1.73537308

1.Explosion in Dubai

1. Explosion in Abu Dhabi

2. Explosion fire Dubai

As EL AL flight from Tel Aviv is about to land

3 people killed and several others injured in two separate explosions in UAE capital Abu Dhabi and tourism hub Dubai ahead of US-led Israeli delegation’s visit to the country

This is scary I live in UAE and this month we saw a explosion in Ajman and now 2 seperate explosions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the same day right after uae and Israel peace deal

This is scary I live in UAE and this month we saw a explosion in Ajman and now 2 seperate explosions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the same day right after uae and Israel peace deal

— A.krishnan (@AniK72000) August 31, 2020

Unconfirmed reports: 3 people killed in two separate explosions in #UAE today (in #Abudhabi and in Dubai); some locals see Iran connection as #Israeli flight is due in UAE today; earlier, officials claimed gas leak to blame. Timing of incidents suspicious…

— Israel Radar (@IsraelRadar_com) August 31, 2020

#JustIN One person was killed and several people were injured on Monday in two separate explosions in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and its tourism hub Dubai, the police and local media said.

A gas cylinder exploded in a Dubai restaurant early on Monday and killed one person. pic.twitter.com/4CUHFvojUe

— MDWLive! News (@MDWLiveFeed) August 31, 2020

Two explosions reported in UAE, Several injured, four killed!

— Ali Haider (@Turan_Fy) August 31, 2020

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/breaking-explosions-in-dubai-and-abu-dhabi-possibly-4-killed-restaurants-targeted-first-ever-flight-from-israel-arrives-today/

53 Migrants, 7 Smugglers Busted in 8 Failed Human Smuggling Attempts in Texas near Border

Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents disrupted eight human smuggling attempts during a three-day period ending on Friday. The interdictions led to the arrest of seven human smugglers and 53 migrants.

McAllen Station Border Patrol agents working the line near La Joya, Texas, on Wednesday, witnessed several suspected illegal aliens climbing into a Ford F-150 pickup truck parked on U.S. Highway 83. Agents attempted to catch up with the truck and eventually found it parked on a road near the La Joya school compound, according to information obtained from Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol officials.

The agents called for assistance from the La Joya Police Department and began a search of the area. The search led to the apprehension of the driver of the truck, a U.S. citizen, and nine migrants from El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, officials stated.

A short time later, Weslaco Station Border Patrol agents received information about suspected illegal activity south of the border town of Alamo, Texas. The agents witnessed a Chevrolet sedan speeding away from the scene. The agents attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to yield and led the agents on a high-speed pursuit.

At some point during the pursuit, the driver pulled to the side of the road and let the passengers out. Alamo Police Department officers joined in the pursuit and followed the fleeing driver until he lost control of the vehicle and rolled over crashing into a chain-link fence. Police officers arrested the U.S. citizen driver.

Border Patrol agents returned to the dropoff location and began a search of the area and found seven illegal aliens. The agents arrested the migrants and transported them to a rally point for processing.

Later Wednesday night, National Guard soldiers performing border assistance duties observed several suspected illegal aliens loading into a Lincoln Navigator near a state park. The soldiers notified Border Patrol agents who responded and attempted to stop the SUV.

The driver of the Lincoln refused to yield, officials reported. After a short pursuit, the driver pulled over and several people fled into the brush. The agents searched the area and found eight illegal aliens and the U.S. citizen driver.

During the next two days, Rio Grande Valley Sector agents stopped five more human smuggling attempts. These interdictions led to the arrest of four smugglers and 29 illegal aliens, officials stated.

“Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation,” officials said in a written statement. “The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.”

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2020/08/31/53-migrants-7-smugglers-busted-in-8-failed-human-smuggling-attempts-in-texas-near-border/

CenturyLink outage led to a 3.5% drop in global web traffic

CenturyLink incident takes down Cloudflare, Reddit, Hulu, AWS, Blizzard, Steam, Xbox Live, Discord, and dozens more

US internet service provider CenturyLink has suffered a major technical outage on Sunday after a misconfiguration in one of its data centers created havoc all over the internet.

Due to the technical nature of the outage — involving both firewall and BGP routing — the error spread outward from CenturyLink's network and also impacted other internet service providers, ending up causing connectivity problems for many more other companies.

The list of tech giants who had services go down today because of the CenturyLink outage includes big names like Amazon, Twitter, Microsoft (Xbox Live), EA, Blizzard, Steam, Discord, Reddit, Hulu, Duo Security, Imperva, NameCheap, OpenDNS, and many more.

Cloudflare, which was also severely impacted today, said CenturyLink's outward-propagating issue led to a 3.5% drop in global internet traffic, which would make this one of the biggest internet outages ever recorded.

Root cause: Misconfigured Flowspec rule

According to a CenturyLink status page, the issue originated from CenturyLink's data center in Mississauga, a city near Ontario, Canada.

The telco says the root cause of the incident was an incorrect Flowspec announcement.

Flowspec is an extension for the BGP protocol that allows companies to use BGP routes to distribute firewall rules across their network. Flowspec announcements are usually used when dealing with security incidents, such as BGP hijacks or DDoS attacks, as it allows companies to change their entire network to react and mitigate attacks within seconds.

However, today, CenturyLink said that its Mississauga data center sent out an incorrect Flowspec announcement that effectively prevented the company's BGP routes from taking root.

Cloudflare, which observed the incident from afar, believes CenturyLink effectively put its entire network into a loop by announcing a brand new set of BGP routes and then accidentally dropping all routes via the misconfigured Flowspec rule.

BGP routes are the glue that keeps the internet up. They are a type of message that internet companies relay between each other. BGP routes tell each internet provider which chunk of IP addresses is available on its network.

However, as CenturyLink's incorrect Flowspec command brought down some of the routers inside its network, some of those routers also began to announce incorrect BGP routes to other "Tier 1" neighboring internet service.

This, in turn, brought down other networks in a domino-like effect.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/centurylink-outage-led-to-a-3-5-drop-in-global-web-traffic/?ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=21735961543072688253262375158449&mid=13017617&cid=717936240

CA Opens Door for Reparations for Slavery, Wants Task Force To Decide Compensation

California lurched a giant step closer to paying reparations for slavery after the state’s Senate on Saturday gave near-final legislative approval to a proposal that sets up a task that will decide how to dole out the dough.

The vote on the bill was 33-3, according to Fox News.

The Senate fine-tuned pieces of the bill, which means that the Assembly, which passed it 56-5 in June, must vote on those changes to give the bill its final legislative approval.

The bill’s supporters blamed slavery for the plight of modern black Americans.

“Let’s be clear: Chattel slavery, both in California and across our nation, birthed a legacy of racial harm and inequity that continues to impact the conditions of black life in California,” Democratic state Sen. Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles, said.

“I hear far too many people say, ‘Well, I didn’t own slaves, that was so long ago.’ Well, you inherit wealth — you can inherit the debt that you owe to African-Americans,” Democratic state Sen. Steven Bradford, of Gardena, said.

Democratic Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has said the reparations legislation was necessary despite the fact that California entered the U.S. in 1850 as a free state — where slavery was illegal.

“The discriminatory practices of the past echo into the everyday lives of today’s Californians,” said Weber, leader of the Legislative Black Caucus, according to KOVR-TV.

“This country has taught itself to hate African Americans and to deny the history that has brought us here,” she said in June while pushing the bill through the Assembly, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Lisa Holder, an attorney who teaches civil rights at UCLA School of Law, said the issue of reparations should be linked to discrimination and not slavery.

“The response really has to be framed around the issue of continuing racial injustice that started back in 1619 when Africans were stolen from Africa and brought here as enslaved people,” Holder said according to KPIX-TV.

“Then you don’t get into this messy, unintelligible notion of who is directly linked to a slave,” she said.

The bill states that reparations will be aimed at “African-Americans with special consideration for African-Americans who are descendants of persons enslaved.”

The legislation wants the University of California “to assemble a colloquium of scholars to draft a research proposal to analyze the economic benefits of slavery that accrued to owners and the businesses, including insurance companies and their subsidiaries, that received those benefits, and to make recommendations to the Legislature regarding those findings.”

The bill said that the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, which must be convened by Gov. Gavin Newsom no later than July 1, 2021. It will be made up of nine members, five appointed by the governor and two each appointed by the state Assembly speaker and the Senate president pro tempore. At least two of the members must have a history of supporting reparations.

According to the legislation, “As a result of the historic and continued discrimination, African Americans continue to suffer debilitating economic, educational, and health hardships” which include the presence of black Americans in jail, high black unemployment and high black poverty.

The committee will base its call for reparations on “the lingering negative effects of the institution of slavery and the discrimination … on living African Americans and on society in California and the United States,” according to the bill, and “The manner in which instructional resources and technologies are being used to deny the inhumanity of slavery and the crime against humanity of people of African descent in California and the United States.”

The study will also assess “How the State of California will offer a formal apology on behalf of the people of California for the perpetration of gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity on African slaves and their descendants,” according to the bill, and “How California laws and policies that continue to disproportionately and negatively affect African Americans as a group and perpetuate the lingering material and psychosocial effects of slavery can be eliminated.”

The panel will be charged with determining how compensation is to be calculated and awarded.

http://www.hideoutnow.com/2020/08/ca-opens-door-for-reparations-for.html

Here’s a list of the senators fighting against Facebook regulation and how much money they took from Facebook

here’s a list of the senators fighting against Facebook regulation and how much money they took from Facebook

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/heres-a-list-of-the-senators-fighting-against-facebook-regulation-and-how-much-money-they-took-from-facebook/

List of DAs who have received Soros donations.

Definitely not a complete list.

A Soros PAC spent $750k supporting a State Attorney candidate that lost the Dem nomination in Broward this month.

www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-broward-sao-pac-money-20200814-phgj6qytuzevhmths3w2drsul4-story.html

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/list-of-das-who-have-received-soros-donations/

More viruses will jump from animals to humans in future because of global travel and a growing population, warns top scientist behind Oxford University's coronavirus vaccine

Professor Sarah Gilbert warned of more outbreaks of zootonic diseases in future

Farming and deforestation brings animals closer to each other and to humans

International travel and growing populations make it easier for viruses to thrive

More diseases with pandemic potential are likely to jump from animals to humans in the near future because of modern lifestyles, a top professor warned today.

Sarah Gilbert, the brains behind Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine, said rising world travel and growing populations are driving up the risk of outbreaks of zootonic infections.

Animal-borne diseases have become more common in recent years because of intense farming for meat and deforestation, which both put animals in closer proximity with each other and to humans.

Professor Gilbert said the current pandemic highlighted how international travel exacerbates the spread of these viruses and bigger populations make them harder to eradicate.

Covid-19's exact origin is currently unknown, but the consensus is that it originated in bats before jumping to another animal which then passed it to people.

Professor Gilbert, a vaccinologist at Oxford's Jenner Institute, told The Independent: 'Because of the way things have been going in the world, it's more likely we'll have zoonotic infections causing outbreaks in the future.

'Greater population density, greater travel, deforestation – all of these things make it more likely that these outbreaks will happen and then something will spread.'

Covid-19 has proven to be the most deadly and contagious zootonic disease, having claimed the lives of 850,000 people globally and infected more than 25million.

But other deadly examples include Ebola, which originated in monkeys, MERS, which emerged in camels, the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus and rabies, mainly found in dogs. Every year two million people — mostly in poor countries — die of zoonotic disease.

It comes after a United Nations report in July warned the number of outbreaks of such infections will continue to increase unless conservation work is done to protect wildlife.

A 'zoonotic disease' is one that is able to be transmitted from a vertebrate animal — such as a mammal, bird, reptile or fish — to a human.

Professor Delia Randolph, a veterinary epidemiologist and lead author of the UN report, described a 'very clear trend' since the 1930s that showed that 75 per cent of emerging human diseases stemmed from wildlife.

Destruction of animals' habitats forces them into closer contact with humans, raising the risk of disease transmission.

Climate change can contribute to this by making extreme weather events like flooding more common, driving animals out of their homes.

In Madagascar, for example, the bubonic plague is spread by rodents fleeing wildfires, which are becoming more common as the Earth heats up.

Human activity also often breaks down the natural barriers which protect humans from disease pathogens, according to the UNEP.

http://www.webnewsys.com/2020/08/more-viruses-will-jump-from-animals-to.html

“This is How Armed Gangs Operate” Israel Admits its Troops Planted IEDs in a Palestinian Town

The IDF admitted that they put the explosives on the commonly used road, doing it to “create a deterrence,” because “riots have regularly occurred” in the area

A seven-year-old Palestinian boy was walking with his mother just outside the West Bank village of Kafr Qaddum a few miles to west of the city of Nablus. Seeing a strange orange and black package held down with some rocks, the boy approached, thinking it was a toy. His mother quickly stopped him, summoning a relative to investigate. Foolishly, the man shook the package and it exploded, injuring his face and hands.

Along the popular path they found another device, this time photographing it and throwing stones at it until it too exploded.

That device was housed in a metal box used by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to store grenades, Israeli outlet Haaretz reports. That evening, after the images had caused outrage on social media, Israeli military units came and neutralized a third IED they had left on the path.

https://twitter.com/LaraFriedmanDC/status/1298623678964432896

IDF sources freely admitted that they put the explosives on the commonly used road, doing it to “create a deterrence,” because “riots have regularly occurred” in the area. Kafr Qaddum is known as a hotbed of protest against the Israeli occupation, suggesting this was done in response to their activism. Warning signs, written in Hebrew only, were found close to the IEDs. “People live there, and children wander around,” said the injured man, “it’s lucky nothing worse happened.”

“Even in a place where revenge operations by soldiers have already become routine, soldiers planting improvised explosive devices is exceptional, and it’s pure luck that it didn’t cause far worse injuries,” Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said.

This is how armed gangs operate, not a regular army. But the action reflects the spirit of the army’s commanders and the government, both of which send the message that Palestinian lives and limbs are fair game.”

“When this story came to me I did not believe it was true. But it is,” said Haaretz’s Hagar Shezaf, who covered the story. Yet despite the fact that she obtained confessions from IDF sources, she entertained the idea that the whole thing was a Palestinian false flag operation.

Needless to say, placing explosive devices in civilian areas is a serious war crime. However, compared to the weeks-long bombing campaign against Gaza it is currently undertaking, planting some IEDs is perhaps a minor incident. Western media have shown little interest in covering the campaign, reflexively taking the Israeli side when doing so. Indeed, Canadian broadcaster CBC issued a public apology for using the word “Palestine” on air during an interview.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/armed-gangs-operate-israel-admits-troops-planted-ieds-palestinian-town/270918/

New DARPA Chief Is 2nd Woman To Lead Pentagon’s Secretive Research Arm

Dr. Victoria Coleman, an artificial intelligence and microelectronics specialist, has been named director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Pentagon’s secretive research arm.

Coleman will be the second woman to head DARPA since its creation in 1958, following Regina Dugan, who served as DARPA director from July 2009 until March 2012.

Coleman had been serving as chief executive officer of Atlas AI, which offers what it calls “cutting-edge artificial intelligence” to analyze trends in developing countries.

n announcing the appointment Monday, Michael Kratsios, acting under secretary of defense for Research and Engineering, said that the Defense Department was looking forward to having Coleman build upon “DARPA’s unmatched record of achievement.”

He noted that Coleman’s career spans over 30 years in academia, the private sector and government, including previous service as the founding chair of DARPA’s Microsystems Exploratory Council and membership on the Defense Science Board.

“During this era of great power competition, DARPA is critical to strengthening the U.S. military’s technological dominance and advancing innovations that benefit our warfighters,” Kratsios said.

Coleman’s appointment will allow Dr. Peter Highnam, who had been serving as acting DARPA director, to return to his previous position as DARPA deputy director.

DARPA’s mission, as defined by DoD, is to “anticipate, explore, and achieve the concepts and technology on which the nation’s future deterrent and defense capabilities depend.”

DARPA did foundational work in the creation of the Internet and in recent years has put emphasis on the uses of artificial intelligence in warfare.

Earlier this month, DARPA sponsored an “AphaDogfight” challenge for eight companies that pitted their AI-powered simulated aircraft against each other.

Heron Systems of Maryland won that faceoff and then used its algorithms to defeat an actual F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot "in five straight simulated dogfights in the man-vs-machine finale," DARPA officials said.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/08/31/new-darpa-chief-2nd-woman-lead-pentagons-secretive-research-arm.html

China’s Dystopian AI Development Incorporates Population Control

Since its conception, people have worried that an artificial intelligence would turn against humanity and threaten our lives. While this may be a result to be feared several years in the future, right now the more pressing danger is AI used to oppress millions of people and facilitate the threat of a controlling regime.

Homebound in the pandemic quarantine, my daughter and I have been rewatching Person of Interest on Netflix.

In essence, the former network series is about a man who created a nearly omniscient artificial intelligence that watches everyone through networks of cameras, computers and smartphones. Each week, our team of heroes, assembled by the AI creator, tries to help a person whom the AI has identified as a likely soon-to-be murder victim. Because this AI was invented by the show’s protagonist, it demonstrates empathy and values human life.

However, into the third season, a second AI is operated on behalf of the government, and this AI does not value human life. It works under orders from and for the benefit of a shadowy corporation, which begins to organize people’s lives for its own purposes, including killing people who won’t fit into its program. It is frightening.

This show is good television and I recommend it to anyone who regularly reads this blog and thus interested in how technology can affect our lives. Person of Interest may also introduce you to what is now happening in this world’s most populous country.

I have written much recently on video surveillance and facial recognition in the U.S., but American police are limited by Constitutional requirements and there can easily be rules applied to new technologies that will limit the government’s abilities to use them indiscriminately. The U.S. also boasts protections for rights of individuals to assemble and protest, a government that can regularly be changed, and a court system that generally protects those rights. An independent press shines light on government behavior deemed abusive of these rights.

So think about a country without any of those checks and balances, with no individual rights guaranteed under law, no free press, no independently operative court system, and a single party dictatorship holding all power. Now think about what would happen if you give that country unlimited electronic and physical surveillance from hundreds of millions of cameras to drones to capturing all phone, text and internet traffic including searches and social media. Then give this society ever-increasing sophistication in artificial intelligence to manage the information flow and assign meaning to all the acts it captures, even aggregate the full view of a person’s behavior into a score that determines all important aspects of a person’s life. Receive a good score from the government, and you are awarded that apartment you desire or permission to have a baby. A bad score means roadblocks in your life. This is what China is rapidly becoming.

China is not only instituting a surveillance society, including a social scoring system for every resident, but it is investing heavily in the artificial intelligence needed to manage it all and make evaluations of what cameras, biometric readers and internet filters capture. According to U.S. military estimates, China will be spending $70 billion in government funds on AI development in 2020 compared to $17 billion in 2017. U.S. non-defense spending on AI this year will be about one billion dollars.

Not only is China building government laboratories to develop the next several generations of AI, but the government’s close coordination with companies like Huawei and Alibaba provide the surveillance state with top private commercial research as well. All powered by the supermassive amounts of data produced in the world’s largest surveillance state, because huge data sets are the building blocks of effective AI. China, as The Economist recently observed, is the Saudi Arabia of data.

https://www.activistpost.com/2020/08/chinas-dystopian-ai-development-incorporates-population-control.html

ROTHSCHILD'S take control of Lebanon

Newly designated Lebanese PM urges immediate reforms, IMF deal

Lebanon’s prime minister-designate Mustapha Adib called on Monday for the formation of a new government in record time and urged immediate reforms as a step towards securing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, reports Reuters.

He spoke after being designated premier and hours before the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron, whose pressure on Lebanon’s fractious leaders was crucial to forging an agreement on Adib, Beirut’s ambassador to Berlin.

“The opportunity for our country is small and the mission I have accepted is based on all the political forces acknowledging that,” Adib said after being designated by President Michel Aoun.

Donor states wants Lebanon to carry out long-delayed reforms to stamp out state corruption and waste in order to release financial support. The previous government launched talks with the IMF in May but these stalled amid divisions on the Lebanese side over the scale of losses in the financial system.

Adib said a new government must be formed in record time and reforms must be implemented immediately as “an entry point to an agreement with the IMF”.

Forming governments in the past has often taken months of political horse trading.

The previous government led by Hassan Diab quit on August 10 in the aftermath of a catastrophic explosion at Beirut port that killed some 190 people.

Macron, who arrives late on Monday for his second visit in less than a month, has led international efforts to push Lebanon to enact sweeping changes to address the economic crisis.

With the economy on its knees, a swathe of Beirut in tatters and sectarian tensions rising, the former French protectorate faces the biggest threat to stability since a 1975-90 civil war.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200831-newly-designated-lebanese-pm-urges-immediate-reforms-imf-deal/

How Attorney General William Barr Sold Out General Mike Flynn

Attorney General William Barr has proven himself as one of the most formidable seasoned legal and political operators in D.C. history.

Such prowess likely includes his publicly applauded move to drop the DOJ’s case against Gen. Mike Flynn — while all-the-while knowing the case against the embattled General would remain active and keep dragging Flynn through the court.

This little-understood or revealed insider’s game was detailed on the Thomas Paine Podcast. While Conservatives — purposely mislead by clueless pundits and so-called legal experts — applaud Barr for seemingly trying to help Flynn, is that what is really happening here? The answer is clear.

https://truepundit.com/how-attorney-general-william-barr-sold-out-general-mike-flynn/

>>10485355

Military is the only way

U.S. Universities Underreport Donations from Hostile Regimes by Over $1.5 Billion

New data from the Department of Education show that several top-tier universities, including Yale and Cornell, failed to report more than $3 billion in foreign gifts and funds—many of which come from anti-American regimes such as China and Qatar.

According to a new study from the Clarion Project, American colleges and universities inaccurately disclosed foreign funding to the Department of Education. Between 2014 and 2019, they reported a total of $11 billion in foreign funds. But the Clarion Project's data show that the true number is over $14 billion. Some of the biggest discrepancies involve Cornell University, Texas A&M University, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Yale University.

Cornell initially reported taking $340 million in foreign funding, but the real number is closer to $1.3 billion—over $800 million of which came from Qatar. The University of Colorado Boulder initially reported $55 million in foreign funding, but the real number is closer to $345 million—61 percent of which came from the United Arab Emirates. Yale initially reported $128 million, but the real number is $496 million—almost $42 million of which came from China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Russia.

Foreign influence is growing on college campuses, and universities seldom disclose their fiscal relationships with foreign actors. A Washington Free Beacon review of federal records found that over 100 U.S. universities have Confucius Institutes, a Chinese government-backed program that often pushes Chinese Communist Party propaganda on American students. The Department of Education has mandated that universities report all foreign money through a new online portal, which has unearthed previously hidden disparities.

In all, unreported contributions from China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, and Qatar totaled $1.59 billion between 2014 and 2019.

"If it wasn't for a crackdown by the Department of Education, this never would have been known. The universities still wouldn't feel the need to report this, they wouldn't feel under the microscope or any sense of urgency," said Clarion Project research analyst Alex VanNess. "We're seeing billions of dollars—much of which has strings attached—being used to influence U.S. students from countries that want to use a soft power against the United States."

Of the 211 universities that disclosed their foreign funding, only Yale refused to disclose where donations were coming from. A university typically reports whether a donation came in the form of a "monetary gift" or "contract," the gift's country origin, and the gifter's name. Yale disclosed whether the money came in the form of a gift or contract and the money's country of origin, but refused to disclose the gifters' names. The data do indicate that Yale accepted donations from China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Russia.

VanNess told the Free Beacon that the lack of transparency is concerning. "It's not necessarily nefarious, but the idea that it's not being reported and not being disclosed and we're not being told what the money is paying for and who it's going to, that is a problem," VanNess said.

The Department of Education calls these discrepancies a "black hole" and claims that universities have failed to comply with disclosure laws. A Department of Education spokeswoman told the Free Beacon that universities have always been required to report foreign donations, but that previous department secretaries have been lax about enforcement.

"This is an issue of national security," the spokeswoman said. "Among other concerns, foreign money—from governments, government-run corporations, NGOs, and individuals—may come with ‘strings attached' that compromise academic freedom."

Texas A&M University said that it was investigating the discrepancies. Yale and Cornell did not respond to requests for comment.

https://freebeacon.com/campus/u-s-universities-failed-to-disclose-donations-from-hostile-regimes/

Hamas announces ceasefire understandings with Israel

The agreement, according to Hamas, was reached through the Qatari envoy who had mediated.

Hamas announced on Monday night that it has reached new understandings with Israel to de-escalate the situation in the Gaza Strip.

The announcement, published by the office of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, said the understandings were reached “after a round of discussions and contacts, including with Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi.”

Al-Emadi has been shuttling between Israel and the Gaza Strip for several days in an effort to prevent an all-out military confrontation.

The Hamas announcement made no mention of Egypt’s mediation efforts with Israel. An Egyptian intelligence delegation that visited the Gaza Strip 10 days ago did not return to the area since then.

The announcement came after two weeks of tensions between Israel and Hamas during which hundreds of explosive-laden and incendiary balloons were launched towards Israel.

“Understandings have been reached to contain the escalation and halt the Zionist aggression on our people,” Hamas said in its announcement.

According to Hamas, the new understandings include “a number of projects that serve our people in the Gaza Strip and would help them cope with the outbreak of the coronavirus.”

In addition, under the terms of the understandings, Hamas and Israel agreed to restore the calm that prevailed before the latest round of violence.

Hamas thanked Qatar for its efforts and support for the Palestinians.

The Hamas announcement came shortly after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh received a phone call from Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel Rahman al-Thani. The two discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and Qatari envoy al-Emadi’s efforts to secure a new ceasefire agreement.

Hamas did not provide further details about the new understandings.

Reports in a number of Arab media outlets, however, claimed that the Qatari-engineered understandings include a pledge to carry out several infrastructure projects in the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave, increasing the Qatari cash grant to thousands of Palestinian families, reopening all the border crossings with Israel and expanding the fishing zone.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/hamas-agreement-to-end-escalation-in-gaza-reached-with-israel-640632

Novavax Secures Deal With Canadian Government For 76 Million Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine

The Canadian government on Monday agreed to buy 76 million doses of Novavax’s (NVAX) COVID-19 vaccine for an undisclosed amount, the company announced.

The doses of the vaccine NVX-CoV2373 are expected to begin being supplied as early as the second quarter of 2021, with delivery of the vaccine dependent on approval by Health Canada.

Anita Anand, minister of Public Services and Procurement for the Government of Canada, said in a statement that the vaccine is an “important step in our government’s effort to secure a vaccine to keep Canadians safe and healthy, as the global pandemic evolves.”

The Novavax NVX-CoV2373 vaccine is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials to determine its safety and immunogenicity. The trials began in August in the U.S. and Australia and have expanded the age range of participants to 60-84 years old. This subset makes up about 50% of the studies’ patients.

Novavax said Phase 2b clinical trials to test effectiveness also began in South Africa in August. In preliminary studies, the NVX-CoV2372 vaccine demonstrated good tolerance by participants and “elicited robust antibody responses,” the company said.

The NVX-CoV2372 COVID-19 vaccine was engineered from a genetic sequence of the virus. It uses the company’s recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate an antigen that is derived from the coronavirus spike protein. It also contacts Novavax’s patented saponin-bases Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance immune response and stimulate the production of neutralizing antibodies.

“We are pleased to work with the Canadian government on supply of our COVID-19 vaccine, an essential step to ensure broad access of our vaccine candidate,” Stanley C. Erck, president and CEO at Novavax, said in a statement. “We are moving forward with clinical development of NVX-CoV2373 with a strong sense of urgency in our quest to deliver a vaccine to protect the world.”

https://www.ibtimes.com/novavax-secures-deal-canadian-government-76-million-doses-covid-19-vaccine-3037651

Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Buys Stakes In Japanese Trading Houses, Diversifying From U.S. Stocks

Berkshire has purchased shares in Itochu Corp., Marubeni Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and Sumitomo Corp.

The investments are valued at more than $6 billion

Berkshire said it may increase its stake in any of the five investments up to a maximum of 9.9%.

Warren Buffett’s conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) has made a huge splash in Japan by buying 5% stakes in five leading trading companies. The investments are expected to boost sentiment in the world’s third largest economy.

Specifically, Berkshire Hathaway’s wholly owned subsidiary, National Indemnity Co., has purchased shares in Itochu Corp., Marubeni Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and Sumitomo Corp. over the past twelve months through on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Based on Friday’s closing prices, the five investments were valued at about $6.25 billion, CNBC reported.

“I am delighted to have Berkshire Hathaway participate in the future of Japan and the five companies we have chosen for investment,” Buffett said in a statement. “The five major trading companies have many joint ventures throughout the world and are likely to have more of these partnerships. I hope that in the future there may be opportunities of mutual benefit.”

Subject to price changes, Berkshire Hathaway said it may increase its stake in any of the five investments up to a maximum of 9.9%. Buffett said his company does not seek to go above that 9.9% threshold unless it receives prior approval from the investee’s board of directors.

The company said it intends to hold onto its Japanese investments “for the long term.”

Berkshire Hathaway also explained that since it already holds 625.5 billion ($5.93 billion) of yen-denominated bonds – scheduled to mature between 2023 through 2060 – its investments in the trading houses will not leave it exposed to currency fluctuations.

In response to the investments, Itochu Chairman Masahiro Okafuji stated that Buffett’s interest in Japanese trading houses “will be a catalyst for revitalizing the industry.”

An Itochu spokesman said: “It’s bright news for not only the company but also Japan’s stock market,” Bloomberg reported.

The investments will also help shield Berkshire Hathaway from excessive dependence on the U.S. economy.

https://www.ibtimes.com/warren-buffets-berkshire-hathaway-buys-stakes-japanese-trading-houses-diversifying-us-3037496

Head of New York Medical Clinics Sentenced to 156 Months in Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Money Laundering and Health Care Kickbacks Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/head-new-york-medical-clinics-sentenced-156-months-prison-multimillion-dollar-money

Kayleigh McEnany Mic Drop on Democrats Attacking President Trump Over the Riots: “That’s Like the Arsonist Blaming the Firefighter”

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany sparred with reporters at Monday’s briefing about the recent deadly riots in Portland, Oregon and Kenosha, Wisconsin that Democrats are blaming on President Trump, observing the media and Democrats’ new-found concerns about the political violence that has plagued the nation all summer seems to be tied to unfavorable polling for the Democrats and their party’s presidential nominee Joe Biden.

McEnany opened the briefing listing riot-torn Democrat run cities where President Trump has deployed federal resources resulting in peace and law and order being restored.

McEnany closed the briefing with her trademark mic drop walk off, calling out Democrats Speaker Pelosi (CA) Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA) and CNN hosts Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon for either downplaying the violence or encouraging unrest in the streets:

“It is so interesting to me to see Democrats um, who once disparaged, who ignored the violence I should say, all of a sudden caring about it. But let’s not forget, um, what they said previously. Speaker Nancy Pelosi downplaying the violence rocking U.S. cities, ignorantly saying, ‘people will do what they do.’ Uh, Jerry Nadler when asked about Antifa, he said that, that was a ‘myth that’s being spread around Washington, D.C.’ It’s not a myth. In fact an Antifa individual took the life of an innocent Trump supporter in Portland. Um, you had Rep. Ayan, Aya, Ayanna Pressley saying that she wanted ‘unrest in the streets.’ Chris Cuomo saying ‘show me where it says protesters are supposed to be peaceful.’ I’ll give you an idea Chris, it’s the Constitution. Don Lemon saying quote ‘the rioting has to stop, Chris, as you know and I know it’s showing up in the polls, it’s showing up in the focus groups, it’s the only thing right now that’s sticking.’

So now all of a sudden ninety days later, I from this podium have talked about law and order, the President has talked about law and order repeatedly but because the polling has shifted, um, now it’s time for the Democrats to deny what they said previously and all of a sudden focus on law and order. Um, I’ll leave you with this: That’s like the arsonist blaming the firefighter.”

Transcribed by TGP

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/kayleigh-mcenany-mic-drop-democrats-attacking-president-trump-riots-like-arsonist-blaming-firefighter/

Palestinians Can't Be Stuck in the Past, Should Come to Negotiating Table, Kushner Says in UAE

The Trump son-in-law and senior presidential advisor arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Monday afternoon to cement the recently unveiled UAE-Israel agreement on the normalization of ties. Palestinian officials blasted the UAE's decision as a "cowardly" move which "betrays" Palestinian interests.

Jared Kushner has urged Palestinians to stop living in the past, and said that a lasting peace would be "ready for them…as soon as they are ready to embrace it."

"We can't want peace more than they want peace. When they are ready, the whole region is very excited to help lift them up and help move them forward. But they can't be stuck in the past," Kushner said, speaking to reporters after touching down in the UAE on Monday.

The Palestinian Authority has called the newly-agreed Israeli-UAE normalization deal a betrayal of their interests, dubbing it "an aggression against the Palestinian people." Hamas, the political and militant group which controls Gaza, echoed this sentiment, accusing the UAE of 'stabbing Palestinians in the back' and rewarding "the Israeli occupation."

Kushner, the architect of the US's Mideast peace plan unveiled by the Trump administration earlier this year, said that until the Palestinian side comes forward, Israel and countries in the region should come together and improve their economic, technology and security cooperation.

Earlier, Palestinian officials and Arab nations broadly denounced the peace plan, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas saying it belonged in the "garbage can of history" and that Jerusalem was "not for sale."

The Trump plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace calls for a two-state solution, recognition of Israeli claims to settlements in the West Bank, Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, and the recognition of Jerusalem as the country's capital. For the Palestinian side, the plan proposes a $50 billion fund for infrastructure and investment, as well as a few neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem for a Palestnian capital.

'Historic' Trip

Kushner traveled to the UAE aboard an Israeli plane alongside Trump National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and senior Israeli officials on Monday to cement the recently unveiled UAE-Israeli peace plan. Calling the trip "historic," Kushner also thanked Saudi authorities for allowing the plane to fly through Saudi airspace on its way to the UAE.

"They were very gracious to allow us to fly over their airspace, which they've never done before, for an Israeli commercial plane. And so this, again, is another historic breakthrough," he said.

https://sputniknews.com/world/202008311080327875-palestinians-cant-be-stuck-in-the-past-should-come-to-negotiating-table-kushner-says-/

Amazon Granted FAA Clearance For Prime Air Drone Delivery Fleet

Amazon received approval Monday from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its fleet of Prime Air delivery drones in US skies, reported Bloomberg.

The FAA designated Amazon Prime Air as an "air carrier," allowing it to "safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers."

"This certification is an important step forward for Prime Air and indicates the FAA's confidence in Amazon's operating and safety procedures for an autonomous drone delivery service that will one day deliver packages to our customers around the world," David Carbon, vice president of Prime Air, said in a statement.

"We will continue to develop and refine our technology to fully integrate delivery drones into the airspace, and work closely with the FAA and other regulators around the world to realize our vision of 30-minute delivery," Carbon said.

The certification gives Prime Air drone operators the ability to fly the aircraft 'beyond the line of sight' to deliver packages across metro areas. Amazon made no mention of what cities nor timing of when the pilot tests will begin.

Consumers are accustomed to two-day, one-day, and or now, even same-day deliveries. The idea a 30-minute delivery option could be available in the near term would be game-changing for consumers in a contactless society - though it would continue to roil brick-and-mortar retailers.

Amazon is expected to use the MK27 unmanned aircraft for pilot testing. These drones have a delivery range of about 7.5 miles of a distribution center, with a payload weighing 5 pounds.

Amazon will join an elite club of companies, including Alphabet subsidiary Wing and UPS, operating FAA-approved trials in the US.

Questions remain if the Prime Air drone will have the capability to spy on consumers (read: "Amazon Patents Creepy Drone Technology To Spy On Your Home.")

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/amazon-granted-faa-clearance-prime-air-drone-delivery-fleet

>>10485689

most likely only declared or direct payments

>>10485751

IMF