17 People Were Shot In Chicago On Monday Alone

We're not sure what it's going to take for Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot to realize that backing her city's police department and enforcing the law, not avoiding it, is what's going to make a difference in cleaning up her city.

Perhaps the following stat will be shocking enough for her to get a grip on exactly what is going on, though we don't have any confidence that it will: 17 people were shot in Chicago on Monday alone this week. Four of those shootings resulted in fatalities.

The situation in Chicago echoes that of many other liberal run cities, where crime has run rampant since this summer's "peaceful protests", which consisted of property damage, assaults, looting and lighting cities on fire. As a response, clueless liberal politicians have allowed a "defund the police" narrative to take shape with many supporting the idea.

On Monday, the first fatality was found “in the 4700 block of West 59th Street” at 2AM when officers discovered a man who had crashed his vehicle also had a gunshot wound to his face.

Two other men were "each shot in the head while standing on a corner in the 3600 block of West Division Street" at 5:50PM on Monday. A fourth fatality occurred when a 20 year old man was "shot and fatally wounded" at about 7PM while sitting the back of a vehicle “in the 6700 block of North Newgard Avenue.”

40 other people were also shot over the weekend, with five of those resulting in fatalities, according to Breitbart. The crime spree has resulted in an exodus from the city.

One 30 year old nurse that lives in River North told the Chicago Tribune last month: "Not to make it all about us; the whole world is suffering. This is a minute factor in all of that, and we totally realize that. We are very lucky to have what we do have. But I do think that I’ve never had to think about my own safety in this way before.”

Resident Neil Spun, who has lived in Chicago for more than 30 years, said: “There have been riots before, and looting. It just seems to me now that the city isn’t doing anything about it. I don’t see this getting any better, and so I’d like to leave.”

And it's not just in "quality of living" that Chicago is shining under Mayor Lightfoot - it's also financially. Recall, we noted in late October that Chicago was on the verge of a credit downgrade, according to its Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett.

Lightfoot proposed the novel idea of implementing a property tax increase of $94 million and a refinance of the city's $1.7 billion in outstanding bonds to try and alleviate some of the financial distress. Because we're sure citizens of Chicago are in a major rush to fork over more money to a city government that has enabled protests and riots that turned the city into chaos over the summer.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/17-people-were-shot-chicago-monday-alone

‘Major Incident’ Declared as Car Driven Into London Police Station

A man was arrested Wednesday night in Edmonton, London, after a car crashed into the front of a police station.

A police statement said the incident, which occurred shortly before seven o’clock in the evening, saw a vehicle collide with a police station in north London. An arrest — reportedly of the driver — took place at the scene, which was attended by specialist officers.

The police station was evacuated, and officers — including armed officers — have established a cordon around the scene.

Update 2130 GMT

London area talk radio station cites the account of eye-witness Ogur Mazlum, who said of the incident: “He rammed into the main entrance, the glass part, and was insisting on trying to get in. When he noticed that he couldn’t get it, he got out a can of petrol and tipped it on the floor starting at the car and into the middle of the road and set it alight.”

Serife Mazlum added: “[The driver] looked like a pretty sane person. It was intentional. It is horrifying. As soon as my husband sent me the video he said we’re closing [the shop] and coming home.”

Update 2030 GMT

No injuries have been reported from the scene of tonight’s incident, police say.

Edmonton MP Kat Edmonton has deleted her initial tweet that called the event a “major incident”, retweeting that it is instead an “incident”.

This social media video, which clearly shows the front of Edmonton Police Station with its doors battered in by a blue car shows smoke rising from the vehicle, and a man walking around pouring a liquid on the ground.

Moments before the police arrest the guy that crashed in Edmonton police station.. tonight pic.twitter.com/39wu940QRp

— London & UK Crime (@CrimeLdn) November 11, 2020

The original story continues below:

The UK’s Daily Mail tabloid newspaper reports that several videos claiming to be from the scene were shared to social media. While not verified by police, one video shared by television journalist Mark White appears to show officers arresting a man on the pavement outside the station and a car on the pavement.

Another video, again unverified by police and again referenced by UK media reports, appeared to show a man pouring petrol on the road before setting it alight.

BREAKING – Scotland Yard confirms officers are dealing with an incident in north London, after a car crashed into the front of Edmonton police station. Video from the scene shows a fire on the roadway and a person on the ground surrounded by officers. https://t.co/uNfhPABnYl

— Mark White (@skymarkwhite) November 11, 2020

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/11/11/major-incident-declared-as-car-driven-into-london-police-station/

6 Gorillion new covid cases today!

Sources say………….

Lockdowns Coming: 22 States Already Locking Down Again

Anyone who understands that these lockdowns were never about health, but about control, know that the first lockdowns didn’t quite devastate the middle class to the point that the elitists needed them to. Now, another round of lockdowns is coming in order for the rulers to usher in the New World Order through chaos and poverty.

This is straight up nothing short of economic terrorism and it’s being done by the government.

These lockdowns serve two purposes. One, they keep up the facade and continue to keep the masses in a panicked state of fear. And two, they finish off the middle-class impoverishing enough people that they will willingly enslave themselves for the universal basic income pittance in the form of a digital dollar that the elites can track, trace, and control.

But in order to keep the show going and get people to buy into this scam, states are locking down again. Twenty-two states have issued additional orders that trample people’s basic human rights. Those states are:

1. Minnesota

2. Maryland

3. California

4. Iowa

5. Wisconsin

6. Utah

7.Rhode Island

1. Michigan

2. Connecticut

3. Massachusetts

4. Illinois

5. Colorado

6. Idaho

7. Florida

8. New York

16.New Jersey

1. Pennsylvania

2. Texas

3. Kentucky

4. Mississippi

5. Nebraska

6. New Mexico

The destruction of rights is well underway for a second time. They are really desperate to keep up this scam at all costs. This has never been about health. The elitists do not care about our health and whether we continue to live on this planet or not. They only want power. Wake up and stay prepared. If your state is not on the list above, do not assume you will escape this hell.

It is on.

https://youtu.be/w-pGQJfEotQ

https://patriotrising.com/lockdowns-coming-22-states-already-locking-down-again/

‘BREATHTAKING ABUSE’: Republican Attorneys General file amicus brief urging SCOTUS to rule on Pennsylvania mail-in ballots

As the post-election legal battle forges on, 10 Republican Attorneys General from several states are urging the Supreme Court to get involved in the state of Pennsylvania.

As the post-election legal battle forges on, 10 Republican Attorneys General from several states are urging the Supreme Court to get involved in the state of Pennsylvania.

Led by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Attorneys General from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court concerning the mail-in ballot lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a similar brief, and Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter is expected to file one as well.

What exactly is an amicus brief?

Essentially, it’s a “friend of the court” petition by a person or group with strong interest or view on the subject matter, but not a party to the matter.

“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our Republic and it’s one of the reasons why the United States is the envy of the world,” Missouri AG Eric Schmitt said in a press conference on Monday. “We have to ensure that every legal vote cast is counted and that every illegal vote cast is not counted.”

The Pennsylvania lawsuit at issue, Republican Party of Pennsylvania v. Boockvar, challenges the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to allow mail-in ballots that arrived after Election Day to be counted, despite state laws ordering otherwise, according to The Federalist.

Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr. granted the Republican Party of Pennsylvania’s request, temporarily ordering all counties to separate mail-in ballots that arrived after 8 p.m. on Election Day from the rest; however, the lawsuit is still pending petition from the highest court.

“The actions taken by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are one of the most breathtaking abuses of judicial authority that I’ve seen in my four-plus years as attorney general,” Oklahoma AG Mike Hunter said.

In the brief, the Republican AGs state they believe the Pennsylvania Supreme Court “overstepped its Constitutional responsibility, encroached on the authority of the Pennsylvania legislature, and violated the plain language of the Election Clauses.”

“Our system of federalism relies on separation of powers to preserve liberty at every level of government, and the separation of powers in the Election Clauses is no exception to this principle,” the brief states.

They also believe the decision created a higher risk for potential for voter fraud.

https://thegreggjarrett.com/breathtaking-abuse-republican-attorneys-general-file-amicus-brief-urging-scotus-to-rule-on-pennsylvania-mail-in-ballots/

MSM in a nutshell

Connecticut GOP Lawmaker Discovered Winner After Race Called for Democrat

Connecticut GOP House Rep. Craig Fishbein was declared the loser in the race for his seat until a town clerk found an “error” had caused the race to be called for his Democrat opponent.

Wallingford town clerk Barbara Thompson said Tuesday her office discovered that votes had not been recorded in the state’s reporting system from Yalesville Elementary School, reported CT Mirror.

The school is one of nine polling places in the 90th House District that includes Wallingford and Cheshire.

“I can’t answer if it was a clerical error or a computer error in the elections management system,” Thompson said. “All I know is we caught it yesterday and amended it.”

As of Wednesday morning, unofficial results on the secretary of state’s elections website showed incumbent Fishbein ahead of challenger Jim Jinks, but, according to the Mirror, a recount will be conducted Thursday because of a margin of less than 0.50 percent.

“There’s no circumstance when an error like that is not caught and corrected,” Gabe Rosenberg, a spokesman for the secretary of the state, said.

The Mirror further reported:

Normally due within 48 hours after an election, the deadline for reporting final results was extended this year to 96 hours due to the expected heavy use of absentee ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effective deadline was Monday, the first business day after the 96 hours.

Less clear was how the campaigns of Fishbein and Jinks were misled. The campaigns rely on results obtained at the polls, not the number posted on the state’s election site.

If Fishbein ultimately retains his seat, Democrats in the state will still maintain firm control of the legislative agenda in Connecticut, since they picked up seven House seats and two Senate seats, according to reported results.

During the pandemic, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) and his administration worked to waive regulations for the use of absentee ballots to ensure more voters could cast their ballots by mail.

The election in the state saw more than 650,000 people vote by “absentee ballot without an excuse.”

State House Speaker-designate Matt Ritter said he plans to focus in on suburban zoning reform, marijuana legalization, early voting, and a public health insurance option in the coming legislative session.

Amid President Donald Trump’s claims of voter fraud in some states due, in part, to mail-in ballots, Connecticut’s U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy joined with Secretary of State Denise Merrill Friday to urge the state legislature to pass an amendment to the Constitution to allow regular vote-by-mail and early voting.

Currently, Connecticut’s constitution does not allow early voting or mail-in voting. This year, during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, Lamont said in April that, due to his “stay-at-home rule,” he was “going to have to find a way people can vote — and especially seniors — so they don’t have to leave their houses and go vote.”

“So, obviously the voting by mail makes a lot of sense to me,” Lamont said. “Now, I need the lawyers to figure out how to draft that.”

With the pandemic as background, Merrill sent every voter in the state, unsolicited, an application for an absentee ballot. The state Constitution, however, would need to be amended to allow mail-in and early voting for any reason at all.

“Connecticut is in the Neanderthal era,” Blumenthal said, just as mail-in ballots are a focus of intense controversy in the presidential election.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/11/11/connecticut-gop-lawmaker-discovered-winner-after-race-called-for-democrat/

Democrat Raphael Warnock Arrested in 2002 for Obstructing Child Abuse Investigation

Georgia Senate Democrat candidate Raphael Warnock was arrested in 2002 for obstructing a police investigation into alleged child abuse at a church camp in Carroll County, Maryland.

Revs. Warnock and Andre Wainwright, who both worked at Douglas Memorial Community Church, were accused in court documents of attempting to prevent a state trooper from interviewing counselors at the church’s Camp Farthest Out in Eldersburg, Maryland, regarding alleged abuse at the church.

Warnock hopes to oust Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) during the January senate runoff.

A state trooper said that neither Warnock nor Wainwright were suspects in the child abuse investigation, although the trooper declined to describe the nature of the suspected abuse.

Warnock, the senior pastor at the church, said that the alleged abuse was not sexual.

Warnock and Wainwright interrupted a police interview of a camp counselor in 2002. After investigators moved the interview to a picnic area, the reverends interfered against and tried to prevent one camper from directing police to other potential witnesses.

Maryland State Trooper Diane Barry of the state police Child and Sexual Assault Unit said, “I’ve never encountered resistance like that at all.”

Barry contended that the counselors consented to be interviewed after they were told they were free to go at any time and were not obligated to answer Barry’s questions. After being arrested and charged, Warnock and Wainwright were released.

Warnock claimed that he merely wanted to ensure that lawyers were present during counselor interviews:

Reverend Wainwright and I acted well within the framework of the law, and I am confident that we will be exonerated. It’s just unfortunate that our children had to see their pastors carried away in handcuffs. My concern simply had to do with the presence of counsel. We cooperated fully with their investigation. We have nothing to hide.

Warnock came to work at Douglas Memorial Community Church after he worked at Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York.

When Warnock was an assistant pastor at Abyssinian Church, Communist Cuban dictator Fidel Castro gave a speech at the church in 1995.

Warnock also praised the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright and touted Marxism as a way to “teach the black church.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) wondered whether the media would ask Warnock why he obstructed an investigation into alleged child abuse.

“In 2002, when the police investigated suspected child abuse at Raphael Warnock’s church camp for children, Warnock was arrested for obstructing the investigation,” Cotton wrote on Wednesday. “Will the media ask Raphael Warnock why he interfered with the police investigation?” “If a Republican helped run a camp for children that was investigated for child abuse—and then was arrested for trying to block the investigation—the media would be asking a lot of questions,” Cotton added.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/11/11/democrat-raphael-warnock-arrested-in-2002-for-obstructing-child-abuse-investigation/

Hollywood Celebrities Take Aim at Georgia Senate Races, Pushing Fundraising and Organizing Efforts for Democratic Candidates

The entertainment industry receives millions of dollars in Georgia tax credits each year to shoot movies and TV shows around the state. Now, Hollywood celebrities are aiming to influence Georgia’s hotly contested senatorial runoff elections by backing Stacey Abrams’ effort to boost Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock.

Jon Ossoff (D) is hoping to unseat Sen. David Perdue (R), who is an ally of President Donald Trump, while Rev. Raphael Warnock is aiming to defeat incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R). The races are receiving national attention since they could potentially tip the Senate in favor of Democrats.

Failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) is attempting to bolster the Democratic challengers through aggressive fundraising and by enlisting celebrity social media support. The runoff elections are set to take place January 5.

With Republican incumbents winning in Alaska (Sen. Dan Sullivan) and North Carolina (Sen. Tom Tillis), the GOP now holds 50 seats in the Senate. Stars including Debra Messing, Kerry Washington, Jon Cryer, Sophia Bush, Mandy Moore, and Billy Eichner are whipping up social media enthusiasm for the Democratic candidates and urging their fans to donate to the campaigns.

Mandy Moore and Netflix’s House of Cards creator Beau Willimon boosted Stacey Abrams’ call to donate money to both campaigns.

Let’s do this, friends. We have work to do to help @ReverendWarnock and @ossoff win their senate races!! https://t.co/TpZGeCrzgA

— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) November 8, 2020

In memory of John Lewis and in honor of Stacey Abrams, and in celebration of the new leads in PA an GA, I am making donations to @ReverendWarnock and Jon @ossoff. Please join me. Let’s continue the momentum and take back the Senate.https://t.co/yGbwTaR6hq

— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) November 6, 2020

Will & Grace star Debra Messing urged Georgians to register to vote in the runoff elections.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2020/11/11/hollywood-celebrities-take-aim-at-georgia-senate-races-pushing-fundraising-and-organizing-efforts-for-democratic-candidates/

Viral Video Allegedly Shows Mayor De Blasio's Daughter Saying Biden Was Able to 'Steal' The Election

Video went viral on social media Wednesday purportedly showing Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter Chiara celebrating how Joe Biden was able to "steal" the election.

From National File:

"For me, it's really special because now we have the first black, Asian, female President in office, elected," New York City’s First Daughter told reporters, omitting the word "Vice" from "Vice President" while apparently echoing the thoughts of millions of Americans who believe Kamala Harris would be running the show in a hypothetical Biden-Harris Administration.

"And Joe Biden was able to steal..no..uhh..win..he was able to win the election," de Blasio then told the reporter.

The remarks came as leftists poured on to the streets of New York City to celebrate mainstream media declaring Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 Presidential Election – a declaration that carries no weight as multiple battleground states head for recounts and President Trump readies an army of lawyers and politicos to take reports of massive Democrat-sponsored election fraud to court.

I couldn't find any official confirmation this is Chiara but the resemblance is uncanny and the voice sounds like it matches as well.

http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=61912

THE FIGHT IS FOR THE NARRATIVE

The TRUTH always stands tall

GOD WINS

The New Yorker fires Jeffrey Toobin after probe into Zoom masturbation scandal

Jeffrey Toobin was canned from the New Yorker on Wednesday over his caught-on-Zoom masturbation ordeal.

The 60-year-old staff writer was fired following a three-week probe into an incident where he was allegedly caught pleasuring himself during an election simulation work call with some of the magazine’s biggest names.

“As a result of our investigation, Jeffrey Toobin is no longer affiliated with the company,” a New Yorker spokeswoman confirmed to The Post.

The Daily Beast first reported that the Harvard alum had been given the boot, citing a memo to staffers it obtained.

“I am writing to share with you that our investigation regarding Jeffrey Toobin is complete, and as a result, he is no longer affiliated with our company,” read the memo from Condé Nast’s Chief People Officer Stan Duncan.

“I want to assure everyone that we take workplace matters seriously. We are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels respected and upholds our standards of conduct,” the memo added.

Toobin also confirmed he’d been fired in a tweet, writing: “I was fired today by @NewYorker after 27 years as a Staff Writer. I will always love the magazine, will miss my colleagues, and will look forward to reading their work.”

The New Yorker suspended Toobin in mid-October after news of the incident broke. He was also placed on leave from CNN, where he is a senior legal analyst.

In a statement at the time, Toobin said he made “an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera.’’

“I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video,’’ he said.

“I apologize to my wife, family, friends and co-workers.’’

https://nypost.com/2020/11/11/the-new-yorker-fires-jeffrey-toobin-after-probe-into-zoom-masturbation-scandal/

ARIZONA: Maricopa County GOP Chair Resigns Following Failure to Check Voting Machines

Rae Chornenky stepped down from her position on Wednesday

Rae Chornenky, the Maricopa County GOP Chair, has been forced to resign following her failure to sign the Certificate of Accuracy for the voting machines.

Maricopa County in Arizona, which contains the state capitol Phoenix, has been at the center of attention following the election, being judged as crucial to President Trump’s chances of winning the state. At the time of writing, Arizona is still counting its votes, and a winner has not been declared by most media organizations, bar Fox and the AP.

A number of allegations of voter irregularities have also arisen in Arizona. However, the Certificate of Accuracy, that should be signed by representatives of both parties, ensuring no fraud can occur, was not signed by any Republican. Maricopa County GOP Chairman Rae Chornenky failed to show up to verify the document, leaving only Democrats and representatives from the Secretary of State to sign it.

Arizona State Representative, and now State Senator-elect, Kelly Townsend, called on Chornenky to resign, along with her 1st Vice Chair Linda Brickman. “This is 100% unacceptable and has contributed to the collapse of Arizona voter confidence,” Townsend tweeted.

https://nationalfile.com/arizona-maricopa-county-gop-chair-resigns-following-failure-to-check-voting-machines/

Boris Johnson's Director of Communications Resigns From Post Amid Ongoing Disputes

Downing Street Director of Communications Lee Cain announced Wednesday he would leave his post at the end of the year. The news comes amid reports Cain was in talks to become UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's chief of staff.

According to the BBC, the former Mirror journalist will be replaced by James Slack, Downing Street's current spokesperson.

"After careful consideration I have this evening resigned as No10 director of communications and will leave the post at the end of the year," Cain said in a statement. "I would like to thank the prime minister for his loyalty and leadership. I have no doubt that under his premiership the country will deliver on the promises made in the 2019 election campaign and build back better from the coronavirus pandemic."

Johnson thanked Cain for his "extraordinary service," noting his longtime aide "has been a true ally and friend and I am very glad that he will remain director of communications until the new year and to help restructure the operation. He will be much missed."

Johnson reportedly wanted Cain to head the prime minister's office, but the British press has extensively covered both opposition within the government to Cain's potential appointment as chief of staff, as well as Cain's own wavering commitment to remaining on Downing Street at all.

https://sputniknews.com/uk/202011111081133610-boris-johnsons-director-of-communications-resigns-from-post-amid-ongoing-disputes/

‘Inaccurate’: Pentagon Rejects Taipei’s Claims That US Marines Are Training Taiwanese Counterparts

After Taiwanese defense leaders publicly revealed US troops were training Taiwanese soldiers on the island, the Pentagon claimed the reports were “inaccurate.” However, the US has a long history of concealing its deploying of troops to the territory, which it formally recognizes as belonging to China.

On Monday, Taiwan News reported that the Taiwanese Naval Command had confirmed that a contingent of US Marines had arrived on the autonomous island at the invitation of Taipei to train Taiwanese troops.

Taiwan’s United Daily News also independently confirmed the reports.

The reports claimed the special operations “Marine Raiders” would be there for four weeks, and the Taiwanese Naval Command told the outlet it was “routine Taiwan-US military exchange and cooperation training,” despite this being the first public admission of US training of Taiwanese troops since Washington stopped recognizing the Taiwanese government in 1979.

In response, Pentagon spokesperson John Supple told US military publication Stars and Stripes on Wednesday that the reports were “inaccurate.”

“The United States remains committed to our One-China Policy,” Supple told the outlet. Washington agreed to the principle when it normalized relations with the People’s Republic of China in 1979, which sees Taiwan as a province in rebellion. The Taiwanese government were the losers of the 1949 civil war that saw communist control established across all of mainland China.

However, Taiwan News pointed out the US “sends small units of elite troops of other branches of the armed forces for joint training missions to Taiwan on an annual basis, but they are rarely acknowledged by the Taiwan government,” noting US Army Special Forces hold annual exercises called Balance Tamper on the island in conjunction with Taiwan’s Army Aviation and Special Forces Command, among other training exercises.

The Drive pointed out in June that ultra-rare footage of the Balance Tamper drills had been released by a special forces unit. Even though the drills were not acknowledged as Balance Tamper, they include shots of equipment such as helicopters and rifles that are only used by the Taiwanese military.

最近美军精锐绿色贝雷帽代号“Balance Tamper”的台美特战部队互动联合训练被曝光。每年进行1到2次训练任务，由美国陆军第1特种作战群，派遣所辖ODA特战分队，来到台湾与台军特战部队共同训练。

解放军绿帽将军王洪光以前曾经义愤填膺说，美军登陆台湾就是大陆收复台湾之时！大家拭目以待啊！ pic.twitter.com/UXeoy3wJ2G

— 极光 (@Aurora107E) June 29, 2020

​Washington also concealed the presence of US troops at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) for 14 years. The institution serves as the de facto US embassy in Taipei, and in April 2019, as it prepared to move to a new facility, AIT spokesperson Amanda Mansour revealed, "Since 2005, US government personnel detailed to AIT have included active duty military, including service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.” Marines typically perform security roles at formal US embassies around the globe.

Under US President Donald Trump, the US has vastly expanded its military support for Taiwan, signing deals to deliver billions of dollars in weapons, including F-16V “Viper” fighters, torpedoes and other equipment. Several more deals remain in various stages of approval in Washington and would supply Taiwanese forces with cruise missiles, rocket artillery, MQ-9B Reaper drones and more.

Last week, after the latest prospective deal was announced, Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin denounced it, saying it “brutally interferes in China’s internal affairs and seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests.” He vowed a “proper and necessary response” to the deal if it goes through.

Earlier this year, the foreign ministry announced sanctions against US defense contractors Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing, for their part in supplying Taiwan with weapons.

https://sputniknews.com/asia/202011111081133817-inaccurate-pentagon-rejects-taipeis-claims-that-us-marines-are-training-taiwanese-counterparts/

Vets for Trump co-founder remains jailed on gun charges, claims he’s a ‘political prisoner’

Two veterans — including a Navy vet who co-founded the Veterans for Trump organization — remain locked up in a Philadelphia jail and facing gun charges after their arrest last week outside a convention center where election officials were counting ballots from the Nov. 3 presidential election, according to court documents obtained by Military Times.

Joshua Macias, a Navy veteran and co-founder of Veterans for Trump, as well as Army veteran Antonio LaMotta, are each facing two charges after their Nov. 5 arrest: concealing a weapon without a valid license to carry, which is a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in prison; and carrying a weapon in public in Philadelphia without a carry permit, which is a first-degree misdemeanor that carries a possible five-year sentence. Both men live in Virginia.

A press release from the Veterans for Trump group characterized Macias and LaMotta as “political prisoners” of an “activist” district attorney. A Veterans for Trump official did not respond to a request from Military Times for further comment.

The Philadelphia Police Department is no longer investigating the two men beyond the weapons charges, according to a department spokesperson reached by Military Times.

Macias did not intend violence and “held a reasonable belief” his Virginia permit to carry his .40 caliber handgun was reciprocally recognized in Pennsylvania, according to his attorney, A. Charles Peruto Jr., who spoke with Military Times by phone on Wednesday afternoon.

Peruto said that the charges are “100 percent” politically motivated.

“There are hundreds of cases” where the state weapons permit charge is reduced to a misdemeanor, Peruto told Military Times. Pennsylvania law allows the charge to be reduced to a first-degree misdemeanor if the accused is otherwise eligible for a Pennsylvania gun permit.

But the men’s second gun charge — the misdemeanor for carrying without a license in Philadelphia — may make them ineligible for such a reduction. According to the law, a defendant is only eligible for the charge downgrade if he or she “has not committed any other criminal violation."

Macias has a hearing scheduled for Nov. 16 to potentially reduce his bail, which is currently set at $750,000. His attorney, Peruto, indicated to Military Times that the district attorney’s office plans to oppose the motion.

LaMotta has a public defender, according to court records. He was carrying a 9mm Beretta at the time of his arrest, and the Philadelphia Inquirer reports he told officers he did not have a Pennsylvania permit for the weapon at the time of his arrest.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/election-2020/2020/11/11/vets-for-trump-co-founder-remains-jailed-on-gun-charges-claims-hes-a-political-prisoner/