South Australia ordered into six-day lockdown amid COVID-19 outbreak
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-18/sa-ordered-into-major-lockdowns-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/12894666
STATE MEDIA CHECK OUT THE DIGITS
God help Australia
Trump Gains on Biden Again as Third Georgia County Finds Missing Votes During Recount
A third county in Georgia has found a batch of missing votes during the statewide recount that ends Wednesday night. Walton County reportedly found a scanner that had 284 uncounted ballots. President Trump gained 225 votes, Joe Biden 49 votes and Jo Jorgensen 10 votes, netting Trump a gain of 176 vote on Biden’s statewide lead of just under 13,000.
The Walton Tribune reported on the discovery (excerpt):
The audit of votes in the presidential race revealed missing votes in Walton County.
Two hundred eighty-four ballots were added from the Between precinct. They netted 176 votes for President Donald Trump.
…Lori Wood, chairwoman of the Board of Election, said the Between precinct had two scanners.
“One of them got uploaded and another one didn’t,” she said…
Earlier Tuesday Fayette County reported finding 2,755 missing votes that netted 449 votes for Trump against Biden’s statewide lead.
On Monday Floyd County reported finding over 2,600 missing votes that netted Trump about an 800 vote reduction in Biden’s statewide lead.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/11/trump-gains-biden-third-georgia-county-finds-missing-votes-recount/
China warns Australia and Japan over new defence pact, pledges countermeasures
China has used a jingoistic state media outlet to slam an historic defence deal between Australia and Japan, saying it is "inevitable" it will take some sort of countermeasures.
Key points:
Japan and Australia have agreed to a pact that will intensify their military cooperation
China has accused both countries of acting "at the behest" of the United States
The Federal Government says the pact will have no bearing on Australia's relationship with China
The defence pact, called the Reciprocal Access Agreement, was agreed to '"in principle" during Prime Minister Scott Morrison's state visit to Japan, but still has not been formally signed.
The agreement would pave the way for the Australian and Japanese militaries to have access to each other's bases, and would deepen cooperation between the two countries.
However, it still faces finetuning over whether Australians could be subjected to Japan's death penalty.
China's Government has not formally responded to the agreement, but has used a nationalistic unofficial media outlet to say Japan and Australian were setting "a bad example by interpreting their biggest trading partner, China, as a 'security threat' acting at the behest of the US".
The editorial in the Global Times was only published in English, for a foreign audience, and framed the two countries as pawns of the United States.
"China is unlikely to remain indifferent to US moves aimed at inciting countries to gang up against China in the long run," it read.
"It's inevitable that China will take some sort of countermeasures.
"Countries like Japan and Australia have been used as US tools. The strategic risk for a tool to be damaged is certainly higher than that of a user."
Some other state media outlets framed the agreement as an historical contradiction, pointing out that Japan is the only country that has ever bombed Australia.
"You could describe the deal as a paramilitary agreement," said Shi Yinhong, a Professor at Renmin University in Beijing.
"Although it's not a promise to aide the other country if under attack, it is however a deal to place one's own military in the other country for joint exercises.
"This is a very important step in establishing an Indo-Pacific Alliance against China."
Federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham insisted the defence pact would not have any bearing on Australia's souring relationship with China, which has resulted in Beijing putting unofficial trade bans or restrictions on around $6 billion of Australia's annual exports.
"This will have no bearing in that regard. Japan and Australia are nations that share common values, share a commitment to democratic principles, and it's little surprise we would want to work cooperatively," he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-18/china-warns-australia-over-new-defence-pact-japan/12894798
Why Walmart Is In Better Position To Take On The Rest The Year
Walmart Use In Store Wedding To Advertise Job Opening
Walmart (WMT) had another stellar quarter amid the pandemic, with revenues reaching $134.7 billion, up $6.7 billion or 5.2% over Q2, according to its Q3 earnings call Tuesday morning.
While Q3 started off soft due to a slow Back to School season and reduced stimulus spending, the quarter picked back up in the fall.
Overall, consumers made fewer trips to Walmart stores, but those trips yielded larger transactions for the company. The retail giant saw its comp sale rise in the U.S. by 6.4% with increases in general merchandise, health and wellness, and food purchases.
Walmart said its e-commerce sales grew by 79%, adding about 570 basis points to its comp sales. Sam’s Club e-commerce sales also grew by 41%. The retailer attributed the growth to the change in consumer habits during the pandemic and the ability for consumers to buy online, pickup in-store, curbside, or have products shipped home.
“This was another strong quarter on the top and bottom line,” Doug McMillon, Walmart president and CEO, said in a statement.
Walmart also touched on its future amid the pandemic during its Q3 earnings report, saying that the next quarter will feel very different. It is still seeing consumers stocking up supplies amid the COVID crisis, which is stretching the supply chain, but it said it is better positioned to handle the demand than it was in the early days of the pandemic.
“We’re convinced that most of the behavior change will persist beyond the pandemic and that our combination of strong stores and emerging digital capabilities will be a winning formula,” McMillon said on the call. “Customers will want to be served in a variety of ways and we’re positioned to save them money, provide the variety of product choices they’re looking for, and deliver the experience they choose in the moment.”
Walmart said it is encouraged about the fourth quarter of 2020 but declined to provide guidance for the full year, citing the impact of the pandemic.
The retailer also said it feels well-positioned for the holiday shopping season with its month-long sales events – Deals for Days – that will allow consumers to shop its omnichannel all month long.
“While many family gatherings may be smaller, we do believe families want to decorate, celebrate, and enjoy food and gifts,” McMillon said. “They want a sense of normalcy, and our traditions help bring some joy and comfort to this difficult year.”
https://www.ibtimes.com/why-walmart-better-position-take-rest-year-3083946
$1.4M in Counterfeit U.S. Cash from Ukraine Seized in Chicago Mail Facility
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $1.4 million in counterfeit currency at a Chicago mail facility. The shipment of fake cash came in from Ukraine, officials stated.
Office of Field Operations officers assigned to the Chicago International Mail Facility on November 16 found a large quantity of counterfeit U.S. currency in a package sent from Ukraine, according to CBP officials.
Officer inspected a parcel destined for an address in Joliet, Illinois, from Ukraine. The inspection of the package to determine its eligibility to enter the U.S. led to the discovery of multiple bundles of what appeared to be U.S. $100 bills. The bundles contained 13,597 fake $100 bills.
The package described the contents as “prop money,” officials stated. However, it is a violation of federal law to reproduce U.S. currency for any purpose.
Officers seized the fake currency and turned the package over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Secret Service special agents for further investigation.
“This is just one of many examples of CBP’s success in protecting the worldwide integrity of U.S. currency,” said Shane Campbell, Port Director-Chicago. “CBP continues to adapt its strategies to combat trends in counterfeiting and smuggling to protect the American public from these illegal importations.”
Just a few weeks ago, CBP officers at this same mail facility in Chicago found multiple other packages being sent from Ukraine. On October 23, officers found a package containing bundles of fake $20 and $100 bills. The bills totaled more than $298,000 in counterfeit bills. This package also listed an address in Joliet as its destination.
On October 24, officers found another Ukrainian package — this one destined for Staten Island, New York. The package contained another $272,220 in counterfeit $20 bills.
All three packages listed the bills as “prop money.”
“The importation of counterfeit currency can pose a threat not only to the United States economy, but our national security as well,” Director Campbell said at the time. “The illegal importation of this amount of counterfeit currency has the potential to be a very serious criminal act. I give the officers credit for helping to maintain the integrity of our system and protecting the citizens of the United States.”
These seizures totaled just under $2 million in counterfeit U.S. currency.
https://www.breitbart.com/border/2020/11/17/1-4m-in-counterfeit-u-s-cash-from-ukraine-seized-in-chicago-mail-facility/