Head Of World's Largest Sovereign Wealth Fund Forced Out Because His Wife Is Chinese

The deputy governor of the Norwegian central bank, Jon Nicolaisen, announced on Friday he was resigning because his application for renewed security clearance had been rejected because he has a Chinese wife.

“The Norwegian Civil Security Clearance Authority informs me that the reason that I will not receive a renewed security clearance is that my wife is a Chinese citizen and resides in China, where I support her financially,” Nicolaisen said. “At the same time, they have determined that there are no circumstances regarding me personally that give rise to doubt about my suitability for obtaining a security clearance, but that this does not carry sufficient weight.”

"I have now had to take the consequences of this," he said as he tendered his resignation.

The resignation takes effect immediately, according to a statement released by the central bank. It was not immediately clear who would replace him.

In recent years, Norway has introduced stricter rules for the issuing of security clearances, making it difficult in many cases to get approval for anyone married to a person from a country with which Norway does not have security cooperation.

Jon Nicolaisen, whose wife lives in China, has been married since 2010. He had his term at the bank extended in April, having originally been appointed in 2014. In other words for over a decade it wasn't an issue who the central banker was married, but has suddenly become grounds for effective termination.

In addition to taking part in setting monetary policy, Nicolaisen had been in charge of overseeing Norway’s $1.2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest.

Central Bank Governor Oeystein Olsen said Nicolaisen's departure would be a big loss: "I will miss Jon Nicolaisen in his post as deputy governor, where he performed his duties superbly as a close colleague and competent professional," Central Bank Governor Oeystein Olsen said in a statement.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/head-worlds-largest-sovereign-wealth-fund-forced-out-because-his-wife-chinese

Pentagon did not deny Biden team access to military intel agencies, officials say

The Defense Department on Saturday pushed back on media reports that it denied members of President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team access to meetings with DoD intelligence agencies.

Numerous outlets reported on Dec. 4 that the DoD had rejected or not approved requests from Biden’s DoD Agency Review Team, attributing their information to anonymous sources.

Saturday afternoon, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller said the Pentagon was cooperating with the Biden transition team.

“Leadership transitions, be they from one company commander to the next or one presidential administration to another, are an area in which the Department boasts a long record of bipartisan excellence,” Miller said in a statement emailed to reporters. “The DoD and its transition leadership are fully cooperating with the Biden transition team, placing national security and the protection of the American people at the forefront of any and all discussions.”

In a press call with reporters, senior defense officials, speaking anonymously to push back against those anonymous reports, called the allegations false. The defense officials said that the Biden Intelligence Community ART had reached out directly to DoD intelligence agencies for meetings when, according to the terms of the White House’s agreement with the Biden transition team, such requests should go through the DoD transition team, led by Director of Washington Headquarters Services Tom Muir.

Members of the Biden DoD ART are scheduled to meet with members of the DoD intelligence community including the Defense Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency on Monday and Tuesday next week, according to officials.

“The accusation by anonymous sources that DoD has not been fulfilling its commitment to professionally assist any of the Agency Review Teams is demonstrably false and patently insulting,” the DoD’s official statement said. “Stories run in the last day fail to reflect the dozens of interviews and meetings that have taken place and the many dozens more that are planned in the coming weeks.”

Senior defense officials also said the procedural issues had been worked out and meetings scheduled prior to the anonymous allegations that they had denied access. Officials from the Biden transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://www.navytimes.com/news/2020/12/05/pentagon-did-not-deny-biden-team-access-to-military-intel-agencies-officials-say/

TRUMP: Defense Bill Includes Language Allowing for ‘Renaming and Even Desecration of National Monuments’

Republicans are okay with monuments being destroyed, but we can't do anything about Big Tech's liability protections.

President Trump lashed out against the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) over Twitter Saturday, highlighting language in the bill allowing for the “renaming and even desecration of national monuments.”

“This is not what our country wants,” tweeted the President, who has previously threatened to veto the $740.5 billion spending bill if provisions requiring what has been dubbed “historical vandalism” remain intact.

According to polling data, 56% of Americans stand opposed to the idea.

A provision is in the NDAA for the renaming, or even desecration, of National Monuments in National Parks. This is not what our Country wants!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2020

Under the 4,517-page bill, the Department of Defense would be required to create a commission meant to “remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America.” The commission would have 3 years to complete the renaming and removal process.

President Trump has been outspoken against the removal of America’s monuments, an effort spearheaded by the radical left and adopted by leading Democrats, as well as a number of establishment Republicans. Over the summer, as riotous Black Lives Matter mobs toppled statues of Confederate and Union heroes, America’s founding fathers, and even Jesus Christ, the Republican-controlled Senate voted in favor of NDAA provisions requiring the renaming of 10 military installations bearing the names of Confederate military leaders.

The move prompted President Trump to threaten a veto of the bill’s finalized version – were it still to include the renaming provision – with the White House listing the renaming of military bases among a group of “serious concerns” about the bill in an official statement on the matter.

“Nevertheless, H.R. 6395 includes several provisions that present serious concerns. Among other

major provisions, the Administration strongly objects to section 2829, which would require

renaming of certain military institutions

Additionally, the bill blocks a reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Germany, a staple of President Trump’s America’s First agenda, and a response to the country’s refusal to contribute their fair share to NATO.

President Trump has pushed hard for Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to be removed in the 2021 NDAA. CDA 230 offers liability protections to big tech companies including Facebook and Twitter that prevent them from being liable for the written statements of their users.

https://nationalfile.com/trump-defense-bill-includes-language-allowing-for-renaming-and-even-desecration-of-national-monuments/

San Mateo County breaks with Newsom, won't impose stay-at-home order

Newsom asked California counties to implement the order if ICU capacity fell below 15%

San Mateo County will not immediately implement Gov. Gavin Newsom's regional new stay-at-home order as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spike in the state.

Newsom announced new orders Thursday asking Californians in areas where hospital ICU capacity has reached 15% to stay home and close business operations for at least three weeks starting Saturday.

But San Mateo County said on Thursday that instead it will work with the community and businesses to enforce the state's strictest existing restrictions under its "purple tier" category, diverging from other Bay Area counties.

"We know our residents have sacrificed and patience is growing thin, but we need you to know that you have the power to curb the spread and preserve hospital capacity for those who will need care in the coming weeks. We can get through this together if each of us takes action now to social distance, wear face coverings and avoid gatherings,” said County Manager Michael Callagy.

San Mateo noted in a Wednesday blog post that California expects the Bay Area region to fall bellow the 15% ICU threshold by mid-December while other counties could reach that threshold "within days."

San Mateo County Chief of Health Louise Rogers said in a statement that the county acknowledges "the reality of the pandemic fatigue that residents are experiencing and the need to find sources of support through this challenging period."

"Our collective focus must be on finding ways to support each other through this crisis safely while limiting gathering and adhering to face covering," Rogers said.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/san-mateo-county-newsom-stay-at-home-order

Jeanine Pirro

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