Joe Biden Warned In 2015 That Son Hunter's New Employer And Burisma Boss Was Corrupt

In today's episode of 'Things that should have come out during the impeachment,' just-released diplomatic memos reveal that Vice President Joe Biden's office was warned in 2015 that the Ukrainian oligarch who hired his son, Hunter, was deemed corrupt - and that the US Justice Department had gathered evidence to support that conclusion, according to Just The News.

"I assume all have the DoJ background on Zlochevsky," wrote former US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt in Kiev in a 2015 letter to Biden's top advisers, referring to Burisma Holdings founder Mykola Zlochevsky.

"The short unclas version (in non lawyer language) is that US and UK were cooperating on a case to seize his corrupt assets overseas (which had passed through the US)," Pyatt added, noting that the asset forfeiture case against the Ukrainian billionaire "fell apart" when individuals in the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office "acted to thwart the UK case."

Talking points

Pyatt's email also includes responses to several talking points Joe Biden's Washington staff crafted, should he be questioned about Hunter's role on the board of Burisma.

"Have you asked Hunter to step down from the board? Has he discussed that with you?" the talking points anticipated being asked.

"I'm not going to discuss private conversations with my family. Hunter is a private citizen and does independent work," the memo recommended the vice president answer.

If pressed by a question asking whether Joe Biden thought "Zlochevsky is corrupt," the talking points suggested the vice president respond, "I'm not going to get into naming names or accusing individuals." -Just The News

PyattBedingfieldEmail12-6-2015

https://www.scribd.com/document/488257544/PyattBedingfieldEmail12-6-2015#from_embed

As JTN notes, the New York Times published an article days after Pyatt's email suggesting that Hunter's role at Burisma while it remained under a corruption investigation was potentially undercutting US anti-corruption policy.

"Separately, a Russian-backed media outlet in Ukraine had written an even more scathing expose on what it called the "Ukrainian scam of the Biden family." That article sent State officials scrambling to develop messaging for the U.S. government," according to Just The News.

The memos, released last week by Senate committees investigating Hunter Biden, also reveal that the US Justice Department was involved in the 2014 asset forfeiture brought against Zlochevsky in the UK, right as Hunter Biden was hired to sit on the board of Burisma.

Multiple State officials have attested to the awkward appearance of conflict of interest posed by Hunter's position on the board as the United States led efforts to fight corruption in Ukraine. In a September, 2015 speech, Pyatt railed against Ukrainian prosecutors for thwarting the UK asset forfeiture case against Zlochevsky.

Pyatt was recently deposed by investigators for the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee about the Ukraine controversy. Though his staff had reported an alleged Burisma bribe and believed the Bidens' conduct in Ukraine created an apparent conflict, Pyatt said he never felt compelled to raise such concerns with the vice president.

"So you never gave thought of raising a concern to the Vice President about this board position his son had?" a Senate investigator asked Pyatt during the deposition back in September.

"No," the ambassador answered. "He's the Vice President of the United States, and it would have been wildly out of place for me to raise something like that, especially insofar as it had zero impact on the work that I was doing." -Just The News

Meanwhile, let's not forget that according to evidence from Hunter Biden's laptop published by the New York Post, Biden didn't just know about his son's business dealings in Ukraine and elsewhere, he participated in them.

And Democrats impeached Trump for asking Ukraine to investigate.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/joe-biden-warned-2015-son-hunters-new-employer-and-burisma-boss-was-corrupt

China accuses Australia of playing the victim and politicising trade, says coal ban is 'responsible act'

China has defended its alleged ban on Australian coal as both legal and good for Chinese consumers and companies, accusing Australia of playing the victim as the fraught relationship continues to deteriorate.

Key points:

Wang Wenbin accused Australia of "constantly accusing and attacking China by innuendo"

Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier said a ban on coal would breach WTO rules

Chinese media appeared to confirm Beijing has blocked Australian coal imports

"The Chinese authorities have recently taken measures against some imported Australian products in accordance with law and regulations," said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a regular press conference Tuesday in Beijing.

"It is in line with Chinese laws and regulations and international practices, as well as a responsible act for Chinese domestic industries and consumers.

"Actually for some time, I have repeatedly heard some people from the Australian side claim to be the so-called victims, constantly accusing and attacking China by innuendo, which is completely making a countercharge confusing right and wrong. China will never accept this."

The comments come after Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the reported ban as a "lose-lose situation" and said he was seeking clarification from the Chinese Government.

He said China would be in breach of World Trade Organization rules as well as a bilateral free trade agreement if it banned Australian coal.

Mr Morrison was responding to a report in the Chinese state-owned Global Times newspaper that the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission had given power plants approval to import coal without restrictions except for Australian coal.

China's trade war

China and Australian flags superimposed on cracked earth

Barley, wine, timber. These are the industries buckling under tariffs and sanctions amid China's escalating trade war.

Read more

Mr Morrison said he was treating the report as "media speculation" until the Chinese Government clarified their position.

China has consistently said Australia is entirely responsible for disruptions in economic and political ties motivated by what it sees as anti-Chinese bias among Australian politicians, civic leaders and media outlets.

Mr Wang said China would "never accept" accusations of unfair trade practices, and accused Australia of having politicised bilateral exchanges in trade, investment, science and technology, while targeting Chinese companies with increased security checks on investments.

He also said Australia had "taken discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises and gone further down the wrong path".

China's latest move straight from its punishment playbook

The Morrison Government seems to be betting that all it needs to do is hold its nerve and hold the line when it comes to China's trade threats, writes Stephen Dziedzic.

Read more

"What is really worrying is the ones politicising normal economic and trade activities and setting restrictions for no reason, interfering in the internal affairs of other countries in violation of the basic norms of international relations and even provoking differences and confrontation," Mr Wang said.

"We hope that the Australian side will reflect on itself, be consistent with its words and actions and effectively provide good conditions and atmosphere for China-Australia practical cooperation in various fields, rather than the other way around."

Coal and iron ore are Australia's most lucrative exports and China is Australia's biggest trading partner, taking $13.7 billion worth of metallurgical and thermal coal in 2019.

But Australian exports to China appear to have suffered due to deteriorating bilateral relations since Australia called for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic.

Australian products including wine, lobster, beef, barley and timber have also been affected this year.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-16/china-defends-reported-coal-ban-against-australia/12987604

New Zealand offers to mediate truce between Australia and China

New Zealand is offering to step in to try and resolve the trade feud between Australia and China.

The country's new Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said she is willing to negotiate a truce between Australia and China amid a tense diplomatic relationship.

New Zealand will host next year's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and Ms Mahuta said it presented an opportunity to bring both parties to the table.

"Do I believe that there might an opportunity for New Zealand to create a different environment and have a conversation? Yes, I do," Ms Mahuta said in an interview with Reuters.

"And I think hosting APEC might well be the opportunity… but both parties will have to be willing to come together and concede in some areas where they are currently not seeing eye to eye."

In the latest trade dispute, China appears to have formally restricted imports of Australian coal in favour of both local production and imports from other suppliers, in a move that threatens the $14 billion export industry.

China has recently increased tariffs on Australian wine and barley and blocked imports on lamb, beef, lobsters and other goods.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has not ruled out the Federal Government taking China to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the reported threats to coal exports.

China is Australia's largest trading partner, taking up 30 per cent of our exports.

https://www.9news.com.au/world/new-zealand-offers-to-mediate-australia-and-china-dispute/f3f12f92-19a2-428c-8a94-2a563f2e76bd

Just like Lebanon when Rothschild sent Macron in after the blast NZ is going in to offer the Rothschild's/Cabal's offer!

Pro-Trump Australian MP Releases Plea for Julian Assange to Be Pardoned, Says Only Trump Can Protect Free Speech From the Democrats

Australian Member of Parliament George Christensen, a fierce and loyal defender of President Donald Trump, has launched a petition for Julian Assange to be pardoned.

Christensen also released a video appeal addressing the president, and urging him to protect freedom of speech from the Democrats seeking to destroy it.

Assange, an Australian citizen, is currently imprisoned in the UK awaiting a court’s decision about extraditing him to the United States to face extreme charges related to his publishing activities.

https://youtu.be/dYTb3vrA47Q

In an open letter to the president, Christensen wrote that “If you, as Commander in Chief, pardon Julian Assange, you will ensure that the national interest is protected and truth prevails. We can’t let the Deep State win.”

“You have the opportunity to demonstrate, as guardian of the Constitution, that the rule of law is paramount, and shield us from the Democrats’ willingness to violate the First Amendment, at any cost,” Christensen added.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/watch-pro-trump-australian-mp-releases-plea-julian-assange-pardoned-says-trump-can-protect-free-speech-democrats/

Georgia Sheriffs Condemn Democrat Police Reform as ‘Crazy Talk’: ‘The Country Will Be Less Safe’

ATLANTA — County sheriffs in Georgia publicly condemned Democrat plans for police reform Tuesday after President-elect Joe Biden told a group of civil rights leaders to avoid discussing police reform until after Georgia’s January 5 Senate runoff election.

The sheriffs indicated that the “defund the police” movement is central to Democrat plans for police reform. They warned that if Democrat candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock win their runoff races, Republicans will lose their Senate majority and police will thereby lose their last line of defense for funding.

Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway, speaking at a press conference Tuesday at Liberty Plaza, said, “All we’ve heard for months from the Democrat Party is ‘defund the police.’”

“Now I understand Joe Biden’s talking the other way now, not wanting to talk about defunding the police until after this election, but that doesn’t change anything,” Conway continued. “The program by the Democrat Party has been to defund the police, to change the basic concept of police work.”

Biden told a group of civil rights leaders last week that he thought they should not “get too far ahead” of themselves with police reform messaging before the Georgia runoffs, according to audio obtained by the Intercept.

Biden said to the group:

I also don’t think we should get too far ahead of ourselves on dealing with police reform in that, because they’ve already labeled us as being ‘defund the police.’ Anything we put forward in terms of the organizational structure to change policing, which I promise you, will occur. Promise you. Just think to yourself and give me advice whether we should do that before January 5.

Republican organizations working to elect incumbent Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) sounded alarms over Biden’s comments.

“They’re desperate to hide their ‘defund the police’ agenda, but Georgians know the truth that Warnock, Ossoff, and their backers in DC are too radical,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Jesse Hunt said in a statement.

“Biden, Ossoff, and Warnock share the same misguided vision for our country, and defunding the police is at the very top of their list,” Georgia GOP spokeswoman Abigail Sigler said in a statement. “Georgians who stand with the rule of law must support Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. The safety of our communities depends on it.”

Some Democrats throughout this year have embraced the idea of defunding the police, while others have avoided it. Earlier this month, for instance, former President Barack Obama distanced himself from the “defund the police” slogan, while “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) pushed back that it is “not a slogan but a policy demand.”

Ossoff’s and Warnock’s campaign policies do not outright call to defund the police; however, Ossoff has said that police funding should be “on the line” and Warnock has said “we need to reimagine policing.” Both candidates have called for “demilitarizing” police departments and increasing officer accountability.

Conway, who has worked in policing for more than 40 years and plans to retire this year, said, “I’ve led a couple of agencies for a long time, and I’ve never had the money that I felt like I needed for training, hiring, and retention of police officers. So talking about defunding police is just insanity.”

Conway continued, “It’s only common sense that you can’t make a better product … by cutting down on labor cost, training, and material. We have to have more money for police if we want better police. It’s crazy talk to say you want to defund police. The country will be less safe.”

Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman and Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds also denounced Democrat police reform plans during the press conference. Their full remarks can be heard here.

https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2020/12/15/georgia-sheriffs-condemn-democrat-police-reform-crazy-talk-country-less-safe/

Children’s Hospital Researcher Pleads Guilty to Selling Medical Research to China

A Chinese researcher that worked for Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Institute in Ohio pleaded guilty in a U.S. District Court over his role in a scheme to steal American trade secrets on behalf of the Chinese government. Researcher Yu Zhou is just one of many foreign researchers that have been caught attempting to smuggle American research to foreign governments in 2020.

According to a report by the College Fix, a 50-year-old researcher who worked for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Reserach Institute in Ohio has pled guilty after conspiring to steal trade secrets and sell them to the Chinese government. Yu Zhou reportedly sold cutting-edge American medical research to the Chinese government.

Breitbart News reported in August that Zhou’s wife, researcher Li Chen pled guilty to conspiring to steal trade secrets and commit wire fraud. Both Zhou and his wife worked for nearly a decade at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio. Chen admitted to selling research from the institute to the Chinese government for a profit.

The DOJ published a press release about Zhou’s plea on Friday. John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said that the Justice Department is working to ensure that research theft by agents of the Chinese government is put to a stop.

“Today’s plea underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting American research and trade secrets from those incentivized to steal them by Chinese Government programs,” Demers said. “China’s endemic efforts to rob, replicate and replace products that they do not have the ability to develop themselves will not go unchecked, and those who seek to profit from the theft of trade secrets will be held accountable.”

Breitbart News has reported extensively on research theft at American universities and colleges. In September, researcher Hu Haizhou of the University of Virginia was arrested at Chicago O’Hare’s International Airport after trying to smuggle research to China.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/12/15/childrens-hospital-researcher-pleads-guilty-to-selling-medical-research-to-china/

Cryptocurrency Firm Co-Founder Sentenced in Celeb-Touted ScamRobert Farkas, a/k/a “RJ,” was sentenced on December 15 to one year and one day in prison, in connection with his participation in a scheme to induce victims to invest more than $25 million dollars’ worth of digital funds in Centra Tech, Inc. (“Centra Tech”), a Miami-based company he co-founded and that purported to offer cryptocurrency-related financial products.

The scam was promoted by celebrities including boxer Floyd Mayweather and musician DJ Khaled.

Farkas previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit securities fraud and wire fraud in connection with his and his co-conspirators’ use of material misrepresentations and omissions to solicit investors to purchase securities, in the form of digital tokens issued by Centra Tech, through an initial coin offering (“ICO”) beginning in approximately July 2017.

Ilan T. Graff, the Attorney for the United States said: “Farkas and his co-conspirators created fictitious executives and fabricated business relationships with legitimate institutions to dupe investors into handing over millions of dollars for a fraudulent ICO. We will continue to aggressively pursue frauds like this one, whether they involve traditional securities or newer financial instruments and crypto-assets.”

According to statements in the Superseding Information, and other filings and statements at public court proceedings in the case:

In or about July 2017, FARKAS, along with co-defendants Sohrab Sharma and Raymond Trapani, founded a company called Centra Tech that claimed to offer cryptocurrency-related financial products, including a purported debit card, the “Centra Card,” that supposedly allowed users to make purchases using cryptocurrency at establishments accepting Visa or Mastercard payment cards. From approximately July 30, 2017, through October 5, 2017, FARKAS and his co-defendants solicited investors to purchase unregistered securities, in the form of digital tokens issued by Centra Tech (“Centra tokens” or “CTR tokens”), through a so-called “initial coin offering” or “ICO.” As part of this effort, Farkas and his co-defendants represented, in oral and written offering materials that were disseminated via the internet: (a) that Centra Tech had an experienced executive team with impressive credentials, including a purported CEO named “Michael Edwards” with more than 20 years of banking industry experience and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University; (b) that Centra Tech had formed partnerships with Bancorp, Visa, and Mastercard to issue Centra Cards licensed by Visa or Mastercard; and (c) that Centra Tech had money transmitter and other licenses in 38 states, among other claims. Based in part on these claims, victims provided millions of dollars’ worth of digital funds in investments for the purchase of Centra Tech tokens. In or about October 2017, at the end of Centra Tech’s ICO, those digital funds raised from victims were worth more than $25 million. At certain times in 2018, as the defendants’ fraud scheme was ongoing, those funds were worth more than $60 million.

More

https://breaking911.com/cryptocurrency-firm-co-founder-sentenced-in-celeb-touted-scam/

Houston Police Capt. Arrested For Holding Repairman At Gunpoint In Bogus Voter-Fraud Conspiracy

Former Houston Police Capt. Mark Anthony Aguirre, who went to authorities with pre-election claims that a massive voter fraud scheme was underway in Harris County, was instead arrested himself Tuesday and charged for running a man off the road and pointing at gun at this head in an attempt to prove his claims.

“He crossed the line from dirty politics to commission of a violent crime and we are lucky no one was killed,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “His alleged investigation was backward from the start – first alleging a crime had occurred and then trying to prove it happened.”

Aguirre, 63, was arrested by Houston Police Tuesday and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

According to a court document describing probable cause for the charge, Aguirre told police shortly after the Oct. 19 incident, that he was part of a group of private citizens called, “Liberty Center,” who were conducting a civilian investigation into the alleged ballot scheme.

According to Aguirre, he had been conducting surveillance on the victim for four days under a theory the victim was the mastermind of a giant fraud, and there were 750,000 fraudulent ballots in a truck he was driving. Instead, the victim turned out to be an innocent and ordinary air conditioner repairman.

Aguirre ran his SUV into the back of the truck to get the technician to stop and get out, according to the document. When the technician got out of the truck, Aguirre, pointed a handgun at the technician, forced him to the ground and put his knee on the man’s back – an image captured on the body-worn camera of a police officer.

Aguirre directed police to a parking lot nearby where another suspect, who has not been identified, took the truck. There were no ballots in the truck. It was filled with air conditioning parts and tools.

Aguirre never told police that he had been paid a total of $266,400 by the Houston-based Liberty Center for God and Country, with $211,400 of that amount being deposited into his account the day after the incident.

The case was investigated by the Houston Police and is being prosecuted by the Public Corruption Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Aguirre’s claims of election fraud were found to be baseless after thorough investigation by Houston Police and by the Office Constable Precinct 1 Alan Rosen, as part of the Harris County Election Security Task Force.

https://breaking911.com/breaking-houston-police-capt-arrested-for-holding-repairman-at-gunpoint-in-bogus-voter-fraud-conspiracy/

Dominion CEO John Poulos Says Dominion Not Linked to SolarWinds Orion – Denies that Votes were Sent Off-Site to be Manipulated

In a huge development on Monday morning, Michigan Judge Elsenheiemer gave Attorney Matthew DePerno permission to release the results of his forensic study on the Dominion Voting Machines by IT experts with the provision that he make a few redactions, which DePerno claims were “minor.”

DePerno said the redactions were “not relevant,” and that the key part of the report has been released in his bombshell report.

The report by Allied Security Operations Group was released following the hearing.

From our report by Patty McMurray on Monday — After the forensic examination of 16 Dominion Voting machines in Antrim, Co. MI, Allied Security Operations Group has concluded that the Dominion Voting machines were assigned a 68.05% error rate. DePerno explained that when ballots are put through the machine, a whopping 68.05% error rate means that 68.05% of the ballots are sent for bulk adjudication, which means they collect the ballots in a folder. “The ballots are sent somewhere where people in another location can change the vote,” DePerno explained.

This was a very significant finding. The Dominion machines were set up to dispute 68.05 percent of all ballots. These ballots were then sent off to “another location” where people in other locations could change the votes.

On Tuesday Dominion Voting Systems CEO John Poulos testified before the Michigan State Oversight Committee.

During questioning, Senator Michael MacDonald asked Poulos if it was possible to change a record value either locally or remotely on the Dominion machines.

Poulos said to his knowledge that was not possible and if it were you couldn’t do it undetected. Poulos added, “It would leave a trail. There would be a mismatch from another card. And there are several checks and balances in the machine.”

Poulos told the committee Dominion does not use the SolarWinds Orion package that was the subject of the DHS report from the 13th.

Poulos also said it was not possible for a USB drive to manipulate the data.

https://youtu.be/60GfW3tb4JU

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/dominion-ceo-john-poulos-says-dominion-not-linked-solarwinds-orion-denies-votes-sent-off-site-manipulated-video/

Major news networks go silent on sexual harassment allegations against liberal darling Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Imagine that

The newscasts for CBS, NBC, and ABC were silent Sunday night following news of the sexual harassment allegations against Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Lindsey Boylan, a former Cuomo aide, said that her ex-boss was guilty of sexually harassing her.

Boylan served as deputy secretary for economic development and special adviser in Cuomo's administration from 2015 until October 2018.

Cuomo has since denied all of Boylan's allegations against him.

What are the details?

According to a Tuesday report from the New York Post, those networks by Monday morning hadn't even reported on the allegations.

Newsbusters reported that three major networks' morning shows — NBC's "Today," CBS' "This Morning," and ABC's "Good Morning America" — "all avoided the accusations against the governor, despite a combined six hours of available air time."

Fox News on Monday also reported that "transcripts revealed that CNN and MSNC didn't mention Boylan's claims during the 24-hour period following her shocking tweet."

On Sunday, Boylan — who is running as a Democratic candidate for Manhattan Borough president — tweeted, "Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched. I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years."

She added, "Not knowing what to expect what's the most upsetting part aside from knowing that no one would do a damn thing even when they saw it. No one. And I know I am not the only woman. I'm angry to be put in this situation at all. That because I am a woman, I can work hard my whole life to better myself and help others and yet still fall victim as countless women over generations have. Mostly silently. I hate that some men, like @NYGovCuomo abuse their power."

What else?

This isn't the first time that Boylan has spoken out about what it was like to work for Cuomo.

Earlier in December, she blasted Cuomo's office as being a "toxic" work environment, and proclaimed that many people were "deathly afraid of him."

"Most toxic team environment? Working for [Cuomo]," Boylan said. "I've had many jobs. Waitressing at Friendly's as a teenager was an infinitely more respectful environment. Even when I had bad customers who tipped poorly. … If people weren't deathly afraid of him, they'd be saying the same thing and you'd already know the stories."

She later added, "Seriously, the messages and texts I receive when I speak the truth about this … it's a whole book of people who have been harmed. I tried to quit three times before it stuck. I've worked hard my whole life. Hustled — fake it till you make it style. That environment is beyond toxic. I'm still unwrapping it years later in therapy!"

The former aide concluded, "Don't be surprised that it's the same small group of white people sitting alongside him at every presser. The same group that he has had by him the whole time, doing his dirty work. If you're not one of those handful, your life working for him is endlessly dispiriting."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/networks-ignore-sexual-harassment-allegations-against-cuomo

THEY HAD TO THINK THEY HAD WON BEFORE THE 5TH COLUMN WOULD FULLY EXPOSE ITSELF

Simple

The Banks and Corporations have all the asset..

The owners of all this wealth are who runs the governments WW so in essence the world.

The Governments are controlled by the 'commonwealth' aka the 1% money.

The Declaration of Independence gives the PEOPLE WW a way out of their locked system.

Corporation used to control the Government and the Government the SLAVES.

Every so often the controllers need to burn the whole thing down and start again.

Welcome to the WAR.

Be Slaves or Lions is the choice before everyone!

GOD WINS

The Biden Plan to End Our Gun Violence Epidemic (GUN GRAB)

Joe Biden knows that gun violence is a public health epidemic. Almost 40,000 people die as a result of firearm injuries every year in the United States, and many more are wounded. Some of these deaths and injuries are the result of mass shootings that make national headlines. Others are the result of daily acts of gun violence or suicides that may not make national headlines, but are just as devastating to the families and communities left behind.

Joe Biden has taken on the National Rifle Association (NRA) on the national stage and won – twice. In 1993, he shepherded through Congress the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which established the background check system that has since kept more than 3 million firearms out of dangerous hands. In 1994, Biden – along with Senator Dianne Feinstein – secured the passage of 10-year bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. As president, Joe Biden will defeat the NRA again.

Joe Biden also knows how to make progress on reducing gun violence using executive action. After the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, President Obama tasked Vice President Biden with developing both legislative proposals and executive actions to make our communities safer. As a result of this effort, the Obama-Biden Administration took more than two dozen actions, including narrowing the so-called “gun show loophole,” increasing the number of records in the background check system, and expanding funding for mental health services.

It’s within our grasp to end our gun violence epidemic and respect the Second Amendment, which is limited. As president, Biden will pursue constitutional, common-sense gun safety policies. Biden will:

Hold gun manufacturers accountable. In 2005, then-Senator Biden voted against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, but gun manufacturers successfully lobbied Congress to secure its passage. This law protects these manufacturers from being held civilly liable for their products – a protection granted to no other industry. Biden will prioritize repealing this protection.

Get weapons of war off our streets. The bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that Biden, along with Senator Feinstein, secured in 1994 reduced the lethality of mass shootings. But, in order to secure the passage of the bans, they had to agree to a 10-year sunset provision and when the time came, the Bush Administration failed to extend them. As president, Biden will:

Ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Federal law prevents hunters from hunting migratory game birds with more than three shells in their shotgun. That means our federal law does more to protect ducks than children. It’s wrong. Joe Biden will enact legislation to once again ban assault weapons. This time, the bans will be designed based on lessons learned from the 1994 bans. For example, the ban on assault weapons will be designed to prevent manufacturers from circumventing the law by making minor changes that don’t limit the weapon’s lethality. While working to pass this legislation, Biden will also use his executive authority to ban the importation of assault weapons.

More

https://joebiden.com/gunsafety/

How Attorney General Bill Barr Built A $40 Million Fortune

Jul 19, 2019

William Barr made his name serving as attorney general for two presidents, George H. W. Bush and Donald J. Trump. But he made his fortune out of office, collecting more than $50 million in compensation as an executive and director for some of America’s largest companies.

Today Barr, who did not comment for this story, has an estimated net worth of $40 million, after accounting for taxes, personal spending and modest investment returns. That figure is more precise than what’s on Barr’s public financial disclosure report, a document that deals only in broad ranges and shows assets worth somewhere between $24 million and $74 million.

The money started piling up around 1993, when Bush left the White House and Barr reentered the private sector. The next year, Barr became general counsel at telephone giant GTE Corporation. When GTE merged with Bell Atlantic to form Verizon in 2000, Barr stayed onboard as executive vice president and general counsel. From 2001 to 2007, he raked in an average of $1.7 million in annual salary and bonuses, according to documents filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Barr also received valuable stock options, some of which he traded while at the company, collecting an estimated $3 million after taxes from 2003 to 2007.

Barr’s $40 Million Fortune

The attorney general piled up tens of millions in the private sector.

The Verizon job came with other benefits. Barr got a $31,000 flexible spending allowance, $10,000 or so for financial planning, plus use of the company jet for personal purposes. The biggest benefit, however, came upon retirement. Barr stepped down from the company at the end of 2008, receiving a $17.1 million distribution from Verizon’s income deferral plan, according to an SEC filing. On top of that, company documents also detail an additional $10.4 million separation payment for Barr.

At the time, the global economy was in a tailspin. Corporate pay was under close scrutiny, and Barr’s exit package made for an easy target. An independent research firm named the Corporate Library graded Verizon with a “D,” noting “high governance risk” and “very high concern” in executive pay. In a filing, Verizon specifically pointed to Barr’s pay package in connection with the assessment.

Retiring did not mean Barr was done working. The year after he left Verizon, he joined the boards of two publicly traded companies, Dominion Resources and Time Warner. From 2009 to 2018, Dominion paid Barr $1.2 million in cash and granted him another $1.1 million in stock awards, according to SEC filings.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2019/07/19/how-attorney-general-bill-barr-built-a-40-million-fortune/?sh=5b38860e4f3a

GCHQ spies probe whether Russian hackers stole UK government secrets after months-long cyber attack on US agencies using the same SolarWinds security software

National Cyber Security Centre assessing impact of US hacking incident on UK

Hackers believed to be Russian targeted hugely popular software SolarWinds

Global firm SolarWinds reportedly used by Ministry of Defence, Cabinet Office, GCHQ and other government branches as well as all five branches of US military

Sophisticated campaign targeted US Treasury and Commerce Departments but impact and reach of the hackers is still being investigated by Homeland Security

British security services are investigating whether Russian hackers stole UK government secrets following extensive cyber attacks on US agencies which used the same security software.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating what was described as a large-scale penetration of US government agencies.

The attack has been apparently linked to the same months-long cyberespionage campaign that also afflicted the prominent cybersecurity firm FireEye.

SolarWinds software is used by government departments including GCHQ, the Ministry of Defence, the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Justice, according to the Telegraph.

The hacks were revealed less than a week after FireEye disclosed that foreign government hackers had broken into its network and stolen the company's own hacking tools.

Many experts suspect Russia is responsible. FireEye's customers include federal, state and local governments and top global corporations.

Now the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, which forms part of GCHQ, has confirmed it is looking into whether the hackers targeted UK agencies.

A spokesman for the NCSC told MailOnline: 'The NCSC is working closely with FireEye and international partners on this incident.

'Investigations are ongoing, and we are working extensively with partners and stakeholders to assess any UK impact.

'The NCSC recommends that organisations read FireEye's update on their investigation and follow the company's suggested security mitigations.'

SolarWinds is used by hundreds of thousands of organisations globally.

This includes most Fortune 500 companies and multiple US federal agencies who will now be scrambling to patch up their networks, said Mr Alperovitch, the former chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.

FireEye said in a blog post that its investigation into the hack of its own network had identified 'a global campaign' targeting governments and the private sector that, beginning in the spring, slipped malware into a SolarWinds software update.

More

http://www.scoopyweb.com/2020/12/gchq-spies-probe-whether-russian.html

It was China using Israeli technology but Russia Russia Russia

JP Morgan taking a page out of Goldman’s book

Well, it looks like JPM is taking a page out of the Goldman Sachs book, and are currently pushing an absolute dog shit structured product. It’s essentially a CDO made up of 3 ARK funds, leveraged 1.5x. It is a note, but yet there is no dividend, or coupon payment. Your only payout is principal plus the risk-adjusted return of the lowest performing ARK fund in the set of the 3. They’re only offering about $500,000 in total, which makes me wonder what’s the point? It’s probably some CPS (Cross Product Sales) asshole trying to get a Christmas bonus.

I always thought JPM was the moral, sophisticated older brother of the big banks. Anyway, the full prospectus is down below.

www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001665650/000121390020041505/s129095_424b2.htm

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/jp-morgan-taking-a-page-out-of-goldmans-book/

>>12041623

interesting

Netanyahu taps deputy Mossad head as spy agency’s next chief; doesn’t tell Gantz

The nominee, identified only by the Hebrew initial ‘Dalet,’ will take over as spymaster for the PM’s confidant Yossi Cohen if approved

https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-taps-deputy-mossad-head-as-spy-agencys-next-chief/

Gantz selects replacement to chair powerful Knesset defense panel

Defense minister chooses MK Eitan Ginzburg to take over as head of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee after saying he’ll remove MK Zvi Hauser for defecting to another party

https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-selects-replacement-to-chair-powerful-knesset-defense-panel/

Joe Biden Is Packing His Administration With Money Printers

Well, I was wrong.

I had previously written that the election was in the courts and that based on legal precedent, the courts would give President Trump a second term.

The Supreme Court put that notion to rest late on Friday night when it rejected to even hear the case brought by Texas and 18 other states.

It’s pretty staggering if you think about it.

There are sworn affidavits from thousands of poll workers swearing to witnessing fraud. There are vote audits that have turned up fraud. There is statistical analysis that shows fraud. There is historical precedent concerning how key counties and states determine election outcomes that show fraud.

And yet the courts have all either refused to accept any of this evidence… OR refused to even listen to the cases. It’s pretty incredible when you consider just how many ridiculous lawsuits and court cases are heard at all levels of the judiciary, even the Supreme Court.

There are still several cases outstanding as well as political avenues through which President Trump could secure a second term, but those are all EXTREME and likely not worth delving into at this point.

At the end of the day, I was wrong.

I am not in the business of pretending to be psychic, nor do I care for those analysts and pundits who make predictions that don’t prove correct and who then pretend they never made said predictions.

I predicted President Trump would win a second term in the courts. I was wrong. The end.

What matters to us as investors now is how a Biden administration will impact the markets. And by the look of things, the markets love the idea that Biden will packing the Fed and the Treasury with money printers.

The US was already on a trajectory towards hot inflation BEFORE Joe Biden won the election and started enlisting money printers like Janet Yellen to run key positions in his cabinet. Now that we DO have a Biden administration and it is packed with money printers, it’s not a question of IF we get HOT inflation, but WHEN.

On that note, the $USD has continued to break down in a big way. As I write this, it’s dropping like a stone, again. We are now coming up on MAJOR support in the large consolidation pattern that the $USD has been following since 2015.

More

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/joe-biden-is-packing-his-administration-with-money-printers/

MSNBC’s Dr. Gupta: Just Because You Get Vaccinated Doesn’t Mean You Should be Traveling or That You’re Liberated From Masks

It was never about a virus.

MSNBC’s Dr. Vin Gupta on Tuesday said that just because you’ve been vaccinated doesn’t mean you’re allowed to travel or walk around without a face mask on.

President Trump launched “Operation Warp Speed” earlier this year in an effort to produce a safe and effective Covid vaccine by the end of 2020.

“We’re here to discuss a monumental national achievement. From the instant the coronavirus invaded our shores, we raced into action to develop a safe and effective vaccine at breakneck speed. It would normally take five years, six years, seven years, or even more. In order to achieve this goal, we harnessed the full power of government, the genius of American scientists, and the might of American industry to save millions and millions of lives all over the world. We’re just days away from authorization from the FDA, and we’re pushing them hard, at which point we will immediately begin mass distribution,” Trump said last week at the Operation Warp Speed vaccine Summit.

“Before Operation Warp Speed, the typical timeframe for development and approval, as you know, could be infinity. And we were very, very happy that we were able to get things done at a level that nobody has ever seen before. The gold standard vaccine has been done in less than nine months,” he said.

Pfizer began delivering doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to hospitals this week but MSNBC’s Dr. Vin Gupta said despite vaccination, Americans should not be traveling or abandoning their face masks.

“There’s a source of confusion…one of the misperceptions out there is just because you get vaccinated with that second dose does not mean you should be participating in things like traveling in an out-of-control pandemic or that you’re liberated from masks,” Dr. Gupta said. “Everything applies until all of us get the two dose regimen and we don’t think that’s gonna happen until June or July.”

“We don’t know if vaccination prevents serious illness or does it also prevent you from getting infection entirely?”

The “out-of-control pandemic” Gupta is referring to has a 99.9998% survival rate for most people.

Video in link

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/msnbcs-dr-gupta-just-get-vaccinated-doesnt-mean-traveling-liberated-masks-video/