Trump vetoes defense bill, but Congress appears poised to override him

President Donald Trump vetoed the annual defense authorization bill on Wednesday after a delay of more than a week, saying the the massive policy measure is a “gift” to China and Russia and fails to include several provisions he sees as necessary for national defense.

“The act fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military’s history, and contradicts efforts by my Administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions,” Trump wrote in a message to Congress announcing the veto.

“I will not approve this bill, which would put the interests of the Washington, D.C. establishment over those of the American people.”

The move for now sidelines the 4,500-plus-page authorization bill, which authorizes $740.5 billion in spending and is needed to renew a broad array military specialty pays, start new equipment purchases and launch new programs at the Pentagon. Lawmakers have characterized it as “must-have” legislation, and warned that if it doesn’t become law, troops and families would see a host of cascading negative effects like lost bonuses and cancelled support services.

The bill passed both chambers by margins wide enough to override Trump’s attempted block, but the timing of the veto has created some holiday logistical problems for lawmakers.

Both chambers left town earlier this week after finalizing plans for a full-year spending measure and a new coronavirus relief package. They were originally due back on Jan. 3 for the start of the 117th session of Congress.

But in anticipation of the presidential veto, House Rules Committee leaders set up a possible veto override in that chamber for Dec. 28. Senators are expected to return to town on Dec. 29 for their own vote, a process that could take several days if individuals offer objections to quick action.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/12/23/trump-vetoes-defense-bill-but-congress-appears-poised-to-override-him/

Mil Industrial complex not happy, interesting pic!

Hillsong admits church was aware of disturbing claims against it

For years, megachurch Hillsong has been doing damage control for appalling claims of member mistreatment — some of which, representatives have admitted to The Post, were found to be true.

“In February of 2018, Hillsong Church received a letter with serious allegations regarding specific members of the Hillsong NYC volunteer and staff teams,” a rep for the until recently celebrity-beloved institution told The Post in response to an exposé on former members, who called the Australia-born temple chain a “cult” and claimed they were made to perform unpaid “slave labor” while a part of it. “We were very concerned to learn that any church member, volunteer or staff member would feel unsafe. Immediately, we launched a comprehensive three-month inquiry into the claims made in the letter.”

The internal investigation (another one was launched in November) determined that there was indeed merit to some complaints, while others “were found to be inaccurate,” although the rep insisted Hillsong “realized that those situations required care and concern as well.”

“Sadly, we learned that some of the allegations were true,” the statement continued. In response, Hillsong’s “team took immediate action to address those allegations” by implementing an ethical standard code for all Hillsong East Coast volunteers and creating a department to enforce and “examine” all future alleged violations of it. A “confidential” Hillsong email was set up for the submission of complaints which, if “substantiated,” were submitted to review by another committee.

“Finally, we enlisted the services of an experienced and respected HR consultant,” the statement concluded. The consultant worked alongside Hillsong’s existing global human resources team to audit existing “organization practices” and “develop tools and systems” to help “maintain a safe environment” and equip staff to “minister more effectively.”

https://nypost.com/2020/12/23/hillsong-admits-church-knew-of-disturbing-claims-against-it/

The New Phony War

As of the November elections, the nation is at war. It’s a 21st-century war, so it’s very different. Because it’s new, the scope and magnitude aren’t easily understood. It hasn’t been declared. It may never be. Hence, for many millions of Americans, perceptions are clouded or lagging. In human affairs, with change, this often occurs.

It’s the second American civil war, and its origins predate the November elections fraud, which seems on track to steal the presidency from the rightful winner, Donald J. Trump. The genesis of this civil war is the ideo-cultural war that has waxed and waned across the nation since the late 1960s. So, November’s election thievery might better be regarded as an outgrowth and escalation – a potentially nation-shattering escalation – of that decades-old cultural conflict.

We are in the initial phase of the new civil war. Call it the phony war, which was also the “strangely quiet start to World War II.” The Second World War went eight months without significant hostilities on the Western Front, months marked by puzzlement and hesitancy (see the “Confetti War,” which stemmed from the Phony War.)

America’s first civil war had its phony phase of sorts, too. Lincoln was elected on November 6, 1860. Fort Sumter was attacked on April 12, 1861. Over five months, tensions built, and then hostilities commenced.

The parallels aren’t exact, of course. But the phony phase of this new civil war is reminiscent. One of the grievous errors made in warfare is fighting the current war like the last. In this instance, it’s expecting that wars have orthodoxies, and if those orthodoxies aren’t present, then there isn’t war. Understandings must change.

What’s triggering the second American civil war? Trump’s unexpected election in 2016, and his four highly successful years despite implacable opposition and attempted subversion by the Democrat-led axis and the prospect of a final Trump term, when the president would not only consolidate his achievements, but push new initiatives to break the corruption and imperiousness that infects the nation’s “elite” …these were the Rubicon. Anti-liberty forces have long been marching through the nation’s institutions. But this became a double-time as they grasped Trump’s primal threat to their fortunes, present and future.

Liberty’s enemies have opted for brinkmanship to settle matters, once and for all. They haven’t mustered armies to seize Washington, D.C. (would they have to anyway?) and occupy red states. Give them credit. They aim to achieve their coup without firing a shot. Call it a velvet-gloved coup d’état. Some are terming it a “Color Revolution.” The war they’re waging to seize power is conspiratorial, innovative, multidimensional. It relies on subterfuge, misinformation, misdirection, audacity, and a gamble: that while millions of patriots may now squawk and shake their fists, they will go no further… that when Biden is installed as president, and the cabal he fronts holds the levers of power, resistance will be futile, anyway. Anger will give way to sullen resignation.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/12/the_new_phony_war.html

Former NGO Procurement Official Pleads Guilty to Bribery

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-ngo-procurement-official-pleads-guilty-bribery

“We’re gonna put you in jail. Merry Christmas!”: 13 men arrested, face thousands of charges related to child pornography

“Operation Guardians of the Innocence VI,” was carried out by undercover detectives from PCSO’s Computer Crimes Unit, and resulted in the arrests of 13 people.

The youngest person arrested was 20-years-old, while the oldest was 47-years-old.

At the time of arrest, detectives seized all known electronic communications devices belonging to the suspects, with forensic searches of those devices to follow. Those searches could turn up additional images and/or videos depicting child pornography, and the suspects would be additionally charged as needed. Attempts are also made to identify the children in various images and videos.

The 13 men arrested face a total of 2,353 charges (2,347 felonies, 6 misdemeanors).

Those arrested are as follows (in alphabetical order):

https://breaking911.com/you-know-they-know-its-illegal-yet-they-do-it-anyway-13-men-arrested-face-thousands-of-charges-related-to-child-pornography/

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>>12150436 13 men arrested, face thousands of charges related to child pornography

Sun Yang’s doping ban overturned after Chinese swimmer exposed racist tweets

In an incredible development, the Chinese swimmer has had his eight-year ban thrown out because of alleged bias.

Sun Yang’s eight-year doping ban has been spectacularly overturned on appeal.

In a decision that will rock swimming – in particular in Australia where the Chinese freestyle champion has become a villain – Sun has won the right to have his case reheard before next year’s Olympics.

The 29-year-old successfully challenged the neutrality of one of the members of the panel that effectively ended his professional career at a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing in February.

The World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA), which had fought to ban Sun from swimming after he twice drew the ire of doping officials, responded to the latest decision by welcoming the opportunity to present its case against Sun again.

It noted: “The Swiss Federal Tribunal’s decision upholds a challenge against the chair of the CAS Panel and makes no comment on the substance of this case.”

Franco Frattini, the former Italian foreign minister, appears to have been the subject of Sun’s appeal.

Reports in China had highlighted his perceived unprofessional manner in what was at times a circus of a hearing.

Frattini was heard making a joke about Sun Yang’s mother when she was called to give evidence, saying “A very strong witness, ha ha”.

But he also appears to have been exposed by a number of comments on social media that included anti-Chinese sentiment.

They included Twitter posts from 2018 and 2019 where he expressed his disdain for animal cruelty in China.

“This yellow face chinese monster smiling while torturing a small dog, deserves the worst of the hell!!! Shame on China, pretending to be a superpower and tolerating these horrors!” he wrote in May last year.

While a tweet from 2018 said: “Hell forever for those bastard sadic chinese who brutally killed dogs and cats in Yulin, with the complicity of the chinese authorities.”

https://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/sun-yangs-doping-ban-overturned-after-chinese-swimmer-exposed-racist-tweets/news-story/8d1fc26ad9ffc49e6cc5b2007530f55c