dChan
Anonymous ID: ffc12f Jan. 1, 2021, 9:14 a.m. No.12267978   🗄️.is đź”—kun   >>7999

Cawthorn Joining GOP Push Against Biden Certification

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/cawthorn-biden-electoral-college-republicans/2021/01/01/id/1003898/

 

ep.-elect Madison Cawthorn said Friday he'll join with other Republicans calling for a review of the Electoral College's certification of Joe Biden's win for the presidency because he agrees there were "clear constitutional violations" that took place in the November election.

 

The North Carolina Republican also told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" that he rejects arguments from "never-Trump" senators and others who are who call the move unprecedented and dangerous to the country's democracy.

 

"It's not unprecedented to do this," said Cawthorn. "One of our founding fathers, the third president of our country did this. Nancy Pelosi did this in 2004. The House Democrats did it again in 2016 with President (Donald) Trump's election."

 

Cawthorn, at 25, will become the youngest member of Congress when he is sworn in on Sunday. Just a few days later, on Jan. 6, Congress will convene to certify the Electoral College vote.

 

Meanwhile, he said he hopes, as a lawmaker, to work toward making the Republican Party a "new party, a bolder party" and one that solves issues rather than "just responding to what the Democrats do."

 

"I believe that our party should welcome everybody, regardless of religion or race," said Cawthorn. "As long as you believe in freedom and free-market capitalism, you are welcome here."

 

He added that he favors term limits and to get money mostly out of politics.

 

"Getting these people out, even in our own party, who have been there for 10, 20 years, I think that will be the best way to fix Washington, D.C.," he said.

 

Cawthorn also said he agrees with calls from Trump and others to reform liability protection laws benefitting big tech and social media companies.

 

Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is up for reelection on Sunday, and Cawthorn agreed that she is "probably one of the most powerful speakers we have ever had in our nation's history," but it's still important to fight the "policy battle."

 

"The number one thing I think we can do is reach out to the American community that has been unreached by our ideology," he said. "I think that we have a great message. We have just had bad messengers in the past."

Anonymous ID: ffc12f Jan. 1, 2021, 9:24 a.m. No.12268085   🗄️.is đź”—kun

Heating up over there.

Oil Tanker Near Iraq Finds Mine on Hull as Gulf Risks Mount

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/cos-exe-gen-gov/2021/01/01/id/1003892/

 

An oil tanker off the coast of Iraq discovered a mine attached to its hull, the latest incident highlighting the risk to ships in the waters near the Arabian peninsula.

 

The vessel noticed the device as it was transferring oil to another ship on Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from the Iraqi government. The Interior Ministry then formed an explosives-handling team that was airlifted to the affected tanker.

 

“Despite the height and intensity of wave movement, it was able to evacuate the other ship and keep the ship that showed a large marine mine attached,” according to the statement. The team was still working to defuse the mine and evacuate the affected vessel early Friday.

 

The ship with the mine has been identified as the Liberia-flagged Pola. A suspicious object was discovered on the vessel’s hull, according to a statement from owner Dynacom Tankers Management, which said all crew members are safe. It wasn’t immediately clear who may have placed the device on the tanker.

 

The Persian Gulf and Red Sea have been a hotbed for attacks on vessels in recent years, with tensions flaring between Saudi Arabia and Iran. In December, an explosion that Saudi officials described as a “terrorist” attack rocked a ship in the port of Jeddah on the Red Sea. That incident occurred just weeks after an oil tanker was damaged in a possible attack in the same body of water.

 

At the same time, there is heightened focus on security in the region particularly with Iran, which is subject to U.S. sanctions as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to succeed Donald Trump later this month. Almost exactly a year ago, Trump ordered a drone strike in Iraq that killed one of Iran’s most powerful generals.

 

The Pola, a Suezmax-class vessel, has been anchored near Iraq since Nov. 7 and is likely being used as floating storage for oil, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. At the time the mine was discovered, the tanker appeared to be transferring cargo to the Nordic Freedom, owned by Nordic American Tankers Ltd.

 

The vessels were located in a waiting area for ships in international waters, about 28 nautical miles from Iraqi ports, according to the government statement. The ship with the mine which wasn’t identified by name was leased from Iraq’s state oil-marketing company, known as SOMO, it said.

 

U.K. Maritime Trade Operations, which serves as link between the Royal Navy and merchant vessels operating in high risk areas, initially identified the incident, also without naming the vessel or specifying what was attached to the hull.