No mask, no money? HSBC warns UK customers they could FORFEIT their accounts if they don’t obey pandemic rules

UK customers who refuse to wear masks inside HSBC branches will be refused service and may have their accounts closed, the bank says. The threat was not well-received, particularly given HSBC’s criminal history.

HSBC customers who enter a branch bare-faced without a medical exemption could forfeit their money, a spokesperson told UK tabloid the Mirror on Tuesday. The corporation’s head of branch network for the UK argued bank workers “deserve respect and should not have to face violent or abusive behavior” and encouraged customers to stay home and use HSBC’s digital banking tools rather than going out to the bank.

Most of HSBC’s main competitors, including Santander, Lloyds, and NatWest, subsequently informed customers on Wednesday that they too will not be served if they walk into a bank branch without a mask. However, of the other banks questioned by the Mirror, only Barclays explicitly affirmed its right to close accounts if customers “act aggressively towards colleagues.”

Many on social media were disturbed that a bank would threaten to abscond with customers’ money over a mask.

Seriously? We’ve come to this? We are now living in something that resembles a dark authoritarian dystopian sci-fi movie.https://t.co/wxGfGlZLCS

— James Melville (@JamesMelville) January 12, 2021

THIS IS WHY WE CAN NEVER EVER HAVE A CASHLESS SOCIETY. YES, I’M SHOUTING HSBC says customers who refuse to wear a face mask will have their accounts withdrawn - Mirror Online https://t.co/1xbFMZZBNI

— GAB @CatrionaCollins ☘️ (@CatrionaColllns) January 12, 2021

Others said they’d seen it coming miles away – and been denounced as “conspiracy theorists” for noticing.

I was called a 'conspiracy theorist' 6 months ago for saying they'd start doing stuff like this.This is about compliance & control. They appeal to people's better natures to sell it.It's sinister as hell and the masses are sleepwalking right into it.https://t.co/7WiwlZ7adh

— ZUBY: (@ZubyMusic) January 13, 2021

Next it will be "Those who don't take the vaccine will have their accounts withdrawn".If you think I'm kidding, you haven't been paying attention. HSBC says customers who refuse to wear a mask will have their accounts closed https://t.co/2xGll5GPUp

— Gareth Icke 🇵🇸 (@garethicke) January 13, 2021

Several pointed out that HSBC – which was recently convicted of laundering billions of dollars in profits for international drug cartels – lacked any sort of moral high ground to give orders to customers.

HSBC virtue signalling stance on masks would be far more impressive if it didn’t help the Chinese Government suppress democracy whilst laundering money for Mexican cartels.

— Bella Wallersteiner (@BellaWallerstei) January 13, 2021

Unless they are Mexican drug lords who need to launder their money or the 1% moving money offshore to avoid taxation. #HSBChttps://t.co/t4GiFZHxdK

— John Smith (son of Harry Leslie Smith) (@Harryslaststand) January 13, 2021

However, some applauded the bank for keeping its employees safe.

So @HSBC_UK are refusing service to people who don't wear a mask in branch and lots of people are saying it is the thin end of the wedge. I say fck those people. Wear a mask or bank online. Stop being a fcking baby. Well done HSBC for protecting staff and customers.

— Whisky Daddy (@Jotterface) January 13, 2021

HSBC trending, people moaning about wearing masks in a bank.Who actually goes into a bank in this day & age? And if you do, wear a mask you it’s not going to hurt you.

— CraiginWales #SNPOut (@ghost_wales) January 13, 2021

https://www.rt.com/uk/512450-hsbc-threatens-bank-accounts-masks/

Beyond Meat Surges On Reports Of Deal With Taco Bell

In what appears to be Taco Bell's unconventional answer to McDonald's bringing back the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, the "Mexican-inspired" fast-food giant has introduced several popular vegetarian options, including a partnership with Beyond Meat, that it hopes will entice more millennial and Gen Z customers.

The Yum Brands-owned chain is resurrecting its popular potatoes dishes, while also testing a menu item with a Beyond Meat substitute after last year's menu cuts left many customers seriously disappointed. The company wouldn't say what the changes are exactly.

"I would say that it's going to be unique to the things that you've seen elsewhere, so we're definitely going to put our Taco Bell innovation and spin on it," said Liz Matthews, Taco Bell's global chief food coordinator.

Taco Bell imposed the cuts during the beginning of the pandemic to try to save on ingredients and manpower.

Big news for vegetarian Taco Bell fans: The chain has heard you. Potatoes return to the permanent menu on March 11. And it’s working with Beyond Meat on a plant-based protein test. #tacobell

— Jessica Wohl (@jessicawohl) January 14, 2021

The decision to cut the "Mexican Pizza" a favorite among vegetarians, led to a serious backlash against the brand.

News of the collaboration sent Beyond Meat share surging 4%+ in a single day.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/beyond-meat-surges-reports-deal-taco-bell

British Health Official Suggests PERMANENT Masks

The Virus of Globalism Is Here To Stay

Are facemasks going to become a permanent staple of modern society? One top British health official seems to think so.

Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer of England, raised the prospect of permanent mask-wearing in an interview with The Sun news outlet. Van-Tam reportedly said that Coronavirus “will always be with us.” Van-Tam said that he does not believe the expert class, of which he is a member, will ever successfully get rid of the Coronavirus in our world.

“I think there are going to be people who make a personal decision to say, you know what, when I’m in a crowded place in the winter I’m going to put a face covering on. When I’m on a tube I am going to put a face covering on,” Van-Tam stated.

Though Van-Tam couched the possible permanency of masks as a choice that some people might voluntarily make, it is fair to suspect that his statement could be predictive programming for the widespread permanent masking of the people. The United Kingdom is currently under severe lockdown. The globalists including America’s dubious health expert Anthony Fauci and dubious “president-elect” Joe Biden give no indication that they are backing off from draconian tyranny measures.

Since the mask mandates stemming from the Wuhan outbreak began in 2020, observers have wondered if globalists will use the Coronavirus as a pretext to impose permanent masking of the people. Globalist propaganda is pushing the idea that even the vaccine does not cure Coronavirus, and that masks will still be necessary.

The constant fear-mongering by the globalist elites is making an impact on the addled minds of mainstream media consumers, especially the nosy “Karen” demographic that terrorizes polite society with strident mask-enforcing. Here, a “Karen” unleashes her anger and strives for socially acceptable authority against a woman and her young child:

https://nationalfile.com/british-health-official-suggests-permanent-masks/

Dems Introduce Bill To Ban Trump From Entering US Capitol Forever

Democratic Congresswoman Nikema Williams introduced a bill to ban President Trump from entering the U.S. Capitol building for the rest of his life.

Introduced January 13th, the concurrent resolution seeks to “direct the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, and the United States Capitol Police to prohibit President Donald John Trump from entering the United States Capitol at any time after the expiration of his term as President.”

Since its announcement, the resolution has been referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

The 2-page bill has one section entitled “prohibits President Trumo from entering United States Capitol.”

https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/trump-capitol-ban/

Senior NASA scientist pleads guilty to lying about China ties

Prosecutors say the NASA scientist was part of a program by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with access to intellectual property

A senior NASA scientist pleaded guilty to lying about his participation in a Chinese program that recruits "individuals with access to or knowledge of foreign technology or intellectual property."

Meyya Meyyappan of Pacifica, California, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements in a New York federal court on Wednesday. Meyyappan, 66, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel in Manhattan federal court, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.

Meyyappan has been employed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration since 1996, and has been a "chief scientist for Exploration Technology at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley" since 2006, according to Meyyappan's profile on the NASA website. Previously, Meyyappan served as the director of the Center for Nanotechnology at Ames.

"Dr. Meyyappan is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Electrochemical Society (ECS), American Vacuum Society (AVS), Materials Research Society (MRS), Institute of Physics (IOP), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), American Institute of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), National Academy of Inventors, and the California Council of Science and Technology," the space agency said.

In October, Meyyappan was interviewed by the FBI, the NASA Office of Inspector General, and the United States Attorney's Office.

"During that interview, Meyyappan falsely stated, among other things, that he was not a member of the Thousand Talents Program and that he did not hold a professorship at a Chinese university," the DOJ press release stated. "In truth and in fact, Meyyappan was a member of the Thousand Talents Program and held a professorship at a Chinese university, funded by the Chinese government."

The DOJ stated that Meyyappan "participated in China's Thousand Talents Program, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with access to or knowledge of foreign technology or intellectual property, and held professorships at universities in China, South Korea, and Japan, and failed to disclose these associations and positions to NASA and the U.S. Office of Government Ethics."

NASA OIG Special Agent in Charge Mark J. Zielinski stated, "Certain NASA employees are required to disclose affiliations with foreign entities in order to protect NASA's intellectual property. Failure to do so could allow malicious foreign actors unauthorized access to American taxpayer funded technologies. We thank the FBI and the USAO, SDNY for their assistance throughout this investigation."

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said, "Meyya Meyyappan held a trusted position at NASA, with access to valuable intellectual property. In violation of the terms of his employment and relevant laws and regulations, Meyyappan failed to disclose participation in a Chinese government recruitment program, and subsequently lied about it to NASA investigators, FBI agents, and our Office. Now, having admitted his crime, Meyyappan awaits sentencing."

Meyyappan is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

In May, the DOJ announced that a former Cleveland Clinic employee had been arrested. Dr. Qing Wang "lied to receive more than $3.6 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health while also collecting money for the same research from the Chinese government," NPR reported.

"It is also alleged that Dr. Wang participated in the Thousand Talents Program, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with access to or knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property," the DOJ statement said.

In June, a prominent scientist at Harvard University was indicted by the Justice Department for lying to federal authorities about his participation in China's Thousand Talents Program.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/nasa-scientist-china-thousand-talents

Italian Govt on Brink of Collapse, Right Wing Coalition Leading in Snap Election Polls

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s administration faces a crisis after former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s party resigned from the government, taking several cabinet ministers with him.

Matteo Renzi, who heads the Italia Viva (IV) party, announced on Wednesday he could no longer support the Conte coalition government, leaving the alliance of the Five-Star Movement and the left-wing Democratic Party (PD) without a majority in the parliament.

The move comes after weeks of tensions between Renzi and Conte over various disagreements on policy — primarily relating to how to spend coronavirus bailout cash — along with many threats made by Renzi in the past to leave the government.

“It takes courage, inner freedom, and a sense of responsibility. We did not cause the crisis. It has been building for months. Now, we will leave our seats,” Renzi said, according to Il Giornale.

By leaving the government, Renzi also takes away several key ministers who are also members of Italia Viva, including Minister of Agriculture Teresa Bellanova and Minister of Family and Equal Opportunities Elena Bonetti.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Conte had met with President Sergio Mattarella and told media that he hoped he could still count on Renzi’s support, saying the government could only work with a majority and that Italians would not accept a new government crisis.

Several scenarios could unfold following Renzi’s move, including a snap election, which is believed to be President Mattarella’s prefered scenario, as opposed to a fragile coalition in parliament.

Opinion polls show that an election could see the formation of a new centre-right government, as populist Senator Matteo Salvini’s League and the national-conservative Brother of Italy (FdI) scored highly in an Swg poll released this week.

The poll showed Salvini’s League as the most popular in Italy at 23.2 per cent. While the Brother’s of Italy, led by firebrand Giorgia Meloni, scored 17.2 per cent, just over two percentage points fewer than the Democratic Party which scored 19.4 per cent.

The League has topped opinion polls for months, but the FdI has seen rapid growth in popularity over the last two years, rising from the 6 per cent at the European Parliament elections in 2019.

On Wednesday, Giorgia Meloni demanded the resignation of the Conte government, saying: “Italians on their knees, the government in disarray. Italy cannot afford to waste any more time. Conte must resign. Elections now.”

Matteo Salvini also released a statement on behalf of the centre-right coalition, saying: “The centre-right is the country’s leading political force and after a summit that confirmed the great unity of the coalition, asks that the prime minister take note of the crisis and resign immediately or, otherwise, appear in Parliament tomorrow to ask for a vote of confidence.”

“We rely on the wisdom of the President of the Republic for a quick solution: the centre-right parties clearly reaffirm their unwillingness to support left-wing governments,” he added.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/01/14/italian-govt-faces-crisis-resignation-ministers-former-pm/

Vaccine Passports Trialed in the UK, as EU Leaders Push for ‘Standardised’ COVID Travel Passes

British government-sponsored vaccine passports will be issued to thousands of Britons after the receive the coronavirus inoculations in a ‘trial’ run of the programme this month.

The health passport — which will come in the form of a smartphone application — has been developed by the biometric firm iProov in partnership with the cybersecurity company Mvine.

The trial is expected to be completed by March and will be overseen by two directors of public health in a local authority, yet to be announced. The stated goal of the project is to see how health passports can function as a means of tracking how many people have received the first or second dose of the vaccine.

Frank Joshi, the director and founder of Mvine told the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday: “The idea is that we are there ready and waiting in the event that we find ourselves interested in a situation where we need to prove something about ourselves.”

The chief executive of iProov, Andrew Bud claimed that it was “very important” that vaccination programmes should be tied with Britain’s socialised healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS).

The concept of coronavirus health passports was first floated by Health Secretary Matt Hancock in April, who said at the time: “We are looking at an immunity certificate. People who have had the disease have got the antibodies and then have immunity can show that and therefore get back as much as possible to normal life.”

The government has since expressed mixed messages on whether it would roll out vaccine passports, with Cabinet Minister Michael Dove proclaiming in December that they were “not the plan”.

The recently installed vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi, predicted just days prior that British businesses would require immunity passports for their customers.

On Tuesday, Mr Zahawi denied that the government was planning to introduce vaccine passports, saying: “We have no plans to introduce vaccine passports.”

Bookmark this tweet. ⌚ https://t.co/DQfU6zQ4IR

— Calvin Robinson (@calvinrobinson) January 12, 2021

A Department of Health and Social Care backed up this claim, saying there are “no plans” to introduce vaccine passports.

“At this stage of the vaccination programme, it is not clear whether vaccines will prevent transmission,” the spokesman said.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/01/14/vaccine-passports-trialed-in-the-uk-as-eu-leaders-push-for-standardised-covid-travel-passes/

Fired FBI director James Comey says Biden should consider pardoning Trump for the Capitol riot to 'heal the country' even though he believes the President 'belongs in jail'

Fired FBI director James Comey has said Joe Biden should consider pardoning Donald Trump for the Capitol riot even though the president 'belongs in jail.'

Comey said he was 'sickened' by last week's storming of the Capitol and 'angered' by the lax security which allowed the Trump mob to run amok, leaving five people dead.

He argued that impeaching Trump would be 'good for our country' and said that the 'lawless nihilist' should be ousted from the White House before Joe Biden's inauguration.

But he stopped short of calling for a prosecution for Trump, who has previously threatened Comey with 'many years in jail' over the Russia report.

'I obviously think he belongs in jail but I don't think pursuing that is in the best interest of the entire nation,' Comey said.

The BBC's Emily Maitlis asked whether Biden ought to pardon Trump in the same way that Gerald Ford did Richard Nixon after Watergate in 1974.

'I don't know, he should at least consider it,' Comey said. 'As part of healing the country and getting us to a place where we can focus on things that are going to matter over the next four years, I think Joe Biden is going to have to at least think about that.'

http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/01/fired-fbi-director-james-comey-says.html

Trump's impeachment defense is already in crisis with personal attorney Rudy Giuliani named in evidence for 'trial by combat' speech to MAGA rally and Alan Dershowitz ruling himself out of second Senate appearance

Wednesday's House vote to impeach President Trump has teed up a Senate trial where President Donald Trump will once again decide on a team to represent him – this time on a charge of 'incitement of insurrection.'

Sources have already said Trump may turn to lawyer Rudy Giuliani as he battles impeachment a second time, this time before a Senate 'jury' that may be considerably more skeptical than last time. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he does not know how he will vote.

Giuliani has been a key legal advisor to Trump while also leading a personal crusade to unearth potential dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine as well as on his son's business dealings.

But Trump will have to do without the services inside the Senate chamber of prominent constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who joined his team last year and appeared in the Senate chamber.

'I will be defending the First Amendment in the court of public opinion, not in the Senate,' Dershowitz told DailyMail.com. He didn't say whether Trump had asked him to serve in his defense.

Giuliani's appearance as a Trump lawyer before the Senate, which advisors have said it is under consideration, comes despite Giuliani himself speaking before a rally crowd shortly before the MAGA mob stormed the Capitol.

On his podcast 'What really happened on January 6,' Giuliani made an argument that likely to reappear at trial: that neither Trump (nor he) engaged in incitement.

He pointed to the weapons and even climbing equipment crowd members took to the Capitol after the rally where he and Trump spoke.

'This was a pre-planned attack on the Capitol, which would have happened rally or no rally or irrespective of anything said at the rally,' Giuliani said.

'And nothing said at the rally would amount to inciting anything. And it didn't incite anything – at the moment it was said, much less later, because it wasn't said over and over again in some kind of truck riding through there,' he continued.

Giuliani did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his role.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who also joined Trump's defense last time, will be out of a job next week – and has reportedly been on the verge of quitting his post.

http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/01/trumps-impeachment-defense-is-already.html

Head Of Instagram Admits Facebook Bias: ‘We’re Not Neutral’

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said Monday that Facebook has a bias, replying to a tweet about the massive platform, “We’re not neutral.”

“We’re not neutral,” Mosseri admitted of Facebook (which owns Instagram). “No platform is neutral, we all have values and those values influence the decisions we make.”

“We try and be apolitical,” he said, “but that’s increasingly difficult, particularly in the US where people are more and more polarized.”

Mosseri’s comments came on the heels of Big Tech apparently coordinated their censorship of President Donald Trump from Twitter, Facebook, and then YouTube. Apple, Google, and Amazon, too, teamed up in nuking Parler, an alternative to Twitter, for allegedly insufficiently censoring “violent content.”

The Instagram head was responding to a comment from tech writer Will Oremus regarding Facebook’s announcement of Roy Austin, formerly of the Obama administration, to serve as Facebook’s “VP of Civil Rights.”

“Roy Austin Jr. has been named vice president of civil rights with the mandate to oversee Facebook’s accountability on racial hatred and discrimination on its platform,” reported NPR. “He’s slated to start Jan. 19.”

In response to the announcement, Oremus posted: “This feels like the kind of move that Facebook could have made 5+ years ago if it hadn’t been so intent at the time on portraying itself as a neutral platform and promoting online connection as an absolute good.”

“We’re not neutral,” Mosseri responded. “No platform is neutral, we all have values and those values influence the decisions we make. We try and be apolitical, but that’s increasingly difficult, particularly in the US where people are more and more polarized.”

Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said Monday that Trump’s account “will be suspended until at least the inauguration and perhaps longer,” The Guardian reported. “Sandberg, speaking to Reuters, said the company has no plans to lift its block on Trump’s accounts and that she was ‘glad’ that Facebook had taken the action.”

“This shows the president is not above the policies we have,” said Sandberg.

Twitter announced Friday that Trump was permanently banned from using their platform due to “risk of further incitement of violence.”

“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter said in a statement. “In the context of horrific events this week

we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action. Our public interest framework exists to enable the public to hear from elected officials and world leaders directly. It is built on a principle that the people have a right to hold power to account in the open.”

http://www.scoopyweb.com/2021/01/head-of-instagram-admits-facebook-bias.html

McCabe Says Trump’s Message Demanding Peace and Denouncing Violence is Actually “Coded Language” and a “Dog Whistle” to His Base to Fight

Fired FBI official Andrew McCabe said President Trump’s video message demanding peace and denouncing political violence is actually “coded language” and a call for violence.

The President has repeatedly called for peace and denounced political violence, however no matter what Trump says, the left will continue to redefine his words.

“I want to be very clear: I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week. Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country,” Trump said in a video message on Wednesday. “No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence. No true supporter of mine could ever disrespect law enforcement or our great American flag.”

McCabe, who was fired as a top FBI official for lying under oath multiple times to federal investigators, said Trump’s call for peace is actually a call to violence.

“President Trump is a master at coded language and the use of dog whistles. And there is no question that that statement included some of those same references…he sends a signal to his folks to fight on,” McCabe said.

President Trump was blamed for the siege of the US Capitol last Wednesday, however the FBI confirmed the attack was planned several days in advance.

If this was a planned attack, you can’t accuse the President of inciting a spontaneous attack when it was planned days before.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/01/mccabe-says-trumps-message-demanding-peace-denouncing-violence-actually-coded-language-dog-whistle-base-fight-video/

Trump Has More Pardons Ready to Go and Plans to Appoint Special Counsels to Investigate Crack-Head Hunter Biden and Dominion Voting Machines

CNBC Washington Correspondent Wamon Javors reported on Thursday that President Trump has a slew of pardons ready to go as well as plans to appoint special counsels to investigate meth addict Hunter Biden and possibly the Dominion voting machines!

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/01/report-trump-pardons-ready-go-plans-appoint-special-counsels-investigate-crack-head-hunter-biden-dominion-voting-machines/

CV19News - Leaked Canadian Liberal Party Covid19 Plans for Canada - Dr Rashid Buttar

https://www.bitchute.com/video/RKNJSJ9mP3u9/

Moderna CEO says 'we are going to have to live with COVID forever' - but believes the firm's vaccine IS protective against the new variants from the UK, South Africa and Brazil

Moderna Inc's CEO says the novel coronavirus will never disappear and will likely be around 'forever.'

During a panel discussion at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, Stéphane Bancel echoed comments from public health experts who say COVID-19 is likely going to become an endemic disease, meaning it will always present in the population but circulating at low rates.

'SARS-CoV-2 is not going away,' Bancel said, according to CNBC.' We are going to live with this virus, we think, forever.'

Additionally, he said he believes the firm's coronavirus vaccine will be effective against infection by any of the new variants from the UK, South Africa or Brazil.

Moderna's vaccine was developed in partnership with the National Institutes of Health.

It uses part of the pathogen's genetic code called messenger RNA, or mRNA, to get the body to recognize the coronavirus and attack it if a person becomes infected.

The candidate, called mRNA-1273, works by tricking the body into producing some of the viral proteins, which the immune system then recognizes and builds a defensive response against.

When given in two doses four weeks apart, the vaccine was found to be 94.1 percent effect at preventing COVID-19 and 100 percent effective at preventing severe disease in clinical trial data.

It was approved for emergency use authorizations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on December 18.

http://www.madnesshub.com/2021/01/moderna-ceo-says-we-are-going-to-have.html

Tom Hanks to host televised special for Biden's inauguration

Actor Tom Hanks will host a primetime television special on Jan. 20 to celebrate the inauguration of Joe Biden as president, organizers said on Wednesday.

The 90-minute "Celebrating America" special will feature appearances by celebrities including Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons, according to a statement from Biden's inaugural committee.

Democrats Biden and Kamala Harris, who will be sworn in earlier in the day as president and vice president, also will deliver remarks.

Biden's committee has scaled back the usual inaugural events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, canceling the traditional parade and inaugural balls normally held in Washington.

The television special "will showcase the American people's resilience, heroism, and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild," the inaugural committee said.

The program will be broadcast on television networks CBS, ABC, CNN, NBC and MSNBC, and streamed on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other online platforms.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/tom-hanks-to-host-televised-special-for-bidens-inauguration-655331

Israeli politics is full of military connections

There is an unprecedented increase in the number of political parties in Israel in the run up to the next General Election in March. This will be the fourth election in less than two years.

Perhaps the most prominent of these parties is Kahol Laffan founded by the Mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Khaldaei. He has been joined by Minister of Justice Avi Nissenkorn, who split from the Blue and White party and resigned from his post, and former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli army, Major General Dan Harel.

On Monday, Khaldaei presented the outlines of Kahol Laffan's programme. He made sure to let us know of his military service as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force, stressing that he participated in four wars launched by Israel and if that qualifies him to be affiliated with the right-wing, that would make him happy.

Of course, Khaldaei is not the first Israeli to enter politics and market himself through his military record, and he will not be the last. Israeli politics is full of former soldiers. Benjamin Netanyahu, for example, ended his military service as a captain, while Benny Gantz was Chief of the General Staff.

When Israel was founded in occupied Palestine in 1948, its first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, set the pattern for the PM to hold the defence portfolio as well. This lasted until the appointment of General Moshe Dayan as Defence Minister on the eve of the Six-Day War (1967). This was a turning point in two ways: the separation of the roles of prime minister and defence minister, and appointing a person with a significant military record as a minister in a civilian government.

The precedent set by Dayan has since become the norm. Former senior officers in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have held the position of defence minister on most occasions since 1967, in parallel with retired officers entering politics in greater numbers.

This has been controversial, raising a number of questions, the foremost of which is the dividing line between civilian and military attitudes and positions. To what extent do military personnel maintain and promote a military ideology after moving into civilian politics?

There are those who believe that a military officer will always be a military officer; rank is always retained beyond a certain level, even in retirement. Taking this into account, there is no doubt that it has great significance in Israel, and the common transfer of senior army officers to positions of political leadership is indicative of the militarisation of Israeli politics. Another question is whether former military personnel get involved in politics beyond their areas of expertise in an effort to increase the influence of the IDF.

This would suggest not that the army is relatively strong, but that civilian institutions in Israel are relatively weak, leaving a void for the military to fill. Many believe that the latter explains why Israeli politics is full of military connections.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210114-israeli-politics-is-full-of-military-connections/

Seeing Lots of Military Aircraft Over DC? It’s Probably NORAD.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct what it calls a “routine air defense exercise” over the Washington, DC, region Thursday and Friday as well as on January on January 25 and 26. The exercises will run from midnight to 5:30 AM each day.

It’s all part of an exercise dubbed “Falcon Virgo,” part of Operation Noble Eagle, which was designed to thwart future air attacks after September 11, 2001. Aircraft involved span many of the US armed forces and include F-16s, UC-35A, Navy King Air 300, a MH-65D Dolphin helicopter, and Cessna 182T.

NORAD’s timing may be suboptimal here, seeing as the entire region is on edge following a pro-Trump mob’s assault on the US Capitol last week and looking forward to Joe Biden’s inauguration, which has reportedly drawn threats. One the other hand, if you like watching aircraft, the combined Canada-USA air command says some flights will take place around 2,500 feet, so they should be visible under good conditions.

Falcon Virgo will join what appear to be flights in support of security for Biden’s inauguration.

Fascinating air traffic over DC today as various surveillance aircraft and refueling flights support the security ops for the inauguration. pic.twitter.com/2NXqiaoDxx

— Andrew Freedman (@afreedma) January 13, 2021

https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/01/13/seeing-lots-of-military-aircraft-over-dc-its-probably-norad/

Report: IDF drawing up plans to strike Iran’s nuclear program

Newspaper says IDF chief has asked for options to derail atomic production, day after Likud minister warned Israel could attack Islamic Republic if US rejoins nuclear deal

The Israel Defense Forces is drawing up plans for an attack on Iran’s nuclear program, the Israel Hayom daily reported Thursday in a front-page article.

The newspaper said that IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi has asked for three alternate proposals to derail Tehran’s program, without elaborating on them. It only indicated one of the proposals is a military strike, noting that such a plan would require a significant budgetary boost for the Israeli military.

Iran resumed enriching uranium to 20 percent last week, well in excess of the threshold set out in its landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and a short technical jump from the 90% level of enrichment needed to produce weapons.

The Israel Hayom report came a day after Likud minister Tzachi Hanegbi, considered an ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, threatened that Israel could attack Iran’s nuclear program if the United States rejoined the nuclear deal, as US President-elect Joe Biden has indicated he plans to do.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-idf-drawing-up-plans-to-strike-irans-nuclear-program/

The Billion Dollar California-China Mask Deal

“I encourage you to read and review all of the documents we’ve uncovered because the media won’t tell you about it, because the leftists controlling California don’t want to be held accountable.”

Friday’s Judicial Watch Weekly Update with Tom Fitton covered a number of pressing topics, including a billion dollar facemask deal struck between the California state government and the Chinese mask manufacturer, BYD. As Fitton explained, “we were able to extract 848 pages of documents about a California government deal… we’re trying to figure out what was behind this contract which was quite controversial… the documents are pretty interesting.”

According to Judicial Watch’s findings, “the documents reveal that the Office of Emergency Services Assistant Chief Counsel in California admits that they deviated from the normal procurement protocol for this contract.” As Fitton summarized from an April 7th 2020 email, the President of the Chinese company, BYD, suggested that the California agency “should open champagne at the conference call when California finalized the purchase of the masks.” In a later amendment to the agreement, “BYD had to refund 247 million of the 495 million down payment [to California] because they weren’t able to meet the deadline to receive certification for the N95 masks.

“These are remarkable documents,” Fitton continued. “The documents show how a well-connected and controversial Chinese firm was able to get a leg up on a billion-dollar mask contract with California politicians,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/deep-dive/ca-china-mask-deal/

Toyota Motor Company to Pay $180 Million in Settlement for Decade-Long Noncompliance with Clean Air Act Reporting Requirements

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/toyota-motor-company-pay-180-million-settlement-decade-long-noncompliance-clean-air-act

U.S. Commission Says China Possibly Committed Genocide Against Xinjiang Muslims

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China has possibly committed "genocide" in its treatment of Uighurs and other minority Muslims in its western region of Xinjiang, a bipartisan commission of the U.S. Congress said in a report released on Thursday.

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) said new evidence had emerged in the past year that "crimes against humanity – and possibly genocide – are occurring." The CECC also accused China of harassing Uighurs in the United States.

China has been widely condemned for setting up complexes in Xinjiang that it describes as "vocational training centers" to stamp out extremism and give people new skills and which others have called concentration camps.

The United Nations says at least 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in Xinjiang. Faith leaders, activist groups and others have said crimes against humanity, including genocide, are taking place there. Beijing denies abuse accusations.

The CECC report called for a formal U.S. "determination on whether atrocities are being committed" in Xinjiang, and such a determination is required within 90 days of U.S. legislation passed on Dec. 27.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his final days in office before President-elect Joe Biden succeeds President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, has already been weighing a determination, although given current turmoil in Washington, officials have played down the possibility of an announcement before that.

CECC co-chair, Democratic Representative Jim McGovern, called China’s actions to crush human rights in the past year "shocking and unprecedented" and urged Congress and the incoming Biden administration to hold Beijing accountable.

"The United States must continue to stand with the people of China in their struggle and lead the world in a united and coordinated response to the human rights abuses of the Chinese government," he said.

Relations between the world’s two biggest economic powerhouses have plunged to the lowest level in recent years over disagreements on issues including human rights, the coronavirus pandemic, trade, espionage and a sweeping national security law imposed on Hong Kong.

Experts say a genocide determination would be an enormous embarrassment for China, the world’s second-largest economy and a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

It could also pose problems for Biden by complicating his dealings with Beijing, although his campaign had already declared, before the November election, that genocide was occurring in Xinjiang.

In October, Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said Beijing was perpetrating "something close to" genocide in Xinjiang and other officials have referred to concentration camps there.

Under international law, crimes against humanity are defined as widespread and systematic, whereas the burden of proof for genocide – the intent to destroy part of a population – can be more difficult to prove.

Expectations that Pompeo might declare genocide were raised in June when he labeled as "shocking" and "disturbing" reports that China was using forced sterilization, forced abortion and coercive family planning against Muslims.

He was referring to a report last year about the situation in Xinjiang by German researcher Adrian Zenz, which the CECC report also cited.

https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/u-s-commission-says-china-possibly-committed-genocide-against-xinjiang-muslims/

Man Who Stormed Capitol, Stole Nancy Pelosi’s Laptop, Found Dead By Alleged Suicide

On January 13th, a man who took part in the Capitol building storming allegedly killed himself.

The death was reported by his wife, who found his corpse after he had allegedly shot himself in the chest.

Christopher Stanton Georgia was already arrested and charged by police in connection with the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th.

It was him who allegedly broke into the office of the President of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, published a picture of her desktop and stole the laptop.

Authorities have not yet commented on a reason why Georgia took his own life. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office told media that the cause of death was suicide. Georgia died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

According to 11Alive, Georgia died in his home, and two rifles were recovered there. His death was listed as being under investigation.

He was accused of entering the Capitol property “against the will of the United States Capitol Police.” More than 170 people have been charged in connection with the storming.

Georgia’s wife called 911 to report that there was “blood everywhere.” He died in the basement of the family home. He was 53 years old.

After the Capitol riots, people tweeted at Georgia’s employer. He was from Alpharetta, Georgia.

According to his LinkedIn page, Georgia worked as a “Regional Portfolio Manager” for BB&T in Atlanta. He was there for more than three years.

“Works with trust officers, credit and insurance specialists, and personal/business planning strategists to position a diverse suite of financial solutions to client family needs,” he explained.

The participants of the Capitol building storming are being heavily persecuted currently, and it is without precedent in recent American history.

“The lawless destruction of the U.S. Capitol building was an attack against one of our Nation’s greatest institutions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin in a press release announcing charges against 13 other people. “My Office, along with our law enforcement partners at all levels, have been expeditiously working and leveraging every resource to identify, arrest, and begin prosecuting these individuals who took part in the brazen criminal acts at the U.S. Capitol. We are resolute in our commitment to holding accountable anyone responsible for these disgraceful criminal acts, and to anyone who might be considering engaging in or inciting violence in the coming weeks – know this: you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Today’s charges are just the beginning of the FBI’s ongoing efforts to hold those responsible for the criminal acts of violence and destruction that unfolded during the U.S. Capitol building breach on January 6th,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray of the other people charged. “To be clear, what took place that day was not First Amendment-protected activity, but rather an affront on our democracy. The FBI, along with our local, state and federal partners, is committed to ensuring that justice is served. We will continue to aggressively investigate each and every individual who chose to ignore the law and instead incite violence, destroy property, and injure others.”

According to documents from the Superior Court of DC, Georgia had been charged with attempting to ‘enter certain property, that is, the United States Capitol Grounds, against the will of the United States Capitol Police.’

At around 7:15pm on January 6th, on the night of the riots, Georgia was reportedly among a group outside in violation of the District’s 6pm curfew that had been put in place earlier that day to stem the chaos wreaked by the pro-Trump mob.

When officers gave the group several warnings to disperse, Georgia and his group reportedly refused, according to the documents. They were then placed under arrest as a result.

https://southfront.org/man-who-stormed-capitol-stole-nancy-pelosis-laptop-found-dead-by-alleged-suicide/

Italian Court Sentences Former Council of Europe MP for Bribery

A court in Milan sentenced on Monday former Italian deputy and member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Luca Volontè, to four years in prison for taking bribes from Azerbaijani politicians to help mute the Europe’s criticism of Baku’s human rights record.

Luca VolonteAs a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Luca Volonte worked to undermine a report that condemned Azerbaijan for holding political prisoners and other human rights violations. (Photo: European People's Party, Flickr, CC BY 2.0)Italian prosecutors claimed Volontè worked to undermine a PACE report that condemned Azerbaijan for holding political prisoners and other human rights violations, also known as the “Caviar Diplomacy” scandal.

The name of the scandal comes from a lobbying strategy that consists of expensive gifts given to foreign politicians and their costly trips to Azerbaijan that Baku paid for in exchange for beautifying PACE reports about the country at a time dozens of political prisoners were sitting in jails.

The ex-parliamentarian was promised €10 million (US$12.16 million) for his services, according to the PanArmenan Network but Italian news agency ANSA reported that Volontè was found guilty of taking about €2 million ($2.43 million) from two Azeri politicians, who were previously sentenced to four years each by other courts.

Volontè, as well as several other PACE officials, received money through British and offshore companies through a scheme known as the Azerbaijani Laundromat. The man at the core of the lobbying effort was his PACE colleague, Azerbaijani parliamentarian, Elkhan Suleymanov.

Suleymanov, who was also believed to be behind some of the Laundromat payments, was responsible for implementing an aggressive plan to improve the country’s image called “Azerbaijan 2020: Outlook for the Future,” initiated in late 2011 by President Ilham Aliyev.

Most of the funding came through the British company Hilux Services LLP and its account in an Estonian bank from Baktelekom MMC, a limited liability corporation in Azerbaijan, believed to be linked to Azerbaijan's first family.

It is believed that as the result of the lobbying, PACE voted against a unfavorable January 2013 report. This helped Azerbaijani authorities to unleash a severe crackdown on civil society, in which dozens of activists and journalists were arrested, while the Azerbaijani authorities imposed new, restrictive laws, as Human Rights Watch reported back then.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13628-italian-court-sentences-former-council-of-europe-mp-for-bribery

Pompeo Announces Visa Restrictions Against Chinese Businessmen, CCP Officials Over S China Sea Spat

The outgoing Trump administration has sought to step up pressure against the People's Republic in recent weeks, with new restrictions coming in the wake of a long-running trade war, back-and-forth claims about the origins of the coronavirus, and US concerns about Beijing's internal affairs in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and the South China Sea.

The US State Department has introduced new restrictions against a range of Chinese actors in a bid to "defend" the interests of South China Sea nations and their maritime claims, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced.

"The Department of State is imposing visa restrictions on People's Republic of China (PRC) individuals, including executives of state-owned enterprises and officials of the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army Navy, responsible for, or complicit in, either the large-scale reclamation, construction, or militarization of disputed outposts in the South China Sea," Pompeo said in a statement published on Thursday.

The restrictions also include adding China's National Offshore Oil Corporation to Washington's trade blacklist, ostensibly for "its role in the PRC's campaign of coercion against other claimants of an estimated $2.5 trillion in South China Sea oil and gas resources," the secretary added.

Accusing China of sending fishing fleets and energy survey vessels accompanied by military escorts to "operate in waters claimed by Southeast Asian nations" and of "harassing" "claimant state oil and gas development in areas where it has failed to put forth a coherent, lawful maritime claim," Pompeo promised that Washington would "stand with" the region's nations to "defend their sovereign rights and interests."

Beijing has yet to respond to the US decision.

Wave of Restrictions

Earlier on Thursday, the US Commerce Department announced new export controls against companies and individuals it says might be supporting Chinese, Russian, Cuban and Venezuelan military-intelligence users. Late on Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order to strengthen a ban on doing business with firms with alleged ties to the Chinese military.

An aerial view of the P4 laboratory on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China's central Hubei province on 13 May 2020.

© AFP 2020 / HECTOR RETAMAL

US Reportedly Mulls Releasing Evidence Linking COVID-19 to Wuhan Lab Before Trump's Departure

Before that, Trump signed a separate executive order banning transactions with persons involved with an array of Chinese online payment systems. China expressed its "resolute" opposition to that move, saying it would hurt consumers and blasting the US for its "unreasonable suppression" of Chinese software.

Also this month, another Trump executive order demanded that the New York Stock Exchange delist three Chinese telecommunications giants.

Following the November 2020 election, administration sources told US media that the president was preparing to enact a broad series of harsh policies toward China in his final weeks in office, partly in a bid to limit President-elect Joe Biden's room for manoeuvre vis-a-vis China once he becomes president.

Long-standing China-US tensions under Trump briefly subsided following the January 2020 signing of a "phase one" trade deal between the economic superpowers. As 2020 progressed, however, the China-US economic conflict resumed, and the two nations began to trade accusations about the origins and spread of the coronavirus. The countries are also engaged in a diplomatic spat over China's policies in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and a militarised dispute over the South China Sea – a strategic and resource-rich body of water claimed by China and four other nations, plus Taiwan. China claims most of the area for itself, with the US carrying out "freedom of navigation" patrols in the region in defiance of Beijing.

https://sputniknews.com/world/202101141081768772-us-visa-restrictions-on-chinese-nationals-related-to-militarization-of-south-china-sea-pompeo-says/

Cryptocurrency Hackers Steal $3.8 Billion in 2020

Cybercriminals robbed victims of almost US$4 billion across 122 attacks against cryptocurrency platforms and holdings last year, according to a recent report.

Hacks against blockchain wallets netted cybercriminals an average of $112 million per breach (Photo: flickr, Creative Commons Licence)Attacks against blockchain wallets earnt hackers an average of $112 million per breach (Credit: pixabay, Creative Commons Licence)Atlas VPN, a virtual private network provider, said on Tuesday that the overwhelming majority of these losses stemmed from attacks against blockchain wallets — digital resources that allow users to store and manage cryptocurrency — with hackers netting a total of $3.03 billion at an average of $112.12 million per breach.

Cryptocurrency exchanges also proved key targets, with 28 breaches over the past twelve months resulting in $300 million worth of losses.

The global coronavirus pandemic has seen an explosion in illegal activity online, with the United Nations warning of an increase in internet-enabled criminality of more than 600% by the middle of last year, at an average rate of one attack taking place every 40 seconds.

Most notable had been the meteoric rise in the number of pandemic-related phishing scams, leveraging pervasive fears among the public so as to extort money from victims, as well the increased incidence of malware attacks against public and private institutions alike.

Atlas VPN nevertheless noted in its report that the attacks against cryptocurrency platforms in 2020 had actually failed to top the record-breaking number observed in 2019.

The decline may owe to the sheer extent of attacks across the previous year, when 33 hacks were recorded in January alone, or perhaps the increased value of cryptocurrency, with growing investment online amid economic downturn, or even simply the growth in opportunities for internet-enabled criminality in other areas.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13627-cryptocurrency-hackers-steal-3-8-billion-in-2020

is there a baker?