UK Arrests Nearly 5,000 Online Child Sexual Abusers

U.K. law enforcement arrested 4,760 people for suspected online child sexual abuse, including 320 high-risk sex offenders, during the first Covid-19 lockdown between April and September 2020, according to the U.K.’s National Crime Agency (NCA) on Friday.

Child shiloueteOnline child sexual abuse has risen significantly during the pandemic, as increased internet presence and national lockdown orders push both abusers and victims online (Photo: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay)The NCA estimates that 6,500 children were safeguarded during the same period.

The news coincides with growing concern across the world over the rise of cybercrime in general and internet-based child sexual exploitation in particular during the pandemic.

Furthermore, analysis of emerging trends in internet-enabled criminality by Europol has suggested the growing sophistication and “organized criminalization” of child sexual abusers.

Two days ago, the E.U. agency announced the success of a nationwide French investigation that secured the arrest of 14 people in November last year.

Over 50 cyber-investigators from the Gendarmerie’s “C3N” cybercrime center tracked the suspects, who regularly changed pseudonyms to evade detection. Authorities targeted suspects alleged to have used social media networks to approach minors aged between 12 and 13 and lure them into sharing intimate images and videos.

A broader investigation remains ongoing.

Europol first warned in April 2020 of how the combination of global stay-at-home orders and increased internet usage was causing a spike in all forms of cybercrime, including online child sexual exploitation.

With restrictions on international travel, child sexual abusers have reportedly relied ever more heavily on the internet to exploit often highly emotionally-vulnerable and isolated children.

Interpol followed up with a report in September, with Secretary General Jürgen Stock warning “we are seeing just the tip of a growing iceberg in terms of online child exploitation material.”

Themes of particular concern for authorities include the burgeoning for-profit production and sale of online child sexual exploitation material.

Investigators have also noted a rise in the use of encrypted chat apps, alongside an increasing focus on “affiliation rules, codes of conduct, division of tasks and strict hierarchies” among darkweb forums devoted to online child abuse.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13703-uk-arrests-nearly-5-000-online-child-sexual-abusers

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/320-of-the-uk-s-most-dangerous-child-sex-offenders-among-4-760-arrested-since-first-coronavirus-lockdown

US Porn Producer Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

Theodore Gyi, a cameraman who shot more than 120 pornographic videos for the websites GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys, has plead guilty to conspiring to commit sex trafficking, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a statement Thursday.

The groups leader, Michael Pratt, remains a fugitive. (Source: Pixabay.com)The groups leader, Michael Pratt, remains a fugitive. (Source: Pixabay.com)Gyi’s plea is only the latest development in long running case against the trafficking ring, which through coercion and fraud, allegedly pushed hundreds of young women, including minors, into unwanted sex work between 2012 and 2019.

With the footage they recorded through fraud, the two sites brought in some US$17 million in revenue.

Under the orders of fellow defendants, Michael Pratt and Matthew Wolfe, who ran the sites, Gyi knowingly lied to the women he recorded, falsely assuring them that the work wouldn’t be posted online.

“Gyi admitted that over the course of his employment, he became aware that Matthew Wolfe and Michael Pratt were posting many of the sex videos that he filmed on GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys,” the DOJ said.

“Nonetheless, Gyi continued to lie and personally assured the young women he filmed that the videos would not be posted publicly.”

Gyi is the second of the six defendants in the case to plead guilty. A performer who appeared in many of Wolfe and Pratts films, Ruben Andre Garcia, preceded him last month.

“Garcia admitted in his plea agreement that in order to recruit victims to appear in the videos, he and his co-conspirators threatened, deceived and lied to them, promising that the videos would never be posted online, that ‘no one’ would ever find out, and that the videos would never be released in the United States,” the DOJ said in an earlier statement following his plea.

The ring also established a network of false references to sell their story.

According to the DOJ, victims were recruited from around North America and brought to cheap hotels and short term rental units in San Diego, where the films were produced. Prior to the shoots, Garcia would ply the women with marijuana and alcohol to keep them calm.

Once shooting began, the women had little option but to comply with Garcia and the producers demands, and were forced into sexual acts.

In addition to Gyi and Garcia, who both face maximum sentences of life in prison for their crimes, trials continue against three other defendants who were also allegedly involved in the ring including one of the leaders, Matthew Wolfe. However the other leader, Michael Pratt, remains a fugitive according to the FBI.

“Pratt is wanted for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to recruit young adult and minor women to engage in commercial sex acts by force, fraud, and coercion.” the FBI said in a September statement. The agency is offering a $10,000 reward for information which will lead to his arrest.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13704-us-porn-producer-pleads-guilty-to-sex-trafficking-conspiracy

Biden Admin Previews Fight Against ‘Serious Threat’ of ‘Domestic Violent Extremism’

President Joe Biden has asked the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to begin enhanced assessments of the threat posed by “domestic violent extremism,” according to the White House.

“The January 6th assault on the Capitol and the tragic deaths and destruction that occurred underscored what we have long known: The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced at a press briefing Friday afternoon.

Psaki said that Biden had tasked the ODNI to request a “comprehensive threat assessment” of domestic violent extremism, including ways to strengthen government capabilities to monitor the threat.

“The Biden administration will confront this threat with the necessary recourses and resolve,” she said.

Psaki said that the Biden administration would prioritize “facts” and “objective rigorous analysis” claiming that the government could still maintain “respect for constitutionally protected free speech and political activities.” She stressed, however, that President Biden wanted to dramatically increase the level of intelligence and law enforcement directed at domestic violent extremism.

“We need to understand better its current extent and where they may be gaps to address so we can determine the best path forward,” she said.

Biden’s National Security Council, Psaki said, would ask three of his national security advisors, Joshua Geltzer, Liz Sherwood-Randall, and Russ Travers, to lead a policy review to properly “enhance and accelerate” the government threat of domestic violence.

“This considered NSC convened process will focus on addressing evolving threats, radicalization, the role of social media, opportunities to improve information sharing, operation responses, and more,” she concluded.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/01/22/biden-admin-previews-fight-against-serious-threat-of-domestic-violent-extremism/

Russian National Firsov Pleads Guilty to Cyber Crimes in US, Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison

Firsov admitted that he was the administrator of the site DEER.IO, which sold stolen credit card information and other personal information. The website operated from 2013 to 2020 and during this time received income from illegal sales in the amount of $17 million, according to the plea.

29-year-old Russian citizen Kirill Firsov on Friday pleaded guilty to cybercrimes in the US, the court documents say.

According to the plea agreement, Firsov was "well-compensated as the administrator of DEER.IO, an online platform which catered to cybercriminals".

As the prosecution stated, DEER.IO was a Russian-based platform "that allowed criminals to set up cyber storefronts and sell illegal products or services".

"DEER.IO started operations as of at least October 2013, and, as of March 2020, had approximately 3,000 shops with sales exceeding $17 million", the release explains.

In the plea agreement, Firsov said that most of his victims were Russians, but the site received about $1.2 million in revenue from the sale of information about Americans.

This fact allowed the FBI to prosecute Firsov in a US court and detain him upon his arrival to the country. In particular, Firsov sold social security numbers, dates of birth and addresses of Americans - this information is often enough to fraudulently obtain a credit card or credit in the victim's name.

Firsov is due to be sentenced before a judge on April 12. Under US law, Firsov may be sentenced up to 10 years in prison, or a $250,000 fine.

"This was one-stop shopping for criminals," US Attorney Robert Brewer said, while commending the work of the prosecutors. "Cybercrime is one of the most pervasive threats facing our country. Data is being stolen and sold on the Dark Web every day, and we are devoting significant resources to combatting this serious problem."

Kirill Firsov was arrested on March 7 after he flew to New York. Three days earlier, the FBI carried out a "test purchase" on the site, acquiring information on 1,100 gamers for $20 in bitcoins.

https://sputniknews.com/science/202101221081853956-russian-national-firsov-pleads-guilty-to-cyber-crimes-in-us-faces-up-to-10-years-in-prison/

Promises Made, Promises Broken: Biden Now Says 'Nothing We Can Do' To Change Pandemic Trajectory

After spending months on the campaign trail criticizing the Trump administration's COVID-19 response and promising to 'crush' the virus with a comprehensive action plan, President Biden now says there's "nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months."

After saying on Thursday that "We didn’t get into this mess overnight and it’s going to take months for us to turn things around," adding "We will defeat this pandemic, and to a nation waiting for action, let me be the clearest on this point: Help is on the way," Biden lowered expectations even further on Friday.

Watch:

.@JoeBiden: "There is nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months." pic.twitter.com/VGTBdgPSIf

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 22, 2021

Here's what Biden said in late October on the campaign trail about how he'd deal with COVID-19:

"Imagine a day in the not too distant future, when you can enjoy dinner with your friends and family, and maybe even go out to a movie."

Just not for a while, apparently.

Career politician pic.twitter.com/zXTSTVO9Oy

— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 22, 2021

The past 4 years were the only time Biden has spent out of government since the Nixon administration

lol @ people just finding out he breaks promises

— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 22, 2021

As an aside, here's how the Bidens dealt with the National Guard being forced to sleep in a parking garage after they were booted from the Capitol grounds:

Biden brought about 25 candy bars……for a group of about 200 soldiers

I guess she's not a "Doctor" of mathmatics https://t.co/9D5Poe99Yp

— Rogue1-the Jeff Faria Project (@PatriotsOfMars) January 22, 2021

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/promises-made-promises-broken-biden-now-says-nothing-we-can-do-change-pandemic-trajectory

New York Times Publishes Gushing 600 Word Review Of Joe Biden’s $7,000 Rolex Watch

The Times praises Biden for a return to political elitism, as represented by his luxurious $7,000 watch.

In an article that some consider unbecoming of The Grey Lady, the New York Times published a glowing fashion review of Joe Biden’s decision to wear a $7,000 Rolex watch on his wrist during his inauguration.

The Times breathlessly notes, “At his inauguration, Mr. Biden laid his hand on the family Bible wearing a stainless steel Rolex Datejust watch with a blue dial, a model that retails for more than $7,000 and is a far cry from the Everyman timepieces that every president not named Trump has worn conspicuously in recent decades.”

The Times notes that most modern presidents have opted for watches their constituents might actually be able to afford, and have shied away from expensive watches that may signify a disconnect between the president and the people he supposedly represents. Instead of slamming Biden for his elitist choice in time pieces, the Times seemingly lauds Biden for taking the United States back to the 1950s and 1960s, when President Ike Eisenhower and President Lyndon B. Johnson wore expensive time pieces for their official portraits.

“Shouldn’t the leader of the free world wear a power watch befitting his position?” the Times mused, before noting “Never mind that it costs the equivalent of dozen or so stimulus checks.”

This may be the single most embarrassing @nytimes article I've ever read.https://t.co/LnkeXk0LlK

— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) January 22, 2021

They add that the concept of an elitist president flexing his wealth “was widely accepted once, back when Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson posed guiltlessly for Oval Office portraits wearing gold Rolexes.”

After noting that Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all wore affordable timepieces, the Times seems to celebrate Biden for breaking the tradition, suggesting the $7,000 watch is a logical choice for a “centrist” president.

This may come as a shock, but Mr. Trump shattered those norms. He remained on-brand during his term, flashing mogul-worthy gold (what else?) watches by Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Vacheron Constantin.

Which brings us to Mr. Biden, who seems to balance both horological sensibilities (how centrist of him) and is unafraid to show off his haute Swiss watches, all stainless steel, including his Rolex, an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional and Omega Seamaster Diver 300M both of which retail for around $5,000 or $6,000.

The article, ostensibly still a fashion review, ends with a gushing endorsement of Biden’s wrist wear.

“Whether a conscious fashion statement or not, the high-end, but macho, watches suggest that, even at 78, this former high school football star of the Kennedy years still wants to be seen as a he-man, rugged and young at heart,” the Times gushed.

The Times also noted that Joe Biden is from Scranton, Pennsylvania. The median annual income for a household living in Scranton is approximately $40,000, meaning Biden is wearing a watch that constitutes nearly 20% of the average person living in his home town’s annual income.

https://nationalfile.com/new-york-times-publishes-gushing-600-review-of-joe-bidens-7000-rolex-watch/

Trump says ‘we’ll do something’ but ‘not just yet’ in first post-presidential remark

Former President Donald Trump said Friday in his first public remark since leaving office that he will make a comeback in some form — but he’s not saying how.

“We’ll do something, but not just yet,” Trump told journalist Rob Crilly of the Washington Examiner.

The former president, who left office Wednesday, made the comment while dining at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.

An assistant reportedly ended the interview after his single answer.

Trump has been virtually silent in the early days of President Biden’s administration. His preferred communication platform, Twitter, banned him after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, during which Trump supporters interrupted certification of Biden’s victory.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday she will transmit an article of impeachment against Trump — for allegedly inciting the riot — to the Senate on Monday, setting in motion his second impeachment trial.

Trump can seek a non-consecutive term as president in 2024, but if at least 17 Republican senators vote to convict him, he could be banned from holding office again.

Trump reportedly has considered forming a new political party called the Patriot Party.

https://nypost.com/2021/01/22/trump-says-well-do-something-but-not-just-yet-in-first-post-prez-remark/

AOC Tells CNN She Skipped Inauguration As She Doesn't "Feel Safe" Near GOP Members

It was already evident that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's harrowing tales of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot are being dramatically expanded as time goes on.

A week ago she said, for example: "I can tell you that I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die." She said in a media interview that 'security reasons' prevented her from offering details of her ordeal: "I did not know if I was going to make it to the end of that day alive."

But now her 'martyrdom' complex appears to have entered a new realm. She skipped Biden's inauguration as she felt 'threatened' by her Republican Congressional peers, according to her latest commentary. When asked about her noticeable absence on CNN's Cuomo Prime Time on Thursday, AOC responded: "I think we also had very real security concerns," and added, "We still don’t yet feel safe around other members of congress."

A somewhat incredulous (or perhaps just milking the drama…) Chris Cuomo asked, "You really think colleagues of yours in Congress may do you dirty?"

"Yeah, well, one just tried to bring a gun on the floor of the House today," Ocasio-Cortez offered as a rationale.

Cuomo followed with: "You think they’re bringing it in because they want to protect all of you from insurrectionists like we saw a couple weeks ago, or do you think there really is a chance that you may be the enemy?"

AOC says she didn't attend inauguration in part due to "security concerns." She and many other lawmakers "don’t yet feel safe around other members of Congress” after the insurrection

She slams GOP Rep. Andy Harris for trying to bring a concealed gun onto the House floor today https://t.co/3gCIKzXzds

— Eliza Relman (@eliza_relman) January 22, 2021

AOC then explained:

"The moment you bring a gun on to the House floor in violation of rules, you put everyone around you in danger. It is irresponsible. It is reckless. But beyond that, it is a violation of rules. You are openly disobeying the rules that we have established as a community, which means that you cannot be trusted to be held accountable to what we’ve decided as a community.

And so I don’t really care what they say their intentions are. I care what the impact of their actions are. And the impact is to put all 435 members of congress in danger. He tried to hand off his gun to another member who didn’t have a license, and any responsible gun owner knows that you don’t just hand off your gun to another individual. You have to clear it, etcetera.

And that just goes to show it doesn’t matter what your intention is. If you are irresponsible, if you are trying to break rules, you’re trying to sneak a firearm on to the floor of the House — I don’t care if you accidentally set it off, I don’t care if you intentionally set it off, I don’t care if you don’t set it off at all. You are endangering the lives of members of congress. It is absolutely outrageous that we even have to have this conversation."

Apparently she was in the Bronx supporting a workers' strike instead.

“Something’s upside down,” says @AOC at a rally supporting Hunts Point workers in the #Bronx on strike tonight fighting for a $1 raise. pic.twitter.com/kgCspOIrNY

— David Cruz (@CWEBCRUZER) January 21, 2021

We'll see how far the 'high drama' and delusion grows next week.

Surely the "living in fear" will only expand, as will the harrowing tales of "escape" on January 6 no doubt.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/aoc-tells-cnn-she-skipped-inauguration-she-doesnt-feel-safe-near-gop-members

Biden Undermines Rule of Law

Biden and the Rule of Law

President Biden began his presidency with a disturbing inauguration speech that signaled his administration will target any political opponents who reject his radical agenda. This would be a continuation of Obama-era practices, which saw the Obama IRS, DOJ, FBI, CIA, etc. used to target Obama opponents ranging from small citizen Tea Party groups to then-candidate Donald Trump. Indeed, that virtually no ordinary Americans were allowed to view the proceedings in person thanks to a politicized military shutdown of our nation’s capital doesn’t augur well for this Republic and our civil liberties.

And then Biden immediately undermined the rule of law by shutting down virtually all deportations and essentially ending all enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws. You can read the details here.

And, of course, Biden’s mere presence in office is a challenge to the rule of law because of his personal corruption issues.

There is substantial evidence, from documents and witness statements, that the Biden family, including President Joe Biden, may have been involved in criminal activity involving, among other issues, foreign entities tied to Ukraine and China.

Joe Biden’s son Hunter has already acknowledged that he is the target of an FBI criminal investigation. (Judicial Watch was the first to document that Hunter took five trips to China while his father was vice president!)

A special counsel should immediately be appointed because the Biden Justice Department is conflicted in investigating any matter that could implicate President Biden or his immediate family. The fact that it hasn’t happened yet tells you a lot about the partisan corruption of the Justice Department and FBI.

To increase pressure for the rule of law and to educate more Americans, Judicial Watch created a petition on Change.org calling on the Department of Justice to create a special counsel to investigate the Biden Family. Our petition continues to grow! More than 85,000 have signed, and you can too here. Be sure also to share it widely. Achieving one million signatures is within our reach!

In the meantime, you can trust Judicial Watch to do what it does best – which is to use the courts to hold corrupt politicians such as Joe Biden accountable to the law. We have dozens of lawsuits and hundreds of Freedom of Information Act requests already pending – and more are coming. For example, we are NOT going to forget about the Obama/Biden spy abuse and other sedition against the Trump administration and the Constitution.

Judicial Watch and I (and you, dear supporter, with Biden’s implicit support) have been targeted for Big Tech censorship and suppression because of our demonstrated record of success.

Biden Advisor Ranked Mao Zedong among ‘Favorite Political Philosophers’

https://www.judicialwatch.org/tom-fittons-weekly-update/biden-undermines-rule-of-law/

Hey David Icke remember when you went on TV and said you were Jesus?

Now he denounces God but continues to blame the reptilians.

Video where he claims to be Jesus

https://youtu.be/YZD3bBWFwAk

Planned Parenthood Prepares for Payday Under Biden

Abortion provider lost $60 million in taxpayer funding in 2019

Planned Parenthood stands to recover tens of millions of dollars in federal funding as the Biden administration moves to reverse Trump policies that cut off its access to taxpayer dollars.

The organization lost $60 million in 2019 alone after withdrawing from the Title X Family Planning Program, which uses taxpayer funds for contraceptive services to low-income individuals. When the Trump administration changed the policy to exclude any organization that participates in abortion, Planned Parenthood withdrew from the program.

Despite the revenue drop and the subsequent financial struggles of local affiliates, Planned Parenthood spent more than $27.4 million through a main super PAC during the 2020 election cycle. Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the nation's top abortion provider is eager for its "partnership" with the new administration.

"In partnership with the Biden-Harris administration and the pro-reproductive health care majority in Congress, Planned Parenthood Action Fund will work to not only reverse the attacks of the past four years, but boldly expand sexual and reproductive health care and rights for all people in the U.S. and across the globe," Johnson said.

The organization lists the administration's priorities as moving to institute taxpayer funding for abortions in the United States and abroad and reversing the funding restrictions the Trump administration instituted on the Family Planning Program. It also said that it recommended almost 200 staffers for key positions in the administration.

Planned Parenthood is likely to find a receptive audience in the Biden administration. President Biden has not only pledged to restore taxpayer funding to the organization and repeal restrictions on taxpayer funding of abortion but has also stocked his administration with Planned Parenthood allies and politicians who have cashed its checks.

Andrea Palm, deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, came under fire during her time in the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for hiring a former Planned Parenthood lobbyist to help shape state health policy. Soon-to-be-confirmed treasury secretary Janet Yellen was also a member of both NARAL and Planned Parenthood. Jen O'Malley Dillon, Biden's deputy chief of staff, cofounded a marketing company that worked with Planned Parenthood as one of its clients.

https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/planned-parenthood-prepares-for-payday-under-biden/

Biden LGBT Rights Order Charges Into Culture War

An executive order on LGBT rights signed by President Joe Biden on Wednesday signals the start of a bitter cultural clash that will loom large over his presidency.

Biden's directive broaches almost every aspect of domestic policy, from housing to refugee resettlement to transgender student athletes. The order requires every federal agency to make clear that civil rights laws banning sex discrimination also ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, citing the Supreme Court's landmark gay rights ruling in June 2020.

Many changes resulting from Biden's order, like a ban on anti-gay discrimination in renting, are unlikely to cause controversy. Other mandates will accelerate long-simmering cultural disputes, like those allowing trans students to participate in women's sports or use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice. While Biden says his focus is fixed on the coronavirus pandemic and economic stimulus, cultural conflict is poised to play a defining role in the coming years of his presidency.

The Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County is the basis for Biden's directive. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act bans discrimination "because of sex" in employment. The question for the justices was whether that sex discrimination ban also covers sexual orientation and gender identity. A six-justice majority led by Justice Neil Gorsuch said it does. Gorsuch wrote that it is "impossible" to discriminate against LGBT workers without discriminating in some way "because of sex."

Biden's order says the logic of Bostock—that discrimination against LGBT people is necessarily discrimination "because of sex"—should apply to every other federal law and regulation that bans sex-based discrimination. The order thus requires any agency that enforces statutes banning sex discrimination to likewise prohibit bias against LGBT people.

For example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development administers a sex non-discrimination law called the Fair Housing Act. Under Biden's order, HUD will enforce that law to ban LGBT bias when selling homes or renting apartments. The Immigration and Nationality Act likewise promises assistance to refugees regardless of sex, meaning Biden's order also guarantees protections for gay and transgender migrants.

All told, the list of forthcoming changes is a long one.

"Biden's executive order is the most substantive, wide-ranging executive order concerning sexual orientation and gender identity ever issued by a United States president," said Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "By fully implementing the Supreme Court's historic ruling in Bostock, the federal government will enforce federal law to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, health care, housing, and education, and other key areas of life."

While many new policies will likely enjoy broad support, some may inflame the hottest cultural disputes. Biden's Education Department will be a flashpoint.

https://freebeacon.com/courts/biden-lgbt-rights-order-charges-into-culture-war/

Report: McConnell Privately Says He Wants Trump Gone – DC Elites Pressure Republicans to Impeach Private Citizen Trump

The Republican Party continues to crap all over its voting base.

First it was GOP leader Liz Cheney voting to impeach Trump over a bucket of lies.

Now Mitch McConnell is reportedly saying he wants Trump gone.

These people REALLY hate their voters.

Bring on the Trump Patriot Party!

CNN reported:

As the House prepares to send articles of impeachment to the Senate on Monday, CNN has learned that dozens of influential Republicans around Washington — including former top Trump administration officials — have been quietly lobbying GOP members of Congress to impeach and convict Donald Trump. The effort is not coordinated but reflects a wider battle inside the GOP between those loyal to Trump and those who want to sever ties and ensure he can never run for President again.

The lobbying started in the House after the January 6 attack on the Capitol and in the days leading up to impeachment. But it’s now more focused on Sen. Mitch McConnell, the powerful minority leader who has signaled he may support convicting Trump.

“Mitch said to me he wants Trump gone,” one Republican member of Congress told CNN. “It is in his political interest to have him gone. It is in the GOP interest to have him gone. The question is, do we get there?”

McConnell had proposed delaying the trial until February, but with the articles coming to the Senate on Monday, the process will likely be set in motion sooner.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/01/report-mcconnell-privately-says-wants-trump-gone-dc-elites-pressure-republicans-impeach-private-citizen-trump/

MSNBC analyst accuses Fox News of goading viewers into 'terrorism,' and asks if it should be 'allowed to exist'

Giridharadas is a far left progressive writer

MSNBC analyst Anand Giridharadas made the case for outlawing the Fox News cable network based on his estimation that they goaded viewers into "terrorism" after the rioting at the U.S. Capitol.

"It's time for this question to be front and center: Should Fox News be allowed to exist? Brain-mashing as a business model shouldn't be legal," tweeted Giridharadas on Friday.

It’s time for this question to be front and center: Should Fox News be allowed to exist? Brain-mashing as a busines… https://t.co/JKhVTaQFmz

— Anand Giridharadas (@Anand Giridharadas)1611320394.0

The first tweet of Giridharadas thread received more than 3.8k retweets and more than 16.2k likes on Twitter.

"I'm not a lawyer, but I don't understand why you're not allowed to manufacture bucatini that doesn't have a certain threshold of iron in it but you can broadcast brain-mashing falsehoods and goad people toward terrorism," he continued.

"If the Fairness Doctrine, applying to broadcast, was constitutional, why would a new Fairness Doctrine, applying more broadly, be a violation of that same Constitution?" asked Giridharadas.

The Fairness Doctrine, originally implemented in 1949 by the United States Federal Communications Commission, required media outlets with a broadcasting license to present both sides of a controversial political issue fairly and equally. The FCC ended the policy in 1987 because it stifled free speech.

"Twelve percent of Americans supported the terrorist insurrection on the Capitol. After the fact. You cannot pin this only on leaders. This has been institutionalized incitement in which the media played a giant role, and democracy is endangered by it," Giridharadas continued.

He recognized that such a policy could be abused, but added, "none of that means, to me, that a business model of incitement and falsehood is absolutely protected."

Giridharadas' suggestion was immediately denounced as "fascist" by some critics on social media, while others questioned the practicality of banning Fox News.

"Curious where @AnandWrites thinks the Fox audience should go? Should they not have news outlets at all, should they go to a new conservative outlet that will somehow suck less than Fox, should they learn to love CNN? What's the plan?" asked Matt Taibi of Rolling Stone.

"I am amazed that people keep suggesting this without thinking through the obvious consequences. If the government could shut down Fox News, think what the Trump admin would have done to CNN, MSNBC, NY Times, WaPo and more," responded Tech editor Mike Masnick.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/anand-giridharadas-fox-news-ban

China authorises coastguard to fire on foreign vessels in disputed waters of East China and South China Seas

China has passed a law that for the first time explicitly allows its coastguard to fire on foreign vessels, a move that could make the contested waters around China even more volatile.

Key points:

China has previously sunk other countries' vessels in maritime disputes

The new law allows the coastguard to use a variety of weapons

Beijing says the laws are in line with international practices

China has maritime sovereignty disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with several South-East Asian countries in the South China Sea.

It has sent its coastguard to chase away fishing vessels from other countries, sometimes resulting in the sinking of these vessels.

China's top legislative body, the National People's Congress standing committee, passed the Coastguard Law on Friday, according to state media reports.

According to draft wording in the bill published earlier, the coastguard is allowed to use "all necessary means" to stop or prevent threats from foreign vessels.

The bill specifies the circumstances under which different kinds of weapons — hand-held, shipborne or airborne — can be used.

The bill allows coastguard personnel to demolish other countries' structures built on Chinese-claimed reefs, and to board and inspect foreign vessels in waters claimed by China.

Before and after: South China Sea

See how China is converting reefs to military facilities by building artificial islands in the South China Sea.

Read more

The bill also empowers the coastguard to create temporary exclusion zones "as needed" to stop other vessels and personnel from entering.

Responding to concerns, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the law was in line with international practices.

The first article of the bill explains that the law is needed to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and maritime rights.

This law comes seven years after China merged several civilian maritime law-enforcement agencies to form a coastguard bureau.

After the bureau came under the command of the People's Armed Police in 2018, it became a proper branch of the military forces.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-23/china-authorises-coast-guard-to-fire-on-foreign-ships-if-needed/13084754

Big Brother meets Big Tech: Memo reveals military spies can just BUY personal data with tax money – no need for warrant

Using smartphone information bought from data brokers enabled the US Defense Intelligence Agency to spy on people without a warrant, including some Americans, the DIA admitted in a memo to a senator that’s now been made public.

The Defense Intelligence Agency focuses on foreign threats, but has searched for movements of American citizens at least five times over the past two and a half years, using cell phone data collected and sold by commercial brokers, according to an unclassified memo sent this week to Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon).

New: The military arm of the intelligence community has searched for information about Americans' movements without a warrant in a commercially available database of smartphone app locational data, per DIA memo for @RonWyden . https://t.co/xnlpy99q3m

— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) January 22, 2021

That specific time frame is due to the US Supreme Court decision in Carpenter v. United States, dated June 2018, which held that the government must obtain a warrant to get location data on cell phone users. However, the DIA “does not construe the Carpenter decision to require a judicial warrant endorsing purchase or use of commercially available data for intelligence purposes,” the New York Times reported on Friday, citing the memo to Wyden.

Makers of many smartphone apps can and do log the users’ locations, which are often sold to brokers – and they, in turn, resell it to advertisers as well as law enforcement and spies, apparently.

https://www.rt.com/usa/513401-military-spies-buy-data/

>>12674172

Just because they are all Jewish doesn't mean it's the Jews.

They just own everything and run everything

>>12674233