Bitcoin closing in on $1 TRILLION market cap

The world’s largest cryptocurrency, bitcoin, crossed $900 billion in market valuation on Friday for the first time in history, as the digital asset’s price hit new record highs.

One of the oldest bitcoin exchanges still in operation, Bitstamp, recorded a peak price for the crypto of $49,000, resulting in a fleeting market cap of $912.69 billion. Bitcoin was trading at $47,146 per coin as of 08:00 GMT, up five percent over the last 24 hours and 28 percent in the last seven days.

A market cap of $900 billion means the addition of $354 billion in 2021 alone. The previous all-time high for bitcoin’s market cap was set on February 8, when it reached the $888-billion mark.

Bitcoin currently accounts for 61 percent of the total market cap of all cryptocurrencies, which also reached all-time highs, peaking at $1.463 trillion on Friday. The cumulative market cap of crypto coins grew 88.5 percent in 2021 so far after starting the year at $776 billion.

According to CompaniesMarketCap, which ranks the world’s most traded assets by their market capitalization, bitcoin is now the ninth biggest asset in the world, outpacing Facebook and Tesla in the last week. When placed on a list of nations by GDP, bitcoin’s $900 billion falls in between the countries of Mexico ($1.04 trillion) and the Netherlands ($886 billion). It is also ahead of Switzerland whose GDP stands at $707 billion.

Cryptocurrencies, particularly bitcoin and ethereum, started gaining more institutional support lately, triggering another massive rally. On Friday, the first bitcoin ETF was approved in North America.

Earlier this week, America’s oldest bank BNY Mellon said it would transfer and issue bitcoin for its institutional clients. Credit card major Mastercard also said it will begin allowing clients to make payments in certain cryptocurrencies on its network this year.

https://www.rt.com/business/515340-bitcoin-trillion-dollar-market-cap/

Scandal-Rocked Lincoln Project Donors Include Romney’s Bain and China-Linked Sequoia Capital.

Today, in the interest of public access to information, The National Pulse is publishing a list of some of the Lincoln Project’s largest donors from 2020. The data was obtained from the Federal Election Commission website and is available for browsing by the general public.

The information shows a dedicated group of major donors mostly from the political left or hard-left, destroying claims made by the scandal-embroiled Lincoln Project that their organization somehow represents Trump-disenfranchised Republicans.

The FBI is now investigating allegations related to the conduct of leading founder Jon Weaver, who stands accused of grooming young men.

The list includes Hollywood types, hedge fund managers, alleged fraudsters, and Mitt Romney’s life-long firm, Bain Capital.

The list also includes Michael Moritz, a Partner at the venture capital firm Sequoia, who donated a sizable sum in three donations in May, June, and July of 2020: one worth $50,000 and two worth $25,000.

In an interview with Slush, Mortiz was described as spearheading Sequoia’s expansion into China in the early 2000s spearheaded Sequoia’s expansion into China in the early 2000s.”.

“We obviously can’t make investment decisions regarding a company in China, Singapore, Indonesia from Menlo Park – we need to be close to the market in order to make intelligent judgements. Equally, close proximity is necessary for us to build the sort of relationship with the company that we want. It’s very hard to have long-distance affairs,” he reasoned.

Moritz also described the prospect of collaborating with communist China as “absolutely wonderful”:

Opportunities within China over the next 15-20 years are going to be absolutely wonderful. One of the things people in the West miss about China is approaching the opportunity with an appropriate degree of humility. The capabilities of people in China are tremendous, ambition is massive, devotion is intense. It is truly a fantastic concoction for durable, important companies.”

Moritz pushed a similar sentiment in a controversial Financial Times piece entitled “Silicon Valley would be wise to follow China’s lead.” In addition to praising China’s authoritarian work culture he also posits that “doing business in China is easier than doing business in California.”

Sequoia Capital’s China practice collaborates extensively with the Chinese Communist Party.

Founder Neil Shen has attended high-level Chinese Communist Party meetings while serving as a delegate for either the National People’s Congress or the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Given recent reporting into the Lincoln Project, the activities of Jon Weaver, and the cover-up narrative currently being teased out by reporters – donors must be asked questions as to their role in the Lincoln Project, and what they knew along the way.

https://thenationalpulse.com/news/revealed-lincoln-project-donors-include-romneys-bain-capital-ccp-linked-secquioa/

List is huge use link for full list

British economy crashes nearly 10% in 2020 due to Covid pandemic

The UK economy suffered the biggest contraction on record, in 2020, experiencing an unprecedented slump in economic and business activity after a series of lockdowns imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The country’s GDP shrank by 9.9 percent last year, according to new data revealed on Friday by its Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The annual decline was triggered by a historic recession at the beginning of the year, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in February and March. The data shows that GDP began to rebound in the third quarter, but remained 7.8 percent smaller than it had been at the end of 2019.

In the final quarter of the year, the economy saw modest growth of around one percent, despite a further series of nationwide lockdowns aimed at tackling a resurgence of Covid-19 cases.

The near-flat performance at the end of the year came after 16 percent growth from July through September, as the British economy improved from its steepest crash in 300 years.

According to the ONS, GDP grew by 1.2 percent month on month in December, which was slightly better than had been forecasted.

Earlier this year, Britain became the first country to be blighted by one of the new and more transmissible variants of the virus. As of Friday, it has registered more than four million cases, along with 115,000 deaths, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the US shows.

The UK remains in a nationwide lockdown, which was imposed at the start of 2021. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said some 13 million citizens had so far received the first dose of a vaccine against Covid-19

https://www.rt.com/business/515339-uk-economy-plunge-covid/

Report: ‘At Least a Dozen’ Republican Senators Walked Out of Impeachment Trial

At least a dozen Republican Senators reportedly walked out of the Senate impeachment trial on Thursday, after lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) tried to argue that years of Trump rallies were incitement to violence.

National Review reporter John McCormack reported several Republican Senators left the chamber during part of Raskin’s presentation, and missed the subsequent argument of Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who argued that Trump was a future danger.

Raskin tried to claim that Trump’s speech on January 6 incited the Capitol riot because he had spent years encouraging supporters to commit acts of violence, or condoning past acts of violence, often using specific coded language to do so.

Specifically, Raskin claimed Trump had incited violence against public officials in the past. He tried, for example, to link Trump to the plot uncovered (by the Trump administration) to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last fall, though one of the alleged plotters was a Black Lives Matter supporter, and another plotter had an anarchist flag and hated police.

Raskin also claimed, falsely, that Trump had praised neo-Nazis who rioted in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 — a familiar lie known as the “very fine people” hoax.

In fact, Trump said the neo-Nazis should be “condemned totally.”

Byron York of the Washington Examiner reported Friday morning that Raskin’s tactics had “turned off Republicans”:

Sens. Cruz (TX), Graham (SC), and Rubio (FL) reportedly conferred with Trump’s defense lawyers on Thursday.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/12/report-at-least-a-dozen-republican-senators-walked-out-of-impeachment-trial/

DHS Releases at Least 2K Border Crossers into U.S. In 10 Days

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released at least 1,939 border crossers into the interior of the United States since the beginning of February, federal data obtained by Breitbart News reveals.

After President Joe Biden’s administration restarted the Catch and Release program — where border crossers are apprehended and quickly released into the U.S. interior — the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released 378 migrant families between February 2 and February 8.

Most of these migrant families, 320, were released into communities in San Diego, California, and San Antonio, Texas. None of the border crossers released are required to take tests for the Chinese coronavirus.

The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency is also releasing border crossers into the U.S. interior. CBP data reviewed by Breitbart News found that in February, alone, more than 1,560 border crossers have been released into the U.S. interior — a 78,000 percent increase in Catch and Release since October 2020.

The data indicates that CBP has been releasing about 156 border crossers every day since the start of the month, when Biden’s orders ending the Remain in Mexico policy, cooperative asylum agreements with Central America, and new ICE directives cutting immigration enforcement took effect.

Nearly all, more than 95 percent, of border crossers being released are located in the Del Rio, Texas, and Rio Grande Valley, Texas, regions.

Like the border crossers released by ICE, border crossers released by CBP are not required to undergo testing for the coronavirus.

A source at the agency who spoke to Breitbart News anonymously said that while DHS has ordered coronavirus tests for border crossers and illegal aliens in their custody, deployment is being slowed. The source said that if a border crosser tests positive for coronavirus while in DHS custody, U.S. taxpayers foot the bill for their treatment.

Still, DHS has not implemented any rules that require coronavirus testing for border crossers and illegal aliens in their custody.

Most significant is the rate at which Biden’s unraveling of border controls has led to a surge of border crossers being released into the U.S. interior. For instance, according to the data reviewed by Breitbart News, between October and December 2020, CBP had only released 18 border crossers into the U.S. interior.

In January 2021, the number of border crossers released by CBP had skyrocketed to nearly 880 — a 4,800 percent increase in Catch and Release.

The data directly contradicts statements made by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday, in which she claimed that releases of border crossers into the U.S. interior were in “incredibly narrow and limited circumstances.”

“Some migrants are processed for removal, provided a notice to appear and wait within the U.S. to await an immigration hearing,” Psaki said, confirming that Catch and Release is occurring with no requirements for border crossers to take coronavirus tests.

The surge of Catch and Release in the first month of the Biden administration has coincided with a record number of border crossers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Border apprehensions last month increased nearly 160 percent compared to the same time last year. In total, more than 75,000 border crossers were apprehended last month — the highest number of border crossers in the month of January since 2006. Thousands more likely were able to enter the U.S. illegally, undetected by federal immigration officials.

DHS did not respond to a request for comment at the time of this publication.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/11/dhs-releases-at-least-2k-border-crossers-into-u-s-in-10-days/

Biden Aide Threatens Female Reporter — ‘I Will Destroy You’

White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo attempted to quash a story about his relationship with Axios reporter Alexi McCammond “by issuing threats and using derogatory language to another reporter pursuing it,” according to a stunning new report from Vanity Fair.

The reporter Ducklo threatened with “derogatory and misogynistic comments” in addition to threats such as “I will destroy you” was Politico’s Tara Palmeri.

The news flies in the face of President Biden’s day one pledge, wherein he told White House staff: “I am not joking when I say this: If you are ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot. No ifs, ands, or buts.”

Vanity Fair reports:

“The confrontation began on Inauguration Day, January 20, after Palmeri, a coauthor of Politico’s Playbook, contacted McCammond for comment while one of her male colleagues left a message for Ducklo, according to sources. Ducklo subsequently called a Playbook editor to object to the story, but was told to call the Playbook reporters with his concerns. But instead of calling the male reporter who initially contacted him, Ducklo tried to intimidate Palmeri by phone in an effort to kill the story.”

Ducklo also threatened to “ruin her reputation before” suggesting Palmeri was “jealous” that a man in the past had “wanted to fuck” McCammond “and not [Palmeri].”

“Ducklo also accused Palmeri of being “jealous” of his relationship with McCammond. Palmeri had no prior relationship or communication with McCammond before calling her to report on the Playbook item, which was a story that she was assigned and had not independently pursued,” Vanity Fair adds.

The exchange between Ducklo and Palmeri prompted a Politico editor to reach out to White House officials including Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, and Senior Adviser Anita Dunn.

“In one of those calls, senior White House officials acknowledged that Ducklo’s handling of the call with Palmeri was inappropriate and said he would send a note to her apologizing for the comments. In another conversation, the same White House officials took aim at Palmeri by accusing her of breaking an off-the-record agreement with Ducklo and pressing Politico as to why the contents of the call had been revealed. Palmeri had only informed her editors of the contents of the call, which she had transcribed into her notes as it was happening, after they asked her about it,” Vanity Fair described.

“When the series of calls between the White House and Politico had concluded, Ducklo sent Palmeri an email stating that he was sorry he lost his cool, but he did not delve into any specifics or apologize for threatening and sexually harassing the reporter, according to sources familiar with the exchange,” the report concludes.

https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/biden-aide-threatens-female-reporter/

Never Trump Lincoln Project Publishes, Then Deletes Ex-Member’s Private Messages amid Weaver Scandal

The Never Trump group The Lincoln Project published a series of private messages between cofounder Jennifer Horn and a journalist — seemingly without permission from Horn — and then, minutes later, deleted the messages during a bizarre unfolding of events late Thursday night.

The scandal-plagued political action committee is under intense scrutiny after public reports surfaced in January that another one of its eight cofounders, John Weaver, had for years engaged in inappropriate and sexually explicit messaging with young men, and furthermore, that his colleagues had known about his behavior since at least last summer.

Yashar Ali, contributor to HuffPost and NBC News who maintains a large Twitter presence, posted on the social media platform a string of screenshots of The Lincoln Project’s now-deleted tweets that had exposed the private messages between Horn and 19th News reporter Amanda Becker.

“Earlier this evening, we became aware that @AmandaBecker of @19thNews was preparing to publish a smear job on the Lincoln Project with the help of @NHJennifer,” the group wrote as it introduced the screenshots. “You hear a lot of talk about hit-jobs in journalism, but rarely do you get to see their origin story. Enjoy”:

Attorney George Conway, another cofounder who is on the group’s advisory board but not an active member, responded to the screenshots, “This looks on its face to be a violation of federal law and should be taken down immediately”:

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/12/never-trump-lincoln-project-publishes-then-deletes-ex-members-private-messages-amid-weaver-scandal/

Soros-Funded NGO Demands Punishment for Hungary Migrant ‘Pushbacks’

Andras Lederer from the George Soros-backed Hungarian Helsinki Committee has called on the European Union to punish Hungary after accusing the country of engaging in migrant pushbacks in contradiction of a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling.

Mr Lederer criticised the European Commission for inaction over the alleged pushbacks along the Serbian border with Hungary, saying that the central European nation was acting in defiance of an ECJ ruling from December that stated that pushbacks were unlawful.

“It’s not very often in the legal field that things are crystal clear,” Leder told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and added: “But that is the case with ECJ rulings. They are binding, and Hungary must obey and implement them. But the Hungarian government is not doing it.”

Lederer also added that the European Commission should consider punishing the Hungarian government, saying: “It would be possible to impose financial sanctions on Hungary, in the form of significant daily fines, for the non-execution of ECJ rulings.”

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, an NGO which has benefitted from funding from Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, previously claimed that as many as 4,400 migrants had been pushed back into Serbia since December.

The call to punish Hungary comes just days after the European Union border agency Frontex announced it would be halting operations along the Hungarian-Serbian border due to claims that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government had denied migrants entry.

Hungarian Secretary of State for International Communication and Relations Zoltán Kovács reacted to the Frontex announcement, saying: “Not as if we got a lot of help from Frontex, but it seems Brussels wants to take away even the little bit we did get.”

Hungary is not the only government in the EU to be accused of engaging in pushbacks at its border. Groups like Human Rights Watch have claimed that Greece had expelled thousands of migrants in the Aegean sea.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has also called on the European Union to investigate pushback allegations allegedly recorded by pro-migration NGOs.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/02/12/soros-funded-ngo-demands-punishment-for-hungary-migrant-pushbacks/

THIS

Biden and Harris on YouTube with comments turned on…kek

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Keax9ugNmw0&feature=emb_title

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/biden-and-harris-on-youtube-with-comments-turned-on-lol/

Both Groups Charged with Conspiracy to Storm the Capitol Were Led by FBI

It is very clear that we are moving very fast to something very bad.

Two different groups were charged with conspiracy to storm the Capitol on January 6th: the Proud Boys, which is currently designated as a terrorist group in Canada, and the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers were the first to be charged with “conspiracy”:

TIME Magazine:

A man who authorities say is a leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group and helped to organize a ring of other extremists and led them in the attack last month at the U.S. Capitol has held a top-secret security clearance for decades and previously worked for the FBI, his attorney said Monday.

So, the leader of the Oath Keepers was glowing in the dark, but what about Proud Boys? Well, what do you know: their leader is also an FBI informant, who used to work on undercover stings since 2012.

Moreover, the Oath Keeper guy was actually a former FBI agent, division chief, who held a top security clearance since the seventies.

Meanwhile, Ricky Vaughn, a memelord who helped Trump win the election in 2016 was indicted on conspiracy charges, after he was doxed by Christopher Cantwell and Paul Nehlen, who informed on him to the FBI.

MILO Yiannopoulos also was an FBI informant, as we learned via court documents from the Charlottesville civil lawsuit. The bizarre “The Base” aka AtomWaffen terrorist group was exposed as being run by a CIA glow-in-the-dark agent with an active CAGE code.

For anybody with 2 neurons to rub together, it becomes obvious that we live in a country where the entire right-wing is effectively controlled and manipulated by the FBI/CIA/whatever alphabet agency you can think of.

To put it simply, the Capitol riot, storm or whatever was quite literally organized by the FBI. As in, the FBI organized the “events”. And now, the FBI is arresting regular Americans for a crime that was carried out and organized by the FBI.

This is a hard pill to swallow, but this is what happened, and is continuing to happen.

Everything in 2021 is part of a complex psyop, aimed at right wing Americans, Trump voters mostly, who are designated as white supremacists and domestic terrorists. The end goal is to dissolve the US into Globo Homo Shlomo, or Global Capitalism as they call it, with as little resistance as possible.

The Capitol is currently under military occupation, and no one is explaining us why. The governor of Illinois claims that he sent troops to fight disinformation and white supremacy.

You should know that your face is already in a facial recognition database, there are already cameras all over the world in every public place, and many of these cameras are about to be linked into the global facial recognition database which, using 5G, will allow for real time registering of every movement anyone makes.

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/both-groups-charged-with-conspiracy-to-storm-the-capitol-were-led-by-fbi/

Russian police raid Alexei Navalny's offices after wife of Putin's greatest critic flees Moscow for Germany

Russian police raided the headquarters for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny as his wife fled the country and headed to Germany.

The search by a dozen police ended about 1 a.m. It was not immediately clear if the police took away items as potential evidence, but photos posted by Navalny´s staff on social media showed them bagging material including a coffee mug.

Meanwhile, his wife Yulia Navalnaya landed in Frankfurt, Germany, yesterday according to local media reports.

The 44-year-old fled amid increasing pressure from the Kremlin on Navalny's supports which saw her being detained during protests against her husband's arrest.

There was no statement from police about the reason for the search of Navalny's offices in Moscow.

The Mediazona news website that focuses on political repressions and human rights abuses cited a Navalny staff member as saying that police said they had received a report that pornography was being published at the office.

Navalny was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

He later was ordered to serve 2 and a half years in prison on the grounds that his time in Germany violated a suspended sentence he was handed in a money-laundering and fraud conviction.

The arrest sparked protests throughout the county on two weekends in January, in which a total of about 10,000 people reportedly were arrested.

Yulia Navalnaya was detained during one of the protests and posted a selfie onto her Instagram page with the caption: 'Apologies for the poor quality. Very bad light in the police van.'

According to local media reports, she was released the following day and later fined 20,000 roubles (£196) for attending an 'unsanctioned protest'.

The United States, Britain, Germany and the EU have urged Moscow to immediately free Navalny, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying Washington will coordinate closely with allies to hold Russia accountable.

Earlier on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said further sanctions against Russia needed to target the right people.

In the wake of his sentencing earlier this month, allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny called for immediate protests after the Kremlin critic was handed two-and-a-half years in prison for violating the terms of a 2014 conviction.

At his sentencing, Navalny mocked Putin by giving him the nickname 'Vladimir the Poisoner of Underwear' and told a judge his trial is only taking place because the Russian leader had failed to kill him with Novichok.

Navalny told the Russian courthouse that Putin is 'demanding to steal underwear from opponents and smear them with chemical weapons'.

He also said Putin wanted him imprisoned to 'scare millions' and warned the President that 'people will realise.'

He then made a heart gesture to his wife who was sat at the back of court and said 'Don’t be sad! Everything is going to be all right.'

http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/02/russian-police-raid-alexei-navalnys.html

COLORADO TOO! Colorado’s 2020 Election Results Are Also Suspect – Biden’s Numbers Raise Serious Red Flags and Alleged Turnout Is More Like Saddam’s Iraq than the US

Colorado’s 2020 Election results made absolutely no sense raise several red flags.

Colorado allegedly had record-setting voter turnout in 2020 and JoeBiden somehow captured virtually all the new votes despite never visiting the state during his basement campaign.

Colorado’s results from the 2020 Presidential election are suspect along with the rest of the country. With the emphasis on the swing states with clear acts of election fraud, Colorado has not been the focus of massive fraud. But today we have information on the election results that show a clear indication of election fraud.

A report from the New York Gazette analyzed the results of the 2020 election in Colorado. Their analysis shows something is not right.

In the 2016 Presidential election in Colorado, Hillary beat future President Trump with 1,339,000 votes to Trump’s 1,202,000 votes, a difference of approximately 137,000 votes. Neither candidate won the majority of the votes with Hillary at 48% and Trump at 43%. Libertarian Gary Johnson won 5% with 145,000 votes. Voter turnout was 74%.

Obama received 1,289,000 votes in Colorado in 2008 and 1,323,000 in 2012.

In the 2020 election, Joe Biden reportedly received 1,804,000 votes to President Trump 1,366,000 votes.

We are supposed to believe this nonsense without question.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/colorado-colorados-2020-election-results-also-suspect-bidens-numbers-raise-serious-red-flags-alleged-turnout-like-saddams-iraq-us/

Navy Will Make COVID-19 Vaccination Mandatory 'As Soon as We Can:' 3-Star Admiral

Thousands of Navy personnel are about to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine ahead of an upcoming deployment – and while sailors aren't required to take the shot yet, they soon could be.

Members of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group will get the option to receive the first dose of the vaccine for COVID-19, the sometimes-fatal illness caused by the coronavirus, on Saturday. So far, about 80% of the crew roughly 5,000 strike group members say they intend to get the shots, Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, U.S. Second Fleet commander, told reporters Friday.

"We cannot make it mandatory yet," Lewis said. "I can tell you we're probably going to make it mandatory as soon as we can, just like we do with the flu vaccine."

Service members are required to undergo a host of immunizations. In the future, the one for the virus that caused a global pandemic, killing more than 2.3 million worldwide including 21 U.S. troops will likely be among them.

Defense Department officials have previously said that the COVID-19 vaccine would remain voluntary while it's under emergency-use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration. That designation is expected to last up to two years while the FDA assesses the vaccination's efficacy and side effects.

The Navy was the military service perhaps hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, since social distancing can be difficult in tight quarters aboard ships and submarines. One aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, was sidelined for months last year when coronavirus cases multiplied among crew members.

The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group members who take the vaccine this weekend will get their second dose in four weeks and will be "well on their way to full immunization in about six weeks' time," Lewis said. But even with about 80% of the strike group inoculated, crews will continue following safety measures the Navy put in place on ships during the pandemic, including mask-wearing, social distancing and no port-call stops.

Capt. Laurence Kuhn, the force medical officer for Naval Air Force Atlantic, said that while most people who gathered to brief reporters about the Ike's vaccination plans received both COVID-19 shots, they still spread out and wore masks.

"We're going to maintain that posture for quite some time," he said.

Most of Ike's crew is receiving the Moderna version of the COVID-19 vaccine for storage reasons, said Rear Adm. Doug Beal, vice commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the Fleet Vaccination Cell lead. That version of the vaccine doesn't need to be stored in temperatures as cold as the Pfizer shot requires.

Lewis and other Navy officials acknowledged that some sailors and their families still have reservations about the new vaccine. Vaccines typically take years to develop. The one for COVID-19 was created in about 10 months.

Military.com reported earlier this month that more than half of a group of 810 polled military family members said they weren't planning to get the vaccine, citing safety concerns and suspicions over development.

Lewis said he was eager to get the vaccine, which he said will help the Navy get back to normal. The admiral had his second dose about two weeks ago, and hasn't had any lingering side effects. He said he ran a 50k the next day, more than 30 miles.

Beal said he felt "a little bit out of it" for a few hours after taking the second dose of the vaccine.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/02/12/navy-will-make-covid-19-vaccination-mandatory-soon-we-can-3-star-admiral.html

Biden Says He Will Bring a ‘Responsible End to Wars’

Biden has the chance to end the war in Afghanistan, but all signs indicate he will keep troops in the country beyond the May 1st deadline

Speaking at the Pentagon on Wednesday, President Biden said he will work with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to bring a “responsible end” to US wars.

“I will work with Secretary Austin and leaders around the world to bring a responsible end — a responsible end to wars that have dragged on for far too long, while continuing to ensure that terrorist threats cannot endanger the security of the American people.”

Biden’s comments come as he has an opportunity to end the almost 20-year-old war in Afghanistan. The US-Taliban peace deal signed in February 2020 paved the way for a May 1st withdrawal. While the administration hasn’t made an official announcement, all signs indicate that US troops will remain in Afghanistan beyond the deadline.

Biden’s language of bringing a “responsible” end to wars could mean he doesn’t think now is the right time to leave Afghanistan. Last week, a congressionally mandated report was released that warned against the May 1st withdrawal. The study repeated the usual talking points hawks use to justify staying in Afghanistan. It said the withdrawal would cause a civil war, even though fighting is raging now between the Taliban and the US-backed government. The only thing keeping US troops in Afghanistan beyond May 1st would accomplish is more US casualties.

February 8th marked the first full year since the war started that no US troops died in combat in Afghanistan. That is because the Taliban stopped attacking US forces as per the deal signed last year. But the Taliban has vowed to again turn their weapons on the US if Washington doesn’t fulfill its end of the deal and leave the country.

As a candidate, President Biden said he could not promise a full withdrawal from Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria. In an interview with Stars and Stripes in September, he said the US should keep a maximum of “1,500 to 2,000” troops in these countries as counterterrorism forces.

In Afghanistan, there are currently 2,500 US troops, although there are also over 18,000 Pentagon contractors in the country. In Iraq, there are also 2,500 troops. Over in Syria, estimates put the number of US soldiers at somewhere between 500 and 1,000.

One war Biden does seem keen to end is the US-backed Saudi-led war in Yemen. Although he announced he was ending US support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive” operations in Yemen and suspended some bomb sales to the Saudis, questions remain over other aspects of the war, like the blockade. The administration has also made it clear that this does not mean an end to the US war against al-Qaeda in Yemen.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/02/11/biden-says-he-will-bring-a-responsible-end-to-wars/

Qatar Is Pushing For a Return to Iran Nuclear Deal

Qatar's FM said he is communicating with both the US and Iran

Qatar’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that he is pushing for the US and Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal to de-escalate tensions in the region.

“The State of Qatar is working on de-escalation through a political and diplomatic process to return to the nuclear agreement,” Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said, according to Qatari state media.

The comments came after Thani spoke with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Robert Malley, President Biden’s special envoy for Iran. Thani said Qatar was communicating with both Washington and Tehran on easing tensions.

On Thursday, Thani met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Doha. Cavusoglu shared Thani’s view on a revival of the JCPOA and said both Turkey and Qatar could contribute to de-escalating tensions.

Other regional countries, like Saudi Arabia and Israel, are opposed to the JCPOA and are looking to get in on nuclear negotiations with Iran. But Iranian officials have been clear that they want the deal they negotiated in 2015 and have no interest in a new agreement with more countries at this time.

So far, Washington and Tehran are far apart on reviving the deal. The Biden administration has been demanding that Iran scale back its civilian nuclear program to comply with limits set by the JCPOA before the US lifts sanctions. But since the US is the party that violated the deal, Tehran is calling on President Biden to act first.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/02/11/qatar-is-pushing-for-a-return-to-iran-nuclear-deal/

15,000 Muslim worshippers pack Temple Mount in defiance of COVID restrictions

Holy site reopened following 45-day pause due to pandemic restrictions; number of seriously ill patients in Israel continues to decline as effects of vaccinations kick in

Thousands of Muslim worshippers packed into the Temple Mount holy site for Friday prayers in violation of public health guidelines, which cap outdoor crowds at 20 people.

The Kan public broadcaster estimated that 15,000 worshippers were in attendance and photos of the scene showed participants jammed up against one another with many not wearing face masks.

The Arutz Sheva news outlet reported that Israeli security forces prevented dozens of Palestinians from entering what Muslims refer to as the Al-Aqsa compound, but officers were evidently ill-equipped to prevent the mass crowding that ensued.

It was the first time the site had opened for Friday prayers after a 45-day shut-down due to rising COVID-19 case numbers, AFP said.

Footage showed large crowds both throughout the compound and inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque itself.

Already in December, coronavirus czar Nachman Ash acknowledged that Israel has no way to enforce the pandemic restrictions at the Temple Mount, where tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers had been gathering every Friday.

“There is no solution,” Ash was quoted as saying during a closed-door meeting on the subject.

The Waqf, a Jordanian-appointed council, oversees Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. It claims exclusive authority over the Temple Mount compound and says it is not subject to Israeli jurisdiction. Tensions often escalate at the site.

The Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism, as the site of the biblical Temples. It is the site of the third holiest shrine in Islam. Israel captured the Temple Mount and Jerusalem’s Old City in the 1967 Six Day War, and extended sovereignty throughout Jerusalem. However, it allowed the Waqf to continue to maintain religious authority atop the mount, where Jews are allowed to visit, but not to pray.

Jordan’s role as custodian was enshrined by the landmark Israeli-Jordanian peace agreement in 1994.

The Temple Mount was also closed for weeks in March, as Israel imposed a nationwide lockdown. In September, as Israel entered its second countrywide closure, the Waqf initially said it would close the compound, but later reversed the decision, fearing that Jewish worshipers would be allowed to continue to visit.

Earlier this week, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion warned local Arab officials in the city that unvaccinated residents may not be permitted to go to mosques, schools or hotels.

The meeting between the mayor and the heads of a number of neighborhoods in the city was held amid concerns about low vaccination rates in East Jerusalem.

The legality of preventing unvaccinated individuals from attending gatherings or going to work is still under debate as the country struggles to add incentives to its world-leading vaccination program, which has been losing momentum.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/15000-muslim-worshippers-pack-temple-mount-in-defiance-of-covid-restrictions/

Trump impeachment distractions: H.R.1 and Syria troop buildup

Trump impeachment distractions: H.R.1 and Syria troop buildup

US Convoys Enter NE Syria, Signalling Plans to Stay

https://theduran.com/trump-impeachment-distractions-h-r-1-and-syria-troop-buildup/

Citing Government Misconduct, Judicial Watch Appeal Seeks Release of Sally Yates’ Records on Refusal to Defend President Trump’s Travel Ban

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed an appeal seeking the release from the Department of Justice of records from former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates related to her 2017 refusal to enforce President Donald Trump’s Middle East travel ban executive order. Judicial Watch argues that the documents are not shielded from disclosure, as the evidence of government misconduct by Yates.

At issue are four records described as “working drafts” of a January 30, 2017, statement by Yates instructing DOJ officials not to defend the executive order issued by then-President Trump. Trump fired Yates for insubordination after she issued the one-page statement.

The appeal concerns a May 2017 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed after the Justice Department failed to respond to a February FOIA request seeking Yates’ emails from her government account (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:17-cv-00832)) for the time period she served as Acting Attorney General for President Trump. Judicial Watch recently filed the brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (Judicial Watch vs. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 20-5304)).

The lower court ruled that the Justice Department could withhold of the records under FOIA’s Exemption 5 “deliberative process privilege,” which is used to keep secret “pre-decisional” agency records.

Judicial Watch argues that the court has recognized “that government misconduct may overcome the deliberative process privilege.”

“[W]here there is reason to believe the documents sought may shed light on government misconduct, the privilege is routinely denied, on the grounds that shielding internal government deliberations in this context does not serve the public’s interest in honest, effective government.”

Insubordination, especially by an acting attorney general seeking to defy an executive order issued by the president, is a “serious breach of the responsibilities of representative government.” The records at issue relate directly to Yates’ defiance of the President and breach of the duties she owed the President, which resulted in her being fired. The records reflect, or at least are purported to reflect, the thought process by which Yates chose to direct her subordinates to defy the President by not defending the President’s executive order. They are, in effect, deliberations on Yates’ decision to commit insubordination. They do not warrant protection under the deliberative process privilege and should be made public.

The “working drafts” were sent as attachments in a chain of emails sent without messages between Yates and her deputy Matthew Axelrod.

Judicial Watch also highlights how the Justice Department is undermining the FOIA reforms passed into law Congress under the FOIA Improvements Act (FIA) in 2016 that “established a new, heightened standard of proof that agencies must meet when making discretionary withholdings of records requested under FOIA. Congress intended the FIA to shore up FOIA, not preserve a years-long, unsatisfactory status quo of ‘withhold-it-because-you-want-to’ exemptions and ‘knee-jerk secrecy.’”

“In an act of seditious and unethical conduct, Obama holdover Sally Yates sought to subvert then-President Trump by interfering with his lawful travel ban. That the Justice Department would try to cover up the details of this lawlessness is yet another scandal,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

In 2017, Judicial Watch obtained records in this case that show strong support by Robert Mueller Deputy Andrew Weissmann and other top DOJ officials for Yates’ refusal to enforce President Trump’s travel ban. In one email Weissmann writes: “I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much. All my deepest respects.”

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-releases/yates-records-misconduct/

Group Founded by Billionaire Biden Donor Pushes WH for $2.9 Billion Investment

Hedge fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones maxed out to Biden. Now his foundation wants a handout.

A Florida environmental group founded by a hedge fund billionaire who contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Joe Biden's presidential campaign is now lobbying the Biden administration to commit $2.9 billion toward its cause.

The Everglades Foundation, founded by billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones, launched a campaign this week pressuring the Biden administration to commit $725 million in each of the next four years toward restoring the Florida national park, according to a Thursday report by E&E News. The lofty demand comes just months after Jones forked over $50,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, the joint fundraising committee supporting the Biden campaign and the Democratic Party.

"It's Washington's turn to help, with $725 million a year in matching dollars for Everglades restoration," the foundation says in a national ad that began airing this week. "President Biden, let's finish the job."

The Everglades Foundation is well positioned for success with the Biden administration—Shannon Estenoz, the foundation's former chief operating officer and vice president of policy, is now at Biden's Interior Department overseeing policy for national parks. The foundation's CEO Eric Eikenberg said he was "thrilled" to see her join the administration.

Tyler Cherry, a spokesman for the department who previously worked for the Biden campaign, declined to comment on Estenoz's appointment and whether it was related to the political contributions. Neither the White House nor the Everglades Foundation responded to a request for comment on the appointment.

Jones himself has been the target of criticism—he was ostracized during the height of the #MeToo movement in 2017 for his close relationship with and support for Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Jones, who was on the board at the Weinstein Company, sent Weinstein an email just after allegations of sexual assault were revealed plotting a way forward for his longtime friend. "I love you," Jones wrote in the October 2017 email, published by the New York Times. "Focus on the future as America loves a great comeback story…. The good news is, this will go away sooner than you think and it will be forgotten!"

Jones has since said he was unaware of Weinstein's conduct and has apologized for the email. "What I know now is that Harvey was a friend I believed too long and defended too long," he said.

While Biden managed to avoid criticism for the previously unreported $50,000 contribution from Jones, other Democrats this cycle weren't as lucky. On the same day Jones cut his check to Biden in September, Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly was pushed to issue a statement excusing a 2017 paid speech he gave to the Everglades Foundation due to its association with Jones.

"Mark does not know this individual and of course disagrees with his comments," Kelly's campaign told the Arizona Republic.

Jones went on CNBC in the final days of the election to argue that a Biden victory would bring a "big boost to the economy." He did not disclose his financial support for Biden's campaign.

Attempts to contact Jones through the Everglades Foundation were not successful.

The Everglades Foundation plans to promote its push for further White House funding on major programs in the coming weeks, including during NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, according to the E&E News report.

Eikenberg told the outlet he views the campaign as an "opportunity to get quick wins on the board" in the new administration.

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/group-founded-by-billionaire-biden-donor-pushes-wh-for-2-9-billion-investment/

Biden’s Concerning Foreign Policy

Column: Speaking loudly while handing victories to Russia and Iran

It’s been only three weeks, but already I’ve lost count of the times the Biden administration has expressed its deep concern over a matter of foreign policy. Hungarian media closures, Somali election disputes, Chinese intimidation, Russian repression, Sandinista crackdowns, the coup in Burma, the International Criminal Court investigation into Israel’s conduct in Gaza—in just the last seven days the State Department has said it’s concerned about all these topics.

And it is right to be worried. The world is a dangerous place. It’s filled with aggressive, autocratic great powers and smaller nations succumbing to the authoritarian temptation. Which is why words are not enough. They have to be backed up with action.

That’s where the Biden team falls short. When asked what the president intends to do about the developments he bemoans, Biden’s spokespeople often deflect by pointing to the calendar. It hasn’t been a month since we’ve taken office, they say. We have to get situated. There are a number of policy reviews in progress. You wouldn’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, would you?

There is something to the argument that it takes time to formulate considered and substantive countermeasures. At the outset of an administration, key positions have not been filled and everyone is playing catchup. But Biden isn’t powerless. He’s done plenty, in both the domestic and foreign arenas. Indeed, the administration has bragged about the number of executive orders he’s signed since January 20, and about his renewal of multilateral partnerships to fight climate change.

It’s not that Biden can’t react to objects of concern. It’s that he doesn’t want to. Or maybe he can’t decide on a course of action. Either way, his administration’s references to bureaucratic procedure are more often than not excuses for inactivity.

Passivity is one thing. Rewarding bad behavior is something else—something much worse. But that is precisely what Biden has done in three critical areas. He rejoined the U.N. Human Rights Council despite its corruption and anti-Semitism. He handed Vladimir Putin a cost-free victory despite the Russian dictator’s arrest and imprisonment of democracy activist Alexei Navalny. And he took the pressure off an Iranian ally despite its terrorist behavior and Iran’s mounting violations of the 2015 nuclear accord. These decisions won’t end worrisome behavior. They will incentivize it.

https://freebeacon.com/columns/bidens-concerning-foreign-policy/

Mexican Executive to Pay $219m to Avoid Graft Trial

Mexican steel tycoon Alonso Ancira Elizondo on Tuesday agreed to pay US$219 million in damages to state oil company PEMEX to avoid trial for money laundering and corruption.

A slew of allegations of corruption surround Mexico’s state owned oil company PEMEX.A slew of allegations of corruption surround Mexico’s state owned oil company PEMEX.Chief of Mexico's largest steelmaker AHMSA, Elizondo has reportedly been in preventative detention since last week, when he was extradited from Spain to face legal proceedings in his home country.

Known nationally as the ‘King of Steel’, he is accused of using bribery payments to secure the sale of an overpriced fertilizer plant to the state oil company, in turn using his own firm to launder the proceeds.

WhatsApp messages from the Federal Judicial Council to local reporters, seen by OCCRP, suggest that Elizondo will remain in custody until the damages agreement with PEMEX is approved by the prosecutor’s office.

The defendant reportedly denies the charges.

According to news outlet Milenio, the prosecution originally indicted Ancira Elizondo for bribing PEMEX's former CEO, Emilio Lozoya, with $3.5 million in exchange for buying the inactive fertilizer plant in 2013.

In 2019, Mexico's audit regulator ASF reported the plant had been inactive for more than 18 years, being in poor condition and lacking the necessary equipment to resume operations.

PEMEX reportedly never managed to reactivate the plant, despite investing millions of dollars.

Lozoya, who led the state company between 2012 and 2016 under former president Enrique Peña Nieto’s government, is accused of embezzling more than $1 million and receiving bribes from Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht in exchange for lucrative contracts.

He’s currently facing trial in Mexico and has reportedly denied any wrongdoing.

The country’s financial regulator UIF blocked Lozoya and AHMSA’s bank accounts in February 2019 after registering multiple suspicious transactions, El Economista newspaper reported.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has repeatedly said on national TV that he is waiting for Ancira Elizondo or AHMSA to return the funds from the overpriced sale of the fertilizer plant to the state.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13854-mexican-executive-to-pay-219m-to-avoid-graft-trial

Hungary: Last Independent Broadcaster has License Revoked

After a long struggle, a court in Budapest has finally succeeded in shuttering Hungary's last independent broadcaster, Klubradio, after it ruled against the station in an appeal case this week.

Klubradio appealed the council’s decision, but the Budapest court’s ruling this week means the station will be forced off air by Sunday.Klubradio appealed the council’s decision, but the Budapest court’s ruling this week means the station will be forced off air by Sunday. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)Klubradio, widely considered the voice of Hungary's liberal opposition, has been fighting for its life for the past decade.

Starting in 2010, when Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party secured a two-thirds majority in Hungary’s parliament, it began to lose advertisers who feared political consequences for supporting the station.

When Klubradio’s broadcast license expired in 2011, the state began more direct attacks, including attempts to block it from renewing its ability to broadcast on it’s regular frequency.

The move prompted thousands to take to the streets of Budapest in 2012 in support of the station, and in 2013, the state ultimately relented.

That was until last September, when Hungary's National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) again ruled that it would not be renewing the radio station’s license; putting their frequency back up for auction.

The NMHH justified the decision by arguing that Klubradio was not playing enough Hungarian music on a daily basis, therefore violating their contract with the state, according to Human Rights Watch, who lambasted the media council’s decision in a September statement

“The decision to shut down Klubradio is the latest in a long line of examples of the Hungarian government’s efforts to rein in independent press and take control over the media landscape,” HRW said. “European Union institutions should find the demise of free press and independent journalism in Hungary concerning.”

Klubradio appealed the council’s decision, but the Budapest court’s ruling this week means the station will be forced off air by Sunday. According to many, the decision is a major blow to press freedom in the central European nation.

"With Klubradio, Hungary loses its last independent radio. It is the next victory for Viktor Orban in his crusade against independent media in Hungary,” German MEP Daniel Freund said in an email to OCCRP. “It is more than just another painful blow to press freedom. Viktor Orban's actions in Hungary are endangering democracy across Europe. We cannot continue to stand idly by while an authoritarian system is built in Hungary."

Both Freund and HRW are calling on the EU to take action against Hungary.

“The EU Council, currently chaired by Germany, should act now to declare Hungary in breach of the EU’s core values and hold Viktor Orban’s government to account,” HRW said.

“The EU Commission must finally use all available instruments to counteract this dismantling of democracy and the rule of law,” Freund told OCCRP.

Others responded with an air of defiance.

In one of its last broadcasts, Hungarian MEP Klára Dobrev declared the station will be back on air next year – assuming an opposition victory in Hungary in 2022.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13853-hungary-last-independent-broadcaster-has-license-revoked

Gone with the Wind: Argentina’s Former First Family Used Luxembourg Companies to Reap $70 Million

Data in Luxembourg’s UBO registry may help unlock an investigation into the Macri family’s lucrative dealings in six wind farms.

Key Findings

A Luxembourg company could hold the key to a corruption scandal that has swirled around Argentina’s former president, Mauricio Macri, and his family for years.

Lares Corporation, set up by his brother, was part of an international chain of companies used to buy and sell six wind farms in deals that allegedly netted the Macris $70 million.

Argentinian law enforcement, who have been probing the deal since 2018, say the discovery of the company may be an important piece of evidence in their case.

In December 2015, Mauricio Macri, a civil engineer who had risen to fame as the head of the popular football club Boca Juniors and the mayor of Buenos Aires, was sworn in as the new president of Argentina.

openlux/Macri-Rawson.jpg

Credit: casarosada.gob.ar

Then-President Mauricio Macri inaugurating new works at the Rawson wind farm in Chubut province, southern Argentina, in January 2018.

The heir of one of the country’s richest families, Macri was seen by many as a pro-business leader who would help open Argentina to the world. But by the time his term ended in 2019, the country was mired in a deep recession.

While Mauricio was still president, his younger brother Gianfranco quietly set up a company in Luxembourg, a tiny country in the heart of Europe known for its low tax rates and financial secrecy.

This company, Lares Corporation S.A. SPF, may now be the key to unlocking a corruption scandal that has swirled around the Macri family for years.

An investigation by OCCRP and La Nación can reveal it was part of a chain of entities registered in Argentina, Spain, and Luxembourg used to buy and sell six wind farms in allegedly corrupt deals that are thought to have netted the former president and his relatives around US$70 million.

Argentinian law enforcement have since 2018 been investigating Gianfranco Macri and at least one official in his brother’s government in connection with the deal.

A source close to the investigation said the discovery of the new Luxembourg company could be a key piece of evidence in understanding how the Macris benefited from the scheme at a time when the probe has stalled.

“It is useful for us to complete the plot, the scheme of the business,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A spokesperson for the Macris confirmed that the family used Lares Corporation to invest in renewable energy, but said the company had been properly declared in Argentina.”

OCCRP could not confirm if Lares Corporation had been disclosed to tax authorities, but the source close to the probe into the wind farm deals confirmed the company was unknown to investigators.

openlux/Hermano-Book.jpg

Credit: Sudamericana

“Hermano,” meaning “Brother“ in Spanish, is a book published by Argentine journalist Santiago O’Donnell based on conversations with Mariano Macri, one of the younger children of the Macri family.

The Macris have previously said the wind farm deal was not “opportunistic buying and selling,” but an attempt to avoid a conflict of interest. The farms were sold due to a “need to divest from state-related businesses,” they told Argentinian news outlet Perfil.

More

https://www.occrp.org/en/openlux/gone-with-the-wind-argentinas-former-first-family-used-luxembourg-companies-to-reap-70-million

When Corporations Become More Powerful Than The Government, Our Definition Of “Big Brother” Needs To Change

Throughout human history, our God-given liberties and freedoms have often been brutally crushed by oppressive governments, and that is still happening all over the world today. But in our time, an additional threat to our liberties and freedoms has emerged. Global corporations just continue to get larger and more powerful, and in recent years they have been increasingly using that power to shape society. This is a very dangerous trend, because in the western world many of the constraints that our national governments are forced to operate under simply do not apply to corporations. This gives them an enormous amount of leverage, and they are using it.

Here in the United States, the federal government still has a monopoly on power in areas such as border security, national defense and foreign policy.

But when it comes to the things that matter the most in the day to day lives of most Americans, it could be argued that the giant corporations have now become more powerful than the federal government.

For example, our politicians like to brag about how many jobs that they have “created”, but the truth is that they don’t actually create any jobs unless you want to count useless government desk jobs.

Our politicians can help to foster an environment that will be favorable for economic growth, but it is the corporations that really determine whether the economy will grow or not.

In fact, it could be argued that the corporations are the economy at this point.

Over time, it has become increasingly difficult for any American to become truly independent of the corporate system. Even if you own a small business or you work for yourself, there is a good chance that you depend on the big corporations in many ways.

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If you doubt this, just try to “go it on your own” without ever using any corporate products, without ever dealing with a big tech company, and without ever bringing in any income from any corporate source whatsoever.

These days, most of our lives are defined by our corporate overlords. They decide what job you will have, what your pay will be, what hours you will work and what your health plan will look like.

Beyond that, now many large corporations have decided that there are certain beliefs, opinions and values that their employees are not permitted to have.

By now, you have probably heard that a certain actress was fired by Disney for having opinions that were not acceptable. That was a very high profile case, but the truth is that this sort of thing is constantly happening all over the country at this point.

As we move into the future, being guilty of “thought crime” is going to eliminate large blocks of people from ever having certain types of jobs. If you do not pledge fealty to the current version of political correctness, you simply will not be permitted to hold a prominent position in society.

If your beliefs are considered to be “offensive”, you may get to mop the floors for the elite if you are lucky.

Even when you are at home, the elite want to endlessly monitor and control what you do, say and think. The primary way that they do this is through the Internet, and in recent months they have tightened their control considerably. The following comes from an opinion piece that was just authored by former U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch…

https://dcdirtylaundry.com/when-corporations-become-more-powerful-than-the-government-our-definition-of-big-brother-needs-to-change/

Trump Attorneys DESTROY House Managers on Lying to American Public and Using Manipulated Tweet as Evidence!

President Trump’s defense team took the floor of the US Senate on Friday in defense of President Trump in the Senate impeachment trial.

Trump Attorney David Schoen ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED the House Managers when he took to the floor of the US Senate.

At one point Schoen played video of the Democrat lawmakers lying about a Trump tweet.

House Impeachment Manager Eric Swalwell gave a riveting performance on Wednesday reading off Trump’s tweets with emotional appeal.

During this theatrical performance, Swalwell read off a Trump retweet by Jennifer Lynn Lawrence.

But there was one problem with the tweet.

It was photoshopped.

Jennifer Lynn Lawrence has never been verified by Twitter.

Democrats faked that to make it look more important.

Dustin Stockton has more.

Wow.

On Friday Trump Attorney David Schoen destroyed Democrats for lying about this to the American public!

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/boom-trump-attorneys-destroy-house-managers-lying-american-public-using-manipulated-tweet-evidence-video/