>>>12905379 SOHR sources from Al-Hasakah countryside say that U.S. forces have redeployed today, east of Hasaka
Baker FYI SOHR is a clown op run out of the UK and should never be in notes!
Two Men Charged in Multi-million Dollar Darknet Drug Distribution Conspiracy
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-men-charged-multi-million-dollar-darknet-drug-distribution-conspiracy
‘Ndrangheta-linked “Asphalt Billionaire” Loses €212 million
An Italian construction magnate has been expropriated of assets worth over 212 million euro (US$256 million) on Thursday for his suspected ties to two infamous ‘Ndrangheta families involved in illegal bid rigging for construction contracts.
Asphalt ConcreteAsphalt concrete: the “black gold” of the Italian ‘Ndrangheta. (Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)Italy’s Guardia di Finanza said they confiscated assets including 13 joint stock companies, 11 properties and 12 luxury watches from Domenico Gallo, the 65-year-old Calabrian “Asphalt Billionaire” who until recently controlled a vast concrete and asphalt empire, due to decades of alleged collusion with the ‘Ndrangheta’s Piromalli and Zagari-Fazzalari clans.
Gallo was detained during Operation “Cumbertazione” in 2017, which unveiled a gigantic national-level corruption network based out of the southern city of Reggio Calabria.
Comprised of ‘Ndrangheta members, businesspeople and public officials, this “construction cartel” had for years conducted systematic fraud by rigging bids on tenders for the construction of large public works, including parts of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria and Milan-Genoa high-speed railway.
Gallo, who first appeared in police reports about criminal-corporate collusion as early as 1985, stands accused of a litany of crimes, including illegal bid rigging, tax evasion, money laundering, fraud and mafia association.
The two clans he has been tied to belong to the Tyrrhenian district, one of the three territorial units the ‘Ndrangheta has carved into Calabria. Construction is one of their biggest earners: motorways, railways, boulevards and even a large portion of Gioia Tauro, Italy’s biggest container port and a major cocaine entrepot.
The Piromalli in particular are one of the ‘Ndrangheta’s most distinguished families, according to Sergio Nazzaro, a journalist and adviser to the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission. To them, and in fact to the ‘Ndrangheta in general, the multibillion-dollar cocaine trade is just about generating start-up capital for construction projects.
“Drugs [are just] the first step, because the real target is the legal economy”, Nazzaro told OCCRP.
For while cocaine may be a criminal steroid, its bulk cash profits cannot buy true power, at least not in Europe; that kind of influence lies in cement, it lies in creating jobs. From there, says Nazarro, votes and the political success they ensure are but a step away.
https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13860-ndrangheta-linked-asphalt-billionaire-loses-212-million
U.S. Citizen Charged with Murder of Department of Defense Employee in Bahrain
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-citizen-charged-murder-department-defense-employee-bahrain
unsealed also
Alex Trebek’s last ‘Jeopardy!’ champ, Brayden Smith, dies unexpectedly at 24
“Jeopardy!” is suffering another tragic loss after the death of beloved host Alex Trebek.
Brayden Smith, a champion competitor during Trebek’s final episodes he filmed before losing his battle with pancreatic cancer, died at age 24.
He died unexpectedly last Friday in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The ‘Jeopardy!’ family is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brayden Smith,” the show said in a statement. “He was kind, funny and absolutely brilliant. Our deepest condolences go out to Brayden’s family. He will be missed.”
“We are heartbroken to share that our dear Brayden Smith recently passed away unexpectedly,” Smith’s mother Debbie wrote on Twitter. “We are so grateful that Brayden was able to live out his dream on @jeopardy.”
The cause of death is unknown, TMZ reported.
Smith won five games in a row and more than $115,000 during his week on the show, which was filmed in October.
According to his obituary, Smith “attained a lifelong dream” when he competed on “Jeopardy!” and was hailed on social media as “Alex’s Last Great Champion.” Trebek had nicknamed him “Billy Buzzsaw” during his run and said: “Most impressive, I don’t know what to say,” during his gameplay.
see also
Alex Trebek’s last ‘Jeopardy!’ episode: A poignant tribute
“He was looking forward to competing in the show’s Tournament of Champions,” for which he had been qualified, according to his obit from the Dignity Memorial funeral home.
“[Trebek] did, I believe, really like Brayden,” executive producer Mike Richards told EW. “I could tell that he very much enjoyed that young man, and that was fun to watch. I think that energized him.”
“The best part of it for me was spending time with [Trebek],” Smith said in an interview after his winning streak. “Doing the questions and answers is almost incidental, I think, to spending time with somebody who I had cherished in my life for such a long period of time… I think back on it all the time and really savor each moment that I got to have with him.”
“Every moment since I last was on the studio lot has been a moment that I’ve been wanting to get back on there,” he said.
Smith graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in economics in 2020 and was hoping to attend law school to become an attorney for the federal government. Recently he had served as an intern for the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., helping to research criminal justice reform cases.
Before college, Smith attended Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada where he was a National Merit Scholar semifinalist. His love for “Jeopardy!” was fostered as a young adult when he captained his school’s Quiz Bowl team to back-to-back state runner-up finishes.
The “Jeopardy!” champ was not only booksmart, but was in love with culture, too. His family noted that he was an avid sports fan, loved all genres of music and was passionate about film, flipping between Oscar winners and slapstick comedies with ease.
Smith is survived by his parents Scott and Deborah (Rudy) Smith, and three brothers: Bryce, 26, of Reno, Nevada, Brock, 18, and Brody, 15, both of Las Vegas.
Donations in Smith’s memory may be made to the Brayden Smith Memorial Fund.
Trebek, who hosted the show since 1984, died Nov. 8 at age 80.
https://nypost.com/2021/02/12/alex-trebeks-last-jeopardy-champ-brayden-smith-dead-at-24/
PSAKI: One-Week Break For Biden Spokesman Who Threatened To ‘Destroy’ Female Reporter Is ‘Serious Punishment’
Psaki says "we've had "conversations" with TJ Ducklo about how unacceptable his behavior was, as a form of punishment for his threats against a female reporter
Biden administration press secretary Jen Psaki defended the administration’s refusal to fire a White House spokesman who threatened to “destroy” a female Politico reporter on Friday, claiming that the misogynist official’s brief one-week suspension without pay was a “significant step” and a “serious punishment.”
According to Vanity Fair, White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo had threatened Politico reporter Tara Palmieri for reporting on his sexual relationship with an Axios political reporter, telling her “I will destroy you” and threatening to ruin her reputation.
Ducklo accused Palmieri of being “jealous” of his sexual relationship with the Axios reporter, claiming without evidence that her reporting on the ethical concerns of Ducklo’s relationship stemmed from another man wanting “to f**k” the Axios reporter “and not you.”
Despite the misogynistic nature of Ducklo’s comments, the Biden administration chose not to fire him, suspending him without pay for the small span one week. Psaki defended this decision during a press conference on Friday.
“A deputy of yours has been suspended for a week without pay for comments he made to a female reporter, bullying her, after she reached out for request for comment about a story,” CNN’s Kaitlin Collins said. “Whose idea was the one-week suspension, instead of a potential resignation or firing, and how can you keep this person in a public facing, press relations role, dealing with female reporters when he made such sexist comments to this female reporter reaching out for a request for comment?”
Psaki responded by invoking her own gender status as a woman, defending Ducklo by saying he apologized “quite shortly after” the outburst, and downplayed his threats as a “heated conversation about a story related to his personal life.”
When pressed further, Psaki described the suspension as “significant step,” and said “we’ve had conversations with” Ducklo about how unacceptable his behavior was, stating that she felt the brief suspension and scolding were a “serious punishment.”
Though Ducklo’s threats to the reporter reportedly occurred shortly after Biden’s inauguration on January 20, the White House did not suspend him until the story became public almost three weeks later, on Friday February 12.
https://nationalfile.com/psaki-one-week-break-for-biden-spokesman-who-threatened-to-destroy-female-reporter-is-serious-punishment/
Another Lincoln Project Adviser Bails as Sex Abuse Allegations Rock Never Trump Group
Another adviser to the Lincoln Project bailed on the Never Trump organization as it becomes engulfed in allegations one of its founders exploited young men.
Tom Nichols, of USA Today and the Atlantic, indicated on social media that he was not necessarily leaving altogether:
“I’m glad @ProjectLincoln is hiring outside counsel for this,” he said of the scandal in which founder John Weaver reportedly attempted to curry sexual favors from young men while helping them with jobs or connections.
The Lincoln Project announced it agreed to a “third-party review” of the allegations, Breitbart News reported.
“I’ve always been transparent about all my affiliations, as I am now: I told TLP leadership yesterday that I’m stepping down as an unpaid adviser as they sort this out and decide their future direction and organization,” Nichols said.
Nichols’ departure came just days after cofounder Jennifer Horn left the group of anti-Trump “Republicans.”
On Thursday, the Lincoln Project posted on Twitter private messages between Horn and a reporter:
Images of messages exchanged by Horn and 19th News reporter Amanda Becker were posted on the social media site. The Lincoln Project blasted Becker for the discussion with Horn but did not reveal how the group obtained them.
Horn resigned on February 5 after allegations that cofounder John Weaver had groomed several young men — at least 21 — for sexual favors. One was reportedly 14 years old when Weaver began contacting him.
Journalist Yashar Ali also revealed the FBI is investigating Weaver’s actions and claimed “two sources who told me they were contacted by FBI agents.”
“Sources were asked if Weaver ever behaved inappropriately toward them when they were underage,” Ali reported.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/12/another-lincoln-project-adviser-bails-as-sex-abuse-allegations-rock-never-trump-group/