Yale Epidemiologist: More than Half of New COVID Patients Have Been Vaccinated

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/04/yale-epidemiologist-half-new-covid-patients-vaccinated-video/

"Pathetic Appeal To Hysterical Media, Frightened Voters" - Aussie TV Anchor Unloads On "Loopy-Left Era Of Joe Biden"

‘DRONE ATTACK’ leaves tanker ablaze off Syrian coast – reports

A suspected drone attack left an oil tanker ablaze off the coast of Syria, the country’s state media said. Unconfirmed reports suggest the tanker was Iranian.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, which threatened one of the vessel’s tanks, the Syrian Arab news agency reported on Saturday.

Syria’s oil ministry had originally reported the tanker fire, with officials telling state-run media that the ship had been attacked by a drone that came from Lebanese waters. Separately, reports suggested the tanker was of Iranian origin, though this could not be immediately verified.

The fire was extinguished shortly afterwards, Syrian officials reported.

The tanker was located off the coast of Baniyas at the time of the alleged attack. Baniyas is an important Syrian oil terminal. Photos taken from the shore show a thick column of smoke rising from the apparently stricken vessel.

Israel and Iran have accused each other of targeting each other’s ships in the region in recent months. Israel admitted earlier this month that it targeted at least one Iranian vessel, a military cargo ship.

https://www.rt.com/news/522035-drone-attack-tanker-fire-syria/

New Documents Released in Seth Rich Case Lead to More Questions Like “Who Took Seth Rich’s Personal Laptop Home with Them After the Murder?”

On Friday the attorneys requesting information on Seth Rich received more information on the murder of former DNC employee Seth Rich. This comes after years of requests from attorneys and delays from the FBI and other connected US bodies.

For years the FBI claimed they had no information on Seth Rich, but then in December 2020 the FBI admitted they had documents and his laptop:

In January, the FBI said it never looked at Seth Rich’s laptop. Why would they not look at it? Is this something we can believe after years of delays by the FBI?

On Friday more documents were dropped regarding Seth Rich – see the entire batch drop in this post below:

We reviewed yesterday’s release and have a few observations. One observation is that the FBI simply does not want to release any information in this case. Pages and pages turned over were fully redacted:

But we did locate two documents in the batch released that were interesting. On pages 65 and 66 the FBI notes an interview of someone who was there the night Seth Rich was killed.

First on page 65, there is mention of Seth Rich and that there was some sort of investigation of Rich because an AUSA (Assistant US Attorney) reviewed his financials, and discussed his work history, and talked to some individuals who knew him. They noted that he may have been looking for another job and there was nothing unusual about his financials. Then at the bottom of the page, they discuss an individual who was near Rich the night he was shot. This individual was close enough to the murder scene that he heard gunshots. At the time the witness thought he heard fireworks.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/04/exclusive-new-documents-released-seth-rich-case-lead-questions-like-took-seth-richs-personal-laptop-house-murder/

CIA Chief Makes Unannounced Afghan Visit As Pentagon Scrambles To Move Out Equipment

Now more than a week after Biden's major Afghan troop exit by Sept. 11 announcement, US defense and intelligence officials appear to be scrambling. The Pentagon said Friday it's initiated a major equipment withdrawal from the country; however, this has seen extra military assets and personnel move in to increase security for the exit process and logistics.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday confirmed the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier would stay in Mideast regional waters "for a period of time" - and additionally multiple B-52 long-range bombers have been deployed to the region.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a press briefing that "there could be temporary additional force protection measures and enablers that we would require to make sure…that this drawdown goes smoothly and safely for our men and women."

This follows fierce Taliban threats to attack any and all American troops that still remain after May 1st - which was the exit date previously agreed upon during the Trump administration's talks with the Taliban. Now a mere week away, the Pentagon is gearing up after Taliban leaders vowed to make things a "nightmare" for the US.

Also at the end of this week The Associated Press revealed that CIA Director William Burns made a recent unannounced visit to Afghanistan, where he reassured the Afghan government in Kabul that the US is committed to stay "engaged in counterterrorism efforts."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/cia-chief-makes-unannounced-afghan-visit-pentagon-scrambles-move-out-equipment

Ukraine Says Russian Troop Draw Down Is "Not Enough"

Not satisfied with Russia's confirmed troop draw down from its southern region which has stoked tensions over the past few weeks, leaders in Kiev on Friday demanded that more must be done to de-escalate tensions and conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba "welcomed" the Kremlin's ordering troops that had been engaged in major Crimean and Black Sea military exercises back to the regular bases, but said the violence in the east has continued. Kiev blames Russia for encouraging and supporting an uptick in hostilities with the pro-Russian separatists, which have sought to carve out independent enclaves going back to 2014 and 2015.

"If Russia really pulls back from the border with Ukraine the enormous military force it has deployed there, this will already ease tensions. But we need to remember that this step would not put an end neither to the current escalation, nor to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in general," Kuleba said.

The top Ukrainian diplomat also says Moscow still owes "an explanation" for its largest troop build-up on the border since 2014.

"Russia still owes an explanation to Ukraine… and international community of why it really needed to bring such numerous forces equipped with some offensive weapons at the border with Ukraine in such excessive number of troops," he said.

In a Thursday statement posted to Twitter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to confirm that the Russian draw down was indeed in progress.

"The reduction of troops on our border proportionally reduces tension. Ukraine is always vigilant, yet welcomes any steps to decrease the military presence & deescalate the situation in Donbas," he wrote.

This had been in reaction to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu's initial declaration that the major Crimea and Black sea war drills had been completed and that troops would be ordered back to their permanent bases. "Russia on Friday said troops from its southern military district and airborne troops that took part in the snap inspection were beginning to rebase," Reuters had described of the statement.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraine-says-russian-troop-draw-down-not-enough

Eyebrows raised as 'PREGNANT PEOPLE' green-lighted by US government to get Covid vaccine shots

American health officials have encouraged “pregnant people” to get vaccinated against coronavirus, saying shots are safe for them. However, it’s not just the scientific credibility of the guidance that has been questioned.

“Pregnant people experienced the same side effects as others following vaccination,” the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rochelle Walensky said at a White House briefing on Friday. “Importantly, no safety concerns were observed for people vaccinated in the third trimester or safety concerns for their babies,” the health official added.

This is absolutely ridiculous 😂The world is ignoring basic science just because it offends some people!Women get pregnant, men can not get pregnant!! https://t.co/yCbCPHgxy0

— Joe (@JJMG_33) April 24, 2021

The go-ahead statement is based on a recent study by CDC researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Titled ‘Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons’, it suggested that Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have not proved more harmful for those who are expecting a child. During the vaccines’ preauthorization process, “pregnant persons” were excluded from clinical trials. The updated guidelines for “pregnant people” have been widely reported by US media.

Pregnant people? Because others besides women can now become pregnant?It’s been awhile since I’ve been out but things haven’t changed THAT much since the beginning of the pandemic!? 😳🤨

— Blue No Matter Who (@amyozzy) April 23, 2021

Offering ‘Information about COVID-19 Vaccines for People who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding’, the CDC has previously cautiously advised people to make a personal choice about receiving a jab, following a consultation with a doctor. The recent “no safety concerns” recommendations are based on preliminary findings from self-reported data. More than 35,000 “persons … identified as pregnant,” from 16 to 54 years old participated in the research, using a smartphone-based tool for US vaccine safety monitoring systems. Over 800 of them had a completed pregnancy.

https://www.rt.com/news/522010-pregnant-people-covid-vaccine/

THOUSANDS of anti-lockdown protesters TAKE OVER central London

Thousands of protesters have descended on London to protest the British government’s ongoing coronavirus restrictions. Though pubs and shops have reopened, stiff limits on gatherings remain in place.

Holding signs reading “Freedom is non-negotiable” and “No health passports,” the demonstrators gathered in the capital on Saturday. Billed by its organizers as the “biggest street party London has ever seen,” the rally drew thousands of participants unhappy with the lingering restrictions on gatherings and movement, and opposed to the government’s vague plans to introduce so-called ‘vaccine passports’.

Actor and mayoral candidate Laurence Fox, who has promised to do away with Covid-19 restrictions entirely if elected, was an enthusiastic participant. Posting videos of hordes of people marching through the streets, he decried the “total corruptstream media blackout” of the protest.

The UK’s current lockdown strategy will all but end by late June, unless a surge in infections or new variants of the coronavirus triggers a change of plan. As of Saturday morning, more than 38 million people in England have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and government researchers noted on Friday that infections have fallen to such an extent that Britain has “moved from a pandemic to an endemic situation.”

https://www.rt.com/uk/522032-london-lockdown-protest-march/

"Taking A Knee" Banned By International Olympic Committee

The global body that oversees the Olympic Games has announced that any athletes making political gestures at the event will be punished, and that the rule is the will of most athletes involved.

The ruling means that gestures such as ‘taking a knee’ or raising a fist, which have been ongoing in other sports, are effectively banned from the Olympics.

The IOC’s Rule 50 forbids any form of “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” in arenas or on podiums.

The Committee surveyed a third of athletes who will be involved in the upcoming games and found that the majority want the rule upheld.

The IOC’s Athletes’ Commission chief Kirsty Coventry, who oversaw the survey, commented “I would not want something to distract from my competition and take away from that. That is how I still feel today.”

When asked if athletes who make such gestures will be punished, Coventry said “Yes that is correct,” adding “the majority of athletes we spoke to, that is what they are requesting.”

The British Olympic Association has positioned itself against the stance of the IOC, with World Athletics president Lord Coe also saying that athletes should be allowed to take a knee during Olympic medal ceremonies.

As we have highlighted, there has been significant opposition among sports fans, particularly in football, to players taking a knee. However, some clubs have taken it upon themselves to punish fans who voice their opposition at games, even going as far as demanding re-education lessons or stadium bans.

Some players have also voiced opposition to the taking of the knee. Most notably, Nottingham Forest footballer Lyle Taylor vowed that he will no longer engage in the protest before matches, branding the Black Lives Matter organisation as a “Marxist group”:

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/taking-knee-banned-international-olympic-committee

"It's On" - Germany, France Back EU Push To Sue AstraZeneca Over Botched Vaccine Rollout

Following reports that Germany and other major EU members were reluctant to sue AstraZeneca over the botched rollout of its COVID-19 vaccine, it looks like Berlin and Paris have actually signed on. According to the latest round of reports, almost every EU country has now signed on, opening the door for the EU Commission to launch the lawsuit as soon as Friday.

As Politico reminds us, 5 or 6 major EU nations had expressed some reservations about a lawsuit when EU ambassadors met earlier this week, arguing that legal action could further worsen AstraZeneca's already-tarnished image. But as many member states continue to impose age limits on the AstraZeneca jab, it seems they've given up on these concerns. One by one, each country reportedly fell in line, with France backing the lawsuit on Thursday night, followed by Germany Friday morning, according to a pair of diplomats who weren't named in the report. Hungary backed the lawsuit as well on Friday morning, a sign that the lawsuit has broad support among EU members.

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/its-germany-france-back-eu-push-sue-astrazeneca-over-botched-vaccine-rollout

Despite Portland mayor finally vowing to crack down on Antifa, businesses were still terrorized and a riot was declared Friday night

The mayor of Portland extended a state of emergency for the city through this weekend in an attempt to curtail potential violence and defacement of property. The state of emergency, which gives Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) power to declare a curfew and close public facilities, was first declared on Tuesday, the day of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial.

"Tonight, the anarchists have called for more destruction," Wheeler said at a news conference on Friday afternoon. "I've directed the police bureau to arrest and engage illegal activity whenever they can safely do so."

Wheeler also threatened anyone committing destruction in Oregon's biggest city, and declared, "Let's make it hurt them a little bit." In his strongest words since the regular George Floyd protests and riots began nearly a year ago, Wheeler finally said he would crack down on Antifa and black bloc extremists who have terrorized the city.

"Our job is to unmask them, arrest them, and prosecute them," Wheeler said during the press conference. "I want to personally thank neighbors, family, friends and others who have come forward with vital evidence. People know who these criminals are. They know what they're up to."

"If you have any information, please contact the police," Wheeler said, as reported by the Post Millennial. "I also want you to know that these people often arrive at their so-called direct actions, in cars. And they're all dressed in all black. If you see this, call the police. If you can provide a license plate, if you can do so safely, that information can help later. Together we can make a stand. We're doing what we can today. I'm also asking for your help to make a stand and take our city back."

"There are ways that our other community partners and institutions can be helpful in making it crystal clear that the city of Portland will not tolerate criminal destruction or violence," Wheeler stated. "Those who are engaged in it, let's make it hurt them a little bit."

Wheeler has been a pushover for the far-left rabble-rousers in Portland, who have staged a sit-in protest inside the lobby of his condo, verbally abused him at a pub, punched the mayor while he was eating dinner at a restaurant, and threw objects at him when he showed up at a protest.

Despite the tough talk, yet another riot was declared in Portland on Friday night.

The Portland Police Bureau noted that "about 75 people mostly dressed in all black, or 'bloc' attire designed to make it difficult for police to identify lawbreakers." Within the first 15 minutes of the planned "autonomous demonstration" there were "reports of broken windows and graffiti" at businesses, including a Moroccan restaurant reportedly owned by an immigrant. A TriMet bus shelter was tagged with the anarchist symbol.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/riots-portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-antifa

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Met With Chinese Communist Party Think-Tank Linked To “Favorable Coverage” Junkets.

CNN Host Fareed Zakaria met with officials from a Chinese Communist Party-run think tank linked to the regime’s efforts to procure “favorable coverage” from Western media outlets, The National Pulse can reveal.

The latest information adds to the plethora of evidence that Zakaria – one of CNN’s leading anchors – is closely linked with the Chinese Communist Party.

Zakaria visited the “government-affiliated” Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) during his stint as an editor for Newsweek. During the trip, he met with the group’s president, vice president, and various directors.

SIIS is linked to the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign influence campaign through its board member Tung Chee-Hwa, who serves as the Vice-Chairman of the “highest-ranking entity overseeing” China’s United Work Front Department, according to the U.S.-China Security and Economic Review Commission.

The effort aims “to co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party” and “influence foreign governments and other actors to take actions or adopt positions supportive of Beijing’s preferred policies,” according to the U.S.-China Security and Economic Review Commission.

In addition to advising the think tank, Tung has repeatedly attended SIIS events including its 50th anniversary, hosted SIIS leaders at his events, and even funded SIIS research.

Tung also founded and leads the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), previously exposed by The National Pulse for sponsoring trips to China for mainstream corporate media outlets in exchange for “favorable coverage.” As revealed through Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) filings with the Department of Justice, the group’s explicit goal of the trips is to “effectively disseminate positive messages to the media, key influencers, and opinion leaders, and the general public.”

Dubbed “familiarization trips,” the criteria for participants included “effectiveness and opportunities for favorable coverage”:

“In order to develop favorable coverage in key national media, BLJ will continue to organize and staff “familiarization trips” to China. This includes recruiting top journalists to travel to China, selected for effectiveness and opportunities for favorable coverage.”

https://thenationalpulse.com/exclusive/fareed-zakaria-visited-ccp-think-tank/

Chauvin Sentencing Date Set as Judge Orders Juror Information Sealed Indefinitely

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced on June 16 for murdering George Floyd last year, a Minnesota court announced Friday.

The sentencing will take place in Hennepin County at 1:30 p.m. central time.

Jurors found Chauvin, 45, guilty of second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and third-degree murder in the May 25, 2020, death of Floyd, a man who was arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 at a nearby store.

Floyd, 46, was restrained on the ground after resisting being placed into a patrol car. Chauvin knelt on his neck and back for over nine minutes. By the time an ambulance arrived, Floyd had stopped breathing.

Chauvin faces the prospect of 40 years in prison. Under Minnesota law, criminals only face jail time on their most serious crime if all charges are from a single act.

Experts believe Chauvin will be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in jail. Sentencing guidelines (pdf) say that Chauvin, because he had no criminal history, would be sentenced to between 10 years and eight months and 15 years in jail.

Prosecutors want County Judge Peter Cahill to go higher because of potential aggravating factors, such as the fact that the crimes were committed while a child was present.

“We believe there are aggravating factors and the sentence should exceed the sentencing guidelines,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat, said after Chauvin was convicted.

Chauvin’s attorney has not responded to requests for comment.

Cahill told the parties that they should present briefs about aggravating factors and he would review them before weighing in on the issue.

In the last major case in the state that bears similarities to Chauvin’s, former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was sentenced to 12 and a half years in jail after being found guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting a woman in 2017. Noor was acquitted, though, of second-degree murder.

https://www.ntd.com/chauvin-sentencing-date-set-as-judge-orders-juror-information-sealed-indefinitely_602784.html

MIT Study Suggests Six Foot Social Distancing, Limited Occupancy Rules Are Completely Pointless

After over a year, scientists have determined that social distancing and limited occupancy rules may be totally useless.

A new study conducted by MIT scientists and released this week reveals that the six foot social distancing and limited occupancy guidelines made law in most of the civilized world have done little to slow the spread of COVID-19, and suggests the only way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is to limit exposure to highly populated areas and areas where people are physically exerting themselves, such as gyms, or areas where people are singing or speaking, such as churches.

The study reveals that the social distancing guidelines employed throughout much of the world for over a year have done nothing to limit the spread of COVID-19, suggesting that the adaption of the guidelines did not stop the spread of the of the China-originated virus, and it can only be slowed with the employment of severe lockdowns. Paradoxically, states and cities that have engaged in severe lockdowns have seen the largest spikes of COVID-19.

“We argue there really isn’t much of a benefit to the 6-foot rule, especially when people are wearing masks,” MIT professor Martin Z. Bazant said, as reported by NBC. “It really has no physical basis because the air a person is breathing while wearing a mask tends to rise and comes down elsewhere in the room so you’re more exposed to the average background than you are to a person at a distance.” In other words, widespread mask wearing may simply change the physical vectors of transmission within a given room rather than stop it, effectively making six foot distancing rules pointless.

In their study, Bazant and the other researchers declare, “Adherence to the Six-Foot Rule would limit large-drop transmission, and adherence to our guideline, [of limiting time spent in densely populated areas], would limit long-range airborne transmission.” In the guideline, the researchers write, “To minimize risk of infection, one should avoid spending extended periods in highly populated areas. One is safer in rooms with large volume and high ventilation rates. One is at greater risk in rooms where people are exerting themselves in such a way as to increase their respiration rate and pathogen output, for example, by exercising, singing, or shouting.”

Bazant also told the media, “What our analysis continues to show is that many spaces that have been shut down in fact don’t need to be. Often times the space is large enough, the ventilation is good enough, the amount of time people spend together is such that those spaces can be safely operated even at full capacity and the scientific support for reduced capacity in those spaces is really not very good.” He added, “I think if you run the numbers, even right now for many types of spaces you’d find that there is not a need for occupancy restrictions.”

This comes on the heels of a study that suggests the Pfizer vaccine could cause severe neurodegenerative diseases caused by brain prions created by the mRNA-style vaccine. National File reported, “‘The current RNA based SARSCoV-2 vaccines were approved in the US using an emergency order without extensive long term safety testing,’ the report declares. ‘In this paper the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was evaluated for the potential to induce prion-based disease in vaccine recipients.’ Prion-based diseases are, according to the CDC, a form of neurodegenerative diseases, meaning that the Pfizer vaccine is potentially likely to cause long term damage and negative health effects with regards to the brain.”

https://nationalfile.com/mit-study-suggests-six-foot-social-distancing-limited-occupancy-rules-are-completely-pointless/

Coca Cola Researcher Convicted For Stealing $120 Million In Trade Secrets.

A Coca-Cola chemist was convicted of stealing $120,000,000 worth of trade secrets from American companies for the Chinese Communist Party.

Dr. Xiaorong You worked with The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta as a principal engineer for global research at Coca-Cola from December 2012 through August 2017. She also served as a packaging application development manager for Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, granting her access to trade secrets belonging to additional companies such as Akzo-Nobel, BASF, Dow Chemical, PPG, Toyochem and Sherwin Williams.

You stole secrets related to BPA-free coatings for the inside of beverage cans in order to set up a new company in China.

She received millions of dollars in Chinese Communist Party grants – including those linked to the “Thousand Talents Program” – to support her efforts and Chinese corporate partner Weihai Jinhong Group.

https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/coca-cola-researcher-convicted-of-ccp-ties/

Minneapolis Black Business Owners Plead for Help in No-Go-Zone

Black-owned businesses trapped in the Minneapolis no-go zone where George Floyd was murdered by a police officer are pleading for, among other things, help from police, reports the New York Post:

Black merchants near the once-thriving corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue said police have abandoned the blocked-off intersection, creating a dangerous autonomous zone that has seen crime spike and business evaporate.

“The city left me in danger,” the owner of Smoke In The Pit restaurant told The Post Thursday.

“They locked us up on here and left us behind,” said the merchant, who asked to be identified only as Alexander W. for fear of reprisals.

“They left me with no food, no water, nothing to eat,” Alexander told the Post. “The police, fire trucks, can’t come in here.”

Welcome to one more Democrat-run city more interested in pushing lies about systemic racism than actually fulfilling its primary obligation: keeping its citizens safe and ensuring they can freely go about the business of living their lives and making a living.

The Post reports that the no-go zone is empty of consumers. Hardly any customers come anymore because they know it’s unsafe and are likely to be harassed (or worse) by the left-wing terrorists in Black Lives Matter and Antifa, not mention the criminals and gangs who roam free without fear of police.

“The black-owned businesses say they have lost 75-percent of their business since the Floyd memorial sprouted up shortly after his death” and “feel they have been the sacrificial lambs” at the hands of a Democrat-run city.

One of the terrorists who oversees what’s called “George Floyd Square,” an area that is literally blockaded, dismissed concerns of the business owners and residents, and added this: gang members “keep us safe in their own way.”

Imagine living and trying to do business like this for more than a year. It’s outrageous and only hurting the very people – black Americans – Democrats claim they want to help.

But Democrats have no interest in helping anyone other than themselves — and if every Blue City in America has to be burned to the ground in order to hide the fact that Democrats cannot handle the most basic tasks of governing (and nothing is more basic than keeping people safe) – they will see to it that those cities burn.

Minneapolis has been governed by Democrats for more than 40 years. Republicans are so outnumbered they have no say whatsoever in how the city is run, and look at what’s happening to this once great metropolis, the once great Twin Cities.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/04/24/nolte-minneapolis-black-business-owners-plead-for-help-in-no-go-zone/

ANALYSIS: Chuck Schumer’s 2017 Warning About The Intel Community Seems To Have Come True

Sen. Chuck Schumer’s comment in January 2017 that the intelligence community has “six ways from Sunday” of getting back at its critics seems to have held up in the four-plus years since he issued the warning.

The latest example is a column published last week taking aim at Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official who uncovered the FBI’s abuses of the surveillance process during the Trump-Russia probe.

Patel responded to allegations in the column in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Weeks before Donald Trump took office, Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer issued an ominous warning.

“You take on the intelligence community? They have six ways from Sunday of getting back at you,” the New York Democrat said in an interview with MSNBC on Jan. 3, 2017.

Schumer was responding to Trump’s criticism of an intelligence community assessment that said Russia interfered explicitly to help the Republican win the 2016 election.

“He’s being really dumb to do this,” Schumer said of Trump.

Schumer’s prediction appears to have been borne out repeatedly during the Trump administration through a series of leaks from intelligence community and law enforcement officials aimed at stoking the narrative that Trump and his allies were in cahoots with Russia.

The trend has continued into the Biden administration, with a report published last week going after Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official who is credited with uncovering the FBI’s abuse of the surveillance process during its investigation of the Trump campaign.

A week after Schumer’s remarks, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported details of a phone conversation between Michael Flynn, who was then poised to take over as national security adviser, and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Ignatius raised the specter that Flynn had violated a rarely-used law called the Logan Act. The column set in motion a series of events that eventually led to Flynn pleading guilty in the special counsel’s probe.

On April 11, 2017, The Post reported that the FBI obtained warrants to surveil former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The report was widely interpreted at the time as lending credence to the idea that the FBI had ample reason to investigate Page and the Trump campaign for possible links to the Kremlin.

https://dailycaller.com/2021/04/23/chuck-schumer-kash-patel-intelligence-community/

Report: Cousin Says Ma’Khia Bryant’s Family Weighing Legal Action

The family of Ma’Khia Bryant, the teenager a policeman shot and killed Tuesday in Ohio, is reportedly considering taking legal action.

Bryant called police when two women came to her foster home in Columbus and began fighting with her, according to Deja Torrence, who is a cousin, Insider reported Friday.

“Torrence said her mother, Hazel Bryant, and Bryant’s biological mother, Paula, had spoken throughout the week, including Friday morning. They are talking with a lawyer and want to take legal action,” the outlet continued.

The cousin stated someone must be “held accountable” because “The family just doesn’t want this to be another senseless killing that goes under the rug and gets overlooked.”

However, Torrence did not say who family members want to take legal action against or detail a timeline for those plans, but claimed the foster system failed her cousin.

“There’s been some talk about the foster family in the past, of how she’s had issues with the foster family. So as a family, we’ve tried to kind of navigate that over the years,” Torrence commented.

“I haven’t been in contact with them, but I want people to know that we should be holding somebody accountable for the 16-year-old kid’s death,” she said.

The Columbus Division of Police released bodycam video showing the shooting of the teenager who appeared to be armed with a knife.

“The video appears to show the girl fighting with another girl as the officer opens fire,” Breitbart News reported Tuesday.

https://www.breitbart.com/health/2021/04/24/report-cousin-says-makhia-bryants-family-weighing-legal-action/

Canada: Judge Orders Google to Identify Person Behind Anti-Antifa Blog

A judge in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia has ordered tech giant Google to hand over information linked to a blog critical of the far-left extremist group Antifa after allegations of cyberbullying.

The request comes after a complaint from a Nova Scotia couple, Darius Mirshahi and Sakura Saunders, who the blog had previously alleged were leaders in a Canadian branch of the far-left anarcho-communist Antifa group.

The blog “Antifa: Exposed” has since gone offline after previously being hosted by the Google-owned platform Blogger.com.

The couple alleges that the blog labelled them leaders of a “domestic terrorist organization” and claims the posts “have caused them psychological stress and fear that they will be targeted with violence”, Canadian broadcaster CBC reports.

“The blog alleges the applicants are a member and a leader of a domestic terrorist organization, which uses extreme violence against those they disagree with the intent of destroying civilization,” the court filing states.

“The blog alleges the applicant Sakura Saunders made trips to Australia to organize student riots. The blog alleges the applicant Sakura Saunders engages in criminal projects,” it adds.

Saunders, described as a social justice activist in court filings, is an American-born far-left activist and her anarchy-themed wedding to her partner was detailed in 2012 by alternative Edmonton-based newspaper Vue Weekly.

“Saunders married her partner in Toronto this past summer. As environmentalists and anarchists, the wedding was designed to not only be a celebration of the couple’s love, but also of the political beliefs that existed within their relationship,” the magazine stated.

According to CBC, the ‘Antifa: Exposed’ blog published photographs of the wedding which allegedly also identified prominent Antifa anarchists among the guests.

The broadcaster notes that Google has until the end of the month to provide the identifying information associated with the blog.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/04/24/canadian-court-orders-google-give-info-behind-antifa-critical-blog/

Merkel Tells Citizens to Submit to ‘Tough’ New Lockdown Restrictions

BERLIN (AP) – Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Germans to accept nationwide pandemic restrictions that took effect at midnight, resulting in a 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew and further limits on personal contacts and access to nonessential stores in regions with high infections.

In her weekly video address Saturday, Merkel acknowledged that the new rules are “tough” but insisted they are needed to curb the spread of the virus in the country.

Germany’s disease control agency on Friday reported 23,392 newly confirmed cases and 286 more deaths from COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, Germany has recorded almost 3.3 million cases and 81,444 deaths.

Merkel said the new measures, which automatically take effect in regions with more than 100 new cases a week per 100,000 inhabitants, are “urgently needed.”

Politician from Merkel's Party Resigns over Profiting from Mask Contracts https://t.co/63Woc16k6d

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) March 7, 2021

Citing other countries such as Britain, Portugal, and Ireland that saw infection rates sharply reduced during strict lockdowns, she defended Germany’s new restrictions against critics who have called them excessive.

“No country that managed to break the third wave of the pandemic and then loosen restrictions again did so without tough measures such as nighttime curfews,” Merkel said.

Dozens of German celebrities this week posted videos mocking the restrictions. Some have since deleted their videos and apologized for echoing far-right narratives about the pandemic while appearing to downplay the suffering of those who lost loved ones to COVID-19.

Germany’s lawmakers this week approved legislation that applies an “emergency brake” consistently in areas with high infection rates, doing away with the patchwork of measures that characterized the pandemic response across the country’s 16 states.

German Vice-Chancellor Reportedly Slams 'Really S***' EU Vaccine Programme https://t.co/GVv3CedxOR

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 6, 2021

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/04/24/merkel-tells-citizens-to-submit-to-tough-new-lockdown-restrictions/

US vaccination sites are closing from California to Texas, Ohio to Mississippi as demand for Covid shots plummets across the country - despite less than 28% of the population being fully inoculated

At least seven vaccination sites across the U.S. are closing amid falling demand for COVID-19 shots.

A Kaiser Family Foundation report warned this week that the U.S. is approaching a 'tipping point': most people who were eager to get vaccinated already have been.

As of Friday, just shy of 42 percent of Americans - and nearly 53 percent of adults 18 and older - have had at least one dose of vaccine.

More than 35 percent of adults are fully vaccinated, or about 27.5 percent of the population.

Some 20 percent of the U.S. population is considered 'vaccine hesitant.' It's not entirely clear what is driving the current drop-off in daily vaccination rates ahead of the U.S. reaching 80 percent of eligible people getting vaccinated - but it seems to be widespread.

After rising to more than three million a day for at least a week, the seven-day rolling average of daily vaccinations is now below that figure, according to data from both Bloomberg and the CDC.

Some of the sites, like a mass vaccination site at Cal State in Los Angeles, California, were only slated to be open for an eight-week window after being installed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

But others, like a mass vaccination site in Summit County, Colorado, are closing voluntarily and earlier than expected due to 'decreased demand' for vaccines.

Closures are also happening in Ohio, Nevada, Florida, Texas and California.

Meanwhile, officials in Kansas and Mississippi are asking federal officials to send them less vaccine.

All of these states are seeing declines in the number of vaccinations being given a day.

In most of these locations - and nationwide - daily Covid infections have fallen precipitously since the vaccine rollout picked up pace in January.

But in recent weeks, those declines have slowed, in a similar trend to the pace of vaccinations. Some places have even seen moderate increases.

In Ohio, where a mass vaccination site in Mercer County is set to close on May 7, the New York Times reported.

Officials there told the times that just 27 percent of adult residents of the county have had at least their first doses.

http://www.madnesshub.com/2021/04/us-vaccination-sites-are-closing-from.html

Anonymous NatSec Officials: The Cuban Ray Guns Are in Syria Now, Just Trust Us on This

Here we go again with the anonymously sourced claims Russia is trying to fry the innards of U.S. government personnel abroad, using energy guns secretly manufactured using updated Soviet blueprints.

According to Politico, anonymous officials said the Pentagon has briefed members of Congress on “intelligence surrounding suspected directed-energy attacks against U.S. troops,” with the outlet citing at least four national security officials “directly involved in the probe.” In one of the incidents, several troops in Syria (where hundreds of U.S. soldiers are stationed in another forever war) “developed flu-like symptoms.” Politico also wrote that said officials attribute these directed-energy beams to being sourced from nefarious Russian operatives. “Two former national security officials involved” in the inquiry, quite possibly ones that departed office along with Donald Trump, claimed the incidents drew extreme concern across the Department of Defense:

The briefings included information about injuries sustained by U.S. troops in Syria, the people said. The investigation includes one incident in Syria in the fall of 2020 in which several troops developed flu-like symptoms, two people familiar with the Pentagon probe said… The incidents of suspected directed-energy attacks by Russia on Americans abroad became so concerning that the Pentagon’s office of special operations and low-intensity conflict began investigating last year, according to two former national security officials involved in the effort. It’s unclear exactly how many troops were injured, or the extent of their injuries.

So it’s rather odd that the head of U.S. Central Command, General Frank McKenzie, immediately told the Senate that he had never heard of any such Russian energy beams zapping U.S. troops, whether for the purposes of fevers and coughs or otherwise:

After this article was published, Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told lawmakers during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that he has seen “no evidence” of such attacks against U.S. troops in the Middle East.

The commanding officer of all U.S. forces in the Middle East would presumably be at least a little interested in knowing his soldiers were being shot at with sci-fi weapons. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) all declined to comment directly on the issue to Politico and suggested there was insufficient information to reach conclusions at this time.

https://gizmodo.com/anonymous-natsec-officials-the-cuban-ray-guns-are-in-s-1846743041

French archdiocese gives money to build large mosque

The Archdiocese of Tours’ financial situation has been badly affected by the COVID-19 crisis, leading to a dramatic appeal from Archbishop Vincent Jordy this month.

TOURS, France, April 23, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — Vincent Jordy, recently named archbishop of Tours in the center of France, has been forced to publish a statement after declarations by a local Muslim leader revealed that the Catholic diocese has given funds for the construction of a large mosque, and that these funds can be said to have been financed by the “denier du culte”: parish contributions given by Catholics in the diocese for its upkeep and operating costs.

The story broke ten days ago when a local newspaper, la Nouvelle République, published a story for the beginning of Ramadan on April 13, with comments by the president of the Muslim community of the department of Indre-et-Loire in the Loire valley explaining that the new Grand Mosque of Menneton was not yet ready to receive the Muslim faithful, in particular in its areas destined for public worship.

Salah Merabti, talking about COVID restrictions that will prevent the faithful from “breaking the fast” in communal dinners at their present mosque, said he hoped that next year, works will have been completed in the new building, for which €4 million euro (nearly $5 million) have already been spent. 2 million euro worth of funds are lacking at present to pay for the roof, the dome, and sealing work. The construction project is already several weeks or months late because of COVID-19, and now the price of building materials has risen steeply, compromising the Muslim community’s ability to finance future contracts.

It was at this point that Merabti spoke about those who had helped or are still helping with the funding of the project: “In Paris, I met the boss of Coca-Cola Algeria who gave us the sum of €150,000 for the roof. This is exceptional. We also received gifts from elected officials of the [Tours] metropolis, from the Jewish community of Tours, and from the diocese, for the worshiping area of the mosque. This is a great comfort.”

The story was picked up by the independent Catholic website “Riposte-Catholique,” which asked: “Are we to understand that parish funding of the church has been diverted for the needs of the Muslim community? This is a question that should be put to the accounting office of the diocese.”

The diocese of Tours ordinarily receives a yearly global budget of some €1.6 million through parish contributions, compared to yearly operating costs of about €6.7 million, for which Sunday collections, gifts on the occasion of weddings and funerals and Mass intentions also provide.

While the diocese had a comfortable sum of nearly €9.5 million stashed away at the end of 2019, its financial situation has been badly affected by the COVID-19 crisis, leading to a dramatic appeal from Bishop Jordy this month. He underscored the “total decrease” of Sunday collections since the measures to contain the pandemic began, as well as an almost total decrease of contributions on the occasion of some sacraments and of parish funding; even gifts for Mass intentions have declined “very significantly,” he deplored. Jordy asked all the Catholics of his diocese to chip in, adding that this was “vital.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/french-archdiocese-gives-money-to-build-large-mosque

Celebrity Doctor: Fauci Has Chalked Up 300+ Media Appearances Over Past Year

For decades, Anthony Fauci was an unrecognizable government bureaucrat to anyone who lived outside of the D.C. Beltway. He would pop up out of obscurity and into the conversation every few years in the event of a niche issue involving infectious diseases.

That all changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, which elevated the once-irrelevant mandarin to stardom. Today, he is a media mainstay.

The celebrity doctor, who has become best known for his routine peddling of quackery related to the coronavirus, has developed a cult following thanks to his consistent political activism and regular appearances across a plethora of media platforms.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) — where Fauci has held the top post for 38 years — now accommodates their celebrity doctor by maintaining a dedicated list of his media appearances.

Scroll through the “Fauci In The News” tab on the NIAID website and you will find page after page of Dr. Fauci’s seemingly endless schedule of media hits.

By my count, he has accumulated well over 300 media appearances over the past year alone. On Sunday, Fauci got a high dose of his television fix, racking up 4 separate TV appearances on ABC, CNN, CBS, and NBC.

https://humansarefree.com/2021/04/celebrity-doctor-fauci-300-media-appearances.html

Pakistan bombing puts spotlight on security at China’s flagship belt and road project

Five people died when a suicide bomber targeted a Quetta hotel where the Chinese ambassador was staying

Timing of attack could rattle investor confidence, observers say

A suicide bombing in southwest Pakistan may not have been aimed at China but it highlights security risks with Beijing’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative

project in the region, observers said.

At least five people died and a dozen were wounded on Wednesday when a bomber attacked a hotel in Quetta

where Chinese ambassador Nong Rong was staying.

Nong had been attending a meeting in another part of the city and was due to return to the hotel when the attack occurred, Pakistani officials said.

No Chinese casualties were reported.

The attack took place in Balochistan, where China and Pakistan are building a number of infrastructure projects associated with the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said the suicide bomber had intended to strike a meeting of “locals and foreigners”, The New York Times reported.

Insurgent groups in Balochistan have claimed responsibility for attacks on Chinese targets in the past, saying Pakistan and China had exploited local natural resources.

In May 2019, a hotel in the Pakistani port city of Gwadar was attacked by gunmen from the separatist Baloch Liberation Army. The group’s spokesman threatened “even harsher” attacks and demanded China withdraw from projects in the region.

Previous targets of Baloch separatist attacks included the Chinese consulate in Karachi, and the partly Chinese-owned stock exchange in the southern city.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3130866/pakistan-bombing-puts-spotlight-security-chinas-flagship-belt

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3130866/pakistan-bombing-puts-spotlight-security-chinas-flagship-belt

The Prospect of a Major False-Flag Operation in the Middle-East Grows by the Day: Remembering June 8th, 1967 the Day Israel Attacked the USS Liberty

June 8th, 1967 is a date in history that the world should recognize because it was the day that Israel attacked the USS Liberty, a US Navy spy ship during the Six-Day War. So why would a supposedly staunch US ally do such a thing against one of its most loyal servants? Was it an accident or was it a failed false-flag operation?

In this time of uncertainty, the Israelis have been planning numerous ways to stop Iran’s nuclear program but the question is how would they accomplish such a task? Israeli officials including its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is perhaps, the most vocal of the crowd would do almost anything at this point to prevent Washington from re-entering the Joint Comprehension Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement with Iran since the Trump administration abruptly pulled out from the deal in 2017.

Tel-Aviv is getting anxious to derail Iran’s nuclear program, so would they orchestrate another false-flag operation to commit the US into a shooting war with Iran since the bonds of friendship between both countries are unbreakable? How long before Israel pushes the US into another war in the Middle East? I mean why not? They got their wish when the US invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003 since Israel and its hard-line supporters pushed Washington to declare war by the “Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction”propaganda from the Bush neocons and powerful lobbyists such as American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and of course, the Israelis themselves led by Netanyahu. That one tragic day in 1967 is relevant to today’s dangerous situation developing in the Middle East between Israel and Iran.

The USS Liberty incident occurred during the Six-day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors including Egypt, Syria, Jordan. Lebanon and even Iraq who had a minor role in the war. It began when Israel had attacked the USS Liberty, a US Navy technical research ship (or a spy ship) with its fighter jets and motor torpedo boats that had killed 34 and injured 171 crew members including marines, naval officers, seamen, and a civilian employee from National Security Agency (NSA). The US Naval ship was in international waters in the north of the Sinai Peninsula at the time. There were multiple investigations from the US and Israeli governments who both claimed that it was a mistake while the crew members who were aboard the ship say it was deliberate. So was it a mistake as claimed by both government’s or was it deliberate?

During the Six-Day War, the US had maintained its ‘neutral country status. A week before the war began, the USS Liberty was ordered to the eastern Mediterranean sea for an intelligence collection mission near the north coast of Sinai, Egypt. During the mission, the Israel Air Force (IAF) had flown over the USS Liberty claiming that they were searching for Egyptian submarines that had been previously spotted near the coast. Around 2 pm, the IAF had sent two Mirage III fighter jets to oversee the ship which they had claimed had no “distinguishable markings” or any flag on the ship. The USS Liberty was then attacked. However, right before the attack, the Mirage fighter jets codenamed Kursa had verbal exchanges between a command post weapons systems officer, air controllers and a chief air controller who reportedly questioned whether there was the possibility of a US ship in the area and around 1:57 pm, the chief air controller, Lieutenant-Colonel Shmuel Kislev gave the green light to attack the USS Liberty as the fighter jets unleashed 30-mm cannons, rockets and napalm killing and injuring scores of US crew members.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/prospect-major-false-flag-operation-middle-east-grows-remembering-june-1967-israel-attacked-uss-liberty/5743329

The Israeli People Committee’s April Report on the Lethal Impact of Vaccinations

The Israeli People Committee (IPC), a civilian body made of leading Israeli health experts, has published its April report into the Pfizer vaccine’s side effects.* The findings are catastrophic on every possible level.

Their verdict is that “there has never been a vaccine that has harmed as many people.” The report is long and detailed. I will outline just some of the most devastating findings presented in the report.

“We received 288 death reports in proximity to vaccination (90% up to 10 days after the vaccination), 64% of those were men.” Yet the report states, “according to data provided by the Ministry of Health, only 45 deaths in Israel were vaccine related.” If the numbers above are sincere then Israel, which claimed to conduct a world experiment, failed to genuinely report on its experiment’s results. We often hear about blood clots caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine. For instance, we learned this morning about 300 cases of blood clots in of Europe. However, if the IPC’s findings are genuine, then in Israel alone the Pfizer vaccine may be associated with more deaths than AstraZeneca’s in the whole of Europe.

“According to Central Bureau of Statistics data during January-February 2021, at the peak of the Israeli mass vaccination campaign, there was a 22% increase in overall mortality in Israel compared with the previous year. In fact, January-February 2021 have been the deadliest months in the last decade, with the highest overall mortality rates compared to corresponding months in the last 10 years.”

The IPC finds that “amongst the 20-29 age group the increase in overall mortality has been most dramatic. In this age group, we detect an increase of 32% in overall mortality in comparison with previous year.”

“Statistical analysis of information from the Central Bureau of Statistics, combined with information from the Ministry of Health, leads to the conclusion that the mortality rate amongst the vaccinated is estimated at about 1: 5000 (1: 13000 at ages 20-49, 1: 6000 at ages 50-69, 1: 1600 at ages 70+). According to this estimate, it is possible to estimate the number of deaths in Israel in proximity of the vaccine, as of today, at about 1000-1100 people.”

Again, if this statistical analysis is correct then the numbers reported by the Israeli health authorities are misleading by more than 22-fold.

Those who follow my writing are aware of my work on the undeniable correlation between vaccination, Covid-19 cases, deaths and the spread of mutant strains. The IPC confirms my observation, providing more crucial information regarding age groups. “There is a high correlation between the number of people vaccinated per day and the number of deaths per day, in the range of up to 10 days, in all age groups. Ages 20-49 – a range of 9 days from the date of vaccination to mortality, ages 50-69 – 5 days from the date of vaccination to mortality, ages 70 and up – 3 days from the date of vaccination to mortality.”

The IPC also reveals that the “the risk of mortality after the second vaccine is higher than the risk of mortality after the first vaccine.”

https://www.globalresearch.ca/israeli-people-committee-april-report-lethal-impact-vaccinations/5743361

Biden administration 'plans to expand the number of migrants released into the country' while awaiting hearings as border surge continues

Internal documents reveal plans to expand 'Alternatives to Detention' program

ATD allows migrants present in the US illegally go free as they await hearings

Biden administration says that its policy is to expel solo adults who cross illegally

But adults with small children are often allowed to stay and are released

Administration is facing a dramatic surge in illegal crossings at the border

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9506347/Biden-administration-plans-expand-number-migrants-released-country.html

Biden Stops Fining Illegal Aliens Who Do Not Depart U.S., Cancels Their Debt

President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stopped fining illegal aliens who refused to depart the United States, the agency revealed.

In an announcement on Friday, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that the agency has stopped issuing fines to illegal aliens who refused to depart the U.S. despite previously stating that they would depart.

Former President Trump, with the authority of the Immigration and Nationality Act, finally started requiring the federal government in 2018 to issue fines to illegal aliens who refused to depart the U.S. after the provision failed to be enforced for more than 20 years.

As Breitbart News reported at the time, the Trump administration started fining illegal aliens up to $500 every day they refused to depart the U.S. In some cases, illegal aliens racked up fines of close to $500,000 for violating federal immigration law.

Mayorkas, in a statement, said DHS has rescinded the use of fines on illegal aliens, claiming the authorized policy is not effective in deterring illegal immigration. DHS stopped issuing the fines on January 20 but had not announced the policy change until Friday.

“There is no indication that these penalties promoted compliance with noncitizens’ departure obligations,” Mayorkas said in a statement. “We can enforce our immigration laws without resorting to ineffective and unnecessary punitive measures.”

In addition, illegal aliens fined by the Trump administration will have their debt cancelled by the Treasury Department, a news release states:

After reviewing detailed data regarding the issuance of such fines since 2018, it was clear to Secretary Mayorkas and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tae Johnson that the fines were not effective and had not meaningfully advanced the interests of the agency. ICE intends to work with the Department of Treasury to cancel the existing debts of those who had been fined. [Emphasis added]

The move is only the latest that the Biden administration has undertaken to gut interior immigration enforcement.

Under current enforcement guidelines, DHS is preventing about 9-in-10 deportations with “sanctuary country” orders that have resulted in a 70 percent drop in the number of criminal illegal aliens in federal custody and an 80 percent reduction in arrests of illegal aliens.

Analysis conducted this month predicts that 1.2 million border crossers will be apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border this year, not including those illegal aliens who successfully crossed into the country. This would be a level of illegal immigration not seen since the Great Recession.

Today, there are anywhere between 11 to 22 million illegal aliens living in the U.S., costing American taxpayers about $134 billion every year.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/04/23/biden-stops-fining-illegal-aliens-who-do-not-depart-u-s-cancels-their-debt/

Norway: Risk of Dying From AstraZeneca Higher Than of COVID-19

While waiting for the final decision on the controversial vaccine, Norway has decided to distribute its stock of AstraZeneca to fellow Nordic countries that actually want to use them despite the associated risks.

Norwegians run a greater risk of dying from being inoculated with AstraZeneca's vaccine than from COVID-19, the National Institute of Public Health (FHI) concluded in its analysis, recommending the vaccine, previously linked to serious complications in the form of rare blood clotting and haemorrhage amid low platelet counts.

Abstaining from the vaccine could possibly prevent up to 10 deaths related to side effects, the FHI said, according to the newspaper Verdens Gang.

So far, Norway has seen five cases of serious incidents reported shortly after vaccination, with three fatalities. FHI has calculated the mortality rate from the AstraZeneca vaccine as 2.3 people per 100,000 vaccinated.

The FHI stressed that continuing to inoculate will by contrast expose younger women to an “unreasonably high risk”, given the current relatively levels of infection in Norway.

Furthermore, the institute is against offering the vaccine on a voluntary basis, which has been proposed both in Norway and fellow Scandinavian nations.

“We believe that such an alternative may appear unethical and with a high risk that those who make such a choice have not fully understood the risk to which they are exposed,” the institute said.

The FHI also ventured that recommending the AstraZeneca vaccine for further use could lead to lower confidence among the population in vaccination programmes in general.

“This could lead to a lower vaccination rate and vaccination rate in the long run, and that patients in risk groups will also say no to vaccines.”

A recent survey by the FHI in collaboration with Mindshare and Norstat, indicated that 76 percent of the respondents were sceptical of at least one of the vaccines, even though 82 percent were initially positive about getting vaccinated. Of the vaccines, AstraZeneca gained the highest level of scepticism at 99 percent, compared with Moderna (9 percent) and Pfizer (8 percent).

However, the government believes it is too early to discontinue the vaccine completely, and is instead launching a new expert group to further investigate both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, which triggered similar concerns.

Pending a final decision, however, Norway has decided to distribute its stock of AstraZeneca to fellow Nordic countries that actually want to use them.

Of the Norwegian stock, Sweden will borrow 200,000, while 16,000 will go to Iceland.

“If the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine is resumed, we will get back the doses we lend as soon as we request it. Sweden and Iceland will then send back the doses from their first deliveries from AstraZeneca,” Health Minister Bent Høie said, as quoted by Verdens Gang.

The Swedish Public Health Agency has made a different assessment of the AstraZeneca vaccine and has concluded that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks and the side effects.

The agency's Swedish equivalent, the Swedish Public Health Agency, has, however, made a completely different assessment and believes that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risk of side effects.

State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell described the contentious vaccine as having a “high protective effect” and “reducing the risk of serious illness and death, especially among the elderly and weak”.

Earlier this spring, dozens of countries temporarily stopped the use of the AstraZeneca shot amid reports of side effects. Of them, many, like Sweden, have since resumed inoculation, citing a precarious infection situation and shortages of other vaccines.

https://sputniknews.com/europe/202104231082704623-norway-risk-of-dying-from-astrazeneca-higher-than-of-covid-19/

YouTube censors RT for daring to entertain unapproved thoughts, but tyranny won’t build confidence in the prescribed narrative

It's bad enough that YouTube's latest censorship move against RT reflects disregard for free speech and scientific principles. It’s also horrible strategy if Big Tech is trying to build public confidence in its favored narratives.

YouTube on Friday disappeared four videos from RT's channel and assessed a strike, which will sanction the news outlet for one week. If it happens again, the next round of penalties will last for two weeks (as just hit RT's German channel, RT DE). Eventually, enough alleged violations of community guidelines can get a channel evicted from the public square permanently.

And YouTube apparently can make that happen just about anytime it wants. The four offending videos were spread out over a period of several months, some dating back to last year, but they were rounded up at once, providing the four violations of community guidelines needed to assess a strike against the channel. And given how little it apparently takes for a video to be deemed in violation – and the lack of transparency around YouTube’s decision-making – there's little that RT can do to failsafe against being censored again. It would have to follow CNN and other mainstream media outlets in producing only ruling-class propaganda, if even that would be safe.

The topics of the videos varied, but the common thread was that they revealed the existence of contrarian viewpoints. For instance, one was a livestream of an anti-lockdown protest in London, while another showed Covid-19 skeptics holding a demonstration in Birmingham, England.

RT didn't endorse the views of the protesters, though in a free society, that should be allowed. According to YouTube, merely showing footage of these protests violated its policy against "medical misinformation," showing content that "explicitly disputes" the guidance of local health authorities or the World Health Organization (WHO).

Another video was found to have violated the same policy, showing an interview with legendary Soviet virologist Dmitry Lvov about the dangers of the coronavirus outbreak and the efficacy of masks.

In our increasingly dystopian society, only one set of beliefs on certain key topics is allowed to be discussed. Disagreeing with those beliefs is forbidden. Even showing someone or a group of people who disagrees with those beliefs is prohibited.

Then again, it may depend partly on who shows it. YouTube removed another RT video in March because it showed former President Donald Trump talking about another forbidden topic, alleged fraud in the 2020 election. Videos of the same speech posted by mainstream outlets, such as Reuters and ABC, were initially allowed to stay up, although some were removed later. Different livestreams of the same speech were treated as either "problematic misinformation" or "authoritative news" by YouTube, depending on who posted them.

https://www.rt.com/op-ed/521989-youtube-censors-free-speech-thought/

J&J vaccinations could resume as early as tomorrow morning, say CDC and FDA officials that lifted the 11-day pause on the shot after an expert panel said they are safe and do NOT need to carry a warning about blood clots

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to reaffirm the FDA's authorization for J&J's vaccine

Panelists opted to advise the shot for anyone 18 and up, without warnings or age restrictions

It declined to recommend it carry a warning label about rare but dangerous blood clots seen in 15 women since the rollout began, most of them under 50

Nearly 8 million doses of J&J's vaccine have been given in the U.S.

All 15 of of the cases reported since rollout began were women and most were under age 50

Three women have died due to the clotting condition and seven are still hospitalized

A CDC advisory panel is meeting today to discuss whether the pause on J&J vaccinations should be lifted

They are expected to say shots should resume as early as this weekend, but may recommend the vaccine come with a warning for young women

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9505753/CDC-panel-recommends-J-J-vaccinations-RESUME.html

Biden nomination would be Pentagon's most senior openly transgender official

Biden nomination would be Pentagon's most senior openly transgender official

© Getty Images

President Biden will nominate a transgender retired Navy commander to oversee readiness at the Pentagon, the White House said Friday.

If confirmed as assistant secretary of Defense for readiness, Shawn Skelly would be the highest ever ranking openly transgender defense official.

Skelly, a former Navy aviator, most recently served on Biden’s Pentagon transition team.

She is also the co-founder and vice president of Out in National Security, which advocates for increased representation of LGBT people in the national security workforce.

Her nomination comes after Biden reversed the Trump administration’s ban on most transgender service members. Late last month, the Pentagon released its new rules allowing open service by transgender troops, essentially reverting to the Obama administration’s open service policy.

The White House also announced Friday that Biden would nominate another leading advocate for LGBT rights in the military, Brenda “Sue” Fulton, to be the assistant secretary of Defense for manpower and reserve affairs.

Fulton is a former Army officer who was in the first U.S. Military Academy at West Point class to admit women. She was the first openly gay member of the academy’s Board of Visitors when then-President Obama appointed her in 2011.

Fulton helped found several organizations advocating for LGBT service members, including Knights Out, OutServe and SPARTA.

In addition to Skelly and Fulton, the White House announced two other Pentagon nominations Friday: Deborah Rosenblum to be assistant secretary for nuclear, chemical and biological defense and Christopher Maier to be assistant secretary for special operations and low intensity conflict.

Maier currently serves in that role in an acting capacity. Rosenblum is currently the executive vice president of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, which advocates for reducing the risks posed by nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/550051-biden-nominates-former-naval-officer-to-be-pentagons-most-senior-openly

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett poses for her first portrait with the rest of her colleagues after signing a controversial $2million book deal

The Supreme Court on Friday released its first photo of Judge Amy Coney Barrett with her fellow justices as legal scholars question her $2 million book deal, saying it is bad optics at a time of political peril for the court.

In the photo, Barrett stands in the back row wearing a red top and pearl necklace under her black robe. The new justices stand in the back while Chief Justice John Roberts is seated in the center.

Barrett is coming under fire for signing a book deal, coming about six months after she was sworn into office after her controversial nomination by President Donald Trump.

She is not the only judge on the high court to have gotten a book deal: Justices Stephen Breyer and Neil Gorsuch wrote on legal and civic issues.

But she has gotten the biggest advance: Justice Clarence Thomas received $1.5 million for his memoir and Justice Sonia Sotomayor got for $1.175 million hers.

Barrett's book will be about how judges are not supposed to bring their personal feelings into how they rule, publishing industry sources told Politico, calling the advance she received an 'an eye-raising amount.'

Sentinel, the conservative imprint of Penguin Random House, is the publisher.

Although federal law doesn't preclude judges from being paid for writing books, such a large advance raises appearance issues, Charles Geyh, who specializes in judicial ethics as a professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, told Bloomberg.

'Judge Barrett may be confident that the book project will not detract from her focus on her judicial duties, and she may well be right,' Geyh said. 'But from the perspective of the average American who is grinding out a living at 40k a year, the optics of a judge who is paid $250,000 in tax dollars to do the people's business as a justice moonlighting for $2 million on a book deal, are problematic.'

Another judicial ethics scholar, Stephen Gillers of New York University Law School, said he doesn't see a problem with the deal.

'The fact of the deal and the amount of the advance by themselves raise no judicial ethics problem, although she will have to recuse herself in cases in which the publisher is a party,' Gillers said.

http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/04/supreme-court-justice-amy-coney-barrett.html

Pentagon Contractors Left in the Dark on Afghanistan Withdrawal Plan

There are currently16,832 Pentagon contractors in Afghanistan, the head of CENTCOM said 'most' will leave under Biden's withdrawal plan

According to a report from Bloomberg Law, contractors in Afghanistan employed by the US military, who vastly outnumber US troops in the country, have been given minimal direction on President Biden’s withdrawal plan.

“We need a much clearer idea of what the endgame looks like,” said David Berteau of the Professional Services Council, which represents 400 government contractors, many of whom are in Afghanistan. “None of that has been revealed to us or our member companies and that is what we’re calling for.”

The report said the Pentagon currently has 16,832 contractors in Afghanistan, including 6,147 who are US citizens. US military officials have been vague when asked if the contractors are leaving with the combat troops, which number about 2,500, although some reports say the number is closer to 3,500.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the head of Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee earlier this week that “most” of the contractors will be leaving. “Most of the contractors are going to leave, and certainly the US contractors are going to leave,” he said, offering no further details.

At a press briefing on Thursday, McKenzie again said the US contractors will be leaving, which suggests contractors of different nationalities could stay. “The US contractors will come out as we come out. That is part of the planned withdrawal we have in place right now,” he said.

Last week, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made it clear that the US will continue supporting the Afghan military financially. He said the US “will seek to continue paying salaries for Afghan security forces.”

The issue is that the Afghan military, especially the air force, is almost entirely reliant on Pentagon contractors to maintain their equipment. Continued support for the Afghan military could be all the justification the US needs to keep contractors in the country.

Last month, John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction (SIGAR), explained just how dependent the Afghan government’s military is on these contractors. One example he gave is that Pentagon contractors provide 100 percent of the maintenance for the Afghan air force’s Blackhawk helicopters and C-130 cargo planes.

The US military is also looking to maintain the ability to bomb Afghanistan after the withdrawal and is looking to reposition forces possibly in neighboring Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, or Uzbekistan, although the US currently has no basing agreements with these countries.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/04/23/pentagon-contractors-left-in-the-dark-on-afghanistan-withdrawal-plan/

China Says US, UK are ‘Empires of Hacking’ in Response to British Accusation

UK cyber spy chief said China could 'control the global operating system'

The head of the UK’s cyber spy agency said China is a threat to internet securities and warned Beijing could control the “global operating system” if Western powers do not act.

“Significant technology leadership is moving East,” said GCHQ chief Jeremy Fleming said on Friday. “The concern is that China’s size and technological weight means that it has the potential to control the global operating system,” he said, adding that the UK and its allies are facing a “moment of reckoning.”

Beijing fired back at the comments on Friday, pointing to the US’s history of global surveillance and hacking. “Western countries, such as the UK and US, are actually the true empires of hacking and tapping,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

The US often accuses countries like China and Russia of cyberattacks, but rarely offers evidence to back up the claims, something Zhao mentioned. “I’d like to stress that given the virtual nature of cyberspace and the fact that there are all kinds of online actors who are difficult to trace, it’s importance to have enough evidence when investigating and identifying cyber-related incidents,” he said.

The US accuses China of setting up backdoors through communication networks and has black-listed Chinese tech firms over the claim. Most notable is Huawei, which has been banned from the US and the UK.

Like many accusations Washington makes, the US is guilty of putting backdoors in global communications networks for surveillance purposes, as revealed by the 2013 Edward Snowden leaks. Those leaks also revealed that the US was struggling to set up backdoors on Huawei devices, which could be one reason the US pressures its allies to ban the firm.

According to a Snowden document obtained by The New York Times and Der Spiegel, the NSA hacked Huawei’s main servers in 2007.

The NSA viewed the increasing amount of internet communications going through Huawei as a “unique” threat to the agency’s ability to conduct surveillance. “Many of our targets communicate over Huawei produced products, we want to make sure that we know how to exploit these products,” the NSA document said.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/04/23/china-says-us-uk-are-empires-of-hacking-in-response-to-british-accusation/

Bill Gates on climate: 'Using just today's technologies won't allow us to meet our ambitious goals'

About 45% of the carbon emissions reductions needed will come from technology that hasn't been developed yet, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said the U.S. government cannot rely solely on existing technology to reach net zero emissions.

An expert featured at the White House and State Department's climate change summit made a similar statement, saying that about half of the emissions reductions needed will come from technology that hasn't been developed yet.

"Climate change is an incredibly complex issue, and using just today's technologies won't allow us to meet our ambitious goals," Gates said at the Leaders Summit on Climate organized by the White House and the State Department Friday. "The reason is that almost all of our zero-carbon technologies are more expensive than their fossil fuel counterparts.

"To provide all the benefits of the modern lifestyle to people around the world, we need new zero-carbon products that are just as affordable, that have what I call a green premium of zero. Now, it will be hard to create those products, but we could do it if we invest in innovation and build the infrastructure for the transition to a clean economy."

Gates said that "doing three things at once" will be required to reach net zero emissions.

"First, we need to develop and deploy breakthrough technologies that allows to eliminate emissions throughout the physical economy," he said. "Second, we need to tap the power markets to fund and deploy these innovations, for example, by finding creative ways to finance technologies, and by leveling the playing field, so they can compete with fossil fuels.

"Third, governments and corporations need to adopt policies that will make it faster and cheaper to make the transition, and leaders will need to reward those who take difficult steps. To accomplish these three things, international cooperation will be essential."

Gates said he's working on a new program called breakthrough energy catalyst.

"It will raise money from governments, philanthropy and companies to make the large capital investments needed to bring down the cost of emerging technologies," he explained. "By taking steps like this to create the financing structures that will allow green products to succeed, we can build new industries and companies that support communities around the world with good jobs, while making the transition to the clean economy."

Gates concluded that "if we take all these steps together, I believe we can avoid a climate disaster."

Dr. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, outlined some figures from studies his organization has conducted.

https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/bill-gates-us-cant-rely-existing-technology-reach-emissions-reductions-goals

CDC Uses Orwellian Woke Euphemism in Vaccine Guidelines

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that pregnant women receive a COVID-19 vaccine after a new study suggested it would be safe for them and for their babies. Of course, the CDC did not actually use such clear language, however. Instead, the agency resorted to woke transgender euphemisms.

“CDC recommends that pregnant people receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s head, announced on Friday. “We know that this is a deeply personal decision and I encourage people to talk to their doctors or primary care providers to determine what is best for them and their baby.”

The CDC web page on COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy repeatedly referred to “pregnant people,” as if men, as well as women, can get pregnant.

This language is far from new to those who have followed transgender activism. Transgender activists insist that “men” can get pregnant and breastfeed — or “chestfeed,” according to the latest lingo.

This is nonsense, of course. Only females can get pregnant, carry children, and (barring rare and unnatural hormone conditions) feed them at the breast. So, why insist on “people” instead of “women” who are pregnant or breastfeeding?

Some of those biological women identify as men, regardless of the fact that they are female from conception and down to the DNA in every adult cell in their bodies. A woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding can claim to be a man all she wants, but that does not mean that men get pregnant or naturally breastfeed.

Transgender activists not only call these women men, but aim to normalize the idea that men can become pregnant. This is an Orwellian redefinition of terms, and it’s dangerous.

Transgender activists claim that this language is “inclusive,” but it is intentionally confusing and destructive.

Transgender identity in medicine has caused real harm. In one particularly tragic case, a pregnant woman who identified as a man went to a hospital with abdominal pain. Because she identified as male and records listed her as male, doctors discounted the idea that she could be in labor. She did not receive the care she needed and her child died.

The transgender movement arguably does harm to the very people it aims to help.

Research shows that there are significant risks with sex reassignment surgery, including heart conditions, increased cancer risk, and loss of bone density. Children with gender dysphoria (the condition of persistently identifying with the gender opposite one’s biological sex) are extremely unlikely to continue in that condition after puberty. Many realize they are not transgender, but instead gay or lesbian — like detransitioner Charlotte Evans, who launched a network for formerly transgender people.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/tyler-o-neil/2021/04/24/cdc-uses-orwellian-woke-euphemism-in-vaccine-guidelines-n1442483

Where's the Accountability For California's $31 Billion Unemployment Scandal?

It may be the largest fraud case in U.S. history — perhaps world history as well, although the oil-for-food scandal engineered by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s would give the Golden State fleecing of the unemployment system a run for its money.

The stupendous size of the unemployment claims scandal in California is purely the result of incompetence. Individuals, criminal gangs, hackers, and state actors siphoned as much as $31 billion away from the California government. It was a free-for-all that even had criminals locked away in California prisons stealing billions of dollars right under the noses of the guards.

Perhaps the most extraordinary element in this scandal is the lack of outrage not only from government officials, but from the people, as well. California politicians do not appear to be paying a price for this massive boondoggle.

Reason:

Approximately 10 percent of the paid claims have been fraudulent, with another 17 percent under suspicion. This will be “the largest fraud investigation in the history of America,” according to one expert interviewed by CALmatters. Part of the blame, it notes, is from “the state’s own failure to cross-check unemployment applications with prison rolls.”

Who are these incompetents who are running this agency? The EDD says it is “one of the largest state departments with employees at hundreds of service locations throughout the state.” It has great pretensions, noting on its website—the same one that continues to crash and can’t process legitimate jobless benefits—that it has “connected millions of job seekers and employers in an effort to build the economy of the Golden State.”

“Although it would be unreasonable to have expected a flawless response to such an historic event, EDD’s inefficient processes and lack of advanced planning led to significant delays in its payment of (unemployment insurance) claims,” wrote California State Auditor Elaine Howle. Incredibly, the department’s call center only answered 1 percent of its calls. And there are still 1 million Californians waiting for determinations on their unemployment claims.

Somebody’s head should roll, right? But these are Democrats we’re talking about. California Democrats. Instead of getting canned, state Labor Secretary Julie Su is in line for a big promotion. She’s been nominated to fill the number 2 slot in the U.S. Department of Labor.

“So, while you may not be personally responsible for every case of fraud that happened, the fraud did happen on your watch,” Sen. Richard Burr (R–N.C.) said during a hearing on Su’s nomination, according to news reports. “You ordered the agency to eliminate some important safeguards to speed up payments, which led to even more fraud.”

Su’s confirmation vote is expected next week. She is expected to win confirmation going away.

Governor Gavin Newsom isn’t likely to get punished for this scandal, either.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2021/04/24/wheres-the-accountability-for-californias-31-million-unemployment-scandal-n1442419

War Room: Rachel Maddow Is Worried about what AZ Election Audit will Find — She Knows Georgia Is Next

MSNBC “editor” Rachel Maddow spent several minuted again on Friday night nervously warning her audience about the forensic audit taking place in Arizona. Maddow is already moving on to try to deligitimize the auditors as fringe activists and conspriracy theorists. She knows and top Democrats know if this audit proceeds they will be found out.

Joe Biden did not win Arizona and did not win the presidency. They know this. And they know what the auditors will find.

You must understand how panicked they are. This forensic audit TERRIFIES the left!

On Saturday morning Steve Bannon added that Rachel is especially nervous because she knows Georgia is next!

This is it.

It’s happening.

God hear our prayers for truth. Shine your light on this process.

Via The War Room:

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/04/war-room-rachel-maddow-worried-az-election-audit-will-find-knows-georgia-next-video/

Iron Dome Failed Again: Dozens Of Rockets From Gaza Hit Israel, Provoked Fierce Response

Palestinian fighters fired dozens of rockets from the Gaza Strip onto Israel provoking a fierce response by the Israeli Defense Forces.

Late on April 23, the exchange of fire began with the launch of three rockets from Gaza at nearby Israeli settlements. One of the rockets was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-rocket system, while the other two landed in an empty area near Gaza’s fence.

The IDF responded to the rocket attack with a series of strikes on positions of the Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip. In response, more rockets were launched from the Palestinian enclave.

The fire exchange in Gaza came in the wake of fierce clashes in Jerusalem between the Israeli police, extremist Jewish activists and Palestinian protesters. Hamas held a series of protests in Gaza to condemn violence against Palestinians in Jerusalem.

The situations in the Gaza Strip is calm as for now. Despite threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel will not likely escalate any further.

https://southfront.org/iron-dome-failed-again-dozens-of-rockets-from-gaza-hit-israel-provoked-fierce-response/