you off ya meds again?
North Korea Launches "Unidentified Projectile" Into Sea Of Japan
Just days after Pyongyang said they're open to "constructive" talks with South Korea, and two weeks after the rogue nation fired a "new type long-range" cruise missile, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reports North Korea fired at least one unidentified "projectile" from its eastern coast Tuesday. The latest tick-up in missile firings comes as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to boil, and a US British warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Monday.
Details are scant at the moment, and there's no confirmation if the projectile was a ballistic missile banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions and or how many were fired and how far it traveled.
"Tuesday's launch could be designed to test whether the South would still brand it as a provocation," Yonhap said. It was noted the projectile landed in the Sea of Japan.
Three days ago, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, made a surprise statement indicating Pyongyang would be open to talks with South Korea but on condition that Seoul would press the Biden administration to relax the U.S. continued crippling sanctions on the isolated country. The latest firing may indicate talks are not going well.
Two weeks ago, North Korea test-fired a "new type long-range" cruise missile that would give the country a "strategic significance of possessing another effective deterrence means for more reliably guaranteeing the security of our state and strongly containing the military maneuvers of the hostile forces," North Korea's state-owned media KCNA said.
If the projectile is confirmed to be a ballistic missile, it would be the third launch this year.
Today's launch most likely had Beijing's full blessing (if not direct order) as Sino-U.S. relations continue to deteriorate.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/north-korea-launches-unidentified-projectile-sea-japan
China Bans Advertisements For 'Cosmetic Beauty' Loans
A few weeks ago, Beijing abruptly scrubbed one of China's most famous actresses from the Chinese Internet, then outlawed the portrayal of "sissy men" - that is, men dressed effeminately, weak or woman-like (the South Korean boy band sensation BTS comes to mind) in Chinese movies and TV.
Now, as President Xi pushes China to embrace more elements of its Marxist-Leninist founding principles, another cosmetics-related order comes down from on high.
This time, Reuters reports that China on Monday banned advertisements for so-called "medical beauty loans" from playing on televisions, radios and online platforms, saying such advertisements enticed young people with low interest rates, while misleading consumers and causing other "adverse effects".
With the Evergrande debt crisis still in the news, the timing of this latest crackdown is interesting. It seemingly kills two birds with one stone. It's pressing back against cosmetic surgeries which are becoming increasingly popular in the US and China. Many original Communists looked down on makeup and fashion, and cosmetic surgery likely would have been forbidden in many early Communist societies. It was once said that the original Bolsheviks didn't wear makeup.
Beijing has also recently cracked down on out-of-control online fandoms where fans sometimes would even have plastic surgery to look more like their idols.
As one CNBC reported out, the decision to ban advertisements for these types of loans might not have been on anyone's 'bingo card' for what Beijing might do next.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-bans-advertisements-cosmetic-beauty-loans
A Covert U.S. Postal Service Unit Spied On Social Media Users Following January 6 Capitol Protests
The watchdog group 'Property Of The People' recently obtained documents detailing the operation
On January 11, the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Internet Covert Operations Program (ICOP), sent bulletins pertaining to January 6 protests to law enforcement agencies around the country. The bulletins were obtained by the watchdog group Property Of The People.
One of the bulletins, titled “United States Capitol Riot Data Archives”, provides guidelines for law enforcement agencies to view deleted tweets. The report highlights tweets from two users regarding January 6. One of the tweets, from Czech Republic-based company Intelligence X, detailed the creation of a system for people to share pictures and videos from the Capitol. Another tweet from an account called “@donk_enby,” says it includes a link to every Parler post made during the riot.
“This provides individuals the ability to identify individuals on the platform, check internal moderators/admins user interfaces, view influencer network status, etc.” the report states in regards to the @donk_ebny tweet. The tweet also provided a link to hours of footage posted on the platform from the events at the Capitol. Parler was eventually booted off Amazon’s hosting services and had to briefly go offline. When the site did come back online, it included heavily increased moderation and censorship.
Accessing the Parler posts in question was a major focus for law enforcement. The iCOP bulletin suggested that the disappearance of all those posts could create a hurdle for law enforcement efforts to prevent “future violence”, adding that the archive created by @donk_enby could be a useful resource. “Although Parler is currently inactive and inaccessible, efforts fronted by ‘@donk_enby’, Intelligence X, and public contributions of data can assist law enforcement in the analysis and identification of parties involved in the US Capitol Protests,” the bulletin says. “The archived information can assist in the possible mitigation of future violent protests.”
https://nationalfile.com/a-covert-u-s-postal-service-unit-spied-on-social-media-users-following-january-6-capitol-protests/
2003
Strategies for Funding Independent Media
Public sentiment on a range of issues—from education to the criminal justice system, immigration to healthcare, the environment to poverty—is shaped by the media. But even as the number of media outlets increases in the United States, ownership is becoming ever more concentrated in the hands of a few corporations, limiting the viewpoints available to Americans.
In spite of this trend, there are efforts to counterbalance the enormous influence of mainstream media and to amplify voices that would otherwise go unheard. Donors and funders across the country are supporting independent media production, innovative distribution channels, and organized efforts to reform media policy.
At a recent funders briefing, the Women Donors Network, Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media, Northern California Grantmakers, Tides Foundation, and the Calvert Social Investment Foundation, panelists and guests engaged in a lively discussion about strategies for funding independent media and media policy reform.
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/strategies-for-funding-independent-media
Lawmakers Demand DOJ Explain Dropping of Cases Against Chinese Researchers Accused of Hiding Military Ties
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, has asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to explain why prosecutors have dropped a series of cases connected with the Justice Department’s (DOJ) clampdown on Chinese espionage.
In July, federal prosecutors filed motions to dismiss charges against six Chinese researchers who had been accused of hiding their ties to Chinese institutions or the Chinese military. The DOJ said at the time that “recent developments” in those cases had prompted the department to “re-evaluate these prosecutions,” stating that the dismissals were made “in the interest of justice.”
However, other reports have suggested that the decision to drop the charges was due to other reasons, such as the FBI’s failure to properly inform the accused of their rights against self-incrimination, Jordan wrote to Garland in a joint letter (pdf) with Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) dated Sept. 27.
“It is not clear whether the Department dismissed these [charges] due to reported misconduct by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or because the Department under your leadership is more invested in pursuing the far-left political goals of the Biden-Harris Administration than in protecting American national security interests,” the letter reads.
“These actions by the Department raise serious concerns about its commitment to confronting the national security threats posed by the People’s Republic of China.”
The letter comes days after the DOJ struck a deal with Huawei Chief Financial officer Meng Wanzhou allowing her to return to China, nearly three years after the executive was arrested in Canada at the request of U.S. prosecutors who had accused Meng of lying to HSBC, causing the bank to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran. The deal, which paved the way for the release of two Canadians held in China, has similarly prompted Republican lawmakers to question the Biden administration’s approach to confronting threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In recent years, the DOJ has, under a project called the “China Initiative,” aggressively pursued cases targeting the CCP’s expansive campaign of economic espionage against the United States. Academics, in particular, for the first time found themselves in the crosshairs over allegedly hiding their funding ties to the Chinese regime.
In 2020, there were at least six prosecutions against alleged undercover Chinese military officers posing as researchers at U.S. universities. But the department moved to drop five of those cases in July.
One of the cases was against Tang Juan, a researcher at the University of California–Davis, who allegedly hid her affiliations with the Chinese military in her visa application. She was arrested in July 2020 after being harbored by the Chinese Consulate in San Franciso for one month, according to prosecutors.
https://www.ntd.com/lawmakers-demand-doj-explain-dropping-of-cases-against-chinese-researchers-accused-of-hiding-military-ties_681468.html
Biden Admin Withholds Report on Hezbollah’s Financial Empire
Lawmakers say report could be used to target terror group's funding channels
The Biden administration is withholding from Congress a legally mandated report on Hezbollah's financial empire, information that lawmakers could use to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group.
Congress ordered the State and Treasury Departments in early 2019 to produce a publicly available report on Hezbollah senior leadership's funding channels as part of legislation known as the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018. The bill mandated a report be produced 180 days after it was passed, by April 2019. The Trump administration never produced a report and the Biden administration is withholding it too.
Republican lawmakers and congressional sources familiar with the matter say the report has become increasingly critical as the Biden administration considers lifting economic sanctions on Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon as the country grapples with a massive cash crunch. Both the State and Treasury Departments declined to provide the Washington Free Beacon with information about the report or answer questions about why they have failed to comply with the law.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R., Texas), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told the Free Beacon the report could be used to target Hezbollah's senior leadership and crack down on their efforts to steal cash and international aid meant for the Lebanese people. This information would also make it harder for the Biden administration to justify rolling back sanctions on Lebanon and providing the country with an economic bailout that could further enrich the terror group.
"I'm not surprised that after botching the retrograde in Afghanistan, the Biden administration is now not complying with reporting requirements stated in the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018," Fallon said. "Additionally, the possibility that this administration will bailout and lift sanctions on Lebanon is a play straight out of the Neville Chamberlain foreign policy playbook. Hezbollah alone is responsible for Lebanon's economic ruin."
As part of that 2018 legislation, Congress mandated a public report on the estimated net worth of Hezbollah's senior leaders, including Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and his closest associates. The report was also to include information of Hezbollah associates, including those working in Lebanon's government, which continues to serve the Iranian-backed terror group.
Congressional sources say the Biden administration does not want to disclose the extent of Hezbollah's financial empire as it considers going along with international plans to provide Lebanon with a cash bailout. The issue has received increased congressional scrutiny amid separate reports the Biden administration is prepared to waive economic sanctions on the Assad regime in Syria to facilitate an energy deal with Lebanon.
Congress decided "the unclassified portion of the report required … shall be made available to the public in precompressed, easily downloadable versions that are made available in all appropriate formats," according to the legislation.
https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-admin-withholds-report-on-hezbollahs-financial-empire/
New mandatory vax and mask rules as Qld cases rise
Queensland has announced new mandatory vaccinations and masks rules after the state was rocked by the emergence of four new Covid cases
cally acquired Covid case – a Brisbane man in his thirties.
More from Australian Coronavirus
Vaccine mandate for key Qld workers
Vaccine mandate for key Qld workers
Covid secrets you may never know
Covid secrets you may never know
Carrie’s sad Christmas border prediction
Carrie’s sad Christmas border prediction
Welcome to Tuesday’s live coverage of Australia’s Covid-19 situation.
Queensland has been rocked by the emergence of four new locally acquired cases, prompting authorities to announce new mandatory vaccination and mask rules.
NSW recorded 787 cases and 12 deaths on Monday, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian unveiling her plan for what life looks like at 80 per cent vaccination goal and beyond.
Victoria confirmed a record 867 cases and four deaths on Tuesday, with health officials also confirming an additional 149 infections that had been missed during previous reporting periods.
Follow below for today’s top updates. Keep refreshing the page for the latest developments.
https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/australia-covid-news-live-lockdowns-cases-and-vaccination-rates/news-story/329e10e909e5233032ba73d58c98b23f.
New York Deploys National Guard To Staff Hospitals After Nurses, Doctors Canned Over Vaccine Mandate Effective Tonight
The state is bracing for shortages while some hospitals have already been affected
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is signing an executive order that will allow her to deploy medically trained National Guard members in order to deal with staffing shortages. New York healthcare services, including hospitals, are anticipating shortages after unvaccinated workers will be fired effective tonight. New York also plans to call upon retired health care workers, recent grads, and those licensed in other states and countries.
As National File previously reported, Hochul was mulling an emergency declaration as the state’s healthcare sector vaccine mandate is set to take effect. “We are taking all the steps preemptively in anticipation of what I call a preventable staffing shortage,” Hochul said on Monday. “To all the other healthcare workers who are vaccinated, they also deserve to know that the people they’re working with will not get them sick,” she added.
Hochul also called upon the federal government to “expedite visa requests” so that the state can import healthcare workers from other countries. New York State Public Employees Federation President Wayne Spence cast doubt over whether the governor’s plan would sufficiently fill the holes caused by the mandate. “I don’t think there’s enough people to go around to plug the holes because a lot of nurses have left New York State as of last year,” Spence said.
https://nationalfile.com/new-york-deploys-national-guard-to-staff-hospitals-after-nurses-doctors-canned-over-vaccine-mandate-effective-tonight/
John Stossel Sues Facebook's Fact-Checkers for Defamation
Conservative-libertarian journalist John Stossel suing Facebook for two million dollars is a good start — but only a start.
Variety reported late last week that the popular TV and internet personality seeks damages of no less than $2 million for defamtion via the company’s fact-checking system.
The suit, filed in the Northern District of California court by Dhillon Law Group, asks:
Do Facebook and its vendors defame a user who posts factually accurate content, when they publicly announce that the content failed a “fact-check” and is “partly false,” and by attributing to the user a false claim that he never made?
“The answer,” the suit states, “is yes.”
Stossel and his attorneys argue that “Facebook and its ‘fact-check’ vendors are currently serving as judge, jury, and executioner regarding whether users are on the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ side of a complex scientific debate.”
The suit involves two climate change videos that caught the ire of Facebook’s fact-checkers:
In one video, “Government Fueled Fires,” about the 2020 wildfires in California, Facebook and its fact-checking partners “falsely attributed to Stossel a claim he never made, and on that basis flagged the content as ‘misleading’ and ‘missing context,’ so that would-be viewers would be routed to the false attribution statement.” The complaint says that Stossel’s video “explored a scientific hypothesis” that “while climate change undoubtedly contributes to forest fires, it was not the primary cause of the 2020 California fires.” Per the suit, Stossel says he never made the claim that “Forest fires are caused by poor management. Not by climate change,” which was in Facebook’s fact-check.
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2021/09/27/john-stossel-suing-facebook-for-two-million-dollars-n1481783
Tell us who all the dodgy votes were for = game over