TEXTS: Hunter Biden Described Business Deals With Russia And China, Including With ‘Vladimir Putin’ And CCP’s ‘Chief Of Intelligence’

Hunter Biden's text messages from December 2018 reveal concerning discussions about dealings in Russia and Communist China.

In a December 2018 text message exchange between Hunter Biden and his lover Hallie, the widowed wife of his late brother Beau Biden, Hunter describes feeling “very alone” in dealing with issues regarding his ex wife and children, the suspicious deaths of rich business partners, the arrest of foreign high-profile clients in Communist China, and his suspected involvement in business dealings in Russia “with Vladimir Putin directly.”

National File has obtained over 800 pages of text messages sent or received by Hunter Biden in 2018 and 2019. The text messages were retrieved from the infamous laptop abandoned by Hunter Biden at a Delaware computer store that was eventually delivered to the New York Post. In this article and in future coverage of the Hunter Biden text messages, National File has preserved typos and other original language from the text messages to preserve authenticity. National File has retracted and will retract sensitive information as necessary.

On December 14, 2018, Hunter Biden described feeling distraught about a multitude of concerning issues during a text exchange with his then-lover Hallie Biden, the widow of Hunter’s deceased brother brother Beau Biden. In the messages, Hunter complained about “feeling alone” in dealing with his financial troubles in regards to paying for what he described as “an enormous alimony,” including costs for his children and his own personal expenses.

At 7:00 a.m. Hallie texted Hunter “I can’t stand you right now but god I miss your touch and your face,” to which Hunter responded “Why hallow are you so mad Hallie.” Two hours later at 9:13 a.m., Hallie said “Because you should be doing everything in your power to be sober before anything else. If you are not able to do it on your own then you need to go away. You still want to do it your way – which isn’t working – time and life are passing by.”

At 10:31 a.m., Hunter responded with a large paragraph outlining his concerns with his business dealings in Russia, Communist China, Vladimir Putin “directly,” his client, the “chief of intelligence” of Communist China, and how his father Joe Biden was running for President of the United States.

Hunter Biden wrote:

You’re right Hallie and I find myself (because I’ve chosen to alienate all my friends and family and employees and you and the kids and my kids etc…) very alone in dealing with rebuilding an income that can support an enormous alimony and my kids costs and myself, dealing with the aftermath of the abduction and likely assassination (that’s what the NYT’s suspects) of my business partner the richest man in the world, the arrest and conviction of my client the chief of intelligence of the people’s republic of China by the US government, the retaliation of the Chinese in the ouster and arrest of the US suspected CIA operatives inside China, my suspected involvement in brokering a deal with Vladimir Putin directly for the largest sale of oil gas assets inside Russia to China, a tax bill that Eric left hanging over my business and

And Dads running for president

https://nationalfile.com/texts-hunter-biden-described-business-deals-with-russia-and-china-including-with-vladimir-putin-and-ccps-chief-of-intelligence/

After Harvey Weinstein horrors, his ex-employee crusades to ban NDAs

Sitting inside a London boardroom, Zelda Perkins could almost hear the attorneys’ sighs of relief when she signed the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) stating she would never talk about the horrors she had seen at the hands of her boss, Harvey Weinstein.

It was 1998 and Perkins and her co-worker Rowena Chiu, both 24 and UK-based assistants to the Miramax movie mogul — who would be jailed in 2020 for multiple sex crimes — were signing away their right to ever talk to anyone about his attempted rape of Chiu a few months earlier.

“They [our lawyers] let us sign an agreement that would kill our lives and take our voices away,” Perkins told The Post. She was not allowed to talk about the experience with her family, a therapist or even Chiu.

“The NDA killed our careers — we each had to leave the country because we couldn’t get work — and changed the course of our lives,” Perkins said.

It also led to Chiu trying to commit suicide.

Now, 23 years later, Perkins has become a vocal advocate for a global campaign to end NDAs so that others can’t be gagged in a similar manner.

The initiative, Can’t Buy My Silence, which Perkins launched in September with co-founder Julie McFarlane, who was sexually abused by a vicar in England, aims to stop bosses and HR departments from including NDAs in employment contracts.

Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an act meant to protect employees who speak out about harassment, regardless of whether they have signed an NDA.

“[NDAs] protect the powerful,” said Perkins, who now lives in the county of Wiltshire in her native Britain. “And it’s not just the Weinsteins and Jeffrey Epsteins, it’s your manager at the McDonald’s franchise who abuses you or your boss who abuses you as a domestic worker.”

NDAs first became commonplace in the 1990s, as firms were desperate to avoid litigation and damage to their reputation caused by whistleblowers. Perkins believes the average person dutifully signs them when they’re hired to a new job, usually without reading the fine print.

She added: “We can all shout and scream and throw stones at the ogre, but that’s a distraction. The real issue is the system that uses NDAs as a legal tool to keep people quiet.”

Perkins had been Chiu’s manager for only a month in 1998 when, during the Venice Film Festival, the traumatized young woman came to her for help one morning — saying what had taken place the night before.

“She was in the most terrible state,” Perkins recalled. “She didn’t articulate exactly what happened. But she made it clear that she had been assaulted.”

Incensed, Perkins immediately confronted Weinstein, who swore “on the life of his wife and children” that nothing had happened between him and Chiu.

A few months later, during the signing of the NDAs, Weinstein “basically made an apology to us and basically admitted his guilt,” Perkins said.

While she did not elaborate on what had happened to Chiu, Perkins said Weinstein often acted inappropriately.

“He’d arrive in London from New York on the Concorde and I’d be left to do the evening shift on my own as his assistant … [Once,] he came out of the bedroom in just his underpants. I was visibly shocked and he said: “For God’s sake, stop being so prissy. If you’re going to work for me, you need to toughen up,'” she recalled.

https://nypost.com/2021/11/11/after-harvey-weinstein-horrors-a-former-employee-fights-to-ban-ndas/

Biden Refers To Black Baseball Player Satchel Paige As ‘The Great Negro At The Time’

“I’ve adopted the attitude of the great negro at the time, pitcher in the negro leagues, went on to become a great pitcher in the pros … "

Democrat president of the United States Joe Biden raised eyebrows during a speech on Wednesday by referring to a black baseball player from the 1940s as “the great negro at the time, pitcher in the Negro leagues.” Biden did not appear to show any comprehension of the fact that the term negro is considered a malicious slur by the people who run his political party.

“I’ve adopted the attitude of the great negro at the time, pitcher in the negro leagues, went on to become a great pitcher in the pros, in the MLB after Jackie Robinson, his name was Satchel Paige,” Biden declared without skipping a beat.

According to the revisionist theories of race propagated by corporate media and the Democrat Party, the term negro is a slur that can only be used by black grievance activists. Nonetheless, Biden’s remark appears to have generated little buzz amongst the corporate press, with the only public commentary on the remark appearing to exist exclusively in conservative circles.

Biden’s lack of social graces made headlines last week after he reportedly broke wind for a “long and loud and impossible to ignore” length of time in front of the U.K.’s Duchess of Cornwall during a carbon emissions summit.

Democrat President of the United States reportedly astonished Camilla, the United Kingdom’s Duchess of Cornwall, with a “long and loud and impossible to ignore” gas-passing session during a summit to discuss greenhouse gases, carbon emissions, and air pollution last week.

U.K. news outlet The Daily Mail reported on Saturday that “An informed source has told The Mail on Sunday that Camilla was taken aback to hear Biden break wind as they made polite small talk at the global climate change gathering in Glasgow last week.”

According to the Daily Mail, the source further elaborated that “It was long and loud and impossible to ignore,” and “Camilla hasn’t stopped talking about it.”

https://nationalfile.com/breaking-biden-refers-to-black-baseball-player-satchel-paige-as-the-great-negro-at-the-time/

Judge Approves $626 Million Settlement Over Flint’s Lead-Contaminated Water Scandal

A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $626 million settlement—one of the largest settlements in Michigan’s history—in lawsuits filed by tens of thousands residents of Flint, Michigan, and others who were exposed to the city’s lead-contaminated tap water.

Most of the money in the settlement, $600 million, is coming from the state of Michigan. State and city officials in Michigan were accused of having overlooked the risks of switching the Flint’s water source to the Flint River in April 2014 without properly treating the water, and then failed to quickly address the contamination.

The settlement makes money available to Flint children who have been exposed to lead contamination, adults who can show resulting injury, certain business owners, and anyone who paid water bills. About 80 percent of what’s left after legal fees is earmarked for people who were children when they were exposed to the lead-contaminated water.

U.S. District Judge Judith Levy said in a decision (pdf) that the settlement reached after years of litigation is a “remarkable achievement” because it sets up a “comprehensive compensation program and timeline” for every person who was harmed by the contaminated water, regardless of whether they were part of a class-action suit or sued the state as individuals.

“This is a historic and momentous day for the residents of Flint, who will finally begin to see justice served,” said Ted Leopold, one of the lead attorneys in the litigation.

Flint is paying $20 million toward the settlement, while McLaren Health is paying $5 million and engineering firm, Rowe Professional Services, is paying $1.25 million. The deal was announced in August 2020 by Attorney General Dana Nessel and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, both Democrats, who were elected in 2018 while the litigation was in state and federal courts.

Flint has a population of under 100,000. Levy said in her decision that it was “particularly remarkable” that “over half of the current population of Flint is participating in the settlement.”

Claimants will be required to show records, such as blood tests or neurological results, and other evidence of injury.

Starting April 2014, Flint residents reported noticing a strange taste, smell, and appearance with their water. Some also reported health concerns, including skin rashes and hair loss shortly after city officials decided to shift water supply to the Flint River instead of using water from Detroit. The move was considered temporary while the city was waiting to connect to a new regional water system.

The river water, which wasn’t treated to reduce pipe corrosion, caused lead to leach from the city’s old pipes, leading to contamination. The contaminated water was blamed for an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, which caused at least 12 deaths.

There is no safe level of lead, which can be harmful over time to children’s brain and nervous system development, causing attention and behavior problems.

The state acknowledged for the first time that lead was the problem in September 2015, when then-Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, pledged to take action in response to the lead contamination; the move came days after a group of doctors released findings of elevated lead levels detected in Flint children’s blood. Flint reverted to drawing water from Detroit’s system in October that year.

Snyder was charged with willful neglect of duty earlier this year. Eight other officials have also been charged with crimes.

The Environmental Protection Agency in 2017 awarded a $100 million grant to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to fund the city’s drinking water infrastructure upgrades.

https://www.ntd.com/judge-approves-626-million-settlement-over-flints-lead-contaminated-water-scandal_700208.html

Projection

World Health Organization warns there could be a massive shortage of TWO BILLION syringes in 2022, threatening countries' COVID-19 vaccination strategies

There could be a global syringe shortage next year, with a deficit approaching two billion, according to a new report from the World Health Organization.

The shortfall is the result of worldwide COVID-19 vaccine campaigns with more than 7.25 billion doses have been administered around the globe, according to the AFP, double the number of standard vaccines given in a year.

As a result, twice as many syringes are being used, badly eating into global supplies.

If production does not ramp up, it could lead to hoarding and panic buying, and stymie efforts to protect people against a host of illnesses, the WHO said

'We are raising the real concern that we could have a shortage of immunization syringes, which would in turn lead to serious problems, such as slowing down immunization efforts,' Lisa Hedman, WHO senior advisor to the Division of Access to Medicines and Health Products, told AFP.

'Depending on how the vaccine uptake goes, it could be a deficit of anywhere from 1 billion to two billion.'

Based on a scenario of approximately seven billion people needing two doses of coronavirus vaccine between now and 2023, and a global manufacturing capacity of around six billion immunization syringes a year, Hedman said, 'it's pretty clear that a deficit in 2022 of over a billion [needles] could happen if we continue with business as usual.'

Syringes are also more prone to supply-chain delays because they take up ten times the space of a vial of vaccine, Hedman added, according to the report.

A substantial or protracted needle shortage could mean delays in vaccinations for other illnesses.

Last month, the WHO endorsed the world's first malaria vaccine, a boon to the developing world.

Even as children in the West count on inoculations for measles, mumps, rubella, polio and whooping cough, among other viruses and infections.

A delay in routine vaccinations, Hedman said, could have a public health impact 'for years to come.'

A syringe shortage could also lead to unsafe practices, she added, like reusing needles. (Even sterilizing used needles does not remove all the harmful bacteria, according to WHO.)

At a press conference in Geneva, Hedman urged countries to plan ahead.

http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/11/world-health-organization-warns-there.html

Colorado’s LGBT Gov. Jared Polis signs executive order allowing hospitals to turn away unvaccinated patients

Unvaccinated Coloradans who require medical care can now be legally turned away by hospital staff, thanks to a new executive order from Gov. Jared Polis.

The far-left homosexual said unvaccinated people are “overwhelming hospitals” with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), necessitating that care be rationed only to those who took the jabs.

“If you are unvaccinated, a regular trip to the grocery store, a night out to dinner are more dangerous than they have been at any point during this pandemic,” Polis announced. “The delta variant is brutally effective at seeking out the unvaccinated, like a laser-guided missile.”

Polis insisted that unvaccinated people with “severe COVID-19” are responsible for causing hospitals across the state to reach “over 90 percent capacity.” More than 80 percent of Coloradans have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The executive order clearly delineates how medical providers can discriminate against the unvaccinated, and reads as follows:

“Pursuant to the authority vested in the Governor of the State of Colorado and, in particular, pursuant to Article IV, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution and the relevant portions of the Colorado Disaster Emergency Act, C.R.S. § 24-33.5-701, et seq., including C.R.S. § 24-33.5-704.5(1)(e)(II), I, Jared Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order authorizing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to order hospitals and freestanding emergency departments to transfer or cease the admission of patients to respond to the current disaster emergency due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Colorado.”

https://www.cracknewz.com/2021/10/nba-star-stands-up-to-china-free-tibet.html

New Zealand - Man shot dead by Police is counted as COVID death!

https://www.bitchute.com/video/QOWI04eGBjfq/

Holed up in nuke bunker for COVID drill, Bennett tells parents: Vaccinate kids

Speaking from bomb-safe bunker beneath Jerusalem hills, as Israel simulates spread of theoretical new ‘Omega’ variant, PM urges: ‘Give children same layer of protection you have’

Holed up in a nuclear-safe bunker during an unprecedented COVID drill, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday called on parents of 5- to 11-year-olds to inoculate their children, as Israel expands its vaccine drive to its youngest population yet.

“There is no reason to leave our children unprotected,” Bennett said, speaking from the underground bunker during a simulation testing nationwide preparations for the potential outbreak of a new, lethal, COVID-19 variant.

The day-long “Omega Drill,” named for a fictitious variant of the virus, is said to be the first of its kind held anywhere in the world.

“There is no reason that your child should get infected and infect others when his whole life is ahead of him,” the premier said. “I call on parents – vaccinate your children. Safeguard them. Give them the same layer of protection that you have.”

The Health Ministry approved expanding the country’s vaccine drive to children on Wednesday evening, following the lead of the United States Food and Drug Administration.

“Just like the Delta strain broke out violently, other even more deadly and more infectious strains could come, which could bypass the vaccine,” the prime minister said.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/bennett-to-parents-there-is-no-reason-not-to-vaccinate-your-children/

Always trying

Kerry Lobbying Against Legislation To Ban Import of Chinese Goods Produced by Slave Labor

Import ban could agitate Beijing as U.S. pushes for climate deal

Climate czar John Kerry is lobbying House lawmakers to oppose legislation that would ban the import of all Chinese-made goods that are produced using Uyghur slave labor, a move aimed at buying goodwill with Beijing as the United States seeks a new climate deal, according to congressional sources and foreign policy insiders familiar with the matter.

Kerry and a faction of State Department officials oppose legislation meant to curtail Chinese imports made using slave labor, sources said, due to concerns that the restrictive measures will agitate Beijing. The legislation, known as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, in July passed the Senate by voice vote but is stalled in the House. It would target China's construction of solar panels and other equipment the United States needs to migrate the country to green energy sources.

The Biden administration's internal strife over China points to a tug-of-war between the White House, which supports this type of measure, and the State Department, which is pushing a softer China policy in the hopes of securing a climate deal with Beijing—an effort that Kerry is spearheading in his role as presidential envoy for climate change. Kerry has been under fire in recent weeks for owning stakes in an investment group that funds companies that are linked to forced labor and have been blacklisted for human rights abuses, as the Washington Free Beacon reported.

Reports issued during the past several weeks indicate that Kerry, who operates out of the State Department, is the principal opponent of increased sanctions on China and its use of Uyghur slave labor. During remarks Wednesday at the United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow, Kerry told reporters that the United States and China have made progress on reducing carbon emissions, which is fueling speculation that any action on Uyghur slave labor will take a backseat to these ongoing negotiations.

Kerry was reported to have engaged in a "forceful debate with other administration officials on the matter before his most recent China trip," according to the Associated Press, a claim that jibes with information provided by congressional and foreign policy community sources to the Free Beacon. One veteran foreign policy hand told the Free Beacon that there "is a lot of chatter about" Kerry's opposition to the legislation swirling "in the China policy circle."

The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Michael Sobolik, a fellow in Indo-Pacific studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, told the Free Beacon he sees evidence of an "ongoing turf war within the Biden administration over China policy—specifically, how will the president square his climate goals with his insistence that human rights is at the center of his foreign policy?"

China is forcing the Biden administration "to choose between those priorities," Sobolik said. "If the bill remains stuck, it's a safe bet that Biden's rhetoric about human rights in China is just that—rhetoric."

https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/kerry-lobbying-against-legislation-to-ban-import-of-chinese-goods-produced-by-slave-labor/

California Sheriff Not Enforcing Immigration Laws to Make County Safer

In Northern California, County Sheriff Carlos Bolanos declared on Tuesday that “effective immediately, his office will no longer respond to any requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for notification of an inmate’s release or transfer any inmate to its custody,” according to a Fox News report.

In the announcement, Sheriff Bolanos states that “It has become apparent to me that complying with those requests regarding the pending release of undocumented individuals who have committed serious crimes is undermining the trust we need to protect the community. It is simply not worth losing the trust of many members of the public by continuing to process these requests from ICE.”

Last year, the Sheriff’s Office “coordinated 15 transfers to ICE from the county jail,” adding that most who are guilty serve their sentences in state prison as opposed to the county jail. The Office has noted that ICE can still obtain a judicial warrant if they believe an individual may pose a dangerous threat. According to Fox News, the number of administrative arrests by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is expected to show a decrease in Fiscal Year 2021 which has been the trend since Fiscal Year 2018.

This decision comes after a meeting with residents who commented earlier in the month at the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds (TRUTH) Act Forum that they feel safer when the Sheriff’s Office does not enforce immigration laws. This meeting is required to convene “when law enforcement cooperates with ICE.”

The President of the Board, David J. Canepa, believes the decision by Sheriff Bolanos to stop working with ICE is “momentous and compassionate.” Through terminating ties with ICE, Bolanos asserts that this is his way of ensuring the public is kept safe. He adds that “this decision helps fulfill his office’s mission to protect the safety of all San Mateo County residents, and it relies on county residents’ trust and willingness to cooperate with law enforcement, report crimes and testify in court.”

https://saraacarter.com/california-sheriff-not-enforcing-immigration-laws-to-make-county-safer/

89% of Covid-19 deaths in the past 4 weeks were among the Fully Vaccinated according to the Latest Public Health data

The Covid-19 Statistical Report is a weekly report on Covid-19 data published by Public Health Scotland, and the latest update published November 10th confirms that things are getting worse for the fully vaccinated population by the month whilst things improve for the not-vaccinated population.

Table 18 of the report confirms that the majority of Covid-19 cases were among the fully vaccinated population in the week beginning October 30th 2021, accounting for 10,693 cases. Whilst the not-vaccinated population recorded 6,854 cases.

https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/10091/21-11-10-covid19-publication_report.pdf

Over 150 arrests made in 3-day operation against organised property crime

The latest actions under Operation Trivium, a multi-country operation against organised property crime on Europe’s road networks, has resulted in 174 arrests and the seizure of goods throughout Europe. The three-day operation saw law enforcement from 17 countries carrying out roadside checks on people and vehicles, as well as searching premises. Europol supported the operation by sharing information on the subjects, vehicles and modus operandi behind the criminal groups in real-time. Operation Trivium is organised under the umbrella of the EMPACT security initiative.

Results from 3-5 November**

174 suspects arrested

27 cars confiscated

More than 200 other goods seized, including weapons and drugs

Almost 25 000 persons checked

More than 16 000 vehicles checked

Around 800 locations checked

Three days of sweeping action across Europe

In the space of only a few days, law enforcement authorities were able to carry out several interventions that disrupt organised property crime. 783 specific targets, consisting of individuals and properties, were identified and checked by law enforcement as part of the operation. These checks happened along with wider roadside checks of over 16 000 vehicles and 25 000 individuals, which meant criminal activity could be intercepted in a number of areas. Although most arrests related to organised property crime, arrests were also made in relation to drugs, weapons, and violations of immigration legislation.

Police also deployed methods such as automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and monitoring drivers for suspicious behaviour as part of Operation Trivium XV. In one case in Belgium, a car caught investigators’ attention for driving aggressively; police found thousands of euros in cash, as well as large quantities of cocaine and cannabis, and an alarm pistol. In a separate search, Belgian police uncovered over EUR 70 000 divided into several small bundles; the driver later admitted the unexplained cash was the result of trafficking drugs between Belgium and Germany.

Speedy Information Sharing

Operation Trivium first started in 2013, and seeks to disrupt organised property crime on Europe’s road networks. This fifteenth iteration of Operation Trivium follows similar large-scale actions made in April of this year, which resulted in over 200 arrests and significant seizures of criminal assets. The success of its multi-country approach relies on speedy information sharing between participating law enforcement agencies, particularly regarding suspects, persons related to crimes, and vehicle data.

*Countries involved: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Sweden.

**With further results to be reported from actions in France, Lithuania and Malta.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/over-150-arrests-made-in-3-day-operation-against-organised-property-crime

Swedish Oil Execs Indicted for Complicity in War Crimes

In a rare case for a Western company, two top executives from Lundin Energy of Sweden were indicted on Thursday for complicity in grave war crimes committed in Sudan between 1999 and 2003, when the Sudanese army allegedly indiscriminately killed civilians to pave way for Lundin’s oil exploration, prosecutors argue.

Sweden’s former Prime Minister Carl Bildt is a witness in the case.

The current chairman of the multinational company, Swedish national Ian Lundin, and board member Alex Schneiter from Switzerland, are the ones charged. They were in charge of the for the operations in Sudan and handled contacts with representatives of the regime, prosecutors argue. Both men deny the charges.

A consortium led by Lundin had been looking for oil from 1997 in an area called Block 5A in Sudan that was not controlled by the government. After the country split in 2011, the area is now in South Sudan.

This took place against the backdrop of a civil war between the government forces and southern guerilla groups which was characterized by war crimes.

As the country opened up for oil exploration, oil and control of the oil fields in southern Sudan became contentious issues in the civil war, the indictment points out.

Lundin requested in 1999 that the government forces and its allied militias provide for the company’s security where it was drilling for oil, knowing that this would be done by force, according to the indictment.

”Military control of the area was necessary for the company to conduct its operations and that is when the crimes were committed,” Henrik Attorps, head prosecutor in the case, told OCCRP.

The executives thus knowingly paved the way for, or were at least indifferent to, the war crimes that followed, prosecutors argue.

They claim thousands of civilians were killed or misplaced.

”The military and its allied militia systematically attacked civilians from planes and helicopter gunships,” Attorps said.

Lundin and Schneiter risk lengthy prison terms if convicted. They deny the charges.

The case is also drawing attention because Sweden’s former Prime Minister, later also Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt has been heavily criticized for being on Lundin’s board during the Sudan operations. Bildt has been questioned by police, but is not a suspect. Prosecutor Attorps confirmed that he is a witness in the case.

The indictment is ”flawed on all counts” and should never have been launched, Ian Lundin’s defense lawyer Torgny Wetterberg said in a comment. It ”appears to be the result of a lack of competence and the inability of the prosecution authority to admit its own mistakes,” he argued without elaborating.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/15484-swedish-oil-execs-indicted-for-complicity-in-war-crimes

Former U.S. Army Employee Sentenced for Kickback Scheme to Steer U.S. Government Contracts

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-us-army-employee-sentenced-kickback-scheme-steer-us-government-contracts

Suspect accused of setting fire to Austin synagogue on Halloween arrested

Authorities have arrested a man who is believed to have intentionally set fire to a synagogue in Austin, Texas, on Halloween night.

The suspect, Franklin Barrett Sechriest,18, is accused of using an accelerant near the sanctuary doors of Congregation Beth Israel to set the building on fire, causing an estimated $25,000 in damage, arson investigators with the Austin Fire Department said.

Local news outlet KXAN-TV reported that an arrest affidavit for Sechriest said surveillance video showed a dark-colored Jeep enter the north parking lot of the synagogue around 9 p.m. on Oct. 31. The driver, described as a "tall thin white male with dark hair," exited the vehicle carrying what appeared to be a heavy green jug.

The affidavit said the man walked out of view of the camera toward the place where the fire started. Minutes later, the video shows a fire being ignited from four different camera angles.

Then, the suspect returns within view of the cameras, runs back to the Jeep, and drives away, the affidavit said.

Congregation Beth Israel gave investigators surveillance footage from Oct. 28 that appeared to show the same Jeep visiting the synagogue parking lot and then leaving. Authorities were able to learn the Jeep's license plate number from the footage and tracked down the vehicle owner in San Marcos.

"While the Jeep wasn't registered to Sechriest, he lived with the person who it was registered to, and investigators found that Sechriest fit the description of the suspect seen in surveillance videos," KXAN reported.

Following the suspect's arrest, senior Rabbi Steve Folberg of Congregation Beth Israel gave a statement to the media:

We are grateful to the authorities including the Austin Fire Department, Austin Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their diligent and persistent work investigating this hateful, antisemitic act. It gives us some sense of relief to learn of this arrest, but we are staying vigilant. Across Central Texas and beyond, we are seeing a spike in attacks against Jews. We denounce all acts of bigotry and violence, especially those motivated by blind hatred of any of the proud and distinctive communities that enrich our civic life. We will remain strong and vigilant in the ongoing work of justice, safety and peace for ourselves and all our neighbors.

Rabbi Folberg added the congregation is grateful to Shalom Austin, Anti-Defamation League Austin, the Austin community, and people around the world for their outpouring of support following the arson incident.

Austin Fire is conducting an ongoing investigation alongside the FBI and did not comment further to KXAN-TV.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/suspect-accused-of-setting-fire-to-austin-synagogue-on-halloween-arrested

US Chamber of Commerce Slams Democrats' Reconciliation Budget Bill for Hiding Its True Cost

The Democrats have faced issues pushing a reconciliation bill through Congress, as moderate and progressive members of the party once again could not agree on the details of the spending.

The US Chamber of Commerce, a business advocacy group, has published a letter, in which it denounced the reconciliation bill proposed by the Democrats as full of "gimmicks" that were embedded in order to hide the bill's actual cost. According to the group, the reconciliation bill might cost around $1 trillion more in spending than the authors of the legislation claim.

The Chamber of Commerce notes that the reconciliation bill's "real-world impact" might be much higher than expected due to the use of the sunset provisions, which have a predetermined expiry time, the costs of which are calculated and included in the bill's declared spending cost. However, the potential costs from prolonging these provisions, which is also possible if the reconciliation legislation is passed in its current form, were left out.

The advocacy group called on lawmakers to re-evaluate the reconciliation bill's cost, its impact on employment, and inflation, which reached a 30-year-peak of 6.2% in October 2021.

The use of "gimmicks" to hide the true price of the bill reportedly did not elude some lawmakers. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, who was at the forefront of trimming the costs of Biden's two key spending legislation pieces, slammed these provisions as "shell games" and suggested that the bill could cost twice as much compared to what had been declared, according to a New York Times report.

Due to disagreements between moderate and progressive Democrats, they could not pass the spending bill even using the reconciliation process, which allows the circumvention of a potential Republican filibuster. At the same time, the Democrats finally managed to pass Biden's large infrastructure bill – one of the key pieces of legislation he promised to pass.

They are still negotiating the price tag on the Build Back Better Act, with progressives seeking to include more social spending in it and moderates seeking to tone down its impact on the deficit and US national debt after rushing in September to avoid an imminent default prompted by hitting the debt ceiling.

https://sputniknews.com/20211111/us-chamber-of-commerce-slams-democrats-reconciliation-budget-bill-for-hiding-its-true-cost-1090664612.html

US Says It's Briefed European Governments On Possible Russian "Military Invasion" Of Ukraine

Here we go again with accusations of Russian troop build-up threatening Ukraine redux out of Washington, coming at a moment the US Navy is conducting drills in the Black Sea, and as tensions soar along the Belarus-EU border with Poland.

"With Washington closely monitoring a buildup of Russian forces near the Ukrainian border, U.S. officials have briefed EU counterparts on their concerns over a possible military operation, according to multiple people familiar with the matter," Bloomberg reports Thursday afternoon.

The alarm is being raised conveniently enough as Russia is being dragged politically into the ratcheting Mideast migrant standoff between Poland and Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus. Yesterday the Russian military flew a pair of Tu-22M3 bombers over Belarus in a show of solidarity with Moscow's ex-Soviet Republic ally.

Bloomberg writes further of the familiar refrain that's sounded every couple years following the original Crimea crisis: "Russia may be weighing a potential invasion of Ukraine as tensions flare between Moscow and the bloc over migrants and energy supplies" - however like with previous accusations there's little to nothing in the way of evidence.

Like with the same accusation of a troop build-up last spring, and claims last month of tens of thousands of "extra" Russian troops stationed near eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin has underscored it's able to move any troops around within its sovereign borders that it pleases.

The Bloomberg report admits that Washington "evidence" and intelligence for the new claims has yet be shared with European counterparts:

The assessments are believed to be based on information the U.S. hasn’t yet shared with European governments, which would have to happen before any decision is made on a collective response, the people said. They’re backed up by publicly-available evidence, according to officials familiar with the administration’s thinking.

The "public" evidence involves recent satellite imagery published in Western media outlets purporting to show Russian troops in the region across the border with Ukraine.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-says-its-briefed-european-governments-possible-russian-military-invasion-ukraine

United States v. Maxwell

Exhibit A — Document #432, Attachment #1

District Court, S.D. New York

Docket Number: 1:20-cr-00330

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.432.1.pdf

Black Lives Matter co-founder threatens 'riots' and 'bloodshed' on the streets of New York City if Mayor-elect Eric Adams reinstates NYPD's anti-crime units

BLM leaders, including co-founder Hawk Newsome, got into a shouting match with NYC Mayor-elect Eric Adams during a closed-door sit-down on Wednesday

Adams has pledged to reinstate the NYPD's anti-crime units, about 600 plainclothes officers that fight violent crime

Newsome threatened 'riots' and 'bloodshed' if the units are brought back

'We will shut the city down. We will shut down City Hall, and we will give him hell and make it a nightmare,' Chivona Newsome, Hawk's sister, said

But Adams hit back, saying BLM also needs to be held accountable and not just make demands

'You're on the ground: Stop the violence in my community. I'm holding you accountable,' mayor-elect said, adding: 'You need to be corrected'

Newsome later called Adams 'tone deaf' and said 'no way that he is going to let some Gestapo come in here and harm our people'

Shootings soared across the city last summer after Mayor Bill de Blasio did away with the plainclothes unit in June 2020 after outpour of anti-police sentiment

Crime has skyrocketed in NYC, with total crime up 2.6% in September 2021 compared to September 2020

As recently as Wednesday morning, a 62-year-old man was brutally attacked by a group of teens near Times Square, slashed in the face and stabbed in the neck

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10190247/BLM-activists-threaten-riots-bloodshed-Eric-Adams-reinstates-NYPDs-anti-crime-units.html