US Calls Belarus Migrant Crisis "Distraction" From Ukraine, Threatens Fresh Russia Sanctions

Despite the recent contradictory assessments out of the Pentagon of the latest alleged "Russian troop build-up" and "invasion threat" aimed at Ukraine, which the Joint Chiefs appeared to outright deny, the Biden administration continues hyping the 'Russian threat' to Kiev, and as of Monday NATO HQ has joined in.

On Sunday Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed the ongoing Belarus-Poland borer crisis with his Polish counterpart, Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau. Blinken had an interesting take on the border standoff widely blamed on Belarus and Russia. He said Belarus' efforts at orchestrating a border crisis by facilitating the transit of Mideast migrants across its territory is but a "distraction" from the Russian threat to Ukraine.

Blinken said the Alexander Lukashenko's governments actions "threaten security, sow division, and aim to distract from Russia’s activities on the border with Ukraine," according to an official readout of the phone call.

"The United States, Poland, and other Allies and partners are united in imposing significant costs on Moscow for its military aggression and malign activities in the region," Blinken said further.

In fresh Monday statements, NATO appears to be backing the Washington assessment, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg calling a military build-up near Ukraine's border "dangerous". He spelled out that the proximity of more a more than usual amount of Russian forces to Ukraine reduces NATO's response time to any acts of aggression. "The fact that we see this military build-up also reduces any warning time between a decision in Russia before they are able to actually conduct a military aggressive action against Ukraine," Stoltenberg told a news conference.

Western media reports from early this month suggested a Russian troop build-up similar to last April. In particular a viral story in Politico identified the Russian town of Yelnya as key site of a new concentration of Russian forces. But Yelnya is a full 155 miles from Ukraine's border.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-calls-belarus-migrant-crisis-distraction-ukraine-threatens-fresh-russia-sanctions

WTF?

White House Introduces Kamala Harris at Infrastructure Signing Ceremony: ‘Please Welcome Heather Kurtenbach’

The White House infrastructure signing ceremony was disrupted Monday after Vice President Kamala Harris took the podium and was introduced with the wrong name.

Harris exited the White House with Biden on one side and ironworkers union organizer Heather Kurtenbach on the other as the president prepared to sign his $1.3 trillion infrastructure bill.

But after Harris took the podium, the White House announcer said, “Please welcome Heather Kurtenbach.”

“Not yet,” Harris said, laughing awkwardly as she began her remarks.

Curiously, Harris was not chosen to introduce the president, as the White House selected Kurtenbach to do the honors.

The moment was one more example of how the Biden White House and Harris have an awkward relationship, after CNN reported Sunday multiple struggles between the two leaders.

Biden also began the ceremony joking that Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jill Biden’s “second husband” after stumbling over his rhetoric while introducing the second gentleman.

“No. I’m joking. These guys travel all over the country together. I’m getting worried, you know?” he continued.

Even during the ceremony, Biden nearly signed the infrastructure bill without her, as she struggled to push her way to the front of the group for the moment.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki insisted Monday that Harris was a “key partner,” a “bold leader,” and a “valuable member of the team.”

“The president relies on the vice president for her advice and her council,” she said during the White House press briefing.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/11/15/white-house-introduces-kamala-harris-at-infrastructure-signing-ceremony-please-welcome-heather-kurtenbach/

>>15007811

They needs a war asap

>>15007864

Wisconsin Senate Committee Subpoenas Absentee Ballots and Voting Machine Records from City of Madison from 2020 Election

A Wisconsin Senate Committee has subpoenaed absentee and voting machine records from the City of Madison, Wisconsin. The immediate response from Madison’s mayor is to not provide the items requested.

According to Channel 3000:

A Wisconsin Senate committee has issued a subpoena for Madison election records as part of an ongoing investigation into the 2020 election.

State Republicans announced plans for their own investigation in late October after the non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau shared a report outlining inconsistent administration of election law based on surveys of ballots from around the state. The LAB’s report did not identify any cases of widespread fraud.

The subpoena — issued by the Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics and signed by Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg), Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) and committee chair Senator Kathleen Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) — calls for the city to turn over all physical absentee ballot certificates for the November 2020 General Election and the results of tests on electronic voting machines used for the election.

The mayor of Madison immediately denied the request. She shared that the Senate can have copies of the records requested but not the original ballots. Of course, we’ve seen this stalling technique from other localities as well. The problem with copies is that if they are not made at a certain level of precision, they are no good for forensic analysis.

Spread the word. There are now less than 10 months for every state and locality to obtain the ballots from the election or they are gone forever.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/11/wisconsin-senate-committee-subpoenas-absentee-ballots-voting-machine-records-city-madison-2020-election/

CDC Investigators Going to University of Michigan to Look Into Influx of Flu Cases on Campus – ‘77% of Cases Among Those Who Did Not Get Flu Shot’

Here we go.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is sending a team of investigators to the University of Michigan to look into an influx of flu cases on campus.

In the last month a total of 528 cases of the flu have been diagnosed at the University Health Service, UMich said in a press release.

Of the cases, 77% were among those who did not get the useless flu shot.

The CDC is going to send a cavalry of investigators to the Ann Arbor campus to harass students for not taking a flu shot.

“The objectives of the CDC team will be evaluating flu vaccine uptake and vaccine effectiveness and risk factors for spread through data analysis, questionnaires and sample collection (respiratory specimens or serology) of patients at UHS.” – the University said on Monday.

“Through prompt detection and collaboration with county and state health officials, as well as School of Public Health and Michigan Medicine researchers, we quickly identified these cases as influenza A(H3N2) virus infections,” said Lindsey Mortenson, UHS medical director and acting executive director.

“Partnering with the CDC will accelerate our understanding of how this flu season may unfold regionally and nationally in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

School officials are now calling on the entire community to get vaccinated against influenza.

“This outbreak doesn’t necessarily have an immediate impact on the broader local community, but it does raise concerns about what the flu season may bring. Most importantly, we strongly recommend anyone not yet vaccinated against seasonal flu to do so. And anyone at higher risk of severe flu complications should talk to their doctor about prescription antiviral medications at the first sign of flu symptoms,” said Juan Luis Marquez, medical director at the Washtenaw County Health Department.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/11/cdc-investigators-going-university-michigan-look-influx-flu-cases-campus-77-cases-among-not-get-flu-shot/

Marxist Rep. Cori Bush Jumps Shark, Posts Bizarre Tweet, Claims White Supremacists Fired on Protesters in Ferguson — HERE IS THE TRUTH

Marxist Cori Bush is the latest member of the America-hating Democrat Squad serving in the US Congress.

Bush made a name for herself during the Ferguson riots when leftist protesters looted and burned down the Ferguson business district not once but twice in 2014.

On Monday Cori Bush posted this bizarre tweet on the Kyle Rittenshouse trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Cori Bush claims there were “white supremacists” who were shooting at protesters from a hill in Ferguson during the months of their destructive and costly protests.

It’s true that shots were fired during the Ferguson protests from a hill but what Cori Bush failed to mention was that the shots were fired AT THE POLICE — NOT the protesters.

The Gateway Pundit reported on this back incident in 2015.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/11/marxist-rep-cori-bush-jumps-shark-posts-bizarre-tweet-claims-white-supremacists-fired-protesters-ferguson-truth/

'Sound & Steady': Xi-Biden Meeting Kicks Off With Global Leaders Voicing Need for Strong Partnership

US President Joe Biden and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping have convened for a virtual meeting. The meeting between 'old friends' will help define U.S.-China relations during the Biden administration.

President Joe Biden said he is hopeful that his conversation with Xi Jinping will be candid. The meeting comes on the heels of escalating tensions between the leaders of the world's two largest economies.

Biden said that the responsibilities as the leaders of China and the United States is to ensure ties do not veer into open conflict and that, "we need to establish common sense guardrails…especially on vital issues like climate change. "

Biden added that the relationship between the United States and China is not only paramount to their citizens but also to the world. He said his conversation with Xi will include areas where the U.S. has concerns, from human rights to the rising military tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

President Biden and Xi both agreed that the U.S. and China need to increase their communication and foster cooperation to face global challenges.

Xi, agreeing with earlier sentiments of Biden, said China and the U.S. must cooperate, not only to resolve their internal affairs, but also to fulfill international obligations.

"Humanity lives in a global village and we face multiple challenges together," Xi Jinping said.

Xi also said that a sound and steady relationship is required, that both countries should respect each other, and added that he's looking forward to moving U.S.-China relations in a positive direction over the two heads of state's comprehensive discussion.

Following Biden's opening remarks, he said, "I look forward to getting down to business." The virtual meeting is expected to last two-hour.

https://sputniknews.com/20211116/sound–steady-xi-biden-meeting-kicks-off-with-global-leaders-voicing-need-for-strong-partnership-1090762429.html

Google in $1 billion commitment to Australia's Digital Future Initiative

Google has announced a $1 billion five-year commitment to launch a Digital Future Initiative in Australia.

This will focus on three areas, including helping build Australia's digital infrastructure, focusing on cloud computing.

Google will also establish its first Australian research hub, with a team of local researchers and entrepreneurs.

A third chief focus will be the creation of new technology partnerships, including working with the CSIRO to explore clean energy and protect the Great Barrier Reef, and working with Macquarie University for quantum computing.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, attending the Google Australia announcement in Sydney this morning, said it was a "$1 billion vote of confidence" in Australia's digital strategy.

"Australia can help lead the world's next wave of innovation, harnessing technology to improve lives, create jobs, and make progress," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said.

Mr Morrison said digital innovation must be matched by digital safety.

"We need to apply the same rules to the digital world that exist in the real world. And that is a challenge for governments," he said.

"There must be an equal amount of effort into making sure the digital world is safe and secure and trusted."

Mr Morrison said the COVID-19 pandemic had accelerated the process of technological change and digital take-up across Australia's workplaces by five years in a matter of months.

"This sector is growing four times faster than the rest of our economy," he said.

https://www.9news.com.au/technology/google-1-billion-digital-future-initiative-australia-announced-technology-challenges/687682f0-79d7-4728-ba43-000abf894ca2

Crowds continue to grow at protest against Andrews Government’s pandemic powers after camp-out at Victorian Parliament

Hundreds of people continue to swarm the steps of Victoria’s Parliament House in protest against the Andrews Government’s pandemic powers bill.

Protesters have gathered outside Victoria’s Parliament House on Tuesday to rally against the Andrews Government’s Pandemic Management Bill after some camped-out for a second night running.

Crowds have continued to grow on the steps of Parliament with protesters holding placards emblazoned with “kill the bill” and “sack Dan Andrews” as the controversial legislation heads to a vote in the state’s upper house.

The pandemic powers were passed in the lower house in late October, but the Andrews Government has come under fire for “forcing through” the legislation in Parliament this week using an “urgency” clause.

The proposed bill would remove the power to declare a pandemic from the Chief Health Officer and hand it to the Premier as well, along with the ability to extend the state of emergency in three-months blocks.

The Health Minister will also be able to introduce “pandemic orders” - without proper parliamentary approval - which carry a penalty of up to two years in jail for those caught breaching the orders.

Protesters declared they would camp-out at Parliament House and “occupy Spring Street” until the bill was ultimately dismissed.

Thousands gathered on Saturday on Spring Street, while the camp-out began on Sunday night with just two people before about 70 more joined.

The rally heated up again on Monday night where disturbing footage emerged of fake gallows being hauled around outside of the Parliament House building.

After facing increased scrutiny from the Opposition – which proposed its own 18 amendments to the bill – the Labor government, in conjunction with three crossbenchers, has negotiated additional changes.

The new amendments agreed by the government, the Greens, the Animal Justice Party and the Reason Party include halving the maximum financial penalty, axing the reference to the equal opportunity act and mandating that public health advice is released sooner.

Health Minister Martin Foley and Premier Daniel Andrews fronted the media outside Parliament to defend the changes.

Mr Foley said the amendments struck the balance between “keeping Victorians safe” and maintaining their rights to “go about their business in a normal manner”.

The Premier insisted his government had engaged in “good faith” throughout the negotiations, despite calls from the Opposition that he was “trashing democracy”.

The bill is expected to pass through the upper house on Tuesday evening or later this week.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/crowds-continue-to-grow-at-protest-against-andrews-governments-pandemic-powers-after-campout-at-victorian-parliament/news-story/3542f0fce6eeda698c2aa1ca73e13ead

This vote is for a communist dictatorship in Victoria

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/crowds-continue-to-grow-at-protest-against-andrews-governments-pandemic-powers-after-campout-at-victorian-parliament/news-story/3542f0fce6eeda698c2aa1ca73e13ead

Whitmer vetos bill to forgive, refund COVID-19 fines

Following the rules implemented during the early days of the pandemic might sound simple, but the rules were constantly in flux.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed a bill that aimed to forgive state-issued COVID-19 fines if the employer corrected the violation. The bill would have also required the state to refund companies that already paid fines.

Whitmer vetoed House Bill 4501 on Veteran’s Day, saying it would violate the minimum requirements set by the federal government.

"When a state fails to maintain the minimum standard, it loses control over enforcement of workplace standards," the Democratic governor wrote.

"That would mean higher penalties, an end to voluntary safety outreach services, and the loss of Michigan stakeholder voices in our occupational health and safety program. I will not let that happen."

The nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency estimated the bill’s total impact would include reimbursement of about $250,000 in fines received by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), as well as an inability to collect an additional uncollected $500,000 in fines assessed against employers.

Following the rules implemented during the early days of the pandemic might sound simple, but the rules were constantly in flux. Whitmer issued 192 executive orders in 2020, often written in legalese that’s hard for laypeople to understand. Those orders banned Michiganders from using motorboats, traveling to a secondary home, or even buying paint at a store larger than 50,000 square feet.

Republicans criticized the veto for two reasons. First, the Michigan Supreme Court tossed many of Whitmer’s orders in Oct. 2020, so the GOP calls the rules “unconstitutional.” Second, when Whitmer violated her own COVID-19 rules at an East Lansing bar, the establishment wasn’t fined. But for the rest of Michigan businesses, those fines still apply.

The veto follows Whitmer’s administration burning documents related to an alleged Port Huron COVID-19 workplace fine of $6,300. Although MIOSHA dropped the fines, Port Huron spent about $20,000 fighting the violation. MIOSHA says the investigator followed protocol.

Rep. Timmy Beson, R-Bangor Twp, criticized the veto.

“Once again, Gov. Whitmer has turned her back on small businesses. Her ridiculous veto shows no mercy to employers that have put in money, time and effort to protect employees and customers,” Beson said in a statement. “Even worse, she refuses to return unconstitutional fines she made businesses pay.”

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/whitmer-vetos-bill-forgive-refund-covid-19-fines

Loudoun County settles retaliation claims by teacher suspended for opposing transgender pronouns

Claims continue against underlying compelled speech policy

A northern Virginia teacher suspended for publicly opposing a proposed transgender pronoun policy has settled his retaliation claims against the school district, though compelled-speech claims against the now-enacted policy are continuing.

Loudoun County Public Schools is paying Tanner Cross $20,000 in attorney's fees, removing his suspension from his personnel file and agreeing not to further challenge the Virginia Supreme Court's reinstatement of Cross to his job at Leesburg Elementary, his lawyers at the Alliance Defending Freedom said Monday.

The district suspended Cross this past spring for his comments at a school board meeting based on the reaction of "a tiny minority of parents [who] requested that Cross not interact with their children," the high court ruled in August.

ADF said its amended lawsuit is continuing against the transgender policy that took effect in August, on behalf of Cross and teachers Monica Gill and Kim Wright.

"While we are very pleased that Tanner will be able to keep serving his students in light of this settlement, the concerns expressed in our ongoing lawsuit challenging the district’s policy remain," senior counsel Tyson Langhofer said in a statement. "Public employees cannot be forced to contradict their core beliefs just to keep a job."

The judge in the case declined to issue a ruling at a Monday hearing seeking a temporary injunction against the policy, WJLA reported.

https://justthenews.com/nation/free-speech/loudoun-county-settles-retaliation-claims-teacher-suspended-opposing-transgender