Strange Bedfellows – Hunter Biden’s Laptop Shows He Had a Relationship with Someone You’d Never Guess

Emails on Hunter Biden’s laptop reveal the unlikely close friendship between Hunter Biden and Tucker Carlson.

The Daily Mail reported on the connection between Tucker Carlson and Hunter Biden yesterday.

Hunter Biden was close friends with Tucker Carlson, wrote a recommendation for his son’s Georgetown application, and even got Carlson to intervene in a story about him on Hunter’s behalf.

Emails from Hunter’s abandoned laptop show the Fox anchor and the president’s son were close until around 2015 – revealing Carlson failed to disclose the true extent of his friendship throughout his extensive coverage of the scandals surrounding Hunter’s business and personal transgressions revealed by his abandoned computer.

In emails Hunter professed his ‘love’ for Carlson and his family, called him ‘buddy’ and told him ‘you’re a friend’.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/12/strange-bedfellows-hunter-bidens-laptop-shows-hunter-relationship-someone-never-guess/

Russia Preparing 175K Troops For Ukraine Offensive, US Intelligence Now Claims

The Washington Post is now reporting that Russia has mustered even more forces near Ukraine than previously thought. Over the past two weeks Western reports - based largely on the claims of US and Kiev officials - have circulated the figure of 90,000 or up to 100,000 Russian troops massed in the Crimea region and near Donbass.

But on Friday the Washington Post claimed Russia is preparing an "multi-front offensive" with an invasion force of 175,000 troops, and that a military incursion into Ukraine could come as early as January. This is a huge revision up from the already hyped initial assessments floated in US media reports.

A mere days ago Pentagon spokesman John Kirby obviously downplayed the 'invasion threat' from Russia. "We're watching it very closely," he said in a Tuesday press briefing, adding: "We don't envision any US military intervention in this conflict." As we described previously, variations of "we're monitoring the situation" from the Pentagon does not at all suggest US defense leaders are really convinced a military assault on Ukraine is actually coming.

But WaPo, based on the newly revealed US intelligence document as well as anonymously sourced officials, has this to say:

"The Russian plans call for a military offensive against Ukraine as soon as early 2022 with a scale of forces twice what we saw this past spring during Russia's snap exercise near Ukraine's borders," said an administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

"The plans involve extensive movement of 100 battalion tactical groups with an estimated 175,000 personnel, along with armor, artillery and equipment," the report continues.

Though the repeat accusations against Moscow over the past weeks have been done without concrete evidence - something the Kremlin has pointed out (amid continuing reports noting Russian forces have been "growing"… in Russia) - the new Washington Post reporting is at least attempting to point to some level of "evidence", in the form of satellite photos:

The unclassified U.S. intelligence document obtained by the Post, which includes satellite photos, shows Russian forces massing in four locations. Currently, 50 battlefield tactical groups are deployed, along with newly arrived tanks and artillery, according to the document.

But again, there's unanimous agreement that the 'invasion forces' in question are all stationed and positioned well within Russian territory, in some cases deep inside the country's sovereign borders.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-preparing-175k-troops-ukraine-offensive-us-intelligence-now-claims

Forcing the “New Normal”: Oregon Dems Begin Process To Make Indoor Mask Mandates PERMANENT

Oregon is one of just six states that still have an indoor mask mandate, and now the democrat stronghold is working to make that rule stick around permanently.

On Thursday, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) confirmed that its rules advisory committee “met to begin the process of drafting a permanent set of rules for the state’s indoor mask mandate requirement.”

According to local outlet KGW8, despite ending the state’s outdoor mask mandate last week, the totalitarian OHA is attempting to solidify the mask requirement indoors before the temporary emergency measure expires in February. If the permanent change is made, the department would no longer need to meet every 180 days to extend the mandate.

A copy of the permanent masking proposal was passed on to “industry stakeholders” – such as representatives of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association – for a chance to review. Unsurprisingly, the feedback was mixed at best, but mostly negative, with one member questioning how it would even be possible to enforce because getting people to comply with the mandates has only gotten harder.

From KGW8:

“The current indoor mask mandate is a temporary rule and is set to expire in February, so Oregon health leaders want to be able to switch to a permanent rule before then. The permanent rule can still be ended once the COVID-19 pandemic recedes to a safe level, but it can remain in place indefinitely in the meantime and won’t expire prematurely while case numbers are still dangerously high.

Some of the industry representatives on the call expressed concern about businesses’ ability to continue to enforce the mask mandate for their customers, particularly now that many other states have relaxed their mandates.

‘Getting people to comply is getting harder,’ said Paloma Sparks from the Oregon Business & Industry association.”

The OHA has not moved to make this rule official as of yet – they are still working out the details – but it is a clear signal that the implementation of mandatory forever masks is right on the precipice. As KATU writes, “this is the first step in making the rule permanent.”

In other words, perpetual boosters and eternal masking – the tyrannical health regime is forcing their proposed new normal through law – whether you like it or not.

Proponents of the forever masks claim that there is nothing to worry about because the permanent rule “can be repealed.”

Yeah… Haven’t heard that one before.

The possibility of repeal in the future does not negate the simple fact that Oregon’s proposed mandate would be written to be permanent – and unless the tyrants who imposed it decide to benevolently hand their power back, it will be extremely hard to overturn in the future.

And, let’s just say, they ain’t giving that power up without a fight.

For example, Dr. Paul Cieslak – the medical director for OHA’s communicable diseases and immunizations division – ridiculously claimed that “permanent means indefinite. It doesn’t necessarily mean permanent,” when he was asked about the proposed change.

This is just the latest example of the public-health bureaucracy dutifully moving the goalposts throughout the manufactured pandemic, but the veil continues to fall despite their best efforts. They have absolutely nothing, so Cieslak defaulted straight to changing the definition of words to fit the narrative – it’s the left’s new scientific method.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/12/forcing-new-normal-oregon-dems-begin-process-make-indoor-mask-mandates-permanent/

Major blast reported kilometers from Iran’s nuclear facility

A major blast has reportedly rocked the vicinity of the Iranian city of Natanz, known for housing the country’s major nuclear research facility.

A loud explosion northeast of Natanz nuclear power plant was reported by multiple Iranian outlets late on Saturday. The blast, said to be accompanied by a flash of light, was heard near the town of Badrud, some 20 kilometers away from the facility.

https://www.rt.com/news/542224-iran-blast-natanz-nuclear-plant/