Jeff Zucker Resigns From CNN – Relationship with Colleague Uncovered – Network Stunned

CNN’s worldwide president Jeff Zucker resigned on Wednesday.

Zucker resigned effective immediately, the network announced.

Mr. Zucker’s relationship with Allison Gollust, the chief marketing officer for CNN, was revealed during an investigation into Chris Cuomo’s sexual misconduct.

Although both Zucker and Allison Gollust are divorced, Zucker did not disclose their relationship, as required.

What a mess!

“As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today,” Zucker wrote in a memo.

“I have accepted Jeff Zucker’s resignation as Chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports, and President of CNN Worldwide. We thank Jeff for his contributions over the past 9 years,” Jason Kilar, CEO of WarnerMedia said in an email to staffers.

Kilar added, “We will be announcing an interim leadership plan shortly. Both of these organizations are at the top of their respective games and are well prepared for their next chapters.”

A quick recap of what the newsroom at CNN has looked like in the last year:

CNN has fired Chris Cuomo for sexual misconduct

Anchor Don Lemon accused of sexual assault

Producer Rick Saleeby forced out for soliciting underage photos and is under criminal investigation

Producer John Griffin is facing federal sex crime charges involving children

Jeffrey “Zoomin” Toobin exposed himself during a virtual meeting with colleagues

Mr. Zucker has been widely criticized for not doing enough about the sex scandals, perverts and pedophiles at CNN.

And now we know why! He was involved in his own sex scandal.

Brian Stelter read Allison Gollust’s statement on live broadcast:

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/breaking-jeff-zucker-resigns-cnn-relationship-colleague-uncovered-network-stunned/

Russia announces retaliation over RT DE ban in Germany

Germany’s actions have left Moscow no other choice but to retaliate, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said

Russia has repeatedly warned the German authorities that it considers any “politically motivated pressure” on Moscow-based broadcasting company “unacceptable,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

“A decision by the German media regulator is a clear signal [showing] that Russia’s concerns have been demonstratively ignored,” the foreign ministry said, adding that such a step leaves Russia no choice but take “reciprocal measures” against the German media certified in Russia as well as internet platforms that deleted RT DE accounts “in an arbitrary and baseless way.”

The ministry did not specify what particular measures will be taken. Earlier, it repeatedly warned Berlin about an “inevitable” response in case Germany refuses to find a “constructive solution” to issue around RT DE broadcasting “created by [Germany] itself.”

The statement comes as Germany’ Commission on Licensing and Supervision (ZAK) – the central organ of Germany’s Medienanstalten agency – sided with the regional media regulator MABB, which sought to shut down RT DE’s media operations citing an absence of a valid German license.

RT DE has been operating on a license secured in Serbia in 2021, which allowed it to broadcast in various European countries, including Germany, under the European Convention on Transfrontier Television (ECTT), of which both Berlin and Belgrade are signatories. The German authorities, however, dismissed the license as worthless.

https://www.rt.com/russia/548128-russia-germany-media-rt-de-ban-response/

https://www.rt.com/russia/548128-russia-germany-media-rt-de-ban-response/

Mike Pence – The Man Behind the Treachery in the Trump White House Finally Gets Called Out

Mike Pence portrayed himself as this serene, cerebral, and spiritual man from the Midwest. But looking back over the Trump years, Pence and his team were behind many of the more significant treacherous events in the Trump White House.

Former Vice President Mike Pence was chosen by then-candidate Trump during the 2016 primaries. He came across as a quiet and mild-mannered Christian man from the Midwest who loved his country. What we didn’t know back then was what lay beneath that facade.

Emerald Robinson released an excellent piece on Pence where she digs and uncovers the many material issues in Trump’s White House that Pence was behind. Here is a summary of Robinson’s masterpiece.

Robinson starts by noting President Trump’s recent statements about Mike Pence. Here is one recent Trump statement we reported:

Robinson starts her piece by stating:

The reason that Mike Pence did not exercise the power to lawfully contest the election is because Mike Pence was never a Trump loyalist. He’s a GOP establishment loyalist. There were plenty of problems inside the Trump Administration, and Vice President Mike Pence was at the center of many of those problems. In fact, it’s always been obvious that Pence and his staff were deeply involved in trying to remove President Trump from office

Dr. Peter Navaro shared on Pence’s betrayal after January 6th.

General Flynn’s Firing

Robinson shares some remarkable insights into Pence’s involvement with the firing of General Flynn only days into President Trump’s Administration:

Let’s begin with Mike Pence’s least favorite question: “Why did you insist that President Trump fire his National Security Advisor Michael Flynn in the opening days of the administration?” The official story is that Gen. Flynn had lied to Mike Pence about Flynn’s contacts with Russian diplomats. Nobody has bothered to ask Pence exactly how he was informed about Flynn’s private conversations. Think about it: somebody went to Pence with transcripts of Flynn’s calls, and told Pence that Flynn was a national security risk. Who would have access to such phone calls? Who would want to lie about the nature of those phone calls to get Flynn fired?

It almost certainly must have been disgraced FBI agent Peter Strozk.

It’s likely that Strzok was the one who pushed for VP Pence to fire Flynn because we know that Peter Strozk’s assistant was Katherine Seaman — the wife of Mike Pence’s chief of staff Josh Pitcock. We also have the text exchanges between Strozk and Page discussing infiltrating the Trump White House in great detail. (This was the subject of an extraordinary letter from Senator Grassley and Senator Johnson to AG Bill Barr.) What did Pence know about the FBI’s attempts to spy on the Trump White House? Is it even possible that Mike Pence was totally unaware that his chief of staff’s spouse worked directly for the chief of the counter-espionage unit of the FBI?

We know that President Obama warned President Trump not to hire Flynn in 2016. We also know that Flynn himself believes that Obama advised Trump against hiring him because Flynn knew about the Obama administration’s role in spying on Trump’s presidential campaign. Removing Flynn as Trump’s National Security Advisor was a top priority for the Deep State.

In other words, Mike Pence was the first person to set the Russia Hoax into motion.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/mike-pence-man-behind-messes-trump-white-house-finally-gets-called/

Critical German Oil Network Hit With Cyberattack Amid Rising US-Russian Tensions

The energy crisis surrounding Europe worsened as Germany's fuel-supply network was hit with a cyberattack on Jan. 29. The incident follows mounting tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine and the possibility Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany could be axed if Russia invades Kyiv.

The US has insisted it would block the pipeline opening upon a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Western governments and their corporate media counterparts aren't helping the situation as they drum up the prospects for conflict between Russia and the US. This week, it just so happened a cyberattack partially paralyzed Germany's most critical fuel network as the geopolitical turmoil worsened in the region.

S&P Global Platts reports the attack targeted energy company Mabanaft Group and storage company Oiltanking Group. Disruptions to some oil products in Germany, Europe's biggest oil consumer, are being reported.

Oiltanking declared force majeure at eleven terminals in Germany and was operating at "limited capacity."

"All parties continue to work to restore operations to normal in all our terminals as soon as possible," both companies said in a joint press release.

Traders told S&P Global Platts the cyberattack might last for upwards of two weeks as the companies are expected to "just pay off the blackmailers."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/critical-german-oil-network-hit-cyberattack-amid-rising-us-russian-tensions

Biden Sending 3,000 Troops to Poland, Romania and Germany; in Addition to 8,500 on Standby for NATO

The Pentagon announced Wednesday Joe Biden has ordered 3,000 U.S. troops to be deployed to Eastern Europe to send a message to Russia about NATO resolve in the face of Russia’s troop buildup on the Ukraine border. The U.S. troops being deployed are separate from the 8,500 already on standby for deployment for the NATO Response Force.

Statement released by the Pentagon:

Posture Updates in Support of Allies in Europe

February 2, 2022

As part of our commitment to upholding the principles of the rules-based international order and to the security of our NATO Allies, the United States maintains significant combat-capable forces in Europe.

These forward-deployed forces help to deter aggression and if deterrence fails, stand shoulder to shoulder with our Allies to maintain security and stability in Europe. At the President’s direction and following Secretary Austin’s recommendation, the Department of Defense will reposition certain Europe-based units further east, forward deploy additional U.S.-based units to Europe, and maintain the heightened state of readiness of response forces to meet these commitments.

These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are not permanent moves. They respond to current conditions.

We will adjust our posture as those conditions evolve, and we will continue to consult closely with NATO Allies to ensure an appropriate collective posture of deterrence and defense. We welcome the announcements in recent days by other Allies – including France, Spain, UK, the Netherlands, and Denmark – of their consideration to provide additional contributions to enhancing NATO’s posture on the eastern flank.

1,000 Forces Repositioned from Germany to Romania:

As a part of our broader effort to demonstrate our commitment to our NATO Allies and deter Russian aggression, the United States is repositioning a Stryker squadron of approximately 1,000 U.S. service members already in the European theater to Romania. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, a mounted unit based in Vilseck, Germany, will send a combined arms force equipped with wheeled armored fighting vehicles to deter aggression and enhance our defensive capabilities in frontline Allied states during this period of elevated risk. These forces will augment the more than 900 U.S. service members already on regular rotation in Romania.

2,000 Multi-Mission “Assure and Deter” Forces Deployed to Poland and Germany:

Additionally, the Secretary is deploying approximately 2,000 forces from the United States to Europe in the next few days. These include approximately 1,700 service members of the 82nd Airborne Division and key enablers who will deploy from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Poland and approximately 300 service members of the 18th Airborne Corps will move from Fort Bragg to Germany. The 82nd Airborne Division is deploying components of an Infantry Brigade Combat Team and key enablers to Poland. The 18th Airborne Corps is moving a Joint Task

Force-capable headquarters to Germany. Collectively, this force is trained and equipped for a variety of missions to deter aggression and to reassure and defend our Allies during this period of elevated risk. We worked closely with our Polish and German Allies to set the stage for these movements, and we appreciate their support.

8,500 Forces Remain in the United States on Heightened Readiness:

The 8,500 personnel in the United States on heightened alert posture since January 24 remain in the United States. They are not currently being deployed, but remain ready to move if called to support the NATO Response Force (NRF), if it is activated, or as needed for other contingencies as directed by the Secretary or the President. We continue to review our force posture and the situation in Europe, as the gravity of this situation demands our full attention.

There are a reported 160 Florida National Guard troops on the ground in Ukraine training Ukrainian military. Kirby spoke about the deployment last week:

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/ukraine-war-games-biden-sending-3000-troops-poland-romania-germany-addition-8500-standby-nato/

Wisconsin Election Commission Enacts Rule that Enables Local Officials to Fill in Missing Info on Ballot Envelopes

The Wisconsin Election Commission passed a rule that local election officials can fill in missing information on ballot envelopes.

The Wisconsin Election Commission in 2016 issued guidance saying clerks could correct witness address mistakes on absentee ballot envelopes without contact the witness. Republicans believe both policies are ripe for fraud.

FOX11 Online reported:

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is moving ahead with enacting a rule that will make clear that local election officials can fill in missing information on absentee ballot envelopes submitted by voters.

The bipartisan commission voted 4-2 on Monday to use its existing guidance on correcting absentee ballot envelopes when drafting an emergency rule spelling out what is allowed for clerks.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the commission’s vote follows a demand from the Legislature’s Republican-controlled rules committee for emergency rules on such envelope “curing,” as well as on the use of ballot drop boxes, by Feb. 9.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/wth-wisconsin-election-commission-enacts-rule-enables-local-officials-fill-missing-info-ballot-envelopes/

Russia & China hatch sanctions busting plan to limit use of dollar

The remarks come in the face of increasing Western pressure

Amid a worsening stand-off between East and West, Russia and China are increasingly contemplating using their own currencies in mutual settlements and finding ways to work together to counter sanctions, Moscow’s envoy in Beijing has disclosed.

Speaking as part of an appearance on YouTube channel Soloviev Live on Wednesday, Andrey Denisov weighed in on the impact of embargoes imposed by Western nations on ties between the two nations.

“The fact that these sanctions have a negative impact on some aspects of our relations is indeed true,” he said, pointing at the impact on financial settlements. “If penalties are imposed on one of our banks, it is quite difficult for Chinese recipients of our products to pay us, although they have the money and the desire to do so.”

According to the envoy, “it is no coincidence that in recent years we have been talking more and more about the wider use of national currencies in the settlement of foreign trade transactions.”

“So measures to counteract the pressure of sanctions that we can apply together, we certainly do – and by the way, we are discussing this issue with our Chinese partners,” Denisov said.

The two countries have emphasized the importance of their relations in an array of spheres, including trade, energy, and defense in the face of strained relations with the West in recent months. However, a number of analysts have previously suggested that the meaningful ties between the two powers are limited in comparison to blocs like NATO.

In December, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, revealed that the Russian leader and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, had vowed to develop shared financial structures to enable the two nations to deepen their economic ties, without the interference of third countries.

The move appeared to be a response to a series of warnings from the West that Moscow could be cut off from the Brussels-based SWIFT international payment system as a punitive measure if Russian troops were to stage an invasion of Ukraine.

Last year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the two nations “need to move away from the use of Western-controlled international payment systems.” His remarks echoed earlier comments from his deputy, Sergey Ryabkov, who told the Bloomberg business news outlet that it was necessary to “barricade ourselves against the US financial and economic system to eliminate dependence on this toxic source of permanent hostile actions,” and “cut back the role of the dollar in any operations.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/548070-china-moscow-plan-currency/

Putin Says US Trying To Goad Russia Into War As Ukraine Ready For Talks "In Any Format"

After for weeks firmly denying that there are any plans in place for a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said the United States is actively trying to goad Russia into an armed conflict with Ukraine. The Russian president suggested this would be used as a pretext to severely isolate Russia both economically and diplomatically on the world stage.

"Their most important task is to contain Russia’s development," he said of Washington aims. "Ukraine is just an instrument of achieving this goal. It can be done in different ways, such as pulling us into some armed conflict and then forcing their allies in Europe to enact those harsh sanctions against us that are being discussed today in the United States."

The Biden administration has lately touted far-reaching sanctions against Putin's inner circle, oligarchs, energy firms and banks - and has even threatened sanctions on the Russian leader personally. At the same time the Senate is readying a "mother of all sanctions" package. All of these options would be akin to the type of all encompassing US-led measures currently in place which have wrecked Iran's economy.

Putin further said the US has thus far refused to meet its conditions and take seriously its legitimate security concerns. He stressed Tuesday "that the principal Russian concerns turned out to be ignored."

"I hope that eventually we will find this solution though it’s not easy, we understand that," Putin added. "But to talk today about what that will be — I am, of course, not ready to do that."

On Wednesday, the Biden administration for the first time ordered the deployment of up to 3,000 troops to NATO 'eastern flank' countries - including Romania and Poland, aimed at deterring what Washington sees as a potential "imminent" Russian invasion of Ukraine, despite the Ukraine government itself lately downplaying the threat.

Some of the Pentagon's own statements too have struck a less dire and urgent tone than those of the White House…

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-says-us-trying-goad-russia-war-ukraine-ready-talks-any-format

Firefighters Brace For North Carolina Fertilizer Plant Explosion, 6,500 People Evacuated

An uncontrolled fire burns at a North Carolina fertilizer plant early Wednesday as there is still a risk of an explosion, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes in surrounding communities, according to local news WXII-TV.

Winston Weaver Co.'s Winston-Salem plant caught fire Monday night and continues to burn days later. The plant produces ammonium nitrate and has more than 500 tons of potentially explosive chemicals in storage.

"There has been no improvement on scene, conditions have not improved," a spokesperson for the city of Winston-Salem said during a press briefing at 0430 ET. "The potential for an explosion is still there."

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/firefighters-brace-north-carolina-fertilizer-plant-explosion-6500-people-evacuated

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/firefighters-brace-north-carolina-fertilizer-plant-explosion-6500-people-evacuated

PayPal Crashes Most On Record After Shutting Millions Of "Bad Actor" Accounts, Abandons Long-Term User Goal

PayPal, best known recently for aggressively deplatforming and demonetizing all voices which the woke liberal "cancel-culture" brigade disagrees with (this website included), crashed the most on record on Tuesday morning one day after it reported dismal results, slashing guidance and warning that it will no longer reach its long-term goal of 750 million active accounts by 2025, abandoning a goal that contributed to a jump in spending last year on sales campaigns.

The payments giant which was the original source of Elon Musk's wealth, lowered its forecast for new customers after saying that “bad actors” were taking advantage of its incentives and rewards programs, and is also overhauling its marketing strategy as a result.

PayPal last year began offering its first ever sign-up incentives, handing out as much as $10 to encourage new customers to open an account. But the firm’s risk-management team - which apparently is made up of gullible 19-year-olds who could never anticipate such an outcome - discovered that many of the accounts were being created by bot farms. Shock!

PayPal immediately began closing those accounts and is attempting to recoup the incentives from those customers, a company spokesman said. Good luck with that.

“We regularly assess our active account base to ensure the accounts are legitimate,” CFO John Rainey said during a Tuesday conference call with analysts after the company released fourth-quarter results which missed across the board. “This is particularly important during incentive campaigns that can be targets for bad actors attempting to reap the benefit from these offers without ever having an intent to be a legitimate customer on our platform.”

"Bad actors", of course, is what you blame when you blow up your entire business model after demonetizing millions of people whose only transgression is disagreeing with you.

The "problem" - which apparently the company was not aware of until just now - was disclosed along with an earnings report that fell well short of Wall Street estimates, sending the shares plunging.

Going forward, PayPal said it will refocus its marketing efforts on increasing usage of its products among active customers.

Meanwhile, the company said low-income customers are spending less as they struggle to keep up with rising prices amid the highest levels of U.S. inflation in decades. Adding insult to cancel culture injury, growth in e-commerce spending also slowed as supply-chain disruptions affected shipping times and consumers did more of their shopping in stores during the holiday season.

The abrupt shift in marketing strategies was a “shocker,” Lisa Ellis, an analyst at MoffettNathanson, said in a note to clients. “You can officially add PayPal to your list of pandemic high-fliers that are experiencing a quite-bumpy landing.” And for confirmation look no further than the company's stock which has plunged 25% today, its biggest drop on record.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/paypal-crashes-most-record-after-shutting-millions-bad-actor-accounts-abandons-long-term

BBs old favorite line

Iran is weeks away from being able to fuel a nuclear bomb, warns the State Department

Iran is “weeks, not months” away from being able to power an atomic bomb, a senior State Department official told reporters on Monday after the conclusion of a round of indirect talks with Iran and other world powers in Vienna.

After 10 months of negotiations, the State Department confirmed that the diplomatic talks about Iran’s nuclear capabilities would come to an end whether the nation accepts the deal offered to it or not. The Biden administration believes that Iran’s nuclear program has advanced to the point that, should the Biden administration propose re-entering the 2015 nuclear accord, it will provide no benefits to the United States and the globe.

Since former President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement his predecessor established with the ayatollah, Iran has enriched uranium to extremely high levels of purity, expedited the installation of advanced nuclear centrifuges, and prevented international inspectors from investigating its process by barring them from entering the country.

According to the Washington Free Beacon, the senior State Department official said, “We are in the final stretch because, as we’ve said now for some time, this can’t go on forever because of Iran’s nuclear advances. This is not a prediction. It’s not a threat. It’s not an artificial deadline.”

The official continued, “It’s just a requirement that we’ve conveyed indirectly to Iran and to all our [international] partners for some time, which is that given the pace of Iran’s advances, its nuclear advances, we only have a handful of weeks left to get a deal, after which point it will, unfortunately, be no longer possible to return to the [deal] and to recapture the nonproliferation benefits that the deal provided for us.”

Should Iranian leadership accept the deal the United States offers, the sanctions imposed upon Iran by the Trump admiration will no longer apply and the United States will supply the country with billions of dollars in cash. Since taking office, the Biden administration has worked to reduce Iranian sanctions.

The ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran have been marred by Iran’s refusal to work directly with the United States, thus making it necessary to bring other countries into the mix as go-betweens for discussions. Russia is one such country. And the recent worsening of relations between the United States and Russia increases the likelihood that negotiations could fall apart.

Should Iran refuse to accept whatever deal the United States offers, it is likely that sanctions will be reapplied.

The senior State Department official said, “That means more pressure — economic, diplomatic, and otherwise. That’s not a future we aspire to, but it’s one that we’re ready for.”

In recent months, Iran launched rockets into space — allegedly for research purposes — and launched over a dozen ballistic missiles in order to intimidate Israel.

Iran is growing bolder as it moves closer and closer to building a nuclear weapon.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/iran-is-weeks-away-from-being-able-to-fuel-a-nuclear-bomb-warns-the-state-department

Leon Harris, former CNN anchor, arrested, accused of trying to leave DUI crash scene: reports

Leon Harris, a former CNN host now working for a TV station in Washington, DC, was allegedly impaired when he tried to leave the scene of an auto crash in Maryland over the weekend, according to reports.

Harris was apprehended after his vehicle hit the rear of another vehicle, forcing it into a third car, WRC-TV of Washington reported. The NBC affiliate is Harris’ current employer.

No one was seriously hurt in the incident, The Hill reported.

After being stopped by police, Harris failed a sobriety test, and a breathalyzer test showed his alcohol level to be twice the state’s legal limit for drivers, according to the report.

WRC said Harris will not appear on air while an investigation into the crash continues.

The newsman faces a total of nine charges, including driving while under influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, attempting to elude police and failure to control vehicle speed to avoid a collision, according to WRC.

Harris previously pleaded guilty to DUI in 2013 for an incident in which he was pulled over by a Maryland state trooper, WRC reported. He received probation in that case, the report said.

https://nypost.com/2022/02/02/former-cnn-anchor-leon-harris-arrested-accused-of-trying-to-leave-dui-crash-scene-reports/

US national debt exceeds $30 trillion for first time in history

America’s national debt has surpassed $30 trillion for the first time in history, the Treasury Department said this week.

The federal government exceeded the troubling threshold following a wave of borrowing and spending during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national debt has expanded by approximately $7 trillion since January 2020, weeks before the pandemic began, as the Trump and Biden administrations dispersed stimulus payments and took other measures to support the economy.

The $30 trillion debt is equivalent to $231,000 per US household and $90,000 per person, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. If every US household paid $1,000 per month toward covering the debt, it would take 19 years to pay down the sum.

The staggering figure includes intragovernmental debt, or money the federal government owes to itself, such as through Social Security trust funds. It also includes debt held by public entities such as businesses, pension plans and insurance companies.

More than $7.7 trillion is owed to foreign creditors, with Japan, China and the United Kingdom topping the list.

The US government exceeded the $30 trillion threshold much faster than expected. In 2020, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted it would not occur until 2025.

Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation — an organization dedicated to fiscal responsibility — described the $30 trillion milestone as a “giant red flag for all of us about America’s future economic health, generational equity, and role in the world.”

“Our high and rising debt makes us less prepared for the next pandemic, less secure against future adversaries, less resilient to the changing climate, and less able to build the strong and inclusive economy that we all want for the next generation,” Peterson added.

The national debt is a subject of fierce debate on Capitol Hill. Republicans — and some Democrats — have argued for months that President Biden’s $2 trillion social and climate spending bill, the Build Back Better Act, will cause the national debt to balloon even larger, crippling the country over the long term.

In December, moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), a key holdout, cited the federal government’s “staggering debt” as a key factor in his decision to oppose the legislation.

Last year, Republicans blocked efforts to lift the debt ceiling for months, citing concerns that raising the federal borrowing limit would facilitate additional government spending the country could ill afford.

Congress eventually reached an agreement to raise the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion – an amount that’s expected to cover obligations through 2023.

https://nypost.com/2022/02/02/us-national-debt-exceeds-30-trillion-first-time-in-history/

A Dominion Voting Systems Rep is Sponsoring a Republican Senate Campaign Fundraiser.

Dave McCormick – a Republican candidate vying to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate – is hosting a campaign fundraiser sponsored by the founder of a consulting firm repping Dominion Voting Sytems, which has come under scrutiny for its conduct in the 2020 election.

McCormick is running to replace retiring Senator Pat Toomey – against candidates including Dr. Mehmet Oz –in a state rife with election fraud and irregularities.

Scheduled for January 24th in New York, McCormick’s event counts over three dozen individuals as co-hosts, among which is Tony Fratto.

Fratto, who served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary to President George W. Bush, founded Hamilton Place Strategies following his departure from the federal government. One of the communications consulting firm’s clients, Dominion Voting Systems, appears to present a conflict of interest regarding election integrity and security.

Fratto has also publicly defended the election company in now-deleted tweets:

https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/02/02/pa-senate-fundraiser-sponsored-by-dominion-rep/

REVEALED: Top Fauci-Linked U.S. Govt Advisor Serves On Chinese Communist Influence Committee.

A co-chair of a National Institutes of Health education committee doubles as an advisor to a Chinese Communist Party-linked influence group, The National Pulse can reveal.

A co-chair of a National Institutes of Health education committee doubles as an advisor to a Chinese Communist Party-linked influence group, The National Pulse can reveal.

The USHCA has also co-hosted events alongside the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), regarded as the “public face” of the United Front and an “avowed arm of the party-state.” The U.S. State Department has described the group as seeking to “directly and malignly influence” U.S. state and local leaders.

Despite these concerns, Hott also serves as the co-chair of the Education and Return of Results branch of the NIH’s Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research group.

“This working group focuses on genomic sequencing results and education to patients, families, caregivers and healthcare providers is designed and delivered,” he explans in his LinkedIn profile, which shows he has held the position since 2019.

Hott has published several journal articles outlining scientific curricula in schools, including papers counting direct financial support from the NIH.

Other papers authored by Hott include “Biotech 101: an educational outreach program in genetics and biotechnology” and “Genetics Content in Introductory Biology Courses for Non-Science Majors: Theory and Practice.”

https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/02/02/nih-advisor-linked-to-ccp-influence-group/

China Failed to Meet ‘Phase 1’ Trade Deal Commitments: US Trade Official

U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi has raised concerns at a Washington trade conference about the Chinese regime’s failure to honor its commitments under the “phase one” trade deal signed in January 2020.

Under the agreement, which expired at the end of 2021, China promised to ramp up purchases of U.S. energy, agricultural, and manufactured products and services by $200 billion in excess of what China imported in 2017.

Speaking virtually at the 2022 Washington International Trade Conference, Bianchi said it was “really clear” that Beijing had fallen short of commitments made under the deal, according to a Reuters report. Figures from the Peterson Institute for International Economics show that through November 2021, China had imported only $221.9 billion out of a two-year target of $380.5 billion.

According to Reuters, Bianchi stopped short of advocating specific steps that the United States and allies could take to redress Beijing’s failure to meet its commitments, and said that high-level conversations between the two powers over this issue have been “very difficult.”

“It’s not our goal to escalate here. But certainly we’re looking at all the tools we have in our toolbox to make sure they’re held accountable,” Bianchi said, without providing details, Reuters reported.

While some may be tempted to give Beijing a pass for its failure to meet its phase one commitments on the grounds of the pandemic and supply-chain disruptions, a number of observers believe that a supine U.S. leadership is at least partly responsible.

“The main objective of Phase 1 is to punish the Chinese Government’s unfair trade practice and push it to make meaningful structural changes. But now, the Biden administration has given up on pushing the Chinese Government to make changes. So, Phase 1 has lost its original goal under Biden,” said Shaomin Li, a professor of international business at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

In the absence of a clearly articulated policy and a tough stance on the part of the Biden administration, Beijing simply may not feel the pressure over trade that is needed to encourage or compel effective change and the honoring of commitments.

“I think it is likely that the Chinese leadership will revert to its old practice, playing Tai Chi: making promises, dragging on, and never delivering. And the Biden administration is likely to regress to the practices of the Clinton, Bush, and Obama eras of endless complaints to and meetings with the Chinese leadership with no real consequences or results,” Li said.

“Knowing this, the Chinese leadership may have concluded that they don’t need to exit or fulfill the agreement, just drag on and blame the U.S. for ‘cold-war mentality’ and ‘protectionism,’” he added.

But change is still entirely possible with a firmer stance and a shift in attitude at both the diplomatic and commercial levels. Li envisions one possible future where the United States takes measures to lessen its reliance on China and where U.S. companies better grasp the risks—with regard to intellectual property, technology transfers, and import quotas and commitments, among other issues—of U.S.-China commerce.

“This will further isolate China, and the increasing isolation may prompt the Chinese leadership to make some meaningful changes,” Li said.

https://www.ntd.com/china-failed-to-meet-phase-1-trade-deal-commitments-us-trade-official_735139.html

Ireland’s Own Partygate: Report Finds ‘Serious Breach’ of Lockdown Rules by Dublin Officials

A report into alleged lockdown breaking within the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has found that officials partook in a ‘serious breach’ of lockdown rules.

A report ordered by Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, has found that officials within his department partook in a “serious breach” of lockdown rules during a celebration of Ireland’s election to the U.N. Security Council.

Coveney had ordered the document be prepared after an image showing a department gathering during one of Ireland’s strict lockdowns emerged. The image, which was briefly posted to social media, appeared to show a number of senior officials gathered around for a selfie while holding alcoholic beverages.

According to a 17-page document uploaded to the department’s official website, “a serious breach of social distancing guidance” occurred after the outcome of the U.N. vote.

Furthermore, the breach according to the report was facilitated by the then-Secretary General of the department, Niall Burges, who provided the alcohol and had requested 20 department officers congregate for the rule-breaking photograph.

Burges has since agreed to donate €2,000 to a charity helping “people affected by Covid”.

In a statement contained within the report, the current Secretary General, Joe Hackett, has said that he does not “intend to take any further action”.

“The staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs are fully committed to delivering the best possible public service to this country and its people,” Hackett wrote.

“The controversy caused by this incident does not devalue or undermine that service or the remarkable achievement of our election to the Security Council,” the statement continued. “Our staff will continue to focus on advancing Irish interests and values in the EU and globally.”

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/02/02/irelands-own-partygate-report-finds-serious-breach-of-lockdown-rules-by-dublin-officials/

105K Migrants Intercepted by Texas National Guard near Border Under Operation Lone Star

DEL RIO, Texas — Texas National Guardsmen encountered approximately 105,000 migrants under Operation Lone Star. The soldiers and airmen also participated in “significant drug and weapons seizures.”

“The work each of our service members is doing is very important,” Texas Adjunct General Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris told Breitbart Texas. “Their presence along the border creates a significant deterrence to criminal activity along our southern border.”

The general’s comments to Breitbart followed a tour of Texas National Guard facilities and checkpoints in the Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector.

“Whether serving at a security point, constructing a barrier, or providing logistic and administrative support, each of our Soldiers and Airmen is critical to the broader effort to bring safety to our local communities,” General Norris stated.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2022/02/02/exclusive-105k-migrants-intercepted-by-texas-national-guard-near-border-under-operation-lone-star/

NYC’s Blueprint to End Gun Violence, Will Violate 2nd, 4th, & 5th Amendment Rights

President Biden has announced that he will travel to New York City (embedded below) to meet with newly sworn-in Mayor Eric Adams to discuss the huge crime wave that is sweeping across New York and other parts of the country.

The discussions will no doubt include ideas on how to further restrict the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights of law-abiding New Yorkers and visitors alike. In President Biden and Mayor Adams’ view of America, guns are the problem, not criminals. In their imaginary world, anyone who owns a firearm is a potential criminal.

These officials refuse to admit that New York State, and New York City, in particular, have some of the most severe restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms of any US jurisdiction. Anyone who wants to own a handgun is first required to obtain a license, then each handgun must be registered and listed on that license. And that is just to keep a gun at home. Having a full carry license requires the applicant to prove an unusual need for armed self-protection.

New York has defined “proper cause” so narrowly that few applicants can overcome the bureaucratic hurdles. A state resident, who is fortunate enough to have a full carry license, cannot exercise his or her right to carry in New York City, where self-defense guns are needed the most. Carrying in the City requires a special endorsement from the NYPD – which for most, is unobtainable. This issue is now before the US Supreme Court and GOA/GOF filed a brief in NYSRPA v. Bruen. Unlike many other states, there is no way for a non-resident to apply for a license. Rifles and shotguns that are not banned by name require another license.

Even with permits, licensing, and lists of prohibited guns, criminals will steal, lie, and cheat to obtain guns because they are well aware that New York’s laws have disarmed the law-abiding.

Mayor Adams recently announced, “The Blueprint to End Gun Violence,” which he calls a public health crisis. The Mayor’s plan includes “checkpoints” that are reminiscent of Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany in places where people enter the city. People and vehicles will be searched, and if firearms are found, they will be arrested.

The plan calls for Congressional action – or in other words: export New York’s failed gun laws to America.

Either the New York City Mayor is ignorant of 18 U.S.C. 926A, or he is choosing to ignore it.

Americans are free to travel to different states with firearms as long as their possession is legal at the origin of the journey and the destination. Let’s consider, for a moment, a Pennsylvania resident traveling by car to vacation in New Hampshire or Maine. Our hypothetical traveler might traverse the George Washington Bridge which will place them in danger of a warrantless search, possible arrest, and time in a New York City jail for perfectly lawful conduct. In Eric Adams’ New York, these Americans will be labeled as so-called “gun traffickers” and treated like common criminals.

https://patriotrising.com/nycs-blueprint-to-end-gun-violence-will-violate-2nd-4th-5th-amendment-rights/

“We are in Full Support of the Truckers” – Towing Companies in Canada Turn Down Requests from Police and Mayor to Haul Away Trucks

Towing companies in Alberta, Canada reportedly refused the requests from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to assist in the removal of trucks from Coutts Port of Entry on the north side of the Alberta-Montana border.

Abe Martens from Xodus Car Transport who also offers towing service told the Western Standard, “We are here with our trucks at the blockade, but we are participating and are in full support of the truckers.”

One of the largest towing companies in the area already said that they don’t want to get involved.

More from Western Standard:

Authorities searching for tow truck companies to assist in the removal of trucks from Coutts border blockade are coming up empty-handed.

The Western Standard spoke with a number of tow truck companies in southern Alberta including in Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

City Wide towing in Calgary said they had tow trucks at the blockade yesterday to help support anyone in need, but confirmed no trucks stayed on scene.

“Our trucks won’t be heading outside of Calgary today,” said a call centre employee at City Wide who did not want to give her name.

“We will be remaining in Calgary to service the surrounding area.”

TnT Towing in Lethbridge is one of the largest towing companies in the area. When contacted, the person who answered the phone said they had no comment but did indicate they had been contacted.

“We don’t know who it was that called, but we don’t want to get involved so we won’t be commenting.”

One smaller towing company in southern Alberta that was approached to supply tow trucks said they are “stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

“We have created relationships in our community and contracts that would be in jeopardy if we participate in any way,” said a worker at the towing company who asked to remain anonymous to avoid any negative response to his company.

“A lot of these smaller companies don’t want to ruin their reputation in the communities they serve so they don’t want to get involved,” he said.

“We have received calls here to supply our trucks, but we’ve also had calls from locals who won’t identify themselves asking if we plan to send trucks. When I told them ‘no’ they said ‘good then we will keep supporting you.’”

In a video posted on Twitter, a woman said that she was just talking to a local who has lived in Ottawa for 30 years.

“He told me that the Mayor of Ottawa called tow truck companies to start towing the semis out of the streets and every company said that they have COVID,” the woman added.

http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2022/02/we-are-in-full-support-of-truckers.html

GoFundMe for our Canadian freedom-fighters is about to hit 10 million

Gofundme donations are about to hit 10 million for the 2022 freedom truck convoy.

www.gofundme.com/f/taking-back-our-freedom-convoy-2022

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/gofundme-for-our-canadian-freedom-fighters-is-about-to-hit-10-million/

Aussie state lawmakers call to scrap all COVID restrictions in Victoria

A group of Australian lawmakers in Victoria has called to rescind all Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in the state. The opposition Liberal-National Coalition (LNC) said it plans on urging Victoria Premier Dan Andrews to adopt the proposal.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy, who heads the Liberal Party of Australia faction in the Victorian Parliament, elaborated on the coalition’s proposal on Jan. 30. It would put an immediate end to any planned statewide lockdowns and density limits for businesses. QR code check-ins for low-risk areas would be suspended and face masks would only be required in high-risk locations.

“Victorians won’t recover and rebuild under more back-to-the-future mandates, lockdowns and restrictions. Now is the time for a new approach. For two years, families and local communities have trusted the system and followed the rules,” Guy told the Melbourne tabloid Herald Sun.

“Now is the time for the government to trust them and let them get on with their lives. Victorians need a new approach that treats them with respect and backs them – not berates them – to make the right choices.”

Guy told Sky News in a separate interview: “Let’s move on with life, let’s keep our kids back at school, let’s make sure our hospital system’s prepared, let’s remove work-from-home orders, let’s try and get ourselves back to life again. That’s what we want in Victoria.”

“We’ve had the world’s longest lockdowns. Melbourne’s [central business district] is dead. We need to get our economy going again. We need it, for our own mental health, to get the state going again,” said the Victorian lawmaker. “We won’t do that with a state government that’s addicted to governing and ruling by fear.”

Peter Walsh, the deputy opposition leader who leads the National Party of Australia faction in the state parliament, agreed with Guy. He said regional Victorians could be trusted to “continue to do the right thing by themselves, their families and their communities.”

Opposition proposal won’t mandate boosters

The LNC also joined the city of Melbourne in calling on public servants and businesses to return back to offices to breathe new life into the Victorian capital’s business district. This contrasted with the advice from Andrews’ Victorian Labor Party, which recommended that people work from home due to the spike in COVID-19 cases driven by the B11529 omicron strain.

https://www.cracknewz.com/2022/02/aussie-state-lawmakers-call-to-scrap.html

Canadian Farmers Break Through Police Blockade

Biden Officials Signal US and Iran Close to Reaching Deal in Vienna

The Vienna talks to revive the JCPOA are currently on pause

Biden administration officials are signaling that the US and Iran are close to reaching an agreement to revive the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, The New York Times reported on Monday.

The JCPOA negotiations that have been ongoing in Vienna are currently on pause as diplomats have returned to their capitals for consultations. Envoys on all sides have signaled the talks are entering their final stage and that now “political decisions” need to be made.

Even though the Biden administration has maintained a hardline stance towards Iran, US officials are putting the responsibility to revive the JCPOA on Iranian leadership. A senior State Department official told reporters on Monday that if Iran is willing to make the necessary “decisions” quickly, the US can “see a path to a deal.”

The official wouldn’t detail what the major sticking points are between the US and Iran. An Iranian official said Monday that there are still “significant issues” regarding the removal of sanctions to resolve. Iran is also seeking guarantees that the US won’t withdraw from the deal again.

If President Biden decides to give Iran the necessary sanctions relief to revive the JCPOA, he will come under a significant amount of political pressure. Virtually every Republican and some hawkish Democrats are against the deal. But the State Department official said Biden is willing “to make the political decisions necessary to achieve that goal.”

The US stance on the talks is more positive than it has been, but Biden officials are still warning that time is running out on the negotiations. The US claims that the JCPOA will no longer be a viable deal after a certain point, but there are no real time constraints since Iran can reduce its nuclear activity at any point.

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/02/01/biden-officials-signal-us-and-iran-close-to-reaching-deal-in-vienna/

Psaki accuses Hawley of 'parroting Russian talking points'

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday accused Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and other conservatives of "parroting Russian talking points" amid the looming threat of conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Psaki was asked to respond to Hawley's call for the Biden administration to abandon support for Ukraine's eventual admission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), arguing it would not be in U.S. interests to be bound to defend Ukraine militarily.

"If you are digesting Russian misinformation and parroting Russian talking points you are not aligned with longstanding bipartisan American values, which is to stand up for the sovereignty of countries like Ukraine, but others," Psaki said at a press briefing.

"Their right to choose their own alliances, and also to stand against, very clearly, the efforts, or attempts or potential attempts by any country to invade and take territory of another country," she continued. "That applies to Sen. Hawley, but it also applies to others who may be parroting the talking points of Russian propagandist leaders."

Hawley responded by accusing the Biden administration of coddling Russia, citing its refusal to block the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, and suggesting the chaotic evacuation of U.S. forces from Afghanistan "emboldened our enemies worldwide."

Axios reported earlier Wednesday that Hawley wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken seeking clarity on how Ukraine's future membership in NATO would benefit U.S. interests.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/592490-psaki-accuses-hawley-of-parroting-russian-talking-points

FBI confirms purchasing Pegasus spyware, but denies using it

In a statement to the Guardian, the US intelligence agency says it bought a license from NSO Group for ‘product testing and evaluation only’ and not ‘operational use’

The FBI confirmed on Wednesday that it had purchased Pegasus spyware from Israel’s NSO Group, but denied ever using it during an operation.

In a statement to the Guardian, the FBI said it purchased the powerful cellphone hacking software in order to “stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft.” The US security agency said it bought a “limited license” to use Pegasus for “product testing and evaluation only,” and said “there was no operational use [of the software] in support of any investigation.”

News that the FBI had purchased the notorious spyware from NSO was first reported by The New York Times last week.

According to that report, a team from NSO went to the US to set up the spyware for the FBI, but also noted that the intelligence agency said it opted not to utilize it.

The FBI told the Times that it would “routinely identify, evaluate and test technical solutions and services for a variety of reasons, including possible operational and security concerns they might pose in the wrong hands.”

The Guardian reported that the FBI purchased a license to use Pegasus in 2019, after a “long process” of negotiations between US officials and NSO.

In November 2021, the US government announced a blacklist of NSO Group alongside a second Israeli spyware company.

The US Commerce Department cited “evidence that these entities developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments that used these tools to maliciously target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, academics, and embassy workers,” in explaining its decision.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/fbi-confirms-purchasing-pegasus-spyware-but-denies-using-it/

Illinois Dem Appears To Use Donor Funds To Pay Settlement to Political Rival She Bribed

Democratic congresswoman Marie Newman (Ill.) appears to be using donor funds to pay out tens of thousands of dollars in settlement money to a political rival she bribed to keep out of her primary race.

In late June, Newman settled a breach of contract lawsuit with local activist Iymen Chehade, which stemmed from an employment agreement she signed that promised Chehade a six-figure job in her official office in exchange for his commitment not to run against her. Just two days after the settlement, Newman's campaign began paying Chehade a "salary" of roughly $10,000 a month, financial disclosures show. Those payments continued through late December, allowing Chehade to rake in more than $50,000 from the campaign.

Newman's settlement with Chehade came as the Democrat faced a congressional ethics investigation into her employment agreement with the activist. Under federal law, a candidate cannot promise a job "for the purpose of procuring political support." But Chehade signed a nondisclosure agreement as part of the settlement, making him unable to participate in the investigation. During the probe, Newman campaign manager Ben Hardin seemingly confirmed that Newman's settlement prompted the payments to Chehade, telling the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) that the activist "has a few deliverables as part of the settlement" but otherwise has "very minimal interaction" with the campaign.

Newman is already in hot water over the contract she signed with Chehade—congressional investigators say they have "substantial reason to believe" Newman illegally bribed the activist. The Democrat's ethics headaches, however, do not stop there. Newman's apparent decision to use donor money to cover Chehade's settlement "raises grave concerns about abuse of campaign funds," a new ethics complaint obtained by the Washington Free Beacon argues.

"In this case, Newman was the subject of a serious ethics investigation, and by settling the lawsuit with Chehade, she prevented him from testifying in the investigation and then contemporaneously began paying him salary from her campaign funds," the complaint, which was filed by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), states. "Generally, a candidate and House member who is the subject of an ethics investigation should not be permitted to use her campaign funds to attempt to cover up a criminal or ethics investigation."

Newman's campaign, which did not return a request for comment, in December dismissed concerns about its payments to Chehade, telling the Chicago Sun-Times that it hired the activist as its "director of foreign policy and research." But the campaign publicly disparaged Chehade just months ago, arguing that Newman did not follow through on her promise to hire the activist in her official office because he "misrepresented his qualifications" and "was ill-suited for a senior role in a congressional office." During her September interview with the Office of Congressional Ethics, meanwhile, Newman described Chehade as "disrespectful" and "very hard to get along with."

The Newman campaign's defense of its payments to Chehade is also undermined by the activist's apparent lack of work for the congresswoman's reelection bid. According to FACT's complaint, the "salary" Newman paid Chehade "must be for ‘bona fide services to a campaign' and not in excess of the fair market value." But when the Sun-Times asked the Newman campaign to provide examples of Chehade's work, the outlet received just 21 pages of foreign policy briefings Chehade wrote for Newman, amounting to nearly $2,500 per page. In addition, Chehade launched a congressional campaign of his own in December, casting doubt on his ability to work significant hours for Newman's campaign.

Despite those shortcomings, Chehade made nearly double Newman's second-highest paid staffer—political director Nick Uniejewski—from July to December of 2021. Chehade told the Sun-Times that his role on Newman's campaign will continue through this year, even as he manages the day-to-day of his own campaign.

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/illinois-dem-appears-to-use-donor-funds-to-pay-settlement-to-political-rival-she-bribed/

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