Democrat New York Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin Arrested in Federal Corruption Investigation

New York Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin was arrested on Tuesday in a federal corruption investigation, AP reported.

According to NBC New York, Brian Benjamin turned himself in on Tuesday on charges related to a past campaign finance fraud scheme when he was running for city comptroller.

New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin has surrendered to authorities to face campaign finance fraud-related charges in connection with a past campaign, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

Benjamin is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court later Tuesday. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on the arrest, nor could a representative for Benjamin.

His arrest comes after reports that Manhattan federal prosecutors and the FBI were investigating whether Benjamin knowingly engaged in a campaign finance fraud scheme. Subpoenas were issued in connection with the investigation, two sources familiar with the subpoenas said at the time.

The investigators also looked into whether Benjamin helped dole out state money to contributors and/or their projects as part of the alleged fraud.

Benjamin is facing charges of bribery, fraud, conspiracy and falsification of records, AP reported.

The US Attorney from the Southern District of New York will be making a statement later Tuesday.

More from NBC New York:

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/democrat-new-york-lt-governor-brian-benjamin-arrested-federal-corruption-investigation/

Rep. Claudia Tenney: Largest Contingency in NY State Legislature is Communist Group

Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) joined Steve Bannon on The War Room on Tuesday.

The discussion included a segment on the collapse of New York City under the Democrats. Tenney agreed with Steve saying the largest contingency in the New York State assembly is a communist group — the Democratic Socialists of America.

Half a dozen insurgent candidates in Brooklyn and Queens — backed by the Democratic Socialists of America — toppled veteran incumbents in Democratic primary races in 2020.

This is a tragic development.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/rep-claudia-tenney-largest-contingency-ny-state-legislature-communist-group-video/

World Bank considers massive loan to Ukraine

The UN-affiliated lender says a $1.5 billion support package is awaiting approval

The World Bank’s President David Malpass said on Tuesday the lender is preparing a $1.5 billion support package for war-torn Ukraine. The loan will include a $1-billion payment from the development lender’s fund for the poorest countries.

According to Malpass, who was speaking in Warsaw, the package was enabled by Monday's approval of $1 billion in International Development Association (IDA) aid by donor and recipient countries, as well as a $100-million IDA payment to neighboring Moldova.

He explained the bank’s support as aimed at helping Ukraine provide critical services, including paying wages for hospital workers, as well as funding pensions and social programs.

“The World Bank was created in 1944 to help Europe rebuild after World War II. As we did then, we will be ready to help Ukraine with reconstruction when the time comes,” Malpass said.

Sources told Reuters that the plan still needs full approval by the World Bank’s board of directors in coming weeks.The funding comes on top of about $923 million in fast-disbursing financing approved by the World Bank last month, which also includes donor-country contributions.

Malpass said the bank was in close contact with Ukrainian authorities to provide support and was working to assist Ukrainian refugees and the countries hosting them.The World Bank is analyzing global impacts of the war in Ukraine, including the spike in food and energy prices, and is “preparing a surge crisis response that will provide focused support for developing countries,” Malpass added.

https://www.rt.com/business/553759-world-bank-considers-ukraine-loan/

BIDEN’S AMERICA: Creepy Vindman Twin Is the Staff Judge Advocate in the Court-Martial of 1st Lieutenant Mark Bashaw over COVID Mandates

You just can’t make this stuff up. In Biden’s America a creepy Vindman twin will oversee the court-martial of an American soldier who refused to comply with COVID-19 testing and masking requirements.

The Defender reports:

An Army lieutenant in Maryland is facing a court-martial for his refusal to comply with COVID-19 testing and masking requirements.

The case, United States v 1LT Mark C. Bashaw, will be heard on April 28 – 29 at the Army Public Health Center (APHC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

The defendant, 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, is being charged under Article 92: Failure to Obey an Order.

The charges are threefold: failure to take a medical test, failure to wear a mask and failure to leave the workplace for telework.

Bashaw enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in January 2006. He has 16 years of active service and served tours in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Africa, the Middle East and Central America.

Bashaw enlisted as a private, was promoted to a senior non-commissioned officer, and ultimately received a direct commission to become an Army officer in 2019. This is a rare achievement in the military.

What we have uncovered is that one of the creepy Vindman twins connected to the coup to remove President Trump from office is involved in this case. These brothers were in the White House and were used in the first fake impeachment of President Trump. Rather than being punished for their actions of contempt for President Trump, one Vindman twin was reviewed for promotion.

The other Vindman twin released a book where he admitted being the fake “whistleblower” in the fake impeachment. However, this twin testified under oath that he was not the whistleblower.

Twin Yevgeny Lindman is the staff judge advocate in the Bashaw case.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/bidens-america-creepy-vindman-twin-staff-judge-advocate-court-martial-1st-lieutenant-mark-bashaw/

“We’re Well on Our Way to Statehood” – Paul Preston on Using the West Virginia Model to Create the State of “New California”

The state of New California is in the works and has been for some time. This effort uses the West Virginia model of statehood and the US Constitution believes it’s well on its way to statehood.

The people of California have had enough. They don’t want to be part of the corrupt mess created by corrupt and unconstitutional politicians in California. So they decided to create their own state using West Virginia’s model for statehood.

New California is more than a dream – it’s in the works. Below is the people’s notice that the current state is in default and a new state is in the works.

See the website for much more here.

Paul Preston, who is one of many behind New California, was on the Joe Hoft Show yesterday at Real Talk 93.3 and he shared the following:

Well, we’re making the new state of California, in fact, we’re well on the way to statehood. Actually, we have been doing this now for about 5 years solid, 6 years – 7 years with the research and so on. And, we’ve amassed 56 of the 58 counties, either whole or in part of them, to become part of this, our charter for New California state. And right now we have a very, very vibrant group that’s out there. We’re growing. We’re continuing to grow.

We’ve been sort of running silent, running deep, but we’ve managed to really have some outstanding accomplishments that have built a great history for the new state of California. We’ve had 9 constitutional conventions. We’re going to be going into the 10th constitutional convention coming up here in June. We did invite the President to be our keynote speaker. That’s still up in the air but still the idea that we can do something like that. And also, we’ve created our own legislature. We’ve been passing our own resolutions…

…We offer hope. We offer liberty and all the things we think we’ve always had in California. You know quite frankly the whole nation is on the hook right now. And we’re an originalist constitutionalist group and we’re following the Constitution as its provided in Article 4 Section 3 of the Constitution.

We’re following the model to statehood that West Virginia left behind…

Listen to more of Monday’s discussion below:

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/way-statehood-paul-preston-using-west-virginia-model-create-new-state-new-california/

French presidential contender weighs in on Russian sanctions

Le Pen is against imposing energy sanctions on Moscow

French presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, in an interview on Tuesday, raised her voice against imposing sanctions on Russia’s energy exports since, she believes, the French will have to pay dearly for those restrictions. Le Pen noted that she is not against anti-Russian sanctions in other sectors of the economy.

“I stand against sanctions concerning energy because I do not want the French to bear the full brunt of the consequences of such a decision aimed at cutting gas or oil imports. I know what those consequences will be,” the leader of the National Rally told France Inter radio. “I am here to protect the interests of the French people.”

Le Pen’s remark came after one of the radio listeners had accused her of being “Putin’s Trojan horse” for her stance on Russia. “I am no one’s Trojan horse,” rebutted the presidential candidate. She argued that she is in favor other anti-Russian sanctions that do not concern the energy sector.

Since Russia attacked Ukraine in late February, the US and its European allies have responded with unprecedented sanctions targeting Russia's banking and energy sectors. Washington and London have imposed a ban on Russian oil and gas imports. Since then, energy prices in those countries have skyrocketed accelerating the ever-growing inflation.

The first tour of the French presidential election took place on Sunday. 73 % of registered voters showed up to cast their ballots. The incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron got the most votes, with nearly 28 % of the country supporting him. Marine Le Pen rated second, with slightly over 23%. The third place went to left-wing party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, with almost 22%. Thus, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have qualified for the second tour of the presidential election, which will take place on April 24.

https://www.rt.com/news/553766-le-pen-imposing-energy-sanctions/

Biden's Sister Blames Trump For Hunter Biden's Legal Problems

President Joe Biden’s younger sister defended Hunter Biden on April 11, claiming that her nephew’s legal issues are just political attacks by former President Donald Trump intended on bringing down her brother.

Valerie Biden Owens, a longtime campaign manager for Joe Biden, made the remarks in an interview with “CBS Mornings.” She was asked by host Gayle King whether Hunter Biden was “a problem for the family.” In response, Owens said, “No.”

King pressed on, pointing out how Hunter Biden’s business dealings have come under scrutiny. Owens responded by saying that the attention to her nephew’s business activities was born out of the 2020 presidential election.

“The only race that I wasn’t enthusiastic about Joe getting involved in was the 2020 presidency,” Owens said, “because I expected, and was not disappointed, that it would be ugly and mean, and it would be an attack on my brother Joe, personally and professionally, because the former president is very intent on bringing my brother down.”

“I assumed from the beginning that the former president and his entourage would attack my brother by going and attacking my family,” Owens added.

“[Trump] thought the weak link would be to attack my brother’s child.”

Owens then went on to defend her nephew.

“Hunter has written in exquisite detail about his struggle with addiction, his walk through hell, and I am so grateful that he’s been able to walk out of hell. But I don’t think that there’s a family in this country who hasn’t tasted it,” she told King.

King then interrupted Owens, reminding her that their discussion should center on Hunter Biden’s business deals.

In the end, Owen seemed to dismiss any allegations of wrongdoing against her nephew.

“There hasn’t been a ‘there’ there since it was mentioned in 2019 or whenever it first was,” Owens said.

Watch the full interview below:

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bidens-sister-blames-trump-hunter-bidens-legal-problems

Putin Says Ukraine Talks At "Dead End", Warns Soaring Inflation Will Put Pressure On Western Politicians

Talks with Ukraine have reached "a dead end," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in fresh Tuesday remarks. "We will not stop military operations in Ukraine until they succeed." He explained that Ukraine has "deviated" from agreements and any possible prior progress reached during the Istanbul meetings, according to state-run RIA.

The strong remarks aimed at both Kiev and the West were given during a joint presser with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. He further hailed that the military operations is still going "according to plan," Bloomberg reports, however while admitting to the domestic population that "Russian logistics and payment systems remain a weakness and the long-term impact of western measures could be more painful." But he also said the county has withstood the economic "blitzkrieg" from the West.

Putin described that what's happening in Ukraine is a "tragedy" but that ultimately Russia had "no choice" but to launch the special military operation.

As Piotr Zalewkski ofThe Economist comments, this is hardly surprising, but it makes Turkey look bad. Few put much faith that the talks would succeed, but still it's not a "good look for Turkey, which had been trumpeting progress where there was next to no progress to speak of."

Putin said that the West was seeking to turn Ukraine into an "anti-Russian foothold" which made…

"Russia clashing with those forces was inevitable, and they were only choosing the time for an attack."

"The main goal is to help the people of Donbass [region in eastern Ukraine], whose independence we recognized. We were forced to do so because the Kiev authorities, pressed by the West, refused to comply with the Minsk agreements aimed at a peaceful solution of the Donbass-related problems," Putin explained.

The Russian leader confirmed that military operations are now focusing on liberating the Donbas region in Ukraine's east - something the Pentagon also said it has observed as reinforcements arrived in recent days.

Zelensky has also of late expressed frustration with both talks with Russia on the one hand and NATO inaction on the other…

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-ukraine-talks-dead-end-ukraine-deviated-istanbul-agreements

Russia Behind 2010 Plane Crash That Killed 96, Including President, Warsaw Panel Claims

Russia was allegedly responsible for a plane crash that happened more than a decade ago, killing 96 passengers including then-Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, a Warsaw government special commission again claimed on Monday.

The latest of the commission’s report released on April 11 alleges that the crash of the Soviet-made Tu-154M plane, which happened on April 10, 2010, was caused by an intentional detonation of planted explosives and was the result of an assassination plot.

“The main and indisputable proof of the interference was an explosion in the left-wing … followed by an explosion in the plane’s center,” said Antoni Macierewicz, the head of the commission who also served as Poland’s defense minister from 2015 to 2018.

The airplane was traveling from Warsaw, Poland, when it crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk. There were no survivors.

All passengers on board the plane were headed to Russia for an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre, during which thousands of Polish Army officer POWs were killed by Soviet forces.

Macierewicz has denied that any mistakes were made by Polish pilots or crew members, despite there being bad weather at the time of the crash.

The deaths of those on board the plane were the result of an “act of unlawful interference by the Russian side,” Macierewicz said during a news conference.

https://www.ntd.com/russia-behind-2010-plane-crash-that-killed-96-including-president-warsaw-panel-claims_764818.html

Today's FF?

Another Conspiracy Dies As U.S. Border Agents are ‘Cleared’ of Migrant ‘Whipping’ Claims.

As yet, no left wing politicians have apologised for peddling the lie.

Sensationalist reports of U.S. Border Patrol agents whipping Haitian migrants at America’s southern border – a narrative pushed by the White House, mainstream media outlets, and left-wing politicians and activists – have been confirmed as false.

Despite audacious attempts to malign U.S. border officials, those who stood accused of attacking the migrants have been cleared of misconduct.

The incident underwent a probe by the Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), which National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd revealed had yielded no evidence supporting the left-wing theory that agents “whipped” Haitian migrants.

“The only reason that we know that they were cleared is because OPR [Office of Professional Responsibility] started their investigation and they compelled them to give a statement. Once you compel somebody to give a statement, you can’t take criminal action against them,” Judd explained while speaking to The Daily Caller.

The incident took place on September 19th, 2021, when thousands of Haitian migrants – part of a surge precipitated by the White House’s lax immigration policies – attempted to cross the border into Del Rio, Texas.

Border agents on horseback were captured in images that quickly turned viral, with many left-wing activists and journalists asserting the agents were “whipping” the Haitian migrants.

“Please join me in calling on @POTUS to immediately denounce and cease the horrendous and inhumane whipping of Haitians by our Border Patrol agents,” exclaimed the author of a Tweet that amassed nearly 20,000 likes and over 12,000 retweets.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki echoed the sentiment, insisting “I don’t think anyone seeing that footage would think it’s acceptable or appropriate” when asked about the encounter during a White House Press Briefing.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/04/12/border-patrol-cleared-of-wrongdoing-in-haitian-incident/

Chair of Parliament LGBT+ Group Resigns After Defending Convicted Child Abuser Colleague

The Conservative Party chairman of a parliament LGBT+ group has resigned after defending a ‘friend and colleague’ convicted of child sex abuse.

Conservative Party MP Crispin Blunt has resigned his position as the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights after denouncing the conviction of a fellow Conservative MP for child sex abuse.

Imran Ahmed Khan was convicted on Monday afternoon — by verdict of a jury — of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in 2008, a verdict which Blunt initially claimed to have been a “dreadful miscarriage of justice”.

According to a post by The Observer’s Sonia Sodha, Blunt claimed in a now taken down statement that the conviction of Khan was based on “lazy tropes”, and that he was “appalled and distraught” at what he called a “miscarriage of justice”.

“The conduct of this case relied on lazy tropes about LGBT+ people that we might have thought were had put behind us decades ago,” the Conservative Party member said in a statement initially put online.

“His conviction today is nothing short of an international scandal, with dreadful wider implications for millions of LGBT+ muslims throughout the world,” the long-time transgender advocate also wrote.

Blunt has since changed his tone however after being widely condemned for his statement, with one commentator remarking that it was “shameless expressions of identity politics in British political history”, and has since withdrawn his criticism of the jury and resigned from his position as the LGBT+ group chairman.

“On reflection I have decided to retract my statement defending Imran Ahmad Khan,” the disgraced MP wrote online. “I am sorry that my defence of him has been a cause of significant upset and concern not least to victims of sexual offences.”

“To be clear I do not condone any form of abuse and I strongly believe in the independence and integrity of the justice system,” he added.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/04/12/chair-of-parliament-lgbt-group-resigns-after-defending-convicted-child-abuser-colleague/

British Minister Likens Criticism of Transgender Ideology to Racism, Antisemitism

A government minister in northern Britain is demanding that arguments against transgenderism be censored from the media, comparing criticism of the ideology to racism or antisemitism.

Minister Lorna Slater, a leftist member of Scotland’s devolved parliament, has been denounced for “radical extremism” over her position, the minister having also been a hardline backer of laws that would allow people to change their gender without a medical assessment.

In an interview with Scotland’s The Herald, the Green Party minister denounced what she called the “fictional notion of balance” in the trans debate, comparing those in opposition to liberal transgender policies to so-called “climate deniers”.

“We wouldn’t put balance on the question of racism or anti-Semitism, but we allow this fictional notion of balance when it comes to anti-trans [views],” the publication reports the minister as saying.

She went on to say that she found the “whole thing” “disgusting”, and that she did not care what “Daily Mail” readers thought on the matter.

The minister — who was born, raised and educated in Canada but now governs in Scotland– also accused those opposing the trans lobby in the UK of receiving funding from the United States.

“My understanding is that there’s money in this from certain right-wing American groups that’s been flooding into organisations in the UK,” she said.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/04/12/british-minister-likens-criticism-of-transgender-ideology-to-racism-antisemitism/

Sweden: Majority of Prostitution Busts in March Involved Exploited Ukrainian Women

A Swedish police operation conducted in March bust 38 men seeking to purchase sex from prostitutes and found that 30 of them had bought sexual favours from exploited Ukrainian women.

Swedish police conducted “Operation Cod” in March and arrested a total of 38 men by the end of the month who were accused of purchasing sex from prostitutes and found that 30 of them had bought sex from Ukrainian women, some of whom have recently fled the ongoing conflict with Russia.

“It’s startling. It can be clear from the ads that the women have recently come from Ukraine, but these men do not care,” police inspector Simon Häggström told broadcaster SVT.

“More or less all the women we spoke to say that it is the war that has led to prostitution. You have no choice but to sell your body to help your families who are in Ukraine or who are on the run,” Häggström added.

According to SVT, many of the women have been lured by sex traffickers through the internet and are promised accommodation and cash in exchange for becoming prostitutes.

“The traffickers attract [women] with package solutions where they pay for travel and accommodation. Then there are so-called operators who act as intermediaries between the women and the sex buyers. Everything is very organized,” inspector Häggström said.

Shortly after the surge of millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine into the European Union, many warned of the possibility that the refugees, who are mostly women and children, could be exploited by sex traffickers and other traffickers.

hirin Tinnesand, refugee and migration coordinator at the NGO Wadi, spoke out about the issue last month saying refugees “are at risk of being exposed to human trafficking, prostitution, organ donation. Only imagination sets the limits.”

“It is a fact that people smugglers pretend to be volunteers who go to places where it is chaotic and where there is no clear organization and the more people who come, the more inconspicuous it becomes and with it easier for smugglers and criminal organizations to operate,” Tinnesand said, noting that footage has emerged of people acting suspiciously with refugees at train stations in Poland and elsewhere.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/04/12/sweden-majority-of-prostitution-busts-in-march-involved-exploited-ukrainian-women/

Lavrov: the Ukrainian Operation Is Intended to End US World Domination Agenda

I’ve only met two people in real life who were able to communicate this level of calm ferocity in their physiognomy and facial expression. One was my maternal grandfather, and the other was an Australian Vietnam veteran I met in a village in [redacted]. I did not ever have a meaningful conversation with either, as their consciousness appeared to exist on a separate plane of reality. The closest I have come to understanding the nature of this other plane is by playing Planescape: Torment.

Russia’s top diplomat has declared that the purpose of the special military operation in the Ukraine is to put an end to the US-dominated global order.

“Dicks out for Harambe,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov added, his countenance pointedly sangfroid, punctuating the earth-shattering implications of the unfolding global reorganization.

The Americans always used to laugh. They used to think it was a joke. They are actually still laughing now, and do not appear to have any comprehension of the gravity of the situation.

RT:

Russia’s military action in Ukraine is meant to put an end to the US-dominated world order, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has explained. Washington has been seeking supremacy by imposing ad-hoc rules and violating international law, he claimed, in an interview aired by Russian television on Monday.

He was referring to America’s attempts to impose its own so-called “rules-based international order,” which have met with strong resistance from Moscow and China.

“Our special military operation is meant to put an end to the unabashed expansion [of NATO] and the unabashed drive towards full domination by the US and its Western subjects on the world stage,” Lavrov told Rossiya 24 news channel.

“This domination is built on gross violations of international law and under some rules, which they are now hyping so much and which they make up on a case-by-case basis,” he added.

“Under some rules” strikes me as a bad translation.

As he continues, the “rules” are made up on a case-by-case basis, meaning they are not actually rules at all. When it comes to political jargon, Russian can be difficult to translate, and RT is not always sending their best (that’s not a diss – they have budgetary concerns and someone who speaks both perfect English and perfect Russian is expensive).

https://www.unz.com/aanglin/lavrov-the-ukrainian-operation-is-intended-to-end-us-world-domination-agenda/

Proof that blue states DID fail their people during pandemic: Harsh lockdowns caused huge deaths rates, ruined kids' education and destroyed business, bombshell research FINALLY shows - with NY, NJ, CA and IL all receiving an F-grade

States that imposed the harshest lockdowns had the most devastating impact on the public, the most wide-ranging study into Covid restrictions in the US to date has found.

New York, California, New Jersey and Illinois were panned for their pandemic performance after bringing in draconian measures to shut their citizens in their homes.

Those states' Democrat Governors' policies caused high death rates, ruined children's education and destroyed businesses due to the severe curbs on freedom, researchers found as they slapped them with an F-grade.

Nine out of the ten worst responses to the pandemic were in blue states, the report said, with only Republican-run Maryland bucking that trend and coming seventh last.

Meanwhile places that allowed their residents more freedom as coronavirus swept across the country appeared to fair better over the last two years.

Florida fared sixth, with its Governor Ron DeSantis condemned in the early days of the pandemic for what critics claimed was a reckless desire to reopen too quickly.

Utah, Nebraska, Vermont, Montana and South Dakota were also praised by analysts for their pandemic response which did not cause more Covid deaths. Maine was the only Democrat-run state in the top nine best responses, and came eighth.

The Republican-led areas - which dominated nine out of the top ten places in the study - have seen their economies remain strong and unemployment figures stay steady due to fewer restrictions.

The report, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, said shutting down during the pandemic was 'by far the biggest mistake governors and state officials made'.

It judged states on their economy, education and mortality and compiled a comprehensive list showing how they now stand as coronavirus dies down.

The bombshell study comes amid fears coronavirus restrictions may be phased back in as cases of the virus creep up, with Philadelphia bringing back its indoor mask mandate only a month after lifting it.

Co-founder Steve Moore told Fox: 'Shutting down their economies and schools was by far the biggest mistake governors and state officials made during Covid, particularly in blue states.

'We hope the results of this study will persuade governors not to close schools and businesses the next time we have a new virus variant.'

New York, California, New Jersey and Illinois were joined in the bottom ten for overall performance by New Mexico, Maryland, Nevada, Connecticut and Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

New Jersey, District of Columbia, New York, New Mexico, California, and Illinois were all branded with an F grade for their responses to the pandemic - with New Jersey slapped with a score of zero out of a possible 100.

Economy

To work out the economic situation in each state the researchers looked at unemployment figures and the local GDP.

They found New Jersey, New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts and California were the bottom five for the former category, while Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Delaware and Pennsylvania were last for their GDP.

Across the two factors, the authors - Phil Kerpen, Stephen Moore and Casey Mulligan - said: 'Hawaii and Nevada came in last by far because of the overwhelming impact the global shutdown of tourism had on them, and energy-heavy states similarly had disproportionate unemployment rises with the collapse of global demand.'

More

http://www.stationgossip.com/2022/04/proof-that-blue-states-did-fail-their.html

Pentagon 'Cannot Confirm' Azov Battalion's Claims of Russian 'Chemical Attack'

The Pentagon said Monday night they "cannot confirm" the Azov Battalion's claim they were attacked by Russian "chemical weapons" in Mariupol.

Voice of America national security correspondent Jeff Seldin reported that the Pentagon told him they're "aware of social media reports" claiming Russian forces used a potential chemical munition in Mariupol but they "cannot confirm" them.

Azov founder Andriy Biletsky claimed on Telegram that three people had "clear signs of poisoning with chemical warfare agents" but are apparently all fine because Russians are "idiots" who "cannot even use weapons of mass destruction to their full potential."

They must have used the same "chemical weapons" they used to "poison" Roman Abramovich which you can recover from in a couple days from without issue.

These must also be the same chemical weapons used against Sergei and Yulia Skripal which they recovered from in short order without issue.

If Russian chemical weapons are apparently so harmless, why are Western powers putting out all this talk about "red lines"? These are apparently the only chemical weapons you can recover from in a matter of hours with no evidence you were even poisoned!

Pentagon officials admitted last week they put out fake intelligence about Russia moving chemical weapons to the border of Ukraine and lied about China arming Russia as part of an "info war" – nonetheless, they're not willing to run with this obvious Azov lie.

Last week, the Pentagon also said they could not independently confirm Ukraine's story about the alleged "Bucha massacre."

Ukrainian officials have been doing everything in their power over the past month and a half to lie America and NATO into World War III based on false pretenses and this "chemical attack" story is clearly no different.

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=63016

The Defense Industry’s Ukraine Pundits

To explain the crisis, corporate news networks are leaning on hawkish ex-military officials — without disclosing their current defense industry ties.

Last week, CNN brought on former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for his fourth recent appearance to talk, once again, about Russian President Vladimir Putin's deadly invasion of Ukraine.

“I think we need to understand that there is only one thing that Putin understands, and that's force,” said Panetta on Newsroom.

The former CIA director added: “I think the United States has to provide whatever weapons are necessary to the Ukrainians, so that they can hit back, and hit back now.”

At no time did Panetta nor CNN mention that he’s a senior counselor at Beacon Global Strategies, a defense industry consulting firm that has reportedly represented weapons manufacturer Raytheon. The firm doesn’t disclose its clients, but Raytheon and the defense industry generally stand to benefit from the conflict in Ukraine.

The episode is part of a broader pattern and practice: Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, cable news networks have routinely called on defense officials-turned-consultants to offer analysis and help the American public make sense of the crisis. Often, these analysts have used their TV time to call for greater U.S. involvement and bolder moves that could ratchet up tensions between two nuclear-armed superpowers.

The networks have consistently failed to disclose these analysts’ day jobs, describing them instead by only their former high-ranking military or government roles — leaving viewers in the dark about the analysts’ financial ties to defense contractors that stand to profit from increased or prolonged conflict.

During its Ukraine coverage, MSNBC even failed to include disclosures when the network invited on former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who serves on the board of directors at Lockheed Martin, the world’s biggest defense contractor.

When asked about this matter, Johnson told The Lever, “I have no comment.”

Corporate media’s lack of transparency about these consultants is deeply troubling, said Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen.

https://www.levernews.com/the-defense-industrys-ukraine-pundits/

In Video: French Journalist Confirmed US Officers Command Foreign Militants In Ukraine

French journalist who accompanied French volunteer militants in Ukraine confirmed that U.S. soldiers coordinate foreign military in Ukraine. U.S. officers are in charge for training and enrolment of foreign ‘volunteers’ in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Here I am in charge. Not the Ukrainians, but me.” – the journalist cited the American serviceman.

Today, NATO forces are deployed in Ukraine, including as foreign volunteers, as well as military instructors who came to the battlefields together with heavy military equipment. The NATO Army is already de facto fighting the Russian Army in Ukraine.

https://southfront.org/in-video-french-journalist-confirmed-us-officers-command-foreign-militants-in-ukraine/

After disrupting Europe, NATO aims to destabilize Asia, whole world: Chinese Foreign Ministry

NATO should immediately stop spreading disinformation and provocative remarks targeting China, and abandon the confrontational approach of drawing ideological lines, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday, adding that China has lodged solemn representations with NATO for many times.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the statement at a regular news briefing in response to NATO secretary general’s groundless accusations and smearing against China.

Zhao said that, for some time now, in disregard of facts, the head of NATO has been making false remarks on China’s foreign policy, hyping up the so-called “China threat” theory and has recently engaged in coercion against China.

“China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to this, and has lodged solemn representations with NATO for many times,” he said.

As the world’s largest military alliance and a product of the Cold War, NATO has long adhered to its old-fashioned security concept, engaged in camp confrontation in the old Cold War way, and has become a tool for individual countries to seek hegemony, Zhao said.

NATO claims to be a “defensive organization,” but it is, in fact, constantly creating confrontations and disturbances, said the spokesperson, adding that the organization demands that other countries abide by the basic norms of international relations, yet wages war and indiscriminate bombing against sovereign states, killing and displacing innocent civilians.

NATO is clearly a military organization in the North Atlantic, but in recent years it has been throwing its weight around and stirring up conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, Zhao noted.

“NATO continues to break through geographical and territorial boundaries and advocates a new Cold War of bloc confrontation. The international community should be on high alert and firmly oppose this,” he added.

Zhao emphasized that China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order, and will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development. China’s development means opportunities for the world, instead of a threat to anyone, he said.

NATO has disrupted Europe. It should stop trying to destabilize Asia and the whole world, Zhao said.

https://antibellum679354512.wordpress.com/2022/04/11/after-disrupting-europe-nato-aims-to-destabilize-asia-whole-world-chinese-foreign-ministry/

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