https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/durham-stripping-bare-incestuous-relationship-in-clinton-campaign-lawyer-case-chaffetz/ar-AAWjmOD

Durham stripping bare 'incestuous relationship' in Clinton campaign lawyer case: Chaffetz

Daniel Chaitin - 1h ago

Special counsel John Durham is digging up evidence of an "incestuous relationship" underlying the so-called Russiagate scandal, according to a former House Republican.

Jason Chaffetz, guest-hosting Fox News's Sunday Morning Futures, talked about the latest developments from the politically charged criminal investigation with current members of Congress, focusing on the case against Democratic cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann.

Sussmann was indicted last September for allegedly concealing his clients — Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and “Tech Executive-1,” known to be former Neustar executive Rodney Joffe — from FBI general counsel James Baker in September 2016 when he presented internet data that suggested a now-debunked Trump-Russia link. Sussmann denies any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty.

"The allegation here is that Michael Sussmann got in with a meeting with the general counsel there at the Federal Bureau of Investigation by representing that he wasn't representing anybody," Chaffetz said during an interview with Rep. Andy Biggs.

"But there's other documentation and flow of money and logs and whatnot," he added. "That's why this is a case that is important, because these people had this incestuous relationship to be able to actually go in and access things that other people that are on the receiving end of these — of these types of prosecutions don't get to do."

After the judge presiding over the case denied Sussmann's attempt to dismiss, Durham revealed in a court filing late Friday that a government agency, identified in media reports as the CIA, found data from Sussmann indicating that coordination between Trump and Russia was "not technically plausible" and "user created." Durham also said "the Special Counsel’s Office has not reached a definitive conclusion in this regard."

Biggs, a Republican from Arizona, was asked to share what he has heard about the case.

"I'm hearing that there's some emails that Durham has found that, again, show that they're — that Sussmann lied to the FBI and that he also lied and misrepresented regarding the connection of all of this with DNC, which is the Democratic National Committee, and the Clinton campaign, and who paid for his bogus information that he was throwing out there," Biggs said.

"So, it's pretty interesting to see. And I'm not sure that the Clinton campaign folks or the Democratic Party wants to see this go to trial and air their dirty laundry even further," he added.

Durham is in the midst of two active prosecutions,including a case against the main source for British ex-spy Christopher Steele's anti-Trump dossier and the case against Sussmann.

Sussmann’s trial is scheduled to begin May 16.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-celebrity-candidate-who-has-a-chance-in-2024-per-a-former-white-house-chief-of-staff/ar-AAWjfc1

The Celebrity Candidate Who Has A Chance In 2024, Per A Former White House Chief Of Staff

Shana Aborn -1h ago

It may only be the spring of 2022, but thoughts are already turning to the 2024 election. It's a pretty safe bet that Donald Trump will be vying for the Republican nomination; although he hasn't officially announced his candidacy, he's holding rallies and endorsing politicians who would likely boost his presidential run. (He recently backed Dr. Mehmet Oz for the Pennsylvania Senate, per the Philadelphia Inquirer). And thus far, no one has emerged as a likely candidate to knock Trump out of contention, though there is one who might come as a surprise to everyone.

Mick Mulvaney, who was the acting chief of staff during the Trump administration, offered a list of possible Republican contenders to Politico. Among them is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose opposition to mask and vaccine mandates in schools and public places has made him popular with his party. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina is another strong choice. Mulvaney added, "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson could give [Trump] a run for his money."

But would the wrestler-turned-entertainer take that challenge? The answer might surprise you.

In April 2021, the research company Piplsay conducted a poll to get Americans' opinion of celebrities in political office. After all, in a country where a reality-show host can become president, anything is possible. A full 63% of those polled believe that celebs can be effective politicians if they have both the aptitude and a good support staff behind them. (Only 13% said they should "stick to acting"). Asked about specific performers, 29% of respondents agreed that both Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Matthew McConaughey should run for office, and 17% said that only Johnson should be a contender.

Responding to the vote of support, Johnson wrote an Instagram post of thanks. "Humbling. I don't think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club – but if it ever happens it'd be my honor to serve you, the people," Johnson wrote.

The "Fast and Furious" star also seems to be hinting at his future ambitions through his new comedy series, "Young Rock," in which he appears as a future version of himself, now a presidential candidate. So, if The Rock appears on the ballot in 2024, who could give him a run for his money? Consider this: 22% of those polled by Piplsay would back Tom Hanks for political office – and 30% would give the nod to Angelina Jolie.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/florida-woman-bisected-after-being-hit-by-car-hit-again-by-pickup/ar-AAWiFBy

Florida woman bisected after being hit by car, hit again by pickup

Nathaniel Rodriguez - 4h ago

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) - A series of destructive events early Sunday morning left a Florida woman dead and another man arrested in a high-speed chase, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The FHP said it began around 3:30 a.m. when a hit-and-run driver hit the 49-year-old Dade City woman as she walked along the highway’s grass shoulder.

Troopers said the driver’s sedan, possibly white or silver in color, left the highway for an unknown reason, hit a traffic sign, and then hit the woman, severing her body in half. The driver did not stop at the scene.

The chaos continued at 4:58 a.m. when a silver pickup drove through the area while Pasco County deputies and highway patrol troopers were at the scene.

‘It's a miracle': Skydiver survives hitting ground at 80 mph

The FHP said the driver, 23-year-old Andrew Thomas Krummen, ignored commands to stop and nearly hit two deputies. While driving through the crime scene, Krummen drove over the lower half of the victim from the previous collision.

Troopers chased Krummen for about 10 minutes until a trooper used a PIT maneuver to stop him.

Krummen was charged with aggravated assault with a motor vehicle upon a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, DUI, fleeing and eluding, destruction of evidence, driving while license revoked and false imprisonment of his passengers.

According to the FHP, the passengers, a 33-year-old Brooksville man and 35-year-old Dade City woman, were trying to flag troopers down and exit the vehicle.

The FHP said it is still looking for the driver in the first crash.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/austrian-chancellor-putin-told-me-that-he-will-cooperate-with-investigation-but-doesn-t-trust-west/vi-AAWiQun

Putin says he will cooperate but does not trust anyone….per guest

>>16094774

>>16094774

>ANOTHER FUCKING BACKSTABBER

i know ,and I used to like that guy

I thought Mulvaney was based at one time.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-war-with-u-s-on-the-horizon-chief-propagandist-says/ar-AAWjbV8

China War With U.S. on the Horizon, Chief Propagandist Says

John Feng - 4h ago

In a commentary published on Saturday, Hu Xijin, the former editor of nationalistic tabloid the Global Times, describes a "real sense of crisis in Taiwan," where he says the public is more psychologically prepared for war than China.

"As the situation in the Taiwan Strait deteriorates, we must prepare for a military struggle," Hu wrote, urging Chinese citizens to be "ready to face major challenges and hardships" as a result of a hypothetical U.S.-China clash over the orientation of Taiwan, an independent state with limited recognition, which Beijing claims is part of its territory.

Hu, who rose to become the country's chief propagandist by way of recognition in the West, was writing in the aftermath of a high-level visit to Taiwan by senior members of Congress. China responded to the bipartisan delegation—led by Republican Lindsey Graham and featuring Democrat Bob Menendez, among others—by announcing a series of military drills targeting the island.

"Some people complained the country's response was soft," said Hu. "In my view, the situation across the Taiwan Strait is like the calm before the storm; the real tipping point may not be far away."

"It's not about whether the public should feel a sense of urgency; rather, when the country resolves to take decisive action, we must be mentally prepared to face the challenges and uncertainties that lie before us, together with the country in a united way," he argued.

The former editor said trust between China and the America was now "nonexistent." Last year, Hu says, a series of dramatic military maneuvers near Taiwan left Beijing with a "psychological advantage" over Taipei—but Russia's war in Ukraine has changed that.

"Russia's fight has not been smooth," he said. "The U.S. has successfully mobilized the West to carry out comprehensive sanctions against Russia. Washington believes the sanctions have shaken China and that it now has a new bargaining chip to deter China."

Despite the billions of dollars in aid given to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian aggression, the defense establishment in Washington understands that America's real fight is the one with China, which, unlike declining Russia, remains on the ascendency in Asia and has designs on global governance, reshaped in the Chinese Communist Party's image.

At a Georgia Tech event on Thursday, CIA Director William Burns called China "a silent partner in Putin's aggression." Beijing was now "the most profound test" the agency had ever faced, he said.

South Carolina's Sen. Graham, during his visit to Taipei, drove the point home during remarks to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.

"I just want to let you know that, while we've been watching the Ukraine on television, while it has broken our hearts, the American people understand how important you are to us," he said.

Graham continued: "So here's my promise to you and the Taiwanese people: We're going to start making China pay a greater price for what they're doing all over the world. The support for Putin must come with a price. The never-ending cyberattacks on your economy and your people by the Communist Chinese need to come with a price. I want you to be encouraged that the American people are more united than ever behind the idea of freedom."

Asked whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan militarily against a Chinese invasion, Graham responded: "Every option is on the table."

Hu, who is now a special commentator for the state-owned newspaper, predicted: "There is a very high probability that this [U.S.-China-Taiwan] tripartite game will ultimately rise to a direct military confrontation. That could be a war or a high-intensity military crisis, the impact of which would be fundamental."

The Chinese military is ready, but the public isn't, he says. "It's time to make some changes. Since the risk of conflict in the Taiwan Strait is real and growing, the mainland public should be sufficiently informed. This is crucial for all of society to adapt quickly to the changes once the crisis comes."

"If mainland China doesn't take precautions now, we may leave ourselves in serious passivity," he concluded. "Of course I hope the Taiwan issue can be resolved peacefully without a fight as China gradually becomes stronger, but what if the U.S. doesn't give us the time? We must think in terms of the bottom line to respond to a worst-case scenario."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/in-an-unprecedented-move-russia-has-been-expelled-from-the-un-human-rights-council/ss-AAWeGTG

In an unprecedented move, Russia has been expelled from the UN Human Rights Council

Zeleb.es - 1h ago

A controversial voting

The United Nations General Assembly voted on April 7 to suspend Russia from the entity’s human rights body among accusations of war crimes during the Ukrainian invasion. The motion was proposed by the United States.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/covid-vaccines-are-not-meant-to-prevent-all-infections-experts-say-americans-need-to-reset-their-expectations/ar-AAWiz0D

COVID vaccines are not meant to prevent all infections, experts say. Americans need to reset their expectations.

Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY - 10h ago

Denny Mitchell couldn’t believe he tested positive for the coronavirus in January.

The 45-year-old from Houston never left the house without his mask, he avoided indoor dining at all costs, and most important, he was fully vaccinated. But he still got sick.

“I was surprised because I was taking so many precautions,” he said.

It’s no longer unusual to hear of someone getting COVID-19 even though they’re fully vaccinated and boosted. Yet, many Americans are still shocked when it happens to them.

Early data showed the mRNA vaccines were highly effective against infection, but experts say the virus has changed over time and people need to reconfigure their expectations. The vaccines may not prevent all infection, but they still protect against the worst consequences of the disease.

“That’s what we need to emphasize,” said Dr. Philip Chan, an infectious disease specialist and an associate professor at Brown University. “The fact that these vaccines are still effective against these emerging variants – in terms of severe disease, hospitalizations and death – is definitely a public health win.”

Americans’ high expectations of the COVID-19 vaccine stem from initial clinical trials in 2020 by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, health experts say.

For the vaccines to obtain emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, they had to be 50% effective against infection; the main goal was to prevent severe illness and death.

But the effectiveness of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines was astounding. In trials involving more than 70,000 people, researchers found they were more than 90% effective against infection.

Health experts were overcome with “sheer joy,” said Jodie Guest, professor and vice chair of the department of epidemiology at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

“We just couldn’t believe that they were working so great,” she said. “The amazement about it was really why we talked about that so much.”

Scientists expected to see changes in the vaccines’ effectiveness when they were used by millions of Americans and given to populations that weren’t included in the study, such as pregnant people and those with immunocompromising conditions.

What they didn’t expect, however, was the barrage of variants that quickly emerged, some of which, like omicron, were more transmissible and better able to evade the vaccines. Health experts had a hard time communicating the shifting reality to the public, said Andy Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Medicine.

“We were letting the data drive the conversation … because we really didn’t know anything about what the variant would change,” he said. “When the vaccine efficacy went down, we may not have done as good a job of explaining why and putting the blame on the virus as opposed to putting the blame on the vaccine.”

Unlike measles or polio, which are caused by stable viruses, the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 has dozens of strains, said Dr. John Swartzberg, a professor emeritus of infectious diseases at the University of California, Berkeley, in the school of public health.

“We have been using the measles vaccine since the late 1960s, and the virus hasn’t changed. That’s why we have been able to eliminate measles in the U.S.,” he said. The coronavirus “is able to change and drift from that protection we have. That’s a major reason why we’re seeing problems with these vaccines.

“SARS-CoV-2 is just a lot more formidable and a lot smarter than measles and polio.”

By April 2021, the number of infections in vaccinated people was so common that the CDC stopped tracking them. But some studies suggests these so-called breakthrough infections already were on the rise.

cont

>>16094836

>COVID vaccines are not meant to prevent all infections, experts say. Americans need to reset their expectations. cont

A study in Washington State of 4 million vaccinated people showed that from January to August 2021, about 1 in every 5,000 experienced a breakthrough infection. When the delta and omicron variants emerged, health experts say, that rate may have increased to as high as 1 in 100.

The early public health messaging and the new reality of increased breakthrough infections may have undermined confidence in vaccines and affected booster uptake, Pekosz said.

“You would have thought that anybody who got the vaccine would line up for the booster as well,” he said. “But we’re seeing across the country booster rates are much lower than the initial vaccination rates.”

COVID-19 boosters have been authorized for adults since November, but CDC data shows fewer than 50% of eligible Americans have received their first booster.

Mitchell, who completed his primary vaccine series last May, said he delayed getting boosted after his bout with COVID-19 because he wasn’t convinced more vaccine would protect him.

“(I) still don’t know how good or effective the vaccines are,” he said. “I have friends who were boosted and had a much worse experience (with COVID-19) than I did.”

Studies show, however, that boosters are highly protective against serious disease.

A CDC study published in January found that during the delta and omicron waves a booster was 94% effective against emergency department visits and 82% effective against urgent care encounters. Researchers also found a third dose was up to 94% effective against preventing hospitalizations.

“It’s really clear that boosters expand how broad your immunity is,” Pekosz said. “Vaccines combined with infection give you an even stronger protection.”

Another CDC study published Tuesday found a booster dose was more than 57% effective against hospitalization after reinfection during the delta wave and nearly 68% effective during the omicron wave.

BA.2, a subvariant of omicron, made up more than 85% of new coronavirus cases last week, CDC data shows. The new strain may be more transmissible but appears to behave similarly to the original omicron variant, health experts say.

As cases steadily climb throughout the country, Chan said, he expects more breakthrough infections and emphasizes the importance of vaccines and boosters to stave off serious illness.

“Public health and clinical medicine have to do a better job highlighting the positive aspects of these vaccines that really do prevent hospitalization, severe disease and death."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/missing-california-teen-found-in-utah-two-years-later/ar-AAWi

Missing California teen found in Utah two years later

Vivian Chow - 1h ago

PARK CITY, Utah (KTVX) – A teenager from California was found safe in Utah more than two years after he was reported missing.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office identified the missing teen as Connerjack Oswalt, 19. He was first reported missing in September 2019 to the Clearlake Police Department in Northern California.

At the time, Oswalt was 16 years old. He was diagnosed with autism in 2014. His family had been searching for him ever since he went missing, handing out fliers, scanning social media and desperately chasing down fruitless leads. They even moved back to the town of his birth, Idaho Falls, hoping he would eventually make it back there.

Recently, Park City, Utah, residents reported spotting an individual pushing a shopping cart around town. Local deputies had encountered Oswalt several times, but said he was never aggressive toward law enforcement nor did he commit any crimes.

KCPD investigating fatal shooting Saturday near Hardesty Ave

Last week, deputies were dispatched to reports of Oswalt sleeping outside a store in Summit County. Authorities found him cold and shivering at the time. He appeared to have been living on the streets there for about two weeks.

Oswalt reportedly did not tell officers his name, so a finger scan was administered to identify him. The scan produced results of a warrant out of Nevada. Authorities say they were suspicious that there was more to the story, so they continued investigating.

After placing Oswalt inside a patrol car to warm up, officials searched the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children database where they discovered a listing for Oswalt.

There were discrepancies in the name's spelling, so authorities reached out to the Oswalt family for confirmation.

Oswalt's family drove from Idaho Falls to Summitt County to confirm his identity.

Social workers knowledgeable about autism took over Oswalt’s care after the reunion with his family, said Summit County Sheriff's Lt. Andrew Wright. His family is hoping to bring him back home soon.

"We didn't treat him as a criminal. We treated as somebody that has something deeper that we needed to dig into," Sheriff Justin Martinez said. "That intuition is what really reunited this family."