Biden’s Electric Vehicle Agenda Is Being Led By Electric Car Investors And Insiders

President Biden’s Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, is the latest Democrat to suggest the solution to high gas prices is to buy an electric vehicle, which costs at least $60,000.

In a clip tweeted by the Republican National Committee Tuesday, Granholm made a case for going electric to combat surging gas prices.

Democrats created the crisis to then bring in their plan as a solution.

It’s the same scenario over and over again.

“If you filled up your EV [electric vehicle] and you filled up your gas tank with gasoline, you would save $60 per fill-up by going electric rather than using gasoline… it’s a very compelling case, but again, we want to bring down the price at the point of purchase,” Granholm said.

The comments by Granholm follow the record-setting surge in gas prices, which have now pushed over $5 per gallon.

According to Fox News, Granholm made similar points in a White House press briefing in May 2021.

“If you drive an electric car, this would not be affecting you,” she said during the briefing.

Granholm is worth roughly $8 million, according to Forbes. She recently served as the director of an electric car company called Proterra.

In May, she exercised stock options in the company, pocketing about $1.6 million from the transaction, according to an energy department spokesperson.

According to Kelley Blue Book, the average cost of an electric vehicle is $56,437, which is approximately $10,000 higher than the industry average, including electric and gas cars.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/06/figures-bidens-electric-vehicle-agenda-led-electric-car-investors-insiders/

Democrat New Mexico Senator Intimidates County Officials with Lawsuits if They Don’t Certify Illegitimate Election Results – Corrupt Secretary of State Files Lawsuit

Election efforts in New Mexico are over target as Democrat Daniel Ivey-Soto (Dominion’s favorite legislator in the state) is targeting and threatening local officials if he do not certify their election results.

Last week we shared attorney David Clement’s presentation in front of Otero County and the County Commission’s agreement and their decision to no longer use Dominion voting machines in their county. This was because by using the machines, the county is out of sync with the state’s election laws. Despite the corrupt Secretary of State allowing this to happen, these courageous commissioners decided to go with the law.

Then we heard on Monday that the Otera County Board of Commissioners voted to not certify the results of the recent primary because the many concerns presented the prior week from the New Mexico audit work performed by attorney Clements and team.

On Tuesday night there were efforts to present the facts to other New Mexico county and local officials. Professor Clements shared an update last night where he began by noting the intimidating actions taken by Democrat New Mexico Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto.

Professor Clements notes that his team has uncovered a letter sent to clerks throughout the state from Senator Ivey-Soto threatening that they will look into criminal prosecution for anyone who withholds their certification across the state.

Then we find out that the Secretary of State just filed an emergency lawsuit with the Supreme Court of New Mexico. The Secretary of State is arguing that the only power the local election officials have is to approve the results of the elections! What if the elections are illegitimate?

CNN reported on the Secretary of State’s action:

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to order a three-member county commission to certify the results of the June 7 primary elections in Otero County — after commission members refused to do so this week, citing concerns about Dominion vote-counting machines.

The action by the Otero County Commission is one of the first examples of a county blocking the certification of results in the 2022 election cycle, and Oliver, a Democrat, warned of the potential for similar moves in other New Mexico communities.

In a statement, Oliver said the Otero County Commissioners were “appeasing unfounded conspiracy theories and potentially nullifying the votes of every Otero County voter who participated in the primary” with their action.

Clements points out that the law requires mandatory decertification as a matter of law when the voting systems don’t comply with the law. This is the case that Clements and others are making.

See Clement’s discussion on what is going on with the tyrants in New Mexico.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/06/exclusive-democrat-new-mexico-senator-intimidating-county-officials-lawsuits-dont-certify-illegitimate-election-results-corrupt-secretary-state-files-lawsuit/

China pledges support for Russia

The Chinese and Russian leaders speak by phone and agree on the need for mutual support on security issues

Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call Wednesday that Beijing will keep backing Moscow on issues of “sovereignty and security”.

“China is willing to continue to offer mutual support to Russia on issues concerning our core interests such as sovereignty and security, intensify strategic coordination between the two countries, and strengthen communication and coordination in major international and regional organizations such as the United Nations, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” Xi was quoted as saying by China’s state media outlet CCTV.

In the phone call, which fell on Xi's 69th birthday, the two leaders noted that relations between Russia and China “have reached an unprecedentedly high level and are constantly improving,” the Kremlin press service said.

Putin stressed that Moscow opposes any external forces’ attempts to interfere in China’s internal affairs, such as the situations in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, CCTV reported.

Touching on the conflict in Ukraine, Xi noted, according to Chinese state media, that Beijing has always made independent judgments. He also reportedly called on all parties to the conflict to find a peaceful resolution, with the Chinese leadership ready to play a constructive role in the process.

It was a second phone call between Putin and Xi since Russia launched its offensive against Ukraine on February 24.

Unlike the US, UK, Canada, the EU, Japan, Australia and several other nations, China has not imposed any sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine. While calling for peace, the Chinese government has said it understands Russia’s security concerns, and has condemned the supply of weapons from the West to Kiev.

In late February, Beijing abstained from voting on a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Kremlin’s actions.

Washington has attempted to pressure Beijing into adopting a position more in line with the Western one, although China has to date refused to take any hostile actions toward Russia, which it calls a “strategic partner.”

https://www.rt.com/news/557220-china-russia-cooperation-security-issues/

Biden to give $1 billion more in weapons to Ukraine

US will send artillery and advanced rockets to Kiev

Washington will give Kiev another $1 billion in “security assistance,” including artillery, ammunition and advanced missiles, US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday after a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

Biden informed Zelensky that the aid would include “additional artillery and coastal defense weapons, as well as ammunition for the artillery and advanced rocket systems that the Ukrainians need to support their defensive operations in [Donbass],” according to a readout of the call released by the White House.

The two leaders also discussed Wednesday’s meeting of the ‘contact group’ in Brussels, led by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, to “coordinate additional international support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/557229-another-billion-from-us-to-ukraine/

Canada Makes 3 Jabs The New ‘Fully Vaccinated’ Standard, Saying ‘Two Doses Doesn’t Work Anymore’

On Wednesday, Canada moved the needle for the concept of being “fully vaccinated” for its citizens, saying “two doses don’t work anymore,” and now requires three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to qualify.

The regime is still pushing their mandates and control of the people.

The nation’s health authorities took to Canada’s CTV to make the announcement. They noted there is now a transition to a new definition of up-to-date on vaccinations.

The news stated that this update will determine what is “expected of all Canadians.”

However, as of Tuesday, Canada’s leadership also announced that the vaccine mandates for the nation for federal employees and travel would be lifted.

The news comes after a recommendation from the Ministry of Health released in early May, suggesting the third dose of the vaccine to “fully protect” from transmission and infection.

The change follows an announcement this week that the vaccinated and boosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has, yet again, tested positive for COVID-19. This is the second time in 2022 that the Prime Minister has contracted the virus.

Trudeau has tweeted, “I’ll be following public health guidelines and isolating. I feel okay, but that’s because I got my shots. So, if you haven’t, get vaccinated — and if you can, get boosted. Let’s protect our healthcare system, each other, and ourselves.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/06/watch-canada-makes-3-jabs-new-fully-vaccinated-standard-saying-two-doses-doesnt-work-anymore/

Kremlin comments on Turkey's proposed military operation in Syria

Moscow said it would urge Ankara to resolve any issues peacefully

Russia does not believe a potential military operation by Turkey against Kurdish militias in Northern Syria would “contribute to stability and security” in the Arab Republic, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Wednesday.

President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy on Syria Alexander Lavrentyev noted that, in Moscow’s eyes, such an incursion on the part of Ankara “would be an ill-advised step that could lead to the destabilization of the situation.” Russia is planning to urge Turkey to try to resolve any issues peacefully, the official added, speaking on Wednesday at the beginning of an international meeting on Syria in Kazakhstan’s Nur Sultan.

Last month Turkey announced its plans for a military offensive in Northern Syria, with the establishment of a 30-kilometer “safe zone” along the Syrian border named as its key objective. Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan explained that his country’s Armed Forces would launch an “anti-terrorist” operation, targeting the northern Syrian cities of Tal Rifat and Manbij which have large Kurdish populations and are currently controlled by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish group. Addressing lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party, he added that the military would then move “step by step into other regions.” The Turkish leader didn’t specify when exactly the operation would begin.

Turkey considers Kurdish militias in northern Syria to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara has designated as a terrorist organization.

Speaking by phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in late May, Erdogan argued that the creation of a “safe zone” in Northern Syria was “imperative.”

Commenting on Ankara’s plans, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in turn made it clear that the Turkish operation was “something that we would oppose.” The American diplomat warned that “any new offensive would undermine regional stability.”

Turkish forces have crossed into Syrian territory on several occasions in recent years.

In October 2019, Ankara deployed its military to the north of the neighboring country in what it codenamed as ‘Operation Peace Spring.’ Hostilities came to an end after President Erdogan met with his Russian counterpart and sealed a deal, according to which a 30-kilometer buffer zone was to be established in Northern Syria, free from Kurdish armed groups. Ankara conducted similar military incursions in 2018 and 2016 as well.

According to Russian news agency TASS, Turkey and Ankara-backed local militias currently hold as many as 10% of Syrian territory, incorporating some 4.4 million residents.

Turkey insists that it is only acting in self-defense, preventing the formation of a hostile self-governed Kurdish area on its Southern border. The Syrian government, in turn, has consistently condemned what it describes as the illegal occupation of its territory by Turkish forces.

https://www.rt.com/news/557207-kremlin-comments-turkish-operation-northern-syria/

Turkey Rejects NATO Offer Of Trilateral Talks As Finland, Sweden Say Applications Could 'Freeze'

Turkey has rejected a NATO offer to hold trilateral talks with Sweden and Finland toward resolving Turkish objections to the Scandinavian countries' membership bids, FT is reporting Wednesday.

Addressing these latest efforts by Brussels to assuage Turkish roadblocks, which center on the Nordic countries' alleged support for anti-Turkish Kurdish groups (particularly their failure to condemn the PKK), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan again charged that "terrorist organizations" are able to "act freely" especially in Sweden. Erdogan in the speech went so far as to say he won't let the "blood of martyrs be spilled" - and thus will continue to object to the countries' accession into NATO.

"While the fallen of our country are tearing our hearts out on a daily basis, no one can expect concessions from us on this issue. Let me underline that Turkey has no time to lose with expectations or ambivalent remarks regarding the issue," he asserted.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/turkey-rejects-nato-offer-trilateral-talks-finland-sweden-say-applications-could

Navy fires five officers within six days over ‘loss of confidence’

The US Navy has dismissed five commanding officers in less than one week due to “loss of confidence,” a strikingly short timeframe for such disciplinary action.

On Tuesday, the Navy announced it was relieving Cmdr. Peter Lesaca — of the destroyer USS Preble — of his duties “due to loss of confidence in his ability to command.”

“Navy commanding officers are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct,” the Navy said in a statement. “They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of these standards.”

The Navy did not provide additional details as to why Lesaca was fired.

Capt. Larry Repass, deputy commodore of the Destroyer Squadron 23, is set to temporarily assume Lesaca’s duties until a permanent replacement arrives.

Lesaca’s firing came only three days after Capt. Jeffry Sandin, commanding officer of the Navy’s Recruit Training Command, was fired “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.”

The Navy again did not provide any details as to why Sandin was relieved of his duties, but said he had “been reassigned to Naval Service Training Command headquarters.” Capt. Kerteck Brooks, chief of staff of the Naval Service Training Command, assumed Sandin’s duties.

One day before, the Navy fired commanding officer Cmdr. Devine Johnson and Command Master Chief Earl Sanders of the destroyer USS Bulkeley “due to a loss of confidence in their ability to effectively function as a command leadership team.”

Both have been temporarily reassigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, the Navy said.

They have been replaced for the time being by Capt. William “Mac” Harkin, deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron Two, and Master Chief Petty Officer Christy Reed.

“There is no impact to the command’s mission or schedule due to this relief,” the Navy said.

The first commanding officer fired in the string of five was Cmdr. Matthew McCormick, head of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137. McCormick was relieved of his duties on June 8 “due to loss of confidence in his ability to command.”

He had been in the position since September 2021 and will be temporarily replaced by Cmdr. Scott Maynes, executive officer of VAQ-137, until a permanent replacement is found.

In the meantime, McCormick “has been temporarily reassigned to Electronic Attack Wing Pacific (VAQWINGPAC) at Naval Station Whidbey Island.”

https://nypost.com/2022/06/15/navy-fires-five-officers-over-loss-of-confidence/

Two former US servicemen captured in Ukraine after ‘absolutely crazy’ mission: report

Two former US servicemen were captured last week in the fighting outside of Kharkiv, according to a report.

Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27 — both from Alabama — were taken prisoner during a fierce fight with Russian armor during the ongoing Ukrainian counterattacks in the nation’s northeast, the British newspaper the Telegraph reported.

The Americans were captured after their 10-man squad ran into a much larger Russian force in a village outside Kharkiv, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed source who fought with the pair in a regular Ukrainian military unit.

“We were out on a mission and the whole thing went absolutely crazy, with bad intel,” the source said. “We were told the town was clear when it turned out the Russians were already assaulting it.

“They came down the road with two T72 tanks and multiple BMP3s (armored personnel carriers) and about 100 infantry,” the source added.

Drueke and Huynh apparently got at least one shot off at a Russian vehicle, destroying it with a rocket-propelled grenade before their capture.

Drueke, a veteran of the US Army, served in Iraq. His mother told the Telegraph that he had suffered from PTSD and was struggling to hold down a job before going to Ukraine.

“The US Embassy have assured me that they are doing everything they can to find him and that they are searching for him alive, not dead,” Lois Drueke said. “I am doing my best not to fall apart, I am going to stay strong. I am very hopeful that they will keep him to exchange for Russian POWs.”

Huynh, a former Marine, left to fight in Ukraine in April, according to Alabama ABC affiliate WAAY.

The outlet reported that Huynh put up $6,000 of his own money to finance the trip.

“I know there’s a potential of me dying,” he said at the time. “I’m willing to get my life or what I believe is right. For what I’ve been taught is right, through really my eyes, Marine Corps, through God, and really just what is right.”

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has been the locus of a successful Ukrainian counterattack in the past several weeks.

https://nypost.com/2022/06/15/two-former-us-servicemen-reportedly-captured-in-ukraine/

https://nypost.com/2022/06/15/two-former-us-servicemen-reportedly-captured-in-ukraine/

Arizona, Texas sent 79 buses of migrants to DC since mid-April

More than six dozen busloads of migrants from Arizona and Texas have arrived in Washington, DC, this spring, as the border states attempt to curb a massive influx of migrant crossings along the Mexico border, according to a new report.

More than 2,500 people released from Border Patrol custody have voluntarily traveled to the nation’s capital on 79 state-provided buses, officials confirmed to the Washington Examiner this week.

Of the 79 buses, 65 of them — carrying more than 2,000 people — started their journey from Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott began the program in April.

At the time, Abbott said he would be shuttling the migrants away from the border to help local communities deal with overcrowding.

“We are sending them to the United States capital where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border,” the Republican said on April 6.

All the migrants who were transported volunteered to ride the buses and are legally allowed to travel within the US after clearing the first hurdle to seeking asylum.

Typically, migrants have to pay for their own travel in the US after they are released from Customs and Border Protection custody and before appearing in front of an immigration judge.

Morgan Carr, a spokeswoman for Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, told the Examiner that many people crossing the border are going the same way the buses are.

“These people are wanting to go somewhere else. They’re not wanting to stay in Arizona,” she said. “From what we’re seeing, they’re all primarily [headed to] the East Coast.”

Arizona has transported approximately 523 migrants on 14 buses since mid-May, according to the report. One bus left the state as recently as Tuesday.

While the buses from Texas have primarily been state-funded, Arizona officials are seeking to have the Biden administration pay for theirs.

“This is a problem caused by Washington. We’re bringing it to Washington, and we expect Washington to foot the bill. We’re going to send them a bill,” Ducey spokesman C.J. Karamargin told the outlet last month.

Earlier this month, NBC News revealed the Department of Homeland Security would use taxpayer dollars to transport migrants to cities across the country — including Los Angeles, Houston and Dallas — in a scheme dubbed the “Abbott plan” due to its similarity to the Texas scheme.

At the time, a DHS spokesperson told The Post that “no decision has been made” about whether to go through with the plan.

“Should a decision be made, DHS will continue to closely coordinate with and support cities and NGOs to facilitate the movement of any individual encountered at the southwest border who is placed into removal proceedings pending the next steps in their immigration proceedings,” the spokesperson added.

The busing of migrants has come as the southern border sees record numbers of immigrant encounters — 234,088 in April alone.

When Arizona and Texas officials first initiated their plan to transport the migrants, it remained unclear if the Title 42 health protocol allowing summary expulsions would be rescinded — potentially paving the way for an even bigger surge in attempted crossings.

https://nypost.com/2022/06/15/arizona-texas-sent-79-buses-of-migrants-to-dc-since-april/

So Much for Brexit: European Court Blocks UK From Deporting Illegal Migrants to Rwanda

A European court intervened in the late hours of Tuesday evening to prevent a deportation flight to Rwanda from the UK, sparking calls for Brexit Britain to finally leave the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights.

The deportation flight, which had already been bogged down to near irrelevancy by domestic legal challenges resulting in just a handful of illegal boat migrants prepped for removal to Rwanda, was cancelled outright by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after an 11th-hour appeal by an Iraqi migrant.

According to a report from The Telegraph, an alleged asylum seeker from Iraq, dubbed ‘KN’, launched an appeal at the ECHR after losing an appeal at the UK Supreme Court.

The European judges found that the Iraqi should not be deported until a judicial review of the policy has been conducted and that there was no legal mechanism for him to be returned to Britain should the migrant face poor treatment in Rwanda as the country is outside the jurisdiction of the ECHR.

Despite the UK officially leaving the European Union in 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government did not remove the country from the jurisdiction of the ECHR as it is technically not part of the EU. The ECHR is actually a body of the Council of Europe, a distinct organisation, although in practice membership of the Council is de facto mandatory for EU members.

Leading Brexit figures, including Nigel Farage, had long warned that the scheme to deport illegal migrants to the East African nation of Rwanda would be hampered by the UK’s membership in the European Court.

Commenting on the ECHR blocking the deportation flight, Mr Farage said on Wednesday morning: “Left-wing lawyers now dictate our immigration policy. Time to leave the ECHR and finally complete Brexit.

Mr Farage said that the fight to leave the European Court will be “Brexit 2.0” as Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn’t “do Brexit properly”.

“We don’t need lessons from people in Strasbourg about justice and liberty, I think over the centuries we’ve done it rather better,” Farage said of the ECHR, which he claimed that despite its supposed independence is, in reality, a functionary of the EU and full of “political activists”.

While Europhiles are quick to pounce when the bodies are confused or conflated, both the EU and the ECHR’s Council of Europe have the same flag, the same anthem, and inhabit headquarters buildings in the same complex of structures over Strasbourg’s rivers. Once, both bodies even shared the same parliament chamber.

The former leader of the Conservative Party, Sir Iain Duncan Smith characterised the ECHR decision as a “legal farce” and seconded calls for Britain to leave the legal body.

“If we have our own Bill of Rights then we shouldn’t have to refer constantly back to the court in Strasbourg because we should rely on our courts to be able to uphold human rights and the rule of law which they were doing the other day,” Sir Iain said.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/06/15/so-much-for-brexit-european-court-blocks-uk-from-deporting-illegals-to-rwanda/

1100 Migrants Apprehended by West Texas Border Patrol Agents in 24 Hours

Del Rio Sector agents apprehended another large group of migrants late Wednesday morning. The group of more than 300 being apprehended as this article goes to press adds to the more than 400 apprehended earlier in the morning.

A source operating under the umbrella of U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Breitbart Texas that agents in Eagle Pass, Texas, apprehended yet another huge group of migrants during the morning of June 15. The more than 300 migrants crossed the border south of Bridge #2 — about a half-mile from where a group of more than 400 crossed earlier in the morning.

The first group of more than 400 migrants crossed from Coahuila, Mexico, at about 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Two hours later, a group of nearly 100 crossed. This was followed by the latest group of more than 300 migrants around 11 a.m.

During a period of less than four hours, agents in this area apprehended more than 800 migrants, the source stated.

Late Tuesday afternoon, another group of 300 migrants crossed the border in this same area, Breitbart Texas reported. This was the largest ever to cross in this area in a single incident, the source stated. Agents identified the migrants as citizens of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. That record was shattered in less than 16 hours when the group of more than 400 migrants crossed in a single group Wednesday morning.

This brings the total of the four groups of migrants crossing in this area to more than 1,100 in less than 24 hours.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2022/06/15/exclusive-1100-migrants-apprehended-by-west-texas-border-patrol-agents-in-24-hours/

8 Founders on the Evils of Paper Money

Israeli politician wishes for Palestinians to ‘disappear’

Lawmaker Matan Kahana told a group of West Bank students he would like to be able to “push a button” to deport all Arabs

https://twitter.com/kann_news/status/1536558295824994306

https://www.rt.com/news/557166-israel-lawmaker-wishes-arabs-disappear/

Israel will defend citizens ‘anywhere in world,’ Bennett vows amid Istanbul jitters

Israel will not hesitate to act on foreign soil to protect its citizens, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday, amid swirling warnings of an imminent Iranian plot against Israelis.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-will-defend-citizens-anywhere-in-world-bennett-vows-amid-istanbul-jitters/

Synagogue led by ‘rabbi-rouser’ sues Florida over abortion ban

Lawsuit filed by L’Dor Va-Dor congregation says law violates Jewish teachings which require abortions to protect women; Governor’s office says law will ‘withstand’ challenge

https://www.timesofisrael.com/synagogue-led-by-rabbi-rouser-sues-florida-over-abortion-ban/

Dutch PM Says NATO Using Ukraine as Proxy Against Russia

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has called to equip Ukrainian forces with enough weapons and gear to defeat the Russian military, arguing that Kiev must deal the blows as “direct confrontation” between NATO and Moscow is still off the table.

Speaking to reporters after hosting a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and several European leaders on Tuesday, Rutte said a Ukrainian victory may still be attainable, if only the US-led military bloc provides sufficient ‘lethal aid.’

“In terms of weaponry, we stand united here that it is crucial for Russia to lose the war,” he said, suggesting that Ukraine should serve as a conduit for Western arms in order to maximize pain inflicted on Moscow.

The comments followed similar remarks from Stoltenberg, who said the alliance is “stepping up” to supply more arms to Kiev and that “Ukraine should have more heavy weapons.” At an upcoming NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June, he said member states “will agree [to] a major strengthening of our posture,” though did not elaborate on what that might entail.

Earlier on Tuesday, a senior Pentagon official told CNN that Washington could announce new weapons shipments as early as this week, saying that could happen when 50 nations with the ‘Ukraine Contact Group’ meet in Brussels on Wednesday. While they did not give specifics on what arms would be provided, recent US transfers have included heavy artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), thousands of anti-tank missiles and several helicopters.

Since Russia’s invasion commenced in late February, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in the form of 11 separate aid packages to the Ukrainian government, flooding a chaotic battlefield with American weapons despite “almost zero” ability to track where they end up.

During an event on Monday, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks declared that Washington is ready to back Kiev for years to come, even suggesting that support could continue for up to two decades if needed.

“We’re trying to think through the kinds of both equipment but also the kind of longer term training and defense establishment efforts that they will need,” she said.

Though the US and its partners in the NATO bloc have stressed that backing Ukraine is a matter of upholding ‘democratic values’ under assault by a despotic Russian invader, officials from some member states have hinted at other motives. Western diplomats cited by the Washington Post in April noted that the alliance would rather see Ukrainians keep “fighting and dying” over “a peace that comes too early.” More recently, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that some NATO countries “see the continuation of the war as weakening Russia” and do not want the fighting to end, a view which appears to be in line with Rutte’s statement on Tuesday.

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news-roundup/dutch-pm-says-nato-using-ukraine-as-proxy-against-russia/

Data Shows Just How Ineffective are the COVID-19 Vaccines Around the World

While the world’s focus has shifted towards Ukraine, inflation, gun control, and abortion (the most dependable of distractions), one little news gremlin is enjoying its time in the shadows: the inefficiency of COVID-19 vaccines. Let’s look at how badly COVID-19 vaccines are doing around the world, shall we?

(All percentages are rounded and represent at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose unless stated otherwise.)

Israel – 72% vaccinated

Israel doesn’t have a high rate of full vaccination (66%), but the country eagerly embraced all proposed boosters: four. Despite all that, Israel experienced the highest COVID-19 death rate on record this year.

Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway – 84%, 83%, 81% 79% vaccinated

All Scandinavian countries, except Sweden, recently got obliterated by COVID-19. Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Norway each documented their highest death rates, some beating their records multiple times in the last few weeks.

What is worrisome is how long the waves are lasting. Last year, Denmark’s wave lasted from middle of November till the middle of March. This year it started from the beginning of November and it doesn’t seem to be letting up. This year’s footprint is quite troublesome in all four countries.

Canada – 86% vaccinated

Canada did not beat its record death rate, but the latest wave started a month earlier and has thus far left a similar number of victims than last year. In other words, the vaccines did absolutely nothing…

Japan – 82% vaccinated

Japan recently experienced its worst death rate this year, doubling its all-time record. Masks and isolation didn’t help either.

Australia – 87% vaccinated

COVID-19 is running through Australia like a brushfire. The country recently experienced a death record four times greater than at any other point during the pandemic, and the fire is still raging. Maybe a 100% vaccination rate will help, or mandatory booster shots every time someone wants to step outside?

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/06/data-shows-just-ineffective-covid-19-vaccines-around-world/

Russia summons Israeli envoy for clarifications on Damascus airport strike

Deputy foreign minister says Moscow not satisfied with Jerusalem’s explanations of Friday attack that shut down air traffic

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister has summoned Israel’s ambassador, Alexander Ben Zvi, to express Moscow’s concern over a strike on Damascus International Airport last week that was widely attributed to Israel.

According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Mikhail Bogdanov told Ben Zvi that Moscow is not pleased with the justifications offered by Israel thus far, and that it is waiting for additional clarifications “within the framework of the existing Russian-Israeli mechanism to prevent dangerous incidents in Syria.”

The attack damaged the runway and airport buildings, and disrupted the flow of humanitarian supplies to Syrian civilians, said Russia.

Bogdanov also stressed that Russia will not allow Syria to be turned into a theater of war between outside parties, and insisted that Israel respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Over the years, Israel has repeatedly charged Iran with smuggling weapons and missile-improving systems from Tehran to its Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah using flights via Syria.

Generally, relatively large weapons are thought to be smuggled via Syria on Iranian cargo airlines, which frequently land at Damascus International and the Tiyas, or T-4, airbase, outside of the central Syrian city of Palmyra. The weaponry is then believed to be stored in warehouses in the area before being trucked to Lebanon.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-summons-israeli-envoy-for-clarifications-on-damascus-airport-strike/

https://twitter.com/ofctimallen/status/1536782789596434432

Russian MFA says Kiev halted talks with Moscow on orders from US handlers

Maria Zakharova said Kiev hasn’t yet reacted to the Russian response to the Ukrainian proposals to settle the situation in the country

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Wednesday said Ukraine halted peace talks with Russia on orders from its US handlers while Russia was prepared to carry on.

"These talks were frozen, halted, broken off," she said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. "Let them (Ukraine - TASS) say for themselves what they did with these talks. We know that very well because we have information that was the order given by their American handlers."

The diplomat said Kiev hasn’t yet reacted to the Russian response to the Ukrainian proposals to settle the situation in the country.

Zakharova also said it was Ukraine that sought talks, and Russia agreed to the proposal. However, the spokeswoman said the Kiev regime subsequently started to put forward various conditions for the negotiations. "We saw a lot of things: The venue is wrong, the makeup of the delegation isn’t right, the host country needs to be different. There were a lot of quirks," she said.

Talks between Russia and Ukraine are currently put on hold. Vladimir Medinsky, aide to the Russian president, who headed the Russian delegation at the talks, said, they were suspended entirely by Kiev.

https://tass.com/politics/1465303

Russia will end operation in Ukraine where it deems right — deputy foreign minister

"If Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his team are not ready for negotiations, if those behind him are determined to continue their mindless, or rather, insane pumping of Ukraine with weapons, it is their choice," Sergey Ryabkov said

Russia will put an end to its military operation in Ukraine there where it finds appropriate, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on the 60 Minutes program on the Rossiya-1 television channel on Wednesday. He stressed Moscow’s steadfast commitment to the originally proclaimed goals of the military operation.

"Our reaction is to prove that these plans (to make Russia suffer a defeat - TASS) will collapse, that they will fail, that we will put an end to it there where we deem right, and not where some strategists, ideologists or military planners in Washington or other capitals imagine. We must prove this by our willpower, by the force of arms, and by our readiness to stand firm, to adhere to the aims that were declared by our leadership, and to ensure their achievement," Ryabkov said, while answering a question about whether Russia had a response to the Americans' indifference to Moscow's statements.

"If [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky and his team are not ready for negotiations, if those behind him are determined to continue their mindless, or rather, insane pumping of Ukraine with weapons, it is their choice, it is sad, it is tragic, but we cannot retreat," Ryabkov added.

https://tass.com/politics/1465209

World Vision defendant convicted for assisting terrorist group

The Beersheba District Court on Wednesday convicted World Vision defendant Mohammad al-Halabi of most terror financing charges, around six years after his arrest and under pressure from the High Court of Justice to stop dragging its feet.

Who is Mohammad al-Halabi?

He was acquitted of one charge of assisting the enemy, based on the idea that, as a Gaza resident, he is not the citizen of a state.

Halabi's lawyer Maher Hana said that he would appeal the conviction to the Supreme Court.

The court found that Halabi confessed to the financial terror charges during his interrogation by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).

The judges said that he was highly sophisticated and that his confession was "coherent, specific and included unique details… which he could not have concocted on the spot."

Convicted World Vision defendant Mohammad al-Halabi's confession was "coherent, specific and included unique details… which he could not have concocted on the spot."

Beersheba District Court judges

In addition, they said that there was significant external documentary proof of his actions.

Though the court said that it knew World Vision believes Halabi to be innocent, it said that it was more likely that the organization did not want to overdo oversight of its finances, lest it harms its working relations with Gazan groups.

Further, the court scheduled a hearing for July 10 to debate extending his detention and set a date for Halabi’s sentencing hearing.

Although he has already served six years in prison, his maximum sentence for convictions on over a dozen charges could run over 20 years (though maximum sentences are rare).

His Hamas connections

According to the court ruling, Halabi was recruited by Abu Cuchba of Hamas in 2004.

Though Halabi and his brother, Diya, were initially Hamas fighters, he was eventually assigned to infiltrate World Vision to be an undercover Hamas operative assisting the group, the court said.

World Vision hired him in 2005. Initially, he worked in its northern Gaza section, but by 2014 he had achieved a high management position for the entire Strip.

The judges said that throughout his World Vision employment, Halabi met with Hamas military operatives to keep up with their needs.

In the verdict, the court said that Halabi intentionally diverted large volumes of iron, plastic and digging tools to Hamas to assist it with digging terror tunnels.

Further, the court said that in 2012, Halabi twice visited terror tunnels with his brother and another operative, in one case providing the operative with $20,000 to repair tunnels destroyed by flooding.

Hana said that the court failed to address issues, such as the source and the tracing of the alleged terror funds.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-709457

Public School Charges Boys with Sexual Harassment for “Mispronouning” Trans Classmate

In a case that illustrates the madness surrounding the governmentwide push for transgender rights, a public school district in Wisconsin charged three boys with sexual harassment for failing to use a female classmate’s chosen pronouns (they/them). The Kiel Area School District, situated in a town of about 4,000, accused the three eighth graders of “Mispronouning” in a music classroom. Then the school launched a complaint under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal funds. In a Notice of a Formal Complaint of Sexual Harassment to each boy, the district writes the following: “After being informed that a student’s preferred pronouns were ‘they/them’ [name redacted] engaged in conduct based on gender identity toward the student including using incorrect pronouns and conduct that was harassing in nature.”

Fortunately, a conservative group, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), got involved and the school district recently dropped its federal investigation under immense pressure from the community and attorneys at the legal nonprofit. Since the “mispronouning” and subsequent investigation occurred weeks ago, local news outlets have reported that the school received bomb threats. “After the story became local and national news, the district received numerous threats referencing the Title IX investigation,” according to one local story. The article continues: “Due to bomb threats, the school district went virtual through the end of the school year. The threats then expanded to city hall, businesses, facilities and homes of school officials. The messages were emailed to police, news media and school district members. The district was forced to delay its graduation ceremony out of concern for the community’s safety.” In another report a local LGBTQ advocate said that “homophobia, transphobia and anti-LGBTQ violence exists in all communities.”

The reality is that Title IX usually covers serious crimes such as sexual assault, rape, stalking and inappropriate touching. “None of that—or anything even close to it—was alleged in the complaint,” WILL, the charity representing the boys pro bono, points out in a statement. “While there is a catchall for “unwelcome conduct” that is “so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to education,” the mere use of a biologically correct pronoun, without significantly more, does not count, and if it did, it would violate the First Amendment.” The legal group proceeds to write that schools can and should deal with teasing and bullying but the use of incorrect pronouns alone is not punishable. The school district also failed to follow its own policy and Title IX procedures by not providing a detailed notice of the allegations before questioning the minors. “The District initiated its investigation and conducted interviews without first providing additional details or giving the boys and their families time to prepare,” according to WILL.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/boys-charged-over-mispronouning/