21 Jul, 2022 14:13

From Powerpoint to Potatoes: Why is Bill Gates buying so much land?

The billionaire’s latest acquisition has made people wonder why rich investors are so interested in gathering large tracts

21 Jul, 2022 14:13

HomeRussia & FSU

From Powerpoint to Potatoes: Why is Bill Gates buying so much land?

The billionaire’s latest acquisition has made people wonder why rich investors are so interested in gathering large tracts

“Our office needs to confirm how your company uses this land and whether this use meets any of the statutory exceptions, such as the business purpose exception…”

The letter required an answer within 30 days, but there’s no information about whether Red River Trust had anything to reply.

‘Meet Farmer Bill’

The news of the purchase made headlines, as many people found it surprising that the Microsoft co-founder is spending so much money on agriculture. Still, the North Dakota case is just the latest example of a billionaire’s investment in farmland making big news.

Summarizing the data as of 2020, a magazine called The Land Report put Bill Gates’ photo on its cover with the caption ‘Meet Farmer Bill’. The outlet called Gates and his then-wife Melinda “America’s largest private farmland owners.” In tracking the history of Gates’ investments, The Land Report cited a 2014 article from the Wall Street Journal about a man named Michael Larson, who, according to the outlet, has managed the billionaire’s investment empire since 1994, “mostly through a firm called Cascade Investment LLC.”

“The Wyoming ranch is part of a bet by Cascade on the steep rebound in real-estate prices since the financial crisis,” the WSJ reported, citing its sources. “The firm owns at least 100,000 acres of farmland in California, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana and other states – or an area seven times bigger than Manhattan.”

In 2021, The Land Report said that Gates owned almost 269,000 acres across the country.

‘Why are you buying so much farmland?’

The same year, Reddit users had a chance to ask the Microsoft co-founder about the reasons behind such a large investment. The question was “hey Bill! Why are you buying so much farmland?”

“My investment group chose to do this. It is not connected to climate,” Gates replied. “The agriculture sector is important.With more productive seeds we can avoid deforestation and help Africa deal with the climate difficulty they already face. It is unclear how cheap biofuels can be but if they are cheap it can solve the aviation and truck emissions.”

The uproar over Gates’ latest land purchase created a wave of discussion online. During the height of the Covid pandemic, the Microsoft co-founder was often in the limelight due to his pronouncements about the virus, and even became the subject of conspiracy theories. So, there’s no surprise that his unusual investment unleashed online gossip as well, sparking rumors that the billionaire owns the majority of US farmland. Actually, there are some 895 million acres of farmland in the country. So even while being the largest private farmland owner, Gates actually has less than 1% of the country’s total. And, no matter how eccentric the Microsoft co-founder can be, the reasons behind his farmland investment are most likely mundane, experts say.

“If you look at farmland purchases in the United States, the overwhelming majority is acquired by farmers. The next largest group are people somehow close to farming, like retired farmers, or people from the rural area that are interested in purchasing land. People who put together large portfolios are pretty rare,” Todd H. Kuethe, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University in the US, told RT. “Usually, they’re buying it for the financial position and so that land usually stays in production. There’s no disappearance of that land.”…

https://www.rt.com/russia/559392-bill-gates-farmland-purchase/

21 Jul, 2022 14:18

CIA director comments on Putin’s health

The Russian president is “entirely too healthy,” William Burns has said

President Vladimir Putin is “entirely too healthy,” CIA Director William Burns said on Wednesday, dispelling speculation about the Russian leader's wellbeing.

“There are a lot of rumors about President Putin’s health, and as far as we can tell, he is entirely too healthy. It’s not a formal intelligence judgment,” he said, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum.

The CIA chief’s comments were later echoed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who claimed on Thursday that the Russian leader is in good health. “Ukrainian, US, and British would-be media professionals have been spreading bogus stories about the president’s health condition in recent months. This is all hoax,” he said.

Peskov also addressed the fact that the president apologized for a cough at the Strong Ideas for a New Time forum. The Kremlin spokesman attributed it to overexposure to air conditioning during the Tehran visit. “As for the air conditioners, that’s true, it’s hot outside, 40C, but it’s chilly under the AC. My voice became husky too. Such things happen, no big deal,” Peskov explained.

Earlier this week, Putin made a trip to Tehran for talks with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The remarks by both Burns and Peskov come after a flurry of speculation in Western media and from officials about Putin being in poor health and purporting that he had undergone a cancer treatment and even survived an assassination attempt. Ukrainian officials have also participated in the conjecturing. In late June, Defense Intelligence chief Kirill Budanov claimed that “Putin doesn't have a long life ahead of him,” citing a supposed Ukrainian spy ring in the Kremlin. Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims of ill health.

(Did Burns just send out orders regarding Putin? Really strange thing to say)

https://www.rt.com/russia/559395-cia-putin-health/

21 Jul, 2022 12:41

Top Biden ally wants to label Russia ‘terrorism sponsor’ – Politico

US House Speaker reportedly urged Secretary of State Blinken to assign the designation, or else Congress will do it first

In a call earlier this week, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi asked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to designate Russia as “a state sponsor of terrorism,” Politico wrote on Wednesday, citing two sources familiar with the conversation.

Pelosi reportedly warned America’s top diplomat that if he did not go through with the designation, Congress would do it instead.

While Congress has given the State Department the exclusive authority to label other countries as state sponsors of terrorism, some lawmakers argue that a bill could be passed to get around this restriction, the paper noted.

“There’s no legal reason Congress could not pass legislation to effectively designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism,” a Democratic aide was quoted as saying by Politico. “Congress passing legislation is obviously a more complicated route than the secretary making the designation, but it would give the administration the political cover it needs to escalate economic pressure and rhetoric against Putin.”

Countries that receive the label are subject to sweeping restrictions such as a limit on foreign assistance, a ban on defense exports and sales and controls over exports of dual-use items, among other things.

The label also penalizes persons or countries that engage in certain trade. If Moscow is listed, Washington might have to significantly expand its sanctions to more sectors of the country’s economy and make it nearly impossible for Americans to have any dealings with Russia, Politico pointed out.

Currently, there are four nations on the US list of “state sponsors of terrorism”: Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria. However, none of these countries trade with the world nearly as much as Russia, which some experts believe to be one of the reasons Washington has so far refrained from officially applying the label.

In April, State Department spokesperson Ned Price explained to reporters that the Biden administration was looking into the potential steps it could take against Moscow, and noted that “the sanctions we have in place and have taken [against Russia] are the same steps that would be entailed by the designation of a state sponsor of terrorism.”

Commenting on the Politico report, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Moscow “very negatively assesses the consequences for relations with Washington if the US Congress recognizes the Russian Federation as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism.’” He added though that it’s difficult to do anything that could damage the already tarnished relations between the two nations even further.

Last month, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky urged French leader Emmanuel Macron to designate Russia as a ‘sponsor of terrorism.’ Macron, however, refused to do so, arguing that his country did not need any judicial definitions to sanction Moscow.

(Top state sponsor of terrorism in US, speaker of the House wants to blame Russia)

https://www.rt.com/news/559385-pelosi-russia-terrorism-sponsor/

21 Jul, 2022 14:26

Biden tests positive for Covid-19

The US president is vaccinated and has received two booster shots

US President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is working remotely from the White House. Biden, who has received a total of four vaccine doses, is taking antiviral medication.

Biden tested positive for the disease on Thursday morning, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced, adding that the president is “experiencing very mild symptoms.”

Jean-Pierre noted that Biden is “fully vaccinated and twice boosted,” and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral medication produced by Pfizer. Paxlovid was given emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December, and was taken by White House coronavirus czar Dr. Anthony Fauci during his bour of Covid-19 in May, seemingly to no avail.

Biden will perform his presidential duties by phone and attend meetings virtually, the White House stated.He will remain in isolation until he tests negative.

https://www.rt.com/news/559400-biden-tests-positive-covid-19/

21 Jul, 2022 14:15

EU to face ‘infinitely’ higher energy pricesbecause of sanctions – banker

Philippe Villin has urged the bloc to rethink its approach to the restrictions levied against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict

The EU rushed to back Ukraine without asking its businesses or citizens for permission and now the European economy is suffering the most from the anti-Russia sanctions, French investment banker Philippe Villin has said.

European politicians and bureaucrats in Brussels threw their support behind Ukraine “without a democratic debate,” Villin wrote in an op-ed published by Le Figaro on Monday.

“What is worse, they did not even consider it useful to consult with us about the military escalation, or the terrible consequences of the sanctions for our economies,” he said.

Villin stressed that the world economy had already been crippled by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as tension between China and Taiwan, who are both vital to the global supply chain. The current crisis also spurred inflation, including energy price hikes and the risk of shortages.

“And the worst thing is that Europe is suffering from the increase of the prices of energy and raw materials far more than the United States or China,” Villin wrote.

The fact is that, as a consequence of the sanctions, energy prices will be infinitely higher in Europe than anywhere else.

The banker added that businesses would “lose huge shares of the market” and be forced to cut jobs if the crisis escalated.

“I hope that, before our people eventually revolt, a quick electric shock will open up a political debate, in which we, citizens and business leaders, could challenge our blind politicians and Eurocrats, who are leading us to ruin by lying to us.”

Many countries, including EU members, imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia after Moscow launched a military campaign against Ukraine in late February.

On Thursday, Russian gas giant Gazprom resumed the flow of gas to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline following a 10-day shutdown for maintenance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had previously urged EU nations to cut the use of gas by 15% between August and June in case Moscow decided to end deliveries.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Tuesday that Germany, the EU’s chief economic powerhouse, risks losing almost 5% of its GDP if Russia completely shuts off its gas supply.

https://www.rt.com/news/559397-france-sanctions-hurt-economy/

21 Jul, 2022 13:42

UK to pump more arms into Ukraine

The shipment will include 1,600 anti-tank weapons and 50,000 artillery shells

The UK will send Ukraine anti-tank weapons, drones, artillery guns and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Parliament on Thursday. Ukraine will receive more than 20 M109 and 26 L119 artillery guns, as well as counter-battery radar systems and more than 50,000 rounds of ammunition for its existing Soviet-era artillery systems.

The UK will also send 1,600 anti-tank weapons as well as drones, including hundreds of “loitering aerial munitions,” more commonly known as “suicide drones.”

The arms will be sent to Ukraine in the coming weeks, and Wallace’s announcement comes several weeks after outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged an additional £1 billion ($1.2bn) in military support to Vladimir Zelensky’s government. In total, the UK has spent £2.3 billion on weapons and training for Kiev’s military since Russia’s military operation in Ukraine began in February.

This money has already paid for nearly 7,000 NLAW, Javelin and other anti-tank missiles, 16,000 artillery rounds, six mobile anti-air missile launchers, as well as a number of M270 rocket artillery systems and 120 armored vehicles.

The impact of these shipments on the battlefield, however, has been debatable. Captured Ukrainian troops have described the Javelin missile launchers – sent by both the UK and the US – as “completely useless” in urban combat, while soldiers are reportedly encountering battery issues with the NLAW “making it impossible to use.” Russia’s military doctrine also favors heavy artillery bombardment of enemy positions from far beyond the NLAW’s 600 meter range.

Both sides have leaned heavily on artillery as fighting rages on in eastern Ukraine and the Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Utilizing superior firepower, Russian and allied troops recently brought the entirety of the Lugansk People’s Republic under their control and seized operational control of Seversk, which is within striking distance of the major cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.

Ukraine has received a dozen M142 HIMARS rocket artillery systems from the US. While US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described these weapons as making “such a difference on the battlefield,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov claimed this week that his forces need at least 50 of the systems to hold back Russia’s advances and 100 – around a third of the US’ entire stockpile – to conduct a counteroffensive.

In terms of conventional artillery, the 50,000 shells promised by Wallace is enough to keep Ukraine’s guns firing for roughly eight days. As of last month, Ukraine’s deputy head of military intelligence estimated that his forces were expending 6,000 shells per day, and that Ukraine has one artillery gun for every 15 fielded by Russia.

Meanwhile, a report by the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank, claims that Russia is firing approximately 20,000 artillery shells per day.

(Whats the definition of insanity?)

https://www.rt.com/news/559393-uk-new-weapons-ukraine/

21 Jul, 2022 04:57

US general reveals Ukraine fighter jets proposal

Top US Air Force officials expect Ukraine to transition to Western-made military aircraft

The US and its allies are constantly looking for ways to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force, including pilot training before potentially supplying Kiev with Western-made fighter jets, two senior US military officials announced at the annual Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on Wednesday.

“You want to build a long-term plan on how do you build their air force and the air force that they're going to need for the future,” US Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown said. (Is this Charles Q. Brown?)

“There’s a number of different platforms that could go to Ukraine… It’ll be something non-Russian, I can probably tell you that,” Brown said. “But I can’t tell you exactly what it’s going to be.”

The general did not reveal any concrete plans to send jets to Ukraine, only speculating that all options are on the table, including US-made planes, as well as Swedish Gripens, Eurofighter Typhoons, and French Rafales.

Brown separately mentioned a potential pilot re-training program in an interview with Reuters earlier in the day, saying that transitioning from Soviet aircraft might be “a little” hard. But he felt “pretty confident there are some of our NATO partners who have done that, can actually have lessons that they learned that can be helpful to the Ukrainians to help them figure out how to best make that transition.”

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, who was speaking at the same security conference about the US military seeking to retire the iconic A-10 Warthog ground attack jets, was asked point-blank – “Why don't we give those A-10s to Ukraine?”

“General Brown addressed that question this morning about what fighters Ukraine might be interested in. That's largely up to Ukraine… Older US systems are a possibility,” Kendall responded, without outright rejecting the idea.

“We will be open to discussions with them on what their requirements are and how we might be able to satisfy them,” he added.

Kiev has for months been pleading for supplies of modern air defense and fighter jets, but the US and its allies say they are concerned that Moscow could perceive the delivery of these types of weapons as a declaration of war. The Pentagon even rejected a request by NATO ally Poland for the US to facilitate the transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a US military base in Germany. However, the administration of President Joe Biden insists that countries in the region are still free to give military aircraft to Ukraine, if they so choose.

(Title should be “Military Industrial Complex reveals Ukraine fighter jets proposal”)

https://www.rt.com/news/559357-ukraine-air-force-transition/

21 Jul, 2022 15:02

World’s longest-range sniper rifle used in Ukraine - media

The weapon that can hit a target more than a mile and a half away was fired near Kiev, according to Russia's Tass news agency

The “super-long-range” Sumrak (Twilight) sniper rifle was used for the first time by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, TASS news agency reported on Thursday, citing a security source.

Snipers used the rifle near Kiev, as well as near Kharkov in eastern Ukraine, but “rarely” because it was not always possible to find suitable terrain, the source told the Russian news outlet. There has been no official confirmation of the information, the agency added.

The single-shot bolt action weapon, designed in 2012 by Russian firm Lobaev Arms, the SVLK-14S Sumrak can effectively hit targets at a range of up to 2,700 meters (1.6 miles), according to the manufacturer.

In 2020, Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper described the Sumark as “the world’s most deadly sniper rifle,” noting that it has nearly double the effective range of the L115A3, the British Army’s sniper rifle.

In 2017, a bullet from the Sumrak traveled 4,210 meters (2.6 miles) before hitting a targetat a shooting range in Russia, which reportedly set a world record.

https://www.rt.com/russia/559399-russia-sniper-rifle-ukraine/

6 Jul, 2022 13:37

Russia tests anti-drone gun in Ukraine – media

Handheld ‘Stupor’ electromagnetic disruptorshave reportedly been used against unmanned aircraft

Russia has successfully tested its Stupor electromagnetic weapon against Ukrainian drones, the news agency TASS reported on Wednesday, citing a source familiar with the program. The field trial was the first for the device against an actual enemy, the agency said.

Stupor is an electromagnetic projector that aims to disrupt a drone’s communication with its operator. This interferes with the mission of the targeted aircraft by rendering it unable to take commands or send back intelligence. The drone may simply fall to the ground or be hijacked afterwards.

A robotics research center of the Russian Defense Ministry presented the device during an arms show in 2017. It said the futuristic-looking device was effective at a range of up to 2km, as long as the target was not obstructed.

TASS said it was not able to learn where exactly the devices were tested, with the source only stating it was in the western part of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

RT Russian spoke to the designer of the electromagnetic weapon, Dmitry Klochko, who said his firm delivered a total of 10 anti-drone guns to Donbass militias. He said some of them were gifts while others were sponsored by private donors. The feedback was quite positive, he said.

The weapons designer said he had previously received requests for Stupor from the Russian military. Russian soldiers deployed in Syria reportedly used them to shut down primitive drones employed by Syrian militants against them.

In May, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov claimed that an anti-drone laser weapon had been field-tested against Ukraine. He said it wasnicknamed Zadira, or ‘Troublemaker’ in Russian, but offered few details about it. Kek

https://www.rt.com/russia/558475-russia-drone-gun-ukraine/

21 Jul, 2022 10:06

Russia warns it could stop oil exports

Crude production will be suspended if the Western price cap makes it unprofitable, a top official says

Russia will stop global oil exports if the West’s price cap makes it unprofitable to continue production, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Russia’s Channel One on Thursday.

“If these prices which they are talking about are lower than the costs for oil production… naturally, Russia will not ensure the supply of this oil to the world markets, which means that we simply will not work at a negative profit,” he explained, as cited by TASS.

The G7 countries agreed to set a cap on the price of Russian oil at the end of June, an idea which had first been pitched by Washington as a means to limit Russia’s income from energy exports. According to Bloomberg, proponents of the measure are discussing the possibility of limiting the price paid for Russia’s exports through interventions in the insurance and transportation of the country’s oil. According to the plan, only those raw materials and oil products whose value does not exceed the price cap would be allowed to be insured and transported.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently said that the upper threshold for the price cap would be set at about half the current market price of Russian oil. In June, the average price of a barrel of Urals was around $87.25. However, discussions on the matter are ongoing and the price cap has not yet been finalized.

Russia believes that the price cap would further propel global oil prices. President Vladimir Putin recently said Western countries “are stepping on the same rake,” as in the case of abandoning Russian gas.

“The result will be the same – oil prices will skyrocket,” he said.

Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev predicted that the cost of oil may well exceed $300-400 per barrel if the West goes through with the plan.

“There will be significantly less oil on the market, and its price will be much higher,” he warned.

https://www.rt.com/business/559366-russia-warns-it-could-stop-oil-exports/

21 Jul, 2022 12:16

Former Russian president lists ‘Western sins’

Dmitry Medvedev called out the US and its allies for their out-of-touch policies

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has compiled what he called a list of “their sins,” a reference to what he sees as the shortcomings of the US and Europe. The list was published on Medvedev’s Telegram channel on Thursday and comes a day after the former president outlined Russia’s ‘sins’, a mocking exhortation to the West to blame Moscow for all manner of ills, from US President Joe Biden’s gaffes to even the extinction of the dinosaurs.

“THEIR SINS (what Russia is not guilty of): European fools being cynically conned by the Americans, who forced them to endure the most painful consequences of the sanctions that have hit the populations of EU countries; ordinary Europeans freezing cold in their homes this winter; the highest food inflation in decades in Europe and the United States; EU and US companies losing their multibillion-dollar investments in the Russian economy,” he wrote.

Medvedev added thatMoscow has nothing to do with “Americans electing a strange old man with dementiawho, having forgotten about his duties, loves another country much more than his own.”

He also noted that Russia is not to blame for “town crazies who proclaimed themselves the EU leadership irrevocably losing touch with reality and making poor Ukrainians sacrifice their lives to join the EU.”

The ex-president also mentioned NATO’s encroachment on Russia’s borders, a process that is “contrary to reason and common sense,” he said.

According to Medvedev, Russia should not have to take the blame for the “numerous political crooksthat are leveraging the issue of restoring Ukraine’s statehood to its former borders as they plan to receive new military contracts and

embezzle the cash flows earmarked for the Kiev regime.”

Nor is Russia responsible for “Ukraine losing its independence and coming under the direct control of the collective West after the 2014 coup” and the fact that “Ukrainian criminals will certainly be tried for their atrocities committed against the people of Ukraine and Russia.”

The former Russian president came up with the list after Biden repeatedly attempted to pin the blame for the record gas prices and 40-year-high inflation on Russia and the Ukraine conflict. However, according to a Rasmussen poll conducted in June, only 11% of Americans believed that “Putin’s price hike,” a term coined by the US president, was responsible for their economic woes. Meanwhile, more than half (52%) of respondents cited Biden’s poor energy policies as the culprit.

The EU has also tried to point the finger at Russia. In late June, for instance, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Moscow of triggering a food crisis and using global hunger as “a weapon” by blocking Ukrainian grain shipments. These barbs were later addressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who noted that Western nations are deliberately stirring up tensions over Ukrainian exports, while Moscow is ready to provide free passage to grain ships.

(Medvedev nails it)

https://www.rt.com/russia/559378-medvedev-west-sins-list/

20 Jul, 2022 15:47

Former president lists ‘sins of Russia’

Dmitry Medvedev has hit back at the numerous accusations aimed at Moscow with a heaping dose of sarcasm

(This is hilarious, we could add a lot more to his list)

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has compiled what he said is a list of Moscow’s ‘sins’, mocking the accusations hurled at the nation by the West. The list was published on Medvedev’s Telegram channel on Wednesday.

“OUR SINS (what Russia is guilty of): Skyrocketing gas prices at all pumps in the US and their close allies; soaring prices for all food products in all stores across all continents; sweltering heat in the European resorts that torments all living beings; triggering the ‘sanctions from hell’ against Russia that hit defenseless European companies,” he wrote.

Medvedev added that Russia is to blame for “[US President]Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. occasionally confusing words, failing to find the exit to the room, and reading technical notes on a teleprompter.”

The list also included mail-in voting in the US, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz being called an “offended liverwurst,” (an insult made by former Ukrainian Ambassador Andrey Melnik), and all the resignations of European leaders since “Peter the Great arrogantly established the Russian Empire against all odds.”

Medvedev continues, saying Russia is responsible for “public opinion manipulation with the help of Russian classical literature and symphonic music,” as well as “the wanton murder of the progressive European politician Gaius Julius Caesar committed by a gang of terrorists, including Publius Servilius Casca, Marcus Brutus, and other Russian hacks in order to split the Western world and promote anti-liberal values.”

The ex-president concludes the open-ended list of Russia’s sins with the “unprovoked preemptive meteorite strike on our planet and the subsequent dinosaur extinction.”

Medvedev’s comments come days after he claimed that Washington and London have drawn the “useful European idiots” into an economic war against Russia. “Washington in tandem with London conned the Europeans like a couple of shell-game tricksters,” he said at the time, referring to the record weakening of the euro.

https://www.rt.com/russia/559326-medvedev-president-sins-west/