“I Have Nothing to Hide and I Can Defend Everything I’ve Done and Every Decision I’ve Made” – Dr. Fauci Defends Disastrous Career After Announcing Retirement

After destroying millions of lives, Dr. Fauci announced on Monday that he will step down from his role running the NIAID.

Fauci will be retiring from 50 years of public service in December.

“I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden,” Fauci said.

“I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career,” he added.

CNBC reported:

The nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, plans to step down from his roles running the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advising the White House as its chief medical advisor at the end of the year, he announced Monday.

Dr. Fauci flip-flopped and lied for over a year to the American public about the seriousness of the China Virus and his background funding the Chinese virology lab and the origins of the virus.

Dr. Fauci also lied to the American public about the success of the safe drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in treating the virus.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans died when HCQ was available but banned by Fauci and the CDC from COVID patients.

Fauci also flip-flopped on mask-wearing several times throughout the pandemic.

On March, 8 2020 — Dr. Anthony Fauci advised healthy Americans against wearing face masks.

In April 2020 — The CDC said Americans should be wearing face masks for the COVID.

In May 2020 — Dr. Anthony Fauci and the New England Journal of Medicine have admitted that masks are little more than symbols. Virtue signaling.

On January 25, 2021 — Dr. Fauci told healthy Americans to wear two masks instead of one.

And then one week later…

On January 31, 2021 —Dr. Fauci backtracked on that insane idea of wearing multiple masks.

Dr. Fauci will retired with millions of dollars and a massive, taxpayer funded retirement pension.

On Tuesday Dr. Anthony Fauci told Neil Cavuto: “I have nothing to hide, and I can defend everything I’ve done and every decision I’ve made.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/08/nothing-hide-can-defend-everything-done-every-decision-made-dr-fauci-defends-career-announcing-retirement/

Interview With Clay Parikh the Former Pro V&V Voting System Tester and Expert Witness in Lake v. Hobbs

Last month, The Gateway Pundit broke a story about expert witness Clay Parikh and his explosive testimony regarding his time as a voting systems tester for Wyle Labs and Pro V&V from 2008 to 2017.

This past weekend, The Gateway Pundit’s Brian Lupo had the opportunity to sit down with Clay Parikh to discuss his testimony and expound upon his experiences as a tester for these vulnerable voting machines.

Clay talks about the machines being “kiddy script level 5” in terms of security and claims your “home PC” is more secure than these voting machines!

Parikh will also be testifying in an upcoming case in Alabama regarding the removal of the voting machines.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/08/interview-clay-parikh-former-pro-vv-voting-system-tester-expert-witness-lake-v-hobbs/

Sexual Abuse Charges Against Former Federal Prison Warden Expanded To Include Two Additional Inmate Victims

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/sexual-abuse-charges-against-former-federal-prison-warden-expanded-include-two

Former St. Louis alderman admits taking cash, car, phone as bribes

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/former-st-louis-alderman-admits-taking-cash-car-phone-bribes

Former oil and gas mineral rights investment fund manager charged with fraud

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/former-oil-and-gas-mineral-rights-investment-fund-manager-charged-fraud

Evidence of Ukrainian shelling of Zaporozhye provided to UN

The Russian envoy briefed the Security Council on recent attacks on the nuclear plant and submitted photos

Russia has submitted photographic evidence of Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant to the UN Security Council and the General Assembly, ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Tuesday. He also briefed the Security Council on the most recent attacks, some of which involved NATO-supplied weapons, and insisted that Russia does not use the site as a military base.

"Despite the false statements of the Kiev regime and its backers, Russia has not placed heavy weapons on the territory of the ZNPP and does not use the station for military purposes,” Nebenzia said during the council’s emergency session on Tuesday afternoon.

“The Russian Ministry of Defense is ready to provide the IAEA with high-resolution images, which show that weapons, especially heavy ones, are not placed on the territory of the station,” he added.

In addition to the photographic evidence of Ukrainian shelling of the plant, Nebenzia entered into the record a timeline of strikes, named the Ukrainian artillery unit involved, and specified which strikes featured M777 howitzers given to Ukraine by the Pentagon.

“It seems that our colleagues exist in some kind of their own parallel reality, in which the Russian military shells the NPP it is protecting, using American systems at that,” Nebenzia said.

Contrary to insinuations by Kiev and its Western backers, Nebenzia noted, Moscow had given assent to the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit the Zaporozhye NPP back in June, before the Ukrainian drone, artillery and rocket attacks began.

Nebenzia blamed the US and its allies for tolerating “criminal” behavior by Ukraine – from the shelling of the Zaporozhye NPP to the car bomb that killed Russian journalist Darya Dugina in Moscow over the weekend, and was cheered by some NATO officials he mentioned by name.

The Zaporozhye plant is located in Energodar, a city in southern Ukraine under the control of Russian troops since March. The plant’s civilian staff continued operations unhindered until the artillery attacks began in July. Kiev has denied responsibility for the attacks and accused Russia of shelling the nuclear site to discredit Ukraine, but also of placing troops and heavy weapons inside the NPP’s perimeter and thus making it a legitimate target.

The US and its allies used the meeting to demand Russia withdraw from the plant, accuse Moscow of a plot to “steal Ukrainian electricity,” and demand the immediate end of all military operations in ukraine.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday he will personally head the mission to the ZNPP in the coming days, and that the UN nuclear watchdog intends to establish a permanent presence on site.

https://www.rt.com/russia/561414-nebenzia-un-zaporozhye-nuclear/

Pfizer Recalls Propofol Products After Finding ‘Visible Particulate’ During Annual Inspection

NEW YORK, NY., August 22, 2022 Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer company, is voluntarily recalling one lot of Propofol Injectable Emulsion (containing benzyl alcohol), 100mL Single Patient Use Glass Fliptop Vial; lot EA7470, to the user level due to visible particulates observed in two vials during annual examination of retention samples.

Risk Statement: Patients receiving the impacted product have a remote probability of experiencing potential adverse events, such as blockage of blood vessels, including decreased blood flow to the brain, heart attack, pulmonary embolus, and tissue necrosis. Hypersensitivity reactions and transmission of infectious disease can also occur.

To date, Pfizer has not received reports of any adverse events associated with this issue for this lot.

Propofol is an intravenous general anesthetic and sedation drug for use in the induction and maintenance of anesthesia or sedation. Propofol Injectable Emulsion is a terminally sterilized (TS) product. It is a sterile, nonpyrogenic emulsion containing 10 mg/mL of propofol suitable for intravenous administration supplied in a Single Patient Use Glass Fliptop Vial.

The NDC, Lot Number, Expiration Date, and Configuration details for Propofol Injectable Emulsion are indicated below. The product lot was distributed nationwide to wholesalers/hospitals in the United States from July 16, 2020 through July 24, 2020.

https://breaking911.com/pfizer-recalls-propofol-products-after-finding-visible-particulate-during-annual-inspection/

Seized Russian Superyacht To Be Auctioned, With Proceeds Going To J.P. Morgan

Seizing other people's assets to enrich our massive investment banks…it's the American way!

A massive luxury superyacht that was seized as part of the Western sanctions on Russia this year is going to be sold at auction to pay off J.P. Morgan, a new report from Bloomberg said this week.

The yacht, formerly owned by sanctioned Russian businessman Dmitry Pumpyansky is going to be sold at auction on Tuesday after Pumpyansky reportedly defaulted on a loan that he was given from J.P. Morgan, the report says.

According to Nigel Hollyer, a broker at auction house Howe Robinson Partners, it's going to be the first superyacht auctioned since the sanctions took hold, freezing yachts in ports across the world.

The yacht - Axioma - had been seized in Gibraltar in March. It is currently valued at £63 million, though it is expected to fetch less than that at auction.

Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan won a court order in Gibraltar last month that allowed for the sale of the yacht on account of Pumpyansky not paying off a $20.6 million loan that was tied to the ship.

The ship has what every fishing vessel absolutely needs, including a swimming pool and a 3D cinema. The auction has “staggering amount of interest,” Hollyer told Bloomberg. He said there were about 115 inquiries into the yahct and more than two dozen inspections of the vessel.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/seized-russian-superyacht-be-auctioned-proceeds-going-jp-morgan

Two Years After Kenosha Riots, Why No August 23 Committee To Investigate The Big Lie That Stoked The Flames?

Aug. 23, 2020 is a night Kenosha residents can’t help but remember — but would rather forget. At the hands of vindictive Black Lives Matter groupies and other self-described racial justice activists, the Wisconsin town went up in flames two years ago today.

Rogues started fires at government buildings. They set ablaze garbage trucks and torched upwards of 100 vehicles in the car lot owned by an Indian immigrant, smashing the windows of those who escaped the inferno. They vandalized the post office and a high school, and their flames completely consumed a century-old camera shop.

That’s only a fraction of what followed the justified police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Boarded up windows were scrawled with messages begging rioters to pass over them: “PLEASE, KIDS ABOVE” and “THE ELDERLY LIVE HERE.” Demonstrators taunted the scant law enforcers posted outside the courthouse. And when Wisconsin’s Democrat Gov. Tony Evers refused to send enough National Guardsmen after a full 24 hours of rioting despite locals’ pleas for help — he sent more troops to Milwaukee during the NBA finals — armed citizens stepped up to defend property and ultimately themselves, resulting in the deaths of two people.

That was two years ago. Now we’re watching the House Jan. 6 Committee’s Stalinist show trial for Americans who participated in the riot at the U.S. Capitol — and many who didn’t — on Jan. 6, 2021. Last November, we witnessed a courtroom drama for a 17-year-old kid who defended his life with a firearm during the riots but was slandered by legacy media as a white supremacist and a murderer.

Now, after more than 60 people have been charged with crimes related to the Kenosha riots, with supposedly many more to come, why has there been no large-scale investigation into these deadly riots, the players behind them, and the destructive ideology that sparked it all? Despite Democrats’ constant talk about Donald Trump’s “big lie,” they fall silent when confronted with evidence their race obsession can spur lethal race revolutions.

That obsession and its effects are based on a lie. And it’s a big one.

https://thefederalist.com/2022/08/23/two-years-after-kenosha-riots-why-no-august-23-committee-to-investigate-the-big-lie-that-stoked-the-flames/

Scottsdale Police: 8 men arrested in undercover child sex crimes operation

An undercover operation in the Phoenix area has led to the arrest of several suspects.

According to police, the four-day 'Operation Back In Session' resulted in the arrests of eight people for alleged child sex crimes. The multi-agency effort involved police in Avondale, Scottsdale, and Surprise, as well as a Homeland Security division in Scottsdale.

"Everyone seems to be kind of having the same problem, unfortunately," said Officer Aaron Bolin with Scottsdale Police.

The eight men are reportedly accused of trying to sexually exploit those who they believed to be minors. The men arrested were identified as:

Jesse Barry

Bernard Camp

Jose Frias

Mohamed Megahed

Jason Michelli

Terry Patton

Lu Reh

Cesar Sepulveda

The suspects, according to a statement by Scottsdale Police, face a variety of charges, including child sex trafficking, attempted sexual conduct with a minor, and attempted money laundering.

"Our detectives and other agencies’ detectives will often go undercover. They create a profile on different social media apps," said Officer Bolin.

Then, the detectives sit and wait for the conversation and the sexual offers to come to them.

"As the conversation unfolds, it's made very apparent to the person they're talking with that they are an underage person," said Officer Bolin.

A meeting is often agreed to, where detectives are waiting for them with handcuffs ready. The idea is to get these people off the streets before a real minor becomes a victim.

"Most often, our young people are not being kidnapped from malls, kidnapped from movie theaters. It's nothing typically overt," said Officer Bolin. "There are times that innocent underage people become victims, but they're usually then being solicited and being talked to online through these different applications."

Officials did not go into detail on these investigative tactics, because Officer Bolin said they actually do an operation like this every two months at some departments around the Phoenix area, and it could compromise future investigations. Officials do, however, encourage parents to monitor their child's online behavior.

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/scottsdale-police-8-men-arrested-in-undercover-child-sex-crimes-operation

12 arrests in Florida child sex investigation

Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson announced Tuesday that 12 men were arrested over a span of three days for traveling to meet with a minor for sexual activity.

The investigation was a partnership between Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Pensacola Police Department, and Santa Rosa Sheriff Office’s Major Crimes Division.

“If you have kids out there, under the age of 18, this should scare you to death,” Johnson said.

Out of the 12 arrests, there were 45 felony charges.

Below are the following that were arrested:

Patrick Bradt, 50, of Crestview

Terry Deer, 57, of Fairhope, Ala.

Zachary Frantz, 26, of Pace

Jose Leonardo-Ramirez, 30, of Pensacola

Anthony Martinez, 32, of Pace

Bryan Meja, 22, of Pensacola

Erick Menchaca, 33, of DeFuniak Springs

James Ray II, 45, of Pensacola

Michael Preston, 40, of Navarre

Joshua Prows, 35, of Milton

Andrew Walters, 29, of Gulf Shores, Ala.

Tristan Thrower, 24, of Pensacola

“These guys should really scare you,” Johnson said. “Patrick Bradt, 50 years old, is already a registered sex offender. He came to Santa Rosa County, hoping to have sex with a 14-year-old girl. The next guy, Terry Deer, is an Uber driver, and he came hoping to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. The real scary one is this guy right here, Anthony Martinez. He just got out of prison, a convicted felon. Not only does he come to Santa Rosa County to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, he brings a hand-gun, cocaine and methamphetamine with him. Great guys right here.”

https://www.wkrg.com/northwest-florida/santa-rosa-county/12-arrests-in-florida-child-sex-investigation/

Valley sex sting nabs 17 men seeking minors

YOUNGSTOWN — “The message is: Since they’re not going away, we’re not going away,” Sheriff Jerry Greene said Monday of the arrests of 17 men Friday through Sunday in the latest sex-sting operation of the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.

All 17 were charged with various offenses when each answered an advertisement on websites and tried to arrange for sex with minors, according to Greene.

Of the 17, 16 were in the Mahoning County jail Monday and will be arraigned today in Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield. A 17th person was arrested in Columbiana County and will be arraigned there.

The 17 men arrested are from as near as Youngstown, Niles and Struthers. Two truck drivers arrested are from Louisiana and New Jersey.

Most of the charges are felonies with some of the charges carrying a penalty of up to three years in prison if convicted.

Greene said the images found on some of the suspects’ cellphones are “quite frankly, appalling.” On the phone of one suspect were images of “children and infants and toddlers, and that was a little bit rough,” he said.

“You see something, and you think you’ve never seen anything worse, and then we do another (sting operation) and it hits home again that we’re really making a difference by doing this,” the sheriff said.

Green said when this operation began Friday, the number of people arrested was low, and Greene said he wondered if the earlier stings and the publicity they got was stopping people from engaging in this type of activity.

“But unfortunately, they’re out there. The first day we did it was slow, and then day two was just one after another after another,” Green said of arrests.

Maj. Jeff Allen of the sheriff’s office said it takes more time to download these images to a law enforcement computer and to process them, but the images are likely to lead to additional charges.

Allen said this sting produced an especially high number of men charged with compelling prostitution, a third-degree felony. That charge is filed when someone speaks with an adult over the phone “arranging to pay for sex with a child.” Allen said in that scenario, the individuals seeking to have sex with a child “have to know (the child) is being trafficked.” And he said that behavior “is very disturbing to us.”

Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force sex stings involve law enforcement officers pretending to arrange sexual encounters with children and then arresting the individuals when they show up, but Greene said he believes many such individuals have actually carried out the real thing.

Allen said the type of child frequently being trafficked in this way in real life is one who is lacking in family support, especially when they have a parent who is addicted to drugs. There was such a case not long ago in Mahoning County, Greene said.

Allen said 21 people arrested during a sting last year is the highest number that the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force has had during about six operations in recent years.

Greene said he believes fear of being arrested stops some people from seeking sex with children. Allen said he knows people trying to arrange sex with children are scared because some will say so during the sting. “So I do believe we are making a difference,” Allen said.

The Mahoning Valley sex sting operation was part of a larger operation Friday through Sunday from the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called Operation Time’s Up. Four additional people were arrested for trying to buy sex with children in Scioto and Franklin counties, according to an attorney general’s news release.

Outside of the Mahoning Valley, 35 “johns” also were arrested for “seeking to buy sex,” the release states.

The 16 people who were in the county jail and facing arraignment are:

https://www.vindy.com/news/local-news/2022/08/valley-sex-sting-nabs-17-men-seeking-minors/

Former Sheriff’s Son, Arrested, Caught with Online Photos, Video of Child Sex Abuse

Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville recently announced the arrest of Robert L. Langley III, of Mahopac, NY, on multiple counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child.

In March 2022, Investigators assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) received information from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that images and videos of child sexual abuse material were being shared online from a residence in the Town of Carmel. BCI Investigators executed a search warrant at the residence on May 25, 2022, assisted by PCSO electronic storage detection K9 Hannah. Investigators began a digital forensics examination of the electronic devices seized and were able to recover evidence and identify a suspect.

The 36-year-old male resident of the Town of Carmel was charged with (4) four counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, a class E felony. He was arraigned before the Honorable Daniel Miller and released on his own recognizance pending a future appearance in the Town of Carmel Justice Court.

BCI Investigators worked collaboratively on this investigation with the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and New York State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

The release of Langley’s name comes with the change in policy from the Sheriff’s office that it will include the names of those arrested in their releases to the media and the public. This change coincides with almost every other law enforcement agency in New York State, whose policy has always been to release the names of those arrested of crimes.

Several media outlets in Putnam County, including the Putnam County Times/Press asked for a change in policy earlier this year when several gun arrests, drug arrests, and a similar arrest for possesing obscene sexual performance by a child, were announced but the names not released.

In 2017, Robert Langley Jr. defeated longtime Putnam County Sheriff Don Smith. In 2021, Putnam County Sheriff Langley lost to Putnam County Sheriff McConville. Both races were very close

https://yonkerstimes.com/former-sheriffs-son-arrested-caught-with-online-photos-video-of-child-sex-abuse/

AUSTRALIA GRACE JONES AND CANADA PAM DEOL SAME PEDOPHILIA POLICE ARE DOING NOTHING …

https://www.bitchute.com/video/QrCgartjyOKk/

Fairfax County school counselor kept job after solicitation conviction

With the beginning of the school year on Monday, Fairfax County Public Schools is facing questions from parents, education advocates and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) after it was discovered recently that a middle school counselor in the system was convicted of soliciting a minor outside the district and kept his job at a school.

Darren Thornton, who began working at Glasgow in 2020, was arrested in November 2020 in an online chatting operation on charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor in Chesterfield County, according to court records, while working in Fairfax County. He was convicted in March 2022 and was eventually given a five-year suspended sentence. Thornton also had to register as a sex offender, with the initial registration on June 21 of this year, the database shows.

Thornton was arrested again in June 2022 in another online chatting operation on charges of solicitation of prostitution and frequenting a bawdy place, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, which reported on the police operation.

Chesterfield police said emails about Thornton’s arrest sent to the Fairfax schools district were sent to faulty email addresses and bounced back, according to media outlets.

In a letter to the school community late last week, Fairfax Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said she and the board fired the Glasgow Middle School counselor when they were made aware of the conviction. School officials are also trying to get his license revoked.

“… I want to make this very clear: this entire situation is unacceptable from any perspective. We are deeply concerned about how this happened in one of our schools,” Reid said in the letter. An investigation into the matter is being conducted, she said. The school system declined further comment.

The Virginia Department of Corrections is investigating the incident, a spokesman from the agency said Monday, but declined to answer further questions. The spokesman said the investigation will “examine the full scope of the incident.”

A person answered the phone at a number listed for Thornton on Monday, but replied “No, you don’t” when asked by a Washington Post reporter if they had the correct number for Darren Thornton.

Shatter the Silence Fairfax County Public Schools — a group of parents, alumni and current students — said Thornton being retained as a district employee despite his charge and conviction was “disappointing but not surprising.”

“School bureaucrats, at FCPS, cannot be trusted to police themselves. That’s why 25,000 citizens have signed a petition asking the Department of Justice and VA Attorney General to investigate FCPS for systemically covering up child sex abuse,” the group said in a statement Monday. “We also ask our lawmakers in Richmond and Washington to pass new laws to keep children safe and hold school bureaucrats responsible when they fail.”

The Fairfax County Parents Association called on the school system to immediately enforce a new policy that would require every system employee with one-on-one contact with children to be subject to annual criminal background checks.

“The circumstances that finally led to this week’s decision by FCPS to fire this counselor underscore the deep concerns parents have about FCPS’s apparent bureaucratic inability to stay focused on executing not only its key mission of excellence in academics but also its key role as partners with parents in the safety of children while in the custody of the school system,” read the statement from the parent group.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/08/22/fairfax-county-counselor-solicitation-minor/

Retired University of Iowa music professor faces meth, child porn charges

Investigators say drug was bought from California supplier

A retired University of Iowa music professor has been indicted in federal court on charges of distributing methamphetamine that resulted in a death and of possessing child pornography.

John Robert Muriello, 65, of Iowa City, is accused of buying drugs from a supplier in California and of having 12,000 photos and 3,183 videos on his electronic devices, many of them of minor boys, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in June.

Muriello was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute meth that resulted in serious bodily injury or death and one count of possession of child pornography.

He is being held without bond in the Muscatine County Jail. His trial is set for Dec. 5 in Davenport.

Muriello is listed on the university’s website as an emeritus professor of voice and opera. The university placed Muriello on leave in May 2021 and he retired this year on July 1, Jeneane Beck, spokesperson for UI, said in an email late Tuesday.

Emeritus status for retirees is automatic when a faculty member retires after serving a significant period of time, according to university policy. Beck said the university may revoke emeritus status at any time for good cause. Conviction of a federal crime would be considered good cause, she said.

On May 12, 2021, Eric Johnathan Hojka, 49 — who was convicted in May for drug conspiracy resulting in death — called 911 to report a unconscious person, “TS,” who died after being taken to a hospital.

An autopsy, which found a “recent minute needle puncture mark,” found the victim had died of meth intoxication, according to court documents.

During the investigation, authorities found Hojka “regularly” used meth and had obtained it from Muriello. The meth then went to the victim, who injected it and died, the affidavit stated.

https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/retired-university-of-iowa-music-professor-faces-meth-child-porn-charges/

Transparency Paradox: Morrison flayed for secrecy as Albanese blocks access to government meetings

While the media is flaying the political corpse of Scott Morrison, quite deservedly over the former prime minister’s secret power grab, the new government has quietly stripped

Australians of their 40-year right of access to government forums.

The Commonwealth Freedom of Information (FOI) Act first came into force in December 1982. Since then, Australians have had a legally enforceable right-of-access to the submissions and minutes of inter-governmental meetings; at least they did, until last week.

As everyone’s attention was focused on the secret self-ministerial-appointments of former Prime Minister Morrison, the current Prime Minister was quietly engaging in a secrecy manoeuvre straight out of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un’s ‘Handbook of Government Transparency’.

Last week Anthony Albanese stripped Australians of their 40 year right-of-access to information related to inter-governmental forums.

Of course, we now know that National Cabinet isn’t a Committee of the Federal Cabinet and isn’t entitled to blanket secrecy. We know because the highly respected Federal Court Justice, Richard White, determined it wasn’t.

Albanese’s National Cabinet

Jump forward to 17 June this year when Albanese’s first National Cabinet met.

Under the Albanese Government, National Cabinet does not operate as a committee of the Federal Cabinet, rather it’s been determined a ‘critical inter-governmental forum’.

Having a keen interest in government transparency, I thought I’d test just how transparent the new arrangement might be. However, when I requested under FOI to see the minutes of the first meeting, I was refused access for the following reason.

As recognised in the 17 September 2021 Statement from the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers on “The Importance of Confidentiality to Relationships between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories”, confidentiality of information and decision-making has been invaluable to the National Cabinet. The sharing of sensitive information and judgments in a forum that provides the ability for confidential discussions has been of great significance to effective decision making by the States, Territories, and the Commonwealth in the public interest throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister’s department went on to say.

Releasing documents or information derived from the National Cabinet has the potential to erode the principles of trust, confidence and collaboration which underpin this confidential forum. Disclosure would have an inhibiting effect on the open flow of information between members of the National Cabinet.

There you have it. In a world where ‘trust’ and ‘confidence’ doesn’t fit well into a sentence about a group of politicians, Albanese has tried to do so. You and I aren’t entitled to see the analysis upon which National Cabinet purportedly bases its important decisions, nor the decisions themselves – because the National Cabinet membership want secrecy, regardless of the matters being discussed. It might be national security, it might be natural disaster mitigation, or it might just be the price of eggs. It’s all to be kept secret, every word, comma and full stop.

https://michaelwest.com.au/scott-morrison-flayed-for-secrecy-as-anthony-albanese-blocks-access-to-government-meetings/

‘Shocked By What We Found’ — House Republicans Demand Answers From Governor Over Alleged Sexually Graphic Children’s Books

A group of House Republicans from Pennsylvania, led by Rep. Fred Keller, sent a letter Tuesday to Gov. Tom Wolf and the Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty calling on them to explain why they are receiving complaints of sexually graphic books being found in libraries for young students.

Keller’s office told the Caller that they have received numerous messages from concerned Pennsylvanians about sexually graphic books being found in PA K-12 libraries. Keller and four other Republicans in the Pennsylvania delegation sent the letter, first obtained by the Daily Caller, to Wolf and Hagarty demanding answers as to why such explicit content is being allowed at schools across the Commonwealth.

The lawmakers specifically mention the book “Gender Queer: A Memoir” written by Maia Kobabe. In the book, there are sexually explicit scenes including exposed male genitalia and an oral sex scene between two young people.

“America’s schools should be a place for students to learn and grow, not a breeding ground for the Left’s woke propaganda. After our team received tips from concerned Pennsylvania parents that K-12 school libraries were offering books on highly inappropriate and explicit sexual material, our team looked into the matter, and we were shocked by what we found. There is absolutely no reason why students should be exposed to such graphic material in an educational setting,” Keller told the Daily Caller before sending the letter.

“Pennsylvanians want answers and we’re demanding the Governor and Pennsylvania Department of Education investigate this matter, determine how to fix this problem, and consult with local education authorities, concerned parents, and educators,” Keller continued.

What processes are currently in place to review school library material?

How do school boards, schools, and librarians engage with parents to determine age and academically appropriate content?

What have the PDE and the Administration done to ensure the focus remains on academic outcomes and student success?

Has there been any investigation into this matter?

The Daily Caller contacted Wolf’s office and the acting Secretary of Education’s office about the letter to which they did not immediately respond.

https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/23/house-gop-pennsylvania-letter-fred-keller-graphic-childrens-books/

Is this how they protect the child trafficking networks?

Pacific Island high courts are still dominated by foreign judges, but a constitutional crisis in Kiribati is exposing the risks

A dramatic showdown has been playing out in Kiribati between the government and an Australian-born judge who was working in the country's High Court.

Key points:

The row over an Australian-born Kiribati judge has shone a light on the vulnerabilities of foreign judges in the Pacific

Using foreign judges in the Pacific started in colonial times and is still common

More than three-quarters of all judges in nine Pacific nations are foreign judges

Justice David Lambourne was suspended from his position over alleged misconduct in May, and now the government is trying to deport him and have his visa cancelled.

As the husband of the country's opposition party leader, he says the government's actions are politically motivated.

The judge's career is in limbo as he awaits a decision from the Court of Appeal on whether he can stay in the country he has called home for 27 years.

His suspension, along with that of New Zealand-born Chief Justice William Hastings in June, has left Kiribati with no functioning high court.

The cases have drawn attention to the role of foreign judges in the Pacific — and there are a lot of them.

So why do so many Pacific nations use foreign judges in their highest courts?

And what issues are arising with their appointments?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-24/pacific-islands-foreign-judges-kiribati-david-lambourne/101350098

In his new book, Kushner says he once broke up with Ivanka because she wasn’t Jewish

Memoir recalls how Murdochs, Bono and Billy Joel helped rekindle romance between couple, and that Trump pressed Jared on why his daughter had to be the one to convert

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and senior adviser to former US president Donald Trump, revealed in his memoir, released Tuesday, how he broke up with Ivanka Trump while they were dating because she wasn’t Jewish, then reunited with the help of the Murdoch family and singer-songwriters Bono and Billy Joel.

An advance copy of the book, “Breaking History: A White House Memoir,” describes the now married couple’s courtship, and how the soon-to-be president ruined his surprise marriage proposal.

The two met in 2007 for a business lunch at the behest of Trump who wanted Ivanka to see if Jared was interested in purchasing any of the family’s properties.

“We spoke about business, but the conversation soon turned to NASCAR, New Jersey diners and other unlikely interests that we had in common,” Kushner recalls.

But months later “when I realized that I was falling in love with Ivanka, I grew concerned about our different religions. As hard and painful as it was, I broke up with her,” says Kushner, who is Modern Orthodox.

“Ivanka told me it was the worst decision of my life. She was right.”

Kushner writes that he was surprised to see Ivanka several months later on a Mediterranean cruise he was invited to by their mutual friend Wendi Murdoch, then wife to media mogul Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp.

Kushner described having lunch at the French Riviera home of Bono, when, after the meal, they were treated to a performance by their host and travel companions.

“After lunch, Billy Joel, who had also been with us on the boat, played the piano while Bono sang with the Irish singer-songwriter Bob Geldof.”

The couple got back together shortly thereafter.

“As the months went on, Ivanka told me that she was open to exploring the possibility of converting to Judaism,” Kushner writes.

The two began meeting with a rabbi and having Shabbat dinners together. These started with ordering from Manhattan’s Second Ave Deli but Ivanka would go on to replace the take-out food with her own home-cooked meals.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-book-kushner-says-he-once-broke-up-with-ivanka-because-she-wasnt-jewish/

Plan to dock unvaccinated Queensland teachers' pay 'about punishment'

Educators are "horrified" over a plan that will see Queensland teachers docked pay if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

A letter issued from the Department of Education has left hundreds of teachers reeling, and Teachers' Professional Association secretary Tracy Tully said it was an "outrage".

She told Today the decision was not made on health grounds, as the teachers would still be allowed in the classroom.

Depending on the rank of the employee, the pay cuts could range from $500 to $3000.

"These teachers have been at the forefront of COVID since it started so to all of a sudden treat them like this is absolutely demoralising," Tully said.

"The reason being, it's about punishment, because they can, and it's a small select group and as a small select group they can be targeted easily."

She said teachers who refused to get vaccinated had already been stood down without pay during the pandemic.

"They did not break any laws by not following the direction," Tully said.

Tully said the pay cuts would happen "immediately", and that there had been no consultation.

"We'll do the fight for them," she said.

"I personally am invested in this one with the Industrial Relations Commission because the power, of the arrogance, of the cruelty, in what they're doing."

A Department of Education spokesperson said the "disciplinary penalty" amounted to about $25-$90 a week for 18 weeks, proportionate to a staff member's pay.

"This is not an uncommon penalty to result from a disciplinary process," the spokesperson said.

"The Department of Education is pleased that 99 per cent of the approximate 54,000 teachers have complied with the requirements.

"However, the department is currently finalising disciplinary processes against approximately 900 school staff (including teachers, teacher aides, admin staff, cleaners, schools officers, etc) who were non-compliant with the lawful direction from their employer enforcing the Chief Health Officer's direction to be vaccinated against COVID-19."

The spokesperson said those staff had had their individual circumstances considered before disciplinary measures were decided on.

"School staff were given ample opportunity to follow the lawful direction or provide evidence as to why they should be exempt from the direction since the vaccination requirements were announced in November 2021," the spokesperson said.

"The Chief Health Officer's direction requiring school staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 was repealed on 30 June 2022. Since that time unvaccinated staff have been able to return to the workplace."

https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-teachers-unvaccinated-covid-19-to-lose-pay/2b63feda-fe15-4288-bf0b-33b90593949e