Zelensky Lashes Out After Starlink Cuts Off Ukrainian Drones

Elon Musk's SpaceX has blocked the Ukrainian government and its military from using Starlink technology to fly and control drones, after earlier in the war SpaceX gifted thousands of Starlink dishes to Ukriane to help the population stay connected to the internet.

SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell in a statement asserted that Starlink technology was "never meant to be weaponized". According to BBC, "She made reference to Ukraine's alleged use of Starlink to control drones, and stressed that the equipment had been provided for humanitarian use."

Shotwell confirmed that the 'surprise decision' was taken due to it never being the company's intent to allow Starlink to be used "for offensive purposes" in remarks given before a conference in Washington DC. Shotwell further said Ukraine had utilized the technology—

"in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement," according to Reuters.

After Musk provided the Starlink systems, the Ukrainian military quickly became dependent on them given the extreme battlefield conditions, including damage to existent communications infrastructure and frequent power outages. Additionally the Russians would often jam signals, thus Starlink allowed Ukrainian troops to circumvent these factors.

The Wednesday announcement from SpaceX was met with anger in Kiev, after already there's been an avalanche of Ukrainian government criticism aimed at Musk personally over his 'Russia-Ukraine peace poll' offered in October. As Bloomberg observed during that prior spat and tensions, Musk's tweets were "drawing the wrath of Ukrainians" merely for his proposing a negotiated solution which involved territorial concessions for the sake of lasting peace.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/zelensky-lashes-out-after-starlink-cuts-ukrainian-drones

State Department Helped Fund ‘Disinformation’ Research Group That Reportedly Blacklists Conservative News Sites

The U.S. State Department, through its Global Engagement Center (GEC), helped facilitate funding for a group that reportedly works to demonetize sites it claims are disseminating “disinformation,” including conservative news outlets, according to its website.

The Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a United Kingdom-based nonprofit that styles itself as a “non-political” monitor working to “disrupt the business model of disinformation,” lists as a funder the Disinfo Cloud, a now-shuttered GEC project. However, GDI has worked to demonetize conservative news sites by collaborating with ad exchanges to flag alleged purveyors of disinformation, the Washington Examiner reported Thursday.

GDI maintains a “dynamic exclusion list” of the worst offenders of disinformation online, according to its website. The organization then provides this list to ad tech companies, which can then “defund and downrank these worst offenders” and thereby defund sites allegedly promoting disinformation.

While the exclusion list isn’t publicly available, popular conservative news site Breitbart is on the list, according to the Examiner, and it is “plausible” that any of the “riskiest” outlets would also be on the exclusion list, according to a member of the GDI advisory panel who spoke to the Examiner.

https://dailycaller.com/2023/02/09/state-department-disinformation-conservative-news-site/

Biden Appointed Member Of Alleged Chinese Communist Front Group To Rep US Business In Asia

Dominic Ng, CEO of East West Bank, whom President Joe Biden appointed to represent the U.S. at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, is a current and former member of two alleged front groups serving a “Chinese intelligence service,” a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found.

Ng served as “executive director” of the China Overseas Exchange Association until 2017 and still serves in that capacity at the related China Overseas Friendship Association, according to DCNF translations of those groups’ archived rosters.

“The FBI should immediately launch an investigation into Mr. Ng,” Texas Republican Rep. Lance Gooden told the DCNF.

President Joe Biden appointed an alleged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) front group member to represent U.S. business interests in Asia, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found.

In April 2022, Biden appointed Dominic Ng, CEO of East West Bank, to a one-year position representing the U.S. on the Business Advisory Council of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), after Ng donated $100,000 to the Biden Victory Fund and $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee in 2020, Federal Election Commission records show. However, Ng’s donations to Biden’s campaign and his current appointment overlap with his membership in an organization which several China experts have identified as a front group for a Chinese government intelligence agency, according to DCNF translations of archived membership records.

Likewise, Ng was also previously a member of another alleged front group, the DCNF found.

“President Biden ignored Dominic Ng’s extensive ties to the CCP and Chinese intelligence groups, happily took his campaign donations, and in return appointed a possible Chinese spy to a senior government position,” Texas Republican Rep. Lance Gooden told the DCNF.

Ng, APEC and East West Bank did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Ng served as “executive director” at the China Overseas Exchange Association (COEA) between 2013 and 2017, before beginning a five-year position with the same title at the related China Overseas Friendship Association (COFA) in 2019, where he apparently remains a member, according to a DCNF translation of archived membership records.

Both COEA and COFA, which merged in 2019, are considered fronts groups for the United Front Work Department (UFWD), a CCP agency responsible for both influence and intelligence operations, according to reports from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC). Multiple experts who spoke to the DCNF agreed that both COEA and COFA are UFWD fronts.

“A person who holds a position in COFA or COEA, including provincial branches, and works in any U.S. government agency should not be allowed access to any sensitive information, and, in fact, will have divided loyalties at best,” Clive Hamilton, author of “Hidden Hand: Exposing How the Chinese Communist Party Is Reshaping The World,” told the DCNF.

Members of COFA and COEA are “expected to carry out influence work overseas to advance the objectives of the Party,” Hamilton said.

https://dailycaller.com/2023/02/09/dominic-ng-joe-biden-apec-ccp-ufwd-coea-cofa/

Chuck Grassley: Whistleblowers Say FBI Has Evidence Joe Biden Involved in Family Business Schemes

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who testified Thursday before the House’s new Select Subcommittee on Political Weaponization, said whistleblower disclosures indicate the FBI has evidence that President Joe Biden is aware of the family business schemes, a statement that directly contradicts the president.

Joe Biden and his staff have claimed seven times that he’s had no part in the family business schemes.

“I’ve never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings. Here’s what I know — I know Trump deserves to be investigated,”Biden claimed in 2019.

But Sen. Grassley, speaking before the first “Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government” hearing, told House members that whistleblower disclosures “make clear the FBI has within its possession very significant, impactful, and voluminous evidence with respect to potential criminal conduct by Hunter and James Biden.”

“These disclosures also allege that Joe Biden was aware of Hunter Biden’s business arrangements and may have been involved in some of them,” Grassley added.

It is unclear why the FBI has not acted on the alleged evidence.

The FBI is in possession of Hunter Biden’s infamous “Laptop from Hell,” which has caused many to dub the Biden family the “Biden Crime Family.”

According to a recent survey, 61 percent of voters believe it is likely Joe Biden was consulted about and perhaps profited from his son Hunter’s overseas business deals, including at least one involving a company in mainland China. Forty-four percent say it is very likely.

Evidence from business deals in Russia, Ukraine, and China supports the public’s opinion. In one example related to Ukraine, Joe Biden made an appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he spoke about threatening to withhold military aid to Ukraine in 2016. Biden, then-vice president and “point person” on Ukraine, explained the tactic was to force the firing of prosecutor Viktor Shokin. The prosecutor was at that time investigating Burisma.

Hunter joined the board of Burisma in April of 2014, just two years before Joe Biden stated he forced the firing of the prosecutor investigating Burisma. Hunter had no previous experience in Ukraine or the energy sector. Nevertheless, Hunter was paid $83,000 per month by the energy company — just weeks after his father was announced “point person” on U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine, according to Peter Schweizer, senior contributor at Breitbart News, detailed in his book Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends.

The timeline of events reveals a scenario many suggest is a quid pro-quo, a plot that House Democrats leveled against former President Donald Trump’s “perfect” phone call with the Ukrainian president.

In a second instance, Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter, personally met with Joe and Hunter Biden in 2017 for an hour to discuss “the Bidens’ family business plans” for a Chinese energy deal. That deal appears to have never been finalized. Bobulinski has handed over intelligence about the deal to former FBI “point man” Timothy Thibault, who reportedly buried the information. The deal included ten percent “held by H for the big guy,” who Bobulinski said was Joe Biden.

House Republicans are investigating the Biden family for nine potential violations, including tax evasion, wire fraud, and money laundering. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chair of the Oversight Committee, has requested the U.S. Treasury hand over 150 bank documents flagged by U.S. banks that would provide clarity on how the money flowed within the Biden family business ventures.

The Treasury has denied Comer’s request, causing the committee’s chairman to threaten a subpoena.

In addition, Comer has asked Hunter Biden for relevant documents and communications concerning his probe. Hunter has also denied access, citing “no oversight bases.”

It is unknown what the next steps are for Comer’s investigation. With the Republicans in the House majority, Comer could try to compel the relevant information through a subpoena.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/02/09/chuck-grassley-whistleblowers-say-fbi-has-evidence-joe-biden-involved-in-family-business-schemes/

11 House Republicans Led by Matt Gaetz Introduce “Ukraine Fatigue” Resolution to Halt US Military and Financial Aid to Ukraine

And there are also reports that it was the US and not Russia that blew up the Nord Stream Russian gas pipelines to Europe.

On Thursday 11 Republican lawmakers said ENOUGH!

A group of 11 Republican lawmakers called on the United States to halt additional military and financial aid to Ukraine.

The money the US taxpayers have sent there is not even audited. We have no idea where it all went!

Via the office of Representative Matt Gaetz.

U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) today led a group of 11 lawmakers in calling for the United States to halt additional military and financial aid to Ukraine through the introduction of the “Ukraine Fatigue” Resolution. If passed, the Resolution would express through the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine, and urges all combatants to reach a peace agreement.

Since the onset of the war last February, the United States has been the top contributor of military equipment and aid to Ukraine, sending over $110 Billion of taxpayer money to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including an additional $2 Billion in aid announced on February 3 rd.

Congressman Gaetz was joined by the following original co-sponsors on the “Ukraine Fatigue” Resolution: Reps. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Thomas Massie (KY-04), Mary Miller (IL-15), Barry Moore (AL-02), Ralph Norman (SC-05), and Matt Rosendale (MT-02).

“President Joe Biden must have forgotten his prediction from March 2022, suggesting that arming Ukraine with military equipment will escalate the conflict to ‘World War III.’ America is in a state of managed decline, and it will exacerbate if we continue to hemorrhage taxpayer dollars toward a foreign war. We must suspend all foreign aid for the War in Ukraine and demand that all combatants in this conflict reach a peace agreement immediately,” Congressman Gaetz said.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/11-house-republicans-led-matt-gaetz-introduce-ukraine-fatigue-resolution-halt-us-military-financial-aid-ukraine/

Enlisted Sailor Stationed in Belle Chasse, Louisiana Sentenced To 38 Years for Producing Files Depicting the Sexual Victimization of Children, Including Through Extortion

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/enlisted-sailor-stationed-belle-chasse-louisiana-sentenced-38-years-producing-files