Ambassadors Cella and Hoekstra Ring Alarm Bells Over Gov. Whitmer’s Aggressive Lobbying Efforts to Court Companies With Deep Ties to Communist China

In our service as ambassadors, we immediately faced how the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are grave national security threats to our allies and the U.S. Troublingly, in our home state of Michigan, we are seeing first-hand how the PRC and the CCP are penetrating our shores on a subnational level, beyond the eyes of the U.S. government, with the strong and active support of both Democrats and Republicans.

One year ago, the Senate Intelligence Committee hosted officials from the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), an entity within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to advise and warn a bi-partisan group of state and local officials about the nature, risks, and escalation of PRC and CCP influence operations.

Last Summer, in a first-ever joint appearance, FBI Director Christopher Wray and his MI5 British counterpart Ken McCallum delivered a warning about the grave national security threat to the West from China. Not long after their meeting, the unclassified bulletin from the NCSC was released, warning state and local leaders to guard themselves against PRC operations and refuse to sign agreements that run counter to U.S. national security and economic security, even if they appear to benefit a state or local government in the short term. They further recommended insisting on public and transparent terms for all such agreements and share such engagements with other local leaders and U.S. authorities.

Over the last year, Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) did the opposite, leading Republican and Democrat state legislators, county economic development corporations, and local governments in the pursuit of CATL and Gotion, two PRC-based lithium-ion battery manufacturers who maintain deep ties to the CCP, incentivizing them with over $4 billion in tax dollars from the citizens and business owners of Michigan. The subnational incursion presently happening in Michigan is unconscionable and both a harbinger and a cautionary tale for the other 49 states in the Union.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/04/ambassadors-cella-and-hoekstra-ring-alarm-bells-over-gov-whitmers-aggressive-lobbying-efforts-to-court-companies-with-deep-ties-to-communist-china/

Twitter Algorithm Reveals Tool For Government Intervention

A researcher claims to have found a tool allowing for government intervention in Twitter’s algorithm, upon Elon Musk’s decision to allow the algorithm to become open sourced to the public.

Breitbart reports that Musk honored his promise on Friday by releasing a portion of Twitter’s recommendation algorithm on the website GitHub, where computer programmers often go to share and collaborate on work dealing with open-source code.

Web developer Steven Tey then claimed to have discovered a particular mechanism within the code that allows the U.S. government to make changes to the website’s algorithm.

“When needed, the government can intervene with the Twitter algorithm. In fact, @TwitterEng (Twitter Engineering) even has a class for it – ‘GovernmentRequested,” Tey tweeted, including a link to the code on GitHub.

Upon purchasing Twitter for $44 billion in October, Musk vowed to increase transparency and loosen restrictions on certain speech and accounts that had been imposed by previous leadership. One of his goals was to make the algorithm open source for public viewing; he later said that “our ‘algorithm’ is overly complex & not fully understood internally,” and that “people will discover many silly things, but we’ll patch issues as soon as they’re found!”

In addition, Tey discovered that the algorithm takes such factors into account as following-to-follower ratio when determining which users to promote; users with a low number of followers but a high amount of followed accounts would be negatively affected.

The algorithm also promotes those who are subscribed to the “Twitter Blue” program, where users must pay $8 a month for a blue checkmark signaling that their account is “verified.” These users are subsequently put into different categories, including “power users,” “Democrats,” and “Republicans.”

The discovery of the government intervention tool is just the latest example of controversy surrounding Twitter’s relationship with the federal government prior to Musk’s takeover. In his signature transparency effort, Musk has been periodically releasing information about Twitter’s past leadership, in the form of screenshots of emails and other forms of correspondence, revealing the levels of collusion between Twitter executives and government officials, often for the purpose of targeting conservative users. The information would be given to independent journalists and shared in extensive Twitter threads, becoming known as “The Twitter Files.”

The algorithm also promotes those who are subscribed to the “Twitter Blue” program, where users must pay $8 a month for a blue checkmark signaling that their account is “verified.” These users are subsequently put into different categories, including “power users,” “Democrats,” and “Republicans.”

The discovery of the government intervention tool is just the latest example of controversy surrounding Twitter’s relationship with the federal government prior to Musk’s takeover. In his signature transparency effort, Musk has been periodically releasing information about Twitter’s past leadership, in the form of screenshots of emails and other forms of correspondence, revealing the levels of collusion between Twitter executives and government officials, often for the purpose of targeting conservative users. The information would be given to independent journalists and shared in extensive Twitter threads, becoming known as “The Twitter Files.”

https://amgreatness.com/2023/04/03/twitter-algorithm-reveals-tool-for-government-intervention/

Finland To Join NATO Tuesday, Just As Sanna Marin Ousted By Conservatives

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that Finland will formally enter the Western military alliance as its 31st member as soon as Tuesday.

"This is a historic week," Stoltenberg told reporters the day before NATO foreign ministers are were set to meet in Brussels. During the Monday comments, he emphasized: "From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance." He also expressed hope of Sweden joining in the following months.

The announcement of the Scandinavian country's speedy accession came the week after both Hungarian and Turkish parliaments belatedly voted to approve Finnish membership in NATO. Turkey had been the last holdout, and is still not expected to approve Sweden's application.

Stoltenberg continued in his celebratory remarks, "we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole."

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen, and Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto are expected to join Stoltenberg Tuesday for a televised flag-raising and induction ceremony on Tuesday:

Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland’s membership, will hand its official texts to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.

Russia, which shares an 810 mile border with Finland, has meanwhile announced it will strengthen its defenses along its western and northwestern frontiers.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said to RIA: "We will strengthen our military potential in the western and northwestern direction. In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia’s military security."

Meanwhile, the Finnish leader who helped push hard for NATO entry in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has just conceded defeat after Sunday's parliamentary election, in a major setback for the Finnish left…

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/finland-join-nato-tuesday-just-sanna-marin-ousted-conservatives

Blackstone BREIT Redemption Requests Surge To $4.5 Billion, Only $666 Million Granted

With the beginning of a credit event triggered by the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hike cycle, which has already claimed at least three smaller US banks and initiated an unprecedented surge in deposit bank runs, the commercial real estate market might be the next shoe to drop.

For the fifth consecutive month, Blackstone's $71 billion real estate income trust (BREIT) has restricted redemption withdrawal requests in March, according to Bloomberg, citing a letter from the PE firm.

Last month investment advisors of high-net-worth individuals asked Blackstone to redeem $4.5 billion from BREIT, but the PE firm only allowed $666 million to be withdrawn, or about 15% of what was requested. In February, advisors tried to pull out $3.9 billion.

Blackstone limits withdrawals to approximately 5% per quarter. Having already reached 2% monthly caps in January and February, investors were left with a much narrow exit route in March.

However, should rates keep rising, it is likely that the April redemption flood will continue.

BREIT is a huge player in the real estate industry, acquiring properties from student housing to apartment complexes and warehouses. The trust was first hit with redemptions limits last December.

The letter also noted BREIT reserved the right to limit redemptions to prevent massive outflows:

"This structure was designed to both prevent a liquidity mismatch and maximize long-term shareholder value, and is working as planned," the letter to investors said. "In fact, BREIT has paid out nearly $5 billion to redeeming shareholders since November 30."

A reason for the concern and stampede to the exit is the prospect of commercial real estate being the next area of turmoil following the regional banking crisis.

Professional subs have been well aware of these rumblings in two latest pieces, "Hartnett: Commercial Real Estate Is The Next Shoe To Drop" and "State Of Commercial Real Estate: Goldman Expects Sharp Spike In Office Delinquency Rates."

Since the Federal Reserve initiated its interest rate hiking cycle, US office REITs have been battered.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/blackstone-limits-breit-withdraws-fifth-straight-month

At Least 25 Train Cars Derail in Paradise, Montana – Unknown Substance Leaking in the Clark Fork River

A freight train derailed in Paradise, Montana, on Sunday, with no injuries or evacuations reported, authorities said.

At least 25 train cars derailed around 9:20 a.m. near Highway 135, leaking an unknown substance into the Clark Fork River, approximately 200 miles northwest of Bozeman, CNN reported.

FOX News reported:

First responders say there is no threat to the public, but there has yet to be confirmation about what the affected containers were carrying. Montana Rail Link, which owns the railroad, is aware of the situation, but the company that owns the train has yet to be identified, according to NBC Montana.

The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

There have not been any reported injuries from the crash.

The Montana crash comes less than a week after 70-car train hauling hazardous materials derailed in North Dakota.

In that incident, a Canadian Pacific train derailed around 11:15 p.m. roughly a mile southeast of Wyndmere in Richland County, the company said in a statement. No injuries were reported. Officials said 31 of the 70 cars derailed, some carrying hazardous materials, and crews identified a leak of liquid asphalt. No fires were caused by the derailment.

Sunday’s derailment is only the latest example of a new focus on train derailments in the U.S. The issue was thrust into Americans’ minds earlier this year when a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, spilling toxic chemicals.

Officials chose to dispose of the chemicals with a controlled burn, causing a massive plume of smoke and requiring the nearby area to be temporarily evacuated.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/04/at-least-25-train-cars-derail-in-paradise-montana-unknown-substance-leaking-in-the-clark-fork-river-video/

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Didn’t Hold Back: Calls Democrats ‘Pedophiles’ on 60 Minutes

The Gateway Pundit previously reported that the iconic CBS News program 60 Minutes announced on Friday the show would be airing an interview on Sunday (7 p.m. EDT) with second-term Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) conducted by veteran correspondent Lesley Stahl.

MTG seems happy with the interview, “It was an honor to spend a few days with the legendary icon Leslie Stahl and talented crew @60Minutes. Leslie is a trailblazer for women in journalism. And while we may disagree on some issues, I respect her greatly. Tune in tomorrow 7 pm ET on CBS.”

Triggered liberals are in full meltdown over Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 60 minutes interview.

In a wide-ranging and heated interview on Sunday’s “60 Minutes,” Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene did not hold back and called Democrats “pedophiles.”

She also blasted the Republican establishment and demanded that the United States stop sending aid money to Ukraine.

When Leslie Stahl asked the Georgia lawmaker about her prior comments she made about Democrats being “the party of pedophiles,” the lawmaker responded, “I would definitely say so.”

“They are not pedophiles. Why would you say that?” Stahl refuted.

“Democrats support – even Joe Biden the president himself – support children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries. Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children,” Greene said.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/04/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-didnt-hold-back-calls-democrats-pedophiles-on-60-minutes-video/

New Zealand Prime Minister Can’t Define What A Woman Is

New Zealand's Prime Minister isn't sure if women have penises or not.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins couldn’t define what a woman is when asked by a reporter at a video-recorded press conference, stumbling over his words and talking in circles as he admitted that he’d need time to “formulate” a proper answer before stating for sure what makes a woman a woman.

Chris Hipkins, the left-wing Labour Party Prime Minister of New Zealand, was left a bumbling, speechless mess when a reporter asked him to define what a woman is, claiming that the very straightforward question had come out of “left field” and that he would’ve liked time to prepare an answer to it beforehand.

“How do you, and how does this government define a woman?” reporter Sean Plunket, whose Twitter account was attacked by trans trolls as a result of the exchange, asked the Prime Minister. After the question, PM Hipkins took a moment to smirk and apparently collect his thoughts before completely failing to provide an actual answer.

“To be honest Sean, that question has come slightly out of left field,” Hipkins replied, before launching into a mental gymnastics routine that saw him completely dance around the obvious answer as to what makes a woman a woman, apparently as to not offend the alphabet mafia trans lobby.

“Umm, the, well, biology, sex, gender…umm” Hipkins bumbled on. “People define themselves, people define their own genders,” he claimed.

When further pressed by the reporter, and directly asked whether or not women have penises, Hipkins again failed to provide an answer and even told the reporter that such a question would require him to “pre-formulate” an answer, something he hadn’t done before the press conference because he “wasn’t expecting” to be asked whether or not women have penises.

“Well, as I’ve, I think, as I’ve just indicated I wasn’t expecting that question, so it’s not something that I’ve, um, you know, formulated, pre-formulated an answer on,” Hipkins said, before going on to attack Posie Parker, a well-known British women’s rights activist and so-called TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), calling her view that “gender,” more accurately called biological sex, is binary and determined at birth, “abhorrent.”

https://nationalfile.com/video-new-zealand-prime-minister-cant-define-what-a-woman-is/

Los Angeles County Democrats Propose Plan to ‘Depopulate’ Local Jails Because of ‘Systemic Racism’

Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath have proposed a plan to “depopulate and decarcerate” county jails, releasing criminals to address what they call a “systemic racism” in criminal justice.

Solis, a former Democratic congresswoman and Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama, and Horvath, a former mayor of West Hollywood who tried to bar President Donald Trump from the city, have proposed the plan, which will be voted on at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.

The plan states: “To depopulate and decarcerate is a monumental task, and the Board is committed to redress historical wrongs, deeply rooted in systemic racism and prejudice, and reverse status quo responses to poverty, mental health and medical needs, and substance use dependencies.” It calls for the Supervisors to declare a “humanitarian crisis” and to take steps to reduce the population of inmates through various kinds of releases.

The Los Angeles Daily News reports that local prosecutors are furious at the plan, which surprised them:

The Los Angeles County Police Chiefs Association says it was blindsided by the proposal, only learning about it on Friday, and believes it is conspicuously timed to occur during the same week as two major local law enforcement events — the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay and the Tri-County Police Chiefs Conference.

“In the midst of surging crime rates, pre-arrest decriminalization policies, and a complete shift away from sound public safety responses, it appears the County BOS is poised to exacerbate our current plight,” says a letter from the group to the supervisors, obtained by the Southern California News Group. “We do not stand against reform and we have been active participants in these efforts. However, we are concerned with the rushed motion under conspicuous circumstances, that does not allow for stakeholder participation.”

Supervisor Kathryn Barger is the only Republican member of the board and is opposed to the new plan.

Los Angeles County is already in an uproar over soaring crime, thanks in part to the policies of District Attorney George Gascón, who was elected with the help of millions of dollars in spending from left-wing billionaire donor George Soros.

The Board of Supervisors openly opposed the reelection of County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, a Democrat who took a law-and-order approach. He was defeated in November by Robert Luna.

https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2023/04/03/los-angeles-county-democrats-propose-plan-to-depopulate-local-jails-because-of-systemic-racism/

https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2023/04/03/los-angeles-county-democrats-propose-plan-to-depopulate-local-jails-because-of-systemic-racism/

‘Political Correctness’ Prevented State from Tackling Muslim Child Rape Gangs

The United Kingdom has failed to tackle Muslim child rape gangs as a result of “political correctness”, the country’s Prime Minister has said.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has blamed his country’s failure to deal with Muslim child rape gangs on “political correctness”.

The top politician made the claim while rolling out his government’s plan to fight cases of mass child abuse in Britain, which will involve the setting up of a specialist force aimed at tackling the type of crime.

According to a report by The Times, Sunak detailed his plan to stamp out such “evil” rape gangs ahead of visiting child sex abuse victims in the country, vowing that the country will soon step up its efforts to curb the activities of such serial abusers.

“The safety of women and girls is paramount,” the PM reportedly said. “For too long, political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women.”

Sunak emphasised that his government would now “stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs”, adding that the continued systematic raping of children was a “huge failing, both morally and practically”.

“We should leave no stone unturned,” Sunak also said. “We should keep going until we can root out this horrific crime.”

The Prime Minister’s comments come shortly after his Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, shifted a lot of the blame for the systemic child abuse onto the left-wing Labour party, with the official arguing that progressive officials frequently ignored migrants raping children for fear of being called racist.

Such fears can largely be linked back to the fact that organised child rape gangs in the United Kingdom have been repeatedly observed to be characterised by the Pakistani heritage, and Muslim faith makeup of the majority of members.

“[S]ome of these councils, councillors in Labour-run areas over a period of years absolutely failed to take action because of cultural sensitivities, not wanting to come across as racist, not wanting to call out people along ethnic lines,” she said during an interview with the BBC yesterday.

Under the planned reforms aimed at curbing the gangs, the newly created task force is to draw on the ethnic background of abusers to better target gangs in operation.

Being a member of such a child rape gang will also be made an aggravating factor during sentencing, while various officials — such as doctors and teachers — will soon be legally mandated to disclose child abuse to authorities should they discover it.

Many members of Britain’s Labour Party have denounced these new child protection efforts, however, for allegedly promoting racist narratives.

For example, the party’s mayor of West Yorkshire — a region that has historically been plagued by Muslim rape gangs — attacked the new measures as being a racist “dog whistle” that she alleges will not help victims of child abuse.

“It feels very dog-whistle, if I may say, and it doesn’t deal with what is happening on the ground,” the progressive politician remarked.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/04/03/political-correctness-prevented-state-from-tackling-muslim-child-rape-gangs/

Known Migrant Got-Aways Top 400K in Past Six Months

A Border Patrol report reviewed by Breitbart Texas shows that more than 400,000 migrants are classified as known got-aways during the first six months of Fiscal Year 2023. The report shows more than 60,000 got-aways in March.

Breitbart Texas obtained an unofficial Border Patrol report that indicates more than 400,000 migrants crossed the border illegally between ports of entry and were not apprehended by agents in the field. The report shows the number of got-aways in March jumped from nearly 51,000 in February to more than 60,000 in March.

Migrant got-aways are a conservative estimate of the number of migrants who are seen crossing the border but cannot be apprehended at the time, migrants that are part of a group that is partially apprehended, or by estimating numbers based upon tracks found in smuggling areas.

The estimated number of known got-aways during the first six months of Fiscal Year 23, which began on October 1, 2022, topped 400,000, the report reviewed by Breitbart News reveals. This is up by more than 30 percent over the same period in FY22 when officials estimated there were just under 300,000 known got-aways.

The Tucson Sector reported the highest number of got-aways. The nearly 18,000 got-aways represent a small increase over last March’s report. El Paso also leads the year-to-date numbers with more than 106,000 estimated known got-aways.

This is followed by the El Paso Sector (just over 15,000) and the Del Rio Sector (nearly 11,000). El Paso leads the year-to-date got-away numbers with more than 122,000 estimated known got-aways.

In March, Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 161,000 migrants who crossed the border between ports of entry. This, combined with the March got-aways brings the total number of known border crossers in March to more than 220,000 migrants.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2023/04/03/exclusive-known-migrant-got-aways-top-400k-in-past-six-months/

SECDEF Austin says no ‘regrets’ about Afghanistan withdrawal

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a recent congressional hearing that he has “no regrets” about the deadly U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which saw 13 service members killed in a suicide bombing.

He was responding to a question from Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), who pointed out that the top commander in the region at the time, now-retired Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, has expressed regrets about the operation.

“Do you have regrets about the withdrawal – or how the withdrawal occurred – from Afghanistan that cost the lives of 13 of our service members?” Banks said.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Austin responded.

During the Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021, a terrorist with the group ISIS-K detonated a suicide bomb outside the airport in Kabul, killing 13 U.S. troops and at least 170 Afghans.

A retaliatory drone strike the next day killed an ISIS-K planner, while a second strike – the last of the 20-year war in Afghanistan – killed seven children and three other civilians. Austin later admitted the target of the second strike had been “completely harmless” and described the operation as “tragic,” as reported by the New York Times.

Calling the withdrawal “botched, deadly and embarrassing” at the hearing, Banks referenced the fact that McKenzie, who oversaw the region as head of U.S. Central Command, has repeatedly said he wished the withdrawal went differently.

Ahead of his retirement, McKenzie said in March that the immediate Taliban takeover of the Afghan government “was not the result we desired,” adding that he would deeply regret the loss of U.S. troops “for the rest of my life,” as reported by the Daily Mail.

He also said he was proud that more than 120,000 Afghans were able to be evacuated, but has previously stated that the chaos of the process “haunts me to this day,” as reported by NPR.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/04/video-secdef-austin-says-no-regrets-about-afghanistan-withdrawal/

Attorney Who Represented Survivors of Sex Crimes Arrested for Child Pornography

An attorney in West Palm Beach, Florida, who represented survivors of sex crimes was recently arrested with possession of child pornography.

Michael T. Dolce, 53, appeared in West Palm Beach federal court for his first appearance in the case on March 30, the Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office announced in a release.

According to the release, citing the criminal complaint affidavit, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Dolce’s apartment and found that Dolce was “actively downloading child pornography using peer-2-peer software.”

“Nearly 2,000 images and videos of child pornography were recovered from his devices,” it stated.

At the March 30 hearing, Dolce agreed to submit to pretrial detention while reserving his right to later challenge it, reported the Miami New Times. His arraignment is scheduled for mid-April, according to the outlet. He faces a child pornography possession charge, which has a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The office of Leonard Scott Feuer, Dolce’s attorney, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

Dolce’s LinkedIn profile describes him as a “highly regarded trial lawyer and political activist” whose practice “is dedicated to representing survivors of sexual crimes, including child and adult victims, and adult survivors of child sexual abuse.”

According to the LinkedIn profile, he was a partner at the Palm Beach Gardens office of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll since late 2015. But his name is no longer listed on law firm’s website as of the time of writing.

According to an archived entry on the firm’s website, Dolce was the leader of its Sexual Abuse, Sex Trafficking, and Domestic Violence team.

In a statement to multiple outlets, the firm said it was “stunned and saddened” by the allegations against Dolce. A spokesperson confirmed Dolce was “terminated and is no longer affiliated with the firm.”

“We are focused on attending to the needs of our clients and staff and continuing to cooperate fully with the investigation,” the spokesperson added.

https://www.ntd.com/attorney-who-represented-survivors-of-sex-crimes-arrested-for-child-pornography_911042.html

24 Dec 2013

Report: Israel Passes U.S. Military Technology to China

Secret U.S. missile and electro-optics technology was transferred to China recently by Israel, prompting anger from the U.S. and causing a senior Israeli defense official to resign.

The head of defense exports for the Israeli Defense Ministry resigned after a U.S. investigation concluded that technology, including a miniature refrigeration system manufactured by Ricor and used for missiles and in electro-optic equipment, was sent to China, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

Another Israeli news site, Aretz Sheva, reports the U.S. is concerned the technology could ultimately find its way to Iran, which last year sought to buy military equipment from China for its nuclear program.

Ricor, on its company website, identifies a number of defense programs using its miniature cryo-coolers, including UAVs, airborne enhanced vision systems, missile warning systems, hand-held thermal imagers and thermal weapons sights.

The Maariv report identified the Israeli defense official as Meir Shalit, and said he apologized to U.S. officials on a recent visit.

Israel has a long record of getting U.S. military technology to China.

In the early 1990s then-CIA Director James Woolsey told a Senate Government Affairs Committee that Israel had been selling U.S. secrets to China for about a decade. More than 12 years ago the U.S. demanded Israel cancel a contract to supply China with Python III missiles, which included technology developed by the U.S. for its Sidewinder missiles, The Associated Press reported in 2002.

https://www.military.com/defensetech/2013/12/24/report-israel-passes-u-s-military-technology-to-china

Syria suffers third night of ‘Israeli strikes’

The latest air raid reportedly targeted the central Homs province, following strikes on Damascus

Syria’s air defenses have been activated in response to a wave of “Israeli aggression” for the third time in four days, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on Sunday.

The attack came from Lebanese airspace at around 12:35am local time, targeting the city of Homs and its surroundings, an unnamed military official told SANA. The military source confirmed “some material damages” and at least five injuries among soldiers, after air defenses failed to intercept some of the missiles.

The latest air raid came after two nights of strikes on the Syrian capital and its suburbs. The first barrage of missiles hit Damascus early Thursday, shortly after midnight local time. The Syrian military accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of conducting the attack, which came from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and injured at least two soldiers, in addition to causing some “material damage.”

Another wave of missiles targeted a location in the Damascus countryside the next night at around 12:17am local time, but resulted in no casualties, according to the Syrian military.

However, Iran later confirmed that a military instructor from its Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in the Friday strike, promising that Israel’s “criminal” act will not go “unanswered.”

The IDF has not commented on any of the attacks, in line with its longstanding policy of not discussing operations conducted outside of the country. However, Israeli warplanes have repeatedly bombed targets inside Syria over the past decade, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once acknowledging that there have been “hundreds” of strikes.

On the occasions that the IDF comments on the attacks, they claim to be hitting Iranian and Hezbollah targets in pre-emptive self-defense operations against Tehran’s growing influence in Syria. Damascus has repeatedly protested the raids as a violation of Syrian sovereignty, to no avail.

https://www.rt.com/news/573988-syria-strikes-third-night/

Paedophile Art in Parisian Gallery - This has to STOP

https://youtu.be/eHaJiBgJn40

NATO/Israeli-backed Azerbaijani army ready to confront Armenia, Iran, Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian peacekeepers

Nobody can speak to us in a menacing tone, said Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister, colonel-general Zakir Hasanov at the official meeting today, APA reports.

Commenting on the remarks made by those who cannot accept the successful operations of the Azerbaijan Army, the Minister of Defense stressed that nobody can speak to us in a menacing tone, saying that the accusations of the servicemen of some countries supporting terrorism and occupation policy are unacceptable and nonsense.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief highly appreciates the success of the Azerbaijan Army in recent operations and its professional military personnel, Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov said at an office meeting….

Deputies of the Minister of Defense, Commanders of types of troops, Chiefs of Main Departments, Departments, and Services of the Ministry participated in the meeting. Commanders of the Army Corps and military formations were also involved in the meeting via video teleconference.

First, the memory of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and Shehids (Martyrs), who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as the victims of the March 31 – the Day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis, was honored with observing a minute of silence.

The Minister delivered the tasks set to the Azerbaijan Army by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, thanked the military personnel involved in the planning and execution of the last operations, and the commandos of the Army Corps for their professionalism on behalf of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief….He stressed that the local operations carried out in a short period of time are another indicator of the high combat determination of the Azerbaijan Army.

Commenting on the remarks made by those who cannot accept the successful operations of the Azerbaijan Army, the Minister of Defense stressed that nobody can speak to us in menacing tone, saying that the accusations of the servicemen of some countries supporting terrorism and occupation policy are unacceptable and nonsense.

The Minister of Defense analyzed the current operational situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional state border….The Minister gave appropriate instructions to suppress possible provocations hereinafter.

The Azerbaijan Defense Minister noted that all the illegal activities of the opposing side, and the illegal Armenian armed detachments must be kept under constant control from now on, and such steps must not be allowed to be taken in the territory of Azerbaijan in the future.

https://antibellum679354512.wordpress.com/2023/04/01/nato-israeli-backed-azerbaijani-army-ready-to-confront-armenia-iran-nagorno-karabakh-russian-peacekeepers/

Inglorious Inertia: The Albanese Government and Julian Assange

The sham that is the Assange affair, a scandal of monumental proportions connived in by the AUKUS powers, shows no signs of abating. Prior to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese assuming office in Australia, he insisted that the matter dealing with the WikiLeaks publisher would be finally resolved. It had, he asserted, been going on for too long.

Since then, it is very clear, as with all matters regarding US policy, that Australia will, if not agree outright with Washington, adopt a constipated, non-committal position. “Quiet diplomacy” is the official line taken by Albanese and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, a mealy-mouthed formulation deserving of contempt. As Greens Senator David Shoebridge remarks, “‘quiet diplomacy’ to bring Julian Assange home by the Albanese Government is a policy of nothing. Not one meeting, phone call or letter sent.”

Kellie Tranter, a tireless advocate for Assange, has done sterling work uncovering the nature of that position through Freedom of Information requests over the years.

“They tell the story – not the whole story – of institutionalised prejudgment, ‘perceived’ rather than ‘actual’ risks, and complicity through silence.”

The story is a resoundingly ugly one. It features, for instance, stubbornness on the part of US authorities to even disclose the existence of a process seeking Assange’s extradition from the UK, to the lack of interest on the part of the Australian government to pursue direct diplomatic and political interventions.

Former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop exemplified that position in signing off on a Ministerial Submission in February 2016 recommending that the Assange case not be resolved; those in Canberra were “unable to intervene in the due process of another’s country’s court proceedings or legal matters, and we have full confidence in UK and Swedish judicial systems”. Given the nakedly political nature of the blatant persecution of the WikiLeaks founder, this was a confidence both misplaced and disingenuous.

The same position was adopted by the Australian government to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), which found that same month that Assange had been subject to “different forms of deprivation of liberty: initial detention in Wandsworth prison which was followed by house arrest and his confinement at the Ecuadorean embassy.” The Working Group further argued that Assange’s “safety and physical integrity” be guaranteed, that “his right to freedom of movement” be respected, and that he enjoy the full slew of “rights guaranteed by the international norms on detention.”

https://southfront.org/inglorious-inertia-the-albanese-government-and-julian-assange/

CDC Research Team Members Fell Ill Studying Toxic Ohio Derailment, Agency Confirms

Nearly half of a government team investigating the potential health effects of a toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, fell ill while conducting their research, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a March 31 statement provided to The Epoch Times, CDC spokesperson Belsie Gonzalez advised that the illnesses occurred on March 6, when seven members of a 15-person team of CDC and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) staff reported symptoms such as sore throat, headache, coughing, and nausea.

Their symptoms, Gonzalez noted, were consistent with those reported by some East Palestine residents and first responders, whom the team was surveying to assess the potential health effects of their exposure to the chemicals released by the Feb. 3 derailment.

Sore Throats, Headaches, Nausea

“Following protocol, team members reported the symptoms to federal safety officers,” she said.

“Symptoms resolved for most team members later the same afternoon, and everyone resumed work on survey data collection within 24 hours. Impacted team members have not reported ongoing health effects.”

Gonzalez added that the survey collection process, which started mid-February, will end on March 31.

“Once completed, CDC/ATSDR staff will analyze the data and provide it to state health officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania,” she said. “FEMA and EPA teams remain on the ground to support response efforts.”

News of the government employees’ illnesses followed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) filing of a lawsuit on March 31 against Norfolk Southern, seeking to hold the railroad company accountable for “unlawfully polluting the nation’s waterways” through the toxic derailment.

“When a Norfolk Southern train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxins into the air, soil, and water, endangering the health and safety of people in surrounding communities,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

‘Pursuing Justice’

“With this complaint, the Justice Department and the EPA are acting to pursue justice for the residents of East Palestine and ensure that Norfolk Southern carries the financial burden for the harm it has caused and continues to inflict on the community.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/cdc-research-team-members-fell-ill-studying-toxic-ohio-derailment-agency-confirms

Great Water Reset: The UN & WEF are coming for your water now!

The United Nations plans to protect water that’s used for bathing; water that’s used for developments; water that’s home to sea life; water that’s used for transportation. So the up-and-coming controls would likely focus on residential limits to water usage, and costly increases to access that water; on bans on agricultural usage, and costly increases on farmers; on strict controls on the types and numbers of ships that can sail the seas and rivers and channels, and costly increases for this form of transportation. … as with carbon offsets, the U.N. water czars will demand trades of activities to offset the supposed pollution of the waterways.

So much for jet skiing. So much for fishing on the weekends with the family. It’ll be too expensive — and regulated.

“Natural resources crises, including for water and food, come within the top 10 biggest risks facing humanity in the coming decade,” the World Economic Forum wrote. … “[A]s global warming continues to take effect, ordinary weather is becoming a thing of the past, exacerbating our water crisis,” the World Economic Forum wrote.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/mar/23/united-nations-is-coming-to-control-water/

Who Is Alvin Bragg?

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last week rocketed to global celebrity with his indictment of former president Donald Trump on charges related to a 2016 hush money payment. Trump’s lawyers immediately fired back. “He did not commit any crime,” the attorneys said. “We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.”

And so the stage is set for what will certainly be one of the biggest legal battles of 2023 and what legions of pundits are calling a historic case—the first indictment of a former president on criminal charges. Time will tell if the Trump case will end with a bang or slink off with a whimper—the actual charges have yet to be unsealed and the guesswork by the punditocracy indicates there might be slim jurisdictional and evidentiary grounds for the case, leading a judge to throw it out—but Alvin Bragg is not unprepared to do battle.

Bragg has been keeping a low profile since news emerged of the Trump indictment, cultivating a public image of a low-key, nose-to-the-grindstone prosecutor. His record paints another story. A Heritage Foundation study labeled him a “rogue prosecutor” with “dangerous” policies. His anti-Trump bias is extreme. He has proudly noted that “I’ve sued Trump more than a hundred times,” adding “I can’t change that fact, nor would I. That was important work.”

A son of Harlem and graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Bragg has deep roots in New York progressive politics and plenty of experience in Trump-related prosecutions. With early tours of duty at the Office of Attorney General of the State of New York, the New York City Council as chief of litigation, and the Southern District of New York as a federal prosecutor, Bragg in 2017 was appointed Chief Deputy Attorney General of New York. From there, he helped lead a lawsuit against the Trump Foundation that resulted in its closure and a $2 million fine.

Bragg ran for New York County DA in 2021 in a crowded primary field. He received a significant boost from George Soros and the political arm of Color of Change, an activist group supporting the progressive prosecutor movement. In May 2021, Color of Change endorsed Bragg and declared it would spend $1 million to support him—a game changer in the primary. A few days later, in an unmistakable signal of support, Soros donated $1 million to Color of Change.

Bragg came out on top in the primary and wiped out his Republican opponent in overwhelmingly liberal Manhattan. He was sworn in on January 1, 2022. In a nod to his progressive prosecutor constituency, Bragg appointed Meg Reiss to the powerful position of chief assistant district attorney, the number two post at the DA’s office. Reiss had held the title “Chief of Social Justice” in her previous job at the Brooklyn DA’s office.

Bragg and Reiss immediately ran into trouble. Bragg’s “Day One” memo to staff, quickly leaked to the press, was straight from the progressive prosecutor playbook. Bragg announced that he would seek to reduce pre-trial incarceration and not prosecute (or seek lower-level charges for) such crimes as fare evasion, resisting arrest, burglary, store robbery, prostitution, and marijuana. The memo was met with a storm of protest, including from some of his Democratic Party allies. By the end of the month, Bragg backtracked, dropping some of the policies aimed at violent crime but keeping parts of the Day One framework in place.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/who-is-alvin-bragg/

Malka Leifer found guilty of rape, indecent assault

Leifer was found guilty on 18 counts of rape and sexual assault out of the 29 charges that she was on trial for.

Leifer escaped to Israel

The sisters first accused Leifer of sexual abuse in late 2007 and early 2008 after Erlich spoke to a social worker about the abuse she was subjected to. Shortly after the accusations, Leifer fled Australia to Israel where she claimed she was not mentally fit to be extradited and stand trial in Australia.

Leifer remained in Israel for more than 15 years until Israeli courts ruled her fit and she was extradited back to Australia in January of 2021 after a six-year legal battle.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-736231

Fmr WH Press Sec Jen Psaki: Republicans Are 'Weaponizing' Trump's Indictment Against Democrats

Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who now has her own show on MSNBC where she recites White House talking points as news, said Sunday that Republicans are "weaponizing" Donald Trump's indictment against Democrats.

In a clip highlighted by Grabien's Tom Elliott on Sunday, Psaki told Democrats to "put your head down" and stay out of commenting on Trump's indictment (to avoid politicizing jailing their opposition).

"To me, the only people who are weaponizing and politicizing what shouldn't be a political process at all are … leading Republicans [like Ron DeSantis and Speaker Kevin McCarthy]," Psaki said.

"If you feel you have to say something, stick with the frame that has been in the statements of a number of Democratic leaders," Psaki said. "One, no one is above the law, that's how our country works. Two, Trump will be able to avail himself of the legal system. Three, there should be no intimidation and any protest should be peaceful."

"That is how the judicial system is supposed to work. It is vital to a thriving democracy," Psaki added.

What you don't want to say is Trump is innocent until proven guilty.

As former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week, Trump is only being given a trial "to prove [his] innocence."

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=63681

Inversion of reality - communist BS 101

Justice Department Seizes Over $112M in Funds Linked to Cryptocurrency Investment Schemes

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-seizes-over-112m-funds-linked-cryptocurrency-investment-schemes