‘There’s a way to resolve it’: Caroline Kennedy flags Assange plea deal

‘There’s a way to resolve it’: Caroline Kennedy flags Assange plea deal

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Skip to sections navigation

Skip to content

Skip to footer

The Sydney Morning Herald

Subscribe

ExclusivePoliticsFederalAssange saga

‘There’s a way to resolve it’: Caroline Kennedy flags Assange plea deal

By Matthew Knott

August 14, 2023 — 5.00am

United States ambassador Caroline Kennedy has flagged a potential plea deal between Julian Assange and US authorities that could end America’s pursuit of the WikiLeaks founder and allow him to return to Australia.

As hopes fade among Assange’s supporters that the Biden administration will abandon its extradition request, a David Hicks-style plea bargain has emerged as the most likely way for Assange to avoid a drawn-out criminal trial on espionage charges and a possible lengthy jail term in a maximum security US prison.

Assange’s legal options to avoid being extradited from the United Kingdom to the US could be exhausted within two months, coinciding with a visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Washington D.C. in late October.

Asked whether she believed it was possible for the US and Australia to reach a diplomatic outcome on the Assange matter, Kennedy said it was an “ongoing case” being handled by the Department of Justice.

Loading

“So it’s not really a diplomatic issue, but I think that there absolutely could be a resolution,” she said in an interview at her residence in Canberra.

Kennedy noted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent comments that the charges against Assange were serious and that he had allegedly endangered US national security by publishing leaked classified information.

“But there is a way to resolve it,” she emphasised, adding: “You can read the [newspapers] just like I can.”

Pressed on whether US authorities could strike a deal with Assange to reduce the charges against him in exchange for a guilty plea she said: “That’s up to the Justice Department.”

Assange’s brother Gabriel Shipton said: “Caroline Kennedy wouldn’t be saying these things if they didn’t want a way out.

“The Americans want this off their plate.”

Kennedy met with members of the Parliamentary Friends of Julian Assange Group in May, fuelling hopes of a breakthrough in his case.

The US is seeking to extradite Assange from London’s Belmarsh prison to face 17 counts of breaching the US Espionage Act plus a separate hacking-related charge.

Australian National University international law expert Don Rothwell said Kennedy’s comments reflected the fact the Biden administration was “very unlikely” to drop the charges against Assange outright.

Rothwell said the more realistic option was that US authorities could downgrade the charges against Assange in exchange for a guilty plea, taking into account the four years he has already spent in prison in the UK.

The remainder of any sentence could be served in Australia under a prisoner transfer agreement between the two countries, he said.

The complication was that Assange would be required to travel to the US and admit guilt, he said.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/there-s-a-way-to-resolve-it-caroline-kennedy-flags-assange-plea-deal-20230811-p5dvwd.html

COVID Victims' Families Sue EcoHealth Alliance For 'Funding, Releasing' Virus

The families of four people who died from COVID-19 are suing EcoHealth alliance, the New York-based nonprofit that was conducting gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan, China, before COVID-19 broke out across town.

According to the Aug. 2 lawsuit filed before the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, EcoHealth and its president, Peter Daszak, knew the virus was "capable of causing a worldwide pandemic."

Not only did EcoHealth help to create a 'genetically manipulated virus,' the lawsuit claims, it worked to cover up the origins of the outbreak.

"If we had known the source or origin of this virus and had not been misled that it was from a pangolin in a wet market, and rather we knew that it was a genetically manipulated virus, and that the scientists involved were concealing that from our clients, the outcome could have been very different," victims' attorney Patricia Finn told the NY Post.

The families of Mary Conroy, of Pennsylvania; Emma D. Holley, of Rochester, NY; Larry Carr, of Crossville, Tennessee; and Raul Osuna, of Bennington, Nebraska, are seeking unspecified damages.

“[The families of the deceased] are definitely in mourning, but moreover they’re enraged because the truth of what really happened appears to be coming forward,” Finn added.

Paul Rinker, of Pennsylvania, is also suing Midtown-based EcoHealth and Daszak over the “serious injuries” he suffered from his bout with the bug.

Finn is also suing EcoHealth and Daszak in Nassau and Rockland Counties on behalf of the families of other victims killed by the virus, as well as two who survived.

"This particular case is highly offensive because it appears they knew and concealed the origin of the virus," said Finn, adding "The treatment or approach taken in dealing with the virus could have been radically different than it was."

EcoHealth notably received a re-activated grant from the NIH for over $576,000 in May to study how outbreaks of deadly viruses like SARS, MERS, and now COVID-19 originate from wildlife and transfers to humans, despite failing to meet the NIH's conditions for reinstatement.

As the Epoch Times noted;

The grant, titled “Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence,” was originally awarded in 2014 by Dr. Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Under the terms of the grant, EcoHealth Alliance, a government-funded nonprofit that purportedly engages in research to prevent pandemics, was awarded $3.8 million over five years to assess the spillover potential of bat viruses “using reverse genetics, pseudovirus and receptor binding assays, and virus infection experiments in cell culture and humanized mice.” Put in simple terms, NIAID was paying EcoHealth to genetically engineer and manipulate bat viruses in labs.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/covid-victims-families-sue-ecohealth-alliance-funding-releasing-virus

ARE WE DUPES? 100% Federal Income Tax is Stolen from the People w/ former IRS Agent Dr. Jackson

https://rumble.com/embed/v33g0y6/?pub=4

New Organic Industry Discussion Group to lobby for use of 'organic' word in Australia

Mick Dan is passionate about farming without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, and especially proud that Australia contains 70 per cent of the world's certified organic farmland, or about 53 million hectares.

Key points:

Australia has 70 per cent of the world's certified organic land

But domestically, the government has decided not to regulate use of the word "organic"

The organic industry has formed a discussion group to lobby for change

But the 2021 Australian Organic Limited Farmer of the Year is deeply disturbed that Australia is the only developed country not to have a standard regulation around the word "organic".

"For me, it's actually just a bit embarrassing," said Mr Dan, who farms on the Sunshine Coast.

"It means that anybody out there can label themselves organic without having any of that framework or standard to uphold."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-08-14/organic-industry-discussion-group-forms-for-domestic-regulation/102701526

JAIL FAUCI: Recently Released Documents Reveal Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins Received At Least 58 Vaccine Royalty Payments From Big Pharma and Chinese and Russian Entities

Dr. Tony Fauci:

** Lied about the origins of the COVID19 virus

** Lied about funding the Wuhan lab that created the COVID19 virus

** Lied about gain of function testing at the Wuhan lab

** Lied about the effectiveness of hydroxycholoquine in treating the COVID19 virus – in preference of vaccines

** Lied about the effectiveness of Ivermectin in treating the COVID19 virus – in preference of vaccines

** Lied about the effectiveness of the vaccines in protecting individuals from COVID19

** Lied about the effectiveness of the vaccines in preventing the spread of the COVID 19

** Lied about the dangers of the COVID19 vaccines to children

** Lied about the dangers of the COVID19 vaccines to healthy adults.

** Lied about making money off of the vaccines.

For innocent Americans it has been years of Dr. Fauci’s lies on top of lies.

NTD reported:

The National Institute of Health (NIH) received approximately $325 million in royalty payments over a 12-year span from pharmaceutical companies and research organizations, according to new documents obtained by nonprofit government transparency organization Open The Books.

Open The Books received records detailing more than 56,000 royalty payments to NIH members Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) between 2009 and 2021.

The government watchdog organization has been seeking these NIH royalty payment records for nearly two years, as part of a series of FOIA requests. The NIH has fought the document disclosure requests and these documents came through new productions in a Washington D.C. federal court case (pdf).

Last year, Open The Books estimated the NIH received as much as $350 million in royalty payments between 2009 and 2020. The organization revised that figure downward as the NIH provided new details about its royalty payments…

…Among the recipients of royalty payments between 2009 and 2020 were then-NIH Director Francis Collins and then-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci. NIAID is an NIH component.

The records include 37 royalty payments entries to Dr. Fauci from Ancell Corporation, Chiron Corporation, and Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc.

There were 21 entries for Mr. Collins, from GeneDx, Inc., IONIS, ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Progeria Research Foundation, and Specialty Laboratories, Inc.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/jail-fauci-recently-released-documents-reveal-dr-fauci/

https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1690729024736088064

Cameras Go Up to Punish Drivers in the Name of Climate Change – Then Vigilantes Strike

Nestlé Recalls Some Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars Due to Wood Chips

Nestlé USA announced a voluntary recall of some Nestlé Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough bars due to the potential presence of wood fragments.

The announcement on Thursday applied to two batches of the “break and bake” bar products that were produced in April, the company said. A “small number” of consumers contacted Nestlé USA about the wood fragments, the company said. Although no illnesses or injuries have been reported, Nestlé issued the recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

The company said consumers who purchased the dough bars with batch codes 311457531K and 311557534K should return the product for a replacement or refund.

“We are working with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on this voluntary recall and will cooperate with them fully. We are confident that this is an isolated issue and we have taken action to address,” Nestlé USA said.

“The quality, safety and integrity of our products remain our number one priority. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this action represents to both our consumers and retail customers.”

Last October, Nestlé issued a voluntary recall for its refrigerated, ready-to-bake Nestlé Toll House Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Fudge Filling because of the “potential presence of white plastic pieces.”

https://www.ntd.com/nestle-recalls-some-toll-house-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-bars-due-to-wood-chips_936206.html

Peter Navarro Obliterates Kevin McCarthy of Undermining Bill Before to Thwart Chinese Influence in US Infrastructure: “HYPOCRITE BLOWDRIED CCP B*TCH”

In a recent appearance on POLARIS National Security with Morgan Ortagus, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy underscored the urgent need for the United States to regain control over critical mineral processing and to counter China’s strategic investments in American infrastructure, farmland, and meatpacking facilities.

However, former White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro responded with a blistering tweet accusing McCarthy of hypocrisy and collusion with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

During the interview, McCarthy elucidated his concerns over China’s growing influence.

Below is the transcript:

China controls 90% of critical minerals, but they control 95% of the processing of critical minerals. So what does that mean?

We need to open up more mines in America. We need to invest in the ability to processing them. Medical supplies. When it comes to our food, we’re watching them buy our farmland up. We’re watching them buy into our meat packing facilities. We’re watching them invest in our infrastructure. You can’t sit here blindly when you get comments of what they’re saying now.

It’s nothing negative against the Chinese people. We’re talking about the Communist Party here. We should be investing in America, that we’re not dependent upon anybody else. If we should learn anything from Europe, dependency makes you weak.

In a tweet, McCarthy wrote, “The Chinese Communist Party wants us to depend on them for – Critical minerals – Medical supplies – Agricultural goods And a lot more. Now more than ever, we must protect our national security and END our dependence on China.”

Despite McCarthy’s strong words, Navarro was quick to challenge his sincerity, accusing McCarthy of singlehandedly blocking a bill that would have prevented Communist China from building U.S. rail and subway systems.

“This asshole singlehandedly nixed a bill when I was in the White House that would have prevented Communist China from building our rail and subway systems because he had a China bus plant in his district. HYPOCRITE BLOWDRIED CCP B*TCH,” Navarro wrote.

Peter Navarro, a key figure in shaping U.S. trade policy during the Trump administration, has been an outspoken critic of Communist China, particularly regarding trade practices and economic policies.

As the former Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy and Assistant to President Trump, Navarro played a significant role in shaping the Trump administration’s trade policy toward China.

Perhaps most notably, Navarro was instrumental in crafting the trade policies that led to a series of tariffs on Chinese goods.

According to the Tax Foundation, “The Trump administration imposed several rounds of tariffs, amounting to an $80 billion tax increase on $380 billion worth of imports (based on 2018 values), ranging from thousands of products from China to steel and aluminum and washing machines and solar panels.”

Navarro has been vocal about the need for the United States to reduce dependency on China, particularly in critical industries like pharmaceuticals, technology, and manufacturing. He has emphasized the potential national security risks associated with reliance on Chinese supply chains.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/peter-navarro-obliterates-kevin-mccarthy-undermining-bill-before/

>>19353704

Harvard University encourages students to apply for food stamps despite having $53 billion endowment

Harvard is literally the richest school on planet Earth.

Harvard University is encouraging students to apply for government assisted food programs despite being the wealthiest school in the world.

This after graduate students complained that their yearly $40,000 salary isn't enough money for them to skate buy. The Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU) has submitted a proposal demanding a $20,000 salary increase, stating that $60,000 should be the bare minimum given to each graduate student per year, according to Benzinga.

The request followed a flier that had been sent to graduate students by the Health Services offices in April, which encouraged these "prestigious" students to apply for SNAP benefits.

The flier read, "Fuel your body & stock your pantry. Did you know that grad students may qualify for assistance paying for food & groceries?"

The HGSU explained that graduate students would not need to apply for government assisted food programs if the elitist university increases their salaries.

Graduate students at Harvard have been on strike in recent years, with one of the main reasons being dissatisfaction with their current salary.

With Harvard University being the richest university in the world, the college reportedly has the means to financially support its students. Harvard has an endowment worth approximately $53 billion, which is used by the university to support programs, research, and scholarships, among others, the outlet reports.

The union expressed concerns that nearly 30 percent of graduate students are from foreign countries, which prevents them from receiving federal assistance.

When asked about encouraging students to apply for SNAP benefits, a Harvard spokesperson said that the event was to inform students about the assistance being offered in which also provides them nuritional meals. The spokesperson did not address matters further.

Harvard University has not yet complied with the demands brought forth by the union.

https://thepostmillennial.com/harvard-university-encourages-students-to-apply-for-food-stamps-despite-having-53-billion-endowment

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier came to Hawaii after 22 years in Las Vegas. He was incident commander for the 2017 mass shooting that left over 50 dead. Here he tells @CNN

why only two bodies have been identified out of the 68 dead on Maui. #mauifires #maui #hawaii

https://twitter.com/hawaii/status/1690614764639232000