Indiana Man Indicted for Sending Violent, Anti-Semitic Threats to Four Offices of the Anti-Defamation League
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/indiana-man-indicted-sending-violent-anti-semitic-threats-four-offices-anti-defamation
Israeli nationalists get a dose of reality
https://www.bitchute.com/video/EUKHPSqKqmFY/
Report: Federal agencies spent $3.3B for OFFICE FURNITURE during COVID-19 pandemic while most employees were working from home
The federal government spent $3.3 billion on luxury furniture during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a new report has disclosed.
The Illinois-based government watchdog OpenTheBooks revealed this extravagant spending in a July report. According to the nonprofit, Washington allocated over $1 billion a year for lavish office decor for federal spaces between 2020 and 2022. Interestingly, this money was spent while nearly all staff members were working from home and only a fraction returned to offices due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The report underscored the stark contrast between the costly furniture purchases and underutilized office spaces, a point highlighted in a separate report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). OpenTheBooks cited the GAO's report in its July 2023 paper.
In one instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spent nearly $240,000 on solar-powered picnic tables for its offices. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is under the Department of Defense, meanwhile spent almost $250,000 on high-end Herman Miller furniture. The Environmental Protection Agency spent $6.5 million on new decor, despite downsizing to a much smaller office space.
Even the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan did not skimp on interior design – shelling out $120,000 on upscale leather reclining armchairs from Ethan Allen. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's $15 million budget on new furniture was cited as one particularly egregious example, with OpenTheBooks noting that the amount is equivalent to $14,400 for each of its 1,000 employees.
The DoD claimed the dubious honor of being the least cost-conscious among all federal agencies, with a staggering $1.2 billion spent on new furniture. By comparison, the Department of Justice spent $408 million; the Department of State $302 million; and the Department of Homeland Security $155 million.
"As Congress continues to fight over spending, we want to make it clear that there are massive amounts of money being appropriated, spent, wasted and sometimes hidden from the taxpayer," OpenTheBooks founder and CEO Adam Andrzejewski told the New York Post.
"In the case of office furniture, most federal headquarters are barely a quarter full on a given workday, and no major agency is at more than half capacity. Yet for some reason, we've bankrolled another billion dollars in desks, chairs, coaches and more – while employees clock in from their own living rooms."
http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2023/10/report-federal-agencies-spent-33b-for.html
DoD Amplifies UFO Secrecy Yet Again: Additional Exemptions Reinforce “Law Enforcement” Claim
The Department of Defense (DoD) upheld (b)(7)(A) and (b)(7)(E) exemptions in response to six FOIA appeals filed by The Black Vault challenging the classification of UAP information under law enforcement exemptions.
During the appellate review, the DoD introduced additional exemptions not previously cited, including those covering classified information on intelligence activities and matters exempted from release by statute.
Despite multiple attempts to obtain a comment from a DoD spokesperson regarding these developments, no response has been received after months of attempts, continuing the trend of governmental secrecy surrounding UAP phenomena.
The introduction of new exemptions presents heightened challenges for The Black Vault should the decision to litigate for information release be taken.
In the ongoing fight for transparency regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), The Black Vault just encountered additional hurdles that make the effort even more difficult to achieve. A series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) appeals were filed to challenge the Department of Defense’s (DoD) use of exemption (b)(7) blocking access to various UAP and UFO related documents within the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). This specific exemption pertains to records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, which could interfere with enforcement proceedings.
The Black Vault argued that AARO, along with other past names of similar efforts like the AOIMSG and UAPTF, were not law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, there’s no acknowledged law enforcement investigation that requires the concealment of the requested information.
Last week, the DoD responded to six of these appeals, upholding the (b)(7)(A) and (b)(7)(E) exemptions. These exemptions concern potential interference with enforcement proceedings and the disclosure of techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, respectively, but again the DoD fails to present what “law enforcement” proceeding it would interfere with.
In an OpEd published on The Hill in June 2023 by Marik von Rennenkampff, it was proposed that these denials are “…circumstantial evidence that a law enforcement entity, such as the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General [DoD/IG], is engaged in a broad, and possibly criminal, investigation of the U.S. government’s involvement with UFOs.” Though, no evidence supports this.
The DoD/IG’s “evaluation” is now closed as of August 15, 2023, thus nullifying the (b)(7) exemption use, yet, the appellate authority claims it still applies in their September 29th, 2023, decisions. In addition to that, the Intelligence Community Inspector General (IC IG) stated in a September 15, 2023, letter to multiple Congressman and Congresswomen, “…IC IG notes that it has not conducted any audit, inspection, evaluation, or review of alleged UAP programs.” This statement, unless untrue or a daring but clever use of word choices hiding their “investigation”, rules out the IC IG being the root of a “law enforcement” exemption use. So, it remains a mystery on exactly why the exemption is being cited.
Despite multiple attempts over several months to obtain a comment from a DoD spokesperson regarding the use of the “law enforcement” related exemptions, no response has been received at the time of writing this article. The silence from the DoD adds to the growing aura of secrecy surrounding the UAP phenomena and the government’s handling of related information.
But in a surprising turn, during the appellate review, the DoD introduced even more exemptions not cited in the original FOIA denial.
https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/dod-amplifies-ufo-secrecy-yet-again-additional-exemptions-reinforce-law-enforcement-claim/
WATCH: Today @RonDeSantis
called the cops on me and had me cited with a trespass notice by @TampaPD
after I showed up to attend his Presidential campaign event, which I had a ticket to!
It’s time for @RonDeSantis
to DROP OUT!
Polls today have him at 9% nationally. #Trump2024
https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/1710039661513498801
DEVELOPING: Hunter Biden’s Defense Lawyer Abruptly Quits
An attorney representing Hunter Biden in his gun charge case brought by Special Counsel David Weiss abruptly quit on Friday.
Richard Jones filed paperwork to withdraw from Hunter’s case on Friday just days after Hunter Biden arrived to the federal courthouse in Delaware for his arraignment on felony gun charges.
Hunter Biden was indicted on federal gun charges last month.
Biden was indicted in a Delaware court on three counts related to his possession of a firearm while using drugs. He is facing up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Hunter Biden was charged with “one count of False Statement in Purchase of a Firearm, one count of False Statement Related to Information Required to be Kept By Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer, and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person who is an Unlawful User of or Addicted to a Controlled Substance.” ABC News reported.
Special Counsel Dave Weiss indicted Hunter Biden after the sweetheart plea deal fell apart in August.
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to all three charges on Tuesday.
“Mr. Biden has been advised of, and consents to, our withdrawal,” Jones said in his filing.
FOX News reported:
Richard Jones, an attorney representing Hunter Biden in his federal gun charge case, filed paperwork Friday to withdraw himself from the matter.
The president’s son had pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware Tuesday morning after being charged in an indictment stemming from Special Counsel David Weiss’ investigation.
“Mr. Biden has been advised of, and consents to, our withdrawal. He also agrees this withdrawal will cause no material adverse effect or prejudice to him and remains completely satisfied with Messrs. [Abbe] Lowell’s and [Bartholomew] Dalton’s continued representation of him,” reads the document filed by Jones.
“Accordingly, our withdrawal as counsel will have no material adverse effect on Mr. Biden’s interests,” Jones added.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/10/diplomacy-crisis-u-s-expels-russian-embassy-official/
DIPLOMACY CRISIS: U.S. Expels Russian Embassy Officials
The U.S. State Department announced on Friday, 6, the expulsion of two officials from the Russian embassy. The move comes in response to Moscow’s earlier expulsion of two American diplomats.
The American diplomats were accused of collecting confidential information from Russia, a narrative denied by the U.S. government.
The retaliatory expulsions come at a time of heightened tension between the two countries, with Russia continuing its aggression against Ukraine following last year’s invasion.
Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to provide military and financial support to Ukraine to counter the Russian offensive.
In September, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller warned that the U.S. would respond “promptly” to the expulsion of two American diplomats from Russia.
On September 14, diplomats Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein were declared “persona non grata” by Russia, meaning they had to leave the country within a week.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy of the expulsion of the two diplomats. Russia expressed dissatisfaction with the U.S. government’s response.
According to the Russian news agency RIA, an unidentified source from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the expulsion of the Russian diplomats and referred to it as “unfounded.”
Russia further stated that Washington used the expulsion of two American diplomats from Moscow on September 14 as a pretext, claiming they were “caught red-handed engaging in espionage activities.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/10/diplomacy-crisis-u-s-expels-russian-embassy-official/