7 Jan, 2024 01:11

Ukraine shells hospital in Donetsk on Christmas Eve

Several patients were injured by glass shards after the blast shattered windows at the healthcare facility

The Ukrainian forces launched multiple attacks against civilian targets in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Saturday, with one of strikes damaging a hospital in Donetsk, according to local authorities.

At least three people were injured after a shell hit the Central Clinical Hospital No 6 in the Leninsky district of Donetsk, according to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination. All of the victims were the patients at the facility. The attack also damaged several houses in other parts of Donetsk, with some witnesses calling it a “Christmas miracle” that no one was seriously injured.

Photos and videos from the scene showed the aftermath of the explosion, with multiple windows shattered and glass shards broken blinds scattered throughout the hospital wards.

Donetsk frequently comes under rocket attacks due to its proximity to the front line. Four people were killed after Kiev's forces shelled the city shortly after midnight on January 1 in the first deadly attack of 2024.

As Russia prepared to celebrate Christmas on January 7, the Russian OrthodoxChurch has decided to cancel its traditional night servicesin the capital of the Belgorod region and all settlements located within a 20-kilometer-wide zone alongside the Russian border with Ukraine.

https://www.rt.com/russia/590211-donetsk-hospital-ukraine-christmas-strike/

7 Jan, 2024 01:49

Obama sending election warnings to Biden – WaPo

The ex-president is worried that the Democrat’s campaign is not flexible enough for the increasingly heated race

Former US President Barack Obama has urged Biden’s advisers to bolster the reelection campaign by engaging top-level decision-makers or empowering those already in place in the headquarters amid thelackluster voter approval that may see Donald Trump return to power in 2024.

Obama and Biden discussedthe campaign during apreviously unreported private lunch at the White House in recent months, the Washington Post reported in an article published on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The former president reportedly became “animated” while talking about the 2024 elections and the prospect of former president Donald Trump winning the race.

Obama, who served as the 44th president of the US, recalled the success of his 2012 reelection campaign when some of his top aides took charge of the reelection operations on the ground across the country, and criticized Biden’s approach of leaving his advisors in the White House.

According to the people, who spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity, Obama did not refer to anything specific in the campaign structurebut rather suggested that it needs to “move aggressively” as Trump appears to take the lead in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest.

He did not recommend any specific individuals to be recruited by the campaign but allegedly mentioned his senior strategist David Plouffe, who led Obama’s 2008 race, as an example of who could help.

The Biden campaign and Obama’s spokespeople did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Post.

==However, Obama has long worried about Donald Trump's political strength= and warned earlier this year that he could be a more formidable challenger than many Democrats realize. He is not only concerned by Biden’s weak polling number but also by the effectiveness of his unorthodox campaign structure.

Biden’s campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodrigues is based in the campaign’s headquarters in Wilmington. At the same time, the top aides – Anita Dunn, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Mike Donilon, and Steve Ricchetti work from the White House, which means that all important decisions need to go through the White House first.Some Democrats raised their concerns that the campaign may not be able to immediately respond to fast-moving developments.

David Axelrod, the former senior presidential advisor, said on Friday that while he cannot comment on Obama’s discussions with Biden, each president approaches his reelection differently. Back in November, Axelrod suggested that Biden should consider dropping out of the 2024 race.

Biden’s support rating hit a record low before the year's end with just 38% of votersapproving his performance, according to the polls recently conducted by the Washington Post. Voters, including a majority of Democrats, are particularly concerned about Biden’s age as well as his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

https://www.rt.com/news/590210-obama-sending-election-warnings/

too funny

6 Jan, 2024 17:59

Norway sends old fighter jets for Ukrainian pilot training

The aircraft have served the Norwegian military for “over 40 years,” the nation’s Armed Forces say

The Norwegian F-16 fighter jets, which Oslo provided to support the Ukrainian pilots’ training program, have touched down in Denmark, as announced by the nation’s Armed Forces on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. Earlier this week, Norwegian media reported that the Nordic nation would send two fighter jets and ten instructors to the Danish Skydstrup air base for this purpose.

Norway, a supporter of Kiev, has committed to supplying warplanes to Ukraine in the coming years, alongside Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The exact number of warplanes Oslo plans to transfer to Ukraine remains unclear.

Washington, which had been hesitant to provide Kiev with Western-made fighter jets, signaled its readiness to approve a third-party transfer of the aircraft in August 2023. The US stipulated that this could only happen after the completion of Ukrainian pilots’ training.

“After over 40 years in service, these aircraft will now train Ukrainian military personnel, reinforcing our commitment to Ukraine's defense,” the Norwegian military wrote on X, commenting on the jets’ arrival in Denmark. It is unclear if they meant that the exact two aircraft pieces had been in use for over 40 years or merely referred to the fact that Norway had been using the jets between 1980 and 2022 when they were replaced with F-35.

The planes destined for Kiev are considered “obsolete,” according to Lieutenant Colonel Bard Bakke, the commander of the training mission in Denmark, who told the Norwegian NRK news outlet earlier this week. He maintained that the aircraft were “relatively modern” and had undergone additional upgrades. However, he admitted that the F-16 jets were “no miracle weapon” capable of changing the ongoing conflict between Kiev and Moscow.

Associate Professor Lars Peder Haga at the Norwegian Air Force School also referred to the F-16 jets as “obsolete” when speaking to NRK. He added that thejets have “poorer survivability against Russian systems”compared to the more modern F-35 aircraft.

Since the beginning of the conflict with Moscow, Kiev has urged its Western backers to supply increasingly advanced weapons, treating them as a potential game-changer. Zelensky particularly praised the August F-16 pledge announcement as “historic, powerful, motivational.”

In late December, the Netherlands announced preparations for the “initial” delivery of 18 fighter jets to Ukraine. Zelensky claimed in August 2023 that the Netherlands and Belgium had together pledged to provide 42 jets to his country. The joint statement by the two nations contained no specific figures. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also mentioned that his nation's entire F-16 fleet consisted of 42 planes, and Amsterdam would need to keep some for its own training purposes.

On Saturday, the Danish Berlingske newspaper reported that Copenhagen would delay its F-16 delivery to Kiev for at least “several months,”citing that Ukrainian pilots were “not ready” to fly them.

https://www.rt.com/news/590204-norway-old-jets-ukraine-training/

PDJTRELEASE THE J6 HOSTAGES!!!🇺🇸

0:25

https://rumble.com/embed/v42zjb3/?pub=4

WHO DID THIS??😂 Here is Mike Fanone, a woke little bitch. Kek

:21

https://rumble.com/embed/v42y3nz/?pub=4

IT'S TRUE!!! The polls say I’m beating him, “who wouldn't?” look at that little kid, he could beat him, he’s three years old

OMG

0:16

https://rumble.com/embed/v42xoyl/?pub=4

>>20199129

Seriously this is so Trump

I EXPOSED THE FAKE NEWS!!! They’re are all dead anyway! Kek

I love our Real President, he cracks me up all the time!

0:48

https://rumble.com/embed/v42xac5/?pub=4

He Endorsed me before I knew I was even running. Brad Zon. LOVE THE MARLBORO MAN!!!

1:11

https://rumble.com/embed/v42x3kf/?pub=4

>>20199176

I don’t know, post a video of yourself so we can see you

>>20199057

This isNotableWeinstein is brilliant

>>20199319

Oh good, thank you doctor

>>20199311

You feel threatened by a snark?. You are a newbie

>>20199004

Kek….this will be so much fun

>>20199393

The only way you can perceive a threatening statement is to be threatened by it, otherwise it would be taken as a joke

>>20199183

Seriously they cannot let go of this,they are emasculating their soldiers so they will take orders to attack Americanswhen Joe orders it! you stupid bastards clap

>>20199043

Correct andnotable

>>20199004

notabletit for tat

>>20198994

Coward JohnsonTraitor newbie

Speaker Johnson Says No Shutdown Over the Border, and It's Time to Talk About the Elephant in the Room

Bonchie9:35 PM on January 06, 2024

If Republicans were hoping for Speaker Mike Johnson to play hardball over the border crisis, that doesn't appear to be in the cards.While speaking on "Face the Nation," Johnson tells host Margaret Brennan that he will not wield the leverage of a government shutdown to try to force a deal that pushes for stricter enforcement.

That comes as illegal immigration continues to set new records, with over 302,000 encounters happening in the month of December alone. Estimates vary, but somewhere between six and eight million people have illegally crossed the Southern border since Joe Biden took office.

Reactions to this will likely vary. On the one hand, how effective would a government shutdown over the border even be? It is clear that Democrats do not fear any political backlash associated with the issue. Instead, they would likely just use it as messaging fodder in an election year, and perhaps with some success.

On the other hand, some would question what the point of electing Republicans to office is if they aren't going to use all the leverage they've got. Part of politics is being willing to stand up for what's right even if there is a risk it might not work. Would a shutdown do more harm than good to Republicans? I honestly don't know, and I don't think anybody truly does. Is that an excuse to not make a stand, though?

I suppose it's debatable, and while it may seem like I'm making a definitive judgment, I'm not. I can see both sides of the argument. Much in life boils down to risk and reward. Can Democrats even be swayed in this environment by applying pressure? Or is it better to have a strategy solely focused on winning more power in 2024 to neutralize Democrat input? Again, it's a fair question that fair people can come to different conclusions on.

Still, this latest move from Johnson does bring us back to the elephant in the room, which is what exactly was gained by the fight to oust Kevin McCarthy as Speaker? Has there been a distinct shift in governance? I would say, not really. We still ended up with a continuing resolution, and now we are getting the same strategy regarding avoiding a shutdown at all costs. Those were the two major issues that got McCarthy booted.

To reiterate, this article is not a criticism of Johnson. I like him as a person (far more than McCarthy), and I think he's doing what he can with what he's got to work with, which is an extremely slim majority. I don't know if I agree with all his decisions, but I'm not suggesting it was a mistake to make him Speaker.

What I'm suggesting is that Republicans might have to readjust their expectations. In the days after Johnson's elevation, there was a lot of hope that he would govern far more conservatively and aggressively, but perhaps that's just not the in cards no matter who is in charge.

This is the problem with consistently underperforming in elections, which the GOP has done in the last four cycles. Perhaps we should all be more focused on fixing that issue at the ballot box rather than expecting Johnson to extract blood from a turnip. That may not be what some want to hear, but it may be the most realistic option.

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2024/01/06/speaker-johnson-says-no-shutdown-over-the-border-and-its-time-to-talk-about-the-elephant-in-the-room-n2168392

Fedsurrection Anniversary Day – They Needed an Emergency Session

January 6, 2024 | Sundance |

In honor of our national gaslighting embarrassment, the third anniversary of the FBI’s fedsurrection, the FBI laughed in the faces of the general population under their control. The DC-based FBI sent out this message:

Yes, the national kidnappers have removed their masks. Y’all know what that metaphor means.

Once again, for those who just walked in…. Following the scale of manipulation within the 2020 election, those who did the manipulation, which included support from the FBI and DOJ, justified to keep their institutional agencies from being exposed, needed to do something to stop any state delegate challenge. One successful state election challenge would have upended the entire system. They needed an emergency session for the January 6th electoral certification.

The pipe bombs found in DC on January 6th, were essentially the insurance policy. The FBI was supporting the need for a stoppage of the 2020 electoral certification session in congress. If the FBI could not manipulate the crowd into entering the Capitol Building, the “discovery” of the pipe bombs would have been used to shut down the certification session. Speaker Pelosi would then gain emergency power, switch to an emergency session upon return, and any effort to challenge the delegate affirmation would be nulled. The latter described action by Pelosi is exactly what happened.

Repost Due to Current Media Cycle News

The Ring of Truth – “I am too well accustomed to the taking of evidence not to detect the ring of truth.” 1908, Edith Wharton

Much has been made of the events of January 6, 2021, and with the latest broadcast of CCTV video from inside the Capitol Hill complex, more questions have been raised.

Within the questions: the FBI and government apparatus had advanced knowledge of the scale of the J6 mall assembly yet doing nothing? Why were the Capitol Hill police never informed of the FBI concerns? Why didn’t House Speaker Nancy Pelosi secure the Capitol Hill complex, and why did she deny the request by President Trump to call up the national guard for security support? Why did the FBI have agent provocateurs in the crowd, seemingly stimulating rage within a peaceful crowd to enter the Capitol Building?

There have always been these nagging questions around ‘why’?

Long time CTH reader “Regitiger” has spent a great deal of time reviewing the entire process, looking at the granular timeline and then overlaying the bigger picture of the constitutional and parliamentary process itself. What follows below is a brilliant analysis of the federal government motive to create a J6 crisis that permitted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to trigger an emergency session and avoid the 2020 election certification challenges.

Those congressional floor challenges, known and anticipated well in advance of the morning of January 6, 2021, would have formed a legal and constitutional basis for ‘standing’ in judicial challenges that would have eventually reached the Supreme Court. The certification during “emergency session” eliminated the problem for Washington DC.

(Washington DC.

Regitiger explains below, only edited by me for clarity and context:

I think most, not all, but a large number of people, are totally missing what happened; and why this happened on Jan 6th. I am going to try my best to outline the events that day, blast past the commonly held assumptions and get right down to the core corruption.

I will present this as a series of questions and answers.

♦ Q1: How do you prevent congress from delaying the certification of state electoral votes?

A: It requires a crisis. A crisis that creates an “emergency” …An “emergency” that invokes special house rules.

FACTS: Remember carefully, focus please. Just moments, literally 3 minutes before two representatives issued a vote for motions to suspend the certification, the House members were “informed” by capitol police and other “agents” that a protest was about to breach the chambers. It was at this time that key people: Pence, Pelosi, Schumer, Mcconnell can be seen being walked out and escorted from the chamber. This effectively halted the Entire Chamber Process.….

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2024/01/06/fedsurrection-anniversary-day-they-needed-an-emergency-session/

>>20199508

BIF are obviously smashing our faces in the dirt to let us know they are still in control of their false narrative.I wonder if they know how many non maga have woken up?