Rep. Matt Gaetz Introduces Resolution Saying Trump Didn’t Engage In 'Insurrection'

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution on Feb. 6 to “authoritatively” state that former President Donald Trump did not commit “insurrection or rebellion” against the United States.

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The issue of insurrection has been raised in some 60 venues over the past six months and in two days will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court as activists have contended that President Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, preclude him from running for office based on a Civil War-era statute.

“President Trump did not commit an insurrection,” Mr. Gaetz said. “Congress has a unique role in making that declaration. It’s not the job of the states and especially not the job of some bureaucrats in Colorado to make this assessment and interfere with the rights of voters to cast their vote for the candidate of their choice.”

The bill now has 63 co-sponsors, and Mr. Gaetz added that “many more” are expected to join in the coming days. Many who joined Mr. Gaetz to announce the resolution at a press conference were vocal supporters of President Trump, echoing his claims that the effort has been part of a “political witch hunt.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said the challenges to President Trump’s eligibility on the basis that Jan. 6 was an insurrection are the work of “extreme Democrats” who are “shredding the Constitution in the process.”

Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) claimed the ballot disqualification effort was a “desperate fourth-quarter Hail Mary” to knock down the leading Republican candidate.

“To block him from any ballot in any state is election interference, pure and simple,” said Mr. Babin.

Other representatives stated that Jan. 6 was not an insurrection, and President Trump held no responsibility for any violence that occurred that day.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/rep-matt-gaetz-introduces-resolution-saying-trump-didnt-engage-insurrection

Zelensky removes commander-in-chief of Ukrainian Army

Valery Zaluzhny has been officially sacked as the head of his country’s armed forces

General Valery Zaluzhny, who has led the Ukrainian Armed Forces throughout the conflict with Russia, was relieved of his post on Thursday. The move comes days after President Vladimir Zelensky hinted at the dismissal in an interview, causing public backlash.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov made the announcement on Facebook, crediting Zaluzhny for having carried out “one of the most difficult tasks” by leading the military against Russia.

“But the war doesn’t remain the same. War is changing and demands change. Combat in 2022, 2023 and 2024 are three different realities; 2024 will bring new changes that we must be prepared for. New approaches, new strategies are needed,” Umerov wrote.

“Today, the decision on the necessity of changing the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was adopted,” he added.

Rumors of Zaluzhny’s pending removal began to circulate in late January, coming from both military and political sources in Kiev, only to be officially denied.

Last Friday, the Washington Post reported that Zelensky had informed the White House of his decision to dismiss Zaluzhny, which the administration officials accepted. On Saturday, Zelensky spoke with Italy’s RAI TG1 news channel and said he was planning to replace “a series of state leaders” – not just in the military.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) advised the president that such a move could lead to riots in the capital, the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported on Wednesday, citing agency sources.

Former president Pyotr Poroshenko gave a speech in the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday, telling Zelensky to leave Zaluzhny alone and start with his own cabinet if he felt the need for a purge.

Zaluzhny was in charge of Ukraine’s 2023 summer offensive, which failed to achieve any of its objectives and cost Kiev hundreds of irreplaceable Western-supplied armored vehicles and more than 100,000 men. The battlefield situation has continued to deteriorate for the Ukrainian military ever since.

https://www.rt.com/russia/592091-fires-top-general/

Senators To Grill Yellen Over Treasury's "Domestic Spy Games" On Gun Owners

Lawmakers at the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee are set to grill Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday morning regarding alleged privacy violations committed by her department on gun owners.

Ahead of Yellen's testimony, Gun Owners of America (GOA) published a letter outlining tough questions committee lawmakers need to press the secretary after recent revelations found that the feds asked financial institutions to search and filter customer transactions for firearms-related terms.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/treasury-grill-labels-senators-yellen

US admits not informing Iraq about airstrikes

A White House spokesman has said he “deeply regrets” providing false information to reporters

The US government has acknowledged that it did not notify officials in Baghdad about airstrikes on Iraqi soil last Friday, despite initially claiming they had been warned ahead of time. A top US spokesperson insisted there was no “intent to deceive,” chalking up the mishap to a simple error.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby corrected a prior statement about the “pre-notification to Iraqi officials” before last week’s air raid, which targeted more than 85 sites across both Iraq and neighboring Syria.

“I deeply apologize for the error, and I regret any confusion that it caused. It was based on information we had or that was provided to me in those early hours after the strikes. Turns out that information was incorrect,” Kirby said, adding “I hope that you’ll understand there was no ill-intent behind it, no deliberate intent to deceive or to be wrong.”

Though he previously said the bombings were clearly communicated to Baghdad ahead of time, Kirby was forced to walk back that claim following clarification by State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel, who confirmed that Iraqi leaders were not informed until “immediately after the strikes occurred.”

According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, the strikes involved “numerous aircraft,” which dropped over 125 precision munitions on dozens of targets. Among the sites hit were command and control installations, intelligence centers, weapons caches, and supply-chain facilities operated by Iranian-backed militias, CENTCOM added.

The operation was launched in retaliation for a string of attacks on US bases across the region, namely a January 28 drone strike that killed three American soldiers and wounded more than 40 others at a base in Jordan, near the Syrian and Iraqi borders.

https://www.rt.com/news/592044-iraq-not-informed-strikes/

The Urgent Need to Attack Iran Has Been Falsely Advertised for 20 Years

Warhawks in Washington DC continue to propagandize Americans in an attempt to drum up support for war with Iran.

For a couple of decades now, the very worst people in Washington, D.C., have pushed hard for a war on Iran. Some high points have come in 2007, 2015, 2017, and 2024. Each time it has been absolutely critical to attack Iran at once. There could be no delay. Dominoes would fall. Terrorism would prevail. Credibility would be sqandered. And yet, each time, the threatened war has not been launched, and the world has gone on just the same.

We’ve seen a wide variety of excuses deployed over these years of unsuccessful propaganda for a war on Iran, including false claims about nuclear weapons, the pretense that attacking Iran would improve civil liberties within Iran, and shockingly honest commitments to gaining control of more oil with which to slowly destroy the habitability of the Earth. The push to attack Iran has been on for so long that entire categories of arguments for it (such as that the Iranians are fueling the Iraqi resistance) and demonized leaders of Iran have come and gone. The latest excuse is the killing of three members of the U.S. military.

Ordinarily, killing people could be prosecuted as a crime. But that’s tricky, because the United States government opposes and refuses to take part in international law, the U.S. troops had no legal justification for being where they were, and the violence across the region is being driven by U.S. support for enormous crimes by the Israeli government.

More importantly, the advocates for war do not want to prosecute a crime, but to use a crime as an excuse to commit much larger crimes, on the familiar model of September 11, October 7, etc. The choice to escalate is not imposed on anyone; similar situations in the past have been used as excuses for war and also allowed to pass without the launching of any war.

The U.S. government purports to believe that escalating wars will reduce wars, flying in the face of the overwhelming evidence of centuries, and to believe that there is no alternative, even though the demands of all sorts of warmakers across Western Asia are all the same and extremely easy to satisfy (and satisfying them has been ordered by the International Court of Justice): stop destroying Gaza and killing Gazans.

The U.S. government distorts the notion of “defense” beyond all recognition by claiming that harm done to its imperial troops anywhere on Earth can justify a “defensive” war. This is highly convenient for war hawks in Washington, D.C., who have known for many years that getting U.S. troops killed can be a big propaganda boost for war madness — an idea eagerly encouraged today by U.S. media outlets that are always perfectly capable of demanding revenge while simulaneously calling it “defense.”

In 2022 military spending, Iran spent 0.8% what the U.S. did. Iran is not a threat to the United States, despite having put its nation so close to so many U.S. military bases.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/antiwar/the-urgent-need-to-attack-iran-has-been-falsely-advertised-for-20-years

Chinese Firm Paid Hunter And James Biden Millions For Attempting To Secure US Energy Deals, Testimony Shows

Chinese energy firm CEFC paid millions to Hunter and James Biden for attempting to secure U.S. energy ventures that failed to materialize, a former business associate told lawmakers.

Former CEFC associate Mervyn Yan testified in January before the Oversight and Judiciary Committee and discussed Hunter and James Biden’s involvement with Hudson West III, a joint venture CEFC and the Bidens started in August 2017 after months of negotiations, according to a transcript reviewed by the Daily Caller.

He described how Hunter Biden and James Biden initially received $100,000 and $65,000 per month, respectively, in accordance with the terms of Hudson West III’s initial operating agreement. Yan said the monthly payments were “a draw” from the venture’s initial $5 million operating budget and claimed he did not know why Hunter Biden received more money than his uncle.

“Hudson West III,” a staffer began asking Yan.

“Yes,” he replied.

“In 2017 appears to have tried to land five different energy deals. Is that — do I have that correct?”

“That’s right. Five of them actually on paper,” Yan replied.

“But none of them materialized, meaning none of the deals actually happened, correct?”

“That’s correct,” Yan reiterated.

“And despite the fact that none of the deals actually materialized and no money was ever produced from it, Hunter Biden and James Biden still were paid, correct?”

“That’s correct,” he said.

Yan clarified that Hunter and James Biden attempted to negotiate U.S. deals for Hudson West III in 2017. Both Bidens continued to be paid the following year, according to bank records and Hunter Biden’s federal tax indictment in California.

Hunter Biden received $1.4 million from Hudson West III in 2017 and transferred roughly $550,000 to James Biden. The next year, Hudson West III transferred $2.1 million to Hunter Biden, who sent $843,999 to James Biden, the indictment says.

The indictment does not name James Biden but he appears to be the business associate in question, given the terms of the initial Hudson West III operating agreement, Yan’s testimony, the bank records and James Biden’s interview with federal investigators.

Yan appeared to recall conversations about proposed U.S. business transactions that took place in 2018 despite a lack of responsiveness from CEFC, whose chairman Ye Jianming was arrested by Chinese authorities on suspicion of bribery in early 2018.

https://dailycaller.com/2024/02/08/cefc-paid-hunter-james-biden-millions-us-energy-deals-never-went-through/

Sen. Murphy Says the Quiet Part Out Loud – Democrat Strategy Has Failed “The People We Care About the Most” – Undocumented ‘Americans’

Democrat Senator Chris Murphy said the quiet part out loud on MSNBC on Wednesday night. Murphy told Chris Hayes the “strategy” on immigration “has failed to deliver for the people we care about most, the undocumented Americans that are in this country.”

There you have it.

Chris Hayes: The negotiation didn’t have a path to citizenship. It was entirely on their terms in order to get Ukraine funding. Right?

Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.): Well, I mean, Chris, that’s been a failed play for 20 years. So you are right that that has been the Democratic strategy for 30 years, maybe. And it has failed to deliver for the people we care about most, the undocumented Americans that are in this country. This is also not 2013 any longer. When we ran that play last.

Does this really surprise anyone? Immigration expert Stephen Miller weighed in: “This is what they call giving away the entire game. This is why Democrats angrily oppose every enforcement measure. This is why Democrats bitterly oppose detention and deportation. This is why Joe Biden and the Democrats eradicated the border and orchestrated the invasion.”

This is what they call giving away the entire game. This is why Democrats angrily oppose every enforcement measure. This is why Democrats bitterly oppose detention and deportation. This is why Joe Biden and the Democrats eradicated the border and orchestrated the invasion. https://t.co/8QSeLQIEYK

— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) February 8, 2024

https://www.stationgossip.com/2024/02/sen-murphy-says-quiet-part-out-loud.html

>>20379421

He uses the big tables when he doesn't trust thw other party

Saudi Defense Ministry signs 17 deals to bolster defenses

A package of deals was signed by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense with local and global companies at the World Defense Show in Riyadh.

Some 17 contracts and two memorandums of understanding were signed to boost the Saudi armed forces’ military readiness, strengthen their capabilities, enhance combat efficiency, as well localize manufacturing in line with Vision 2030, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The signing of two contracts for the Air Force between the Ministry of Defense and PrivatAir Saudi Arabia took place in the presence of Khalid Al-Bayari, assistant minister of defense for executive affairs, and Ibrahim Al-Omar, director general of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corp.

Six industrial participation contracts with national and international companies were also secured by the General Authority for Military Industries, represented by Deputy Gov. Mohammed Al-Athel.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2024/02/saudi-defense-ministry-signs-17-deals-to-bolster-defenses/

Vanguard quietly embraces AI in $13 billion of quant stock funds

Vanguard Group, famous for its old-school investment ethos and reluctance to chase newfangled technologies like crypto, has been quietly using machine learning across several active stock funds with a combined $13 billion under management.

The world’s second-largest asset manager added artificial intelligence to four so-called factor-based funds about a year ago just as the ChatGPT frenzy seized global markets. The bet: that new linguistic and data-analysis capabilities will help systematic strategies adapt to changing economic and market conditions.

“What we want to do here is represent the process that we believe in, which is a fundamentally driven quant process,” said Scott Rodemer, head of factor-based strategies at Vanguard. “With this kind of multitude of effects that could impact a stock, it lends itself quite naturally to a machine-learning process.”

It’s still early days and the traditional models haven’t gone away. But initial signs are encouraging for the Jack Bogle-founded giant.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2024/02/vanguard-quietly-embraces-ai-in-13-billion-of-quant-stock-funds/

Hamas weapons found in IDF reservist's room in Hadera

According to police, the weapons taken by the reservist were used by Hamas terrorists during their infiltration and massacre of southern Israelis on October 7.

Israel Police found weaponry and equipment used by Hamas Nukhba terrorists in a Hadera boarding school on Thursday.

The equipment, which included a Kalashnikov rifle, knives, and Hamas flags, were found in the dorm of a 33-year-old Hadera resident and IDF reservist who works as a counselor at the school.

Police officers carried out a targeted raid at the dormitory following intelligence gathered on the suspect, they said.

According to police, the weapons taken by the reservist were used by Hamas terrorists during their infiltration and massacre of southern Israelis on October 7.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-785977

Were the Hamas attackers Israeli's ?

Bernie Sanders: Biden's Economy Is Great Even If Most Americans Are Poor

Perhaps the years are starting to catch up with Senator Bernie Sanders.

The senator for Vermont, who is one of the few self-styled socialist members of the U.S. Congress, appeared on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" to make the case for reelecting Joe Biden later this year, although he ended up contradicting himself.

Asked by Meyers why people should support Biden, Sanders admitted that a majority of American workers are still living "paycheck to paycheck," a surefire sign that the American economy is not flourishing:

Look, this country faces enormous problems today, and we all know what they are. We’re talking about income and wealth inequality, we’re talking about 60% of workers living paycheck to paycheck, and we’re talking about the existential threat of climate change, enormous problems facing this country.

…

You’ve got a guy in Trump who, during his presidency, gave massive tax breaks to the rich, at a time when we have unprecedented income and wealth inequality, it’s the last thing they need. This guy wants to throw tens of millions of people off of the health insurance that they have, he appointed anti-union members of his administration to make it harder for workers to form unions.

Yet despite this admission that most Americans are struggling financially, Sanders insisted that Biden has been a great president whose economy is performing incredibly well:

And, on the other hand, in Biden, I’m not going to sit here — I ran against Biden, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I agree with everything Joe Biden is doing, I don’t, big time. But on the other hand, this is the first President in the history of the United States to walk on a picket line with workers, and that’s a pretty impressive thing.

We’ve made some progress in lowering the cost of prescription drugs and taking on the pharmaceutical industry. The economy, as you’ve indicated, is really doing well, unemployment, extremely low, we’re creating a whole lot of jobs, rebuilding manufacturing in America. So, we’re beginning to move forward in the right direction. In my view, we have a lot, lot more to do, but the choice in this election is very clear.

https://redstate.com/benkew/2024/02/06/bernie-sanders-insists-bidens-economy-is-great-even-though-most-people-are-poor-n2169746

https://redstate.com/benkew/2024/02/06/bernie-sanders-insists-bidens-economy-is-great-even-though-most-people-are-poor-n2169746

TREASON: Majority of House Democrats voted against the deportation of CRIMINAL MIGRANTS

The vast majority of House Democrats have opposed the deportation of migrants found guilty of committing Social Security fraud and driving under the influence (DUI) in the United States.

The bills, known as H.R. 6678 (Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act) and H.R. 6976 (Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act), were introduced by Republican Representatives Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Barry Moore (R-AL).

H.R. 6678, which deports or bars a non-U.S. national who committed a Social Security or identification document fraud from admission into the U.S., saw opposition from 155 Democrats.

Meanwhile, H.R. 6976 faced opposition from 150 Democrats. The legislation sought to create grounds for inadmissibility and removability for aliens convicted of driving under the influence (DUI). The current lack of explicit provisions in immigration law allows criminal aliens to evade accountability for DUI offenses, potentially posing risks to communities.

Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) could not help but express his disappointment with Democrats.

"I am appalled to see a majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives voting to prevent illegal aliens who endanger the lives of American citizens by drunk driving from being deported. Americans deserve leaders who put their safety and prosperity first," he said.

Even the House Judiciary Committee expressed their disappointment with the decision on X. "They'd rather protect illegal aliens than our seniors," the House Judiciary Committee posted on Feb. 1.

Trump vows to implement "largest domestic deportation operation" if re-elected as president

During a speech in Iowa in September, former President Donald Trump declared his intention to implement "the largest domestic deportation operation in American history" if he secures a second term in the 2024 presidential race. (Related: Trump to launch biggest DEPORTATION effort in U.S. history if elected.)

"Upon my inauguration, I will immediately terminate every Open Borders policy of the Biden administration. Following the Eisenhower Model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. I’ll also invoke immediately the Alien Enemies Act to remove all known or suspected gang members," Trump said.

Trump draws inspiration from the 1954 initiative, known as "Operation Wetback," of former President and World War II hero Dwight D. Eisenhower. The program, which sought to curb the influx of approximately three million illegal immigrants into the US, primarily in California, Arizona and Texas in the 19th century, involved transporting undocumented individuals deep into Mexico using buses, trains and ships.

https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-02-05-house-democrats-voted-against-deportation-criminal-migrants.html

Biden State Department Funds Program to Create Army of 2,500 ‘LGBTQI+ Allies’

President Joe Biden’s State Department paid a public university to train a cohort of “master trainers” in India who will then go on to train more than 2,000 people to become “LGBTQI+ allies,” according to a government spending database.

Washington State University received $15,000 from the State Department in July 2023 to hold a three-day workshop aimed at training 30 individuals with the goal of them eventually training 2,500 people to become “LGBTQI+ allies” and to develop a “better understanding of diversity and inclusion,” according to a federal spending database. The trainings took place in India between Sept. 25 and Sept. 27, according to the university website.

The State Department offered the grant under a program intended to “support the achievement of U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives, advance national interests and enhance national security,” according to a federal spending database. The training sought to “increase the comfort levels of all participants regarding issues faced by members of the LGBTQI+ community,” the university website read.

Individuals participating in the training were instructed on how to properly use “LGBTQI+ language,” taught about the intersection of LGBTQI+ identities and faith, instructed on LGBTQ+ history, and put through hours of allyship training, according to the workshop schedule.

The State Department has distributed several grants under the Biden administration promoting LGBTQI+ ideology across the world.

The State Department disbursed $4.6 million to groups in 55 different countries to fund LGBTQI+ activism as of June 30, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

State Department grants have included supporting “queer” Muslim writers in India, providing classes for transgender “makeup entrepreneurs” in Nepal, and funding a LGBTQ+ film festival in Portugal that featured pedophilic and incestuous content.

Conservative groups, including The Heritage Foundation and the Family Research Council, have argued that exporting LGBTQI+ ideology has been a priority at the State Department since Biden took office.

“Attempting to export contentious current viewpoints held by slim and temporary political majorities does not advance U.S. national interests abroad and might very well induce opposition to them,” the report from The Heritage Foundation reads.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/02/06/biden-state-department-funds-program-to-create-army-of-2500-lgbtqi-allies/

Words that kill: How Western spin doctors dehumanize select peoples to justify war

Carefully chosen words and turns of phrase serve as lubricant for US-backed military machines

With Israel’s punitive operation against Gaza now in its fourth month, it’s impossible not to compare Western outrage regarding other conflicts with the selective morality now being applied when dealing with Israel.

Even the briefest assessment of how the West’s innumerable wars have been portrayed in a client media quickly yields irrefutable evidence that the marketing of conflicts, as justified by Western powers, is central to their continued legitimization.

Since the Second World War, the US has been directly and indirectly involved in dozens of wars and coups d'état alongside innumerable covert and overt conflicts across the globe. Given the vast resources required to perpetuate this aggressive global mechanism of influence, its important to recognize that the taxpayers being asked to fund these “forever wars” may never have gone along with them without the assistance and covert alignment of a client media.

Language and terminology are, of course, a central and fundamental element when you need to portray a war as morally acceptable. This is glaringly obvious when we examine how Western media are portraying the current escalation in Gaza. American and British media subtly portray victims on one side as more expendable as opposed to the other, for example, by referring to Israeli casualties as having been “killed” while Palestinian ones are described as having simply “died”, while minors held captive by Israel, who have been detained without trial in some cases for several years, are referred to as “prisoners” while Israelis held by Hamas are referred to as “hostages.”

This willful deployment of language to sterilize and dehumanize a victim, or indeed an entire ethnicity, is by no means accidental. It is an essential element of a psychological endeavor to tip the scales in the viewers’ (physically far removed from the conflict) subconscious calculation of culpability. It’s simple to consider the elimination of “terrorists” as justifiable, whereas the mass killing of many thousands of defenseless children, women, and sick and elderly people is a far harder task to sell to an increasingly informed Western public.

The manipulation of the Western client media is by no means a departure from the norm. Current consumers of “trustworthy” news in the West should recall the CIA’s widespread use of journalists, both at home and abroad, to influence public opinion in the 1960s, widely believed to be part of ‘Operation Mockingbird’, a labyrinthine and vastly resourced operation which set out to influence the messaging of the mainstream media. While the existence of that particular operation was never confirmed, the CIA’s past efforts to recruit journalists – hundreds of them, both at home and abroad – was exposed in a US Senate investigation.

Today, given the eye-watering price tag for the proxy war in Ukraine, the average observer would be exceptionally naive to presume that similar influence is not currently being applied to the media when it comes to the justification of conflicts and the vilification of perceived “enemies” of Uncle Sam, such as Russia and China. It’s worth remembering that we’re talking about media outlets that rely almost exclusively on “good relations” with the White House and Downing Street to access “leaked” information and stay on the “inside track” of the news business. Dirty your bib once by asking the wrong question, and it’s into the information wilderness with you. It’s not called the “spoon fed narrative” for nothing.

Examining the language around the conflict in Ukraine provides a good idea about how a bias is instilled in the viewer and the reader. Despite the complex and long-running issues that contributed to the Russian intervention in 2022, the Western media opts for a shamelessly one-sided narrative, intentionally apportioning exclusive culpability to Russia. The dehumanization of living and dead Russians seems to be a keystone of this tactic alongside selective revisions of history. The indefensible failure of a media that touts itself as the champion of equality and freedom to tackle the essentially xenophobic impulse that forms the core of this strategy, speaks volumes.

https://www.rt.com/news/591944-words-us-backed-military-machines/

HEZBOLLAH SETS ISRAELI BORDER SITES ON FIRE, WOUNDS THREE TROOPS

On February 8, Hezbollah attacked several Israeli military sites and settlements on the border with Lebanon using rockets and other weapons.

A non-commissioned officer of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) was seriously wounded and two more soldiers were slightly hurt when Hezbollah fighters targeted the headquarters of the 769th Territorial Brigade “Hiram” of the 91st Galilee Division in the Kiryat Shmona barracks. The IDF said that anti-tank guided missiles were used in the attack.

Hezbollah fighters also shelled the Biranit site with rockets and attacked the al-Radar site on Mount Hermon with “suitable weapons.

In addition, the group fired Falaq heavy rockets at the Maale Golan barracks and two other Burkan heavy rockets at the site of Birkat Risha.

A house occupied by Israeli troops in the settlement of Metulla and an artillery site in Zaora were also targeted by Hezbollah with rockets and “suitable weapons”.

Moreover, the group announced that its fighters had fired a salvo of Falaq rockets at the IDF’s Mount Meron air traffic control base.

The attacks were carried out in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in response to recent Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, Hezbollah said in eight separate statements announcing the operations.

Hebrew media also reported that four rockets were fired at the settlement of Snir from southern Lebanon, without causing any losses. Meanwhile, the IDF said that its air defenses intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” that entered Israeli airspace. Hezbollah didn’t claim responsibility for these incidents.

Following the attack on the Kiryat Shmona barracks, the IDF announced that its fighter jets carried out strikes on a building and other infrastructure used by Hezbollah in the south Lebanon town of Khiam. No casualties were reported there.

https://southfront.press/hezbollah-sets-israeli-border-sites-on-fire-wounds-three-troops-videos/

FRENCH WAVE OF ‘AMERICAN-BRITISH’ STRIKES HIT TWO YEMENI PROVINCES (VIDEOS)

On February 8, another wave of strikes targeted the provinces of Sa’dah and al-Hudaydah in northern and western Yemen.

Al-Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis (Ansar Allah), said that an “American-British aggression” targeted the area of Qutaynat in Baqim district in Sa’dah as well as the areas of Ras Issa and al-Shabakah in the Salif district in al-Hudaydah. The news channel didn’t report any casualties.

A day earlier, several American strikes hit Ras Issa in al-Hudaydah. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the strikes destroyed two mobile anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles which the Houthis were preparing for launch.

“CENTCOM identified these missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region,” the command said in a statement posted on the X social platform on February 8. “These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.”

The Houthis have targeted dozens of Israel-affiliated vessels and others owned by the U.S. and the United Kingdom since November 19 in response to the ongoing Israeli war and siege on the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 27,000 Palestinains.

The U.S. and the United Kingdom retaliated by carrying out dozens of strikes on military targets on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the group remains undeterred.

Earlier this week, the Houthis successfully attacked an American and a British ship in the Red Sea, which they identified as Star Nasia and Morning Tide respectively.

https://southfront.press/french-wave-of-american-british-strikes-hit-two-yemeni-provinces/

Hidden National-Toxicology-Program Report Declares Fluoride Makes Children Stupid

In the meta-analysis by NTP, 52 of 55 studies revealed a decrease in children’s IQ with an increase in fluoride. Internal emails discovered through FOIA have shown that this extremely alarming report by NTP was hidden from the public by Assistant Health Sec. Rachel Levine.

On my first day in office, I will begin a review of the heads of our regulatory agencies. I will immediately fire those with a history of protecting corrupt corporations over the public good and replace them with top scientists in each field who have shown a dedication to scientific integrity throughout their careers.

This is a perfect example of the kind of regulatory capture that will end when I am president of the United States. Though I have spent my career using the court of law to draw attention to this type of corporate corruption, I will not rely on court decisions but rather on peer-reviewed science to make recommendations to the public. This is all a part of my plan to end the chronic disease and the mental health crisis in America.

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has declared, “… the data support a consistent inverse association between fluoride exposure and children’s IQ.”

In the meta-analysis by NTP, 52 of 55 studies revealed a decrease in children’s IQ with an increase in fluoride. Internal…

ntp.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/ntp/about_ntp/bsc/2023/may/presentations/04_neurath_bsc_508.pdf

Israel's military campaign in Gaza has resulted in at least 100,000 Palestinians killed, injured or missing and presumed dead - more than 4 percent of the population of 2.3 million, or nearly every one in 20 people - as the genocide enters its fifth month.

Sixty percent of the 27,585 Palestinian fatalities recorded by the health ministry in Gaza since 7 October were women and children. Thousands more are buried under the rubble.

At least 17,000 boys and girls in Gaza are unaccompanied or separated from their family, according to the UN children's fund UNICEF.

Khan Younis in southern Gaza was bearing the brunt of the bombardment while Palestinian resistance groups fought Israeli ground forces across much of Gaza in recent days, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported.

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/ceasefire-elusive-gaza-genocide-enters-fifth-month

War on Gaza: Israeli activists set up tents to block humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza

Hundreds of Israelis from across the political spectrum are at the Kerem Shalom crossing, blocking aid trucks from reaching besieged Palestinians

Israeli protesters have once again stopped aid trucks from entering the besieged Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face an acute risk of famine, according to the UN.

In recent weeks, Israelis from across the political spectrum have been gathering at the Karem Abu Salem - or Kerem Shalom - crossing to stop the delivery of humanitarian aid.

On Wednesday, dozens of activists, many of them young, blocked aid trucks by lying on the streets. Some set up tents in the area so that they can stop aid moving in the long term.

The Karem Abu Salem crossing, which is located on the border with Egypt, is used by Israeli forces to inspect aid trucks before they enter the besieged Palestinian territory.

On Tuesday, protesters blocked about 130 humanitarian aid trucks from entering Gaza.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israeli-protesters-set-tents-block-humanitarian-aid-entering-gaza

Judicial Watch Sues Mississippi for Counting Absentee Ballots Received after Election Day

Judicial Watch announced today it filed a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the Libertarian Party of Mississippi, challenging a Mississippi election law permitting absentee ballots to be received as long as five business days after Election Day (Libertarian Party of Mississippi v Wetzel et al. (No. 1:24-cv-00037)).

Judicial Watch’s lawsuit details:

Under federal law, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year is election day (“Election Day”) for federal elections. See 2 U.S.C. §§ 1, 7 and 3 U.S.C. § 1.

Congress recently reaffirmed a single national Election Day when it enacted the Electoral Count Reform Act (“ECRA”). 136 Stat. 5233, 525 (enacted as Div. P., Title I, § 102(b) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, 117 Pub. L. No. 328, Dec. 29, 2022). See 3 U.S.C. § 21.

Under the recent Congressional amendments, no extension of Election Day shall be allowed unless there are “force majeure events that are extraordinary and catastrophic” that justify extension. 3 U.S.C. § 21.

Despite Congress’ unambiguous and longstanding statement regarding a single and uniform national Election Day, Mississippi extended Election Day by allowing five additional business days after Election Day for receipt of absentee ballots. See Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-637(1)(a).

No “force majeure events that are extraordinary and catastrophic” currently exist in Mississippi to justify extending the ballot receipt deadline for the November 5, 2024 federal election for Presidential and Vice-Presential Electors. See 3 U.S.C. § 21.

Robert Popper, a Judicial Watch senior attorney, leads its election law program. Popper was previously in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, where he managed voting rights investigations, litigations, consent decrees, and settlements in dozens of states.

In December 2023, notice letters to election officials in the District of Columbia, California, and Illinois, notifying them of evident violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, based on their failure to remove inactive voters from their registration rolls. The letters point out that these jurisdictions publicly reported removing few or no ineligible voter registrations under a key provision of the NVRA. The letters threaten federal lawsuits unless the violations are corrected in a timely fashion. In response to Judicial Watch’s inquiries, Washington, DC, officials admitted that they had not complied with the NVRA, promptly removed 65,544 outdated names from the voting rolls, promised to remove 37,962 more, and designated another 73,522 registrations as “inactive.”

In July 2023 Judicial Watch filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief, supporting the decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, which struck down Maine’s policy restricting the use and distribution of the state’s voter registration list (Public Interest Legal Foundation v. Shenna Bellows (No. 23-1361). According to a national study conducted by Judicial Watch in 2020, Maine’s statewide registration rate was 101% of eligible voters.

Judicial Watch in July 2023 also settled a federal election integrity lawsuit on behalf of the Illinois Conservative Union against the state of Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Elections, and its director, which grants access to the current centralized statewide list of registered voters for the state for the past 15 elections.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/counting-ballots-after-election/