Thank You Baker!
Washington lifts ban on controversial Ukrainian brigade
The Biden administration haslifted a long-standing ban on funding for Ukraine’s controversial Azov Brigade. Critics of this regiment, not just in Moscow, say some founding members of a volunteer group called the Azov Battalion, formed 10 years ago in response to Russia’s 2014 aggression in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, had links to neo-Nazis, and the US banned all support for the group. Two years later, aUN report accused the Azov group of “looting of civilian property, leading to displacement” in that region.
But today’s Azov Brigade, now part of Ukraine’s National Guard, claims fighters with links to ultra-nationalists long ago left the group, and a State Department spokesman reportedlytold the BBC that a review “found no evidence of gross violations of human rights” by the current group.
It’s one more sign the White House worries that Russia could make big gains in Ukraine this summer and long-stalled US support for Ukraine’s defenses will be partly to blame.
https://www.gzeromedia.com/news/watching/washington-lifts-ban-on-controversial-ukrainian-brigade
House Republicans move forward with effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt
The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Wednesday on whether to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.
It all stems from the Justice Department's refusal to release audio recordings of an interview with President Joe Biden regarding an investigation into whether he — as vice president — improperly kept classified documents. The investigation ended earlier this year without charges against President Biden, with special counsel Robert Hur issuing a final report that described the 81-year-old president's memory as "poor" and having "significant limitations" that would have made it "difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him."
Joe Biden
Biden's memory 'poor': Special counsel report raises age concerns
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"He did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended ('if it was 2013 — when did I stop being Vice President?'), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began ('in 2009, am I still Vice President?')," the report stated. "He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died."
https://www.news5cleveland.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-move-forward-with-effort-to-hold-attorney-general-merrick-garland-in-contempt
Texas Judge Halts Biden Gun Sale Restrictions in Four States
Four states and four gun organizations don’t have to comply with a new Biden administration rule expanding oversight of private firearms sellers, a federal trial court judge said.
Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday as to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah, and the organizations.
Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee who often sides against Biden on politically divisive issues, said the plaintiffs are likely to prevail on the merits. The plaintiffs if bound by greater scrutiny will suffer financial loss through reduced attendance and sales at gun shows, he said.
The states filed the lawsuit on May 1, the same day Florida filed a separate lawsuit to block the rule. The judge in that case hasn’t ruled on a motion for injunctive relief.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/texas-judge-halts-biden-gun-sale-restrictions-in-four-states
House Advances 2025 Defense Budget Bill
he House Rules Committee on Tuesday ruled in favor of advancing a House version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for consideration before the full House of Representatives.
The committee issued its ruling on Tuesday evening after an hours-long hearing to consider the annual defense budget bill.
The House version of the NDAA comes in at more than $880 billion and currently includes continued funding for military aircraft, ships, vehicles, and weapons programs, as well as a 4.5 percent pay raise for U.S. service members, and around 15 percent in additional pay raises for some junior enlisted service members, bringing their overall pay boost to nearly 20 percent under this year’s budget.
Lawmakers submitted more than 1,300 amendments to the bill, of which the committee ruled 350 were in order.
https://www.ntd.com/house-advances-2025-defense-budget-bill_999025.html
Hungary won't veto NATO support to Ukraine, but it won't participate, leader says
Hungary agreed on Wednesday not to veto NATO support for Ukraine but Prime Minister Viktor Orbán insisted that his government would provide neither funds nor military personnel for any joint assistance effort.
At a summit in Washington next month, U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are expected to agree on a new system to provide more predictable, long-term security help and military training to Ukraine’s beleaguered armed forces.
Ukraine’s Western allies are trying to bolster military support for Kyiv as Russian troops launch attacks along the more than 620-mile front line, taking advantage of a lengthy delay in U.S. military aid.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/hungary-wont-veto-nato-support-ukraine-wont-participate-leader-says
Biden Admin Lies About U.S. Military in Israel
In its latest war powers report to Congress, the White House has omitted any reference to Israel, concealing the fact that military personnel are permanently deployed in the country. The report, required to be submitted every 6 months, is supposed to keep the American people informed about the deployment of U.S. troops who might face combat.
The omission is just one of several by the Biden administration, which seems intent on obscuring its role in the perpetual war on terror and other military adventures overseas. The report, released on Friday to virtually no media coverage, details U.S. military deployments to regions as obscure as the Lake Chad Basin. But it says nothing whatsoever about the U.S. military presence in Israel amid the obvious dangers associated with Israel’s war in Gaza and Iranian missile strikes.
The U.S. military has had a number of military facilities in Israel for decades, including an air and missile defense element — the 13th Missile Defense Battery — that was assigned to the country in 2016 (and is stationed at “Site 512” as well as other locations). The U.S. presence in the country has always been considered sensitive; for decades, the U.S. has stored arms and other war materiel on the ground in Israel (for U.S. use in the defense of Israel). These various warehouses and compounds are secreted behind other innocuous names – Site 51, Site 53, Site 64.
https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/biden-admin-lies-about-us-military
LIVE NOW
Senate Republican Leaders Hold News Conference
https://www.c-span.org/video/?536340-1/senate-republican-leaders-hold-news-conference
Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, and Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, have introduced the Dismantle DEI Act
Dismantling DEI = Restoring Equal Protection of Law
The bill, S. 4516, is a necessary and important bill that would largely put an end to the racist policies being implemented throughout the federal government by the Biden administration under the rubric of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
DEI policies are typically overtly racist and sexist in that they mandate that government or businesses establish quotas or discriminate based on sex, skin color, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/06/12/dismantling-dei-restoring-equal-protection-law/
Biden admin giving the boot to G-men who vote Republican
House Republicans earlier this year decided to fully fund operations at the FBI. They may come to regret that decision, as new whistleblower documents suggest the bureau has been purging its ranks of agents who fail to toe the Democratic Party line.
Empower Oversight, a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on assisting government whistleblowers, sent a complaint this week to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz regarding a 12-year FBI veteran who was pushed out of the agency.
“The FBI forced our client to forego years of additional retirement credits, health benefits, and employment opportunities for expressing views that are supposed to be protected by the First Amendment,” Empower’s president, Tristan Leavitt, wrote to Mr. Horowitz.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jun/12/editorial-biden-admin-giving-boot-to-g-men-who-vot/
Federal Trial Jury Finds Man Guilty on Multiple Terrorism Charges
Louisville, KY – After a seven-day trial, a federal jury in United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky found a Bowling Green, Kentucky man guilty of providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”), conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, and receiving military type training from ISIS. ISIS, a Salafi-jihadist group that conducts notorious terrorist attacks worldwide, that has been designated a “foreign terrorist organization” by the Secretary of State since 2004.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky, Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
According to public filings and the evidence presented at trial, on June 3, 2014, Mirsad Hariz Adem Ramic, 34, of Bowling Green, Kentucky and two co-conspirators coordinated their departure from the United States, arriving separately in Istanbul, Turkey, abandoning the rest of their purchased travel itineraries in order to purchase tickets to fly to Gaziantep, Turkey. Gaziantep is located near the Turkey-Syrian border, and from there, Ramic and the two co-conspirators crossed into Syria and joined ISIS.
The evidence at trial established that after joining ISIS, Ramic attended an ISIS training camp, where he received military type training. A Photograph of Ramic, posted on social media, depicted him, among other things, wearing camouflage clothing and standing in front of a truck outfitted with an anti-aircraft gun and the ISIS flag.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdky/pr/federal-trial-jury-finds-man-guilty-multiple-terrorism-charges
Air Force and Space Force Introduce a New AI Tool
(Non-classified Internet Protocol Generative Pre-training Transformer (NIPRGPT))
Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to be disruptive and even game-changing technology, one that is already being embraced by the United States military – albeit cautiously. This week, the United States Air Force and United States Space Force announced the launch of a new AI tool that can be utilized by service members to determine how the technology can be used to aid in routine tasks, including producing reports, computer coding, and addressing IT issues.
Dubbed the Non-classified Internet Protocol Generative Pre-training Transformer (NIPRGPT), the tool could help provide a greater understanding of how AI can improve access to information.
“NIPRGPT is a critical bridge to ensure we get the best tools we have into our team’s hands while larger commercial tools are navigating our intense security parameters and other processes,” said Alexis Bonnell, Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) chief information officer. “Changing how we interact with unstructured knowledge is not instant perfection; we each must learn to use the tools, query, and get the best results. NIPRGPT will allow Airmen and Guardians to explore and build skills and familiarity as more powerful tools become available.”
https://news.clearancejobs.com/2024/06/12/air-force-and-space-force-introduced-a-new-ai-tool/
DOD Establishes Cyber Academic Engagement Office
In accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Section 1531, the Department of Defense (DoD), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has established the Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO) to serve as the consolidated focal point for cyber-related activities carried out between the DoD and academia stakeholders.
Mark Gorak, who currently serves as the Principal Director for Resources and Analysis, will dual-hat and assume the responsibilities as Director for the CAEO effective immediately.
Mark's responsibilities will include coordinating and funding academic engagement programs for the Department, conducting ongoing analysis of the performance for cyber-related educational efforts, establishing requirements, policies, and procedures to collect date on, and evaluating the performance of covered academic engagement programs.
The DoD remains committed to force readiness and sees this opportunity as a meaningful next step in the process of fortifying the nation's cyber posture for current and future generations.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3804283/dod-establishes-cyber-academic-engagement-office/
June 12, 2024
Defense Department Briefing
Defense Department Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh briefs reporters at the Pentagon.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?536360-1/defense-department-briefing
Semiannual Report to the Congress – October 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024
The DoD OIG submits semiannual reports summarizing its activities as required by the Inspector General Act of 1978. These reports serve to apprise Congress and the Secretary of Defense of noteworthy findings, progress, and recommendations for improvement.
During this reporting period, Inspector General Robert P. Storch was designated by Congress as the Special Inspector General (IG) for Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR), an operation that includes U.S. assistance to Ukraine. The DoD OIG worked closely with its partners to ensure comprehensive and effective oversight of U.S. assistance to Ukraine. It released 65 audit and evaluation reports, making 231 recommendations for improvement across diverse programs and operations. To further increase transparency of Federal oversight of U.S. assistance to Ukraine, the DoD OIG also launched a dynamic new website, www.UkraineOversight.gov, which went live to the public in March. This highly interactive website provides a user-friendly experience with comprehensive information about the coordinated oversight of all aspects of the U.S. Government’s Ukraine response.
The DoD OIG's remarkable work throughout the semiannual reporting period is a testament to the dedication and hard work of its employees.
https://www.dodig.mil/reports.html/Article/3804563/semiannual-report-to-the-congress-october-1-2023-through-march-31-2024/
Grothman Opens Hearing on Oversight of Deadly Osprey Crashes
WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Chairman Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing titled “Addressing Oversight and Safety Concerns in the Department of Defense’s V-22 Osprey Program.” Subcommittee Chairman Grothman highlighted how recent fatal crashes involving the V-22 Osprey aircraft and a pattern of the Department of Defense withholding information from Congress demand rigorous oversight and accountability. He expressed concern that despite the monumental investment the taxpayer has made in the Osprey program, the Department has not prioritized long-term sustainability and operability of the program and has even cut operations and maintenance budgets.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/grothman-opens-hearing-on-oversight-of-deadly-osprey-crashes/
Pennsylvania opens mail-in ballot applications for presidential election two months early
The Pennsylvania Department of State launched its mail-in ballot application on Tuesday, two months earlier than in 2020, giving voters more than eight weeks of additional time to apply for their absentee ballots.
The state piloted its redesigned mail-in envelopes during the April primary election, which may have contributed to a steep drop in mail-in ballots rejections due to technical errors, according to Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt, who last month told the Associated Press that counties reported a 13.5% decrease in rejected mail-in ballots, compared to the 2023 primary election.
“The Shapiro Administration is focused on commonsense, practical ways to improve the vote-by-mail experience for voters. That includes design changes to mail ballot materials, which resulted in fewer mail ballots being rejected in April’s primary election,” Schmidt said in a statement about early application portal.
https://statescoop.com/pennsylvania-mail-ballot-election-early-2024/
State Department launches beta program for online passport renewal
The State Department has launched a beta program for passport renewal applications that will be open to the public, according to senior officials at the department.
According to the officials, the program will begin by accepting a small number of online applications each day, with that limited number gradually ramping up as time goes on to ensure the State Department "can track any issues that arise and address them quickly and continuously improve the experience for the American people."
"The goal of online passport renewal is to save Americans time and effort, making it more convenient to renew their U.S. passports," one senior State Department official said.
MORE: Americans will need Real ID to travel in 2025: Here are the requirements
Eligible applicants must be 25 or older, live in the United states or one of its territories, currently hold a passport that is or was valid for a 10-year period, was issued between 2009 and 2015, and the biographic data on the document must be accurate and not require any changes to name, gender, date or place of birth.
Applicants should also not have scheduled international travel for at least eight weeks from the point they submit the application and must be requesting routine not expedited service.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/state-department-launches-beta-program-online-passport-renewal/story?id=111058678
Russian warships in Caribbean ‘don’t pose a threat to the US’: Pentagon
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6354876623112
Planned Parenthood Oregon leaders plan to dissolve political arm, sparking concerns about advocacy
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The new leaders of Oregon’s two Planned Parenthood affiliates want to dissolve the political arm of their organization to focus more on providing health care, a move that has sparked inner turmoil and opposition from advocates concerned about the future of reproductive rights in a pivotal election year.
Sara Kennedy, the new head of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, and Amy Handler, who oversees Planned Parenthood Southwestern Oregon, sent a letter last week to Planned Parenthood Advocacy of Oregon, the lobbying group that engages in political campaigns on the affiliates’ behalf, saying they planned to dissolve it, OPB reported.
In their letter, they said they wanted to focus more on “health care and advocating for the needs of the Planned Parenthood affiliates and their patients.”
“We are not dissolving our commitment to advocacy in Oregon,” they wrote. “Instead, we want to realign Planned Parenthood’s advocacy with our critical mission of delivering quality, equitable, and accessible sexual and reproductive health care.”
https://apnews.com/article/oregon-planned-parenthood-politics-57ed3281d3750a77da6705a7cdba6f7f
Court settlement lets people denied U.S. visas under the Trump-era 'Muslim ban' reapply for free
A major agreement in the long-running cases to repair the lasting harms of the so-called “Muslim ban” that former President Donald Trump enacted in 2017 calls for the government to provide a clear visa reconsideration process, free of charge, to nearly 25,000 people from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen who were prevented from getting U.S. visas.
When Biden took office, he rescinded the ban, but people are still affected. This settlement seeks to repair some of those harms.
Here & Now‘s Deepa Fernandes speaks with Maral Elliott, one of the plaintiffs in the case, and Baback Yousefzadeh, chair of the Iranian American Bar Association Board of Advisors, one of the groups that litigated the case.
https://www.kuow.org/stories/court-settlement-lets-people-denied-u-s-visas-under-the-trump-era-muslim-ban-reapply-for-free
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