>>4687046

ADL Director Says Attacks on George Soros ‘Appalling’, But Anti-Semitism Isn’t an Issue of Left vs Right

National Director of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt appeared on Meet the Press following the horrific attack on a synagogue on Saturday. Host Chuck Todd asked the director about Republican attacks on billionaire Democratic donor and funder of liberal causes George Soros, who is Jewish. Greenblatt also brought up Sheldon Adelson, a Republican donor and funder, who is also Jewish, and said “this isn’t an issue of left-right.”

Prior to the beginning of the clip above, Greenblatt discussed the resurgence of anti-Semitism “from the margins to the mainstream” because politicians and people with public platform “literally repeat the rhetoric of white supremacists, and they think it’s normal and permissible to talk about Jewish conspiracies, manipulating events, or Jewish financiers somehow controlling activities, and that is awful.”

That is when Chuck Todd brought up Soros. who has come up several times over the weekend as an example of someone attacked by Republicans using anti-Semitic stereotypes.

“You talk about financiers,” said Todd. “George Soros is a democratic donor, and he frequently is always described, his religion is always included in the description, other billionaires, their religion isn’t always included in their description when they contribute to candidates. What would you say to that?”

“The attacks on George Soros are appalling. And the continued invocation of class anti-Semitic themes, to see this way the man is mis-characterized online is just repulsive,” he said.

“Now I don’t agree with every donation he makes. But I also don’t agree with every donation Sheldon Adelson makes,” he said. “But you see it from the left and sometimes from the right, and it is all incredibly troublesome.

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/adl-director-says-attacks-on-george-soros-appalling-but-anti-semitism-isnt-an-issue-of-left-vs-right/

SYRIA UPDATE

Ala calls for lifting sanctions imposed on Syrian people

Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Hussam Eddin Ala called for lifting unilateral coercive measures imposed on the Syrian people.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=155218

A new batch of displaced Syrians in Jordan return via Nassib border crossing

SANA reporter said that a new batch including 130 displaced Syrians , mostly women and children, returned on Wednesday from al- Azraq and Zaatari camps in Jordan to their towns and villages liberated by the Syrian Arab Army from terrorism.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=155211

Senior Syrian Diplomat Confirms EU States Are Preparing To Restore Relations With Damascus

Syria’s Deputy-Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad, told RT on January 9 that many European countries are preparing to reopen their embassies in Damascus and revealed that several meeting were held to discuss this matter inside and outside of Syria.

Mekdada added that the Syrian government is keeping these talks a secret so that “the conditions of normalization of relations with the European countries become more positive and easier.”

Last week, several reports said that the United Kingdom and Italy are renovating their embassies’ buildings in the Syrian capital. While the UK stressed that it’s not planning to restore its relations with Syria, Italy has not commented on these reports yet.

“The Assad regime lost its legitimacy due to its atrocities against the Syrian people. We therefore closed the British Embassy in Damascus in 2012. We have no plans to reopen it,” said Martin Longden, UK Special Representative for Syria, on Twitter.

Local observers believe that Italy will likely lead the efforts to restore the Syrian-European relations, especially that the country has maintained a secret relation with Damascus since the beginning of the war.

https://southfront.org/senior-syrian-diplomat-confirms-eu-states-are-preparing-to-restore-relations-with-damascus/

Unusual Russian Movements Around Idlib

These unusual Russian movements led to a state of panic among Syrian opposition activists and leaders. Many figures accused Moscow of taking advantage of the ongoing attack of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) [the former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria] against Turkish-backed militants and preparing to launch an attack on the governorate of Idlib.

“What’s happening in Idlib is the wish of the Russians, the Iranians and the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad,” the Syrian news outlet Enab Baladi quoted Brigadier General Ahmed Berri, a commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), as saying Opposition activists fear that if HTS capture that region, Russia will pullout from the demilitarized zone agreement with Turkey and attack Idlib.

https://southfront.org/unusual-russian-movements-around-idlib/

Ryabkov: Officials at US Administration insist on keeping illegitimate military presence in Syria

He added “in the current circumstance and the case of Washington’s attempt to control the world and its ambition to be present everywhere and to settle issues in accordance to its conditions I cannot imagine that the USA will suddenly withdraw completely from Syria.”

https://sana.sy/en/?p=155185

Military Situation In Syria On January 9, 2019 (Map Update)

This map provides a general look at the current military situation in Syria:

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have launched a new attempt to capture and secure the town of al-Shafah in the remaining ISIS-held pocket in the Euphrates Valley;

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has continued its expansion within the Idlib de-escaltion zone capturing new areas;

A new round of ceasefire violations has been reported in northern Hama.

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-syria-on-january-9-2019-map-update/

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>>4687156

Agricultural Sector Revitalized in Deir ez-Zor

The agricultural sector in Deir ez-Zor province is witnessing a renaissance and the wheel of production has starting running after a hiatus of several years, due to the terrorist attacks which mainly targeted infrastructure and water projects, in parallel with the return of tens of thousands of its inhabitants to their houses and farms.

https://syrianobserver.com/EN/news/47842/agricultural-sector-revitalized-in-deir-ez-zor.html

Jan. 9, 2019: Turkey Wants US Military Bases In Northern Syria

“We are pleased with Trump’s decision for withdrawal [from Syria], but it needs to be clarified as to what kind of structure will be left behind, what will happen to the heavy weapons that have been deployed, the fate of American military bases and logistics centers. In this meeting we discussed these in detail,” Kalın stressed.

https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-jan-9-2019-turkey-wants-us-military-bases-in-northern-syria/

Ahrar Al-Sham Groups Dissolve Themselves After Series Of Defeats From Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

After receiving a humiliating defeat from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Ahrar al-Sham Movement’s groups in northwestern Hama agreed to surrender and dissolve themselves on January 9.

HTS launched its attack on the Ahrar al-Sham Movement’s positions in the al-Ghab Plains and the Shashabo mount a day earlier. Within few hours the radical group, which was the main branch of al-Qaeda in Syria, imposed its control of the towns of al-Ankawi and Habit forcing the remaining fighters of Ahrar al-Sham to surrender.

The Ahrar al-Sham Movement is the core of a Turkish-backed coalition that operates under the name of the National Front for Liberation (NFL). However, the coalition didn’t intervene to support Ahrar al-Sham during the battle in northwestern Hama.

https://southfront.org/ahrar-al-sham-groups-dissolve-themselves-after-series-of-defeats-from-hayat-tahrir-al-sham/

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Expansion In Northwestern Syria

This map provides a general look at the current military situation in northwestern Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has significantly expanded its control within the Idlib de-escalation zone and is workong to expand it further.

https://southfront.org/map-update-hayat-tahrir-al-sham-expansion-in-northwestern-syria/

With Golan at Stake, Netanyahu, Bolton Set Trump Straight on US Syria Withdrawal Plan

Israel’s main motivation in preventing a swift U.S. exit from Syria was also made explicit by Netanyahu, who openly stated on Twitter that Israel’s push to obtain sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights – which is internationally recognized as part of Syria – was the driving factor behind Israel’s recent efforts to dramatically slow down Trump’s plan for an “immediate” withdrawal of U.S. troops currently occupying Syrian territory illegally.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/with-golan-at-stake-netanyahu-bolton-set-trump-straight-on-us-syria-withdrawal-plan/5665086

https://www.mintpressnews.com/us-troop-withdrawal-plan-would-hand-off-northeastern-syria-to-turkey/253176/

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Jordanian Foreign Minister Demands Israel To Return Golan Heights To Syria During Joint Press Conference With US Secretary Of State

On January 8th, Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi described the Golan Heights as occupied Syrian territory and demanded that Israel withdraw its forces from the area.

Safadi’s comments came during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who landed in Amman earlier in the day.

“The Golan Heights are occupied Syrian territory. International law is clear on that. It has to be treated as such,” Safadi told reporters.

“Therefore, our position is that Israel needs to withdraw from that territory in the framework of a peace agreement,” he added.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war. It unilaterally annexed the area in 1981, in a move that wasn’t recognized internationally.

The UN Security Council has maintained the illegality of measures taken by Israel “to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan,” adding that “acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible under international law.”

During the press conference Pompeo essentially spoke about Iran and that the US would “redouble” its diplomatic and commercial efforts to counter Tehran’s “malign influence” in the region.

Two days before the press conference, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, Bolton guaranteed the US commitment to Israel’s security in the midst of the withdrawal from Syria.

Netanyahu on his part said that the time has come for US to recognize the annexation of the Golan Heights. “The Golan Heights is tremendously important for our security,” he said.

The Israeli PM said that he hoped to helicopter to the strategic plateau on January 7th with Bolton so that “you will be able to understand perfectly why we will never leave the Golan Heights, and why it is important that all countries recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”

Earlier, in December 2018, Bolton said that the US had no plans of recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.

In September 2018, US ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that he expected the Golan Heights to remain under Israeli control “forever,” and mentioned the possibility of US official recognition of the Golan as Israeli territory.

In October 2018, Jordan announced its decision to not extend a 25-year deal that allowed Israel to use two tracts of territory along its border, as Netanyahu said Israel was planning to negotiate an extension.

“These are Jordanian lands and they will remain,” King Abdullah II said. In an “era of regional turmoil” his kingdom -sandwiched between Syria to the north, Iraq to the east and Israel to its west – Jordan wanted to protect its “national interests.”

Jordan is one of two Arab countries, the other being Egypt, that have signed a peace treaty with Israel. Despite it, MPs in Jordan have repeatedly called for an end of the agreement. Jordan officials are quite pro-Palestinian, so anti-Israeli sentiments are not surprising.

https://southfront.org/jordanian-foreign-minister-demands-israel-to-return-golan-heights-to-syria-during-joint-press-conference-with-us-secretary-of-state/

Tijuana: 18 Murdered in 18 Hours=

The cartel-related drug violence in Tijuana continues to rage into 2019 with 18 killed in as many hours this past Monday and Tuesday, leaving at least 68 dead in the new year.

The figures were provided by the state attorney general’s office, according to local reports. A total of eight victims were also found wounded during the time period.

Tijuana set a new record for homicides in a single year in 2018 with 2,508 thanks to an alarming number of cartel-related murders–most tied to the street-level distribution of drugs. This violence continues despite numerous measures taken by Mexico City to intervene, including military surges and use of additional federal and state police personnel.

The 18-hour span began on Monday morning at 6:54 am in colonia Hacienda Santa María, where a male murder victim was left in the roadway under a blue tarp. The last victim during the period was recorded at 1:22 am Tuesday when municipal police discovered a male victim inside the trunk of a Honda in colonia Ejido Maclovio Rojas.

On Sunday, law enforcement and officials held a double funeral for two municipal police officers who were gunned down Thursday while eating at a Chinese restaurant in colonia Sánchez Taboada, which is known as one of the most violent sections of Tijuana. There is a high concentration of street-level dealers moving methamphetamine for the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) in the area. Officer Fidencio Figueroa Rodríguez died in hospital the night he was shot, and the wounded officer, Omar Araujo, died of his wounds Saturday. A key cartel operative wanted by authorities for his alleged role in a conspiracy to traffic huge quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana to various cities in the United States was gunned down with his wife in Tijuana Saturday. The fugitive was a member of the CJNG and supposedly involved in the murder of the two Tijuana police officers.

During funeral services, Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastélum Buenrostro addressed those in attendance and instructed his officers to not be afraid of using their firearms when faced with the “degenerates.” During the early days of the arrival of the migrant caravan in Tijuana, Mayor Gastélum Buenrostro wore a red “Make Tijuana Great Again” baseball cap– a nod to President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan and iconic headgear.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2019/01/09/tijuana-18-murdered-in-18-hours/

PURE EVIL. Nancy Pelosi Says 66,000 Opioid Deaths and 25,000 Illegal Alien Murders Is a “Manufactured Crisis”

Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi says the US border emergency is a “manufactured crisis.”

This is how Democrats regard the emergency at the US southern border.

66,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2017 with a majority of the illegal drugs coming across the US southern border.

You cannot be for eliminating illegal drug activity and be open border at the same time.

A study released in 2011 found that there were 25,000 illegal aliens serving time in prison for homicide.

In 2011 by the Government Accounting Office reported on incarcerations, arrests and costs of criminal immigrants. (gao.gov/assets/320/316959.pdf)

That report noted the number of criminal illegal immigrants in federal prisons in 2010 was about 55,000; the number incarcerated in state prison systems and local jails was approximately 296,000 for the year 2009.

Based on the GAO’s sample of criminal immigrants, it’s estimated that the study population of these 249,000 criminals had actually been previously arrested around 1.7 million times, averaging about seven arrests per person. That translated into a half-million drug related offenses, 70,000 sexual offenses, 213,000 assaults, 125,000 arrests for larceny/theft and 25,000 homicides.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/01/nancy-pelosi-says-66000-opioid-deaths-and-25000-illegal-alien-murders-is-a-manufactured-crisis/

US House Passes Bill to Reopen Treasury, Federal Tax Agency Amid Shutdown

The US House of Representatives passed and sent to the Senate a bill to reopen the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department amid a partial government shutdown that has been ongoing since December 22 due to disputes over the funding of a border wall.

The House voted 240-188 to pass the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act on Wednesday. Only 8 Republicans voted in favour of the legislation.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Trump administration said it would veto each spending bill the House passes because they fail to address the border security needs the administration is requesting. Senate Republican leaders have backed Trump, so are likely to reject the House bill.

US President Donald Trump is requesting $5.7 billion for the construction of a wall on the US border with Mexico. Democrats, who control the US House, have vowed to block any bill that includes the amount of money Trump is requesting to construct the border wall.

On December 22, the US government shut down after Democrats refused to include the funding Trump had requested.

https://sputniknews.com/us/201901101071350335-usa-shutdown-bill-reopen/

Pence: Nancy Pelosi a ‘No’ on Border Security Even if Trump Opens Government

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused Wednesday to negotiate border security, even if President Donald Trump reopens the government quickly, Vice President Mike Pence recounted following the meeting.

Pence detailed a moment during Wednesday’s White House shutdown meeting with Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. President Donald Trump asked Speaker Pelosi if she would negotiate border security and wall funding if he opened up the government quickly. “The Speaker of the House said ‘no,’” Pence recounted. He believed at that point the president “thought there was no longer any reason to be talking at this meeting.”

President Trump walked out of the meeting, announcing on Twitter, “Just left a meeting with Chuck and Nancy, a total waste of time.”

Pence said talk with leaders continued afterward.

The vice president said the offer put in front of Democrats during Wednesday’s meeting included not only President Donald Trump’s priorities for securing the southern border and addressing the crisis there, but also the priorities of Democrats.

Pence pointed to the 60,000 individuals being apprehended coming across the border every month, two thirds of which are families and unaccompanied minors. “It’s not a situation that our Border Patrol system was ever designed to deal with,” he said calling for reforms and a wall.

The vice president said it should be distressing to tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of federal workers that Democrats’ only answer is “we will not negotiate.”

“The president said, if I open up the government now would you then negotiate border security and the Speaker said ‘no.’”

Pence directed Americans to call their Congress member and Senator on the issue of securing the southern border and dealing with the humanitarian crisis there.

“Congress should just do their job,” Pence said with marked emphasis.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen also offered details of the meeting.

“I think the president was very calm in trying to continue to put different options on the table to solve this serious crisis at our border,” Scalise told reporters outside the White House. “Last night [the president] laid out some of the problems and challenges we’re facing as a country and how we can get a solution.”

“Today what he did was start to offer some more ideas,” Scalise recounted. He said their teams worked over the weekend, “but at some point the other side has to put a counter offer on the table. ‘No’ is not a valid answer if you’re serious about solving this problem.”

Experts tasked with securing the nation have put the cost of moving toward securing the border at $5.7 billion, a number Scalise referenced. He then rebuked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for jokingly offering just one dollar to address the problem of border security. He said her reaction and refusal to propose a counteroffer is not fair to those Americans missing a paycheck under the shutdown.

Scalise strongly stated that no one slammed a hand on the table as had been reported.

“On the behalf of the Department of Homeland Security I’m just thoroughly disappointed,” said Secretary Nielsen. “This is a crisis. It is a humanitarian crisis. It is a security crisis and the reality is that walls work.” She said everywhere they’ve put up walls it has worked to reduce illegal immigration by 90-95 percent.

“Do you want to stop the smuggling between ports of entry? You need a wall. Do you want to stop the human misery that’s pulled between the walls? You need a wall,” said Nielsen. “It’s not an or, it’s an and,” she said referring to the need and plan for securing the border both at ports of entry and between them.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/01/09/pence-nancy-pelosi-a-no-on-border-security-even-if-trump-opens-government/

>>4687314

Noted yesterday

Tim Cook made over $136 million in total compensation in 2018, including a $12 million bonus (AAPL)

Apple revealed that CEO Tim Cook was paid $15,682,219 in 2018 in an SEC filing.

That doesn't include $121 million in Apple stock that vested last year.

The median Apple employee makes $55,426.

Lots of Apple employees work in its retail stores and with AppleCare support and they factor into the median employee compensation calculation.

It's good to be Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The leader of the iPhone giant made over $15 million in 2018, according to a new filing with the SEC.

That includes a base salary of $3 million, $12 million in bonus incentives for hitting performance goals related to sales and operating income, and $294,082 to pay for Cook's private jet fare.

That's not including the massive stock incentives that Apple also provides to its chief executive as part of a 2011 grant. Cook cashed in $121 million of stock that vested earlier this year. Cook still has over 1.5 million Apple shares that haven't vested, worth about $189 million at the current share price.

Apple also revealed on Tuesday how much money its median employee makes: $55,426. That means that of Apple's 132,000 total employees, half make less than that, and half make more. Lots of Apple employees work in its retail stores and with AppleCare and they factor into the median employee compensation.

For example, Facebook's median employee makes significantly more: Over $240,000 per year. But Facebook doesn't have retail or call center workers.

Cook's compensation, not counting his restricted stock, is 283 times what the median Apple employee makes, according to the filing. Other Apple executives were also well-paid last year. CFO Luca Maestri, general counsel Kate Adams, retail head Angela Ahrendts, and COO Jeff Williams all made over $26 million each, according to the SEC filing.

"We believe the compensation paid to our named executive officers for 2018 appropriately reflects and rewards their contribution to our performance," Apple states in the filing.

Cook said in 2015 that he plans to give his entire fortune to charity. In 2018, he donated nearly $5 million in Apple stock to an unspecified charity, according to an SEC filing.

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/apple-ceo-tim-cook-salary-compensation-pay-2019-1-1027853348

State Puts Innocent People’s DNA In A National Database

The state of California is putting innocent people’s DNA in a national database for law enforcement. Specifically, two groups allege California collects DNA from people arrested but never convicted of crimes.

In addition, the state uploads DNA test results into a national database known as the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), Reason states. Moreover, most data remains in CODIS indefinitely.

“One-third of people arrested for felonies in California are never convicted,” Marcy Darnovsky claims. In detail, Darnosky is the executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society. Consequently, California keeps innocent people’s DNA on file forever.

California Keeps Innocent People’s DNA On File Forever

Meanwhile, the Center for Genetics and the Equal Justice Society are suing to stop California from keeping innocent people’s DNA.

“The government has no legitimate interest in retaining DNA samples and profiles from people who have no felony convictions, and it’s unconstitutional for the state to hold on to such sensitive material without any finding of guilt,” Darnovsky charges.

In fact, California is seizing, analyzing, and retaining DNA from all people suspected of felonies. In particular, police are uploading the DNA analyses of all suspects into CODIS.

Innocent people’s DNA is being kept on file because police upload wrongly arrested suspects’ DNA. For instance, DNA from any person that police question or detain in a case could be in CODIS. Notably, the DNA will still be on file if police release the person without charges.

Furthermore, the state retains all suspects’ DNA unless the suspect asks for the state to expunge it from CODIS. Few people go through this process because it is costly and requires a lot of paperwork.

https://www.offthegridnews.com/privacy/state-innocent-peoples-dna-database/

Take all YOUR money out of the bank

Safer under your bed! If you have lots seal it in a water tight container and bury it!

>>4687664

You obviously weren't here when Gorefag was posting.

FFS This is a war zone wtf do you expect???