Australia is not owned by Australian's!
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA is a registered US corporation
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/805157/000134100411001517/pos_am.htm
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/805157/000134100411001517/0001341004-11-001517-index.htm
https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000805157&owner=include&count=40
JP Morgan Is Quietly Moving Bank Branches Out Of Lower Income Areas
Some of the biggest banks in the United States are quietly closing branches in low income areas, and nobody more so than the people's JP Morgan.
As one example, JP Morgan is shutting it outlet in Aberdeen, Washington, where it has just one branch. And now that the bank is going to be leaving the town, the closest Chase branch is going to be 40 miles away. This is part of a broader move that banks are making, as they shift their attention in the age of online banking to wealthier areas, according to a new Bloomberg article.
As this branch closes, JP Morgan is planning on opening 70 branches in the vicinity of Washington DC. Places like McLean Virginia, the 25th richest town in the US, will be getting a branch. This comes amidst a larger move from banks to shrink their vast branch networks, cutting back in "relatively poor neighborhoods". As online banking spreads, major banks have still claimed that serving all of their customers at branch locations is important, regardless of income - a requirement of the Community Reinvestment Act.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-07/jp-morgan-quietly-moving-bank-branches-out-lower-income-areas
Alabama man sues abortion clinic for wrongful death over killing of his unborn child
A court has recognized the aborted fetus as a human being with legal rights
An Alabama man has sued an abortion clinic for wrongful death on behalf of himself and his unborn child for terminating his girlfriend's pregnancy against his wishes.
A probate judge signed off on allowing the man to represent the estate of the deceased fetus, referred to the baby as "Baby Roe," effectively recognizing the unborn child as a human being with legal rights — which the plaintiff's attorney says is a first in the U.S.
What are the details?
According to the suit, plaintiff Ryan Magers' former girlfriend discovered she was pregnant with Baby Roe in early 2017 and decided to have the child aborted.
When Magers found out, he pleaded with the mother to not terminate the pregnancy. Despite his wishes, she sought the services of the Alabama Women's Center for Reproductive Alternatives, which supplied her with a pill that induced the death of the six-week-old fetus.
Magers filed a letter of petition seeking to represent the estate of Baby Roe as the child's purported father, WHNT-TV reported. Probate Judge Frank Barger signed off on the letter, recognizing the rights of a fetus as a person in a significant legal move by the court.
Attorney Brent Helms, who represents Magers and Baby Roe, told WAAY-TV of the decision, "We have already had a victory, and it was the first of its kind, ever. This is the first estate that I'm aware of that has ever been opened for an aborted baby."
Magers is now suing the clinic, three unnamed agents, and the unknown pharmaceutical company that produced the abortion-inducing medication for wrongful death on behalf of himself and his unborn child. He is seeking a jury trial in the case.
"I'm here for the men who actually want to have their baby," the would-be father told WAAY. "I believe every child from conception is a baby and deserves to live."
Anything else?
Judge Barger's approval for Magers to sue on behalf of his unborn child has sparked outcry from abortion advocates and praise from abortion opponents.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue called the case "very scary," saying it is "asserting woman's rights third in line."
https://www.theblaze.com/news/man-sues-for-wrongful-death-of-aborted-child
Breakup of EU ‘can’t be ruled out’ if Brussels tries to enforce pro-immigration policies - Orban
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that a breakup of the European Union cannot be ruled out if one part of the bloc tries to impose pro-immigration policies on another.
Quoted on the Hungarian government’s website, Orban said he could see a danger of fragmentation within the European Union.
"If we are left alone and they do not force islamisation on us, Europe can continue to live as the club of free nations," Orban said, but added that if Brussels forces Hungary "to accept the UN migration pact or the European Commission's decisions so as to make us fit their own Western concessive policies, a breakup [of the EU] cannot be ruled out.”
On Wednesday, Orban welcomed recent suggestions by French President Emmanuel Macron about needed reform of the EU and said it could be the "start of a serious debate" about the future of Europe.
Orban said that Macron's proposal to reform the Schengen area policies and establish a common border force and EU asylum office are necessary — but whether Macron and Orban’s visions will align in reality is another question.
Orban has repeatedly butted heads with the EU over his reluctance to open Hungary’s borders to refugees, denouncing “Muslim invaders” and saying that no country should be forced to adopt imposed immigration policies or adhere to quotas set in Brussels.
Orban has recently come under fire for his "anti-Brussels campaigns" from the European People's Party, of which Orban's Fidesz is part. The EPP have even threatened to expel Fidesz over his frequent targeting of Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros and his use of anti-EU billboards.
Fidesz said on Thursday that the billboards attacking European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker would come down and be replaced by new ones showing Orban's plans to increase Hungary's birth rate.
https://www.rt.com/news/453272-breakup-of-eu-cant-be-ruled-out/
Rape Charges Dropped Against Cops Who Admitted to Sex With Teen They Kidnapped
Despite admitting to kidnapping and sex with a teenage girl, two police officers had 43 rape charges dropped this week.
New York, NY — It has been over a year since then 18-year-old Anna Chambers accused two on-duty NYPD officers of raping her in the back of a police van on the night of September 15th, 2017. As emphatically as she claims she was raped and did not consent to having sex with two police officers, she asserts not only have the police continued to attempt to intimidate her but the very justice system she looked to for help was set up to help the alleged rapists. Now, her claims have been proven correct.
Both of the officers, Eddie Martins and Richard Hall had faced up to 25 years in prison on the original rape and kidnapping charges, But this week, they had all those charges dropped. Because the system is set up in a way to protect predator police officers, the charges have been reduced to bribery and official misconduct. They have both since been released on their own recognizance.
“It’s just outrageous,” said Chambers’ lawyer, Michael David. “It was a clear-cut case. She was kidnapped. There was DNA evidence,” he said.
After Chambers’ case garnered national attention, New York lawmakers were forced to pass a bill last year banning cops from having sex with people they arrest. Up until last April, cops in New York could have sex with people in custody, so long as they claimed it was consensual. And that’s exactly what happened in this case.
Both officers kidnapped Chambers in 2017 for allegedly possessing marijuana. The cops conveniently let all of her friends go, and kept only the tiny teen girl.
As TFTP reported, Chambers used social media to voice her outcry for justice. She stated she was never actually arrested, just dropped off near the police station after she says Hall and Martins had their way with her, both men raping her while she was still in handcuffs.
Her friends were also told she was being arrested and could be picked up at the NYPD station. They were also allegedly told not to follow the van, a possible indication they had planned the rape beforehand.
After she was raped in the police van and went to the hospital afterward, nine cops allegedly showed up to harass and threaten her.
“They came with nine cops to intimidate her and her mom, to discourage them from coming forward and reporting the rape and sex assault,” attorney Michael David, told The Post.
The officers accused Chambers of making a false report, and suggested that she had made accusations against cops in the past, which she has not.
“Anna said [the officer] was trying to manipulate a rubber band over his name tag, so she couldn’t see who it was,” David said.
“He kept saying to Anna and her mom, ‘How do you know they were real cops?’ ” David said.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Your daughter doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” the officer allegedly said.
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/anna-chambers-kidnapping-charges-dropped/
New York is lawless
Michael Jackson’s $2 billion empire in jeopardy after HBO revives decades-old child abuse claims
The recently premiered documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’, which has brought back child abuse claims against the late Michael Jackson, may jeopardize the billion-dollar estate that flourished after the singer’s death in 2009.
Since the singer’s death, the Michael Jackson estate has become a huge financial empire, with posthumous deals reportedly bringing in around $2 billion. Last year, Sony purchased Jackson’s share of EMI Music Publishing from the Michael Jackson estate for $287.5 million.
In the two-part documentary released by HBO, Wade Robson, 36, and James Safechuck, 41, describe their childhood experiences with Jackson in graphic detail, accusing Jackson of grooming and manipulating them and their families, and sexually abusing them.
The documentary, which premiered on the network on Sunday night, has evoked a wave of public anger across the world, with several radio stations in New Zealand and Canada dropping the King of Pop’s music from their playlists. Radio play provides a significant money flow for artists or their estates.
Child sex abuse claims also forced BBC Radio 2 to quietly delete the entertainer’s songs from their on-air stream, according to an earlier report by the Times. The newspaper claimed that the last time a solo Jackson song was aired on the station was on February 23. The allegations were denied by the radio station, which said that Jackson’s songs don’t feature on the playlist because it is for new releases.
https://www.rt.com/business/453254-jackson-songs-ban-billions-risk/
All about the shekels
Georgia Moves To Ban Abortions In Presence of Fetal Heartbeat
A Georgia House committee approved a bill Wednesday that seeks to ban abortions after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detected, marking a significant push to expand abortion restrictions in the state.
The House Health and Human Services Committee approved the measure by a 17 to 14 vote along party lines, The Associated Press reported. The bill makes exceptions in cases where the mother’s life is in danger. It also allows for abortions in cases of rape and incest, but only if a woman files a police report.
A heartbeat typically becomes detectable between six and nine weeks of gestation. Many women do not know they are pregnant at six weeks.
The bill’s approval comes after Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp promised to pass the “toughest abortion laws in the country,” during a campaign stop, according to the AP.
“We know life begins at conception. I think that’s worthy of full legal protection,” said state GOP Rep. Ed Setzler who authored the bill. “Certainly we can come together and recognize if there’s a human heartbeat, that child’s worthy of protection.”
Those opposed to the bill argue it will contribute to more unsafe and self-induced abortions and put women’s health at large in jeopardy. “It’s extremely dangerous for lawmakers to presume that they’re better equipped than women and their health care providers to judge what is appropriate medical care,” said Dr. Melissa Kottke who sits on the Georgia OB-GYN Society advisory board, the AP reported. (RELATED: More Than 20 States Sue Trump Administration Over Title X Abortion Funding ‘Gag’)
The Missouri House also passed a bill on Feb. 27 banning abortions in the presence of a fetal heartbeat.
Arkansas, North Dakota and Iowa have passed similar heartbeat abortion bans but have faced injunctions and court orders preventing them from enforcing the bans.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/03/07/fetal-heartbeat-bill-georgia-abortion/
Syrian L-39 Warplanes Pound Militant Positions In Southeastern Idlib
In the morning of March 7, three L-39 warplanes of the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) conducted a series of airstrikes on the town of Saraqib in the southeastern Idlib countryside, according to Syrian opposition activists.
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a Czechoslovakian high-performance jet trainer with offensive capabilities. The SyAAF has been using this type of warplanes in close air support and ground attack missions, since 2012.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the airstrikes targeted several positions, hideouts and ammo depots of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria.
“The army’s airstrikes destroyed many hideouts, killed many terrorists, injured others and destroyed their weapons and equipment,” the SANA’s reporter said.
A day earlier, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) destroyed a headquarters of Jaysh al-Izza in southern Idlib killing more than 7 fighters of the group. Later, the army shelled several positions of the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) in northwestern Idlib for the first time in months.
These new attacks by the SAA are likely aimed at deterring militant groups, who continue to violate the Russian-Turkish demilitarized zone agreement.
https://southfront.org/syrian-warplanes-pound-militant-positions-in-southeastern-idlib/
Inside the shady private equity firm run by Kerry and Biden’s kids
March 15, 2018
Joe Biden and John Kerry have been pillars of the Washington establishment for more than 30 years. Biden is one of the most popular politicians in our nation’s capital.
His demeanor, sense of humor, and even his friendly gaffes have allowed him to form close relationships with both Democrats and Republicans. His public image is built around his “Lunch Bucket Joe” persona. As he reminds the American people on regular occasions, he has little wealth to show for his career, despite having reached the vice presidency.
One of his closest political allies in Washington is former senator and former Secretary of State John Kerry. “Lunch Bucket Joe” he ain’t; Kerry is more patrician than earthy. But the two men became close while serving for several decades together in the US Senate. The two “often talked on matters of foreign policy,” says Jules Witcover in his Biden biography.
So their sons going into business together in June 2009 was not exactly a bolt out of the blue.
But with whom their sons cut lucrative deals while the elder two were steering the ship of state is more of a surprise.
What Hunter Biden, the son of America’s vice president, and Christopher Heinz, the stepson of the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (later to be secretary of state), were creating was an international private equity firm. It was anchored by the Heinz family alternative investment fund, Rosemont Capital. The new firm would be populated by political loyalists and positioned to strike profitable deals overseas with foreign governments and officials with whom the US government was negotiating.
Hunter Biden, Vice President Joe Biden’s youngest son, had gone through a series of jobs since graduating from Yale Law School in 1996, including the hedge-fund business.
By the summer of 2009, the 39-year-old Hunter joined forces with the son of another powerful figure in American politics, Chris Heinz. Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania had tragically died in a 1991 airplane crash when Chris was 18. Chris, his brothers, and his mother inherited a large chunk of the family’s vast ketchup fortune, including a network of investment funds and a Pennsylvania estate, among other properties. In May 1995, his mother, Teresa, married Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. That same year, Chris graduated from Yale, and then went on to get his MBA from Harvard Business School.
https://nypost.com/2018/03/15/inside-the-shady-private-equity-firm-run-by-kerry-and-bidens-kids/
Cont. from images:
According to BHR internal documents, the Henniges deal included “arduous and often-times challenging negotiations.” The CFIUS review in 2015 included representatives from numerous government agencies including John Kerry’s State Department.
The deal was approved in 2015.
Israel cuts water supply to 2,600 Palestinians in Jordan Valley
Israeli forces and the Israeli Civil Administration cut the water supply to 2,600 of Palestinians living in communities in Bardala village in the Jordan Valley, northern occupied West Bank, yesterday.
Mutaz Bisharat, an official who monitors settlement activity in Tubas/Jordan Valley, told Ma’an that Israeli forces cut off water supply for 60 per cent of residents of the Bardala village; amounting to 2,600 people.
Israeli forces also cut off water supplies for 1,800-2,000 dunams (445-494 acres) of Palestinian agricultural lands that must be continuously irrigated.
Bisharat added that Israel claims that water sources in the area are illegal, adding that this cannot be true because the water comes from wells in the village and inside Palestinian lands.
He pointed out that as Israeli forces cut off water supplies for Palestinians, they construct wells for Israeli settlers.
Bisharat called upon international and humanitarian institutions to immediately intervene to stop Israeli violations of human rights.
The Jordan Valley forms a third of the occupied West Bank, with 88 per cent of its land classified as “Area C” which falls under full Israeli military control.
Jordan Valley residents mostly live in enclaves closed off by Israeli military zones, checkpoints, and more than 30 illegal Israeli settlements.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190307-israel-cuts-water-supply-to-2600-palestinians-in-jordan-valley/
Netanyahu declares Al-Aqsa TV channel terrorist organisation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a decree yesterday declaring Palestinian Al-Aqsa TV a terrorist organisation, claiming it is used by Hamas to recruit terror groups, Israeli media reported.
“This decision comes at the recommendation of the Shin Bet and the Defense Ministry’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing, after the Shin Bet revealed terror group Hamas’ use of the satellite channel ‘Al-Aqsa’ to recruit operatives,” a statement issued by his office said.
In February, Shin Bet claimed that the channel’s broadcasters use quotes from the Quran or subtle language as gestures to recruit Hamas operatives in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
Israeli warplanes have targeted and destroyed Al-Aqsa TV and Radio several times since 2000, when they were firstly launched after years of being banned by the Palestinian Authority.
In November 2018, Israeli warplanes bombed the channel’s headquarters in central Gaza City over claims of incitement against Israeli citizens. The channel was forced off air as a result.
“Netanyahu’s decision against the Al-Aqsa channel is aimed to encourage the targeting of media institutions and an attempt to demonise and prevent the sending of the messages to the world and to suppress our story and narrative,” the channel said in a statement in response to the Israeli measure.
In 2010, the United States blacklisted Al-Aqsa TV over claims of incitement against Israeli citizens.
All Palestinian media unions condemned the Israeli decision with the Journalists’ Club saying: “Al-Aqsa works to disclose the daily Israeli aggressions against Palestinians at a time when Israel does not want this to be reported to the world.”
“Israel declared it a terrorist group in an attempt to suppress its voice, which is the voice of all the Palestinians who are subject to Israeli brutality and barbarism.”
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190307-netanyahu-declares-al-aqsa-tv-channel-terrorist-organisation/
https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/gaza-news/Netanyahu-declares-Hamass-Al-Aqsa-TV-a-terrorist-organization-582599
Congress criticises Ihlan Omar’s words, but remains silent about Israel’s violence
The obsession with US Congresswoman Ihlan Omar’s criticism of Israeli influence over American politics really is unique. And what makes this debate genuinely immoral is that it focuses on Omar’s words but ignores the killing and oppression of Palestinian civilians by Israel.
The Minnesota Congresswoman has been pilloried over the past few weeks for criticising members of Congress who take money from pro-Israel Political Action Committees (PACs) in exchange for political support for Israeli policies. Omar has also highlighted the ugly tendency for many pro-Israel activists and politicians to have an apparently greater loyalty to Israel, a foreign country, than they do to the United States.
As a journalist for nearly half century, I know it is a reality that PACs donate millions to congressmen and women specifically to influence their votes. So why is Omar’s legitimate criticism of donations by supporters of a foreign country, Israel, denounced viciously by Republicans and Democrats alike as an “an anti-Semitic trope”? This is the quid-pro-quo: literally, “something for something”. Translated from Latin into US politics it comes up as, “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”.
As I have written before, pro-Israel activists and the Congressmen and women they “buy” with their PAC donations have weaponised anti-Semitism, turning it into a political bludgeon rather than trying to suppress the racist hatred of Jews, although Arabs are Semites, too, by the way.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190307-congress-criticises-ihlan-omars-words-but-remains-silent-about-israels-violence/
Why The U.S. Is Terrified That Huawei Controls The World's 5G Network
With 29 billion connected devices by 2022, one security expert claims, “Whoever gets to dominate 5G infrastructure will become the owner of the next generation of the world’s telecoms infrastructure.” That company is Huawei. ⁃ TN Editor
US lobbying against Chinese firm Huawei, one of the biggest phone makers and telecommunications kit providers in the world, hit a new level this week during the phone industry’s big annual conference.
Around 100,000 technology vendors, carriers, and device makers head to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona every year both to strike deals and to showcase emerging technologies. This year, the conversation was dominated almost exclusively by 5G, as carriers look to introduce next-generation, superfast mobile networks.
The conference was heavily sponsored by Huawei, as the firm made its big pitch about its 5G capabilities.
But looming in the background were the months of negative press about whether Huawei’s equipment might provide a backdoor that would allow the Chinese government to spy on people.
The firm’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, is awaiting Canada’s decision on whether to extradite her to the US, after alleged sanctions violations. And the company was also indicted by the US for alleged theft of trade secrets.
Rotating chairman Guo Ping took to the stage on Tuesday morning to talk up Huawei’s 5G business to a cavernous auditorium filled with telecoms executives and journalists.
His speech took an unexpected turn about halfway through, when he fired a shot at the US government, turning claims that Huawei spies on behalf of China back on America.
“PRISM, PRISM on the wall, who is the most trustworthy of them all?” Guo said onstage, in reference to the PRISM surveillance system used by America’s intelligence agency. “Huawei has a strong track record in security in three decades. Three billion people around the world. The US security accusations of our 5G has no evidence, nothing.”
Behind him, a slide appeared in his presentation with the statement: “Huawei has not and will never plant backdoors.” There was even some muted laughter from the audience.
Elsewhere around the conference centre, Huawei’s logo adorned lanyards of thousands of attendees, while ads for its Mate X foldable phone greeted visitors as they entered the building.
Just five hours after Guo’s swipe, US government officials held a small press conference to make their position on Huawei clear. Up until that point, there had been no visible sign of the US government delegation, which had quietly turned up to Mobile World Congress to lobby its European allies not to use Huawei’s equipment in their networks.
Reading from a printed statement, with no microphone or slides, top US cyber official Robert Strayer said: “The United States is asking other governments and the private sector to consider the threat posed by Huawei and other Chinese information technology companies.”
When pressed by reporters, Strayer refused to say whether the US had proof that Huawei might have built backdoors into its telecommunications equipment.
And asked if the US might simply be worried about leaning too heavily on a foreign tech company, Strayer said: “Really I think the question is this: Do you want to have a system that is potentially compromised by the Chinese government or would you rather go with a more secure alternative?”
The US will be hoping that Strayer’s comments, and its behind-the-scenes lobbying, will land more effectively with its allies than Huawei’s attack on the big stage at MWC.
Huawei upped the ante in its fight with the US over its telecommunication devices on Thursday local time, announcing that it filed a lawsuit against the US government, which has banned its federal agents from using the equipment, citing privacy concerns.
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/71474/why-the-us-is-terrified-that-huawei-controls-the-worlds-5g.html
N.C. sex trafficker gets 230 years, ordered to pay $608,000 restitution
Robin T. Applewhite of Cumberland County, N.C., was sentenced on Tuesday morning in Cumberland County Superior Court to at least 230 years behind bars, but no more than 299 years, following his conviction on Monday for coercing women into prostituting for him.
He also was ordered to pay the women nearly $608,000 because he did not pay them when they were his sex workers.
A jury considered charges of human trafficking, promotion of prostitution and conspiracy involving six women, three of whom testified against Applewhite. On Monday the jury convicted him for charges involving the three who testified plus one who is deceased. The jury found him not guilty of the charges involving the remaining two women.
The jury also found Applewhite guilty of being a habitual felon.
Over the years Applewhite, 42, has had addresses in Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake.
Kelly Twedell of the 5 Sparrows anti-human trafficking organization in Fayetteville attended the trial. In addition to the three victims who testified against Applewhite, Twedell said, two other women provided key statements: His wife, Samantha Rivard Applewhite, and a prior victim who spoke of other incidents outside the scope of the charges he faced in this trial.
Samantha Applewhite, too, faces charges in this case. She has arranged a plea bargain with the prosecutors in exchange for her testimony. Her sentencing date has not been scheduled, a prosecutor said.
Applewhite made headlines in 2013 and 2015 with arrests on human trafficking charges in Onslow and Cumberland counties. Twedell said the gist of the Cumberland County case against Robin Applewhite was that he forced the women to perform sex services for clients. He kept the money the women earned and he gave them drugs, she said.
Applewhite first contacted the women when he saw them advertising on Backpage, a now-defunct classified advertising website that once was a central location online for prostitution, Twedell said.
When Applewhite met the women and “he saw a vulnerability,” he took advantage of it, Twedell said.
For example, two women met Applewhite at a motel in Fayetteville, she said.
“He had a pill bottle in his hand. He shook it in front of them and said, ‘Hey, do you all need drugs?’” Twedell said.
A victim testified that the pills were “roxies,” Twedell said. That is a slang term for a form a version of the oxycodone opioid.
One testified she traded sexual services for the drugs, Twedell said. “And he said, ‘Hey, I’ve got more where this came from. I’ve got houses. I can put a roof over your head. We can make a lot of money,’” Twedell recounted.
“So they were recruited,” Twedell said.
Once the women were with Applewhite, Twedell said, he kept several locked in a basement. One, who testified she made $40,000 in a month, was kept in another house, Twedell said.
Applewhite advertised the women on Backpage and “he would arrange for dates” with the clients, Twedell said. He took them to hotels and sometimes had them service clients in his house in Spring Lake, Twedell said.
“Each girl said: In exchange for heroin, they would just turn over the money from the dates,” Twedell said. Prices were $100 for 30 minutes, $250 for an hour, she said.
“So they would come over, and come back from the dates, and immediately turn over all the money. So they never had any money,” Twedell said.
Applewhite got caught in March 2015 when one of the women broke out of the basement of the home in Spring Lake and ran for help. Further charges were levied in 2016 as investigators developed the case.
At his trial, which started in mid-February, Applewhite fired his lawyer and represented himself. So it was Applewhite, and not a lawyer, who cross-examined the women he victimized.
On Tuesday’s sentencing, Applewhite spoke on his own behalf.
http://www.spiritualvigor.com/2019/03/nc-sex-trafficker-gets-230-years.html
Israel's elections committee bans leftist Arab-Israeli coalition from running
Balad-United Arab List and candidate Ofer Cassif disqualified while far-right politicians cleared to run
srael’s election committee banned a leftist Arab-Israeli coalition from running in parliamentary elections next month even as it approved two members of a far-right party who have been labelled as racist.
The Central Election Committee on Wednesday prohibited both the Balad-United Arab List and Ofer Cassif, a member of another Arab-Israeli party, Hadash-Ta'al, from candidacy in decisions that rights groups said were politically motivated.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israels-elections-committee-bans-leftist-arab-israeli-coalition-running
US shifts weapons from Iraq to Syria
The Pentagon rerouted millions of dollars’ worth of weapons and vehicles from Iraq to Syria in the second half of 2018, Al-Monitor has learned, as US-backed forces cornered the last remnants of the Islamic State (IS).
In a series of notifications to Congress reviewed by Al-Monitor, the Defense Department said it had determined that a bevy of supplies purchased by the Pentagon for the Iraqi military would instead go to the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Pentagon sent lawmakers its last reprogramming notification for 2018 on Dec. 31, 12 days after President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.
The stock of equipment includes nearly 50 Humvees, 20 mine-resistant vehicles, 40 enhanced armament carriers and nearly 700 light anti-tank weapons. The Pentagon also approved the transfer of more than 2,400 mortar rounds, 25 mine rollers and dozens of charges used to destroy mines and other explosives, the letters indicate.
Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman, would not confirm whether the supplies had been moved, citing government policy. When Al-Monitor reported the transfer of route clearance equipment to Syria in June, he said it would “assist the SDF in successfully retaking the last remaining [IS-held] territory in Syria.”
“Ensuring that the SDF are sufficiently equipped has been critical to the SDF’s hard-fought campaign to liberate the Middle Euphrates River Valley from [IS] control,” he said last month. “The [Defense] department will always exercise effective and efficient use of the train-and-equip funding appropriated by Congress.”
Experts said the equipment may help the SDF further diminish IS, which beefed up its urban defenses with car bombs, booby traps and other battlefield hazards. Al-Monitor first reported that the Pentagon was transferring equipment from Iraq to Syria in June.
The equipment would be helpful, “particularly to be able to overcome entrenched [IS] defenses” and vehicle-born improvised explosive devices, which the militant group used extensively to slow US-backed forces in Syria’s Middle Euphrates River Valley, said Nick Heras, a Middle East fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
Mazlum Kobane, the SDF’s top commander, said last week IS is just days away from losing control of all its territory in Syria. But the shift in resources may come at a cost for Iraq, which is struggling to regain its military footing even after declaring IS defeated in 2017.
The Pentagon budgeted $800 million to rebuild the country’s armed forces last spring. But experts worry that without US boots on the ground in next-door Syria, Iraq could be forced to pick up the slack, taking on an expeditionary role fighting IS across the border.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/03/us-shifts-weapons-iraq-syria-pentagon.html
Israel’s ‘Rule of the Rabbis’ Who Preach Genocide Fuels Holy War
In which country did a senior, state-salaried cleric urge his followers last month to become “warriors,” emulating a group of young men who had murdered a woman of another faith?
The cleric did so with impunity. In fact, he was only echoing other highly placed colleagues who have endorsed a book – again without penalty – urging their disciples to murder babies belonging to other religions.
Where can the head of the clergy call black people “monkeys” and urge the expulsion of other religious communities?
Where does a clerical elite wield so much power that they alone decide who can marry or get divorced – and are backed by a law that can jail someone who tries to wed without their approval? They can even shut down the national railway system without notice.
Where are these holy men so feared that women are scrubbed from billboards, college campuses introduce gender segregation to appease them, and women find themselves literally pushed to the back of the bus?
Is the country Saudi Arabia? Or Myanmar? Or perhaps, Iran?
No. It is Israel, the world’s only self-declared Jewish state.
https://israelpalestinenews.org/israels-rule-of-the-rabbis-who-preach-genocide-fuels-holy-war/
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https://israelpalestinenews.org/israels-rule-of-the-rabbis-who-preach-genocide-fuels-holy-war/
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not true