Verizon. Pfizer. Bank of America. U.S. Corporations Are Funding Israeli Settlements.

Tax records show that the foundations of well-known corporations are funding settlements that are considered illegal under international law.

The corporate foundations of Verizon, Pfizer, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, American Express and JPMorgan Chase have collectively given over $25,000 to U.S. nonprofits that send money to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to tax records from 2001 to 2016 reviewed by In These Times.

A large network of U.S. nonprofits raises millions of dollars annually to send to Israeli settlements, which are built on Palestinian land and are considered illegal under international law. Some Israeli settlers violently harass Palestinians and burn down their crops. Israeli settlers have also killed Palestinians.

Tax records reviewed by In These Times show that Israeli settlements have a surprising source of funds: the foundations of some of the most well-known U.S. corporations.

In addition, the corporate foundations of Verizon, Pfizer, Deutsche Bank, American Express and JPMorgan Chase have collectively given over $48,000 to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, a U.S. nonprofit that sends millions of dollars to Israel’s military to support various enrichment activities—like education programs and recreational and cultural centers at army bases for soldiers.

Most of these funds come from corporate donations that match the donations of individual employees, though for some donations—all of Verizon’s and JP Morgan Chase’s in 2005, 2015 and 2016—it is not specified if the payments are matching grants. The corporate foundations encourage employee donations to nonprofits by promising that the companies will match donations to the nonprofits of their choice, doubling the total amount of money that go to those nonprofits.

http://inthesetimes.com/article/21752/israel-settlements-palestine-verizon-pfizer-bank-of-america-jpmorgan-chase

Judicial Watch Releases Police Report on Attack on Tucker Carlson’s Home: ‘Suspected Hate Crime’

(Washington, DC) — Judicial Watch today released a police incident report from the November 2018 attack on the home of Fox News host Tucker Carlson by the Antifa-linked group Smash Racism DC.

Judicial Watch obtained the Metropolitan Police Department incident report in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

According to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department report:

On the listed date, [Susie Carlson] heard loud banging and pounding on her front door. [Susie Carlson] went to investigate and saw a large group in front of her home. They had a bull horn and were chanting loudly. She retreated to a room in the rear of her home and summoned police. MPD arrived on scene and found a group of approximately 20 people. It was discovered that unknown persons spray painted an anarchy symbol on the driveway. There were also signs left on the vehicles parked in the driveway as well as a sign left on the front door of the home. The signs made reference to [Tucker Carlson’s] political affiliation.”

The report classifies the incident as “suspected hate crime” with the “hate bias/motivation” being “anti-political.” Also, the report says that six “hand-written posters” were seized as evidence. A handwritten note included with the report says that the “suspected group is Smash Racism DC.”

Tucker Carlson told The Washington Post that the mob had blocked off both ends of his street and carried signs that listed his home address:

“Tucker Carlson, we are outside your home,” one person could be heard saying in the since-deleted video. The person, using a bullhorn, accused Carlson of “promoting hate” and “an ideology that has led to thousands of people dying.”

“We want you to know, we know where you sleep at night,” the person concluded, before leading the group to chant, “Tucker Carlson, we will fight! We know where you sleep at night!”

***

Carlson said the protesters had blocked off both ends of his street and carried signs that listed his home address. The group called Carlson a “racist scumbag” and demanded that he “leave town,” according to posts on Twitter. A woman was also overheard in one of the deleted videos saying she wanted to “bring a pipe bomb” to his house, he said.

“Tucker Carlson wasn’t merely ‘targeted by protesters,’ as some media reported. His family was terrorized by a mob of 20 people who vandalized his property,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-releases-report-on-attack-on-tucker-carlsons-home-suspected-hate-crime/

Breaking News From Court Hearing! Allison Mack, Lauren Salzman & Kathy Russell in Plea Deal Negotiations – likely leaving Clare and Keith to stand trial

As has pretty much become the norm for every hearing in the case of the U.S. v. Raniere Et Al, today’s Status Conference saw much posturing and complaining from the defense attorneys representing Keith Raniere and Clare Bronfman – and not much of anything from the attorneys representing Allison Mack, Lauren Salzman, and Kathy Russell.

Oh – and it also included another bombshell announcement from the lead prosecution attorney, Moira Kim Penza, who seems to enjoy using these sessions to disclose major developments in the case.

Today’s bombshell: The prosecution is in plea deal discussions with three other defendants.

WOW!!

Assuming the current discussions result in plea deals, this means that two-thirds of the original defendants will have chosen to plead guilty to at least one felony charge rather than go to trial.

And it means the remaining two defendants will likely be facing some pretty devastating testimony from at least some of their former co-defendants.

So, let’s try to figure out which of the remaining defendants are in negotiations with the prosecution.

Based on the body language at today’s Status Conference – and the demeanor of Marc Agnifilo, Keith’s lead attorney and Mark Geragos, Clare’s lead attorney – it seems quite clear that none of them are involved in the current plea discussions.

It’s also been reported that upon hearing about the new plea deal negotiations, Mark Geragos muttered: “Well, I guess that leaves my client and Raniere”.

So, what happens if Allison, Lauren, and Kathy all take plea deals?

Well, nothing very good if you’re Keith or Clare.

https://frankreport.com/2019/03/18/breaking-allison-mack-lauren-salzman-kathy-russell-in-plea-deal-negotiations-likely-leaving-clare-and-keith-to-stand-trial/

Russia Replaces the West's Frankenstein Foods

Russia is set to become the world’s largest supplier of naturally grown organic foods, after taking a stand against genetically-engineered fake-food seeds last summer, saying that it has ‘chosen a different path.’

The decision is based on healthy skepticism as Russia has conclusively proved that GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) have not been proven safe for long-term consumption.

https://russia-insider.com/en/russia-replaces-wests-frankenstein-foods/ri26527

At Least 150 Dead, 1.5 Million Impacted as Cyclone Idai Slams Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe

At least 150 people have died in a cyclone that devastated parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi over the weekend, The Associated Press reported Sunday. Cyclone Idai has affected more than 1.5 million people since it hit Mozambique's port city of Beira late Thursday, then traveled west to Zimbabwe and Malawi. Hundreds are still missing and tens of thousands are without access to roads or telephones.

"I think this is the biggest natural disaster Mozambique has ever faced. Everything is destroyed. Our priority now is to save human lives," Mozambique's Environment Minister Celso Correia said, as AFP reported.

Very dangerous Tropical Cyclone #Idai continues to threaten populated areas as it makes its way across #Mozambique. Pacific Disaster Center will provide ongoing impact analysis and monitoring as this event unfolds. Our thoughts are with all of those in path of #Idai. pic.twitter.com/ToZRTppzGE

— Pacific Disaster Center (@PDC_Global) March 15, 2019

The storm, which had wind speeds of more than 124 miles per hour before making landfall, was the worst to hit Mozambique in at least a decade, Bloomberg News reported. While the storm was less intense than cyclones that hit the country in 2000 and 2008, it may have more of an impact because more people now live in affected areas.

"Tropical cyclone damage is a function not only of the intensity of the storm, but also the population size, level of development, and adaptation that has been implemented," University of the Witwatersrand senior lecturer in physical geography Jennifer Fitchett told Bloomberg via email. "A decade or more makes a huge difference in terms of the number of people affected."

Mozambique is at risk from an increase in heavy rainfall and more intense cyclones due to climate change, according to its USAID Climate Risk Profile. However, a 2018 study published in Environmental Research Letters found that the number of tropical cyclones forming over the Southwest Indian Ocean to make landfall in Southern Africa could actually decrease with global warming of up to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Mozambique is also threatened by sea level rise, which can make flooding worse. Beira is already working to mitigate rising ocean levels with infrastructure projects, BBC News reported.

Beira was especially hard hit by the weekend's storm, according to an initial assessment by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

"The situation is terrible. The scale of devastation is enormous. It seems that 90 per cent of the area is completely destroyed." Beira IFRC assessment team leader Jamie LeSueur said.

The @CruzVermelhaMOZ and @ifrc team flew into #Beira this morning. The devastation from #cycloneidai is massive but #RedCross is here on the ground and responding. @DekunleCharles @KaufmanR @hagacaroline @CorButler pic.twitter.com/ECg9Hdwa44

— Jamie LeSueur (@jamielesueur) March 17, 2019

https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/71658/at-least-150-dead-15-million-impacted-as-cyclone-idai-slams-mozambique-malawi.html

Kept Secret for 17 Years: Intel Memo Warned Bush’s Iraq Invasion to Create “Perfect Storm”

A newly declassified US intelligence memo has been unearthed this week and featured in a bombshell Wall Street Journal report. It proves that the year prior to the Bush administration’s 2003 invasion of Iraq the White House was expressly warned in great detail of all that could and would go wrong in the regime change war’s aftermath, including the Sunni-Shia sectarian chaos and proxy war with Iran that would define Iraq and the whole region for years following. And crucially, it reveals that seven months before the US invasion of Iraq, American intelligence officials understood that Osama bin Laden was likely “alive and well and hiding in northwest Pakistan” — important given that a key Bush admin claim to sell the war was that Saddam Hussein and bin Laden were “in league” against the United States.

The July 2002 memo was authored by William Burns, then serving as assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, and though clearly dismissed by the Bush neocons making the case for war, proved prescient on many levels.

“Following are some very quick and informal thoughts on how events before, during and after an effort to overthrow the regime in Baghdad could unravel if we’re not careful, intersecting to create a ‘perfect storm’ for American interests,” Burns wrote in the memo, classified ‘Secret’ and sent to Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The classified memo’s existence was first brought to the public’s attention through Knight Ridder’s reporting in July 2003, which sought to reveal at the time there were pockets of dissenting voices in the State Department and intelligence community pushing back against the absurd White House claim that the whole operation would be a “cakewalk” and US troops would be greeted as “liberators”. And there’s Vice President Dick Cheney’s infamous declaration that the military effort would take “weeks rather than months.”

Now, sixteen years after the start of the war the “perfect storm” intel briefing has been made public in fully redacted form and it affirms, as the WSJ reports,

“Diplomats accurately forecast many setbacks: sectarian violence, attacks on U.S. troops, Iranian intervention and long road to structural change.”

Out of this came the rise of ISIS and the continued unleashing of regime change and sectarian chaos on neighboring Syria.

The ten page memo outlines a litany of catastrophic doom and gloom scenarios resulting from the invasion which would destabilize not only Iraq, but unleash sectarian hell on the entire region.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/intel-memo-warned-bushs-iraq-invasion-create-perfect-storm/5671850

CIA Investigations on Ties Between the Trump Organization and the Russian Government

Background

In November of 2016, based on various media reports, I requested the following from the CIA:

…any/all reports on investigations by your agency into the unacknowledged ties between the Trump Organization or the Trump Company and the Russian Government or proxies of the Russian Government.

It took until March of 2019, for the CIA to give what is called the “GLOMAR RESPONSE”. This means that they will “neither confirm nor deny” the existence of the information sought.

https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/cia-investigations-on-ties-between-the-trump-organization-and-the-russian-government/

https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/F-2017-00286.pdf

Massive Blackout Hits Venezuela's Caracas Again, Reason Behind Outage Unknown

A massive power outage occurred again in various parts of the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and nearby localities, eyewitnesses of the incident told Sputnik on Monday.

The blackout is reported mainly by the inhabitants of East Caracas, namely the districts of Altamira, La Urbina, El Cafetal, El Rosal, Los Palos Grandes, and others.

In the municipality of Chacao, where a number of foreign embassies and large hotels are located, power outages were registered on Sunday evening. According to a Sputnik correspondent, as of 10.30 a.m. (14.30 GMT), there was no electricity in this part of the city either inside houses or on the street.

https://sputniknews.com/latam/201903181073348777-venezuela-blackout-caracas/

Donna Brazile Hired as Fox News Contributor

Donna Brazile, the former acting chair of the Democratic National Committee, has joined the Fox News Channel as a contributor, the network announced Monday.

Brazile, a longtime Democrat operative, will provide political commentary on the Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network and makes her debut appearance on The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino this week.

“I’m delighted to be joining Fox News. I know I’m going to get criticized from my friends in the progressive movement for being on Fox News. My response is that, if we’ve learned anything from the 2016 election, it is that we can’t have a country where we don’t talk to those who disagree with our political views,” Brazile said in a statement. “There’s an audience on Fox News that doesn’t hear enough from Democrats. We have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our ‘safe spaces’ where we simply agree with each other. For there is no safety in self-limiting numbers. You can be darn sure that I’m still going to be me on Fox News.”

In October 2016, Brazile was forced to resign from her role as a CNN contributor amid reports she leaked questions to then-Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign ahead of a CNN debate and CNN town hall.

CNN said in a statement that it was “completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor.”

Despite the Democrat official’s role at CNN, the network claimed it “never gave Brazile access to any questions, prep material, attendee list, background information or meetings in advance of a town hall or debate.”

Brazile officially resigned from CNN on October 14, three days following a WikiLeaks email drop in which she appeared to have obtained some questions in advance of a town hall event and passed them along to the Clinton campaign. “From time to time I get the questions in advance,” wrote Brazile.

Brazile vigorously denied leaking questions, contending that, “as a longtime political activist,” she conveyed her views “with each and every campaign, and any suggestions that indicate otherwise are simply untrue.”

In another WikiLeaks release, emails indicated that Brazile had given a question to the Clinton camp, writing, “I’ll send a few more.”

Brazile ultimately admitted to leaking the questions in a March 2017 essay for Time magazine. “My job was to make all our Democratic candidates look good, and I worked closely with both campaigns to make that happen,” she wrote. “But sending those emails was a mistake I will forever regret.”

https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/03/18/donna-brazile-hired-as-fox-news-contributor/

US denies report it is leaving up to 1,000 troops in Syria

The United States strongly denied Sunday a report that it intended to leave almost 1,000 troops in Syria, adding plans for a residual force of around 200 troops had not changed.

The Wall Street Journal had reported Sunday that as talks with Turkey, US-backed Kurdish forces and European allies have failed to produce a deal on a "safe zone" in northeastern Syria, the US now intended to keep working with Kurdish fighters in the country.

It quoted US officials as saying the plan could see up to 1,000 US forces spread across the country.

"A claim reported this evening by a major U.S. newspaper that the U.S. military is developing plans to keep nearly 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria is factually incorrect," General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a statement.

"There has been no change to the plan announced in February and we continue to implement the President's direction to draw down U.S. forces to a residual presence."

But he added the US was continuing to "conduct detailed military planning with the Turkish General Staff to address Turkish security concerns along the Turkey-Syria border."

"Planning to date has been productive and we have an initial concept that will be refined in the coming days," he said.

"We are also conducting planning with other members of the Coalition who have indicated an intent to support the transition phase of operations into Syria."

President Donald Trump had abruptly announced in December the immediate and complete withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops deployed in northeastern Syria, declaring victory against the Islamic State group. The decision prompted his defense secretary Jim Mattis to quit.

Then, under pressure from Congress and the Pentagon, he agreed to leave a residual force of some 200 US troops, which he wants to be reinforced by allies in the anti-IS coalition.

An objective of the international force is to guarantee the security of its Syrian Kurd allies. Turkey, a NATO member, views the Kurdish combatants as terrorists, and the Europeans fear they would be vulnerable if Ankara launched an offensive.

https://www.france24.com/en/20190318-us-denies-report-it-leaving-1000-troops-syria

No bail for man accused of distributing live stream of mosque shootings

An 18-year-old man has appeared in Christchurch District Court today charged with distributing a live stream of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

He has also been charged with publishing objectionable publications in the week prior to the attacks, including a photo of the mosque with the words "target identified", and messages inciting extreme violence.

The man, who has interim name suppression, was arrested by the police on Friday. Police have said they do not believe he was directly involved in the attacks.

The public gallery was cleared for his appearance, where Judge Stephen O'Driscoll decided not to grant him bail, and imposed strict limits on what the media can report.

The summary of facts has also been suppressed.

The man, dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, stood with his head down, facing the judge.

He has been remanded in custody to reappear on 8 April.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/no-bail-man-accused-distributing-live-stream-mosque-shootings?variant=tb_v_3