US Army Chopper Crew Grounded After Flying Too Low Over Protesters in Nation's Capital

The crew of a National Guard UH-72 Lakota helicopter has been grounded after footage was captured of the chopper flying just 50 feet above protesters in Washington, DC - low enough to knock people over and snap tree limbs.

US Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy told reporters on Friday that the crew of a National Guard helicopter had been grounded pending the outcome of a 15-6 investigation into an incident in Washington, DC, earlier this week. He said he could not disclose further information about the chain of command above the crew, due to the nature of the probe.

After the 7 p.m. curfew came and went on Monday, thousands of protesters across the nation's capital were driven from the streets by a bevy of city and federal police, as well as units of the city's National Guard and guardsmen from other states. In one incident captured by multiple reporters and onlookers, helicopters descended below rooftop level to hover just yards above protesters' heads in an effort to intimidate them into leaving.

At least two incidents were reported: one on Judiciary Square, next to several courthouses, and another in Chinatown, and onlookers noted both UH-72 Lakota and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were involved

https://sputniknews.com/us/202006051079531551-us-army-chopper-crew-grounded-after-flying-too-low-over-protesters-in-nations-capital/

Slouching Toward Sedition: Social Media Giants Are Crossing The Line

As their own actions demonstrate, social media companies are coming together to essentially overthrow the government of the United States. While it’s difficult to prove back-room collusion, it is not difficult to see these companies forming a like-minded mob that moves in unison toward some common objective.

In this case, the objective is to destroy a presidency, a person and a system of government that has served America for over 200 years.

Attacks are coming from all directions, large and small. Twitter, Google, YouTube and Facebook’s antics of censorship are well known. Now, lesser known platforms are joining in, like Yelp, WordPress.com and Neighborside.

Censoring the speech and thoughts of citizens is a direct attack on the First Amendment in specific and the U.S. Constitution in general. This is designed to overthrow the Constitution.

The government, along with its elected officials, has the explicit and necessary right to communicate with the American people. Any private organization that interferes with this right to diminish, discredit or prevent unfettered communication is making a direct attack on the ability of the government to function properly.

https://www.technocracy.news/slouching-toward-sedition-social-media-giants-are-crossing-the-line/

US police union disregards attack on Australian TV crew, says reporters were ‘INDISTINGUISHABLE’ from George Floyd protesters

The US Park Police Union has refused to name an officer involved in an attack on two Aussie journalists covering a massive protest in Washington, DC. It also said the whole ordeal was just an unfortunate turn of events.

“All labor unions in the United States have a duty to defend their members,” said Kenneth Spencer, the head of the Fraternal Order of the US Park Police Labor Committee. “Our union will be doing the same in this matter.”

The union head further cited the US “Privacy Act” and the pending investigation as reasons not to disclose the officer’s identity. Earlier, the Park Police said it launched a probe into the incident and assigned two officers apparently involved in the matter to “administrative duties” for the time being.

https://www.rt.com/news/490969-us-police-australian-tv-crew/

US military tests new ‘S-400 killer’: video

BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:00 P.M.) – An American newspaper announced that Washington conducted the first test of what they called the ‘killer’ of the Russian S-400 air defense system.

According to the newspaper The Drive, the United States conducted the first test of the “AGM-88G” missile, as it was designed to destroy enemy air defense systems.

The experiment was conducted using the fifth generation F-18A Super Hornet fighter, as military experts highly evaluated the interaction of the fighter systems and the new missile.

The newspaper pointed out that the test took place at the U.S. Naval Military Airport in Maryland.

It is worth noting that the IHS Janes newspaper announced, earlier, that these missiles are capable of destroying the Russian S-400 air defense systems.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-military-tests-new-s-400-killer-video/

Rod Rosenstein is working with NSO Group, the Israeli firm accused of spying on dissidents

Rod Rosenstein, a former deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice, has been providing counsel on cybersecurity and national security to NSO Group, the Israeli software surveillance firm accused of spying on human rights activists and journalists, according to court documents obtained by CyberScoop.

Rosenstein’s work with NSO Group was revealed in court documents in relation to a lawsuit WhatsApp filed against the company, accusing them of surveilling over 1,000 WhatsApp users.

“I have counseled NSO about cyber and national security issues and assisted the defense team” in the WhatsApp v. NSO Group case, Rosenstein said in the signed declaration.

Rosenstein has been employed by King & Spalding, the firm representing NSO Group, since January of this year. He previously served as deputy attorney general from 2017 through May 2019.

The filing is an attempt to rebut WhatsApp’s claims that King & Spalding has a conflict of interest in the case because it has represented NSO’s opponent, WhatsApp, in a different case. WhatsApp’s parent company, Facebook, claims King & Spalding’s past work with WhatsApp should disqualify the firm from working on the current lawsuit. That case remains under seal.

https://www.cyberscoop.com/rod-rosenstein-nso-group-whatsapp/

GAO: Cyber Command is overspending on data tools

One of the major initiatives that U.S. Cyber Command has been working on for two years is going to cost five times more than what military officials originally estimated, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

The program, a software platform called Unified Platform (UP), is meant to help forces and military services working with Cyber Command to reduce the amount of data silos, and to streamline data processing, storage, queries, and information-sharing to enhance overall mission effectiveness.

One of the main contributing factors to the miscalculation is that the overall cost of UP was not based on any independent analysis, GAO found.

https://www.cyberscoop.com/cyber-command-gao-overspending-data-tools-unified-platform/

Rioters Destroy Detroit Family’s Home and Truck, Kill Their Dog

A Detroit father of five is reeling after rioters destroyed his home and work truck, and killed their family dog.

Roderick Reynolds spoke to Fox 2 News about his heartbreak over what has happened.

Detroit father of five loses home he’d been fixing up & work truck after raging blaze: “I’ve done everything right. How am I gonna tell my kids?” MORE: @FOX2News 6PM. DONATE: https://t.co/dtL77dXTOk pic.twitter.com/j0lAN2SYLv

— Erika Erickson (@FOX2Erika) June 4, 2020

“I put my family first. I put every dollar I got into this house,” Reynolds told Fox. “It’s a lot of stuff that I want, but I prioritize for my family. Every dollar. Every dollar I get I put into my house, and I take care of my kids.”

A GoFundMe for Reynolds has raised nearly $400,000 in just one day.

“Hard working father of 5 home burned to ground after being set ablaze on Thursday morning. Family dog was lost in fire. Father purchased home from land bank for his family an was working day an night on home. Home was a few weeks away from being habitable so that he could obtain home insurance,” the GoFundMe description explains. “This is beyond heart breaking to receive a call that your home you invested blood, sweat, and tears in literally was no more.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/rioters-destroy-detroit-familys-home-truck-kill-dog/

Florida Supreme Court Quashes Amendment That Would Outlaw ‘Assault Weapons

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday struck down an amendment that would ban the ownership of assault weapons due to misleading wording.

Ban Assault Weapons Now, which prohibited the “possession of assault weapons,” banned magazines holding more than 10 rounds and mandated registration for these guns, was set to appear on the 2022 ballot. However, justices voted 4-1 to ensure this doesn’t happen, according to the Washington Examiner.

Justices called the initiative — developed after the deadly Parkland, Florida, high school shooting in February 2018 — “affirmatively misleading,” as it does “not categorically exempt the assault weapon, only the current owner’s possession of that assault weapon,” according to court documents obtained by ABC News.

https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/05/florida-supreme-court-assault-weapons/

Charlie joins The Marshall Tucker Band on stage for "24 Hours at a Time" at Volunteer Jam II at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, TN on Sept. 12, 1975

New York Looters and Hoodlums Attack Guardian Angels Founder Curtis Sliwa – Break His Jaw with a Hammer During Riots

Looters and hoodlums attacked the founder of the Guardian Angels, Curtis Sliva, during the riots this week in New York City.

The looters broke Sliva’s jaw with a hammer and another Guardian Angel lost his eye during the attack.

The Guardian Angels stated goal is to keep order and protect the community.

No law enforcement to be found. When will the carnage end? https://t.co/FdzmlYYNIF

— charrme (@jaacckkee) June 3, 2020

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/new-york-looters-hoodlums-attack-guardian-angels-founder-curtis-sliwa-break-jaw-hammer-riots/

Andy Ngo launches lawsuit against Antifa group, individuals involved in assaulting him

Andy Ngo, The Post Millennial's Editor-at-large, has launched a lawsuit against Rose City Antifa and individuals involved in assaulting him last year. His complaint is assault, battery, and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. The suit was filed in the circuit court of Oregon County of County of Multnomah.

Antifa brutally assaulted Ngo in the spring of 2019; they have also doxed him, attempted to break into his family's home, and spread rumours about him on social media. They have impeded his journalistic work into their practices, and maligned his reputation.

The defendants are Rose City Antifa, Corbyn Belyea, Benjamin Bolen, John Hacker, Madison Lee Allen, Joseph Christian Evans, and 50 unnamed parties.

The lawsuit reads: "Defendants have sought to suppress independent journalist Ngo’s activities through a coordinated pattern of violent, harassing, and stalking behavior.

https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-andy-ngo-launches-lawsuit-against-antifa

Putin Tells Metals Giant to Pay for Full Cleanup After Arctic Spill

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said he expected metals giant Norilsk Nickel to fully restore the environment after an unprecedented Arctic fuel spill, as responders said they had managed to stop the slick from spreading further.

A national-level state of emergency was announced after 21,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled from a reservoir that collapsed last Friday outside Norilsk, polluting huge stretches of river in remote tundra with bright red patches visible from space.

The metals giant, which owns the reservoir through a subsidiary, tried to contain the damage on its own for two days before specialists were called in from companies and agencies across Russia, the delay making Putin furious this week.

An emergency ministry spokeswoman told AFP on Friday that the spill had been contained and was not spreading any further.

Speaking with officials at the site by video call, Putin told Norilsk Nickel chief Vladimir Potanin he expected the company to pay for a comprehensive cleanup.

"It's necessary to carry out all the compensatory measures to restore biodiversity and the environment," he said, pointing out that had the company replaced the old reservoir, it would not be faced with such expenses now.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/06/05/putin-tells-metals-giant-to-pay-for-full-cleanup-after-arctic-spill-a70493

Statement from Air Force general nominated for Chief of Staff on the death of George Floyd

"As the Commander of Pacific Air Forces, a senior leader in our Air Force, and an African-American, many of you may be wondering what I’m thinking about the current events surrounding the tragic death of George s Floyd. Here’s what I’m thinking about…" - Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-statement

Pentagon disarms guardsmen in D.C., in signal of de-escalation

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has told the District of Columbia National Guard and guardsmen from other states who have arrived in the nation's capital as backup to not use firearms or ammunition, a sign of de-escalation in the federal response to protests in the city after the killing of George Floyd, according to officials familiar with the decision.

The Department of Defense, led by Defense Secretary Mark Esper, appears to have made the decision without consulting the White House, where President Trump has ordered a militarized show of force on the streets of Washington D.C. since demonstrations in the city were punctured by an episode of looting on Sunday. Trump specifically had encouraged the National Guard to be armed.

Initially, a small group of the guardsmen deployed in the city had been carrying guns while standing outside monuments, but the bulk of the forces, such as those working with federal park police at Lafayette Square in front of the White House, didn't carry firearms out of caution. Now, all of the roughly 5,000 guardsmen who have been deployed or are deploying to Washington, D.C., have been told not to use weaponry or ammunition, according to four officials familiar with the order.

"The whole purpose behind that was a purposeful show of de-escalation," said one U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an order that hasn't been made public yet. "We're here, but we're walking things down."

https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Pentagon-disarms-guardsmen-in-D-C-in-signal-of-15320290.php