Goldman Resists DoJ Pressure To Plead Guilty In 1MDB Case

Late last year, reports about Goldman Sachs reaching a settlement with the DoJ that - importantly - would allow the bank to avoid a criminal guilty plea left investors with the impression that, like the bank's previous transgressions, Goldman's slate would be wiped clean after a modest payout.

But as more third-party organizations raised questions about AG Barr's connection to Kirkland Ellis, the law firm representing Goldman in the case (Barr received an ethics waiver, along with prosecutor Jeremy Rosen, also a K&E alum), and questioned whether the Trump Administration was trying to hide an attempt to forgive a serious example of corporate malfeasance involving a firm with connections reaching to the highest levels of the administration (several senior officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, are Goldman alumni).

After months of radio silence on the case, the head of all criminal prosecutions at DoJ suddenly announced earlier this week that he planned to step down, despite several major publicity wins, including the prosecution of "El Chapo". Brian Benczkowski, the anove-mentioned department head, oversaw many cases, including 1MDB. He said he was leaving to spend more time with the family. Barely one day later, the New York Times published a report claiming Goldman is backing away from a settlement with the DoJ because of demands that any settlement include the criminal guilty plea that Goldman is desperate to avoid (it's relatively brief rap sheet is a point of pride for the company, even if its brand reputation doesn't necessarily reflect this).

Lawyers for the bank have asked Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to review demands by some federal prosecutors that Goldman pay more than $2 billion in fines and plead guilty to a felony charge, according to three people briefed on the matter.

The bank has sought to pay a lower fine and avoid a guilty plea, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are continuing.

The request, which was made several weeks ago, is not unusual for a high-profile corporate investigation and often comes in the final stage of settlement talks. But it has been a point of pride for Goldman that it has never had to admit guilt in a federal investigation, and the scandal has already been a black eye for the bank.

Authorities in the United States and Malaysia say more than $2.7 billion was diverted from the fund, known as 1MDB, in a scheme that involved the flamboyant financier Jho Low, the country’s former prime minister, and other powerful people. The fund was meant to finance projects for the benefit of the people of Malaysia, but some of the cash went to buy luxury apartments, yachts, paintings and even finance the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

With the sentencing for the government's key cooperating witness - the Goldman banker who put the deal together - coming up, and a trial for a member of that banker's team expected next year, a decision by Goldman to pull back could create even more drama and reputational damage surrounding the bank's work on 1MDB.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/goldman-resists-doj-pressure-plead-guilty-1mdb-case

They can't it goes against the Talmud

Senate committee votes to require renaming of military bases named after Confederates

The GOP-led panel reportedly approved the amendment offered by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D)

The Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to require the Pentagon to rename military bases named after Confederates, amid growing calls to do so in the wake of the death of George Floyd last month.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) tweeted Tuesday, "As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I filed an amendment to the annual defense bill last week to rename all bases named for Confederate generals. It's long past time to end the tribute to white supremacy on our military installations."

The senator linked to an op-ed by retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, who argued that Army installations bearing the names of such rebel "traitors" should be renamed.

CBS News reported that "the measure requires the Defense Department to rename posts and assets — streets, aircraft, ships, and other equipment — either named for Confederate officers or that honor the Confederacy within three years."

According to Roll Call, Warren's amendment passed on Wednesday. The outlet reported that the move by the GOP-led committee has put it on a "collision course" with President Donald Trump, who has expressed vehement opposition to the prospect of renaming military installations.

The president tweeted Tuesday, "It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom. The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars. Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/senate-committee-votes-to-require-renaming-of-military-bases-named-after-confederates

Chicago Mayor Lightfoot calls video of police relaxing, popping popcorn near riots an 'embarrassment'

After video surfaced allegedly showing a group of Chicago police officers “lounging” in a congressman’s office as looters ransacked nearby businesses, Mayor Lori Lightfoot called it an “embarrassment” and pledged to identify the individuals and hold them accountable.

Lightfoot displayed still images, said be to taken from the video, at a news conference Thursday, standing alongside Rep. Bobby Rush, whose office was where the incident happened.

She said the images show the individuals taking a break in Rush’s office while small businesses were looted and burned – and while their fellow officers were outside “getting bottles thrown at their heads” by rioters.

“That’s a personal embarrassment to me,” Lightfoot told Rush during her remarks. “I’m sorry that you and your staff even had to deal with this incredible indignity.”

Chicago police did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment, but the department’s official Twitter account retweeted the livestream of Lightfoot’s news conference Thursday afternoon.

The department later announced that an internal investigation had been opened into the incident.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-mayor-lightfoot-video-police-relaxing-popcorn-near-riots

Black lawmakers unveil bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol

A pair of senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus introduced legislation on Thursday that would remove the remaining Confederate statues from the Capitol following nationwide protests against police brutality and racial profiling.

The bill from Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) came a day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called for removing Confederate statues from the Capitol complex.

There are 11 statues of people who served in the Confederacy, either as officials or soldiers, displayed in the Capitol complex. Some, such as Jefferson Davis, who served as president of the Confederate States, are located just steps from the House chamber.

“Americans in all 50 states and millions of people around the world are marching to protest racism and police violence directed at people of color, and yet across the country, Confederate statues and monuments still pay tribute to white supremacy and slavery in public spaces,” Lee said in a statement. “It is time to tell the truth about what these statues are: hateful symbols that have no place in our society and certainly should not be enshrined in the U.S. Capitol.”

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate with more than a dozen co-sponsors, calling the removal of the statues "long overdue."

"Those who committed treason against the United States of America and led our nation into its most painful and bloody war to preserve the institution of slavery are not patriots and should not be afforded such a rare honor in this sacred space," he said in a statement.

The statues are all part of the National Statuary Hall collection, which are displayed all over the Capitol complex. Each of the 50 states contributes two statues to the collection, which they can replace if their legislatures and governors approve the change.

The legislation from Democrats would remove all of the Confederate statues in the collection within 120 days. The statues could either be reclaimed by the states or given to the Smithsonian.

Lee previously introduced the bill in 2017 following the violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/502344-black-lawmakers-unveil-bill-to-remove-confederate-statues-from-capitol

Houthis repelled a large attack by Saudi-backed forces on their positions along the border with the kingdom’s southern province of ‘Asir.

The attack targeted the area of al-Majaza al-Sharqiyah. Houthi fighters confronted the attackers, forcing them to retreat within a few hours. The Yemen group’s media wing released a 3-minute video of the battle.

A day earlier, the Houthis launched an attack in the al-Ajarish desert, which lays along the border with the southern Saudi province of Najran. Houthi fighters stormed several positions in Beir al-Salami and Mahatat al-Sudani. A video of the clashes confirms that several Saudi-backed fighters were killed or injured.

https://youtu.be/5MqWQV9AnmY

Since the outbreak of the war in 2015, the Houthis have maintained a strong presence along the border with Saudi Arabia’s southern provinces.

The recent operations near ‘Asir and Najran demonstrate the Houthis’ ability to conduct offensive and defensive operations simultaneously. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition appears to be incapable of making any gains along the border.

https://southfront.org/houthis-repel-large-attack-near-asir-strom-positions-in-najran-18-videos/

>>9579852

Ongoing attacks causing issues. Try a reboot of your system, worked for me.

>>9579886

Already noted

Senate Calls for New F-35 Hub in Pacific, Deployment of Cruise Missile Batteries

The Senate Armed Services Committee wants to spend nearly $7 billion over two years to launch an aggressive new military effort aimed at deterring China and shoring up U.S. defenses in the Pacific region. It's also calling for strategic deployments of weapons and platforms to keep China and other threats, including Russia, at bay.

The Pacific Deterrence Initiative, approved as part of the Senate version of the 2021 defense budget and policy bill, includes $1.4 billion for next year and plans $5.5 billion for fiscal 2022 to augment missile defense, fund new efforts in support of regional allies, and forward-posture more troops in the region.

"The best way to protect U.S. security and prosperity in Asia is to maintain a credible balance of military power but, after years of underfunding, America's ability to do so is at risk," a summary of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, released by the Senate Armed Services Committee following markups, reads.

The Senate-approved NDAA "encourages" the Air Force to establish a new F-35A Joint Strike Fighter operating location in the Indo-Pacific region "quickly to posture ready forces in our priority arena," the bill summary states.

In April, Pacific Air Forces took delivery of its first two F-35s, stationed at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The base is set to have 54 of the aircraft by December 2021. The Senate's version of the NDAA includes a total of $9.1 billion to buy more of the stealthy fifth-generation fighters – 14 more than the White House asked for in its budget request.

Elements of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative also include improving active and passive missile-defense systems for bases and operating locations in the region; building up the military's system of prepositioned stockpiles, including vehicles, weapons and fuel; and starting to transition the military's operating model in the Pacific from large and difficult-to-defend bases to "dispersed, resilient, and adaptive basing."

In a May op-ed for War on the Rocks, committee chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, and ranking member Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, argued that the creation of the PDI would re-orient the Pentagon's approach to strategic planning and spending.

"It doesn't matter how many F-35s the military buys if very few are stationed in the region, their primary bases have little defense against Chinese missiles, they don't have secondary airfields to operate from, they can't access prepositioned stocks of fuel and munitions, or they can't be repaired in theater and get back in the fight when it counts," they wrote. "The Pacific Deterrence Initiative will incentivize increased focus on posture and logistics, and help measure whether these requirements are being matched with resources."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/06/11/senate-calls-new-f-35-hub-pacific-deployment-of-cruise-missile-batteries.html

>>9579929

Hundreds of Officers Responding To Active Shooter In Manhunt For Killer Who Shot Calif. Deputy In Ambush

PASO ROBLES, California — Police and deputies were responding to a shooting Thursday as they conducted a manhunt for a suspect accused of killing a man and seriously wounding a deputy in an ambush.

There was a massive law enforcement response to the scene in the area of Highway 46 and Ramada Drive. According to KCOY, “hundreds of officers” were responding. Residents in the area were being told to shelter-in-place.

The Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect in the Wednesday incident as 26-year-old Mason James Lira, a transient from the Monterey area.

Lira is accused of a shooting spree which began at approximately 3:45 AM Wednesday when he started shooting at the Paso Robles Police Department building. A Sheriff’s Deputy who responded to that call was shot in the face and later a local man was found shot to death at the Paso Robles train station.

A widespread search of downtown Paso Robles was conducted but the suspect was not located.

“We had an unprovoked attack on local law enforcement, and in my opinion the act of a coward,” San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said.

https://youtu.be/0V6IDRuq85E

https://breaking911.com/breaking-hundreds-of-officers-responding-to-active-shooter-in-manhunt-for-killer-who-shot-calif-deputy-in-ambush/

PARTY’S OVER: BLM Activist Admonishes Antifa For Boozing Rather Than Making “Autonomous Zone” Functional as Seattle Police Take Back Precinct

It looks like the party is over.

Antifa domestic terrorists in Washington state set up an “autonomous zone” in six square blocks in Seattle this week.

On Tuesday “Free Capitol Hill” the Antifa “Autonomous Zone” released its list of demands from the Seattle and Washington State governments.

The list includes reparations, ending the police and free stuff — pretty much what you would expect from a bunch of illiterate leftie kids.

Within 72 hours, things started to fall apart.

The anarchists already ran out of food and declared local rapper Raz Simone as its first warlord.

On Thursday, the police took back the precinct.

Two officers are inside of the precinct cleaning up and the leftists are not happy.

WATCH: (language warning)

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/partys-blm-activist-admonishes-antifa-boozing-rather-making-autonomous-zone-functional-protest-seattle-police-take-back-precinct-videos/

Trump Raises Eyebrows After Referring to US Secret Service as ‘S.S.’ on Twitter

The Twittersphere was flabbergasted on Thursday when US President Donald Trump tweeted that “protesters, agitators” and “anarchists” were handled “very easily” by the “S.S.” Although Trump was presumably referring to the Secret Service, the initials SS are associated with the Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary organization.

“Our great National Guard Troops who took care of the area around the White House could hardly believe how easy it was. ‘A walk in the park’, one said. The protesters, agitators, anarchists (ANTIFA), and others, were handled VERY easily by the Guard, D.C. Police, & S.S. GREAT JOB!” Trump tweeted.

Trump’s tweet was met with incredulity, with some tweeting that his use of the initials was meant to “inflame tensions and instigate harms.” Others claimed that even as non-Americans, they are aware that the proper abbreviation for the US Secret Service is USSS.

“For those who say Trump used S.S. because of Twitter’s character limits, then please tell me why he wasted characters for the dot between the two S’s. He could have easily said USSS rather than S.S. and the character limits would literally be the same,” another user wrote.

https://sputniknews.com/viral/202006111079587693-trump-raises-eyebrows-after-referring-to-us-secret-service-as-ss-on-twitter-/