Governor of Russia's Khabarovsk region ARRESTED by FSB in crime gang & assassinations probe

Federal Security Service agents have arrested Sergey Furgal, the governor of Russia's Khabarovsk Region, on suspicion of organizing the murders of multiple businessmen over a decade ago.

The politician is accused of running a criminal gang and ordering the assassination of "a number of entrepreneurs" between 2004 and 2005. Russia's Investigative Committee shared a video of Furgal's arrest in a Thursday morning raid, but few details about the investigation.

According to a source from TASS news agency, the case includes "at least two episodes of murder and one attempted murder" - the murders of Yevgeny Zori in 2004 and Oleg Bulatov in 2005, and the attempted assassination of businessman Alexander Smolsky.

Besides Governor Furgal, the authorities previously arrested four other alleged members of the same organized crime group, based in Russia's Far East.

Furgal has been governor since September 2018, and is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. In the last election, he beat incumbent Vyacheslav Shport, the candidate from Russia's ruling political party, United Russia. Before becoming a politician, Furgal headed a company that traded timber, and then a scrap iron business.

In 2019, the authorities arrested another man that once held the same post as Furgal - former Khabarovsk Region Governor Viktor Ishaev. He is accused of embezzlement, stealing money from state oil company Rosneft. Ishaev was a member of United Russia, and following his stint as governor, was chosen by Putin to be his presidential plenipotentiary envoy in the Far East.

The leader of Furgal's party, long-time politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, expressed bewilderment that it took 15 years for the authorities to arrest the governor, and refused to expel him from the party.

"The detention was not conducted in the most correct way. It was not necessary to handcuff him. The governor is not a criminal and will not run away. You could just offer to get into the car and drive on," he said.

The political veteran also suggested that all of the party's MPs may resign from the national parliament, the State Duma, in protest over the arrest.

According to media reports, Furgal will be fired by Russian President Vladimir Putin due to a loss of confidence.

https://www.sott.net/article/437819-Governor-of-Russias-Khabarovsk-region-ARRESTED-by-FSB-in-crime-gang-assassinations-probe

Colin Powell suggests media had 'hysterical' reaction to reports on Russian bounty intelligence

Ex-secretary of state says commanders did not think reported bounties 'as serious a problem' as media suggested

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell indicated on Thursday that media figures overreacted to a recent report that Russian officials placed bounties on the lives of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

"What I know is that our military commanders on the ground did not think that it was as serious a problem as the newspapers were reporting and television was reporting," Powell told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell. "It got kind of out of control before we really had an understanding of what had happened. I’m not sure we fully understand now."

He added: "But [commander of U.S. Central Command] General [Kenneth] McKenzie … he did not think this was of that level of importance to us. Remember, it’s not the intelligence community that’s going to go fight these guys, it’s the guys on the ground. It’s our troops. It’s our commanders who are going to go deal with this kind of a threat, using intelligence that was given to them by the intelligence community.

"But that has to be analyzed," Powell went on. "It has to be attested. And then you have to go find out who the enemy is. And I think we were on top of that one, but it just got — it got almost hysterical in the first few days."

Trump has denied a report by The New York Times that he was briefed on intelligence about the bounties, but did nothing about them.

"The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party," he tweeted last week. Both the White House and McKenzie, of U.S. Central Command, have indicated the intelligence wasn't strong enough to merit the president's attention.

"The intel case wasn't proved to me it wasn't proved enough that I'd take it to a court of law and you know that's often true in battlefield intelligence," McKenzie told reporters Tuesday.

“You see a lot of indicators," the general explained. "Many of them are troubling, many of them you act on. But, in this case there just there wasn't enough there. I sent the intelligence guys back to continue to dig on it, and I believe they're continuing to dig right now, but I just didn't see enough there to tell me that the circuit was closed in that regard.”

McKenzie also expressed doubts that the bounty program led to any deaths of U.S. soldiers.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/colin-powell-media-hysterical-russia-bounties-afghanistan

TikTok Turns to Dem Lobbyists to Fight Potential Trump Ban

Former Clyburn, Pelosi staffers will spearhead Chinese app's D.C. operations

Former aides to powerful Democrats are flocking to TikTok's lobbying team as the Trump administration weighs a possible ban of the China-linked app that some policymakers consider a threat to national security.

TikTok—as well as its Chinese parent company, ByteDance—has rapidly expanded its influence operations in the last year, spending $270,000 on lobbying, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The app bolstered its operations in July, hiring Michael Hacker, former senior adviser to House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D., S.C.), to lead its public policy team. Michael Bloom, a former senior adviser to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), and former Democratic Senate aide Kim Lipsky will also join TikTok, according to CNBC, which first reported the expansion.

The short-video sharing app has cemented its place as the go-to social media app for hip, young Zoomers. Some national security experts, however, worry that China's national security law might compel the app's Chinese parent company to share user data with the regime. TikTok denies that it will comply with such a request from Beijing, but the company has already demonstrated its willingness to accommodate Beijing's political interests. The Washington Post reported in September that the social media giant's American moderators censored discussions about the Hong Kong protests and other sensitive topics out of deference to its Chinese counterparts.

In response to mounting criticism, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that he is "looking at" banning TikTok from the United States. India already banned TikTok, along with 58 other Chinese apps, largely in retaliation for a deadly clash between Indian and Chinese security forces in contested border territories in the Himalayas.

The app's first major tussle with U.S. authorities came in February 2019, when the U.S. government fined TikTok $5.7 million for illegally collecting the data of users under the age of 13. Since then, members of Congress and government officials have expressed increasing alarm about the app. In October, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) penned a bipartisan letter asking U.S. intelligence officials to evaluate whether the app constitutes a "national security risk."

In response to the scrutiny, TikTok hired lobbyists to mollify concerned legislators and preempt restrictions on its operations. As the coronavirus pandemic forced a nationwide reckoning about America's relationship with China, some lawmakers have demanded restrictions on the company's operations. Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.), for example, introduced a law prohibiting federal employees from using the app on government devices in March.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/tiktok-turns-to-dem-lobbyists-to-fight-potential-trump-ban/

Joe Biden Vows ‘End to the Era of Shareholder Capitalism’

Former Vice President Joe Biden delivered an economic speech in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, on Thursday in which he unveiled his economic vision, declaring an “end to the era of shareholder capitalism.”

“It’s way past time to put the end to the era of shareholder capitalism. The idea the only responsibility a corporation has is its shareholders — that is simply not true, it’s an absolute farce. They have a responsibility to their workers, their community, to their country.”

In place of “shareholder capitalism,” Biden proposed a more inclusive system built on the power of labor unions and on “black, brown, and Native American” communities that he said had been left out of economic prosperity.

Much of his speech was devoted to criticizing President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus. Biden claimed (falsely) that Trump told Americans to “drink bleach” to fight the disease.

Biden, addressing a small, socially-distant group of workers and journalists at the McGregor Industries metal works facility, said that he would raise the corporate tax rate to 28% (from 21%, where Trump lowered it in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017).

He also said that he would spend $400 billion on infrastructure projects, including “clean energy” projects, touting his experiences in the Obama administration’s Recovery Act (without mentioning high-profile “green” failures like Solyndra).

And Biden said that he would implement a policy of “Buy America,” in which the federal government would purchase pharmaceuticals and medical supplies exclusively from domestic suppliers.

He also stressed the expansion of Obamacare, and spending on teachers.

And Biden said that he would grapple with “the cost of systemic racism” and provide “a comprehensive agenda for racial equality in our country.”

At one point, Biden appeared to react to rain falling on the roof of the building

The slogan for his plan, Biden said, was “Build Back Better.”

In the past, Biden has also promised to phase out the American fossil fuel industry, including hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), a major driver of employment in the shale oil industry in Pennsylvania.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2020/07/09/joe-biden-vows-end-to-the-era-of-shareholder-capitalism/

Venezuela Shoots Down US Plane Used for Drug Trafficking

CARACAS – The Strategic Command Operations of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces announced on Wednesday it had shoot down an aircraft with a US serial identification number as it violated the country’s airspace.

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“CEOFANB reports that the United Aerospace Defence Command detected an aircraft with a US hull number intruding Venezuelan airspace overnight July 8 and neutralized it with military jets according to protocols,” the military said on Twitter, according to Sputnik.

According to Flightradar, it was a privately-owned Hawker 800 plane. Its latest registered flight route was in Mexico, from the central Toluca state to Cozumel island in the Caribbean.

There were no official details at this point on the incident’s location and the plane’s passengers and cargo, but such episodes are typical of illegal drug trafficking. A similar plane was downed by the Venezuelan military last month for purportedly carrying drugs. In 2013, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed a law to down any plane belonging to narco-mafia that illegally crosses the country’s airspace.

https://fort-russ.com/2020/07/major-venezuela-shoots-down-us-plane-used-for-drug-trafficking/

Prosecutors In Germany Probing Wirecard For Possible Money Laundering

The company’s former chief executive officer and largest shareholder, Markus Braun, was arrested and released.

The company owes some $4 billion to creditors.

Wirecard’s offices in Dublin were raided by police at the request of German authorities

Prosecutors in Germany are investigating possible acts of money laundering by executives at Wirecard, the payment processing firm that filed for insolvency last month amid widespread accusations of fraud.

"We are investigating suspected money laundering," said a spokeswoman for the Munich prosecutor's office, without providing more details.

The scandal-scarred firm is already under investigation for fraud. The company’s former chief executive officer and largest shareholder, Markus Braun, was arrested but released after paying bail. Another unnamed executive based in Dubai was also arrested on fraud charges by authorities in Munich.

The company owes some $4 billion to creditors.

Long accused by investors of recording fake revenues, the company’s troubles boiled over last month when auditors were unable to account for some $2 billion on Wirecard’s financial statements.

The Wall Street Journal reported that in the U.S. authorities are now probing if Wirecard played a role in an alleged $100 million bank fraud conspiracy linked to an online marijuana marketplace. That case involved two businessmen who allegedly conspired with third-party payment processors and others to deceive U.S. banks into approving credit card payments for marijuana products. Wirecard may have served as both a payment processor and an offshore merchant bank in this alleged conspiracy.

The Irish Times reported that Wirecard’s offices in Dublin were raided by police at the request of German authorities in order to find evidence concerning alleged fraud.

The Journal also reported that as long ago as 2010, the Federal Bureau of Investigation probed a German citizen in Florida who operate an unlicensed money transmitting business that paid out illegal gambling profits from online casinos. Wirecard’s bank business was apparently involved in the transference of some of this cash.

In another incident in late 2015, German prosecutors raided Wirecard at the request of U.S. officials who were investigating money laundering activities.

Despite its deepening woes and apparent implosion, some investors are still keeping their Wirecard shares.

https://www.ibtimes.com/prosecutors-germany-probing-wirecard-possible-money-laundering-3008606

Mayor De Blasio Tells CNN’s Wolf Blitzer That He Is Banning All Large Gatherings in NYC Except For Black Lives Matter Riots

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray joined activists on Thursday to paint Black Lives Matter on the street in front of Trump Tower.

De Blasio does this as violence soars in his city and businesses are still locked down.

Later Thursday afternoon, the Commie mayor told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he is banning all large gatherings such as parades, fairs and concerts except for Black Lives Matter riots through September.

Summer is cancelled in New York City.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/07/mayor-de-blasio-tells-cnns-wolf-blitzer-banning-large-gatherings-nyc-except-black-lives-matter-riots-video/

Security guard charged with murder after shooting customer who entered store without wearing a mask

The victim reportedly had a flat tire and was waiting for a tow truck

A California security guard is facing murder charges after authorities say he fatally shot a customer in the back following an argument about the customer entering a store without wearing a state-mandated face mask.

The victim, Jerry Lewis—a famous 90s rapper known as Madd Head—had reportedly walked into the store while waiting for a tow truck after getting a flat tire.

What are the details?

The Daily Mail reported that security guard Umeir Hawkins, 38, was working security at the Green Farm Market in Gardena, when Lewis, 50, entered the store and was stopped by Hawkins for not wearing a required face covering. The two men became embroiled in an argument that became physical.

Lewis left for a short time and then returned, and another fight broke out between the two. Hawkins' wife, Sabrina Carter, 50, had been waiting for her husband's shift to end and became involved in the altercation. She allegedly pointed a handgun at Lewis and other customers in the store, police say.

As Lewis turned to leave again, Hawkins allegedly pulled out a separate firearm and fatally shot Lewis in the back.

According to KCAL-TV, Lewis had stopped into the store while waiting on a tow truck after getting a flat tire on his vehicle.

The outlet noted that "Lewis was also known by his rapper alias 'Madd Head.' He gained popularity in the 1990s for one of his songs, 'Pimp'n Ain't Ez,' which was featured on the 'Beavis and Butthead - Do America' soundtrack."

Fox News reported that in addition to Hawkins' murder charge, he and Carter "were each charged with one count of possession of a handgun by a felon, stemming from a prior conviction in 2013 for assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury."

Bail for Hawkins was set at $1 million, and he faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life if convicted. Carter's bail was set at $35,000, and she faces up to three years incarceration.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/security-guard-charged-with-murder-after-shooting-customer-who-entered-store-not-wearing-a-mask

Chinese Banks Preparing For "Worst Case" Scenario: Being Cut Off From SWIFT, Hong Kong Bank Runs

In the latest escalation over China's de facto annexation of Hong Kong, Reuters reports that Chinese state lenders are "revamping contingency plans" in anticipation of the soon to be enacted U.S. legislation (just waiting for Trump's signature) that would penalize banks for serving officials who implement the new national security law for Hong Kong.

In a "worst-case scenario" under consideration by Chinese commercial megabanks Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the lenders are said to be looking at the possibility of being cut off from U.S. dollars or losing access to U.S. dollar settlements, two Reuters sources said.

The worst-case scenario also envisions what would happen in the event of a run on its branches in Hong Kong if customers feared that it would run out of U.S. currency, one of the sources said (this is the scenario discussed in "If 500,000 Rich Hong Kongers Leave The City, The HKD Peg Would Surely Collapse"). The scenario was also looking at the experience of banks in Iran, the same person said. Iranian banks have been hit from time to time by U.S. sanctions dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"We are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. You never know how things will turn out," one of the sources said.

In a milder scenario being looked at by the Agricultural Bank of China (AgBank), lenders would need to find ways to address the problem of clients blacklisted by the United States, especially those who might face a sudden loss of liquidity.

As Reuters adds, the contingency planning has been initiated by the banks themselves, who have the most to lose should the US effectively trigger a massive dollar bank run.

As Reuters calculates, Bank of China, the country's most international lender, had the biggest exposure of the country's big four lenders to the greenback at the end of 2019, with about $433 billion in liabilities. China's top four banks, which also include ICBC, China Construction Bank and AgBank, had a combined 7.5 trillion yuan ($1 trillion) in U.S. dollar liabilities at the end of 2019, annual reports show.

According to the report, at least three state-run leasing firms, including an ICBC unit and CSIC Leasing, are also making contingency plans. Leasing firms are often heavily reliant on dollar borrowing to fund purchases of aircraft, machinery and facilities.

China's contingency plans are in response to the unanimous passage in the House and Senate of a bill last week which seeks to impose financial sanctions on Chinese banks in response to the National Security Law. It has yet to be signed into law by President Donald Trump. The bill calls for sanctions on Chinese officials and others who help violate Hong Kong's autonomy and on financial institutions that do business with them. But it does not spell out what the sanctions would look like.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinese-banks-preparing-worst-case-hong-kong-scenario-bank-runs-swift-cut

Former CEO of Tennessee Pain Management Company Sentenced for Role in Approximately $4 Million Medicare Kickback Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-ceo-tennessee-pain-management-company-sentenced-role-approximately-4-million-medicare

NYC Mayor de Blasio Trolls Trump Tower But Asks For $7.4 Billion To Bailout His Failing Policies

The New York City Mayor, who has called for defunding the NY police and whose city has seen a surge in crime, is angry that Trump has not given him the money he’s asked for, going as far as calling the President a ‘hypocrite.’

New York Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin actually pointed out that the hypocrite is actually de Blasio, not Trump.

“Fascinatingly ineffective, first of its kind strategy in progress by Mayor de Blasio: At the same time, he is both asking the President for a $7.4 Billion bailout while also trolling the President by painting this mural in front of Trump Tower in NYC,” said Zeldin on Twitter.

Zeldin is absolutely accurate. Residents in New York City are going to have to ask themselves if de Blasio’s progressive policies are worth it. In fact, I’ve already spoken to a number of friends who have either already left New York City, or who are planning to leave because of the quick and rapid deterioration of the city’s safety and security.

It’s not just Zeldin who’s calling out De Blasio, but law enforcement officials and many others, who have said his lack of leadership and policies have led to a surge in crime in the city. For example, over the weekend 11 people were killed in shooting incidents in two days. Moreover, there was 30 shootings with 10 homicides on Sunday alone. That is a staggering statistic.

Further, under de Blasio’s leadership, New York City police are leaving the force at an alarming rate. The reduction in law enforcement officers will only exacerbate the crime surge and put both civilian and police officers lives in danger.

NYPD statistics reveal that 179 officers of all ranks filed for retirement between June 29 and July 6. That is more than five times the 35 officers who did so during the same time frame last year and it is a reflection of the low morale officers in the NYPD are facing under de Blasio’s leadership.

For example, police officers stressed that the situation is endangering the lives of citizens. They noted that the 30 shootings that took place over the weekend actually victimized 48. Local news reports and a video posted on social media caught one horrific murder on-camera. It showed a man walking with his 6-year-old daughter and being gunned down on the street in broad daylight. He was holding his daughter’s hand and after he was shot the little girl ran off down the sidewalk shocked and appearing to be screaming.

The New York Post recently published that crime has exploded in the city since the disbanding of the city’s anti-crime unit of plainclothes cops. The city disbanded the unit on June 15, and there was three times as many shootings in the last two weeks of the month over the same period in 2019, as reported.

https://saraacarter.com/ny-mayor-de-blasio-trolls-trump-tower-but-asks-for-7-4-billion-to-bailout-his-failing-policies/