Reader’s Links, Feb. 16, 2023

Here is a link to the VladTepesBlog social media Mastodon Pod. Please feel free to check it out and sign up for an account if you are sufficiently annoyed with Twitter and Facebook to try something new.

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

64 Replies to “Reader’s Links, Feb. 16, 2023”

  1. **More Nord Stream ‘bombshells’ to come – Seymour Hersh**

    Journalist Seymour Hersh has promised to reveal more incriminating information linking the US to the demolition of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. President Joe Biden ordered the lines destroyed to prevent Germany from resuming the purchase of cheap Russian gas, he claimed.

    In a post to his Substack page on Wednesday, Hersh slammed the mainstream media – singling out the New York Times and Washington Post – for refusing to “run a word” on the pipeline story, and for ignoring Russia and China’s calls for an international investigation.

    Both papers, he said, published his exposés on the US military’s war crimes in Vietnam, but are now seemingly uninterested in “national security or matters of war and peace.”

    https://www.rt.com/news/571532-new-nord-stream-report-hersh/

  2. MIRROR IMAGE”: New Election Is Held in Germany After Previous Election Declared Void Citing “Serious Systemic Flaws” and Polling Station Glitches Just Like in Maricopa County, AZ
    By Jordan Conradson
    Published February 16, 2023 at 8:00am
    0 Comments

    The German Capitol, Berlin, recently held a revote after the highest court ordered a new election noting that “organizational chaos reported at hundreds of polling stations around the city last September made the vote invalid,” according to German news station Deutsche Welle.

    The new election was held on Sunday, well over a year after “a chaotic 2021 state election that was marred by severe glitches at many polling stations and hours-long lines as some polling places ran out of ballot papers or received ones for the wrong district.”

    This is very similar to Maricopa County’s 2022 Midterm election.

    Trump-Endorsed Kari Lake, whose election for Arizona Governor was tragically stolen from her last November, tweeted, calling this a “mirror image” of her own election in

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/mirror-image-new-election-held-germany-previous-election-declared-void-citing-serious-systemic-flaws-polling-station-glitches-just-like-maricopa-county-az/

  3. Dad Who Lost Child in Shooting Unleashes on Biden After Seeing Video: ‘Don’t Use My Daughter’s Death to Advance Your Political Agenda’
    By Joe Saunders, The Western Journal
    Published February 16, 2023 at 7:00am
    108 Comments

    When the White House decided to mark the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting with a video of President Joe Biden making yet another demand for more gun control, it was aiming to capitalize on the pain of families for its own ends.

    But the father of one of the girls who died in the Feb. 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School wasn’t going to let the political opportunism pass.

    And in a scathing Twitter post responding to Biden’s statement, Ryan Petty didn’t hold back.

    Don’t use my daughter’s death to advance your political agenda,” Petty wrote, the words virtually dripping with scorn.

    “Because of your politicized FBI, failed Obama era school discipline policies and a Sheriff that cared more about his image in the community than enforcing the law, a maniac was allowed to attack a school. Try learning what really happened.”

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/dad-lost-child-shooting-unleashes-biden-seeing-video-dont-use-daughters-death-advance-political-agenda/

  4. PATHETIC: Pete Buttigieg Tries To Blame Trump Administration For Ohio Train Disaster and Toxic Chemical Plume
    By Mike LaChance
    Published February 15, 2023 at 9:45pm
    865 Comments

    Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has a new excuse for his horrible handling of the train disaster in Ohio. It’s Trump’s fault!

    Buttigieg is trying to suggest that policies put in place in 2018 under Trump prevented the implementation of policies that would have stopped this disaster from happening.

    Is Trump also preventing him from doing anything about it now? Because it sure doesn’t look like he is doing very much.

    FOX News reports:

    Pete Buttigieg blames Trump for Ohio train derailment amid criticism: ‘We’re constrained’

    Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shifted part of the blame for the recent derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in Ohio on the Trump administration reversing a little-known safety rule.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/pathetic-pete-buttigieg-tries-blame-trump-administration-ohio-train-disaster/

    (Richard: One of the cars had a hot box. This is caused by one of the bearing rings running out of lubricant and overheating. In this case a fire was started that caused the wheel to fall off. No amount of braking could have prevented this incident. When a hot box is reported the Engineer is required to stop and the train crew examines all of the cars. No one saw the problem and reported it so the train continued on its trip to a disaster.)

  5. Sen. Matt McKee : Do You have a pen!s ?

    Arkansas state Sen. Matt McKee, at hearing on bill that would ban gender-affirming treatment for minors, asks transgender woman if she has a pen!s

    • NBC News – Arkansas lawmaker asks transgender woman if she has a penis at hearing

      During an Arkansas Senate hearing, Republican Sen. Matt McKee asked pharmacist Dr. Gwendolyn Herzig about her genitalia, while Herzig was testifying about transgender rights and gender-affirming care.

      Herzig identified herself as a trans female.

    • Gwen Herzig, PharmD
      Pharmacist, Owner

      Born in North East Arkansas, Gwendolyn has spent all her life and career in Arkansas. She attended Arkansas State University for her undergraduate studies in Biology, graduating in University Honors in 2012. In 2017, Gwen graduated from the UAMS College of Pharmacy in Little Rock, AR obtaining her Doctorate in Pharmacy.

      In 2019 she purchased Park West Pharmacy, realizing a lifelong dream of ownership and community outreach. Gwendolyn is the proud mother of two girls, Autumn and Evelyn Herzig. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her wife and family, shopping for new outfits, and going out and trying new foods and experiences.

      https://www.parkwestlittlerock.com/our-team

      ======================================
      Transgender and non-binary resources

      […]Understand that every individual has a desired level they wish to reach

      […]You can check out our LGBTQ+ inclusive therapist list to get you started.

      […]Whether one is looking to become more masculine, or feminine, there are therapy options for both that can help if you feel it is necessary for your transition.

      For those born AMAB (Assigned Male at Birth), treatment usually involves an anti-androgen (lowers testosterone) and the supplementation of estrogen. Also if scalp hair growth is needed finasteride can sometimes be used. Progesterone can also be added during therapy for additional breast growth, but is typically not included until you have completed several months of HRT.

      For those born AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth), treatment usually only requires the supplementation of testosterone. Testosterone has multiple dosage forms including injectable, cream, gel, and patches. The use of minoxidil solution has been used to help increase the growth of ones facial hair as well.

      […]Need a letter for gender affirming surgery, insurance, or for any other services? Check out GALAP.

      https://www.parkwestlittlerock.com/transnonbinaryresources

      ===============================

      Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe?

      The vaccines have been found to be safe and effective and have been authorized for emergency use in the United States. COVID-19 vaccines have been tested in large clinical trials to make sure they meet safety standards. The FDA reviews all safety data from the clinical trials and authorizes emergency vaccines use. Next, ACIP, a CDC advisory committee, reviews all safety data before recommending any COVID-19 vaccine for use. Both FDA and CDC continue to monitor safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

      We are currently administering all vaccines on a walk-in basis.
      Please give us a call to schedule a group clinic.

      https://www.parkwestlittlerock.com/covid19

  6. FEB 13 2023 – CBC – Why the word ‘freedom’ is such a useful rallying cry for protesters

    The word has become common among far-right groups, experts say

    As demonstrations against COVID-19 restrictions continue across Canada, the word freedom is on the lips and placards of many protesters.

    Often associated with protests and rallies in the United States, the term has taken hold among protesters who are part of the Freedom Convoy, which rolled into Ottawa in late January and has become entrenched in the city’s downtown.

    For many, freedom is a malleable term — one that’s open to interpretation.

    That flexibility, in part, has fuelled its growth among certain groups, said Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at the Oshawa-based Ontario Tech University.

    “It is a term that has resonated…. You can define it and understand it and sort of manipulate it in a way that makes sense to you and is useful to you, depending on your perspective,” she told Cross Country Checkup.

    It’s also a term that has thrived among far-right groups, said Perry, one of a number of experts who say the presence of far-right groups in Canada is growing.

    As seen among some protesters currently opposing vaccine mandates and other public health measures, freedom signals a desire for freedom from government intervention or overreach, Perry noted.

    “I think it resonates very much with what we’ve been seeing — and maybe takes some inspiration from what we’ve been seeing — in the U.S. over the last year and a half or so, leading up to the last election and events of Jan. 6,” she said, referring to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

    Protesters have gridlocked the streets of Ottawa with tractor-trailers and personal vehicles for 16 days as part of what they call the Freedom Convoy. Similar protests have sprung up across Canada in the wake of the ongoing demonstration in the nation’s capital, including at international border crossings in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta.

    Convoy protesters are calling for an end to all vaccine mandates, as well as other pandemic-related restrictions. Canada Unity — one of the main organizing groups behind the protests — says on its website that it’s committed to “upholding freedom of choice” for Canadians.

    Evan Balgord, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, says the way many protesters frame their calls for freedom renders the word meaningless — and what they’re really asking for is a shift in government policy that could potentially have a negative impact on others.

    “When they’re yelling they care so much about their freedom, they’re taking freedoms away from other people who don’t have the same kind of agency and choice that they do,” he said.

    Concept of freedom can be used to reject equality

    To see the word freedom bandied about as part of these protests points to a broader circulation of what Elisabeth Anker calls “violent” forms of freedom.

    “Freedom is a slippery concept,” said Anker, an associate professor of political science at George Washington University and author of Ugly Freedoms, which examines the history of how freedom, as a concept, has been used in American society.

    “On the far right, [individual freedom] is often translated into somebody who refuses to be bound by norms of equality, treating all people equally or norms to remedy inequality, whether that’s trying to remedy racial discrimination or gender discrimination.”

    The word has been used by far-right groups as part of push-back against efforts to remedy inequality, she added.

    And while those forms of “violent freedom” can result in situations that are dangerous, discriminatory or anti-democratic, the call to action can gain broader support because fighting for freedom is seen as a noble cause.

    Far-right groups began appearing in Canada back in 2015, and in the years since, Perry says that anti-state rhetoric has gained more mainstream popularity.

    Now, “freedom” leads social media posts about the protests, is trumpeted in memes and is even the focus of merchandise. A bumper sticker that reads “Mandate Freedom,” emblazoned with a Maple Leaf, is available for sale online. So are T-shirts and hats promoting the Freedom Convoy

    Pushing individual freedom over social good

    Anker says the concept of freedom as displayed in the anti-mandate protests is something more often attributed to the United States. “Freedom is often used almost as a national entitlement, as a claim for what people have,” she said.

    While some in the U.S. may see mask mandates as a violation of individual rights, for example, citizens in many other countries wouldn’t consider such rules to be an intrusion.

    In those places — and in Canada — it’s likely there’s a general consensus that wearing masks is for the benefit of society’s most vulnerable.

    But even in Canada, some protesters have balked at the idea, claiming the need for freedom.

    “It’s been taking a lot of people by surprise to see people in Canada, who often seem so much more accepting of social interdependence, to start pushing back against it with the language of individual freedom,” said Anker.

    https://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup/what-s-your-reaction-to-the-ottawa-standoff-and-the-border-blockades-1.6349636/why-the-word-freedom-is-such-a-useful-rallying-cry-for-protesters-1.6349865
    ====================================
    Joe Rogan reacts to the media labeling ‘Freedom’ as a word for far-right protestors

  7. the daily caller – Jim Jordan Subpoenas Five Big Tech CEOs

    House Judiciary Chair Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan sent subpoenas to the chief executive officers of five Big Tech companies on Wednesday.

    Jordan subpoenaed Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for “documents and communications relating to the federal government’s reported collusion with Big Tech to suppress free speech,” which they must produce by March 23. He previously sent letters requesting documents to the same CEOs in December, though the companies did not comply.

    “Publicly available information suggests that your companies’ treatment of certain speakers and content may stem from government directives or guidance designed to suppress dissenting views,” Jordan wrote in his December letter. “Therefore, we write to request more information about the nature and extent of your companies’ collusion with the Biden Administration.”

    The committee chose not to send a subpoena to Twitter CEO Elon Musk because the company “is seen as more friendly to conservative voices since its change in ownership,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

    “Congress has an important role in protecting and advancing fundamental free speech principles, including by examining how private actors coordinate with the government to suppress First Amendment-protected speech,” says a statement released by the House Judiciary GOP. “These subpoenas are the first step in holding Big Tech accountable.”

    A Microsoft spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the company has “started producing documents.”

    “We have started producing documents, are engaged with the Committee, and committed to working in good faith,” a spokesperson said.

    A spokesperson for Meta also said the company has started producing documents and “will continue to do so moving forward.”

    The subpoenas are the latest in Republicans’ attempts to hold Big Tech companies accountable for reported censorship and communication with government agencies. On Monday, Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz announced an investigation into Meta, Google, Twitter and TikTok for censorship and use of algorithms that suppress conservative content. Last week, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on Twitter’s role in suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story, where former Twitter executives testified.

    Alphabet, Amazon and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    https://dailycaller.com/2023/02/15/house-judiciary-jim-jordan-subpoenas-big-tech-ceos/

  8. “TEAM JORGE”: IN THE HEART OF A GLOBAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE

    In Part 2 of the “Story Killers” project, which continues the work of assassinated Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh on disinformation, the Forbidden Stories consortium investigated an ultra-secret Israeli company involved in manipulating elections and hacking African politicians. We took an unprecedented dive into a world where troll armies, cyber espionage and influencers are intertwined.

    “Things don’t necessarily have to be true, as long as they are believed” is a quote that could be attributed to many philosophers, but instead originates from a man named Alexander Nix. If his name is unfamiliar, the company he ran is not: Cambridge Analytica.

    In 2018, the eponymous scandal revealed how the British company acquired the personal data of nearly 87 million Facebook users to influence voters on “an industrial scale.” The company, which sold its services in some 60 states—from the Iranian regime to the Malaysian national oil company—is accused of manipulating numerous elections; it contributed to Donald Trump’s 2016 victory in the US and the Brexit vote in England. When the affair made headlines, the name Cambridge Analytica became synonymous with disinformation worldwide.

    However, not everything about this scandal has been revealed. Some of the most feared culprits inside this world have managed to hide in the shadows, among them mysterious Israeli hacking experts. Brittany Kaiser, the company’s former development director and one of the now-famous whistleblowers in the scandal, described the hackers as a team in charge of “opposition research.” In anonymous testimonies published in the British press in 2018, former employees describe “Israeli hackers” barging into the company’s offices with USB drives loaded with what appeared to contain hacked private emails of politicians. “People panicked, they wanted nothing to do with it,” a former employee told the Guardian at the time. According to the Guardian’s reporting, these “hackers offered personal data about future Nigerian president and future PM of St Kitts and Nevis.”

    The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed the existence and methods of these mysterious hackers. But until now, the press has been unable to pierce the anonymity of these shady “opposition researchers” or attribute them to a company. When he refers to “Israeli black ops” in an internal e-mail, Nix mentions neither an identity nor a company name. Instead, he designates an alias for the boss of this ultra-secret entity: “Jorge.”

    For over six months, Forbidden Stories and its partners followed Jorge’s trail. In this parallel market of disinformation, companies—both official and underground—have become masters in the art of manipulating reality and diffusing misleading stories. Continuing the work of Gauri Lankesh, an Indian journalist murdered in 2017 who investigated disinformation and “lie factories,” the “Story Killers” project penetrated an industry that uses every weapon at its disposal to manipulate the media and public opinion at the expense of information and democracy.

    Almost five years after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, journalists from the Forbidden Stories consortium managed to identify and track down Jorge. Using dubious methods, the Israeli “consultant” still goes by this same pseudonym and continues to sell his influence and manipulation services to the highest bidder. His tools, though, have since adapted to the latest technological developments: artificial intelligence now writes on-demand viral posts and the remote hacking of Telegram accounts has enriched his catalog of services.

    In the summer of 2022, a potential client, presenting himself as a representative for an African leader hoping to postpone, or even cancel, an election, asked Jorge for a demonstration. The job, Jorge told him, would cost some 6 million euros. During several Zoom discussions, Jorge maintained his anonymity.

    What “Jorge” didn’t know is that the man on his screen was not an intermediary, nor did he work in Africa. He was, in fact, a journalist from Radio France and was soon joined by colleagues from TheMarker and Haaretz, reporters who are members of the Story Killers project.

    “33 presidential campaigns, 27 of which were successful”
    Between July and December 2022, journalists posing as clients attended several meetings with Jorge: three online and one in his office in Israel. The consortium decided it was in the public interest to go undercover, which was the only method to gain access to this closed world and obtain evidence of global manipulation. To reach Jorge, reporters needed to pass through a series of intermediaries, from former intelligence officers to communications and security experts. This method presented an otherwise-impossible opportunity to discuss Jorge’s manipulation services–“mainly intelligence and influence,” he said–and attend live demonstrations. Apart from the “technological” “capacities” Jorge presented, he explained how to “build a narrative,” which he could then propagate with an impressive range of services: bot networks, false information, and hacking of opponents.

    Jorge boasted of having used such tactics on “33 presidential campaigns, 27 of which were successful,” a claim that is difficult to verify. Jorge did not reveal any details about his clients, preferring instead to demonstrate his impressive range of services.

    He eventually divulged information on secret operations, including one that had provoked a recent media storm in France. Earlier this month, the French press disclosed the existence of an internal investigation at BFM TV, a popular television channel after one of its most prominent figures, Rachid M’Barki, allegedly broadcast unverified content.

    What the French press didn’t know was that Jorge, a loquacious salesman, was simultaneously bragging to undercover journalists at an office in Modiin, Israel, that he could get his stories placed on French television. To prove his point, he pulled up an excerpt of a report broadcast on BFM TV in December 2022. “The European Union announces a new set of sanctions against Russia,” it read, adding that the sanctions “make yacht builders in Monaco fear the worst” and that “the freezing of assets of oligarchs puts their sector in great difficulty.” The text of this brief broadcast – not in keeping with the channel’s editorial line – was read by M’Barki at midnight.

    To verify the authenticity of this video and others that Jorge’s network of bots had shared, the consortium submitted them to BFM TV’s management in January, which quickly suspended the journalist and launched an internal audit. In a statement to Forbidden Stories, Marc-Olivier Fogiel, the channel’s managing director, said: “I have an ethical suspicion [about why the] news was broadcast while it had no editorial consistency with the rest of the channel.” In response, M’Barki asserted his “editorial free will” and explained that he had followed the instructions of Jean-Pierre Duthion, an intermediary. Media consultant and lobbyist, Duthion is known in the world of influence agencies. In internal documents, one agency described him as a disinformation “mercenary,” who is “mainly motivated by profit.” When contacted by Forbidden Stories, he confirmed that he “worked on the seizing of Russian yachts in Monaco, which led to job losses at the local level,” but declined to reveal his client, arguing such a deal goes through a series of intermediaries, “who do not themselves know who the final client is.”

    He claims he did not pay M’Barki, who also told BFM TV management that he did not receive payment to broadcast these stories. According to a source familiar with the industry, such services could be worth some €3,000 for a journalist. M’Barki, who declined to answer our questions, acknowledged that he “did not necessarily follow the usual editorial line,” and said: “Maybe I was tricked. I did not have the impression that was the case, or that I was participating in an operation, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.”

    Advanced lie-spreading technologies

    The BFM TV example, meant to illustrate Jorge’s ability to reach French news channels, is not the only selling point he advanced. In addition to having journalists on his payroll, Jorge also explained how he could spread stories using an army of avatars hosted in and run with an online platform. (Forbidden Stories and its partners subsequently verified the existence of these fake accounts.) This tool, not searchable on the web, is called AIMS: “Advanced Impact Media Solutions.” As early as 2017, Jorge had offered Cambridge Analytica a “Semi-Auto Avatar creation and network deployment system,” accompanied by a demo video illustrating how simple it was to create avatars on a platform that allowed for seamless navigation from one account to another. In 2022, Jorge had a catalog of more than 30,000 automated profiles of virtual people with real accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, and Bitcoin. Jorge used these fake accounts to post a flurry of comments on social networks, stir up controversy and even purchase sex toys on Amazon. Jorge recounted how one pretty, blond-haired avatar named Shannon Aiken used an Amazon account to order sex toys to the house of a political rival of one of his clients, leaving the rival candidate’s wife to believe he had been unfaithful. “After that, the story was leaked, and he couldn’t go home. The campaign turned around,” Jorge said.

    To prove the effectiveness of his digital army, Jorge agreed to trend a hashtag on behalf of the undercover reporters. The journalists suggested “#RIP_Emmanuel,” named after an emu that became an internet star in the summer of 2022. The goal: spread a rumor about the death of the animal to test the success of the AIMS avatars. (The emu’s owner has since been notified.) With the social media campaign fully rolled out, our consortium then traced the hashtag to identify additional accounts controlled by Team Jorge. From here, we tracked some 20 disinformation campaigns on almost every continent. (Identifying the clients of these campaigns, however, was not always possible.)

    In the UK, in Fall 2021, AIMS avatars took a hard line against the UK Health Safety Agency. The agency had launched an investigation into a laboratory accused of providing some 43,000 false negative Covid test results to its patients. The group that owns this laboratory denied any link with “Jorge,” arguing that it was unaware of his existence. In 2020, some of the same avatars participated in an aggressive smear campaign against Hong Kong businessman George Chang, who owns 90 percent of the Port of Panama. The same year, AIMS bots came to the rescue of Tomás Zerón de Lucio, a former high-level Mexican official who was the subject of an international arrest warrant. The former director of the agency in charge of criminal investigations in Mexico between 2013 to 2016, Zerón is accused of kidnapping, torture and tampering with evidence in the investigation of the disappearance of 43 students in 2014. Zerón authorized the acquisition of Pegasus spyware in Mexico and is now on the run in Israel, which has refused to extradite him. But according to Jorge’s bots, these accusations are merely a campaign orchestrated against an “innocent” man by Mexico’s “corrupt president,” Andrés Manuel López Obrador. (“M. Zerón is not responsible for any advertising campaign on his behalf, and doesn’t know who is behind each comment on social media,” his lawyer Liora Turlevsky said.)

    The AIMS tool doesn’t just offer avatar creation. The latest version, shown to the undercover journalists, can also create and disseminate automated content. Using keywords, the tool can create posts, articles, comments or tweets in any language with a “positive,” “negative,” or “neutral” tone. After entering the words “Chad,” “president,” “brother,” and “Déby,” for instance, Jorge commanded the tool to produce 10 negative tweets about the Chadian government. Twelve seconds later, they appeared. “Enough is enough, we need to put an end to incompetence and nepotism of president of Chad brother Déby,” one read. “The Chad people have suffered enough under the rule of President Brother Déby,” read another. “One operator can hold 300 profiles, so in two hours, all the country will speak the messages or the narrative [we] want,”one of Jorge’s associates said.

    Ministry of hacking

    To demonstrate one of his most effective weapons, Jorge took control of the private messaging systems of several high-level African officials. “We are inside,” Jorge told the reporters, who observed two Gmail accounts,a Google Drive and an address book, as well as a string of Telegram accounts. (Hacking victims were unaware of the infiltration.) Once inside the messaging system of a victim, Jorge was then able to impersonate conversations with their contacts. Jorge proceeded to send messages to the victims’ relatives from their hacked Telegram accounts.

    Jorge, though, made an error. Attempting to remove his traces, he deleted the messages sent from the infiltrated account but forgot to delete the messages for the recipient. We identified one of these recipients, who kept records of Jorge’s operation. Through the error, we could confirm that in the summer of 2022, as the Kenyan presidential election was approaching, Jorge looked through the accounts of people close to future president William Ruto. Two hacking victims—Dennis Itumbi and Davis Chirchir, then in charge of digital strategy for Ruto’s campaign and Ruto’s chief of staff, respectively—were accused, following the elections, of having hired hackers to manipulate the results of the presidential election. The Supreme Court rejected the accusation and said the evidence had been “falsified.” (Nevertheless, there is no definitive proof that Team Jorge was behind attempts to manipulate the Kenyan presidential election.)

    Jorge and his galaxy

    It wasn’t until our consortium’s journalists visited Jorge’s offices in Modi’in, the headquarters of Israel’s high-tech industry, that they saw his face. Even to his most eminent partners, Jorge has managed to hide details about himself. Nix, the director of Cambridge Analytica, who knew him only by his alias, asked as early as May 2015, in an internal email to which we obtained access: “What is Jorge’s (from Israel black-ops co) surname please and also the name of his company.” Brittany Kaiser, the whistleblower in the scandal, sent an e-mail the next day with a response: “Tal Hanan is CEO of Demoman International.”

    After months of investigating, Forbidden Stories and its partners traced Hanan’s career path and mapped the contours of his galaxy.

    A combination of former intelligence officers and communications and security experts confirmed the extent of his activities and the nature of his business.

    Mashi Meidan, who in the 2010s ran an Israeli security company in Panama, featured prominently in the meetings with journalists, suggesting proximity with Hanan. Meidan is a former member of the Shabak, the Israeli domestic intelligence service, also known as the Shin Bet, according to several sources. According to his lawyers, Meidan “was an Israeli government employee until 2006, at which time he retired,” but he “is not, and has never been, associated with a company or entity named ‘Team Jorge,’ and is definitely not a ‘business partner’ in such a venture.” Meidan was, however, at in-person meetings with Hanan and most online meetings with him, during which his colleagues presented the scope of their services.

    Shuki Friedman, also present during one meeting with the journalists and another with Hanan, is allegedly a former officer of the Israeli domestic intelligence service. He oversaw intelligence in Ramallah, Palestine, for many years, and according to at least one legend, recruited the “Green Prince,” the son of a Hamas leader, to spy for the Shin Bet.

    Also present during two meetings with the journalists, but not with Hanan, was Yaakov Tzedek, head of the Tzedek Media Group, who presented himself as “a digital and advertising expert for over a decade.” Ishay Shechter, Strategy Director at Goren Amir, a major Israeli lobbying firm, participated in a meeting with the journalists that led them to Hanan. Responding to questions from the consortium, he wrote that he “never had a business relationship with Jorge or Tal Hanan” and that he was “not familiar with or aware of their illegal or improper activity.”

    Finally, Zohar Hanan, Tal’s brother, is the CEO of a private security company and a polygraph specialist. He told the consortium he “[has] been working all his life according to the law.”

    According to a biography on Demoman’s website, Hanan served in the Israeli Special Forces in an elite explosive ordnance disposal unit. His career, like his business, moved from explosives disposal to intelligence. Even if “Jorge” has remained invisible for years, Hanan became of interest to at least one European intelligence service in 2008, according to a police source, for offers of dubious security services following various counter-terrorism, intelligence and counter-espionage conferences. According to the same source, he operates on the “border between private security and mercenaries.” When contacted by the consortium, Tal Hanan simply denied “any wrong doing”.

    Hanan has cultivated an impressive international network over his years working in intelligence. According to a Bloomberg investigation, in 2006, while on assignment for a Panamanian bank, Hanan alerted Martin Rodil, then a data analyst with the International Monetary Fund, to money moving from PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company, to Iran, in violation of US sanctions. Hanan then allegedly asked Rodil to track down the money for him, according to Bloomberg. A year later, the two decided to share their information with the Israeli government and spent two days answering questions from the secret service. Together, they founded Global Resources Solutions, which offered security and financial intelligence. Rodil is now under investigation in Spain for allegedly extorting former Venezuelan officials. He did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

    During a meeting with journalists in August 2022, Hanan named Roger Noriega, the former deputy secretary of state under President George W. Bush, as a former associate. (Noriega also worked with Rodil and publicly defended him in the press.) When contacted by our consortium, Noriega, who also helped establish a hard political stance toward the Chavez regime, admitted to knowing Hanan but said: “Since six or seven years, [I haven’t had] any substantial conversation with him. We had common clients related to Venezuela, [but] I never had any serious business with Tal.”

    An interconnected market
    Hanan claims to use the most advanced tools on the market for his manipulation services. During his live demonstrations, he presented services from TA9, a subsidiary of the company Rayzone, whose logo he had erased in his presentation. Contacted by Forbidden Stories, TA9 said that it has never had any business dealings with Hanan or his associates and explained that screenshots of its products were readily available on its website or during online presentations.

    Rayzone also markets tools that allow for collecting personal data and location via the Internet or telephone networks. It relies on the SS7 network, which is used to direct calls and SMS messages from telephone users to their customers and locate their devices. This system, meant for telephone operators, suffers from vulnerabilities that allow hackers to access the information of cellphone users. Hanan repeatedly raised the potential exploitation of these vulnerabilities during meetings with the journalists.

    When asked about its offerings, Rayzone only mentioned one product, which, they said, “[offers] location only without any active interception capabilities” and is regulated by the Israeli defense ministry.

    Using additional slides from TA9 brochures, the Rayzone subsidiary, Hanan also cited its “facial recognition” and “interception of GSM satellite” capacities as available tools for the most sophisticated surveillance of potential targets.

    According to the Israeli daily Calcalist, David Avital, a shareholder in one of Rayzone’s subsidiaries, is currently harboring Zerón, the former Mexican official subject to an international arrest warrant and whose innocence the AIMS avatars defended. (“Mr. Zerón is indeed in Israel. However, he never lived in an apartment belonging to David Avital,” Turlevsky, Zerón’s lawyer, said.)

    Investigating this network, Forbidden Stories repeatedly confronted the blurred lines between states and private companies, and the interconnected worlds of intelligence, influence and cyber-surveillance. But questions remain as to how Hanan is paid for his services.

    Forbidden Stories and its partners gained access to a brochure, sent by Hanan as part of a pitch to Cambridge Analytica in 2015, that provided a picture of how much these services might cost. This rather vague document of just over three pages is entitled “elections, intelligence and special operations,” and suggests that the author had field experience since 1999. This is the same year that Demoman, the company of which Hanan is CEO, was founded. In the brochure, Hanan proposes options that “feed and enhance each other,” combining “strategic intelligence,” “public perception,” “information warfare,” “communication security,” and a “special package” for “D-Day.” The brochure praises his team, composed of former intelligence services and special forces from Israel, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom and Russia. According to the brochure, the team also includes “experts in media and mass media” who know “the best way to use the information to deliver a story, a message, or a scandal, to create the desired effects.” According to the brochure, Hanan charged $160,000 for an eight-week “initial research and preparation phase,” plus $40,000 for travel expenses. (This rate was much lower than what he had proposed to the consortium’s reporters in 2022: 6 million Euros for one campaign.)

    However, it was not through Demoman that Hanan marketed his hacking services. And for good reason: the company is registered with the Israeli Ministry of Defense. According to Israeli law, it is illegal to sell hacking services to private individuals or businesses, or for use in foreign political campaigns.

    During various meetings with the undercover journalists, Hanan claimed to have about 100 employees globally. Although this number is impossible to confirm, the Demoman website claims to have offices and representatives in Israel, the United States, Switzerland, Spain, Croatia, the Philippines and Colombia. Mexican and Ukrainian addresses were also mentioned, but, according to Hanan, they were closed due to a business slowdown and war, respectively.

    During the same meeting, Hanan’s brother also claimed to be using AIMS bots to bet on the crypto-currency market, and thus reap additional gains. Anything to make a dollar.

    https://forbiddenstories.org/story-killers/team-jorge-disinformation/

  9. politico –Blinken: Crimea a ‘red line’ for Putin as Ukraine weighs plans to retake it

    The secretary of state, in a private call with experts, expressed his hesitation about a possible Ukrainian offensive for the peninsula.

    A Ukrainian attempt to retake Crimea would be a red line for Vladimir Putin that could lead to a wider Russian response, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a Zoom call with a group of experts Wednesday.

    The Russian president sees Crimea as fully part of Russia, not Ukraine, and would be loath to see the peninsula ripped from his clutches — even though that’s precisely what he did to Ukraine nearly a decade ago. Republican and Democratic administrations have since then said repeatedly that “Crimea is Ukraine.”

    The top diplomat’s comments, sure to frustrate Kyiv, came after someone on the private call asked if the U.S. is willing to help Ukraine realize its long-term goal of retaking the territory seized by Moscow.

    According to four people with knowledge of Blinken’s response, he conveyed that the U.S. isn’t actively encouraging Ukraine to retake Crimea, but that the decision is Kiev’s alone. The administration’s main focus is helping Ukraine advance where the fight is, mainly in the east.

    That assessment echoes comments from Pentagon officials in recent weeks, who have spoken about the grinding fight still raging in the Donbas and in the country’s south, and who have questioned Ukraine’s ability to take Crimea in the near future.

    Blinken, according to two of the people, gave the impression that the U.S. doesn’t consider a push to retake Crimea to be a wise move at this time. He didn’t say those words explicitly, they underscored.

    Two other people didn’t take Blinken’s comments that way. The secretary remarked that it is solely the Ukrainians’ decision as to what they try to take by force, not America’s. That signaled to them that Blinken was more open to a potential Ukrainian play for Crimea.

    While U.S. and NATO diplomats and military officials have never wavered from publicly stating that Crimea is part of Ukraine, since 2014 they have done little to contest Russia’s invasion and occupation of the peninsula.

    “Overall the message is that there is a lot of uncertainty on how things will go from here with real questions about capacity of either side to make big gains,” one of the people said.

    The four people spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity to discuss the contents of an off-the-record conversation. The State Department declined to comment on the Zoom call, similar to others the secretary has had with experts to get outside perspectives on the conflict.

    Blinken will join foreign dignitaries, including Ukrainian officials, at the Munich Security Conference this week. The diplomat will speak to them about how to coordinate future security assistance to the country as the war enters its second year.

    Blinken, who was accompanied by Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland in the session, is the latest senior Biden administration official to throw some cold water on Ukrainian designs on Crimea. Two weeks ago, senior Pentagon officials told members of the House Armed Services Committee that they didn’t think Ukraine could recapture the peninsula in the near future.

    That assessment followed comments by Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs chair, who has long signaled skepticism about the prospects of a Ukrainian advance.

    “I still maintain that for this year it would be very, very difficult to militarily eject the Russian forces from all — every inch of Ukraine and occupied — or Russian-occupied Ukraine,” he said during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany on Jan. 20. “That doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but it’d be very, very difficult.”

    Some experts don’t believe Ukraine will try to retake Crimea, but instead will attempt to isolate it. “There are three critical points: the land bridge to Russia, the Kerch Strait bridge, and the naval base at Sevastopol. They should knock out all three,” said Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, who wasn’t on the call. “This would leave a lot of Russian forces without adequate support, without Ukraine actually trying to overrun Crimea, and it would still be a severe blow to Russia’s military effort.”

    Occupied Crimea is bristling with air defenses, ammunition depots, and tens of thousands of troops. Many of those infantry forces are dug into fortified positions stretching hundreds of miles facing off against Ukrainian troops along the Dnipro River.

    Punching through those Russian lines would be difficult for Ukrainian troops, even with the influx of artillery and armored vehicles arriving from Western donors.

    The Ukrainian government has for months called for long-range artillery to begin hitting positions far behind Russia’s front lines, including in Crimea, where Russian forces have moved their headquarters and critical depots out of the 50-mile range of the rockets the U.S. has provided.

    Kyiv has said that Army Tactical Missile Systems, fired from existing launchers, could hit those targets. The Biden administration has so far refused to provide them, initially claiming they were concerned Ukraine would launch attacks into Russia. U.S. officials have also said recently that there aren’t enough ATACMS in U.S. stockpiles to spare.

    Speaking in Brussels Tuesday after another meeting of the Contact Group, Milley said “the Ukrainians are holding. They’re fighting the defense. The Russians, primarily the Wagner Group, are attacking, but there’s … a very significant grinding battle of attrition with very high casualties, especially on the Russian side.”

    Meanwhile, the White House is privately up in arms over a Washington Post story on Monday featuring comments from an unnamed senior official questioning U.S. weapons aid through the end of the war. Officials say the comment didn’t reflect administration policy, reiterating that America’s support will proceed for “as long as it takes.”

    https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/15/blinken-crimea-ukraine-putin-00083149

    • McConnell:Defeating the Russians in Ukraine is d single most important event going on in the World.

      The most consequential battle in the fight to free Ukraine from Russian terror is now under way in Washington, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell emerging as a key combatant in the Western world’s fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
      This underscores the rift between the Republican Party’s increasingly ascendant right-wing – full of election deniers, Christian nationalists and others willing to brand their opponents as demonic paedophiles – and the unsettlingly quiet group of those who reject Putin’s world view.

      McConnell put more distance between himself and his party’s right flank by calling on US President Joe Biden’s administration to expedite military aid to Ukraine and pledging that Senate Republicans want to ensure “timely delivery of needed weapons”.
      McConnell’s remarks came after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy gave an interview to Punchbowl News. He questioned the wisdom of providing a “blank check” to Ukraine while immigrants are reportedly crossing the US border with Mexico at a record pace and more economists are predicting an economic recession.

    • US and G7 partners to present new package of sanctions against Russia

      Undersecretary Nuland: USA and G7 partners will bring new sanctions package against Russia

      WASHINGTON, February 16 – RIA Novosti. US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said the US and its G7 partners plan to launch a new major sanctions package against Russia on February 24.

      “On February 24, you will witness a major new package of sanctions from both the US and our partners in the G7 group,” Nuland told reporters at a special briefing.

      She added that the sanctions will also affect areas where Washington and its partners have already imposed restrictions. The US Deputy Secretary of State said that the new restrictive measures will particularly affect the Russian military-industrial complex and the supply of high-tech equipment.

      The Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that the country will cope with the pressure of sanctions that the West began to impose on Russia a few years ago and continues to increase. Moscow noted that the West did not have the courage to accept the failure of sanctions against the Russian Federation. In the Western countries themselves, the opinion that the anti-Russian sanctions are ineffective has repeatedly been heard. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that the policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term strategy of the West and that the sanctions deal a serious blow to the entire global economy. According to him, the main purpose of the West is to make the lives of millions of people worse.

      https://newsunrolled.com/world/182542.html
      ========================================
      Carnegie Connects: Inside Biden’s Ukraine Strategy With Ambassador Victoria Nuland

      As the war in Ukraine nears its one-year anniversary, the coming months could prove decisive in a conflict that has become a war of attrition.

      The possibility of any negotiation in the near future appears dim as rumors spread of massive Russian and Ukrainian offensives.

      Kyiv and its Western partners are scrambling to bolster the Ukrainian military with tanks, air defense, and other capabilities.

      How does the Biden administration view the effectiveness and sustainability of its overall strategy?

      And how can Ukrainian and Western leaders persuade Putin that he is wrong to pin his hopes on simply outlasting his opponents?

      Join Aaron David Miller as he sits down in conversation with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland to discuss these and other issues.

      https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/02/16/carnegie-connects-inside-biden-s-ukraine-strategy-with-ambassador-victoria-nuland-event-8033

    • europravda -Russian military reserves “significantly depleted”, analysts say

      Russia’s costly military campaign in Ukraine has likely significantly depleted Russian equipment and manpower reserves necessary to sustain a successful large-scale offensive in eastern Ukraine – says the Institute for the Study of War.

    • redacted – Biden impeached over Nord Stream attack! Senator says it’s likely

      Senator Mike Lee and other members of Congress are calling for an investigation into the Nord Stream attack that could lead to impeachment proceedings against President Biden. Russia is now calling for an emergency U.N. meeting over the pipeline attack.

    • redacted – Ukraine forcing ethnic Hungarians to fight Russia, Hungary outraged

      Russia is not the only country with grievances about Ukraine. Hungary and Romania also accuse the country of persecuting ethnic groups living in Ukraine and now forcibly conscripting them into military service.

      Now the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission will investigate Ukraine for violations of minority rights.

    • redacted –The Rage Against The War Machine Rally in D.C. could bring back the anti-war movement in America

      The Rage agains the War Machine Rally is happening right now in D.C. The mission of the event is to drive awareness about America’s endless proxy wars most notably in Ukraine. Rage organizer Nick Brana joins Redacted’s Clayton Morris to discuss what’s in store.

  10. twitter @FemalesForTrump

    Every award recipient is on Epstein’s flight log … including Barack Obama.

    + 24 sec video

    https://twitter.com/FemalesForTrump/status/1625623732197765125

    ===================================

    zero hedge –“Say Hello To Snow White”: Ex-JPMorgan Exec Emailed Jeffrey Epstein About Disney Princesses

    Former JPMorgan exec Jes Staley discussed Disney princesses with Jeffrey Epstein in a July 2010 email exchange, according to several emails cited in a lawsuit filed against the bank by the US Virgin Islands, Bloomberg reports.

    “That was fun,” Staley allegedly wrote to Epstein. “Say hi to Snow White.”

    To which Epstein replied: “[W]hat character would you like next?”

    “Beauty and the Beast.”

    Epstein also emailed Staley photos of young women in seductive poses, the filing continues.

    […]Epstein and Staley exchanged more than 1,200 emails over several years, however up until now their contents had never been disclosed. Staley – who left JPMorgan to become CEO of Barclays two years later, stepped down from the latter in 2021 following a UK Financial Conduct Authority probe into his relationship with the pedophile financier.

    In another email from Staley to Epstein in November 2009 while the latter was under house arrest in Palm Beach, Florida following his release on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution, Staley, while apparently staying on Epstein’s island, wrote: “Presently, I’m in the hot tub with a glass of white wine,” adding “This is an amazing place. Next time, we’re here together. I owe you much. And I deeply appreciate our friendship. I have few so profound.”

    The next month, Staley wrote: “I realize the danger in sending this email,” adding “But it was great to be able, today, to give you, in New York City, a long, heartfelt, hug.”

    Read the entire filing below:

    https://fr.scribd.com/document/626166254/Government-of-the-United-States-v-JPMorgan-Chase-Bank-NA-Nysdce-22-10904-0048-0#download&from_embed

    […]

    more :

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/say-hello-snow-white-ex-jpmorgan-exec-emailed-jeffrey-epstein-about-disney-princesses

  11. DEVELOPING: Georgia Grand Jury in Garbage Trump 2020 Election Investigation Recommends Perjury Indictments
    By Cristina Laila
    Published February 16, 2023 at 11:10am
    239 Comments

    Georgia – A Fulton County judge earlier this week ordered parts of the grand jury report in the garbage Trump 2020 election investigation to be released as the prosecutor considers charges against Trump and his allies.

    The grand jury concluded that “one or more witnesses” lied under oath and recommended perjury indictments

    A majority of the Grand Jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it,” the report said.

    “The Grand Jury recommends that the District Attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling,” the report said, according to CNBC.

    TRENDING

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/developing-georgia-grand-jury-garbage-trump-2020-election-investigation-recommends-perjury-indictments/

  12. Biden Crime Family Blasted for Yet Another Corrupt Deal While Joe Was VP
    By Joe Hoft
    Published February 16, 2023 at 10:00am
    119 Comments

    Is this what all the classified and top secret documents found all over Biden’s properties are related to? Is the Biden crime family trying to cover up its cover-up?

    Yesterday’s report about the Biden crime family involved in a $140 million deal with the Saudis while Joe Biden was Vice President in the corrupt Obama Administration came as no surprise.

    It seems that weekly we hear about new corrupt and criminal actions involving pay-for-play schemes with the US government while Joe was Obama’s VP.

    The $140 million deal with the Saudis that the Bidens were in the middle of is not the largest scam the Bidens played on the American people.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/biden-crime-family-ripped-yet-another-corrupt-deal-joe-vp/

  13. A Real Shot” — Texas AG Sues To Stop $1.7 Trillion Bill Implementation On Constitutional “Quorum” Grounds
    By ProTrumpNews Staff
    Published February 16, 2023 at 1:10pm
    117 CommentsRINOs and Democrats rushed through a massive spending bill before the new year.

    There was only a short debate before the $1.7 trillion spending bill was voted on.

    Fox News reported:

    The U.S. House of Representatives quickly approved a $1.7 trillion spending bill on Friday, funding the government until the end of next September in a win for President Biden and congressional Democrats

    The House passed the more than 4,000-page spending measure mostly along party lines in a 225-201 vote that saw nine Republicans vote for the bill along with every Democrat except Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Another Democrat, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, voted present.

    The nine GOP votes supporting the bill included those of Never-Trump Republicans Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. Also voting in favor were retiring Reps. John Katko and Chris Jacobs of New York, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan, and Jamie Hererra Butler of Washington. GOP Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Steve Womack of Arkansas were the only two lawmakers to vote in favor that were re-elected this year.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/real-shot-texas-ag-sues-stop-1-7-trillion-bill-implementation-constitutional-quorum-grounds/

  14. REVEALED: Nikki Haley Is One Of Globalist World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab’s ‘Young Global Leaders’
    By Jordan Conradson
    Published February 16, 2023 at 1:50pm
    118 Comments

    Former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has been compromised by Klaus Schwab and global elites since 2011, according to the National File’s reporting.

    Haley gained national attention Tuesday when she threw her hat into the ring as President Donald Trump’s first challenger for President in 2024. Less than 2,000 viewers tuned in to watch her first campaign rally.

    As The Gateway Pundit reported yesterday, GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene held nothing back when the news about Haley’s White House bid broke, blasting Haley as “Bush in heels” for her weak positions on the border, immigration and protecting children from a radical trans agenda.

    This is the open-borders, anti-nuclear family agenda of the Marxist Globalists.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/revealed-nikki-haley-one-globalist-wold-economic-forum-founder-klaus-schwabs-young-global-leaders/

  15. BREAKING: Democrat Sen. John Fetterman Checks Into Hospital For Depression
    By Anthony Scott
    Published February 16, 2023 at 2:11pm
    84 Comments

    Democrat Senator of Pennsylvania John Fetterman checked into a DC hospital last night in order to get treated for clinical depression.

    In statement Fetterman’s chief of staff Adam Jentleson announced Fetterman check into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center late Wednesday night to receive treated for clinical depression.

    In the statement Jentleson would note Fetterman has battled depression all of his life but in recent weeks his depressions has gotten severe.

    Advertisement

    Back in 2022, The Gateway Pundit reported Fetterman suffered a major stroke that almost took his life just months before the mid-term elections.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/breaking-democrat-sen-john-fetterman-checks-hospital-depression/

  16. Russia Calls for UN Security Council to Investigate Nord Stream Attack Feb. 22
    By Richard Abelson
    Published February 16, 2023 at 2:30pm
    Comment

    Russia has requested that a UN Security Council meeting be held to discuss the Nord Stream gas pipeline sabotage on February 22, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said on his Telegram channel Wednesday, TASS reports. “In light of new information regarding the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, we have requested a UN Security Council meeting be held on February 22, at 3:00 p.m. New York time,” he said.

    Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the White House to comment on the Hersh report. “The White House must now comment on all these facts,” Zakharova said in a post on her Telegram page where she summarised Hersh’s main claims regarding the alleged U.S. sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeleine Sept. 26, 2022

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/russia-calls-un-security-council-investigate-nord-stream-attack-feb-22/

  17. Kentucky Supreme Court refuses to block state abortion bans

    The Kentucky Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a request from abortion providers to block the state’s trigger law and six-week ban.

    Why it matters: The decision comes months after voters rejected a ballot measure that was considered a major win for abortion rights in the red state.

    Catch up fast: This is the second time that Kentucky’s highest court has denied a request to block the bans.

    https://www.axios.com/2023/02/16/kentucky-supreme-court-abortion-bans-trigger

  18. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is stepping down
    One of the most prominent women in tech — and one of Google’s earliest employees — is leaving the company.

    By Peter Kafka Feb 16, 2023, 12:02pm EST

    YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, who has led the world’s largest video site for the last nine years, is stepping down from her role. She’ll be replaced by Neal Mohan, her longtime lieutenant.

    In a letter sent to YouTube’s employees, Wojcicki said she was leaving in order to “start a new chapter focused on my family, health and personal projects I’m passionate about.”

    During her tenure, YouTube became increasingly important to the business for Google, which bought the site in 2006, and Alphabet, the holding company that houses both of them: In 2022, YouTube generated $29.2 billion in ad sales

    https://www.vox.com/recode/2023/2/16/23602636/youtube-ceo-susan-wojcicki-leaving-neal-mohan

  19. Destroying Meritocracy Is Deadly
    Our government is playing with our lives as it prefers diversity, equity, and inclusion over ensuring the
    best qualified employees are hired.

    By Victor Davis Hanson

    February 15, 2023
    Arecent epidemic of airline near misses deserves both attention and reflection.

    In mid-December, a San Francisco-bound United Airlines Boeing 777-200 airliner, just a little over a minute after taking off from Maui, Hawaii, suddenly dived. It lost more than half its altitude and came within 800 feet of crashing into the Pacific Ocean

    About a month later, an American Airlines jet crossed the runway at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport just as a Delta Air Lines plane was accelerating for takeoff. The two aircraft nearly collided.

    Then in February, a FedEx cargo jet at the Austin, Texas airport just missed crashing into a Southwest Airlines airliner by a mere 100 feet.

    The same month an American Airlines Airbus A321 was being towed out of the gate at Los Angeles International airport, and smashed into a bus carrying passengers between terminals, injuring five.

    These near and actual accidents come amid a general landscape of aviation chaos.

    After Christmas, Southwest Airlines simply canceled 71 percent of its flights. It blamed staff shortages due to storms. The airline seemed incapable of ensuring enough of their pilots, attendants, crews, and airport staff could get to work.

    The Federal Aviation Administration in January canceled all flight departures from the United States for two hours due a computer safety system collapse. Thousands of additional flights were canceled, many for over 24 hours.

    Something has gone terribly wrong.

    Either the Department of Transportation and its Secretary Pete Buttigieg, or the head of the FAA, or the quality of either ground crews, pilots, or air traffic controllers—or all combined—are putting American travelers at mortal risk.

    If not corrected, these near-death airline experiences and the near collapse of the U.S. commercial aviation system presage catastrophes to come.

    Similar problems are plaguing the U.S. military.

    On July 21, 2021 the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley assured the country that “The Afghan security forces have the capacity and capabilities needed to fight and defend their country.”

    Those forces utterly collapsed in a matter of hours less than a month later.

    On the eve of the war in Ukraine, the Pentagon wrongly warned Congress that Kyiv could fall within 72 hours of a general Russian invasion.

    This month, the Defense Department officials apparently allowed a series of surveillance balloons to enter U.S. airspace. Joe Biden claims he was advised by the military not to shoot down a Chinese survival balloon craft as it crossed with impunity much of the United States.

    In the aftermath, Pentagon spokespeople gave incomplete, mutually contradictory, and absurd explanations for these serial violations of U.S. airspace, most likely perpetrated by the Chinese communist government.

    The Pentagon likewise disputes details of recruitment shortfalls. But the military brass concedes that many branches of the military are still between a third to a quarter short of their recruitment goals—despite the military steadily lowering standards for enlistment. It denies that the new woke military culture has alienated future recruits, although polls suggest otherwise.

    The same shortfall is true of U.S. weapon arsenals. Between cuts in the defense budget, poor procurement planning, incompetent administration, and massive arms shipments to Ukraine, the military suffers dangerously low inventories of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, artillery shells, rockets, missiles, and mines.

    America’s security, safety, prosperity, and postmodern lifestyles are not our birthright.

    They are the dividends of centuries of prior hard work, unfettered freedom of speech, disinterested research, and a meritocracy.

    Tamper with any of that and the system begins to fall apart.

    The United States will then resemble the miasma we see in most of the world abroad where ideology suppresses free inquiry, political correctness warps research, and tribalism trumps meritocracy.

    Many of the major airlines have established racial and gender quotes for government pilot training programs.

    United Airlines has set quotas to ensure half of its trainees will be minorities or women.

    Since 2013, the FAA has been lowering standards for air traffic control qualifications to achieve de facto race and gender quotas.

    In testimony before Congress our top military brass has bragged not of their reduction in standards for enlistment, but of their “diversity” hiring, as they purportedly ferret out “white supremacy” and “white rage.”

    In sum, our government is playing with our lives as it prefers diversity, equity, and inclusion over ensuring the best qualified employees are hired on the basis of racially and gender-blind competitive tests and experience.

    Keep it up, and there are going to be a lot more Afghanistan-style surrenders, Chinese surveillance craft in our skies, and airline nightmares.

    https://amgreatness.com/2023/02/15/destroying-meritocracy-is-deadly/

  20. February 16, 2023
    Why is Biden so Oddly Silent about the Ohio Train Disaster?
    By Nancy Van Deest
    The environmental disaster taking place in Ohio from a Norfolk Southern derailed train should outrage both sides of the political aisle. After the smoke clears, investigations will take place and most likely will show that there is plenty of blame to be shared, including all levels of government and both political parties.

    But at the moment, the complete lack of any significant response by the Biden administration is appalling and begs the question why an administration that is hostile to the free market and supports extreme measures to fight climate change is missing in action? Could it be that some of the largest shareholders of the responsible railroad, Norfolk Southern Corporation, are tied to PACs and affiliates that helped fund the 2020 election of the Biden administration? If true, then isn’t it reasonable to conclude that by such donations, these shareholders, through their PACs and affiliates, support the Biden administration?

    According to various sources, top shareholders in Norfolk Southern Corp. are the Vanguard Group, and subsidiaries of BlackRock and JP Morgan. Specifically, as of this week, CNNMoney.com lists the Vanguard Group, Inc. as the top shareholder with 7.68%. BlackRock Fund Advisors and JPMorgan Investment

    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/02/why_is_biden_so_oddly_silent_about_the_ohio_train_diaster.html

  21. February 16, 2023
    Restoring Marriage
    By Richard Moss

    The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. It had broad support from both parties including then-senator Joe Biden. DOMA prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage for the purpose of federal laws or programs. More recently, President Joe Biden signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act, which overturned DOMA. Specifically, it holds that states must recognize same-sex marriage across state lines and that federal laws and programs apply equally to same-sex couples. This followed Obergefell v. Hodges, decided June 26, 2015, in a split 5-4 decision (Anthony Kennedy joined with the four liberal justices), which determined that same-sex couples had a fundamental right to marry based on the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

    With the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization opinion, the Supreme Court ended the recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and returned the matter to the states, where it belonged. After Dobbs, it became reasonable to reconsider the Obergefell decision, as Justice Clarence Thomas alluded in his concurring opinion in the Dobbs decision. The passage of the Respect for Marriage Act complicates matters but both will have to be addressed if we are ever to restore a proper definition of marriage.

    In Obergefell, as in Roe, unelected lawyers in black robes, functioning as a supreme legislature, acting against our nation’s history, culture, and traditions, imposed upon the land, the fifty states and their democratically elected legislatures, and more than 300 million people, a mandate to redefine the most fundamental institution in society. What was at issue here was not due process or equal protection, which our Constitution guarantees, but redefining an institution that in five thousand years of human history, has always required sexual complementarity. The decision undermined all notions of federalism, states’ rights, the constitutional order, and basic democratic practice. The nature of marriage is not mentioned in the Constitution. Deciding its definition is not a power of the federal government. It is left to the states and the people. This is not government by law or democratic process but by judicial decree.

    No body of five unelected lawyers, regardless of the status of that body should have the power to decide and redefine for a nation the nature and definition of an institution, especially one so unalterably crucial to that society.

    “Gay marriage” is not a “right” but a distortion of a sacred and critical institution, that of marriage. Beyond that, the notion of “gay marriage” is irrational, an oxymoron. Gays cannot marry because they are sexually the same. Whether they love one another and plan to spend the rest of their lives together does not matter. Marriage cannot be twisted, bent, or folded to suit personal preferences. A proper understanding of marriage falls outside the realm of “rights,” for it is a descriptive term, a matter of logic, natural law, and biology.

    From marriage and the marital act comes the world and all that is within it: civilization, history, culture, science, and so on. Without the marital act, there are no children, and the universe of relationships that arise from it. It is through the institution of marriage that total strangers are joined to form new families and relations. It is how the two houses of humanity, male and female, unite to bring children into the world.

    The traditional, married family is the domestic unit upon which society depends; without it, society cannot function and will eventually collapse. New life cannot issue from the “union” of individuals of the same sex; it is for this reason that traditional marriage is sanctified and given special legal and moral status

    Recognize gay marriage (and all other “models” that would follow) blurs the significance of traditional marriage, desanctify and weaken it, and render it just another lifestyle choice. Already a battered and weakened institution, marriage should be bolstered and upheld, privileged and elevated. While gays enjoy the right to free speech, due process, and equal treatment before the law, there is no “right” to transform fundamental institutions to suit elite tastes or enhance gay self-esteem. Society must tolerate gays but is not obligated to endorse their activities or goals.

    But leftists support gay marriage. They see society as an oppressive, patriarchal, “heteronormative” oligarchy and seek to tear it down. Traditional married families, furthermore, are autonomous islands that generally perform well enough without government assistance; as such, they thwart the leftist agenda. Furthermore, they seek to reduce the population for various “environmental” reasons such as “climate change,” and weakening the institution of marriage serves this goal.

    Liberalism thrives on social failure and collapse. It feeds on broken families and dysfunction. The destruction of the family has been a longstanding project of the left: the sexual revolution, feminism, gay marriage, and now, of course, transgenderism, are tools to overturn the traditional family and the civil society in general.

    But with the Left and its media appendage, it is always about narratives, long-term goals, and the seizing of power. Beneath the smiling patina of the charming news host or glib politician, the façade of tolerance and broad mindedness, leftists pursue their radical agenda with grim singlemindedness, censoriousness, and, when necessary, violence. Indeed, the homosexual agenda (along with its counterpart, “feminism,” and, more recently, transgenderism) is but another arrow in its quiver by which to undermine society, to fracture and uproot its time-honored institutions, and, particularly, to chip away at that great bulwark against collectivism, the traditional family.

    Obergefell and now the Respect for Marriage Act are assaults not just Christianity but all faiths, our culture, and on American civilization, which is based on the Judeo-Christian tradition. They are attacks on common sense, federalism, separation of powers, and the constitutional order. We live in a post-constitutional age, under attack by the progressive (regressive) Left that seeks to flip our culture on its head, and to undermine the two great impediments to centralized government, the traditional married family and the church. These are the twin pillars of the civil society, which stand between the individual and the central government.

    Obergefell and the Respect for Marriage Act are additional salvoes of the sexual revolution and its war on the family and Christianity. Abortion, radical feminism, gay marriage, and now transgenderism are all of piece.

    But five leftist judges and the federal government cannot redefine marriage. It remains a union between a man and a woman, an organic institution based on nature and biology that precedes the political order. Its purpose is to civilize the mating process and to provide the best environment for children to grow in. It is about creating new life. It is not about validating the adult relationship of your choice or satisfying elite opinion.

    We must defend traditional marriage. It is time to overturn Obergefell, repeal the Respect for Marriage Act, and reinstate DOMA

    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/02/restoring_marriage.html

  22. REPORT: Black Students Violently Forced Their White Peers To Pledge Allegiance To BLM At Elementary School – One White Student Was Punched In The Head (VIDEO)
    By Cullen Linebarger
    Published February 16, 2023 at 3:00pm
    Comment

    Springfield, Ohio – A local news station, WHIO-TV, reported that a group of black children allegedly used violent force to make white students say “Black Lives Matter” against their will at Kenwood Elementary School last Friday.

    WHIO-TV confirmed, through a public records request, that Springfield police were called to the school Monday morning to look into the racist students’ actions. The police say they are investigating whether this was a hate crime and are working with prosecutors to determine whether to bring charges.

    During the racist incident, one white student was reportedly punched in the head by a black counterpart for refusing to pledge allegiance to the communist BLM movement. Others were dragged, thrown to the ground, and carried to the playground.

    The whole sickening event was reportedly filmed by the black students. But when WHIO-TV asked the Springfield City School District for a copy of the tape, they refused.

    Are they attempting to obfuscate the truth?

    WATCH:

    WHIO reported:

    Police are investigating reports of an assault at a Springfield Elementary School involving two groups of students.

    Monday morning Springfield police were called to Kenwood Elementary School about an incident that happened during recess Friday, according to an incident report obtained through a News Center 7 public records request.

    Police were informed by the school’s principal that “a group of Black students had gathered several white students on a specific spot of the playground and forced them to state ‘Black Lives Matter’ against their will,”, the police report states

    Students who tried to avoid the situation were “chased down and escorted, dragged, or carried to the playground,” the report alleges. The group of students also allegedly filmed the students who were forced to make the statement.

    One student was punched in the head by one of the suspects, the police report states.

    Ryan Springer and Ashley Henthorne said their 12-year-old son was one of the students forced on the playground.

    “I mean I’m angry as a parent but I understand they are children. It’s not okay to hate anybody because of their skin color, or their gender or sexual orientation, or anything like that. Nobody should be hating anybody,” Springer said.

    Henthorne said she was not notified of the incident when it happened Friday, but noticed a change in her son. When she was notified of what happened Monday she said the changes she saw in her son made sense.

    “I kept asking him all weekend, are you OK? And he kept saying, ‘yeah, I’m just tired’ And then when I got the phone call Monday about it, I was like, ‘that explained a lot.’” Henthrone said.

    Their son has not wanted to return to school and Springer said he is “traumatized.”

    Springfield police told News Center 7 they are investigating whether the incident is a hate crime and working with prosecutors to review any possible formal charges

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/report-black-students-violently-forced-white-peers-pledge-allegiance-blm-elementary-school-one-white-student-punched-head-video/

  23. Give Me a Break, Man!” Biden Lashes Out at Reporter For Asking if He’s Compromised By His Family’s Corrupt Business Dealings with China (VIDEO)
    By Cristina Laila
    Published February 16, 2023 at 2:45pm
    117 Comments
    Share

    Joe Biden on Thursday delivered remarks on the three objects shot down by US fighter pilots last week.

    Three objects were shot down last week – one over the Yukon in Canadian airspace and two over US airspace.

    Biden on Thursday said the three objects shot down by $400,000 sidewinders were likely weather balloons.

    “We don’t yet know exactly what these three objects were. But nothing right now suggests they are related to the China spy balloon program or that they were surveillance vehicles from anything other country,” Biden said.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/give-break-man-biden-lashes-reporter-asking-compromised-familys-corrupt-business-dealings-china-video/

  24. Russia Calls for UN Security Council to Investigate Nord Stream Attack Feb. 22
    By Richard Abelson
    Published February 16, 2023 at 2:30pm
    114 Comments

    Russia has requested that a UN Security Council meeting be held to discuss the Nord Stream gas pipeline sabotage on February 22, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said on his Telegram channel Wednesday, TASS reports. “In light of new information regarding the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, we have requested a UN Security Council meeting be held on February 22, at 3:00 p.m. New York time,” he said.

    Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the White House to comment on the Hersh report. “The White House must now comment on all these facts,” Zakharova said in a post on her Telegram page where she summarised Hersh’s main claims regarding the alleged U.S. sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline Sept. 26, 2022.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/russia-calls-un-security-council-investigate-nord-stream-attack-feb-22/

    • Now China and Germany Join Russia and Demand an Investigation Into Biden’s Connections with Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Sabotage
      By Joe Hoft
      Published February 16, 2023 at 3:45pm
      Comment

      Along with Russia, China and Germany are now requesting an investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 pipe and any connection to Joe Biden.

      Sey Hersh dropped a bomb of a report a week ago tying Joe Biden to the sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The pipeline was blown up last fall and Hersh accused the Biden gang of being behind it.

      Hersh spoke a few days later about his report and doubled down on his reporting.

      People are listening to Hersh. As reported earlier today at TGP, Russia read Hersh’s report and is asking the United Nations to look into the report.

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/now-china-germany-join-russia-demand-investigation-bidens-connections-nord-stream-2-pipeline-sabotage/

  25. Florida Department of Health- Health Alert on mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Safety

    The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges that the health and medical field have never encountered. Although the initial response was led by a sense of urgency and crisis management, the State Surgeon General believes it is critical that as public health professionals, responses are adapted to the present to chart a future guided by data.

    The State Surgeon General is notifying the health care sector and public of a substantial increase in Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) reports from Florida after the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

    https://www.floridahealth.gov/_documents/newsroom/press-releases/2023/02/20230215-updated-health-alert-fl-2006-2022-vaers-chart.svg

    In Florida alone, there was a 1,700% increase in VAERS reports after the release of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to an increase of 400% in overall vaccine administration for the same time period (Figure 1).

    The reporting of life-threatening conditions increased over 4,400%. This is a novel increase and was not seen during the 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign. There is a need for additional unbiased research to better understand the COVID-19 vaccines’ short- and long-term effects.

    The findings in Florida are consistent with various studies that continue to uncover such risks. To further evaluate this, the Surgeon General wrote a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) illustrating the risk factors associated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and emphasizing the need for additional transparency.

    According to a study, exit disclaimer iconFraiman J et al, Vaccine. 2022, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were associated with an excess risk of serious adverse events, including coagulation disorders, acute cardiac injuries, Bell’s palsy, and encephalitis. This risk was 1 in 550 individuals, which is much higher than other vaccines.

    A second study, exit disclaimer iconSun CLF et al, Sci Rep. 2022, found increased acute cardiac arrests and other acute cardiac events following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.

    Additionally, exit disclaimer iconDag Berild J et al, JAMA Netw Open. 2022, assessed the risk of thromboembolic and thrombocytopenic events related to COVID-19 vaccines and found preliminary evidence of increased risk of both coronary disease and cardiovascular disease.

    While the CDC has identified safety signals for stroke among individuals 65 and older following the bivalent booster administration, there is a need for additional assessments and research regarding safety of all mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

    To support transparency, the State of Florida reminds health care providers to accurately communicate the risks and benefits of all clinical interventions to their patients, including those associated with the COVID-19 vaccine as additional risks continue to be identified and disclosed to the public.

    The State of Florida remains dedicated to protecting communities from the risks of COVID-19 and other public health concerns, specifically by promoting the importance of treatment and promoting prevention through healthy habits. We encourage our health care partners and providers to do the same.

    https://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2023/02/20230215-updated-health-alert.pr.html

    • the gateway pundit -CBS News Medical Contributor Claims Decline in Vaccination and Mask Use Against COVID Causes Heart Attacks in Young Adults (VIDEO)

      […]For Grounder, the deaths from heart attacks were caused by COVID-19 and the decline in youth vaccination and mask use.

      “These death certificates are probably not even capturing the fact that they might have had COVID. They’re really just saying, did you die from a heart attack or not?”

      “What we do know, however, is that younger people were less likely to protect themselves against COVID than older people – less likely to mask, less likely to take other mitigation measures. And they were also farther back in line to get vaccinated. So they were not protected with vaccination until later in the pandemic. Those might have been a factor here,” she said.

      =======================

      twitter @DC_Draino

      Mainstream news now reporting a **30%** increase in heart attack deaths for young adults aged 25-44

      The cause?

      “Lower rates of masking and vaccinations in young people”

      These people are sociopathic with how much they lie to protect Big Pharma

      + 3 min 22 video

      https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1625949169885057057
      ===========================

      […]After the interview, Grounder took to social media and suggested that the best method to prevent a heart attack from COVID is to get vaccinated, to always wear a mask in public places (particularly indoors during COVID outbreaks), and to make sure there is adequate ventilation and air filtration.
      ===================================
      twitter @celinegounder

      7/ How can you reduce your risk of heart attack from COVID?

      getting vaccinated wearing a mask, especially in indoor public spaces during COVID surges – ventilation & air filtration

      https://twitter.com/celinegounder/status/1625627618404966400

      =====================================

      […]

      […]

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/cbs-news-medical-contributor-claims-decline-covid-vaccination-mask-use-causes-heart-attacks-young-adults-video/
      ==================================

  26. CNN – Biden says there is no evidence of sudden increase in flying objects

    ( 10 min 51 )

    Biden speaks on the United States’ response to the unidentified high-altitude objects over North American airspace in recent weeks, following the US military’s downing of a Chinese surveillance balloon.

  27. Minnesota – House Democrats introduce ban on new gas lawn mowers in 2025

    A bill introduced in the Minnesota House would ban the sale of new gas-powered lawn mowers and other garden equipment like leaf blowers and weed whippers starting in 2025.

    […]If passed, Minnesota would join California, which passed the nation’s first ban on gas-powered lawn mowers, slated to take effect in 2024. Lawmakers in New York and Illinois have considered similar laws.

    https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/house-democrats-introduce-ban-on-new-gas-lawn-mowers-in-2025/

  28. Karine Jean-Pierre Refuses to Confirm Report Claiming US Intelligence Watched Spy Balloon Lift Off Near China’s South Coast (VIDEO)
    By Cristina Laila
    Published February 16, 2023 at 3:30pm
    69 Comments

    White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday refused to confirm reports claiming US Intelligence watched the spy balloon lift off near China’s south coast.

    CBS News on Tuesday night reported US Intelligence actually saw the spy balloon lift off near China’s south coast and tracked it for nearly a week before it entered US airspace

    U.S. intelligence watched the Chinese spy balloon as it lifted off near China’s south coast, meaning the U.S. military had been tracking it for nearly a week before it entered U.S. airspace. Longer than originally know,” CBS News reported.

    “What they saw was this balloon heading east from China towards Guam and Hawaii, but then it took a sharp northward turn – a beeline towards Alaska!” CBS reported.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/karine-jean-pierre-refuses-confirm-report-claiming-us-intelligence-watched-spy-balloon-lift-off-near-chinas-south-coast-video/

  29. Special Counsel Jack Smith Has At Least 8 Sealed Court Battles Targeting Trump
    By Cristina Laila
    Published February 16, 2023 at 5:00pm
    288 Comments

    Special Counsel Jack Smith has at least 8 secret court battles targeting Trump, according to a report by CNN.

    Jack Smith, who just returned from Europe after recovering from a biking accident, is moving full steam ahead with his probes into whether Trump committed crimes.

    Advertisement –

    The special counsel investigation was supposed to focus on whether Trump broke the law when he took White House records to Mar-a-Lago and the other part of the probe is related to January 6.

    However, Jack Smith has now expanded his investigation and is looking into Trump’s efforts to fight the massive 2020 election fraud operation in key swing states.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/special-counsel-jack-smith-least-8-sealed-court-battles-targeting-trump/

  30. Donald Trump Responds To Georgia Report – “President Trump Will Always Keep Fighting For True And Honest Elections”
    By ProTrumpNews Staff
    Published February 16, 2023 at 6:15pm
    185 Comments

    The Deep State is doing everything it can to stop Donald Trump.

    A Georgia grand jury found that one or more witnesses in the probe looking into the Georgia 2020 election may have lied under oath.

    They recommended a prosecutor pursue criminal indictments.

    The

    Georgia – A Fulton County judge earlier this week ordered parts of the grand jury report in the garbage Trump 2020 election investigation to be released as the prosecutor considers charges against Trump and his allies.

    The grand jury concluded that “one or more witnesses” lied under oath and recommended perjury indictments.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/donald-trump-responds-georgia-report-president-trump-will-always-keep-fighting-true-honest-elections/
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  31. THE CRUELTY IS THE POINT: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Reveals The Biden Regime Is OUTRIGHT REFUSING Assistance To East Palestine
    By Cullen Linebarger
    Published February 16, 2023 at 6:45pm
    190 Comments

    Residents of East Palestine, Ohio have been demanding answers as to why the federal government has failed to help clean up the toxic chemicals poisoning their city resulting from a train derailment. Now we know why.

    Ohio Governor Mike DeWine revealed this morning that the Biden Regime is actively refusing to help East Palestine. FEMA is claiming Ohio is “not eligible for assistance at this time.”

    Of course, this is nonsense. The real reason almost certainly lies with the fact the residents of East Palestine voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump back in 2020.

    Here is Governor DeWine:

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/cruelty-point-ohio-governor-mike-dewine-reveals-biden-regime-outright-refusing-assistance-east-palestine/

  32. WATCH: “The Whole Black Anthem Kumbaya Is A Huge Distraction” – Black Conservative Podcaster Comes To Kari Lake’s Defense After She Sits Out The Divisive Black National Anthem Recited By Woke Activist
    By Jordan Conradson
    Published February 16, 2023 at 8:15pm
    17 Comments

    Royce White, host of the Please Call Me Crazy podcast and former Congressional Candidate in Minnesota’s District 5, came out against the Black National Anthem yesterday, calling it a “farce,” a “false catharsis,” and a “huge distraction” for Americans.

    He further berated the left’s virtue-signaling narrative, saying, “the whole thing is a lie,” and it’s “built on it being a scam, and you’re paying into it.”

    This comes in response to Kari Lake’s refusal to stand for the Black National Anthem sung by “Victoriously Aware” actress and woke activist Sheryl Lee Ralph. “I would actually sit for the Black National Anthem, too,” said White.

    The Gateway Pundit reported that America-First superstar Kari Lake went viral again, outraging the radical left and fake news media for taking a seat during the Woke NFL’s “Black National Anthem” performance at Superbowl LVII in Arizona

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/watch-whole-black-anthem-kumbaya-huge-distraction-black-conservative-podcaster-comes-kari-lakes-defense-sits-divisive-black-national-anthem-recited-woke-activ/

  33. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki Resigns Day After House GOP Issues Subpoenas to Big Tech CEOs
    By Brian Lupo
    Published February 16, 2023 at 7:15pm
    164 Comments

    The day after the House GOP issued subpoenas for Big Tech CEOs at Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, the CEO of YouTube, Susan Wojcicki, has suddenly stepped down. While YouTube is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Wojcicki was not listed on the list of subpoenaed CEOs.

    Wojcicki said she is stepping down to focus on her “family, health and personal projects.”

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/youtube-ceo-susan-wojcicki-resigns-day-house-gop-issues-subpoenas-big-tech-ceos/

  34. The Kiss of Death – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Endorsed by George Soros (VIDEO)
    By Joe Hoft
    Published February 16, 2023 at 9:15pm
    301 Comments

    Florida Governor DeSantis just received the kiss of death. George Soros has endorsed DeSantis for 2024.

    This could not be worse for DeSantis.

    When the devil likes you, you might be doing something wrong.

    George Soros famously admitted to helping the Nazis in World War II steal from Jews and take their booty. He said in a 60 minutes interview 20 years ago from Ukraine of all places, that if he didn’t do it then someone else would – shrugging it off.

    After this relationship with the Nazis, Soros was somehow given US citizenship and has been a huge funder of the Democrat Party.

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    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/kiss-death-florida-governor-ron-desantis-endorsed-george-soros/

  35. REPORT: Half A Million Dollars Missing At Stacey Abrams Charity
    By Mike LaChance
    Published February 16, 2023 at 9:45pm
    16 Comments

    The Stacey Abrams charity ‘New Georgia Project’ has a potential tax problem.

    According to a new investigative report, the group is ‘missing’ $500,000. That’s not a small accounting error, it’s a possible crime

    Charities are carefully regulated when it comes to finances. They don’t just casually misplace hundreds of thousands of dollars, at least they’re not supposed to.

    The Washington Free Beacon broke this story:

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/report-half-million-dollars-missing-stacey-abrams-charity/