President Joe Biden calls his presidency the “honor of my lifetime” Monday as he delivers the keynote address in support of Kamala Harris during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, IL. The convention runs through 22 August. Photo by David Banks/UPI.

After a 52-year career rising to the pinnacle of power, 81-year-old President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night. A visibly emotional President Biden received a hero’s welcome for the act of stepping aside for Harris and was greeted by a four-minute-long ovation and chants of “Thank you, Joe.”

“America, I love you,” he replied.

U.S. President Joe Biden gave a keynote speech on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, just weeks after announcing he would not seek reelection and would instead support Vice President Kamala Harris on the party ticket. https://t.co/8AF1L8G33N pic.twitter.com/xyCp4LqXEy

— Voice of America (@VOANews) August 20, 2024

His heroic decision to end his re-election bid released newfound energy with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the 2024 POTUS candidate. Biden insisted he did not harbor any ill will towards anyone who eased him off the ticket and called on the Democratic Party to unite around Kamala. Accusing Donald Trump of “bowing down” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said, “I never have and I promise you Kamala Harris will never do it. She’ll be a president we can all be proud of.”

President Biden acknowledged the protests outside the convention and inside the arena: “Those protesters out in the street have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.” He reiterated his push to achieve a cease-fire deal that would release Israeli and American hostages held somewhere in Gaza.

Meanwhile the Republicans are heading in the opposite direction. Anthony Scaramucci, a senior former staffer to the 45^th President stated that the Trump campaign has “imploded.” He speculated that Trump is annoyed due to public backlash to Project 2025 and his picking JD Vance as his running mate.  Trump is angrily looking for a scapegoat and considering firing top advisors, Scaramucci suggested.

Sources:

Biden gets rousing ovation, gives Harris enthusiastic endorsement (voanews.com)

Donald Trump Suffering ‘Implosion’ Inside Campaign, Former Staffer Says – Newsweek

US Intelligence: Iran Behind Efforts to Infiltrate Trump, Harris Campaigns

The FBI has been investigating alleged Iranian cybercriminals such as these suspects for years.

The US intelligence community disclosed that Iran was behind a recent hack of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and efforts to infiltrate the presidential campaign of the Democratic Party. The confirmation came in a joint statement from the FBI, the ODNI, and CISA (see link below).  

The agencies have warned during the election cycle that Iran was employing efforts to influence the presidential contest and “observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity” targeting the US public and the two presidential campaigns. The statement from the USIC did not elaborate on the activity, but said Iran and also Russia have employed similar tactics worldwide.

After the 13 July assassination attempt on him by a disaffected young white man in Butler, PA, Donald Trump wildly accused the Iranians of being behind it. He then accused the Iranians of leaking damaging information about JD Vance. Remarkably, Trump was correct about the cyber-espionage.   

Iran has denied the allegations through its mission in the UN. In a statement to The New York Times: “The Iranian government neither possesses nor harbors any intent or motive to interfere in the US presidential election.”

Sources:

Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement on Iranian Election Influence Efforts — FBI

Ukraine Now Controls Over 1,250 Square Kilometers of Russia

Ukraine controls over 1,250 square km of Russian territory, including 92 settlements, according to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He advised his diplomatic team the military incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was to create a “buffer zone” to prevent further attacks by Moscow across the border. This was the first time he clearly stated the aim of the operation that began on 6 August.

Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in a single operation. This was also Ukraine’s most significant effort to free Ukrainians from Russian captivity. He previously acknowledged that captured Russians could be part of a future prisoner exchange.

Russian authorities say more than 121,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk region since the start of the incursion. 84 refugee centers were set up for the displaced Russians, including inside a sports facility.

Source:

Zelenskyy says Ukraine now controls over 1,250 square kilometres in Kursk region | Euronews

Former Republican Congressman George Santos Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Identity Theft

George Santos obnoxiously flashing a white power sign while casting a vote in Congress.

Former US Representative George Anthony Devolder Santos (36) pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, admitting that he filed fraudulent FEC reports, embezzled funds from campaign donors, charged credit cards without authorization, stole identities, obtained unemployment benefits through fraud, and lied in reports to the House of Representatives.

“George Santos admitted that he did in fact lie, cheat, and steal his way to elected office,” said a senior FBI agent from the New York Field Office (NYFO).

During the 2022 election cycle, Santos and an accomplice devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to obtain money for the campaign by submitting materially false reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). He then devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to steal the personal identity and financial information of contributors to his campaign. Santos operated a limited liability company through which he defrauded prospective political supporters. Santos also applied for and received unemployment insurance benefits from NYS. Lastly, Santos made false statements to the US Clerk of the House of Representatives on his Financial Disclosure Statement.

Santos is scheduled to be sentenced on 7 Feb 2025 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and a maximum of 22 years in prison. As part of the guilty plea, George Santos will pay restitution of $373,749.97 and must forfeit $205,002.97.

Source:

Office of Public Affairs | Former Congressman George Santos Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Identity Theft | United States Department of Justice

IDF: Six Hostages’ Bodies Retrieved from Gaza Strip

Undated imagery of Shin Bet commandos in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF and the Shin Bet recovered the bodies of five hostages from the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip. Five of their deaths had already been announced by Israel, though Avraham Munder was thought to still be alive. The kidnappers previously claimed that Mr Popplewell died of wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike months ago.

The Hostage Families Forum said the recovery of the bodies had provided the families with “necessary closure”. They added the return of the remaining 109 hostages from Gaza “can only be achieved through a negotiated deal” and called on the Israeli government to “do everything in its power to finalize the deal currently on the table”.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 originating from the Gaza Strip, during which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage. Since then, more than 40,173 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 500 murdered by settlers in the West Bank.

Sources:

Six hostages’ bodies retrieved, Israel’s military says (bbc.com)

More than 500 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: UN rights chief | UN News

North Korean Soldier Defects Across DMZ to South

North Korean soldiers look at South Korea across the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Defecting across the DMZ is dangerous as North Korean soldiers are ordered to shoot anyone attempting it. (AFP/Getty Images)

A North Korean soldier walked through the demilitarized zone, the second border crossing this month amid a loudspeaker propaganda campaign by Seoul. The South Korean military “conducted an operation to help him [safely] arrive in the South.”

The defection comes less than two weeks after another North Korean escaped across the neutral waters of the Han River. South Korea has been conducting steady propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts near the DMZ since mid-July, blasting K-pop songs and South Korean news and information across the border.

The broadcasts reportedly call for soldiers working in border areas to escape and include news of the defection of a North Korean diplomat from Cuba last year. South Korea’s military claims the speakers can be heard as far as 15 miles away. Direct defections have been historically rare, with most escapees crossing overland via the border with China. Defectors are granted citizenship and receive financial support and training after being vetted by South Korean intelligence agencies.

Over 34,000 North Koreans have fled to the South to escape dire economic conditions and the country’s brutally repressive regime. However, the number of arrivals has plummeted after Pyongyang sealed its borders and ramped up security in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some 105 defectors arrived in South Korea over the first half of 2024, a slight uptick from 99 over the same period last year.

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula, with back-and-forth Cold War-style psychological warfare emerging along border areas in recent months.

North Korea has sent thousands of balloons carrying scrap paper, shredded clothing, and manure into the South since early June, including one that spilled trash on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s compound.

Sources:

North Korean soldier defects across DMZ to South: military, media – UPI.com

North Korean defects across neutral waters to South: military, media reports

Mediterranean Sea Temperature Reaches Record High

Colorful species like the Mediterranean parrotfish are endangered by global warming.

The Mediterranean Sea reached its highest temperature on record on Thursday, reaching 28.9 degrees Celsius, threatening marine life. During earlier heatwaves about 50 species including corals and mollusks were decimated.

Since the dawn of the industrial age, oceans have absorbed 90 percent of the excess heat produced by human activity. This excess heat continues to accumulate as greenhouse gases, mainly from burning oil, gas, and coal. Warmer oceans are also less capable of absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), reinforcing the vicious cycle of global warming.

The overheating of the oceans is predicted to impact marine plant and animal life, including on the migration of certain species and the spread of invasive species. This could threaten fish stocks and thus undermine food security in certain parts of the globe. Warmer waters increase the likelihood of toxic algae blooms and oxygen-depleted “dead zones.”

In 2021, a massive fish die off in south-east Spain was blamed on hot weather.

Sources:

Mediterranean Sea temperature reaches record high (rfi.fr)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58311105

Ukrainian soldiers ride atop an armored vehicle in Ukraine’s Sumy region, close to the country’s border with Russia, 14 Aug 2024.

Superb Ukrainian intelligence and US-provided weaponry are behind the rapid advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian territory over the past week. A former spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces’ general staff advised that Ukrainian intelligence and the US-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, had been critical to the stunning advance:

“The real scourge of the Russian army is the HIMARS, which turn into ashes a huge number of Russian weapons, equipment and personnel.”

In addition to the powerful surprise attack, low morale and a high desertion rate are impacting Russian combat effectiveness. Pervasive alcohol abuse and lack of potable water at the front forced Russian troops to improvise filtration attempts, using stagnant puddles for daily water requirements. These personnel likely experienced spikes in waterborne diseases and dehydration, lowering their fighting spirit. Up to August this year, Russian courts received 5,204 cases of military personnel accused of abandoning their positions. Throughout 2023, the courts have already logged a total of 5,096 cases.

Despite having to defend Russian soil for the first time in decades, Vladimir Putin — who has insisted since it started on calling his full-scale invasion of Ukraine a “special military operation” — still seems reluctant to admit that he has taken Russia into war.

The President of Russia continues to describe the Ukrainian offensive as a “large-scale provocation,” announcing the start of a “counter-terrorist operation” in response. Putin is carefully couching his language because he does not want to draw attention of his failure to defend Russia’s borders.

Sources:

Intelligence, US-provided weapons seen as key to Ukraine’s Kursk offensive (voanews.com)

Russian Army Desertions Are Surging, Court Records Indicate (msn.com)

Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Public Officials and Killing FBI Agents

Michael Lee Tomasi (37) of Rio Verde, AZ, pleaded guilty to making threats against federal officials, including killing FBI agents. During his arrest, agents uncovered three firearms, including a Smith & Wesson AR-15-style rifle, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, and body armor. A loaded handgun was found in his vehicle.

From May 2021 through November 2023, while living in Colorado and Arizona, Tomasi used social media to incite violence and threaten a variety of individuals and groups, including a city district attorney and a state court judge. The defendant specifically wanted to subject a US congresswoman to “the horror of a violent rape.”

On 26 Aug 2023 Tomasi posted a specific threat to kill FBI agents:

“Shoot the FBI first and ask questions later. . . .  Any FBI [] have a problem with that[,] come to my house and see what happens. Shoot before they even pull their guns out of their trunk and you shoot to kill.” 

Well, the FBI did have a problem with that and everybody, including Mr. Tomasi, did get to see what happened. This rank imbecile is scheduled to be sentenced on 23 Oct 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

In an average year in Arizona, 1,054 people die by firearms violence, with a rate of 14.7 deaths per 100,000 people. The Grand Canyon State has the 18th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. Arizona firearms licenses on record in 2021: 258,691. An estimated 46.3% of adults have guns at home.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | Arizona Man Pleads Guilty for Making Online Threats Against Public Servants Including Federal Officials | United States Department of Justice

7. Arizona – Gun map: Ownership by state – statistics and rates (cbsnews.com)

5k rounds of ammo found in home of Arizona man accused of threatening to kill FBI agents (nbcnews.com)

WHO Declares Monkeypox (mpox) Global Public Health Emergency for Second Time in Two Years

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has spread to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. The disease is spreading at an alarming rate, with more than 17,000 suspected cases and more than 500 deaths this year, mainly among children in the DRC.

The outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But a new variant, clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact. Usually mild, mpox is fatal in rare cases and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. No vaccines are available yet for this variant of mpox.

Sources:

WHO Director-General declares mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern

‘Got Him in a Chokehold’: Expert Tells CNN Trump is Having ‘Complete Meltdown’

Link to CNN interview: https://youtu.be/lavvIgom2Zs

Donald Trump’s campaign is in a tailspin as the Republican presidential nominee’s attacks on Kamala Harris fail to land, one Democratic strategist told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

“It’s very clear the former president is unraveling. He’s having a complete meltdown,” said Ashley Etienne, a former Joe Biden staffer and political advisor.

“Kamala Harris has got him a chokehold that is really driving him to the point of insanity, and really driving his campaign to the point of paralysis.”

Etienne points out that Trump’s rise in the polls has flatlined, while Harris’ star continues to rise. She compared Trump’s campaign to a shop that “needs new customers.”

“Trump can’t help himself but to be Donald Trump and the more people see of him, the more they are turned off by him,” Etienne said. “There’s too many people that don’t like Donald Trump and he has no path to growth.”

What’s also frustrating for Trump is that “all of his attacks against Kamala Harris are being undermined by the facts,” Etienne said, noting the strong economy and reduced number of border crossings.

“You underestimate Kamala Harris at your own peril and Donald Trump is finding that out now,” Etienne concluded.

Sources:

https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-2668967886/

Suspected Sabotage Attempts at Two Military Bases in Germany

A German military base was sealed off for several hours as authorities investigated suspected sabotage while a NATO airbase dealt with an intrusion incident.

The Bundeswehr base in Cologne-Wahn was locked down because of “a suspicion of an attempted intrusion and a suspicion of sabotage,” said a German defense ministry spokesman in Berlin. A hole was discovered in a fence near drinking water storage facilities. The perpetrators had not been found and personnel on the Bundeswehr base were advised not to drink the tap water over concerns that the water supply “may be contaminated”. The base re-opened later in the day.

The Cologne-Wahn base near Bonn, houses several military and civilian facilities of the German armed forces as well as aircraft used by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers for government travel. The base is also an important hub for military support for Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers regularly fly home from there, via Poland, after receiving training in Germany.

A NATO base in the western German town of Geilenkirchen meanwhile dealt with a suspicious trespassing incident and police are investigating the incident. Following the lockdown at the Cologne-Wahn base, the NATO site also increased its security level and conducted routine checks of its water supply. The base, home to NATO AWACS reconnaissance aircraft, was not sealed off and continued operating at full capacity.

Germany and NATO have been on high alert for sabotage and attacks on its military facilities in the wake of Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In April 2024, investigators arrested two German-Russian men on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning attacks in Germany, including against US Army facilities, to undermine military support for Ukraine.

Sources:

Military, NATO Bases In Germany Hit By Security Scares | IBTimes

North Korean Soldiers Loot Food and Supplies in Flood-Ravaged Areas

North Korean soldiers mobilized to rebuild flood-destroyed towns are stealing food and other necessities from helpless local residents because the regime didn’t supply the unit with food or supplies. The troops are part of a new unit called the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade tasked with rebuilding efforts after heavy rains caused massive flooding near the mouth of the Yalu River, separating North Korea from China. 7,000 acres of land and 4,100 homes were submerged and as many as 1,500 residents are dead or missing from this catastrophe.

Kim Jong-Un had declined an offer of assistance from Beijing.  

When the Shock Brigade arrived, they immediately built a barracks, “but the government did not supply materials,” a local resident said. “The brigade salvaged wood and bricks from houses that collapsed from the flood and built temporary lodging.”

Moreover, the Pyongyang government also did not provide food, so the soldiers were responsible for feeding themselves until government supplies arrived.

“The troops went around private gardens that had been swept away by flood, they picked fallen corn ears and roasted them,” a local resident said. “The troops went into the city at night and stole things such as coal and salted cabbage from storage in private homes that were not damaged by floods.” The residents see the soldiers as a burden and a nuisance rather than support from their new Dear Leader.

Sinisterly, North Korean security personnel expressly warned these flood victims who lost their homes, livelihoods, and family members, not to exhibit their grief. To ensure that, these families are kept under strict surveillance.

Sources:

Sent to flood-ravaged areas, North Korean soldiers steal supplies, townspeople say — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org)

State media shows North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un leading flood rescue

North Korea refused China’s rescue offer for Yalu River island residents

North Korean flood victims who lost their homes or families told not to show sadness

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Do hardworking American taxpayers want a dotardly “Triumph the Comic Insult Dog” leading the United States of America or a young, dynamic successful former prosecutor, US Senator, and Vice-President?

SGT Korbein Schultz (24), an NCO and intelligence analyst at Fort Campbell, KY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official.  

In exchange for approximately $42,000, SGT Schultz collected and transmitted information to China an enormous amount of damaging information about US satellites, drones, weapons systems, tactics, technology, and aviation. Please see bottom for detailed and lengthy list.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 23 Jan 2025. Schultz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information; 20 years in prison for exporting technical data related to defense articles to the PRC without a license; 20 years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); and 15 years in prison for bribery of a public official.

Korbein Schultz betrayed his country and tried to enlist others in this conspiracy while providing a potential military adversary with valuable information that can be used against the US and his fellow Soldiers. The FBI and US Army Counterintelligence Command investigated this case.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Pleads Guilty to Charges of Conspiracy to Obtain and Disclose National Defense Information, Export Control Violations and Bribery | United States Department of Justice

Five Things the Recent Shujun Wang Trial in NYC Revealed About Chinese Espionage

Chinese American author Shujun Wang speaks with reporters outside of federal court in Brooklyn after he was found guilty of espionage 6 Aug 2024. (Jane Tang/RFA)

The case against Shujun Wang, a former academic in Flushing, Queens, recently unfolded in a Brooklyn courthouse. Federal prosecutors presented evidence showing he had been working for the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) for years, providing them with information about the pro-democracy movement in the US. The evidence in the trial provided insights into the tactics Chinese intelligence officers use to spy and “to silence, harass, intimidate people right here in New York,” said one of the prosecutors.

Here are five things learned about MSS methods from the court case. 

One: Chinese intelligence work can be a long family affair

Wang was first approached by Chinese intelligence while he was visiting his hometown, Qingdao, in 2003. The meeting took place because of a family connection. The officer had gone to school with Wang’s nephew and was also a neighbor of the Wang family. 

Years later, in 2016, Wang met two other officers through his daughter and son-in-law, who co-owned businesses in Hong Kong. The officers worked at a different MSS branch, in Guangdong province. Wang’s daughter and son-in-law had turned to the officers for assistance in the past and had asked them for help in recovering money after a business transaction had gone wrong.

These interactions would not have seemed out of the ordinary for Wang, as the intelligence officers’ connections to him were a form of guanxi – cultivated relationships based on mutual obligations, where favors are expected to be repaid. According to one of the government’s witnesses, an intelligence officer had brought “business opportunities” to his daughter and son-in-law, and in fact, on Chinese holidays, Wang’s daughter gave the officers red envelopes of cash as payments for favors, kickbacks or just to maintain their close ties.

Two: The long arm of China could be felt in a Brooklyn courtroom

Throughout the trial, the courtroom was tense. A law student in the courthouse made jokes about spies: “If the CCP sent someone, you’d never know it,” he said, referring to undercover agents from the Chinese Communist Party. 

Defense lawyer Kevin Tung said that people in his office, a group that includes many ethnic Chinese, had expressed concerns about being associated with the case. On the third day of the trial, a juror asked to be excused because she was worried about her family in Taiwan.

Three: Methods used by the Chinese intelligence service can be surprisingly basic

The “intelligence reports” Wang was giving to his handlers were often delivered through WeChat messages and phone calls, or via email. MSS officers set up an email account where Wang would save his reports as “drafts” so that his handlers could later log in to read them. For one of the accounts, the MSS officers devised a password based on the date of their meeting: 17 February 2016. And so, the password read “20160217-.”

Four: Chinese spies are also on a budget

One of the officers told Wang to book his roundtrip ticket to China early so he could get a better rate. “You should arrange the trip and purchase the airline tickets in advance to get a discount,” wrote the officer. 

“Boss He hopes you can stay in Hong Kong a bit longer after the Spring Festival. Boss He said they would like to cover your plane ticket.” He added a smiley emoji.

Wang responded, “Will comply!”

Five: Prosecutor links United Front and Overseas Chinese Affairs to MSS operations

The MSS, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, and the Chinese consulates work together under the United Front Work system. This system is the leading body responsible for coordinating and carrying out the Chinese Communist Party’s influence work. 

The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office focuses on studying and building relationships with overseas ethnic Chinese or who are connected to the international community. The MSS prefers to select targets from existing Overseas Chinese Affairs networks and cultivate them into assets. 

Sources:

Coriolanus Post: 08 August 2024

Five things the Shujun Wang trial revealed about Chinese espionage — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org)

Haaretz: IDF Uses Palestinians as Human Shields to Check Areas That May Be Booby-Trapped Before Soldiers Enter

IDF troops in an underground tunnel in Gaza, 4 Feb 2024. (IDF/AFP)

The Haaretz daily newspaper reported that IDF troops operating in Gaza have been using Palestinian civilians as human shields, forcing them to enter tunnels and homes ahead of soldiers due to fears that the structures may be rigged with traps.

“It is better that [the Palestinians] explode and not the soldiers,” said an IDF commander, justifying the human shield practice.

The IDF said it was reviewing the allegations.

According to the report, which cited testimonies obtained from returning IDF soldiers who have regularly witnessed use of this tactic, troops scouted out Gazan civilians who they believed will be an asset to them while operating in dense urban areas.

On most occasions, the “recruited” Palestinians were adult men, although IDF soldiers also recounted instances in which elderly men or teenagers were selected. The Palestinians were not terror suspects, but were detained specifically to be sent into buildings and tunnels that were possibly booby-trapped. The Palestinian men were told that they would be released after completing one “mission.” These human shields were kept with the IDF troops for varying lengths of time, ranging from one or two days to a week.

This alleged practice has been widely employed across the Gaza Strip in recent months, and that senior IDF staff, including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, are aware of it.

One IDF soldier related that he was guarding a 16-year-old Palestinian teenager prior to the human shield mission he’d been selected for.

“You keep quiet and try to convince yourself, ‘OK, let’s go, let’s use them,’” the soldier said. “[The commander] tried to explain it in a rational way, but at the end of the day, you have a 16-year-old boy sitting inside the house handcuffed, with his eyes covered.”

The IDF soldier added that it wasn’t until this human shield was released a few days later that he realized the Palestinian teenager hadn’t been a terror suspect at all. Moreover, the IDF knows “that it’s not a one-time incident of a young and stupid commander who decides to take someone of his own accord,” one of the soldiers reported.

According to the International Criminal Court, the use of human shields is a war crime.

“In the context of international armed conflicts, this rule is set forth in the Third Geneva Convention (with respect to prisoners of war), the Fourth Geneva Convention (with respect to protected civilians) and Additional Protocol I (with respect to civilians in general).[1] Under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, “utilizing the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations” constitutes a war crime in international armed conflicts.[2]“

Sources:

Report: IDF using Gazans to check areas that may be booby-trapped before troops enter | The Times of Israel

https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule97

Ex-Colorado County Clerk Found Guilty of 2020 US Election Interference

A former Colorado county election official was found guilty of tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election. Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a Republican, was found guilty on seven out of 10 counts in the election interference case. Peters has become well known among election deniers who falsely believe the 2020 presidential election was rigged against former President Donald Trump.

The case represents the first time a local election official has been prosecuted over a suspected security breach during the 2020 election.

“Tina Peters willfully compromised her own election equipment trying to prove Trump’s Big Lie,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold stated.

The former county clerk was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failing to comply with the secretary of state. Peters helped breach the county’s election computer systems and allowed an unauthorized individual to access voting equipment and election records. The person posted secure election equipment images online.

Investigators also issued a search warrant for MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, a proponent of election fraud claims, in connection to Peters’ case. Tina Peters will be sentenced on 3 Oct 2024.

Sources:

Ex-county clerk found guilty of tampering with voting machines (bbc.com)

American Police Brutality: Ohio Officer Faces Murder Charge and Arkansas Officer Fired After Beating Handcuffed Man

Police brutality against unarmed people continues unabated in America. An Ohio police officer was indicted on murder and other charges for shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, a 21-year-old pregnant black mother.

Young was suspected of stealing bottles of alcohol when Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb and a fellow officer approached her car. The other officer ordered her out. Instead, Ms. Young rolled forward toward Grubb, who fired a single bullet through her windshield into her chest killing her. The daughter Ms. Young was expecting in three months also died. Grubb was indicted on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the death of Young and her baby.

In the BodyCam video, an officer at the driver’s side window tells Young she’s been accused of shoplifting and orders her out of the car. Young protests, both officers curse at her and yell at her to get out, and Young can be heard asking them, “Are you going to shoot me?”

Seconds later, she turns the steering wheel to the right, the car rolls slowly forward and Grubb fires his service weapon. Moments later, after the car comes to a stop against the building, they break the driver’s side window. Police said they tried to save her life, but she was mortally wounded.

Sean Walton, the family’s attorney, said:

“In no scenario does someone shoplifting contribute to their murder by a police officer. She bears no responsibility.”

In Arkansas, Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott fired Officer Joseph Harris one day after he was caught on his patrol car video elbowing and punching a handcuffed man and then slamming the car door on his head after the man choked himself with a seatbelt. 

The inmate, Billy Lee Coram (42), had been in the custody of the sheriff’s office and was being treated at a hospital for allegedly ingesting fentanyl when he escaped. He was apprehended by Officer Joseph Harris and was being returned to the county jail when the assault occurred.

In the nearly 12-minute video, Coram appeared visibly distraught and said that he had ingested a bag of fentanyl the day before. Dressed in a hospital gown and socks, the inmate said that he hadn’t used the bathroom since taking the fentanyl. Coram is seen wrapping a seatbelt around his neck to try to choke himself. After the police car pulled over, Harris opened the door and punched and elbowed Coram several times in the face as he unraveled the seatbelt from Coram’s neck.

Harris had worked for the Jonesboro Police Department for a little over five years and was immediately fired based on his conduct and actions. This incident was referred to local prosecutors and the FBI.

Sources:

Officer faces murder charge in shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, pregnant Black woman | AP News

Police officer in Arkansas fired over beating of handcuffed man (bbc.com)

https://www.myr2m.com/craigheadroster/Default.aspx

‘I am not a fan’: GOP women in Pennsylvania Unload on Trump in CNN report

Pennsylvania will be one of the most crucial battleground states in November, with both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris‘ paths to 270 electoral votes depending largely on carrying it.

CNN interviews with conservative women in the Keystone State reveal that while many of these women don’t trust Kamala Harris, they are also fed up with Donald Trump.

Joan London, a municipal government attorney who voted for Nikki Haley in the GOP primary changed her registration to Independent. She was enraged by Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance attacking childless women.

“I’ve led a very full life that way, and to say I don’t have a stake in the future of the country … I had some difficulty with that. And all I could think of, Senator Vance, are you going to tell Ann Coulter or Condoleezza Rice or Elizabeth Dole, they are miserable cat ladies? I don’t think so.”

She added that it’s “highly unlikely” she’ll vote for Harris, instead she’ll write in a vote, but that she might reconsider if Trump or Vance becomes “outrageously offensive” enough.

Cynthia Sabatini found herself in a similar situation. “My street was rock-ribbed Republican. Now, you have to shake a stick to find a Republican.” She wrote in a GOP senator in 2016 and voted for Joe Biden in 2020. She has concerns about Harris but made clear she will not vote for Trump this time either: “I watch his campaign rallies. It’s all about him. It’s not about the country.”

Carol Carty, an attorney and longtime Republican, said she was disgusted by Trump’s constant smears against judges amid his legal problems. She has drifted toward the Democratic Party in recent years, saying, “I’m now turning on ’80s songs to go back to the ’80s. In my lifetime, the Republican Party has changed with Donald Trump.”

She voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. She resigned to voting for Trump in 2024 because of inflation and immigration, but Harris becoming the nominee has made her reconsider.

“I am not a fan of Donald Trump,” she said. And regarding Vance, “I didn’t meet the right person until I was over 40 years old. And it’s by the grace of God that we naturally had a child. So I could very well be one of those childless women and I found the comment insensitive and narrow-minded.”

Senior Republicans recently warned the ex-President’s campaign to curb the misogynistic or racist comments and concentrate on policy differences with Kamala Harris lest they lose the women’s vote this November.

Sources:

‘I am not a fan’: GOP women in key battleground state unload on Trump in CNN report – Raw Story

http://cnn.com

The South Shall Rise Again! Virginia Students Return to School with Restored Confederate Name

Any glorification of a Confederate general or the rebel flag is a glorification of white supremacy and slavery that once brutally dominated the antebellum South. (Whipped Man / Bridgeman Images)

Shenandoah County, Virginia students will begin classes this fall at Stonewall Jackson High School, named after a prominent Confederate general in the Civil War. But in 2020, the school board had discarded the name of that traitor in favor of Mountain View High School after the police killing of an unarmed black man named George Floyd in Minnesota.

According to data gathered by Education Week at least 61 schools changed their names to non-Confederate names since June 2020. But just four years later, the school board in Shenandoah County inexplicably reversed its decision, changing back to the original name honoring the Confederate traitor.

There are approximately 340 schools in 21 states which are still named after traitorous Confederate figures.

After rudimentary searches Coriolanus was unable to locate one school, bridge, or military base in the US venerating traitors from other American wars. For example, Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold has nothing named after him in America. Yet the US seems to have a history of honoring these Confederate traitors.

Chandra Manning, a professor of history at Georgetown University, explained it best. She stated that naming schools after Confederate traitors sky-rocketed in the 1950s after the government mandated that whites-only segregated schools had to accept black pupils. This was the school board’s racist attempt to make black students feel unwelcome.

As an endnote, a federal commission has been re-naming military bases which used to lionize Confederate heroes. For example, Fort Bragg, NC was amended to Fort Liberty, NC and Fort Lee, VA is now Fort Gregg-Adams, VA.

Sources:

Virginia school district makes U-turn on Confederate names (bbc.com)

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3260434/dod-begins-implementing-naming-commission-recommendations/

Footnote to First Story:

SGT Korbein Schultz provided Chinese intelligence a staggering amount of information:

(1) Lessons learned by the US Army from the Ukraine/Russia war applicable in defending Taiwan; (2) an operations order of his unit’s deployment in support of NATO operations; (3) a USAF Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (AFTTP) document relating to the HH-60 helicopter; (4) an AFTTP manual on the F-22A fighter aircraft; (5) an AFTTP manual on ICBMs; (6) information related to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft; (7) information describing modifications of the B-52 aircraft; (8) information on drone and anti-drone tactics; (9) documents relating to PLA military tactics, preparedness, and the PLA Rocket Force; (10) documents relating to US rocket, missile, and artillery weapons systems; (11) documents relating to US military exercises and forces in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines; and (12) information relating to US military satellites.