Serial Killer At Large in Middle East

An international arrest warrant issued by the ICC remains active for Benjamin Netanyahu. The allegations: Responsible for using starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing attacks against civilian populations; crimes against humanity including murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.

This man is dangerous. Do not approach and call INTERPOL immediately at telephone number 33 4 7244 7000 if he is seen or located.

Arrest Warrant: https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendant/netanyahu

Netanyahu’s Thugs Bully Greta Thunberg

After Israeli police arrested antiwar Samaritan Greta Thunberg (bottom right of photo) for trying to feed the starving people in Gaza last week, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had Greta Thunberg watch death films of the 7 Oct 2023 Palestinian raid into Israel which was conducted to capture hostages for a prisoner swap. After she politely declined and this brutal chapter was completed, Greta was deported. Then Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a surprise attack on Iran called Operation Rising Lion.

The Donald Trumpf junta was aware of the imminent attack and had ordered non-essential State Dept and DoD personnel home from several locations in the Middle East days before the attack. US negotiators were about to begin the sixth round of nuclear talks with their Iranian counterparts in Rome.  Recall that Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Israel is not. Iran’s nuclear program was being monitored by the IAEA under the JCPOA agreement, until Dotard Trumpf recklessly pulled out of it during his first Reign of Terror. Note the number of Iranians previously assassinated by the Israelis and the recent victims of Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloodlust:

US and UK forces are ready to assist the belligerent Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu. The UK has sent Tornado fighter jets to the Middle East and the already US presence in the Middle East is on high alert.  The Iraqi government wants the remaining US military personnel out of the country because they did not like Israel using their airspace to attack Iran. Moreover, US personnel in Iraq are vulnerable to attack by pro-Iranian Shia militias who see the US as an ally of Israel, which it is thanks to AIPAC.

With nothing substantial or intelligent to convey at the G-7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada and still stinging from his humiliating birthday parade where his own wife Melania (AKA Melanoma) nodded off, President Dotard Trumpf used the Israeli war as an excuse to depart after the first day of talks on Monday. Air Force One is a ‘flying White House’ with all of the telecommunications necessary to prosecute a war so there was no technical reason for him to go. But with sharp Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Ukraine President Volodomir Zelensky scheduled to meet him Tuesday, Dotard Trumpf “chickened out,” living up to his new sobriquet ‘TACO Don’: Trumpf Always Chickens Out.

Ottawa allowed Trumpf to enter the country since as a convicted felon, he is prohibited by law from entry into Canada. While there, Trumpf unabashedly promoted Russian President Vladimir Putin (72), an ICC-indicted war criminal:

Netanyahu Plotted to Murder Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (C), shakes hands with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (R). [Handout: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader]

Murder-Death-Kill Campaign Continues in Gaza

While the G-7 leaders enjoyed fine wine, food, and Canadian hospitality in Alberta, this is happening in the Gaza Strip. The abominable cruelty and misery inflicted on these poor people by the Israelis is unimaginable. Have they no pity? (Photo: Al Jazeera)

The IDF killed at least 65 Palestinians and wounded 315 others in the Gaza Strip this past weekend.  Since October 2023, the hardworking American taxpayer has helped to kill 55,362 Palestinians, with an additional 128,741 injured or maimed. The majority of the victims are women and children. After US Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) ensured US aid would flow uninterrupted to Israel by capitulating on the GOP budget, the IDF resumed ethnic cleansing on 18 March. Since then, the IDF murdered 5,071 Palestinians; 16,700 others were injured or maimed. In the West Bank, Israeli lunatics set fire to agricultural land in the town of Turmus Ayya northeast of Ramallah, destroying several olive groves.

So, while Americans and Canadians celebrated Father’s Day this past weekend, Palestinians mourned the deaths of their fathers, thanks to Western complicity. Adjusting for inflation, US aid to Israel from 1951 to 2022 totaled $317.9 billion, making it the largest recipient of American foreign aid since World War II. In March, USSECSTATE Marco Rubio expedited $4bn of American taxpayer money to Israel.  The Democratic Party, which has become an effective platform for AIPAC, will permanently lose seven to eight million antiwar Samaritans and progressives in future national elections against the GOP just as they did in 1968 and 2024. Their consciences will be clear.

Meanwhile Benjamin Netanyahu, a serial killer in the likes of John Wayne Gacy, Jack the Ripper, Son of Sam, the Zodiac Killer, or Charles Manson, remains at large in Israel, although the indicted war criminal makes occasional appearances at his criminal corruption trial in Tel Aviv. The Israeli National Police have not arrested and turned Netanyahu over to the Hague for prosecution.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of a law.

Sources:

https://www.state.gov/military-assistance-to-israel/

https://usafacts.org/articles/how-much-military-aid-does-the-us-give-to-israel/

https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/technology-science/artc-israel-ranks-10th-best-health-care-system-in-2024-review

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israels-pension-system-ranked-third-best-in-world-646239

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg7gl4zegyo

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/19/world-court-finds-israel-responsible-apartheid

UK: Blaise Metreweli Appointed as First Woman to Lead MI6

Blaise Metreweli has spent her entire career in the intelligence community and is of Georgian ancestry. She will take over from Sir Richard Moore later this year. (Photo: UK Foreign Office / AP / BBC)

Blaise Metreweli (47) will be the first woman to lead the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). She is currently Director General “Q”, the head of the crucial technology and innovation division that keeps the identities of operatives secret. “Q” comes up with methods to counter adversaries like China that uses biometric surveillance. Metreweli joined MI6 in 1999 and worked continuously as an intelligence officer, including director-level roles at MI5, the domestic intelligence service.

Historic note: The first head of MI6 was Royal Navy Captain Mansfield Cumming. He always signed his letters “C” and the codename has stuck. Captain Cumming wrote in green ink, so to this day, the head of MI6 is the only person in Whitehall who will write in green.

As predicted, a woman will take charge of MI6 for the first time. MI6 appointed an experienced and well-regarded insider who is fairly youthful over the other two qualified female candidates. Ms. Metreweli will run rings around the rank amateurs leading the USIC: ODNI Tulsi Gabbard, D/CIA John Ratcliffe, and D/FBI Kashyap Pramod “Kash” Patel. Dotard Trumpf appointed the first female D/CIA during his first administration, Gina Haspel.

Source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxyx04dv1wo

DNI Tulsi Gabbard Illegally Interfering in Inspector-General (IG) Offices

Senior Democratic lawmakers accused DNI Tulsi Gabbard of violating the law with personnel moves that threaten the independent oversight of the 18 intelligence agencies she oversees. In this letter, they provide new details of a standoff between Gabbard and her congressionally mandated inspector general. At stake is the fate of an office established by Congress in 2010 to provide independent oversight over what are now 18 US civilian and military intelligence agencies. Dotard Trumpf has frequently shown hostility toward inspectors general ” he fired one of Johnson’s predecessors during his first term in 2019 ” and in Jan 2025 he fired most inspectors general at federal Cabinet agencies.

Islamophobic, homophobic Tulsi Gabbard is the most underqualified person to ever lead a US intelligence organization. This shrew was chosen to lead the USIC to gut it, not empower it to protect US interests. These moves to fire the IGs protect Felon Musk and other cronies from being scrutinized of the abominable and massive larcenies they are perpetrating on the American taxpayer. Moreover, without independent IGs, there are no watchdogs keeping the Trumpf-filled USIC from abusing its tremendous powers of surveillance, wire-tapping, and data collection.

Emptyhead Tulsi Gabbard admitted use of the Signal App chat was a mistake. Then she used ArtificiaI Intelligence (AI) to de-classify the JFK assassination files, which led to the disaster of people’s personal information– specifically their social security numbers– being made public. This became a bonanza for identity thieves. At least 200 Congressional staffers personal data was exposed, as well as others.

Sources:

https://democrats-intelligence.house.gov/

https://www.rawstory.com/tulsi-gabbard-ai/

Dotard Trumpf Pick to Lead FAA Lied About His Pilot License

Republic Airways President and CEO Bryan Bedford testifies in Washington, 11 Jun 2025. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)

Bryan Bedford, the nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration, for years erroneously stated in his Republic Airways bio that he is a pilot with a “commercial” rating.

Bedford’s biography at Republic Airways, the regional airline where he has been CEO since 1999, said until Thursday that he “holds commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings.” The word “commercial” has since been removed. The FAA registry that houses data on pilot’s licenses does not list any such commercial credentials for Bedford.

Similar language asserting commercial credentials for Bedford appeared in his Republic bio since at least 2010according to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

The ‘President Plane Crash’ meme has proven to be generally true, as US aviation safety has declined since Dotard Trumpf’s inauguration.

A far better choice to head the FAA would be any number of retired USAF generals, rather than a political donor who for decades has been lying about his aviation credentials.

Sources:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/04/16/has-flying-in-america-become-more-dangerous/

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/15/trumps-faa-pick-has-claimed-commercial-pilot-license-he-doesnt-have-00406090

Germany Has Evidence of Russia’s Plans to Attack NATO

Bruno Kahl, President of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), stated that Russia is preparing to test the credibility of NATO’s Article V, adding that German intelligence has concrete evidence of the Kremlin’s preparations for potential aggression against the Alliance. The BND chief emphasized that Moscow no longer believes in the reliability of NATO’s collective defence system ” particularly Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty, which guarantees a joint response in the event of an attack on a member state.

 “We are very sure, and we have intelligence evidence to back this up, that [Russia’s full-scale invasion of] Ukraine is only one step on Russia’s path towards the West.”

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has issued similar warnings in the past, repeatedly stating that Germany must be “ready for war” by the end of this decade. Ukraine’s intelligence chief publicly echoed the same analysis.

Putin and his protege at the 2018 Helsinki Summit (Photo: Chris McGrath / Getty Images)

The Trumpf junta has already signaled the US military won’t be participating in NATO drills after 2025. This year CIA abruptly withdrew the name of Ralph Goff, an experienced senior officer with impeccable anti-Russian credentials, to lead the Directorate of Operations. The EU and NATO recognize the threat from Vladimir Putin (72) and with Canada, initiated the Rearm Europe program. Meanwhile in the US, AIPAC will ensure that Israel continues receiving US military aid at the expense of Ukraine and NATO.

Sources:

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/06/11/7516583/

https://www.bnd.bund.de/EN/Home/home_node.html

Hybrid Warfare: Ukrainian Civilians Targeted in Europe

Ukrainians in Europe are being attacked by pro-Kremlin assailants. In Berlin, a 51-year-old man was attacked by two men wielding a knife after he was heard speaking Ukrainian and asked about his nationality. When he replied that he was Ukrainian, one of the assailants stabbed him in the abdomen. Last year, a 15-year-old refugee was stabbed in the German city of Dortmund and the body of a 27-year-old Ukrainian woman was found in Gochsheim. A 46-year-old woman and her six-year-old daughter were found dead in their Belgium home this month. The paterfamilias is serving in the Ukrainian Army.

These crimes against soft Ukrainian targets fall under the rubric of asymmetric or hybrid’ warfare of attacking weak links in the enemy’s armor to undermine morale and waste precious resources protecting vulnerable targets. These defenseless Ukrainian civilians didn’t stand a chance against their attackers. The NATO sabotage alert level remain HIGH because of the Kremlin’s continuous nefarious activities in Europe to weaken the coalition by exploiting weaknesses in defenses.

Sources:

https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2024/04/26/russias-hybrid-war-against-the-west/

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/06/14/7517150/

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/tragedy-in-belgium-wife-and-daughter-of-ukrainian-1749294338.html

Mexico: Drug Cartels Recruiting Former Colombian Soldiers

Colombian military veterans should not be underestimated by any organization.

Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers, prompting Mexican authorities to turn away Colombians trying to enter the country. Last week twelve Colombians in the western state of Michoacan were arrested in connection with a mine attack that killed eight Mexican soldiers. Close underworld ties have long existed between organized crime groups in Mexico and Colombia. For many years, Colombian drug traffickers produced cocaine and heroin and moved it themselves by boat or plane to the US. Later, as US authorities cracked down on trafficking in the Caribbean, Mexican cartels’ power grew as they moved Colombian drugs over land and via small plane to the US border and smuggled them across.

Decades of internal conflict in Colombia have produced tens of thousands of former soldiers, paramilitaries, and guerrillas with weapons training and combat experience. Many officers were trained in the US Army’s School of the Americas. Colombian military veterans have also joined Ukraine’s army for the money, adventure, and camaraderie. These veterans make for formidable adversaries for any military or law-enforcement agency to deal with.

Sidenote: Colombia is still dealing with internal strife. At least four people were killed as rebel groups detonated bombs near police stations in the city of Cali and the neighboring Cauca province. The attacks were blamed on the FARC-EMC, a group led by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who broke away from the group after it signed a peace deal with the government in 2016.

Sources:

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexicos-security-chief-drug-cartels-recruiting-former-colombian-122709311

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jun/10/least-4-dead-wave-explosions-outside-police-stations-southwest/

NJ: Legendary Gang Member Returns to Pagans Motorcycle Club

Legendary Pagans exile Robert DeRonde (61) AKA ‘Hellboy’, once cast out by the club, had been welcomed back. Hellboy rejoins as the Pagans face threats on multiple fronts from rival outlaw motorcycle groups looking to grow in New Jersey, including the hated Hells Angels and the Warlocks.

“Hellboy is the symbol of Pagan Nation,” said Edwin Torres, a special agent with the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation, referring to DeRonde by his nickname. “He was a huge part of the Pagan culture. He was the go-to guy, well-liked and respected by everyone.” DeRonde was repatched into the Pagans in late May after three years of inactivity. There’s also uncertainty within the group about what happens now that the former president, Keith “Conan” Richter, is out of prison. Richter took over the Pagans by force in 2018 and has rapidly expanded its ranks, taking the club from several hundred to more than 3,000 members by recruiting light-skinned Latino members from traditional street gangs, like the Latin Kings, though they still prohibit Black people from joining their ranks..

Robert DeRonde earned the nickname “Hellboy” because he tends to turn red when angry like the comic book superhero. DeRonde has, or at least seems to have, superhuman strength and a resistance to injury. A muscular 5-foot-11, he’s a scrappy fighter who doesn’t often lose. DeRonde was the unquestioned enforcer of the Pagans before his ouster. Pagans have attacked innocent motorists and would then intimidate them from testifying against them in court.

The term “outlaw motorcycle gang” (OMC) was coined by the journalist Hunter S. Thompson in 1966 and was subsequently adopted by federal and local law enforcement agencies in the US and elsewhere. The US FBI and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada have designated four MCs as “outlaw motorcycle gangs”: the Hells Angels, the Pagans, the Outlaws, and the Bandidos These “outlaw motorcycle gangs” operate illegal businesses like drug and weapons trafficking, extortion, or as you read here on Coriolanus, murder for hire, all under the guise of being a legitimate club. The members of these “OMCs” are dangerous mofongos and of course they should be avoided at all times and at all costs.

Source:

Link One

Ex-CIA Analyst Sentenced Three Years for Posting on Social Media Israeli Murder-Death-Kill Attack Plans Against Iran

Former CIA analyst Asif William Rahman (34) of Vienna was sentenced to 37 months in prison for unlawfully leaking classified information on social media platforms in October 2024. Rahman accessed and released Top Secret documents regarding Israel and its planned actions against Iran on social media platforms. Some of the documents referred to Israel’s nuclear capabilities, which have never been officially acknowledged. He then engaged in a deletion campaign of his work products on his Top Secret work station. Continuing through Nov 2024, Rahman repeated the process. Rahman, who worked abroad, was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia and brought to the US territory of Guam to face charges. On 17 Jan 2025, Rahman pleaded guilty to two counts under the Espionage Act and has remained in custody since his arrest. The BOP has not yet released information as to which prison Asif William Rahman (USMS #46561-511) will be confined in.

Asif William Rahman leaked this information last year in a vain attempt to prevent the war that bloodthirsty Benjamin Netanyahu started anyway on 12 Jun 2025. Nota Bene: Another young man, a DIA employee, was recently arrested for attempting to sell classified information after growing disgusted and disgruntled with the Trumpf junta.

Source:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-cia-analyst-sentenced-over-three-years-prison-unlawfully-transmitting-top-secret

White Supremacist Terrorism

Apprehended Minnesota Political Assassin Had List of 70 Victims

Vance Luther Boelter (57) is a Christian evangelical zealot.

White supremacist Christian terrorist Vance Luther Boelter was arrested after a manhunt for assassinating a US lawmaker and her husband and brutally shooting another couple. He had a list of at least 70 Democrat lawmakers and other private citizens he was planning to murder.

Here is footage of the maniac, Vance Luther Boelter, in an African church celebrating God:

Footage of the Minnesota assassin Vance Luther Boelter, a life long registered republican and "Christian" nationalist incel that hated women. He's 100% MAGA.

Anonymous (@youranoncentral.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T08:02:45.517Z

During Boelter’s bloody rampage, this Christian lunatic also shot a beloved golden retriever, a defenseless rescue dog named Chester, who was later euthanized.

 

Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted this photo below on social media after news broke that two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses were shot and killed in Minnesota.

During “No Kings Day” activities in the US, several incidents occurred against anti-Trumpf citizens and there are simply too many to detail here. One example of a “useful idiot” answering the call to harm Democrats and liberals is this white supremacist terrorist below, who allegedly drove his SUV into a crowd of defenseless people in Culpepper, Virginia. At the tender age of 21, Joseph R. Checklick Jr. recklessly threw his life away:

Joseph R. Checklick Jr. (21)

Members of the dangerous MAGA cult of Christian white supremacists are acting more brazenly and boldly against liberals, atheists, Democrats, pro-Palestinian volunteers, antiwar Samaritans, and minorities, all inspired by their spiritual leader, Dotard Trumpf.

Dotard Trumpf attending an evangelical Christian brain-washing event on 29 Oct 2018. (Photo: NY Times)

Sources:

https://www.insidenova.com/culpeper/police-man-arrested-after-driving-into-crowd-of-no-kings-protesters-in-culpeper/article_21466e1d-7284-4754-8584-5fd9cdcb7bcd.html

Accomplice Arrested in California Fertility Clinic Bombing

Daniel Jongyon Park and the Palm Springs fertility clinic in California after the kamikaze attack.

Daniel Jongyon Park (32) was arrested for providing material support to the Palm Springs fertility clinic bomber. The suicide bomber, Guy Edward Bartkus (25), was motivated by pro-mortalism, anti-natalism, and anti-pro-life ideologies, which is the belief that individuals should not be born without their consent and that non-existence is best. Park, who shares Bartkus’ psychotic views, provided him with at least 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate. Both maniacs ran experiments with chemicals and used AI to assist with their attack planning. Bartkus liquidated himself in the kamikaze attack and Park fled to Europe, but was extradited to the US from Poland. If convicted, Park would face a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Mental illness is increasing in the US, as is membership in dangerous online cults, like the ‘Zizians.’ Meanwhile, phantom insurance’ companies are not treating the unwell and the Trumpf junta is slashing the budgets of HHS and the CDC. Trumpf also loosened firearm regulations, so Americans should expect to see an increase in violence from lunatics like Daniel Jongyon Park, Guy Edward Bartkus, or Vance Luther Boelter, either by firearms, explosives, stabbings, or vehicle ramming.

Sources:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/washington-state-man-arrested-federal-charges-alleging-he-provided-material-support-palm

USAFacts.org 

GNET

US: Painful Invasive Species of Ants Spreading

Asian needle ant.

The invasive Asian needle ant is a stinging, carnivorous pismire that has been slowly spreading across the US. Last year at least three cases of life-threatening anaphylactic reactions were reported in Georgia, making this little (and little-known) insect a growing problem. Asian needle ants will reach their yearly peak numbers in July and August. They are small and blend in so well that stings often occur when someone, perhaps while gardening or moving wood, unknowingly disturbs them. “Imagine somebody inserting a needle directly into your flesh,” said one researcher. These ants are now widespread on the East Coast. For some, the stings can be life-threatening. For others, it’s an unusual pain that can come and go for hours. Pet owners should be vigilant about where their dogs and cats venture to

Interactive map here:

Brachyponera chinensis roughly translates as “short, wicked ant from China,” though they’re actually native to China, Japan, and the Koreas. And by some older translations it could also be “short constricted ants from China.” These ants were first discovered in 1932 in Decatur, GA, but was only recognized as a serious pest in the past two decades as it began to spread significantly throughout the southeast.

The Asian needle ant is difficult to eradicate because it doesn’t lay pheromone trails that can be disrupted or easily used to get the ants to inadvertently take poison back to their nests.

The painful Asian needle ant has been detected in Florida where President Dotard Trumpf wastes a preponderance of his time golfing, all paid for the by the hardworking American taxpayer.

Perhaps these Asian needle ants would be kind enough to oblige us one day:

Sources:

USDA Info

Ant Map

Stinging Asian needle ants spreading across US and nearing Illinois

US: Two Sadists Indicted for Torturing and Killing Monkeys

Katrina D. Favret, of TN and Robert M. Craig, of NC, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, OH, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” The videos alleged to have been created included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

A year-long BBC investigation has uncovered a sadistic global monkey torture ring stretching from Indonesia to the US. These maniacs mutilate and kill baby long-tailed macaques on film:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/Iot1dIWVS5/hunting-the-monkey-torturers

Below, Mike Macartney, a key video distributor in the US known by his screen name, “The Torture King.”  “It went from baby bottle teasing to fingers being snipped off.” No one should be surprised at the Confederate and Dotard Trumpf flags adorning his Virginia home. This lunatic is facing five years in prison and appears to be still be at large.

“Torture King” Michael Macartney – pictured at his home in Virginia – is facing up to five years in prison on animal abuse charges (Photo: Joel Gunter / BBC)

Unwell people are not getting the treatment, medications, or therapy they need to function as normal members of society. Austerity cuts to the social safety net under the Trump junta and “phantom insurance” companies that won’t pay for treatments will only exacerbate the problem of spreading mental illness in the American population.  

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/grand-jury-indicts-two-individuals-involvement-online-groups-dedicated-monkey-torture-and

Canada: Samaritan Couple Rescue Beautiful Collie from Demise in the Nick of Time

Josee and Vic on their wedding day.

When Vic and Josee read in the news that a beautiful abandoned young collie was about to be euthanized, they immediately drove several hours south to Montreal from northern Quebec.

Arriving at the nick of time, the couple immediately rescued the poor creature whom they re-christened “Mike.” Here he is in Vic and Josee’s car for the first time.

Mike the collie on his way to his new home.

Josee, who is a naturo-therapist, herbalist, entrepreneur, and avid reader, and her husband Vic were already managing a robust menagerie of fauna and flora in their habitat. They quickly began training this highly intelligent and affectionate canine.

The two new best friends.

In his illustrious career, Vic was a fireman, English teacher, and former Cold Warrior who flew on intelligence missions against the Soviet Union during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Another avid reader, Vic also maintains his private pilot license to this day. This gentleman and scholar also sang bass-baritone with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) when it was led by Maestro Kent Nagano years ago. Incredibly, Vic was fortunate to have met and shaken hands with President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and is never without an anecdote or history lesson about the US Civil Rights movement or the Cold War.

“Thanks Josee and Vic! Arf!”

Mike has now acclimated to his wonderful new forever home. Our thanks to Samaritans Vic and Josee for quick thinking, speed of plan, and opening their wallets and hearts to Mike.  

Donald Trumpf Waved Off Israeli Strike on Iran to Placate Vladimir Putin

Israel had planned to strike Iranian nuclear sites as soon as next month but was waved off by Donald Trumpf in recent weeks in favor of negotiating a deal with Tehran to limit its nuclear program, according to press reports. Trumpf claims he made his decision after months of internal debate over whether to pursue diplomacy or support Israel in seeking to set back Iran’s ability to build a bomb, at a time when Iran has been weakened militarily and economically.

Has Donald Trumpf been in office long enough to “internally debating” this issue from his golf resorts?

The Reality

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meet at the Kremlin in Moscow on 17 Jan 2025. (Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev / Pool via AFP)

While Benjamin Netanyahu can’t wait to get the US to help him destroy Iran’s infrastructure, Trumpf has another master in the Kremlin. Tehran and Moscow signed a twenty-year cooperation treaty and are economically enmeshed. Iran has been sending Shaheed drones to Russia for three years in its brutal war on Ukraine. As predicted, Donald Trumpf cannot please two masters at the same time, so Vladimir Putin trumps Benjamin Netanyahu on the issue of attacking Iran. For now, Netanyahu will just have to settle for the hardworking American taxpayer wasting billions on obliterating the Shia Houthis, as that won’t affect the Kremlin’s investments or interests in Iran.

Attacking Hodeidah is a deliberate act of cruelty by the Trumpf junta.

The Ras Isa fuel port on fire following US airstrikes (photo from social media via Al Mayadeen)

US forces bombed the Ras Isa fuel port in Yemen’s Red Sea province of Hodeidah, targeting the facility with two attacks that killed dozens of civilian workers and paramedics. At least 80 people, including at least five paramedics, were killed, and 150 were wounded. The paramedics were hit by a second US attack on the facility that came after rescue workers had already arrived at the scene to help victims of the first strikes. Targeting medical personnel is a war crime according to the Geneva Convention.

Attacking the starving (Shia) Houthis also pleases (Sunni) Muhammad Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. But as you will see below, besides killing Houthis, Trumpf makes it up to ‘Bibi’ by doing something else nefarious for him.

An outstanding international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) remain active for Benjamin Netanyahu. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

 

Sources:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/18/more-than-30-killed-80-injured-in-us-air-strikes-on-yemen-report

www.reuters.com

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/17/russia-and-iran-presidents-sign-partnership-treaty-in-moscow

Columbia University Dean of SIPA Former IDF Intelligence Officer

Dr. Keren Yarhi-Milo poses with Hillary Clinton during Clinton’s 2023 guest teaching stint at Columbia University. With thousands of Palestinians being butchered in Gaza in 2023, what did these two find so hilarious? (Photo: Public domain)

Dr. Keren Yarhi-Milo, Dean of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University, is a former IDF intelligence officer and an official at Israel’s UN Mission in NYC. Yarhi-Milo played a significant role in drumming up public hysteria about a supposed wave of intolerable anti-Semitism sweeping over the campus during Israel’s Nakba against the Palestinians in 2023 and 2024. Dr Yarhi-Milo laid the groundwork for the extensive nationwide crackdown on civil liberties and ICE detentions, including Mahmoud Khalil.

Pro-Israel billionaires and oligarchs have donated $100 million to Columbia University and they are getting their money’s worth.

Now we know why Dotard Trumpf mistakenly called called General H.R. McMaster– he meant to call Governor H.R. McMaster (see last post).

Yehuda Kaploun and his wife with ethnic cleanser Dotard Trumpf.

Sources:

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/04/19/uger-a19.html

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64906

https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-to-begin-screening-aliens-social-media-activity-for-antisemitism

https://www.mintpressnews.com/

US National Security Council To Be Staffed By MAGA Cultists

The White House is starting to rebuild the NSC with aides that are staunchly aligned with Trumpf’s Make America Great Again agenda. Derek Harvey, a military intelligence analyst and retired US Army colonel, is expected to be named senior director for intelligence.

“Always, we’re letting go of people,” Trumpf told reporters about the firings of aides to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz in the wake of the Signal group chat controversy. “People that we don’t like, or people that we don’t think can do the job, or people that may have loyalties to somebody else.” 

The man selected to lead the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) is a former CIA officer associated with white supremacist paramilitary organizations. DNI nominated Joe Kent, a failed Republican politician who never won a race, to lead this important position.

White supremacist Joe Kent is vastly underqualified to lead the NCTC, a Senate-confirmed position. (Public domian image)

Followers of the Watch, Coriolanus is proud to have personally worked with a genuine analyst decades ago who would later go on to lead the NCTC, Ms. Christy Abizaid:

Former D/NCTC Christy Abizaid.

Purges continue in the US government and Coriolanus is doing his best to provide you the more interesting or impactful cases, like this vignette below, involving the manifestly underqualified USSECSTATE Marco Rubio.

6 Jan terrorist Peter Marocco, the Trumpf junta apparatchik in charge of dismantling USAID, left a meeting at the White House last week to return to his office at the State Department. But when he arrived, Marocco could not enter the building: security told him he was no longer an employee there. Word of Marocco’s firing quickly tore through the GOP and MAGA ecosystem, startling Trumpf’s loyalists who viewed the aide as part of an elite cohort of administration true believers. Loud voices on the right piled on Marco Rubella, accusing him of undermining their disruptive agenda. Rubella has also differed with Trumpf regarding Ukraine and Russia.

Just as the Third Reich cowardly eliminated their enemies, so does the Trumpf junta by not addressing the victims to their face. Employees are terminated by email or surprise, like Peter Marocco, who deserved his fate.

The NSC will undergo a dramatic Islamophobic and anti-NATO realignment, rife with faulty analysis and bellicose policy decisions– an AIPAC dream come true. When Democrats return to power, they should immediately rescind the over-abused POTUS Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF). The damage this right-wing NSC will cause will take years for Democrats to repair while Ukrainians suffer and the Palestinian population and their lands will be further reduced.

Sources:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-security-council-rebuilding-aides-aligned-maga-agenda/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/little-marco-rubio-splits-with-trump-with-brutal-slapdown-over-ukraine/ar-AA1Dc5ws

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/18/marco-rubio-peter-marocco-usaid-firing-00297812

https://www.dni.gov/index.php/nctc-who-we-are

Ukraine-Russia Update

This Ukrainian POW amputee somehow survived Russian captivity for an unspecified amount of time. (Photo: Ukrainian government)

1) After ICC-indicted war criminal Vladimir Putin announced an ‘Easter ceasefire’ with Kiev, Russian forces carried out 387 attacks and 19 assaults. Ukrainian casualty counts are still being tabulated. 2) China is supplying weapons to Russia, including gunpowder and artillery, and Chinese representatives are involved in weapons production on Russian territory, Ukraine’s president President Volodomir Zelensky announced.  3) Fascist Viktor Orban of Hungary is urging countries against Ukraine’s ascension into the EU. The Putin acolyte vowed not to let Brussels “force” Budapest to accept Kiev’s EU membership, lying that Ukraine’s entry would harm Hungary’s economy. 4) A prisoner exchange with the Kremlin returned 277 Ukrainian POWs and 246 Russian EPWs. Most of the Ukrainians had been held in captivity for nearly three years. The Russian EPWs were most likely not undernourished like the Ukrainian POWs. 5) Christopher Smith is expected to become the US Ambassador to Ukraine. From 2022-23 he served as deputy chief of mission in Kiev. Bio: 2021-2025.state.gov

Trumpf’s Ukraine ceasefire is slipping away, a war he promised his supporters and the world that he would end within a day.

Russians Celebrate Trumpf Serving Russia’s Interests

Dotard Trumpf is a “Soviet leaders’ dream” according to a leading Russian scholar. Writing in a weekly Russian newspaper, the scholar praised the actions of Trumpf for “driving a wedge” between the US and “the European part of NATO.” Other Russian news outlets echoed these sentiments. Moskovsky Komsomolets described the actions of Trumpf as “destroying the world created by American liberals.” In another newspaper, Russian Duma Senator Alexei Pushkov wrote: “None of the steps Trumpf has taken threatens Russia’s interests directly.”

The Economist was much more charitable in their assessment of Trumpf:

“The American president increasingly looks like Russia’s willing dupe.”

An outstanding international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) remain active for Vladimir Putin. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sources:

https://english.nv.ua/nation/zelenskyy-russia-launched-387-attacks-after-putin-declared-easter-ceasefire-50507790.html

https://archive.ph/vgTxZ#selection-1119.0-1123.68

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2043274/russia-donald-trump-ukraine

Ex-NYPD Sergeant Sentenced as Illegal Agent for China

Michael McMahon on his way to trial. (Photo: Public domain)

A former NYPD sergeant was sentenced to 1-1/2 years in prison for acting as an illegal Chinese agent. Michael McMahon (57) was hired as a private investigator to surveil a New Jersey resident as part of a global campaign by Chinese law enforcement to repatriate alleged criminals living abroad, known as Operation Fox Hunt. Two of McMahon’s co-defendants were similarly sentenced. McMahon said he thought he was working for a company seeking to recover embezzled funds, and would not have taken the job if he knew the Chinese government was behind it. “I was unwittingly used,” McMahon testified. 

China Monitors Its Citizens Worldwide

An NYPD officer with McMahon’s experience should have known better, as he’s not operating in a vacuum of knowledge about China and their oppressive system. Retired NYPD officers enjoy a healthy pension, pistol permits, and access to a tremendous network of gumshoes and security companies in the Big Apple, which McMahon flushed away.

Source:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/private-investigator-sentenced-prison-interstate-stalking-and-harassment-chinese-nationals

Powerful Explosion at Northrop Grumman’s Utah Rocket Facility

A powerful explosion destroyed part of Northrop Grumman’s solid rocket motor production facility in Promontory, UT.  Unbelievably, no serious injuries resulted from the blast which sent shockwaves through the surrounding area. The facility, known as “Rocket Ranch,” is a cornerstone of the US solid rocket motor (SRM) production capability and plays a central role in some of the nation’s most critical defense and space programs. An investigation and safety review are underway.

Sources:

https://www.ft.com/content/4a3cba7d-1377-479e-8a09-4ef1d0f989a3

https://www.rferl.org/a/wagner-veteran-timur-praliev-detained-us-mexico-border-russia/33271493.html

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69518211/3/united-states-v-praliev/

Canadian TV Show Mocks Trumpf Mercilessly

Trumpf has been in office three months and he has a 43% approval and 55% disapproval rating. Nearly 70% of CEOs disapprove of Trumpf’s tariffs, including oligarch Felon Musk. Trumpf was already named the worst president of all time (Joe Biden was ranked 14th greatest).

President Plane Crash’ Meme for Trumpf Mostly True

During the National Prayer Breakfast at the US Capitol, Trumpf mentioned the aviation disaster in which 67 people lost their lives after an American Airlines flight collided with a Black Hawk US Army Helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport — and compared the odds of a helicopter and plane colliding to golf balls striking one another on a golf driving range:

“I guess the helicopter was high, and we will find out exactly what happened,” he said. “But the odds even if you had nothing, nobody, the odds of that happening are extremely small. You go to a driving range in golf and hit hundreds of balls, thousands of hours.”

He added, “I’ve never seen a ball hit another ball. … Balls going up all over the place, you never see them hit. It was amazing that could happen. There were a lot of mistakes made. It should’ve never happened.”

Besides this imbecilic comparison of an aviation tragedy to hitting golf balls, Trumpf and Felon Musk’s DOGE team began slashing the federal budget, including the FAA. Concern grew that American aviation would become unsafe. After another plane crash occurred shortly after the Washington calamity and the budget cuts, the internet meme “President Plane Crash” went viral. Remarkably, the pundits and aviation analysts were correct.

Just over 100 days in, 2025 is already the deadliest year for US aviation since 2001. Fear of flying has spiked with 29% Americans now thinking it is unsafe to travel by plane. Analysis reveals such concerns are not entirely unfounded. While the 21 accidents recorded up to 10 April are lower than the 24 recorded by this point last year ” the number of aviation fatalities in 2025 exceed that of the past 15 years combined. There have been 83 fatalities on civilian airliners in the US so far this year, making up 63% of the global total of 131. And this is not inclusive of helicopter crashes, so the overall aviation total is even higher. The rate of fatalities per month is, as such, ten times higher in 2025 relative to 2024.

Most Recent Airplane Crashes

Emergency crews respond after a plane crashed into the Platte River killing several people Friday, 18 Apr 2025, in Fremont, NE. (Photo: Nikos Frazier / Omaha World-Herald via AP)

The pilot of an airplane that crashed into a carport near Deer Valley Airport had only minor injuries. (Photo: 19 Apr, Phoenix Fire Authorities)

Sources:

https://nypost.com/2025/04/19/us-news/nebraska-plane-crash-leaves-3-dead/

https://nypost.com/2025/04/19/us-news/nebraska-plane-crash-leaves-3-dead/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/04/16/has-flying-in-america-become-more-dangerous/

Belize: US Hijacker Shot Dead Aboard Small Passenger Plane

A US man has been shot dead after hijacking a small passenger plane in the Caribbean nation of Belize. Fourteen passengers were on board the aircraft when Akinyela Sawa Taylor took control of the flight at knifepoint. Two passengers were injured, including one who was stabbed in the back.

Taylor ordered the pilot to take him out of the country, but was then shot in the chest by another passenger. The hijacker’s motives are unclear, but Taylor had previously been refused entry into Belize. How Taylor was able to get through its borders is unclear as is how another passenger was able to board the flight with a loaded firearm.

Akinyela Sawa Taylor is allegedly a US military veteran and he could have been suffering from PTSD and/or have been under the influence of drugs.

In another unrelated mystery that was recently solved in Belize, in Feb 2025 three American women were found dead in a beach resort in Belize. Officials first investigated the deaths as possible drug overdoses. Belize police identified the women as Kaoutar Naqqad (23), Imane Mallah (24), and Wafae El-Arar (26), who were staying at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort. Note: Carbon monoxide detectors are not legally required in homes and businesses in Belize, so many hotels and lodgings do not have carbon monoxide detectors. People have suffered adverse effects or died from exposure to carbon monoxide in Belize and indeed, forensic investigators determined in March that was the cause of their tragic and useless deaths.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/17/belize-hijacking-plane

https://apnews.com/article/belize-american-women-dead-overdose-92244764df6318c7cdeb0985a39725f5

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/cause-of-death-determined-for-3-young-u-s-women-found-dead-at-belize-resort/

Cats and Toddlers

Gaza Strip: Infernal Abattoir for Journalists, Volunteers, Palestinians

Emergency responders worked to put out the fire in a van marked “Press” and recover the bodies in Nuseirat, Gaza. (Photo: Khamis Said / Reuters)

Five journalists working for a network allegedly associated with a Palestinian militant group were killed when their vehicle was hit by an Israeli strike in the Nuseirat area of Gaza. The vehicle, bearing the word “Press” in red letters, was hit near the gates of Al Awda Hospital. The IDF claimed the journalists were a “terror cell” of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

Then why didn’t the IDF arrest them to stand trial for their alleged crimes?

Because alleged membership in a terrorist organization is an automatic conviction and death sentence without a trial, hearing, or evidence. This is called Extra-Judicial Killing (XJK). Does any alleged terrorist, militant, or criminal in the Gaza Strip ever have a day in an Israeli court to answer any charges?

On 2 Jul 2023, the Times of Israel reported that over 1,100 Palestinians were held by Israel without trial or hearing, the highest figure since 2003. This is months before the 7 Oct 2023 sneak attack to seize Israeli hostages for a prisoner swap.

This gruesome attack brings the number of journalists killed in Gaza to 201 since 7 Oct 2023.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in 2023 and 2024, 141 journalists and media workers killed in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Lebanon. The above cited report claims the number is 201.

Palestinian journalist Sami Shehadeh, wounded in an 12 Apr 2024 IDF strike, lies on the floor at Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. (Photo: Reuters / Doaa Rouqa)

In sharp contrast, Reporters Without Borders tallied 63 journalists who died over a 20-year period ending in 1975 while covering the Vietnam War.

In two years, with access to SIGINT, wiretaps, HUMINT sources, First Person View (FPV) reconnaissance drones, and satellite imagery like the Ofek-16 pictured below can provide, the IDF has doubled what took the Vietnam War 20 years to do.

A digital rendering of Israel’s Ofek-16 reconnaissance satellite in orbit around the Earth. (Image: Israel Defense Ministry)

Journalists aren’t the only ones being murdered in the Gaza hecatomb; so are humanitarians like these World Central Kitchen (WCK) volunteers:

World Central Kitchen (WCK) victims from top left to right: Saifeddin Issam, Ayad Abutaha, Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, Damian Soból, Bottom left to right: John Chapman, James Henderson, James Kirby. All were killed in an IDF missile strike on 1 Apr 2024. (Photo: AP)

The same can be said about the West Bank. Israeli troops and settlers have killed nearly 700 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since Oct 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, whose figures do not distinguish between militants and civilians.

On 6 Sep 2024, American-Turkish activist Aysenur Eygi (26) was shot on the head by the IDF protesting the evictions of Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank. She joined Rachel Corrie who was murdered while attempting to stop the demolition of a Palestinian house on 16 Mar 2003.

American-Turkish activist Aysenur Eygi pictures in a family photo from her graduation at the University of Washington this past spring. 
(Photo: Aysenur Eygi Family)

No one on the planet can dispute that journalists, humanitarians, or volunteers have been purposefully targeted by the Likud-led IDF in the slaughterhouse known as the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The Likud Party and “Israel’s curse” has rubbished any notion of a Two-State Solution and turned Israel into a Pariah State.

Israel’s pogrom has killed at least 45,436 Palestinians and wounded 108,038 since 7 Oct 2023. Followers of the Watch should expect more atrocities from the unrestrained IDF in the future.

Sources:

https://cpj.org/2024/12/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict/

https://rsf.org/en

https://www.timesofisrael.com/over-1100-palestinians-said-held-by-israel-without-trial-highest-figure-since-2003/

West Bank: American activist Aysenur Eygi shot dead by Israeli forces, eyewitnesses say | CNN

Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Likely Downed by Russian Anti-Aircraft Missile

A Russian military expert has said it appears that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan was brought down by “something very similar to an anti-aircraft missile.”

Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8432 took off from the Azerbaijani capital Baku on Wednesday morning bound for Grozny in Chechnya. The Embraer 190 aircraft, flight number J2-8243, carried 62 passengers and five crew members. There are 32 survivors, including two children, who have been hospitalized, with many in critical condition. Many were pulled out from the wreckage, while some, according to first responders and video footage, dragged themselves out, bloodied.

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev announced that 38 people had been killed.

The wreckage of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lays on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. (Photo: Dec. 25, 2024 AP / The Administration of Mangystau Region.)

“The plane was damaged by something very similar to an anti-aircraft missile. And it is really very, very difficult to assume anything else without some serious evidence,” said military expert, Yan Matveyev.

“But overall, it looks like the tail section of the plane was damaged by some missile fragments, probably a Pantsir S-1 missile, or some anti-aircraft system with the same small missiles that carry a not very large warhead.”

Those comments come after Azerbaijani government sources exclusively confirmed to Euronews that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the aircraft to crash in Aktau.

According to the sources, the missile was fired at the plane during drone air activity above Grozny and the shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight.

Yan Matveyev confirmed that Ukrainian drones were flying over Chechnya at the time the airliner went down and that it was possible it had been hit by Russia’s air defences.

“What was happening on the territory of Russia, on the territory of the Chechen Republic at the time when the plane was flying there, points to a possible attack by an air defence system, the Pantsir S-1 air defense system, because Ukrainian drones were flying there at that very time,” he said.

Russian Pantsir S-1 air defense system.

The damaged aircraft was not allowed to land at any Russian airports despite requests for an emergency landing from the pilots and it was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea towards Aktau in Kazakhstan.

If the preliminary data from the probe is confirmed, this would be the second time in a decade that Russian forces have destroyed a commercial aircraft.

Malaysian Airlines flight 17 was shot down by Russian-backed forces over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

While the Azerbaijani pilots heroically did their best to save lives, Russian air traffic control (ATC) coldly ordered them not to attempt an emergency landing in their territory that may jeopardize Russian lives on the ground.

Sources:

Military expert says Azerbaijan Airlines plane likely downed by anti-aircraft missile | Euronews

Why did an Azerbaijan Airline plane crash in Kazakhstan? What we know | Aviation News | Al Jazeera

Undersea Power Cable Linking Finland and Estonia Hit By Outage

(Map: ec.europa.eu)

A power cable linking Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea suffered an outage, prompting an investigation.

Writing on X, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that power transmission through the Estlink-2 cable stopped Wednesday and that authorities were “investigating the matter.” He said the interruption would not affect electricity supplies in Finland.

Estonian network operator Elering said there was enough spare capacity to meet power needs on the Estonian side, public broadcaster ERR said on its website.

Authorities have been on edge about undersea infrastructure in the Baltic. Two data cables, one running between Finland and Germany, the other between Lithuania and Sweden, were severed in November.

Germany’s defense minister said officials had to assume the incident was “sabotage,” but without providing evidence or saying who might have been responsible. The remark came during a speech in which he discussed hybrid warfare threats from Russia.

The Nord Stream natural gas pipelines that once brought natural gas from Russia to Germany were damaged by underwater explosions in September 2022. Authorities have termed it sabotage and launched criminal probes.

Finnish authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables. Finnish police and border guards boarded the vessel, the Eagle S, and took over the command bridge. The Eagle S’s anchor is suspected of causing damage to the cable.

An anchor like the 36-ton Seawise Giant Anchor which is 7m long, 4.45m across, and 1.13m thick can be dragged and dropped over defenseless vulnerable undersea cables

Remarkable that Western power and communications cables seem to get damaged in winter time. You wonder if these maritime sabotage attacks against the EU and NATO will stop once the Trump-Putin-Musk cabal assumes the White House in Jan 2025?

Sources:

https://apnews.com/article/eu-finland-estonia-baltic-sea-power-cable-6741ef1ce9130602abac6214d7297717

US/Canada: Voluntary Recall of Northwest Naturals Brand Two-lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw Frozen Pet Food Due to Avian Flu Contamination

Northwest Naturals is voluntarily recalling one batch of Northwest Naturals brand two-pound Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it was tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.

Consumption of raw or uncooked pet food contaminated with HPAI can cause illness in animals. To date, one case of illness in a domestic cat has been reported in connection with this issue.

The recalled product is packaged in two-pound plastic bags with “Best if used by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The product was sold through distributors in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MI, MN, PA, RI, WA and British Columbia in Canada.

This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should immediately discard the product and contact the place of purchase for a full refund.

For additional information or questions, customers may contact Northwest Naturals of Portland at info@nw-naturals.net or 866-637-1872 from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM PST, Monday through Friday.

Avian flu is spreading in the food chain, endangering not only the national economy, but our cats. This will be the first national health challenge to the incoming Trump administration who has been filling his cabinet with quacks, mountebanks, and frauds.

Source:

https://www.nw-naturals.net/12-24-24-voluntary-product-recall/

Canada: No More ‘Flagpoling’

From the Government of Canada:

Work and study permits will no longer be provided to flagpolers at a port of entry, effective 23 Dec 2024 at 11:59 pm ET.

Flagpoling occurs when foreign nationals who hold temporary resident status in Canada, leave Canada and, after a visit to the US or St. Pierre and Miquelon, re-enter to access immigration services at a port of entry.

This practice has taken up significant resources at the border, diverting Canadian and American officers away from important enforcement activities and has contributed to wait times for cross-border travelers.

Immigration services at the border are meant for individuals arriving in Canada, not for those already in Canada. Applications and renewals for work or study permits need to be submitted through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Those who attempt to flagpole for a work and study permit will be told to submit their application to IRCC unless they meet limited exemptions.

These changes benefit Canada and the US by allowing both countries to effectively manage border operations and maintain the integrity of our shared border.

“This change will enable us to further streamline activities at our ports of entry and allow Canadian and American border officers to focus on what they have been expertly trained to do – border enforcement.”

– The Honorable David J. McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety

“A strong Canada-U.S. relationship keeps people and goods moving safely while protecting both sides of the border. Flagpoling is unnecessary and diverts resources from critical enforcement activities. This change will ease border congestion, improve fairness for applicants, and enhance the efficiency and security of our borders.”

– The Honorable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick facts:

  • Between 1 Apr 2023 and 31 Mar 2024, the CBSA processed over 69,300 flagpolers across Canada. Most of these requests occurred in the Pacific, Southern Ontario, and Quebec regions.
  • In very limited circumstances, work and study permits may still be granted at a port of entry to individuals who otherwise meet the definition of flagpoling. The exemptions include:
  • Citizens and lawful Permanent Residents of the US;
  • Professionals and technicians under free trade agreements with the US/Mexico, Chile, Panama, Peru, Colombia and South Korea;
  • Spouses or common law partners of professionals and technicians under free trade agreements with Panama, Columbia and South Korea;
  • International truck drivers who hold a work permit, where required to depart Canada for the purpose of their employment and held maintained status as a result of applying for renewal prior to departure; and
  • Individuals who have a pre-existing appointment booked with the CBSA for permit processing.

Contacts

Media Relations
Canada Border Services Agency
media@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
1-877-761-5945

Travelers used to take advantage of CBSA facilities to facilitate their visa paperwork at secondary inspection, which was not illegal but time-consuming for border officers. These CBSA officers will now be freed up to catch the army of nefarious migrants crossing the international frontier. This is part of Canada’s “border plan” response to Donald Trump’s incoming regime. But really, which country poses a greater threat to whom?

Sources:

Ending flagpoling for work and study permits at the border – Canada.ca

Government of Canada announces its plan to strengthen border security and our immigration system – Canada.ca

Israel’s Attorney-General Requests Investigation of Sara Netanyahu on Suspicion of Disrupting Prime Minister’s Trial

Gali Baharav-Miara is Israel’s first female Attorney-General, opposes the death penalty for terrorists, and was chosen as one of the 50 most influential women in Israel by Globes Magazine in 2022 and 2023. (Undated photo).

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara ordered the Israel Police to open an investigation into suspicions that Sara Netanyahu harassed a witness and disrupting judicial proceedings.

The wife of the Israeli PM appeared to be behind demonstrations in front of the homes of Benjamin Netanyahu prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari and central witness Hadas Klein.

Lahav 433 will probably be conducting the sensitive investigation against Sara Netanyahu.

Reminiscent of VPOTUS Richard Nixon’s infamous 23 Sep 1952 nationally-televised “Checkers speech,” “Crime Minister” Netanyahu published a four-minute video in which he condemned the investigation and the media’s treatment of his wife:

“On the premise that baseless charges against me collapse day by day in court and will collapse further later. These days, the left and the media have found a new old target, mercilessly attacking my wife Sara, the pillar of my life.”

Sara Netanyahu, the Lady MacBeth of Israel, is certainly no Michelle Obama or Dr. Jill Biden

Notably, Israeli psychologists have called on the Health Ministry to review Sara Netanyahu’s fitness to practice psychology, citing concerns over her alleged conduct amid Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing trial and previous odious behavior.

In 2016, Sara Netanyahu was found guilty of abusing her household staff. The Jerusalem labor court awarded Meni Naftali $42,000 in damages and court costs. The former chief caretaker at Netanyahu’s official residence said Sara Netanyahu had used abusive language and insulted him.

The First Lady of Israel fancies herself a big macher.

In addition to this nettlesome corruption trial and now this judicial interference case against his wife, PM Netanyahu has an international arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Moreover, he faces a potential 9/11-style commission investigation about his mishandling and cover-up of the 7 Oct 2023 attacks which led to 1,200 Israelis being killed and 250 captives taken.

The US could have sorely used a dynamic and competent Attorney-General like Gali Baharav-Miara these past four years. The world wishes her success and long life.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Sources:

https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-sara-wife-corruption-trial-investigation-3b99369032b6b3b873f08f70b706bedb

https://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/occupational-hazard-sara-netanyahu-guilty-abusing-household-staff-804204

https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-corruption-trial-gaza-478c957c7749986d5b8b2d039f670d54

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-834502

https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-state-palestine-icc-pre-trial-chamber-i-rejects-state-israels-challenges

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Benjamin_Netanyahu

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgk18pdnxmmo

Cat Makes Itself At Home Atop Waiting Horse

Triquestrian, LLC is located at Rising Spirits Farm in Brooklyn, WI. 

Emmanuel Macron and the Mass Murderer

Saudi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L) welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron (R) at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Bandar Aljaloud / AP)

President Macron is meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) ostensibly to discuss peace in the Middle East during his three-day state visit just as a political crisis threatens to topple the French government.  The agenda includes ways to strengthen Lebanon’s military and the so-called “Two-State Solution” for Israel and Palestine. The optics of such a conference looks benevolent.  In 2021, Macron became one of the first Western leaders to meet Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia after the 2 Oct 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul.

But in reality, a President Macron is in Riyadh to drum up business for the French economy. A caravan of 50 senior officials from major French companies including TotalEnergies, EDF and Veolia, as well as start-ups in artificial intelligence and quantum physics accompanied him. Importantly, Paris wants Riyadh to acquire French-made Rafale fighter jets and all the incidental, technical, and training contracts worth billions that would come with it. This is directly meant to deal with oil-producing Shia-led Iran.

Rafale F3R Fighter Jet (Photo: Dassault Aviation / A. Pecchi)

Under the thin veil of finding peace in the Middle East, Emmanuel Macron is dealing with Muhammad bin Salman, the man behind the heinous torture, murder, and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi. On 2 Oct 2018, the sadistic MBS listened in gleefully to the transmitted sounds of the butchery sent by his clumsy assassins. Linked at bottom is the official ODNI redacted version of this atrocity. Caught but embarrassed, the Saudi government eventually ‘punished’ the hit team calling it a ‘rogue operation’, but MBS walked away unscathed, becoming an international pariah along the way.

Undated photo of the late Jamal Khashoggi, Time’s Person of the Year in 2018.

But worse than this grisly murder which President Biden said was “unacceptable and won’t be tolerated,” MBS is responsible for the man-made famine in Yemen which killed an estimated 130,000 innocent Yemeni Shiites.

The Houthis are a Shia minority in Yemen, seen as apostates by the majority Sunnis on the Saudi Peninsula. After the Yemen government collapsed earlier this century, Saudi Arabia, led by the king and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS), supported the Yemeni Sunnis in the ensuing civil war. After the Yemeni Shias defeated and humiliated the Saudi Army in 2015, MBS instituted a Saudi air and naval blockade of Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. This created a humanitarian disaster of starvation and disease. The UN estimates an estimated 130,000 deaths from lack of food, health services, and infrastructure as of December 2020.

Hashem Mahmoud Atin, a 10-month-old displaced child suffering from acute malnutrition and who is unable to reach a hospital for treatment, is held by his mother at a refugee camp in Yemen.

The famine and blockade propelled the beleaguered Shia Yemenis into the arms of Tehran and Lebanese Hezbollah, their fellow Shia co-religionists.  This is why we see Houthi drone counter-strikes against Western maritime targets in the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden after Israel conducts an Extra-Judicial Killing (XJK) in Lebanon, Syria, or sovereign Iranian territory (via drone, missile, jet, or assassin). The Shia Houthis are simply supporting the two groups that are helping them to survive. This humanitarian catastrophe can be laid squarely at the feet of the notorious MBS.

Emmanuel Macron meeting up with the fabulously wealthy but odious Crown Prince for the sake of the stumbling French economy should come as no surprise. The President of the Fifth Republic recently stated that France won’t honor the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against PIFWC Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, unlike most of the EU. And France is the home of INTERPOL in Lyon. Jerusalem may have threatened to withhold the ceasefire with Lebanese Hezbollah (LH) to coerce that public comment from Macron, desperate to maintain influence in the Middle East.

While Macron (who heads La Francophonie and has a sizeable domestic Arab constituency) and MBS perform a kabuki dance about the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank and calling for elections in Lebanon, they are really making mega-business deals. Arguably, Beijing has done more for the Palestinians than Paris or Riyadh.

Mahmoud al-Aloul from Fatah (L), Chinese FM Wang Yi (C), and Mussa Abu Marzuk, from Hamas (R) in Beijing on 23 July 2024. China successfully reconciled their differences. For decades Beijing has pushed for international recognition of Palestine; France, the UK, and the US have not.  (Photo: Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty Images)

In all fairness to France, they are like the US in opposing Vladimir Putin’s Nakba against Ukraine and support his ICC arrest warrant. Both are sending Kiev military and economic assistance. France does not oppose Benjamin Netanyahu’s “special military operation” against the Palestinians and oppose his arrest warrant, like the US. If the French diplomatic corps can’t understand why their influence in the Arab world has waned considerably over the decades, their myopia is worse than I thought.

Sources:

Assessment-Saudi-Gov-Role-in-JK-Death-20210226v2.pdf

France, Saudi Arabia sign strategic partnership, call for fresh elections in Lebanon

Macron’s Saudi visit targets arms deals and economic diversification

Saudi crown prince approved murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi: U.S. intelligence report | CBC News

Hamas and Fatah sign agreement in Beijing ‘ending’ their division, China says | CNN

Saudi Court Sentence Five To Death For Journalist Khashoggi’s Murder – SKN News

Xi pledges more Gaza aid and talks trade at summit with Arab leaders | AP News

California Man Arrested for Allegedly Exporting Shipments of Firearms, Ammunition, and Other Military Items to North Korea

Kim Jong-un firing an automatic pistol. The photographer is ill-positioned as he is down-range of the weapon and no one seems to be wearing hearing or eye protection. (Undated image)

The FBI arrested Shenghua Wen (41) of Ontario, CA, for allegedly exporting shipments of firearms, ammunition, and other military items to North Korea that were concealed inside shipping containers bound from Long Beach through Hong Kong to North Korea.

The FBI seized two devices that he intended to send to North Korea for military use: a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices. Law enforcement also seized approximately 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that Wen allegedly obtained to send to North Korea.

(Photos: FBI)

(Photos: FBI)

Wen is a Chinese national who is illegally in the US after overstaying his student visa and is therefore prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. Wen lacks the required licenses from the US government to export ammunition, firearms, and the other devices that law enforcement seized at his home to North Korea.

Wen is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

The MSS is a vast apparatus and unknown is whether the Chinese government was aware of this conspiracy or whether they looked the other way. Espionage continues to be a less expensive way of acquiring sensitive technology from the West. The 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition would most likely be intended for North Korean espionage agents or their Special Forces, like the ones who deployed to Russia to fight against Ukraine.

The Browning Hi-Power 9mm pistol above is issued to North Korean spies and commandos.

North Korean supremo Kim Jong-un enjoying a cigarette and light refreshment while his people starve. Nine out of ten North Koreans suffer from food insecurity.  (Photo: 13 Jun 2022, Reuters)

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | California Man Arrested for Allegedly Exporting Shipments of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Military Items to North Korea | United States Department of Justice

COVID Map Update Reveals New States With ‘Very High’ Wastewater Activity

More states are detecting “very high” levels of the COVID-10 virus in wastewater.

According to the US CDC, Idaho, New Mexico and South Dakota all had “very high” levels of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in their wastewater during the week between 17 and 23 Nov., Between 10 and 16 Nov, only New Mexico’s wastewater had this level of the virus present.

Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire currently have “high” levels of COVID-19, while “moderate” levels were detected in Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wyoming.

Nineteen states had “low” levels, while 14 states and Wash DC had “minimal” levels of the SARS-CoV-2 virus present in wastewater.

The COVID-19 virus is spreading but cases of illness are not exploding because of the previous vaccination program. If Americans do not want to endure another nightmarish lockdown, they should take annual booster shots and maintain good hygiene habits. Covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing, as well as washing the hands constantly will help.  The US Senate can assist by not confirming any of the frauds or quacks the President-elect seems to have in mind for his imminent administration.

Source:

https://www.newsweek.com/covid-wastewater-map-cdc-virus-levels-variants-very-high-levels-1994758

Why Israeli Men Volunteered to Fight, But Now Refuse to Return to Gaza

Excerpted from Fergal Keane’s excellent article. She is a Special Correspondent to the BBC.

Look at these heavily armed IDF soldiers warn this Palestinian child riding a bicycle. The troop on the left seems to be aiming his assault rifle at this waif. (Photo: circa 2012)

Yuval Green (26) is among those refusing to continue fighting in Gaza.

Yuval immediately answered his country’s call to arms after the 7 Oct 2023 surprise attack by armed Palestinian groups in southern Israel. It was a mission to defend Israelis. Then came the fighting in Gaza itself. Things seen that could not be unseen. Like the night he saw cats eating human remains in the roadway.

“Start to imagine, like an apocalypse. You look to your right, you look to your left, all you see is destroyed buildings, buildings that are damaged by fire, by missiles, everything. That’s Gaza right now.”

“Start to imagine, like an apocalypse. You look to your right, you look to your left, all you see is destroyed buildings, buildings that are damaged by fire, by missiles, everything. That’s Gaza right now.”

IDF soldiers pass by destroyed homes inside the Gaza Strip. (IDF Handout via REUTERS)

One year on, the young man who reported for duty on 7 Oct 2023 is refusing to fight. There have been social media posts from soldiers in Gaza abusing prisoners, destroying property, and mocking Palestinians, including numerous examples of soldiers posing with people’s possessions – including womans’ dresses and underwear.

“I was trying to fight that at the time as much as I could,” says Yuval. “There was a lot of dehumanizing, a vengeful atmosphere.”

His personal turning point came with an order he could not obey.

“They told us to burn down a house, and I went to my commander and asked him: ‘Why are we doing that?’ And the answers he gave me were just not good enough. I wasn’t willing to burn down a house without reasons that make sense, without knowing that this serves a certain military purpose, or any type of purpose. So, I said no and left.”

That was his last day in Gaza.

Yuval is the co-organizer of a public letter signed by more than 165 – at the latest count – IDF reservists, and a smaller number of permanent soldiers, refusing to serve, or threatening to refuse, unless the hostages are returned – something that would require a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

The UN has said reports of alleged torture and sexual violence by Israeli guards were “grossly illegal and revolting” and enabled by “absolute impunity.”

Ten years ago, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, warned about this phenomenon in what he called the ‘religification’ of the IDF.

“Within this context, messages about Jewish superiority and demonization of the enemy are fertile ground for fostering brutality and releasing soldiers from moral constraints.”

Michael Ofer-Ziv (29) was an operations officer in a brigade war room. (Photo: Getty Images)

The decisive moment for Michael Ofer-Ziv came when the IDF shot three Israeli hostages in Gaza in Dec 2023. The three men approached the army stripped to the waist, and one held a stick with a white cloth. A soldier had felt threatened and opened fire, killing two hostages. A third was wounded but then shot again and killed, when a soldier ignored his commander’s ceasefire order.

“I remember thinking to what level of moral corruption have we got… that this can happen. And I also remember thinking, there is just no way this is the first time [innocent people were shot]… It’s just the first time that we are hearing about it, because they are hostages. If the victims were Palestinians, we just would never hear about it.”

Coriolanus wishes these young fellow warriors well in a future of justice, peace, and tranquility in the Middle East.

The numbers of war-resisters in Israel will grow as war-related guilt, pangs of conscience, memories of horror, and PTSD spread throughout the ranks. This is an all too familiar pattern with war. As noted in a previous post, high school girls will be refusing induction into the IDF, as did a young man who will face judicial consequences for his moral stand.

Gil Zalsman, the Chair of the Israeli National Council for Suicide Prevention, had warned about the “tsunami of mental illnesses” among IDF personnel in the occupied territories and the potential increase in suicide cases after the end of the war. He stressed that referrals to crisis and mental health centers in the occupied territories increased by 40% last year.

On 22 Nov, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper wrote that at least six IDF soldiers who fought in Gaza and Lebanon, committed suicide in recent months. In the US, an average of 20 veterans dies from suicide every day.

Our special thanks to Fergal Keane at “the BeeB.” Her complete article may be read at the link below.

Source:

IDF refusers: The men who volunteered but now won’t fight in Gaza

Israeli official warns against increase in mental illnesses in occupied territories – IRNA English

United States military veteran suicide – Wikipedia

Food Recall in California: Raw Farm Milk and Cream 

Raw Farm, LLC is voluntarily recalling its raw milk and cream products due to possible bird flu contamination. Californians are strongly encouraged not to consume any raw milk or cream products in their possession or still on store shelves. Pasteurized milk remains safe to drink.  

Raw Farm milk products have tested positive for bird flu at both retail and dairy storage and bottling sites in recent days. 

Customers should immediately return any remaining product to the retail point of purchase. 

While this voluntary recall only applies to raw whole milk and cream, due to multiple bird flu detections in the company’s operation the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges consumers to avoid consuming any Raw Farm products for human consumption including raw milk, cream, cheese, and kefir, as well as raw milk pet food topper and pet food kefir marketed to pet owners. 

In addition to the statewide voluntary recall, CDFA has placed the farm under quarantine, suspending any new distribution of its raw milk, cream, kefir, butter and cheese products produced on or after 27 Nov. 

No human bird flu cases associated with the product have been confirmed to date, and the state is working closely with federal and local partners to investigate the situation and better understand how it might impact consumers. California continues to monitor and respond to bird flu outbreaks in dairy cows and poultry. Bird flu virus levels have been demonstrated to be high in raw milk from infected cows, and sporadic human cases identified in workers in close contact with infected dairy cows and their milk indicate that raw milk is infectious to humans.   

Public health experts have long warned consumers against consuming raw milk or raw milk products due to elevated risks of foodborne illness. Outbreaks due to Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, toxin producing E. coli, Brucella, Campylobacter, and many other bacteria have all been reported related to consuming raw dairy products. Raw milk products are not pasteurized, a heating process that kills bacteria and viruses such as bird flu.

Pasteurized milk and pasteurized milk products are safe to consume because the heating process kills pathogens, including bird flu, that can cause illness.

Drinking or accidentally inhaling raw milk containing bird flu virus may lead to illness. In addition, touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands after touching raw milk with bird flu virus may also lead to infection. Symptoms of bird flu infection in humans include eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing and fever. Anyone who has consumed these specific products and is experiencing these symptoms, should immediately contact their health care provider or local health department.

Pet Safety and Raw Milk Pet Food Products

​CDPH advises consumers to avoid raw milk “pet food topper” and “pet food kefir” products marketed to pet owners. They should neither eat this food themselves nor feed it to their pets. Cats, dogs, and other animals may become sick with bird flu after drinking raw milk. Cats on infected dairy farms in multiple states have died from bird flu, most likely from drinking raw milk from infected cows. CDPH encourages pet owners to avoid feeding their pets raw pet food products in general, including raw milk-based products. To further limit risk to pets, pet owners should also keep their pets away from sick or dead birds.​​

Pasteurized milk is safe to drink. Pasteurization, one of the most significant scientific food safety discoveries in human history, is the process of heating milk to specific temperatures for a certain length of time to kill many microorganisms and enzymes that lead to spoilage and illness. Pasteurization kills the bird flu virus and other harmful germs that can be found in raw milk. CDPH advises consumers not to drink raw milk or eat raw milk products due to the risk of foodborne illnesses.

Since early October, California has reported 31 confirmed human cases of bird flu, 30 of whom had direct contact with infected dairy cows. No person-to-person spread of bird flu has been detected in California or the US. 

Farmers should contact the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s bird flu hotline at 866-922-2473 if they suspect their animals are infected with bird flu.

Source:

State Secures Broad Voluntary Recall of Raw Milk and Cream to Protect Consumers

Stowaway On Delta Airlines NYC-Paris Flight Bypassed Security Checkpoints at JFK

Different flight paths between NYC and Paris.  

A Russian woman who stowed away on a flight from New York to Paris last week was able to sneak through the security checkpoint by starting off in a lane reserved for airline flight crews. Ms. Svetlana Dali (57) was able to get through an advanced imaging technology body scanner at JFK and dodge document and ID checks during the security process.

Once the woman proceeded to the gate, she placed herself in the middle of what appeared to be a family traveling together.

Investigators believe a contributing factor may have been the massive holiday weekend crowds at the airport. The TSA said it screened nearly 2.7 million passengers at US airports on that Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

TSA checkpoints at JFK (Photo: TSA)

The woman is attempting to claim asylum in France. But French authorities are apparently denying Svetlana Dali entry to the country because she doesn’t meet the criteria for asylum nor did she have a visa, leaving her in limbo in the airport.

The Russian national remains in France after allegedly causing a disturbance and refusing to board a return flight to the US a couple of days ago.

While Ms. Dali hasn’t been arrested or detained in France, she could face charges such as criminal trespass and theft of services upon her return to the US.

But it remains unclear how she was able to board the plane.

Once on board, Ms Dali moved from one bathroom to another and never took a seat until flight attendants began to notice. Once confronted, The stowaway repeated: “I do not want to go back to the USA. Only a judge can make me go back to the USA.”

The woman was expected to be accompanied by six US marshals on her flight back to NY.

Inspectors from the TSA are preparing a civil case against the stowaway after reviewing airport security video from inside JFK. The TSA cannot bring criminal charges, though it can refer them to the Justice Department. It’s unclear whether any criminal charges will be filed.

Delta Airlines has not said how the woman was able to board the plane once she made it past the TSA checkpoint but “is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred.”

This clever and determined woman was evidently hell-bent on departing the US. She may have been absconding justice or the prospects of living in the US under the incoming Trump administration may have been too much for her. Wealthy people have already begun their exodus, like actress Eva Longoria.

Investigators will soon determine Ms. Dali’s motive for fleeing the US and if she was genuinely seeking asylum in France. Instead of fining and punishing this woman, TSA, Delta Airlines, and the FAA should learn from her experience. Should federal charges be brought before Ms. Dali, they would be in the Eastern District of NY where some compassionate judges are sitting at the bench.  

Sources:

Stowaway caught on Paris flight attempts to claim asylum

Woman who sneaked onto Paris flight bypassed checkpoints by jumping into different security lines, TSA says | CNN

Mystery Disease in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Kills 143 People

The DRC has a population of 115,403,027; 75% of them live under the poverty line. (Map: CIA)

A flu-like disease that has killed dozens of people over two weeks is being investigated in southwestern DRC, not to be confused with neighboring Congo-Brazzaville to the west.

The deaths were recorded between 10 and 25 Nov in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province. Symptoms include fever, headache, coughing, and anemia.

The deputy provincial governor reported that between 67 and 143 people had died. He warned the population to exercise caution and refrain from contact with dead bodies to avoid contamination. WHO is aware of the unidentified disease and has a team on the ground working with local health services to collect samples.

Congo is already dealing with massive food insecurity as eight million internally displaced people (IDP) require daily humanitarian assistance.

Bulengo IDP Camp. (Photo: Concern Worldwide)

Moreover, Congo is also plagued with the mpox epidemic. More than 47,000 suspected cases and over 1,000 suspected deaths from the disease have been recorded in the Central African country. Readers may recall this terrifying, but controversial, bestseller below about the Ebola virus which became a TV series.

The DRC has one of the largest reserves of potential wealth, including 200 million acres of cultivable land and large reserves of gold, diamonds, copper, zinc, coltan, and cobalt. Yet, the DRC is the sixth-lowest country on the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI). 75% of the population live below the poverty line and GDP per capita is $1,500.

Since independence, the former personal territory of King Leopold II of Belgium has suffered from political instability, a lack of infrastructure, corruption, and centuries of both commercial and colonial extraction and exploitation. Just recently, Belgium has just been found guilty of crimes against humanity for the forced removal of five mixed-race children from their mothers in colonial Congo. Five plaintiffs were forcibly removed from their Congolese mothers between 1948 and 1953 as small children and sent to a Catholic mission far from their homes. The total number of such inhuman abductions by the Belgian colonial government has not yet been uncovered.  

The above Tintin book written in 1931 was once banned in several countries for its naive and racist portrayal of the natives while highlighting “benevolent” Belgian rule. Herge was, of course, a Belgian and conservative Catholic who survived Nazi occupation.  

Sources:

Health officials investigate mystery disease in southwest Congo after 143 deaths | AP News

World Health Organization

CIA

Democratic Republic of the Congo | World Food Program

The Democratic Republic of the Congo crisis, explained: Five things to know in 2024 | Concern Worldwide

Belgium found guilty of crimes against humanity in colonial Congo | Belgium | The Guardian

Why Humans are So Obsessed with Cats

‘Are We Not Humans?’ Fury in Beirut as Massive Israeli Strike Kills 20

Before impact. Beirut’s Shayah neighborhood (Photo: Fadel Itani / UPI)

After impact. (Photo: Fadel Itani / UPI)

Chiyah neighborhood of Beirut (Photo: Fadel Itani / UPI)

A massive Israeli air strike on central Beirut has killed at least 20 people, Lebanese officials say, in the latest attack on the capital amid an escalation of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah.

The strike happened without warning at about 04:00 (02:00 GMT) on Saturday, and was an attempt to assassinate a senior Hezbollah official, Israeli media reported. The attack was heard and felt across the city, and destroyed at least one eight-story residential building in the densely populated Basta district.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said a so-called bunker buster bomb was used, a type of weapon previously used by Israel to kill senior Hezbollah figures, including former leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Emergency workers used heavy machinery to remove the rubble and retrieve bodies.

More than 60 people had been injured and the number of victims was expected to rise as DNA tests would be carried out on body parts that had been recovered.

“It was a very horrible explosion. All the windows and glasses were over me, my wife and my children. My home now is a battlefield,” said 55-year-old Ali Nassar, who lived in a nearby building.

“Even if one person is hiding here…Should you destroy buildings where people are sleeping inside? Is it necessary to kill all the people for one person? Are we not humans? That’s what I’m asking.”

According to the Israeli public broadcaster Kan, the attack was an attempt to kill Mohammed Haydar, a top Hezbollah official. Hezbollah MP Amin Sherri said none of the group’s leaders were in the building hit, and Haydar’s fate remained unclear.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not commented.

Also on Saturday, the IDF carried out further air strikes on the Dahieh, the area in southern Beirut where Hezbollah is based, saying they were buildings linked to the group.

Israeli attacks have also hit the south, where an Israeli ground invasion is advancing, and the east, where air strikes in the city of Baalbek killed at least 15 people, including four children.

Lebanese officials say a ‘bunker buster’ bomb was used in the devastating strike.

In AKZ-L (Lebanon), more than 3,670 people have been killed and at least 15,400 injured since Oct 2023, with more than one million forced from their homes. With the onset of winter, more innocent and homeless Arabs will die of exposure. The IDF has killed scores of Lebanese medics while destroying the country’s medical infrastructure. PIFWC Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party have certainly incubated the next two generations of anti-Israelis and antisemites. Netanyahu can’t wait until Donald Trump becomes POTUS next year. But having a Democratic president in the White House these past four years haven’t really stalled or delayed the Likud Party’s plans to ethnically cleanse Israel of Palestinians anyway.

The imminent and unholy Repub-Likud alliance in 2025 will also bode poorly again for Iranians and chances of a lasting peace in the Middle East.

Sources:

Israel hits Lebanon with widespread bombing and shelling, killing at least 47 – UPI.com

‘Are we not humans?’: Anger in Beirut as massive Israeli strike kills 20

Israel: Fanatical Settlers Attack IDF Major-General Avi Bluth in West Bank

This past weekend, lunatic Settlers in the West Bank attacked IDF Central Command Major-General Avi Bluth, ludicrously calling him a “traitor” and “Israel hater.”

Head of IDF Central Command Major-General Avi Bluth. He escaped unharmed and must have been shocked to face an intifada from the very citizens he has sworn to protect and defend.

Since Oct 2023, Israeli security forces and fanatical Settlers have killed at least 763 Palestinians in Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) to facilitate the seizure of lands and homes by religious zealots. A few of these maniacs possibly like the Settler pictured below have been sanctioned by the Biden Administration.

Palestinian Alice Kisiya (R), whose family land was taken over by armed Israeli settlers, confronts a rabid Settler in the area of al-Makhrour in the occupied West Bank, near Beit Jala, on 22 Aug 2024. (Photo: AFP / Hazem Bader)

The above pictured Israelis celebrate the death of Palestinian resistance leader Yahya Sinwar at a southern kibbutz, 17 Oct 2024. Note the elation on the faces of the celebrants as if this was V-E Day 1945. They are unaware of twice-GOP Presidential candidate NYS Governor Thomas E. Dewey’s famous words, “You can’t shoot an idea with a gun,” as if the IDF killing of one man erases Palestinian nationalism. Urbane Israelis in Ramat Aviv or Haifa wonder how much taxes these kibbutzers pay or whether they ever served in the IDF like them or MG Avi Bluth. (Photo: AP)

Above, Israeli Police officers arrest an ultra-Orthodox Jew as they block a main road during a protest against IDF conscription in Jerusalem, 19 Oct 2017. Israeli police arrested 40 people in protests by a fringe group within Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. (Photo: Ariel Schalit / AP)

Israeli border police stand guard near Orthodox Jews in the Old City’s Christian quarter, after an incident in which Haredi Orthodox Jews spat at a Christian procession carrying a cross through Jerusalem’s Old City in 2023. Israeli police arrested five suspects. (Photo: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Ultra-Orthodox Jews defied COVID regulations. Above, Israeli security forces arrest an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man as they close a synagogue in Jerusalem (Mar 2020). COVID infection rates in ultra-Orthodox communities were markedly higher than the rest of Israel. (Photo: Ahmad Gharabli / AFP / Getty Images)

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man (L) and a secular man (R) above argue during a protest against the strict religious codes favored by the ultra-Orthodox in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. (Photo: Reuters/Landov)

So, is it any wonder that an IDF Major-General may be attacked by his own people when you see the fanaticism emanating from the religious sectors of Israel? Many military veterans have favorite commanders or generals and Coriolanus is no exception. I can’t imagine being in a security detail or in the entourage of my favorite (unnamed) general under attack by maniacs. Luckily MG Avi Bluth and his staff escaped unharmed.

For years Israel has been undergoing a political civil war between secularists and fundamentalists, ultra-nationalists and peace activists, Sabras and newcomers, Ashkenazis and Sephardics, and Likudniks versus Laborites. So far, the religious right-wing and their coalition have been winning in the kaleidoscope of the Knesset, keeping Israeli Crime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power (for now).

Besides facing an international arrest warrant for war crimes, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will be facing a criminal or Knesset inquiry into his handling of the 7 Oct 2023 surprise attack which killed more than 1,200 citizens and the capture of over 200 hostages.

Sources:

Israel: Some ultra-Orthodox Jews are ignoring the coronavirus rules | CNN

Israelis Clash Over Strict Religious Codes |

Israeli police arrest 5 Jews for allegedly spitting on Christian pilgrims amid spate of attacks – Jewish Telegraphic Agency

US issues new batch of sanctions targeting West Bank settlers amid rampant violence | The Times of Israel

Passengers Stop Man from Opening American Airlines Plane Cabin Door Mid-Flight

Passengers on American Airlines Flight 1219 stopped a Canadian man who allegedly tried to open the airplane’s cabin door mid-flight by restraining him with duct tape and flex cuffs.

The suspect reportedly told a flight attendant he needed to exit the plane and began acting erratically when he was denied.

The man tried to open an emergency door while the jetliner was airborne.

“He was sitting at the emergency exit and he cracked open the window that was protecting the handle,” reported a passenger. “He ripped down the handle where it exposed some of the emergency exit and all the wind came rushing down.”

“The guy was screaming ‘I want to get out,’” reported a witness.

The unhinged man allegedly assaulted a flight attendant, injuring her wrist and neck.

A passenger sprung into action by restraining the man and securing him with duct tape and flex cuffs provided by the crew. The suspect remained restrained on the floor for the rest of the flight.

After landing, law enforcement and FBI agents boarded the plane to detain the man for a medical evaluation. The flight attendant was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, while the suspect was taken off the plane in a wheelchair.

The FAA and FBI are working together to investigate the incident further. No charges have been filed.

“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our team members and customers for managing a difficult situation,” American Airlines said.

Luckily enough passengers had the wherewithal to overcome and restrain the unhinged man before a catastrophe occurred. Air travel remains one of the safest methods of travel, but occasional incidents like this challenge aviation security experts to come up with non-lethal solutions to neutralize unruly or dangerous passengers without harming innocent people or endangering the flight.   

Source:

Passengers Stop Man from Opening Plane Door Mid-Flight By Duct Taping His Wrists And Ankles Together: Officials | IBTimes

Man subdued on an American Airlines flight after trying to open an emergency exit | CTV News

North Korean Defector: NK Soldiers Will Desert ASAP in Ukraine

North Korean supremo Kim Jong-un meets with his loyal and adoring troops in Mar 2024 (Photo: AP)

Entire units of North Korea’s troops fighting for Vladimir Putin will desert as soon as they get to the frontline, a defector has claimed.

Hyun-Seung Lee, spent 3 1/2 years with an artillery and reconnaissance battalion in the early 2000s. His time in the army included training for six months alongside the Storm Corps. Lee says the troops in Russia will be looking to escape the battle in Ukraine “from the beginning.” 

Leaked footage shows the North Koreans (AKA “Norks”) training in Russia (Credit: Telegram)

He believes the troops are not ready for the frontline and will be used as “human shields” by Russian soldiers in “meat attacks.”

Kim Jong-un has sent his Storm Corps, the country’s equivalent of special forces, to fight for the Kremlin as his war continues to stall. The 10,000-strong force is set to be used on the battlefield in the coming days as the Russian tyrant looks to claw back Kursk

Questions have been raised about how well the North Korean soldiers will fight having not seen combat since the Vietnam War and with the units armed, clothed, and led by the Russians.

In one clip the Norks appear to be practicing Russian (Credit: Telegram)

Lee said the young soldiers in North Korea will have been forced to go and they won’t be that committed to the fighting. 

He said: “It will be individuals at first, but more like as time passes, I think there’ll be like a larger number of group defections, including officers.”

That’s because, Lee says, the Russians will likely treat them as “expendable” and even more poorly than their own troops. 

He said: “Russian soldiers don’t respect them as their fellow warriors and the NORKs will die without any impact.”

North Korean soldiers could be thinking twice about defecting as it could see their families thrown in prison. Pyongyang has a guilty by association policy; if the North’s soldiers are seen defecting by colleagues their families could be put in jail.

Lee said: “They would be socially not respected, there’s criticism [they would face] from the community and organizations.”

High-ranking families would likely face a more severe punishment if authorities knew their relative had fled.

But Lee, whose family fled Pyongyang in 2014, said some families might not even know their brother, son or father are in Russia fighting as North Korea keeps all troop movements secret. The troops will be watched over by a Worker’s Party political officer who will administer two hours of ideological training a day.

Inside North Inside North Korea’s ‘Elite’ Storm Corp Special Forces

The Storm Corps is made of ten units, including a sniper’s unit, a light infantry unit, and a paratroopers unit, according to Lee Hyun Seung.

Lee emphasized they are not comparable to Western special forces. He said North Korea didn’t have the equipment to continually train troops for combat as ammunition and bombs would need replacing.

Instead, they trained “for show” so they could march in parades or for propaganda videos. Lee said those soldiers are drawn from North Korea’s working class and will be ambivalent about fighting for the regime. 

The defector added: “They are just seeking food and then they’re seeking career advancement. I’m sure nowadays, these, you know, young soldiers they don’t have like a real loyalty to the regime. They just got order command from the Supreme Commander, and then they have no choice but to, you know, [go] to Russia.” 

Ukrainian military intelligence had leaked to the press that a score of North Korean soldiers had already deserted but were soon recaptured by Russian security services. Another report suggested that up to 40 NK troops had been killed in recent fighting in Kursk. Coriolanus posted that the Ukrainian military targeted a Russian command and control center and possibly wounded a North Korean general and other HVTs.  The Ukrainians will continue using their PSYOP program to induce defections and undermine the morale of the NORKs while targeting their HVTs. Kiev has less than two months to catastrophically damage the Russian and North Korean armies before Trump takes over the White House and kowtows to Vladimir Putin.

Source:

I was a North Korean soldier – Kim’s terrified troops will FLEE Putin’s army when they reach Ukraine frontline – The US Sun | The US Sun

Cluster of Ventura County, CA Farmworkers Diagnosed with Rare Leptospirosis

Ventura County lies west of Los Angeles, CA.

Ventura County public health officials said they’re investigating a rare and potentially severe disease diagnosed in several workers in county berry fields.

The illness, leptospirosis, is caused by bacteria found in contaminated water or soil. The disease can be spread by urine from animals including rodents and livestock.

In severe cases, the condition can cause kidney damage, liver failure, or meningitis and can be fatal.

Public health officials report the local cases appeared to have emerged between Sep 2024 and Nov 2024. They do not know the exact cause but said farmworkers harvesting or handling berries grown under hoops may be at higher risk of infection.

There are 18 cases, but the numbers are fluctuating. Some of the cases have been confirmed and others are presumed to be leptospirosis.

Farm worker. (Photo: VCStar)

Public health officials said leptospirosis is not considered a risk to the general public as the illness is not spread from person to person and it’s safe to eat berries.

Some patients reported severe symptoms like meningitis, an infection that can cause inflammation of membrane around the brain and spinal cord. Other cases involved mild symptoms like headache and fever.

Public health strongly advised agricultural workers and employers to take precautions to reduce the risk of leptospirosis:

  • Wear waterproof protective clothing and equipment while working outdoors including gloves, long-sleeved shirts, pants and boots or shoes.
  • Cover cuts and scratches with waterproof bandaging.
  • Wash hands, arms and exposed skin thoroughly with soap and water after working in the fields, especially before eating or drinking.
  • Employers should take measures to keep pest populations under control.

Officials inform that rodents are the most common source of the disease but livestock, dogs and cats can also be infected. People should keep pets away from ponds, lakes and other natural bodies of water and prompt veterinary care for animals that become sick.

The CDC reports that some infected people may have no symptoms. Leptospirosis sometimes occurs in two phases with initial symptoms that improve but are followed by more severe conditions like kidney/liver failure or meningitis.

An estimated one million severe cases of leptospirosis in humans occur every year, causing about 58,900 deaths. The disease is most common in tropical areas of the world but may occur anywhere. Outbreaks may arise after heavy rainfall.

Sources:

Cluster of Locally Acquired Leptospirosis Infections – Ventura County Public Health

Public health investigates cluster of leptospirosis infections

About Leptospirosis | Leptospirosis | CDC

Leptospirosis – Wikipedia

First Freight Train from China Arrives in Afghanistan as Beijing Increases Ties

A direct freight train link between Afghanistan and China was inaugurated this month. (File photo)

The first train carrying goods from China to Afghanistan arrived in Mazar-e Sharif on 23 Nov after crossing through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Kabul reported. The Taliban said 55 containers arrived in Afghanistan after a 22-day journey, marking the inauguration of the first direct train link between China and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The train is expected to take Afghan goods back to China for sale there. Since the Taliban returned to power in Aug 2021, no country, including China, has formally recognized the extremist group — which has been accused of massive rights violations — but Beijing has attempted to increase ties as part of its economic push in the region, including its Belt and Road initiative.

Central Asia Rail Routes Map courtesy of Ansher Global

China, the world’s factory, is also building a massive railway system on the Dark Continent which will connect east and west Africa, a concept the previous European colonial powers never conceived.   

China has pledged $75 billion of funding to Africa and her projects have employed tens of thousands of Ethiopians and Djiboutians.

The West is involved in devastating and costly wars while Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative is quietly and peacefully securing China’s future economic hegemony. Beijing will soon have access to critical minerals in Afghanistan needed for the telecommunications and computer manufacturing industries.  

Ukrainians are fighting for their very survival from the Kremlin onslaught while the US wastes precious economic and military resources funding Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians while the IDF devastates Lebanon with US-provided weapons.  The US already wasted billions of dollars fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan while China invested her time and resources wisely to expand her influence globally while subtly beginning her conquest of space.

Sources:

Keynote Address by Helga Zepp-LaRouche to Conference: U.S.-China Cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and Corresponding Ideas in Chinese and Western Philosophy 4/13-4/14/2017 NYC

Freight Train Arrives In Afghanistan From China As Beijing Looks To Increase Ties

Simultaneous Comeuppance for Two Right-Wing Doppelgangers

Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro (R) and his Floridian doppelganger ex-Congressman Matt Gaetz (L)

Last week Brazil’s federal police charged former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and 36 accomplices of being part of a criminal conspiracy designed to obliterate Brazil’s democratic system through a right-wing coup d’état attempt on 8 Jan 2023. Bolsonaro had proudly described himself as the “Trump of Brazil,” had accelerated the arboricide of the earth’s lings, the Amazon Rain Forest, for the sake of making money.  

Among the accused are Bolsonaro’s former spy chief, as well as a cadre of senior defense, foreign affairs, and justice ministers. Also charged are a far-right congressman and blogger.


In a scene quite similar to the US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021, Jair Bolsonaro supporters generate chaos in Brasilia, Brazil, by invading the Supreme Court, National Congress, and the Planalto Palace on Sunday, 8 Jan 2023. Mounted police and helicopters helped safeguard democracy. (Photo: Mateus Bonomi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Meanwhile to the north, Bolsonaro’s American junior doppelganger received a concomitant bit of comeuppance. Reactionary Trump acolyte Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) rashly resigned his congressional seat after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to be his Attorney-General. His annual salary was approximately $174,000. Matt Gaetz, previously arrested on DUI charges in 2008 which his father allegedly influenced the case in his favor, was embroiled in a congressional Ethics Committee investigation and was confident his sins would remain secret from the American public. Joel Greenberg, an accomplice of Matt Gaetz, was already and convicted and sentenced to 11 years for sex trafficking of a minor and a litany of other crimes.

Official Press Release from Ethics Committee (18 June 2024):

“On April 9, 2021, the Committee announced it had initiated a review into allegations that Representative Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct”.

For years, Republicans successfully prevented the release of the damaging investigation findings of Congressman Gaetz’s alleged peccadillos and acts of moral turpitude. When a reporter from CNN asked Gaetz about reports of a second sexual encounter with a 17-year-old girl, six minutes later Gaetz withdrew his nomination to be President-elect Donald Trump’s next attorney general.

Both right-wing disgraced doppelgangers Jair Bolsonaro and MAGA militant Matt Gaetz are considered innocent of all charges and accusations until both defendants are proven guilty in their respective courts of law.  

“The moral arc of the university is long, but it bends towards justice.”

Sources:


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/21/jair-bolsonaro-charged-coup-plot

The rise and fall of Matt Gaetz in eight wild days

Friend of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz sentenced to 11 years in prison in sex trafficking case

Cat Rescued After Five Days Stuck Up Tree

Likud Continues Murder-Death-Kill Pogrom Against Arabs

Lebanese soldiers stand guard as rescuers search for survivors in the rubble at the site of an IDF attack on the al-Shiyah neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday(Photo: [Anwar Amro / AFP)

In AKZ-L, the Israeli Death Forces (IDF) killed three Lebanese soldiers in an air strike on an army base in southern Lebanon’s town of Sarafand. The latest killings bring the overall death toll in the Lebanese army to 41.

The IDF has not yet commented on its latest killing of Lebanese soldiers who have for months provided security for Lebanese civilians and engaged in search and rescue efforts amid the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanon’s government plans to file a formal complaint with the UNSC over “repeated attacks” by Israel on its army, and accused Israeli forces of repeated violations of international law. The IDF has also been targeting Lebanese medical personnel and infrastructure.

In AKZ-G, IDF airstrikes killed 12 Palestinians and ten are missing under rubble in Jabalia. The IDF killed one and wounded several Palestinians in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. The victims (below) were photographed at al-Ahli Arab Hospital.

A Palestinian woman mourns after an Israeli attack on the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City at al-Ahli Arab Hospital (Photo: Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu)

Several young children were injured in this IDF attack (Photo: Dawoud Abo Alkas / Anadolu)

The IDF targeted members of the Gaza Civil Defense after they responded to the initial bombing (Photo: Dawoud Abo Alkas / Anadolu)

In AKZ-W, the IDF conducted ethnic cleansing raids at the following locations:

  • The city of Hebron
  • The city of Halhul, north of Hebron
  • The Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron
  • The cities of Ramallah and el-Bireh
  • The towns of al-Mughayyir and Silwan, north of Ramallah
  • The Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah
  • The village of Osrin, south of Nablus.

The casualty list has not been tabulated at time of publication.

Coriolanus and media outlets have difficulty keeping up with Israeli atrocities. Remarkable how easily and callously IDF pilots and drone operators can launch their weapons without regard to collateral damage or nearby innocent parties.

When destroying medical personnel/infrastructure and housing, the IDF creates the “NHI” condition (“No Human Involved”). “NHI” allows wounds, disease, starvation, and exposure to freezing temperatures to attrit Arabs without killing them directly. This is why the IDF targets the medical personnel of Lebanon so they cannot treat wounded Shia Muslims resisting the Israeli offensive.   

By year’s end the IDF will probably have killed a total 50,000 Muslims in the three Arab Killing Zones (AKZ), while maiming close to 150,000. Coriolanus monitors the Murder-Death-Kill rate as best as possible from open source media. In just over one year, the IDF already surpassed 38,239, the number of Muslims liquidated by Bosnian Serb war criminals from 1992-1995. See previous post for sources.

According to worlddata.info, Israel ingloriously shares the stage with Afghanistan, Belarus, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, and Syria as a Pariah State. Congratulations to the State of Israel for the wonderful accomplishment.

With the exception of the US, which country would welcome the utterly loathsome Likudnik Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu other than the Hague for war crimes prosecution?

Source:

(1) Update LIVE: Israel shells Gaza’s Kamal Adwan, kills three soldiers in Lebanon

List of the 13 current Pariah States

Ukrainian Killing Zone (UKZ): Russia Murders 21, Wounds +100 in Odessa and Sumy with Missile Strikes

Russian missile strikes on 18 Nov left at least 21 people dead and more than 100 injured in Ukraine, as strikes targeted the cities of Odesa and Sumy.

In Odesa, a midday strike left ten people dead and 39 injured, including a child, with four in critical condition. The strike damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, with the city’s center among the hardest-hit areas.

Hours earlier, a late-night missile strike devastated a residential building in Sumy, a city 40 kms from the Russian border, leaving 11 dead, including two children, and 89 wounded.

The Russian attack damaged 90 apartments, 28 cars, two educational institutions, and 13 buildings.

Rescuers evacuated over 400 residents and continue to search for survivors. The attack also left Sumy’s administrative center without power.

The late-night attack on Sumy followed what Kyiv said was a “massive” attack on Ukraine’s power grid with 120 missiles and 90 drones that killed at least seven people. Moscow routinely denies targeting civilian infrastructure. Such strikes are widely considered a war crime.

Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine’s power infrastructure since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts.

The massive Russian attack also came as US President Joe Biden had reportedly authorized the use of US-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike inside Russia, after lobbying by Ukrainian officials.

The weapons are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to send thousands of troops to support Russia in the Kursk region where Ukraine mounted a military incursion over the summer.

In the overnight attack on Sumy, the Ukrainian Air Force said the Russian military used two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and a Kh-59 guided missile.

The US Embassy in Kiev closed on Wednesday after receiving “specific information of a potential significant air attack,” as the Kremlin warned it would retaliate after the Biden administration reportedly permitted Ukraine to strike deeper within Russia.

Ukraine and Russia will continue pounding each other with drones and missiles over the next two months until Donald Trump assumes the Presidency. Kiev must maximize what it can during this pre-Trump period because they should expect nothing from Washington DC afterwards.  

Sources:

At Least 21 Dead in Russian Missile Strikes In Ukraine’s Odesa, Sumy

US closes Kyiv embassy after reciving information on ‘potential significant air attack’ – UPI.com

The Striking US Parallels Between 1968 and 2024

2024 Democratic Party Candidate VPOTUS Kamala Harris (L); 1968 Democratic Party Candidate VPOTUS Hubert Humphrey (R)

Many parallels exist between the 1968 and 2024 US presidential elections. In both instances, the Democrats were the incumbent party that had won the preceding election with landslide numbers. Both re-elections were theirs to lose.

1964

In the 1964 Presidential election, the Democratic Party ticket of Lyndon B. Johnson/Hubert Humphrey won 43,129,040 votes (61.1% of the popular vote) compared to the GOP ticket of Barry Goldwater/William Miller which took 27,175,754 votes (38.5% of the popular vote).

The LBJ administration would pass the Civil Rights Act (1964), the Voting Righting Act (1965), and other progressive legislation under the Great Society program to eradicate poverty and racial injustice in the US. But LBJ increased America’s involvement in Vietnam, propping up a brutal and unpopular regime in Saigon by deploying more American Soldiers to the jungles of SE Asia.

The Vietnam War would wreck LBJ’s legacy, including the Great Society program.

Anti-war protestors in 1968 (Image: thenation.com)

1968

Fierce opposition to the Vietnam War on the nation’s college campuses and within the Democratic Party led LBJ to not seek re-election in 1968. LBJ’s approval rating in April 1968 was under 40%.

At the 1968 DNC Convention in Chicago, anti-war protestors were excluded from having a voice and the “enemy” were “g—ks” and “Communist guerillas.” VPOTUS Hubert Humphrey became the POTUS candidate to carry on LBJ’s policies. Before that fateful 1968 convention, a candidate named Robert F. Kennedy ran for President but was tragically assassinated months prior. A woman’s right to an abortion was illegal, Moscow had invaded Czechoslovakia, and white supremacists strutted openly in the Deep South.


In 1968 members of the KKK, a domestic terrorist organization, proudly walked the streets in “Old Dixie”. You wonder what that little girl (C) is thinking and what has happened to her since. The two young men on the left may have served their country in Vietnam.

In the Nov 1968 election, the Humphrey/Muskie ticket won 31,271,839 votes (42.7%) to Nixon/Agnew’s 31,783,783 votes (43.4%). Segregationist George Wallace siphoned away 9,901,118 votes from both the Democrats and the GOP (13.5% of the popular vote and carrying five southern states). Richard M. Nixon narrowly won the White House.

Critically, the Humphrey/Muskie ticket received 11,857,201 less votes than from four short years ago. Millions of Democrats did not support the pro-war 1968 Humphrey/Muskie ticket or the Great Society program.

2020

In the 2020 election, the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket won 81,283,501 votes (51.3% of the popular vote) compared to 74,223,975 votes (48.6%) for the GOP Donald Trump/Mike Pence ticket. This was a sizeable victory for the Democrats. The post-COVID US economy grew and consumer prices began to drop. Russia would invade Ukraine in Feb 2022 and the Biden administration immediately began sending military and financial aid to Kiev. But Palestinian frustration at being unable to release thousands of prisoners being held in security detention by the Israelis led to a surprise attack to seize hostages in Oct 2023. Backed by US military and economic support, Israel conducted massive reprisals against the Palestinians at a 20:1 scale.

2024



Nationwide campus protests in 2024 against US support for Israel during its Nakba against Gaza looked eerily similar to college protests against US involvement in Vietnam in 1968. Americans disliked the unpopular leaders and policies of both 1968 Saigon and 2024 Jerusalem.

US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT):

“Continuing to provide Israel with the offensive weapons it uses on civilians is morally wrong.”

Anti-war protestors gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, MA, on 14 Oct 2023. (Photo: AFP)

Pres. Joe Biden’s approval rating in June 2024 dropped to 43%. After a poor performance at one debate, Biden was persuaded to step aside for his much younger VPOTUS, Kamala Harris. The incumbent VPOTUS received 99% delegate votes at the DNC convention.

Like in 1968, in 2024 anti-war protestors were excluded from having a voice at the Chicago DNC Convention. The “enemy” in 2024 were not “g—ks” like in 1968 but “Islamic terrorists” in the Gaza Strip.  Moreover, a man named Robert F. Kennedy (Jr) ran for POTUS as an independent (yes, the son of slain Bobby Kennedy), Moscow had invaded Ukraine in Feb 2022, a woman’s right to an abortion was illegal, and white supremacists parade down Main Street, USA.  

In Nov 2024 Columbus, Ohio, neo-Nazis recently paraded down a street without fear. (Source: Social media)

In the recent 5 Nov 2024 election, Harris/Walz won 73,912,254 votes (48.3% of the popular vote) to Donald Trump/JD Vance’s 76,535,898 votes (50% of the popular vote).

The GOP won 2,311,923 more votes than in 2020. Green Party candidate Jill Stein insignificantly pickpocketed .5% of the popular vote, siphoning off nothing consequential like segregationist George Wallace in 1968.

Importantly, the Harris/Walz ticket received a whopping 7,371,247 less votes than in 2020, including Blue State strongholds. In 2024, Democrats simply stayed home (just like in 1968) or voted for Donald Trump.

Biden and LBJ, both former VPs, became one-term presidents (LBJ was a five-year POTUS because of the 1963 JFK assassination). Both passed the torch to their VPs. In 1968 and 2024 the incumbent Democratic candidates lost significant numbers of voters within a short span of four years, undoing their previous domestic achievements.

In 2024 the Biden administration through USSECSTATE Antony Blinken and D/CIA William J. Burns earnestly tried to achieve a ceasefire with the warring parties in the Middle East to release innocent Israeli and AMCIT hostages. The US ultimately failed because of Likudnik Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu who has turned Israel into a Pariah State. The USIC term for Netanyahu is PIFWC: Person Indicted For War Crimes.

Sources:

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/op-eds/bernie-sanders-no-more-arms-sales-to-netanyahu/

https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/12/opinion/zelizer-lbj-vietnam-disaster/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_National_Convention_protests

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dnc-roll-call-of-states-2024/

LBJ’s Presidential Approval Ratings, 1963-1969

Biden approval polling tracker

NATO and EU Suspect Russia Sabotaged Two Baltic Undersea Cables

European governments and the US have accused Russia of intensifying “hybrid attacks” following reports that Baltic Sea fiber-optic communications cables were damaged by suspected sabotage, although they have not yet directly tied the incident to Moscow.

Moscow has long denied it is involved in sabotaging Western infrastructure to punish European countries for their assistance to Ukraine’s defense, but suspicions grew in Western capitals on 19 Nov that damage to two key Baltic Sea cables were likely the result of deliberate actions.

Ukraine’s allies pointed to past incidents of alleged sabotage by Moscow, especially following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has hit the 1,000-day mark amid devastating losses on both sides.

(Map courtesy: ontheworldmap.com)

Regional states are investigating the cutting of a cable connecting Finland to Germany and one linking Sweden and Lithuania following similar suspicious occurrences in the sea in recent years.

Swedish prosecutors and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation separately said national authorities had launched investigations into the cut cables.

Moscow has said such allegations are being fabricated by the West to discredit Russia.

As reported here on Coriolanus, Moscow was likely to carry out sabotage operations and has been bolstering its secretive marine (GUGI) unit that deploys ships, submarines, and drones to survey the Baltic seabed.

NATO stepped up monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline seven months later.

A ship lays the now-damaged telecommunications cable off the shore of Helsinki in Oct 2015. (Photo: AFP)

The West should expect increased sabotage and espionage from the Kremlin to maximize damage to NATO and the EU until Donald Trump assumes the presidency in January 2025. And even after then as Commander-in-Chief, Trump can order the USIC and DOD to ignore Russian espionage, leaving the onus of counterintelligence in the hands of NATO and EU partners.

Source:

Europeans Probe Baltic Cable Damage as Suspicions Turn Toward Russia

Canada Reportedly Foiled Iranian Plot to Assassinate Former Justice Minister

Liberal MP Irwin Cotler speaks in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, 15 Dec 2011. (Photo: Reuters)

Canadian authorities recently foiled an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Irwin Cotler, a former justice minister who has been a strong critic of Tehran.

The 84-year-old was justice minister and attorney general from 2003 to 2006. He retired from politics in 2015 but has remained active with many associations that campaign for human rights around the world.

Cotler was informed on 26 Oct that he faced an imminent threat — within 48 hours — of assassination from Iranian agents.

Cotler had already been receiving police protection for more than a year after the 7 Oct 2023 attack in Israel by armed Palestinian groups seizing hostages in order to trade them for any number of the 2,000 Palestinians being held in indefinite security detention.

Cotler, who is Jewish and a strong backer of Israel, has advocated globally to have Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps listed as a terrorist entity.

His name reportedly also came up in an FBI probe of a 2022 Iranian murder-for-hire operation in New York that targeted American human-rights activist Masih Alinejad.

Ottawa, which severed diplomatic ties with Iran more than a decade ago, listed the Revolutionary Guard as a banned terrorist group in June.

It said at the time that Iranian authorities displayed a consistent “disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilize the international rules-based order.”

As a lawyer, Cotler also represented Iranian political prisoners and dissidents.

Cotler’s daughter pictured above, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, is an Israeli politician and diplomat who previously served as a member of Israel’s parliament. (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem / The Jerusalem Post)

As reportedly here on Coriolanus, the nexus of organized crime and the intelligence world is deeply enmeshed. The IRGC-QF most likely contracted out the killing to local criminals but were foiled by Canadian security services. Analyzing available public documents, the author is surprised that the IRGC considers Irwin Cotler an HVT (high value target) who is worth the risk and money to assassinate.

RCMP Close Protection Team in the Diamond Formation escorting Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Note the tell-tale lapels pins on the dark-suited centurions. (Undated photo by Chris Wattie / Reuters)

Sources:

Former Canadian minister Irwin Cotler says he was target of alleged Iran-backed assassination plot – ABC News

New York City Issues First Drought Warning in Two Decades

The sky is lit red, orange and blue behind One World Trade Center and the Manhattan Skyline just before sunrise in NYC. Mayor Eric Adams elevated the city’s drought watch to a warning. (Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has issued the city’s first drought warning in 22 years, as its reservoirs continue to drop below normal amid a near-record dry spell.

The warning was issued Monday as wildfires have threatened to spark across much of the Eastern US this fall, including in NYC, where a Brush Fire Task Force was launched as 271 brush fires ignited citywide in the last two weeks — a record over a 14-day period.

The fires are being exacerbated by dry weather. October and November saw the second-longest rainless streak in 155 years.

Officials said the city’s water reservoirs were at about 60% capacity, significantly lower than the 79% for this time of year.

“Over the last 10 weeks, we have had 8.23 inches less rain than in the average year,” Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala of the Department of Environmental Protection said. “So, this drought has come on fast, it has come on furious, and that’s why the last six weeks have been the driest on record.”

The warning follows a drought watch issued earlier this month. With the upgrade to the second of three levels of water conservation, city agencies were directed to immediately implement water-saving measures.

NYS Gov. Kathy Hochul also declared a drought watch because of “a historic shortage of rainfall” for the state, while elevating 15 counties in mid-Hudson and New York City to a drought warning. The governor has also declared a statewide burn ban.

The last time NYC was under a drought warning was in 2002.

As previously reported here, environmental degradation is affecting another megalopolis. The air pollution in Delhi, India, is now at ‘extreme’ and ‘toxic’ levels.

Air quality in India’s Delhi region reached “severe plus” with pollution at 1,500 on the Air Quality Index. (Photo by Rajat Gupta/EPA-EFE)

Source:

New York City issues first drought warning in two decades – UPI.com

Missouri: 90 E. coli Cases Tied to Rockwood Summit HS Events

More than 90 cases of E. coli have been linked to Rockwood Summit High School events in St Louis County, Missouri.

The St. Louis County Health Department said 94 cases have been identified. Some of those cases have been confirmed; others show compatible symptoms and links to confirmed cases.
Health authorities said the cases are allegedly connected to Andre’s Banquet and Catering which catered some events for Rockwood Summit High School.

The St. Louis County Health Department suggests that salad is the source of illness, but a specific ingredient has not been identified.

One lawsuit has been filed against the catering company on behalf of a cheerleader at Rockwood Summit High School.

The owner of Andre’s Banquets and Catering said the lawsuit has no merit. He said vendors spot-check produce loads daily, are USDA-inspected and follow strict food safety guidelines. He also claimed that the fact that three students who aren’t Rockwood Summit High School students were infected is proof his business is not the source of the outbreak.

State and local health department workers were at the catering business to take samples of food for testing. Health department officials will also use genetic testing on stool samples to get more certainty on the outbreak.

An E. coli outbreak in 18 states that involves organic carrots is not linked to this incident.

E. coli are germs called bacteria and are found in many places, including in the environment, foods, water, and the intestines of people and animals. Most E. coli are harmless and are part of a healthy intestinal tract. E. coli helps humans digest food, produce vitamins, and protect people from harmful germs.

But some E. coli can make people sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and other illnesses.

Sources:

https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/11/18/more-e-coli-cases-tied-rockwood-school-events/

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/about/index.html

TSA Intercepts Loaded Firearm from Flight Crew Member at Reagan National Airport Security Checkpoint

A member of an airline flight crew was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport intercepted a firearm among a flight crew member’s carry-on items at one of the checkpoints on Friday, 15 Nov. The 9mm handgun was loaded with nine bullets, including one in the chamber. See photo above.

When TSA officers intercepted the firearm, they notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and issued a citation to the woman. TSA also notified the airline of the serious violation.

Additionally, the woman faces a Federal civil penalty for bringing a loaded firearm to a TSA checkpoint. The Federal penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.

To transport a firearm for a flight, it must be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided case and declared at the airline counter so it can be placed in the belly of the aircraft with the checked baggage.

In 2024, TSA confiscated 36 firearms at Ronald Reagan Airport (DCA).

The scale of firearms ownership and custodianship in the US is simply breath-taking. As if Americans don’t have enough to worry about getting shot on the streets, now they have to worry about “flying the unfriendly skies.” Recently, an unknown assailant fired shots at an airplane at Dallas Airport; no injuries were reported and the aircraft sustained slight damage. According to CDC data, 48,830 people were killed with a firearm in the US in 2021. No doubt next year a freshman GOP lawmaker will be caught with a firearm at a TSA or US Capitol Hill security checkpoint and be outraged at the indignation.

Source:


https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2024/11/18/tsa-intercepts-firearm-flight-crew-member-reagan-national-airport

Egypt: Stray Dogs in Giza Become Tourist Draw After ‘Pyramid Puppy’ Sensation

A pack of about eight dogs has made its home among the ancient ruins of the Giza Pyramids. Look at the thick paws of this confident canine. (Photo AFP)

Beneath the blazing Egyptian sun, crowds at the Giza Pyramids gazed up at the ancient wonders, but some had their eyes peeled for a new attraction.

“There he is,” one Polish tourist told his wife as they spotted a scrappy dog perched on one of the stones.

They were talking about Apollo, a stray who became an overnight sensation last month after being filmed scaling the Great Pyramid of Khafre, one of the seven wonders of the world.

The viral footage, captured by American paragliding enthusiast Alex Lang and shared online by his friend Marshall Mosher, showed Apollo fearlessly climbing the 136-meter monument, barking at birds from the summit.

“He was acting like a king,” Lang said.

As news of Apollo’s daring climb spread worldwide, interest grew in the dogs who have long made their homes among the ancient stones.

A visitor from Argentina felt a special bond with the dogs saying it felt like connecting with the pharaohs while petting a member of Apollo’s pack.

Apollo’s newfound fame has even inspired local guides to include him and his pack in their stories for tourists.

“This is Anubis,” one tour guide told two American tourists, comparing Apollo, now known as the “pyramid puppy”, with the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, often depicted as a man with a jackal’s head.

“He and his pack are now part of our tour conversations,” said Sobhi Fakhry, another tour guide.

Businesses around the Giza plateau are also seeing a boost as tourists are eager to meet the so-called pyramid dogs.

One pyramid guard, who preferred to remain anonymous, also said that some celebrities had paid for permits to have their own dogs photographed with Apollo.

Apollo, a three-year-old Baladi dog, is part of a pack of about eight that has made their home among the ancient ruins. The dogs, a local breed, are known for their resilience, intelligence and ability to survive in Egypt’s harsh climate.

The American Cairo Animal Rescue Foundation monitors the pyramid dogs and described Apollo as the pack’s “alpha male”.

Apollo was born in a rocky crevice within the Khafre pyramid where his mother, Laika, found shelter. Sadly, some of Apollo’s siblings did not survive the site’s perilous heights. A sympathetic guard eventually relocated Laika to a safer spot where Apollo now stands out with his distinctive curled tail and confident nature.

The initial focus of Lang and Marshall was the daring canine climber, but their visit led to a deeper connection with Cairo’s stray dogs.

Intrigued by the challenges they face, Mosher decided to adopt a puppy from the pack: Anubi, who is Apollo’s daughter. Anubi will join Marshall in the US after she receives the dedicated care she needs in Egypt to grow up healthy.

At the pyramids, local animal care groups are now working with the government in order to set up food and water stations for the strays, as well as for other animals including camels and horses. A permanent veterinary center will be established at the pyramids with staff set to receive animal care training.

Source:

Stray Dogs In Giza Become Tourist Draw After ‘Pyramid Puppy’ Sensation | IBTimes

IDF Deploys to Northern Border as Fears of Ground Offensive in Lebanon Grow; 33 Killed by Israeli Airstrikes

The IDF will deploy formidable Merkava tanks in their ground offensive into Lebanon. Adjusting for inflation, US aid to Israel from 1951 to 2022 totaled $317.9 billion, making Israel the largest recipient of American foreign aid since World War II as well as the 17th most powerful country in the world according to the Global Firepower Index (GFI). The Lebanese Army is ranked 118/145. Photo: AP

Israel has deployed troops near the border with Lebanon, a day after the air strikes in Beirut that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Lebanon is currently observing three days of mourning following Nasrallah’s killing but Israeli warplanes have continued to bombard Beirut, killing 33 people across Lebanon.

Meanwhile, hundreds of displaced Lebanese families have been sleeping in public spaces in Beirut as the Israeli aerial assault continues.

Families sit on the ground in central Beirut after fleeing Israeli in the southern suburbs, 28 Sep 2024. Bilal Hussein/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.

“We just want a safe place, we do not need clothes or aid or food or drink. We just want a safe place so that our children are not afraid, we left the Syrian war for the sake of the children, we came here and the same war happened,” said Syrian refugee Fatima Ziyada.

The wave of displacement comes alongside a rapid escalation over the past week that has killed more than 700 people in Lebanon and culminated with a massive barrage of strikes Friday and overnight that levelled at least six multi-story buildings.

And across the border in Israel, Tel Aviv residents took shelter as sirens sounded throughout the city.

The Israeli military said a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted shortly after the sirens were heard. There were no reports of injuries. It was not immediately known if the missile strike was aimed at PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight who cut short a trip to the US to return to Israel.

Israel first invaded Lebanon in 1978 and then again in 1982 which led to the 16-18 Sep 1982 “Sabra and Shatila massacres” of between 1,300 and 3,500 Palestinians and Lebanese Shias in Beirut by Christian militias. Israeli defense minister Ariel Sharon was forced to resign “for ignoring the danger of bloodshed and revenge” during the massacre in which the IDF stood passively by and allowed the Falange militias to murder the unarmed and defenseless captives. The 1982 Israeli invasion was the genesis of Lebanese Hezbollah. In 2017, Janes assessed Hezbollah’s strength at more than +20,000 full-time fighters and approximately +20,000 reservists.

Remarkably, a former senior Republican official wrote a recent editorial that “a new Gang of Four has emerged: [the leaders of] China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia,” completely ignoring Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, a man indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague. 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and 623 in the West Bank.

Just before becoming Special Counsel investigating former president Donald Trump, Jack Smith was a prosecutor at the ICC. Karim Khan at the ICC is now prosecuting a war crimes case against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Chief prosecutor Karim Khan KC of the ICC is seeking an international arrest warrant for indicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he was indicted for war crimes committed against the people in Gaza.

The Lebanese military or Hezbollah will be unable to stop the imminent IDF offensive. Somehow, in a “David versus Goliath” battle, Palestinian fighters in Gaza were able to disable one Merkava tank in Oct 2023. The fate of the IDF tank crew is not clear.

.Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

Sources:

Israel deploys troops to northern border as fears of ground offensive in Lebanon grow | Euronews

Sabra and Shatila massacre – Wikipedia

ICC statement on arrest warrants of Israeli and Hamas leaders (bbc.com)

How much aid does the US give to Israel? (usafacts.org)

How Many Armored Vehicles Has Israel Lost Fighting Hamas? (popularmechanics.com)

2024 Israel Military Strength (globalfirepower.com)

NTSB Issues Urgent Safety Recommendations on Boeing 737 Rudder System

The rudder control system could jam or become restricted on some 737NG and 737MAX airplanes. Image: jetnews.com.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued urgent safety recommendations to The Boeing Company and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in response to the potential for a jammed or restricted rudder control system on some 737 airplanes. 

The NTSB is investigating a 6 Feb 2024 incident in which the rudder pedals on a United Airlines Boeing 737-8, a MAX variant, were “stuck” in their neutral position during the landing rollout at Newark Liberty International Airport, NJ. The captain used the nosewheel steering tiller to control the airplane’s direction after touching down. There was no damage to the airplane or injuries to the 155 passengers and six crewmembers.

NTSB investigators tested one of the rudder control components from the incident airplane, a rollout guidance actuator, at the component’s manufacturer, Collins Aerospace. When the incident actuator and an identical unit from another airplane were tested in a cold environment, the actuators’ function was significantly compromised. 

Investigators found evidence of moisture in both actuators, which failed testing. Collins Aerospace subsequently determined that a sealed bearing was incorrectly assembled during production of the actuators, leaving the unsealed side more susceptible to moisture that can freeze and limit rudder system movement. 

Collins notified Boeing that more than 353 actuators that Collins had delivered to Boeing since February 2017 were affected by this condition. 

The NTSB has recommended that Boeing “determine appropriate flight crew responses besides applying maximum pedal force” for such situations in flight or during landing. The NTSB also recommended that Boeing notify flight crews operating 737s with affected actuators that the rudder control system can jam due to moisture that has accumulated inside the actuators and frozen. 

To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).

Sources:

NTSB Issues Urgent Safety Recommendations on Boeing 737 Rudder System

Aviation Investigation Report

AIR-24-06​ ​Incident investigation webpage ​  

‘Asian NATO’ Supporter Shigeru Ishiba to Become Japan’s Prime Minister

Former Japanese defense minister Shigeru Ishiba waves as he is elected as new head of the ruling party in the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership vote and is set to become Japan’s next prime minister in Tokyo, Japan, 27 Sep 2024

Veteran Japanese lawmaker Shigeru Ishiba, who supports the creation of an “Asia version of NATO,” will become the next prime minister after winning a closely fought contest to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The LDP chose Ishiba as Japan grapples with increasing security threats and risk of war in the region, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, and China’s growing military assertiveness.

The 67-year-old Ishiba said changes in the security environment were the reason he announced his candidacy. He advocates deterrence, strongly backs Taiwanese democracy, while also calling for deeper engagement with China.

The former defense minister expressed his desire to create an “Asian version of NATO” and bring equality to the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement.

Ishiba announced he would consider revising the SOFA, or Status of Forces Agreement, which set the rules for US military operations in Japan in 1960. He has considered establishing a base in the US to train Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.

He wrote in his memoir that conflating the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan was driven by emotion, not a pragmatic assessment of Chinese threats and the impact on Japan.

“I want to protect Japan, protect the people, protect the local regions, and want to be the LDP that follows the rules,” Ishiba said during the campaign.

He will be officially announced as prime minister at a special legislative session on 1 Oct, the same day Mexico inaugurates its first female President, Claudia Sheinbaum.

Sources:

‘Asian NATO’ supporter Ishiba to become Japan’s prime minister — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org)

US, South Korea, Japan to finalize trilateral secretariat establishment

‘Too early’ for an Asian NATO: US official

Front-runner for next Japanese leader eyes better North Korean ties

Russia Convicts Nearly 800 Foreign Nationals Fighting for Ukraine Since 2014

Undated photo of Georgian national Giorgi Goglidze. Russia Ministry of Defense

Russia has convicted 785 foreign nationals for fighting on the side of Ukraine since hostilities between the two countries first broke out in 2014, Russia’s Investigative Committee said Thursday.

Investigators disclosed the figure while announcing criminal charges against Georgian citizen Giorgi Goglidze, accusing him of fighting for Kiev “for monetary compensation.”

In Nov 2023, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces captured Goglidze, releasing an interrogation video where he claims to have been promised $300 for every Russian soldier he killed. The ministry alleged he was recruited in Germany and said he fought with Ukraine’s 2nd International Legion.

In the days following Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of an international territorial defense legion consisting of foreigners fighting on behalf of Kiev. Among the most prominent pro-Ukraine foreign units are the Freedom of Russia Legion, the Belarusian Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, and the Georgian National Legion.

Russia labeled the Georgian National Legion as a terrorist organization earlier this year, accusing the group of organizing sabotage and terrorist acts on Russian territory and torturing Russian military personnel and civilians.

In March, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces had killed nearly 6,000 foreign volunteers fighting for Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, including 561 fighters from Georgia.

Russia’s military is also known to enlist the help of foreign volunteers as it continues to wage war against Ukraine, recruiting men from African countries, Cuba, Nepal, and India, among others. Many of the volunteers from India and Sri Lanka have escaped the Russian army, claiming they were duped into combat service by unscrupulous recruiters offering contracts of employment to be either helpers or security guards.   

Russia had discharged dozens of the 91 Indians who were duped into fighting for Russian forces in the country’s war with Ukraine. Several of them have since returned home, while the process to bring others back is still under way. Undated photo: BBC

Sources:

Russia Convicts Nearly 800 Foreign Nationals Fighting for Ukraine Since 2014

EXPLAINED: International Legionnaires – Pay, Enlistment, Conditions (kyivpost.com)

Indians tricked by promise of work in Russia instead die fighting in Ukraine, investigators say | World News | Sky News

Ukraine war: Indians who fought in Russia return home with tales from war zone (bbc.com)

Marburg Virus Kills Six in Rwanda

With 13,623,302 people, Rwanda is one of Africa’s most densely populated countries. Map: CIA

Rwanda has confirmed six deaths and 20 cases of Marburg disease; the majority of victims are health workers in an intensive care unit.

“We are counting 20 people who are infected, and six who have already passed away due to this virus. The large majority of cases and deaths are among healthcare workers, mainly in the intensive care unit,” the health minister said.

Marburg disease, a viral hemorrhagic fever, can cause death among some patients, with symptoms including severe headache, vomiting, muscle aches and stomach aches. Institutions and partners are working to trace those who have been in contact with the virus-affected individuals.

With a fatality rate of as high as 88%, Marburg is from the same virus family as the one responsible for Ebola and is transmitted to people from fruit bats. The virus then spreads through contact with bodily fluids of infected people. Neighboring Tanzania had cases of Marburg in 2023, while Uganda had a similar outbreak in 2017.

Sources:

Marburg virus kills 6 in Rwanda, health minister says (voanews.com)

CIA

South Africa: 17 Killed in Mass Shooting

In total, 15 women and two men were killed in the shootings, which also sent one additional person to the hospital in critical condition. Photo courtesy of South African Police Service/EPA-EFE

A manhunt is underway after at least 17 people died in shootings in a small village in South Africa on Saturday. Police confirmed the deaths occurred at two separate rural properties in Lusikisiki, a town of around 4,000 people.

In one home, 13 people were killed, with four others found dead on the second of the two properties, which sit slightly over a half-mile apart. In total, 15 women and two men were killed in the shootings, which also sent one additional person to the hospital in critical condition.

Four adult women, one man and a 2-month-old baby survived, according to police.

Authorities have not elaborated on a potential motive behind the crimes.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) reported over 6,000 murders took place between April and June this year. An average 58 people are murdered every day in South Africa. Like the US, these are war-time casualty figures without going to war.

South African Police Special Task Force in action (public domain image circa 2017).

Sources:

17 dead, manhunt underway after South Africa mass shooting – UPI.com

saps.gov.za/services/downloads/2024/2024-2025_-_1st_Quarter_WEB.pdf

FACTSHEET: South Africa’s crime statistics for 2019/20 – Africa Check

China’s Newest Nuclear Submarine Sank in Dock Last Year

Chinese nuclear-powered submarines in the South China Sea in 2018. Photograph: China Stringer Network/Reuters

China’s efforts to achieve maritime military parity with the US have suffered a serious blow after its newest state-of-the-art nuclear submarine sank in a dock, American officials have confirmed.

The incident happened last May or June at the Wuchang shipyard near Wuhan – the same city where the Covid-19 pandemic is believed to have originated – and came to light, thanks to satellite imagery, despite efforts by the country’s communist authorities to stage a cover-up.

The Zhou-class vessel – first of a new kind of Chinese submarines and distinctive for its X-shaped stern that aids maneuverability – is believed to have been next to a pier when it sank.

It is not known if there were any casualties – or if the submarine had any nuclear fuel onboard at the time, although experts have deemed that likely, according to the Wall Street Journal. The submarine was eventually salvaged but it is believed that it will take many months before it can be put to sea.

There has been no acknowledgment of the incident from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) or any indication that Chinese authorities have checked the water or nearby environment for radiation.

The incident and the wall of silence shrouding it raised serious questions about the Chinese military’s competence and accountability which has been plagued by corruption, including the PLA rocket forces command.

As of 2022, China had six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines. That submarine force is expected to grow to 65 by 2025 and 80 by 2035. Beijing wants to counteract US moves to come to Taiwan’s aid in a conflict and establish “maritime superiority” in a string of islands stretching from the Japanese archipelago to the South China Sea. As posted previously on Coriolanus, a Chinese military hospital ship recently treated thousands of patients for free along Africa’s coasts, fostering goodwill with people while making political inroads on the so-called “Dark Continent”.

Source:

China’s newest nuclear submarine sank in dock, US officials confirm | China | The Guardian

Philadelphia Cat Recovering Well After Being Shot with Bow and Arrow

Kimiko is recovering at a PSPCA shelter which posted a clip of the kitty playfully stretching in an open-crate. Kimiko is still loving towards humans despite ample reason to be cautious and even fearful. Image: PASPCA/Instagram

A depraved miscreant shot a cat with a bow-and-arrow and left her to die on a Philadelphia street before she was miraculously saved by a volunteer.

Kimiko was found last week with an arrow protruding from her thigh in an apparent act of animal cruelty, according to the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA).

The friendly feline was found by the caretaker of a cat colony in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia on Friday September 20th with the metal arrow jutting out from the side – left to die a slow and painful death.

An x-ray image posted on Facebook shows an arrow point wedged into Kimiko’s right leg – just inches away from her bones. PSPCA surgeons at the Philadelphia Animal Specialty and Emergency hospital rushed to save her life.

Nicole Wilson of the PSPCA said of the heartless attack, “Not only is it senseless, the suffering that that causes. That cat was clearly injured for hours, suffering for hours before somebody was able to find it and bring it to help.”

“This person severely injured this cat,” adding ” we don’t know that an individual who would make that choice wouldn’t make the next choice of potentially injuring a person.”

Pennsylvania recorded 50,000 cases of animal abuse since the year 2017 – when the state introduced Libre’s Law which created stricter punishments for animal abusers including making aggravated assault on an animal a felony.

An x-ray image showed how close the arrow point was to her bones. PASPCA/Instagram

The PSPCA’s Animal Law Enforcement is investigating the incident and asking anyone with information about the person or persons responsible to call the PSPCA’s cruelty hotline at 866-601-7722 or email cruelty@pspca.org.

Source:

Cat shot with bow and arrow in Philadelphia (nypost.com)

Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Felonious Actions During 6 Jan Capitol Attack

Richard Cook (38) of Boca Raton, FL, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. He was convicted on 10 May 2024 of felony and misdemeanor offenses related to his conduct during the 6 Jan 2021 breach of the US Capitol.

Cook joined a mob that relentlessly attacked USCP officers in one of the most violent areas of the Capitol riot – the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. The defendant entered the Tunnel on two occasions to join a collective push against police officers as the seditionists tried to gain access to the Capitol building. While Richard Cook joined in collective pushes, one USCP officer screamed in pain as the weight of the rioters’ pushes pinned him between a shield and a door. The FBI arrested Cook on 9 March 2023 in Florida.

USCP officers might be upset with this fairly light sentence as there has been an unevenness across the US judiciary towards the punishments of these insurrection defendants. Part of the problem lies in what charges were initially specified against the suspects, what the Justice Dept could prove in court, and plea agreements. Also, some defendants may have cooperated against fellow conspirators, reducing their sentence.  

In the 43 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,488 seditionists have been charged in nearly all 50 states for attacking the US Capitol, including nearly 550 suspects charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement personnel. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

Source:

District of Columbia | Florida Man Sentenced to Prison on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-capitol-riot-obstruction-2cdba47baa5cea8177d651de751760a6

CIA: Plot to Attack Taylor Swift’s Vienna Concerts Intended to Kill Thousands

Undated image of Taylor Swift.

The suspects in the foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna earlier this month sought to kill “tens of thousands” of fans before the CIA discovered intelligence that disrupted the planning and led to arrests. The CIA notified Austrian authorities of the plot, which allegedly included links to the Islamic State (IS).

A 19-year-old Austrian man, inspired by the Islamic State, allegedly planned to attack outside the stadium, where over 30,000 fans were expected to gather, with knives or homemade explosives. Another 65,000 fans were likely to be inside the venue. Investigators discovered chemical substances and technical devices during a raid of the suspect’s home. The intelligence and subsequent arrests ultimately led to the cancellation of three sold-out Eras Tour shows. Three suspects are in custody whose names have not been released because of Austrian privacy rules.

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen publicly addressed the failed plot during the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit this week in Maryland.

The Vienna plot drew comparisons to a 2017 attack by a suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. The bomb detonated at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving, becoming the deadliest extremist attack in the UK in recent years.

Source:

Plot to attack Taylor Swift’s Vienna shows was intended to kill thousands, CIA official says (voanews.com)


Reports: F-16 Crashed in Ukraine

Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly in an undisclosed location over Ukraine. A single Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet costs approximately $63 million, while the cost of training a basic qualified F-16 fighter pilot could be as high as $5.6 million.

A Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet was reportedly destroyed in a crash on 26 Aug, according to a US official quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The incident occurred during a massive Russian missile barrage across the country. But initial reports indicate the jet wasn’t shot down by enemy fire, but the jet likely went down as a result of pilot error. The Ukrainian Air Force wouldn’t confirm the crash or the status of the pilot. The crash occurred just weeks after the first F-16s arrived in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said F-16s were recently used for the first time in combat to shoot down Russian missiles.

Meanwhile, Ukraine used domestically-manufactured drones to strike both deep and near Russian targets. A strategic oil facility 900 miles inside Russia was struck, as well as field artillery infrastructure 35 miles from the Ukrainian border. The Ukrainian military is conducting damage assessments.

Sources:

Reports: F-16 Crashed In Ukraine Earlier This Week (rferl.org)

Top 10 most expensive fighter jets in 2024 (aerotime.aero)

Ukraine launches drone strikes targeting Russia’s strategic oil infrastructure – UPI.com

Six More Deaths Reported in Multistate Listeria Outbreak Linked to Boar’s Head Deli Meat


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported six additional deaths in connection with a multistate listeria outbreak traced to Boar’s Head deli meat. This brings the total number of fatalities to nine, with over a dozen others sickened.

Since the outbreak began, 57 people have been hospitalized across 18 states, making it the largest listeriosis outbreak since 2011, when more than 30 people died from contaminated cantaloupe. On 25 July, Boar’s Head issued a recall of its Strassburger Brand Liverwurst, produced at its Jarratt, VA facility, after concerns arose about contamination with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The recall was later expanded to include seven million pounds of meat—every item produced at the facility.

The deaths have been reported in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, South Carolina, Illinois, New Jersey, and Virginia. The affected victims range in age from 32 to 94, with a median age of 77.

Listeria is a hardy germ that can remain on surfaces, like meat slicers, and foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. It can also take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis. Do not eat recalled deli meats. Some of the products have sell by dates into October 2024.

Source:

Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis | Listeria Infection | CDC

Russian Agitprop Stoking Right-Wing Canadians; South Asians and Sikhs Targeted with Anti-Immigrant Hate

These proud and somber Sikhs represent several branches of the Canadian Armed Forces, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP); one of them seems to be entitled to wear the kilt. (Undated public domain imagery taken at a memorial service).

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced new sanctions against Russia as a counter to the Kremlin’s disinformation activities aimed at Canada.

Ukraine and the West have long been a target of the Kremlin’s disinformation campaigns. Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has used a variety of information warfare tactics to destabilize the Ukrainian government and undermine the legitimacy of democratic governments around the world.

Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) has raised concerns about Russian online state-sponsored disinformation campaigns aimed at distorting Canada’s effort to help Ukraine defend itself. The most prevalent claim was “Ukrainian nationalism is a neo-Nazi movement,” a false narrative that has long been debunked by numerous fact-checkers. The Kremlin also actively spread the unsubstantiated claim that chemical and biological weapons are being covertly developed in Ukraine.

These Kremlin agitprop tactics are also incubating hatred towards South Asian and Sikh communities. Far-right Canadian influencers like Jeremy Mackenzie or Tommy Robinson have ramped up attacks against Canadians of South Asian origin – particularly Sikhs – telling them to “go back to their country,” while blaming immigrants for societal ills, like unemployment or lack of affordable housing. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network reports there has been a visible increase in content targeting of South Asians in Canada.

A hate crime was reported to police in Peterborough, Ontario on 26 July 26 after a Sikh man alleged he was spat on and “had his turban knocked off and stepped on.” Other incidents were recently outlined by the World Sikh Organization (WSO) in a press release, including another victim who was allegedly attacked had his turban removed and stolen in Scarborough, Ontario, and another man in Sudbury, Ontario, who was attacked and threatened to be run over for wearing a kirpan, a Sikh article of faith.

The WSO stated they are “deeply troubled by recent hate attacks on Sikhs” and an “alarming rise in online harassment of Sikhs across Canada” in recent months.

White supremacist group Diagolon, led by Jeremy Mackenzie, shared a post calling for “first world countries…to quarantine India,” otherwise Indians will “colonize every first world country” and called for the “deportation of all Indians.”

 “They have to go back” is a phrase which advocates for the deportation of Indian immigrants en masse from Canada, is reminiscent of a trend gaining popularity in Europe called “remigration,” which argues for ethnically cleansing the continent of non-Europeans through forced deportations.

Growing anti-immigrant sentiments and racism took a violent turn in the UK this summer with rioters carrying out mayhem and attacks targeting immigrants and asylum seekers after far-right figures in the UK spread false information about the race of a suspect in an attack in northern England.

Sources:

Russian propaganda is making inroads with right-wing Canadians (theconversation.com)

Canada’s Far-Right is Targeting South Asian and Sikh Canadians to Incite Anti-Immigrant Hate (pressprogress.ca)

‘She Can Go to Hell!’ JD Vance Lashes Out at Kamala Harris Amid Trump Arlington Cemetery Scandal

The Trump campaign continues to stumble from one pratfall to another. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), who publicly bragged that he yelled at his seven-year-old son to “Shut the hell up about Pokemon!” has now viciously lashed out at Vice President Kamala Harris during a Wednesday rally speech in response to media scrutiny over the Trump campaign’s possibly unlawful photo event at Arlington National Cemetery. This scandal may also damage House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) who allegedly intervened to allow Trump to attend the private Gold Star family commemoration.

In particular, JD Vance sought to blame Kamala Harris for the deaths of soldiers during the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan. This comes after Vance, himself a Marine veteran who served as a military correspondent, already tried to deflect to that topic, and accidentally mixed up “Abbey Gate”, the location where a suicide bomber killed US personnel at Kabul Airport, with “Abbey Road”, a London street popularized by the Beatles half a century ago.

“The other thing our veterans care a lot more about is that three years ago, 13 brave, innocent Americans died, and they died because Kamala Harris refused to do her job, and there hasn’t been a single investigation, or a single firing,” the junior Senator from Ohio said.

“Look, sometimes mistakes happen, that’s just the nature of government, the nature of military service. But to have those 13 Americans lose their lives, and not fire a single person is disgraceful. Kamala Harris is disgraceful. You want to tell a story about those 13 Americans who lost their lives, it’s that Kamala Harris is so asleep at the wheel that she won’t even do an investigation into what happened, and she wants to yell at Donald Trump because he showed up? She can go to hell!” Vance ranted.

Sadly for Senator JD Vance, a Yale Law School graduate, a DoD investigation into the attack was completed under the Biden Administration while Kamala Harris was Vice-President. See link below.

This crass and baseless innuendo comes after Vance had an awkward month on the campaign trail, ranging from an ill-advised bakery photo-op to the emergence of more comments he made attacking childless women.

Watch the video below or at the link here.

The Trump Campaign strategy of demonizing and smearing their opponents with slander may appeal to their hardcore base, but will not convince critical undecided voters this November. Women have already been turned off by JD Vance’s misogynist hillbilly rhetoric.

All the Republicans seem to offer the American voter is hate and vitriol. The GOP campaign seems to have no platform to help hard-working Americans improve their lives. Neither ex-President Trump nor JD Vance seem willing to discuss the Heritage Foundation brainchild, Project 2025, a plan the Washington Post described will “infuse Christian nationalism into every facet of government policy;” put another way, a Christian Talibanization of America. After the radically-right SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade, why would Americans want more such extremist measures foisted upon them?

Sources:

‘She can go to hell!’ J.D. Vance lashes out at Kamala Harris amid Arlington Cemetery furor – Raw Story

Watch: J.D. Vance flubs name of location where U.S. soldiers died in Afghanistan – Raw Story

Arlington tried preventing Trump from attending ceremony: Report (americanmilitarynews.com)

Project 2025 – Wikipedia

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3741245/kabul-airport-attack-review-reaffirms-initial-findings-identifies-attacker/

FAA Grounds SpaceX Falcon 9 After First-Stage Booster Incident

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket returns to Landing Zone 1 after launching the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center, FL, on Sunday, August 4, 2024. The FAA grounded the Falcon 9 rockets after a stage 1 booster crashed into a barge while returning to Earth. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

The Federal Aviation Administration FAA grounded SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rockets as it investigates why one of its first-stage boosters crashed onto a landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean, bringing a screeching halt to the company’s robust launch schedule.

The return of the first-stage booster safely to Earth went awry Wednesday morning after separating from the second stage. A second SpaceX flight scheduled to liftoff from California was paused after the incident. So was the expected launching of the all-civilian Polaris Dawn. The delay postponed what was expected to be the first civilian spacewalk.

No one was hurt in the incident and the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket delivered the satellites into orbit as expected. According to the FAA, SpaceX could be cleared to fly again with an ongoing investigation under certain conditions.

Sources:

FAA grounds SpaceX after Falcon 9 booster topples on landing : NPR

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/advAdvisoryForm.jsp

Orange Lobster Returned to Sea After Arrival at Long Island, NY Store

An ultra-rare orange lobster that arrived in a shipment at a store on New York’s Long Island was released back into the Long Island Sound. Photo courtesy of Humane Long Island/Facebook

FTA: An extremely rare orange lobster that arrived in a shipment at a New York store was released back into the wild by an animal advocacy group.

Humane Long Island said on social media that workers at Southampton Stop & Shop found the orange lobster among the standard brown lobsters that arrived in a recent shipment. The store offered the crustacean to the Long Island Aquarium, but the facility declined.

The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation learned about Pinky’s situation and contacted Humane Long Island, which reached out to management at Stop & Shop. The lobster, now named Clementine, underwent rehabilitation under the supervision of a veterinarian before being released back into the Long Island Sound.

Orange coloration is believed to occur in only one out of every 30 million lobsters. Peaches, an orange lobster being studied by researchers at the University of New England, recently hatched a clutch of 100 eggs, and some of the babies share their mother’s unusual pigment.

Source:

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/08/29/orange-lobster-Humane-Long-Island/3841724963291/