westernjournal--2020-08-16--Military Announces ‘Mayhem’ Weapons Program, Designed To Give US Forces Game-Changing Edge

“ Speak softly and carry a big stick , ” Vice President Teddy Roosevelt told an audience at the Minnesota State Fair on Sept. 2 , 1901 , just two weeks before his elevation to the presidency following the assassination of William McKinley .
Those who adhered to that mantra , Roosevelt promised , “ will go far.
” According to National Geographic , the well-known phrase would go on to form the basis not only for Roosevelt ’ s foreign policy but for an entirely new school of American diplomatic thought , under which “ carefully mediated negotiation ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a powerful military.
” Unfortunately , America has forgotten that mantra in recent decades , rarely engaging in firm negotiation , sometimes falling behind other superpowers in the development of advanced military technology , and often mobilizing the military strength it does have more than it should .
And what ’ s more ?
The nation ’ s enemies — the authoritarian regimes that call China and Russia home — have begun taking up the philosophy of “ Big Stick ” diplomacy in recent years .
TRENDING : Navy SEAL Who Killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Destroy Rioters Ruining America According to The National Interest , Chinese scientists and Communist Party media celebrated in June as ground tests saw the nation ’ s hypersonic scramjet program leapfrog the capabilities of previously developed DF-17 hypersonic glide-boost missile , putting China back on track in efforts to develop hypersonic intercontinental ballistics .
Unwilling to fall behind , the United States Armed Forces quietly indicated Tuesday they for some time have been rising to meet the challenge and remain competitive in the hypersonic missile technology arms race .
Aviation Week reporter Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Air Force Research Laboratory has put out a Request For Information from potential U.S. military contractors regarding their ability to develop a newly designed , expendable multi-mission hypersonic weapon demonstrator called “ Mayhem , ” which would be fueled by an air-breathing scramjet engine .
According to the RFI , the demonstrator would be “ capable of carrying larger payloads over distances further than current hypersonic capabilities allow.
” It also apparently would be capable of carrying “ at least three distinct payloads in order to execute multiple government-defined mission sets ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as myself , military news network Task & Purpose dumbed things down : The vehicle is going to fly very fast and more than likely be able to hit more than one target on each bombing run .
The outlet did make clear that the RFI remains vague as to “ whether this demonstrator would be a missile or some other form of hypersonic glide vehicle.
” RELATED : Pentagon Absolutely Smashes Idea That Military Could Get Involved in Election Aftermath Regardless of the Defense Department ’ s tight-to-the-chest attitude with regard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. military operations overseas , any step toward the development of better hypersonic technology is a good one .
The technology long has been hailed as the future of high-speed missile delivery , and Congressional Research Service data suggests the U.S. Armed Forces are investing heavily as a result , with a March 13 report from the public policy group revealing the Pentagon requested a more than 430 percent increase in its hypersonic research and development budget between fiscal years 2020 and 2021 .
A variety of news reports indicate America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hypersonic weapons systems , with China unveiling a ship-destroying missile system two years ago and Russia touting nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles last December .
Meanwhile , the United States was forced in February of this year to roll back some of its hypersonic weapons development programs over budget constraints , Defense News reported .
It doesn ’ t take a warhawk to see how this might quickly become a problem .
Only the most short-sighted of pacifists would argue against American efforts to , at the very least , remain in China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to weapons such as these .
In fact , even the most isolationist of conservatives — myself included — might argue it would be best for us to outpace our enemies on this front .
The world is safer when America is the one carrying the big stick .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

“Speak softly and carry a big stick,” Vice President Teddy Roosevelt told an audience at the Minnesota State Fair on Sept. 2, 1901, just two weeks before his elevation to the presidency following the assassination of William McKinley.
Those who adhered to that mantra, Roosevelt promised, “will go far.”
According to National Geographic, the well-known phrase would go on to form the basis not only for Roosevelt’s foreign policy but for an entirely new school of American diplomatic thought, under which “carefully mediated negotiation” is “supported by the unspoken threat of a powerful military.”
Unfortunately, America has forgotten that mantra in recent decades, rarely engaging in firm negotiation, sometimes falling behind other superpowers in the development of advanced military technology, and often mobilizing the military strength it does have more than it should.
And what’s more? The nation’s enemies — the authoritarian regimes that call China and Russia home — have begun taking up the philosophy of “Big Stick” diplomacy in recent years.
According to The National Interest, Chinese scientists and Communist Party media celebrated in June as ground tests saw the nation’s hypersonic scramjet program leapfrog the capabilities of previously developed DF-17 hypersonic glide-boost missile, putting China back on track in efforts to develop hypersonic intercontinental ballistics.
Unwilling to fall behind, the United States Armed Forces quietly indicated Tuesday they for some time have been rising to meet the challenge and remain competitive in the hypersonic missile technology arms race.
I know what you’re thinking. It’s already Thursday and the DOD hasn’t unveiled a new hypersonic program yet this week. Is there something wrong? No. The AFRL just launched the scramjet-powered Mayhem demonstrator. (And next time be more patient.)https://t.co/1nFcgUU2oD pic.twitter.com/KFFDYAMf4Z — Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) August 13, 2020
Aviation Week reporter Steve Trimble recently revealed on social media that the Air Force Research Laboratory has put out a Request For Information from potential U.S. military contractors regarding their ability to develop a newly designed, expendable multi-mission hypersonic weapon demonstrator called “Mayhem,” which would be fueled by an air-breathing scramjet engine.
According to the RFI, the demonstrator would be “capable of carrying larger payloads over distances further than current hypersonic capabilities allow.”
It also apparently would be capable of carrying “at least three distinct payloads in order to execute multiple government-defined mission sets” in one flight.
For laymen such as myself, military news network Task & Purpose dumbed things down: The vehicle is going to fly very fast and more than likely be able to hit more than one target on each bombing run.
The outlet did make clear that the RFI remains vague as to “whether this demonstrator would be a missile or some other form of hypersonic glide vehicle.”
Do you support U.S. military efforts to develop a more threatening arsenal? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 99% (429 Votes) No: 1% (4 Votes)
Regardless of the Defense Department’s tight-to-the-chest attitude with regard to exactly how the Mayhem will fit into U.S. military operations overseas, any step toward the development of better hypersonic technology is a good one.
The technology long has been hailed as the future of high-speed missile delivery, and Congressional Research Service data suggests the U.S. Armed Forces are investing heavily as a result, with a March 13 report from the public policy group revealing the Pentagon requested a more than 430 percent increase in its hypersonic research and development budget between fiscal years 2020 and 2021.
A variety of news reports indicate America’s enemies already have begun deploying fully operational hypersonic weapons systems, with China unveiling a ship-destroying missile system two years ago and Russia touting nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles last December.
Meanwhile, the United States was forced in February of this year to roll back some of its hypersonic weapons development programs over budget constraints, Defense News reported.
It doesn’t take a warhawk to see how this might quickly become a problem.
Only the most short-sighted of pacifists would argue against American efforts to, at the very least, remain in China’s and Russia’s peripheral vision when it comes to weapons such as these.
In fact, even the most isolationist of conservatives — myself included — might argue it would be best for us to outpace our enemies on this front.
The world is safer when America is the one carrying the big stick.
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westernjournal--2020-08-15--Counter-Protesters Clash with Ring-Wing Group at Michigan Rally

Members of the far-right Proud Boys group and counter-protesters clashed Saturday afternoon in western Michigan , resulting in arrests , @ @ @ @ @ Vernon Coakley of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said a few people were arrested @ @ @ @ @ know exactly how many .
“ A fight occurred , people were fighting , and @ @ @ @ @ stepped in , ” Coakley said .
Counter-protesters staged an event in the area at @ @ @ @ @ rally that the Proud Boys had planned , according to local media reports .
When @ @ @ @ @ the confrontation ensued .
TRENDING : Navy SEAL Who Killed Bin Laden Used 8 Words @ @ @ @ @ America Warning : The video below contains strong language .
Some fistfights occurred before police @ @ @ @ @ to disperse .
The Proud Boys have been called extremist by the Anti-Defamation League and @ @ @ @ @ by the Southern Poverty Law Center .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in @ @ @ @ @ Read our editorial standards .

Members of the far-right Proud Boys group and counter-protesters clashed Saturday afternoon in western Michigan, resulting in arrests, police said.
Assistant Chief Vernon Coakley of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said a few people were arrested, but didn’t know exactly how many.
“A fight occurred, people were fighting, and that’s when we stepped in,” Coakley said.
Counter-protesters staged an event in the area at the same time as a rally that the Proud Boys had planned, according to local media reports.
When the Proud Boys arrived, the confrontation ensued.
Warning: The video below contains strong language.
Hell has broken loose pic.twitter.com/SBj5GqdhFq — Samuel J. Robinson (@samueljrob) August 15, 2020
Some fistfights occurred before police arrived and ordered the crowds to disperse.
The Proud Boys have been called extremist by the Anti-Defamation League and described as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Proud Boys dispute those descriptions.
[jwplayer 0ay5rqi9]
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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westernjournal--2020-08-18--Biden Promises Free College in Heavily Edited Interview with Vulgar Rapper

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden sat down for an interview with controversial female rapper Cardi B and told the former exotic dancer his administration would offer free college .
In an Elle Magazine interview released Monday , the “ WAP ” rapper told the 77-year-old former vice president about the kinds of changes she would like to see during a Biden presidency .
“ I have a whole list of things that I want our next president to do for us … but first , I just want Trump out , ” she told Biden .
Revealing his childhood nickname @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke with the rapper , whose legal name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar .
“ I of course want free Medicare .
It ’ s important to have [ free health care ] because look what is happening right now … I of course think we need free college education , ” Cardi B told Biden .
TRENDING : California Bill Would Apply Wealth Tax to Residents Who Fled the State in the Last 10 Years “ And I want black people to stop getting killed and no justice for it .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m tired of it .
I just want more stricter laws that is fair to black citizens and that are fair for cops , too.
” Biden further quizzed the rapper about what changes she thinks her fans would like to see , should the country elect him in November .
“ Obviously free college education , free Medicare , especially now that people are getting sick left to right , ” she said .
“ Black people , we ’ re not asking for sympathy , we ’ re not asking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equality .
We are asking for fairness , and we are asking for justice.
” “ That is all .
I feel like everything people are asking for is getting interpreted in a very different way .
No , it ’ s simple .
We just want justice .
… We want to feel like Americans , ” she added .
Biden then praised the rapper and her generation of voters .
“ You ’ re the smartest , the best educated , the least prejudiced , and the most engaged generation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And you ’ re going to change things .
You ’ re gon na change them .
You ’ re the reason I have such incredible hope .
I really mean it .
I ’ m not trying to be nice .
It ’ s a fact .
That ’ s what ’ s gon na change things.
” RELATED : 'Duck Dynasty ' Star Phil Robertson Baptizes Fans : 'They Just Keep Coming' “ The rest of the world has always looked to us , ” he added .
“ Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because we ’ re so powerful , but the power of our example .
Look what they ’ re seeing now with this president .
He ’ s literally promoting hatred.
” “ We ’ re going to have , If I get elected president , free college education for four years of college , flat-out , anybody with a family of less than $ 125,000 , ” Biden said .
The heavily edited interview , which was posted on YouTube , currently has more dislikes than it does likes , signaling that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impressed with Biden ’ s decision to have a conversation with the rapper as Sunday morning show hosts are seemingly being denied access to the Biden campaign .
Biden has apparently made the decision to avoid sit-down interviews with reporters .
Fox News host Chris Wallace criticized Biden ’ s campaign for employing what he called a “ basement strategy ” on Fox News radio over the weekend .
“ I don ’ t think you can hide from now until Election Day .
I just don ’ t think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benson .
Cardi B , whose recent hit song “ WAP ” is perhaps one of the most vulgar singles released this year , is no reporter , and was an exotic dancer before becoming a rapper , as the BBC outlined in a report about her ascent from “ stripper to Grammy award winner.
” Last year , she controversially hinted that she had used drugs to steal cash from unconscious men .
In a video that has since been taken down , she used a racial slur during the apparent confession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and I ’ d rob them , ” she said .
In a social media post that was also taken down , she explained her motive for allegedly using drugs to incapacitate and steal from victims , Vox reported .
“ I made the choices I did at the time because I had very limited options , ” she explained .
Prominent surrogates for President Donald Trump ’ s campaign , including his son Donald Trump Jr. , have used popular videos and memes on social media in recent months to poke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to top Democrats , including progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont , who had the rapper ’ s support until he exited the Democratic primary earlier this year .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden sat down for an interview with controversial female rapper Cardi B and told the former exotic dancer his administration would offer free college.
In an Elle magazine interview released Monday, the “WAP” rapper told the 77-year-old former vice president about the kinds of changes she would like to see during a Biden presidency.
“I have a whole list of things that I want our next president to do for us … but first, I just want Trump out,” she told Biden.
Revealing his childhood nickname was “Joey B,” Biden spoke with the rapper, whose legal name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar.
“I of course want free Medicare. It’s important to have [free health care] because look what is happening right now … I of course think we need free college education,” Cardi B told Biden.
“And I want black people to stop getting killed and no justice for it. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of it. I just want more stricter laws that is fair to black citizens and that are fair for cops, too.”
https://youtu.be/o71LtfUtSAo
Biden further quizzed the rapper about what changes she thinks her fans would like to see, should the country elect him in November.
“Obviously free college education, free Medicare, especially now that people are getting sick left to right,” she said.
Do you think President Donald Trump will be re-elected? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 100% (166 Votes) No: 0% (0 Votes)
“Black people, we’re not asking for sympathy, we’re not asking for charity, we are just asking for equality. We are asking for fairness, and we are asking for justice.”
“That is all. I feel like everything people are asking for is getting interpreted in a very different way. No, it’s simple. We just want justice. … We want to feel like Americans,” she added.
Biden then praised the rapper and her generation of voters.
“You’re the smartest, the best educated, the least prejudiced, and the most engaged generation in American history,” he said.
“And you’re going to change things. You’re gonna change them. You’re the reason I have such incredible hope. I really mean it. I’m not trying to be nice. It’s a fact. That’s what’s gonna change things.”
“The rest of the world has always looked to us,” he added.
“Why have they looked to us? Not because we’re so powerful, but the power of our example. Look what they’re seeing now with this president. He’s literally promoting hatred.”
“We’re going to have, If I get elected president, free college education for four years of college, flat-out, anybody with a family of less than $125,000,” Biden said.
The heavily edited interview, which was posted on YouTube, currently has more dislikes than it does likes, signaling that viewers thus far might not be too impressed with Biden’s decision to have a conversation with the rapper as Sunday morning show hosts are seemingly being denied access to the Biden campaign.
Biden has apparently made the decision to avoid sit-down interviews with reporters.
Fox News host Chris Wallace criticized Biden’s campaign for employing what he called a “basement strategy” on Fox News radio over the weekend.
“I don’t think you can hide from now until Election Day. I just don’t think it’s possible,” Wallace told host Guy Benson.
Cardi B, whose recent hit song “WAP” is perhaps one of the most vulgar singles released this year, is no reporter, and was an exotic dancer before becoming a rapper, as the BBC outlined in a report about her ascent from “stripper to Grammy award winner.”
Last year, she controversially hinted that she had used drugs to steal cash from unconscious men.
In a video that has since been taken down, she used a racial slur during the apparent confession.
“I’d drug n—— up and I’d rob them,” she said.
In a social media post that was also taken down, she explained her motive for allegedly using drugs to incapacitate and steal from victims, Vox reported.
“I made the choices I did at the time because I had very limited options,” she explained.
Prominent surrogates for President Donald Trump’s campaign, including his son Donald Trump Jr., have used popular videos and memes on social media in recent months to poke fun at Cardi B and her access to top Democrats, including progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who had the rapper’s support until he exited the Democratic primary earlier this year.
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westernjournal--2020-08-17--Op-Ed: Women Should Vote for Candidates They Believe in, Not Candidates with Matching Reproductive O

Op-Ed: Women Should Vote for Candidates They Believe in, Not Candidates with Matching Reproductive Organs

One hundred years ago , on Aug. 18 , 1920 , women in America received the hard-won constitutional right to vote .
The newly ratified 19th Amendment declared , “ The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
” Just a handful of decades later , women were leading the charge at the voting booth .
According to data from Rutgers University ’ s Center for American Women and Politics , “ The number of female voters has exceeded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election since 1964.
” And there ’ s no reason for us to expect the November elections to be any different , especially since this year is another historic first for women in politics .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate , making her the second black woman — after Charlotta Amanda Spears Bass , who ran on the Progressive Party ticket in 1952 — and the first woman of Jamaican and Indian descent to be appointed to a presidential ticket .
This is a moment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in U.S. politics that should be rightly recognized and celebrated .
TRENDING : California Bill Would Apply Wealth Tax to Residents Who Fled the State in the Last 10 Years Yet I worry that by putting too much emphasis on a candidate ’ s gender or ethnic background we may be forgetting that the point of the 19th Amendment was not to give women the right to vote for other women .
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote for what they believe in .
If you think this is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more about Kamala Harris : her making history for her biological sex and ethnicity or for her beliefs , character and policies ?
Of course , our identities matter .
After all , it was because of our biological sex that women were not allowed to vote until the 20th century .
But we need to ask ourselves : Did the women who fought for their right to vote want to be praised for their gender or did they want to be respected as equal thought leaders who engaged in the difficult ideological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
History shows us it was the latter .
If anyone on the political right or left tries to convince women to vote for someone simply because of their gender or ethnicity , they will be undoing the work of generations of courageous women who fought for their intellectual ideas to be weighed equally with those of men .
Harris has accepted the invitation and stepped into the political ring , and now she should be actively challenged on the merits of her ideas and leadership .
If journalists focus on praising her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fail to ask her the difficult questions , they won ’ t be advancing women ’ s rights .
In fact , they will be doing the exact opposite by making her value wholly dependent on her biological sex instead of her ideas .
Women have the right to diversity of thought , which means we certainly won ’ t all align with the same political party or with a candidate simply because she shares our biological sex .
RELATED : Op-Ed : Big-Government Democrats Think They 're Solving Problems - Really They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of approaching the voting booth with nuance and balance , and for anyone to imply otherwise would be to discriminate against us .
It ’ s time for women to take the lead by refusing to be pawns in the game of identity politics and focusing our conversations and our votes on the merits of a candidate ’ s beliefs and policies and his or her ability to lead the nation .
For women of faith in particular , this means praying and thinking biblically about every issue and about the candidates ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman who believes in the sanctity of human life should ask herself whether she should vote for a candidate who has one of the most pro-abortion records in the history of Congress .
Our faith should lead our voting decisions in every race , from local elections to the presidential election .
As the political noise between now and Nov. 3 increases and identity politics become more pronounced , my hope is that women will remember that those who fought for our right to vote wanted us to think critically and independently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most and let our faith and beliefs — not merely our gender — guide our vote .
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website .
If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal , you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

One hundred years ago, on Aug. 18, 1920, women in America received the hard-won constitutional right to vote. The newly ratified 19th Amendment declared, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
Just a handful of decades later, women were leading the charge at the voting booth.
According to data from Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics, “The number of female voters has exceeded the number of male voters in every presidential election since 1964.” And there’s no reason for us to expect the November elections to be any different, especially since this year is another historic first for women in politics.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate, making her the second black woman — after Charlotta Amanda Spears Bass, who ran on the Progressive Party ticket in 1952 — and the first woman of Jamaican and Indian descent to be appointed to a presidential ticket.
This is a moment in the history of women’s participation in U.S. politics that should be rightly recognized and celebrated.
Yet I worry that by putting too much emphasis on a candidate’s gender or ethnic background we may be forgetting that the point of the 19th Amendment was not to give women the right to vote for other women. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote for what they believe in.
If you think this is an exaggeration, consider what are you hearing more about Kamala Harris: her making history for her biological sex and ethnicity or for her beliefs, character and policies?
Of course, our identities matter. After all, it was because of our biological sex that women were not allowed to vote until the 20th century.
But we need to ask ourselves: Did the women who fought for their right to vote want to be praised for their gender or did they want to be respected as equal thought leaders who engaged in the difficult ideological battles directing the future of our nation?
Do you think our faith and beliefs -- not our gender and race -- should guide our vote? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 99% (143 Votes) No: 1% (1 Votes)
History shows us it was the latter.
If anyone on the political right or left tries to convince women to vote for someone simply because of their gender or ethnicity, they will be undoing the work of generations of courageous women who fought for their intellectual ideas to be weighed equally with those of men.
Harris has accepted the invitation and stepped into the political ring, and now she should be actively challenged on the merits of her ideas and leadership.
If journalists focus on praising her simply because she is a woman yet fail to ask her the difficult questions, they won’t be advancing women’s rights. In fact, they will be doing the exact opposite by making her value wholly dependent on her biological sex instead of her ideas.
Women have the right to diversity of thought, which means we certainly won’t all align with the same political party or with a candidate simply because she shares our biological sex.
Women are capable of approaching the voting booth with nuance and balance, and for anyone to imply otherwise would be to discriminate against us.
It’s time for women to take the lead by refusing to be pawns in the game of identity politics and focusing our conversations and our votes on the merits of a candidate’s beliefs and policies and his or her ability to lead the nation.
For women of faith in particular, this means praying and thinking biblically about every issue and about the candidates’ positions on them.
For example, a woman who believes in the sanctity of human life should ask herself whether she should vote for a candidate who has one of the most pro-abortion records in the history of Congress.
Our faith should lead our voting decisions in every race, from local elections to the presidential election.
As the political noise between now and Nov. 3 increases and identity politics become more pronounced, my hope is that women will remember that those who fought for our right to vote wanted us to think critically and independently.
We must decide what we value most and let our faith and beliefs — not merely our gender — guide our vote.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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westernjournal--2020-08-17--French Workers Make Alarming Discovery While Renovating Mansion

A $ 41 million mansion in Paris came with something its new owner didn ’ t want — a corpse hidden in the basement .
The French-language publication Le Monde outlined the discovery in a report published last month .
The Guardian recently updated that for English-language readers .
The house at 12 rue Oudinot isn ’ t just in any old neighborhood .
It isn ’ t far from Les Invalides and the official residence of France ’ s prime minister , and it ’ s backed up to the former home of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ long past .
It had been empty for about 30 years before it was sold in January to Jean-Bernard Lafonta , a financier .
The selling price was 35.1 million euros , which comes to $ 41.2 million .
But it isn ’ t the interior courtyard or private gardens that are making news — it ’ s the corpse that workmen found on Feb. 26 .
That discovery was kept secret until last month .
TRENDING : California Bill Would Apply Wealth Tax to Residents Who Fled the State in the Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn it had been there so long , without any of us knowing , ” said Sabine Lebreton , vice president of a local neighborhood association .
“ In February , just before lockdown , the works were going well .
Trucks of rubble left the site every day , ” Lebreton told Le Parisien , according to a translation published by the Daily Mail .
“ Then suddenly , everything stopped.
” “ Historically , it is an important building .
Many people lived there , including poet François Coppée , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s also about what the place says , ” she said .
“ In the back , there is a huge garden ; you can imagine the receptions and social functions .
… It ’ s of another century.
” The corpse was found under a pile of debris and was identified by papers found on the body as Jean-Pierre Renaud .
According to the Guardian ’ s translation of Le Monde ’ s report , French police told Le Monde , “ He was someone of no fixed abode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corpse had knife cuts and broken bones , which turned the discovery from grisly to a criminal investigation .
“ We could imagine a fight with someone else living on the margin … But it ’ s unclear whether he died in the mansion or was brought there , and we may never find out who was responsible .
It ’ s quite possible the murderer is himself now dead , ” Le Monde reported its police source saying , according to the Guardian ’ s translation .
RELATED : Trump Reveals Bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now 'In Play' “ They found him in a place that had not been visited either by the bailiff who had made the report or by anyone else .
No one had visited the cellar .
I have received an email from a police officer , I sent him to my website , where I disclosed everything I know .
They found a dead man , ” Bruno Picard , a lawyer who oversaw the house ’ s auction , said , according to CNN .
“ Apparently he had been there for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have much impact on the rest of this case .
Given the time frame .
… I think the owner is about to start work , ” Picard said .
Renaud ’ s children have been told about their father ’ s death , and Lafonta , the new owner , has declined comment , according to The Guardian .
Renovations , currently paused , are expected to resume .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A $41 million mansion in Paris came with something its new owner didn’t want — a corpse hidden in the basement.
The French-language publication Le Monde outlined the discovery in a report published last month. The Guardian recently updated that for English-language readers.
The house at 12 rue Oudinot isn’t just in any old neighborhood. It isn’t far from Les Invalides and the official residence of France’s prime minister, and it’s backed up to the former home of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
The mansion’s glory days are long past. It had been empty for about 30 years before it was sold in January to Jean-Bernard Lafonta, a financier. The selling price was 35.1 million euros, which comes to $41.2 million.
But it isn’t the interior courtyard or private gardens that are making news — it’s the corpse that workmen found on Feb. 26. That discovery was kept secret until last month.
“Everyone was devastated to learn it had been there so long, without any of us knowing,” said Sabine Lebreton, vice president of a local neighborhood association.
“In February, just before lockdown, the works were going well. Trucks of rubble left the site every day,” Lebreton told Le Parisien, according to a translation published by the Daily Mail. “Then suddenly, everything stopped.”
Corpse hidden for 30 years found in rehab of Paris mansion https://t.co/Ix1v1aEzYs — The Buffalo News (@TheBuffaloNews) August 12, 2020
“Historically, it is an important building. Many people lived there, including poet François Coppée,” Lebreton said, according to CNN.
“It’s also about what the place says,” she said. “In the back, there is a huge garden; you can imagine the receptions and social functions. … It’s of another century.”
The corpse was found under a pile of debris and was identified by papers found on the body as Jean-Pierre Renaud.
According to the Guardian’s translation of Le Monde’s report, French police told Le Monde, “He was someone of no fixed abode, with a drink problem.”
The corpse had knife cuts and broken bones, which turned the discovery from grisly to a criminal investigation.
“We could imagine a fight with someone else living on the margin … But it’s unclear whether he died in the mansion or was brought there, and we may never find out who was responsible. It’s quite possible the murderer is himself now dead,” Le Monde reported its police source saying, according to the Guardian’s translation.
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“They found him in a place that had not been visited either by the bailiff who had made the report or by anyone else. No one had visited the cellar. I have received an email from a police officer, I sent him to my website, where I disclosed everything I know. They found a dead man,” Bruno Picard, a lawyer who oversaw the house’s auction, said, according to CNN.
“Apparently he had been there for 30 years. It won’t have much impact on the rest of this case. Given the time frame. … I think the owner is about to start work,” Picard said.
Renaud’s children have been told about their father’s death, and Lafonta, the new owner, has declined comment, according to The Guardian.
Renovations, currently paused, are expected to resume.
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westernjournal--2020-08-17--Op-Ed: I’m a Teacher – Here Are the COVID Numbers for Schools That Teacher Unions Will Never Show

We ’ re more than halfway through August .
The days are still long , but not quite as long as they were not long ago .
The summer heat is still oppressive , but every few days , if you rise early enough in the morning , especially in those few minutes before the sun breaks the horizon , you can almost feel a little chill , just letting you know that fall isn ’ t that far away .
The summer is winding down .
It is time for the start of the new school year .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you might believe there ’ s not a public school teacher in the U.S. who wants to return to school .
I am writing to tell you there are .
I am a math teacher in a public high school , and I can not wait to get back in the classroom teaching kids !
Many of my colleagues feel the same .
Last week we were back at work getting ready , and we ’ re really looking forward to having our kids back in class on Aug. 24 .
You will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TRENDING : California Bill Would Apply Wealth Tax to Residents Who Fled the State in the Last 10 Years Instead , you read about an NPR poll of teachers last month that found two-thirds believe schools should open virtually , offering students an opportunity to learn via the internet instead of the classroom .
You see in Chicago where teachers stood shoulder to shoulder in the streets , with no attempt to social distance , to “ oppose a planned return to classrooms ” because they are afraid they will catch COVID-19 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida and Arkansas teachers unions are calling on elected officials to keep kids out of class .
Earlier last month , the teachers union for Los Angeles made similar demands .
Even with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stressing the importance of opening schools for onsite instruction this fall , and the American Academy of Pediatrics concurring , the nation ’ s two largest teachers unions claim doing so now “ could be putting students , their families , and educators in danger.
” Every public school plan to reopen schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep their children home , giving them an online option for obtaining their education .
So the risk to families is a nonstarter in this argument to open the schools .
Families have a choice .
As for the risk to educators , from the start I have advocated for teachers in high-risk categories to have the option to teach from home .
This would cost a little , but still it seems like a reasonable option as the pandemic continues to assault our population .
As for the rest of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , get back in school and do our part to get past this .
For the past five months , teachers and students have been banned from the schools , but all of us , at the very least , continued to patronize “ essential ” businesses .
Grocery stores , banks , even liquor stores and tobacco shops stayed open to serve us and everyone else .
Many of those essential employees are parents of our students and even our students themselves .
How can we teachers claim it is too dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we expect our patrons to put themselves at risk to serve us ?
What about the danger to students ?
RELATED : Fred Weinberg : Speaker Pelosi , You 're Trying To Rewrite History , But We 're Not as Dumb as You and Hillary Think Take a look at some data — you know , those pesky numbers that people making emotional pleas in place of rational arguments just ignore .
How about we start with the CDC ’ s own provisional death counts that are available for anyone to download ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of deaths by age group for COVID-19 , pneumonia and influenza .
Since we are concerned with the safety of students when we reopen schools , we will compare the number of deaths from each of these illnesses for Americans under age 25 .
The great thing about this document is that it only contains data from the time period of the pandemic .
The counts we will discuss here are of deaths that occurred from Feb. 1 to Aug. 8 of this year .
The first age group we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Though these kids are not going to be taking classes at public schools , many will be headed back to day care as their parents return to full-time work .
Many of these kids also have older siblings who will return to school , and a common argument is that kids will catch the virus at school and bring it home to their vulnerable family members .
So let ’ s look at the numbers of deaths by COVID-19 versus deaths by influenza and pneumonia .
Since Feb. 1 , 9,159 children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. Sixteen of those died with COVID-19 .
That is sixteen across the entire country !
In the same time period , 83 children under 1 have died with pneumonia .
( Two of those also had COVID-19 , so we are going to assume COVID-19 caused the pneumonia in those cases . )
This means children under 1 year of age are more than five times more likely to die of pneumonia than from COVID-19 .
In the same time period , 15 kids under one have died from influenza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slightly more likely to die from Covid-19 than from influenza .
Considering only the risk to kids under 1 , it might make sense to keep schools shut down due to the risk of death from this virus , but only if we did the same every flu season .
But we don ’ t shut down schools for flu season to protect kids under 1 .
So we can ’ t say these numbers make the case to keep school houses closed .
OK , what about those day care and preschool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them ?
Over the same pandemic time period as above , 10 children age 1-4 years have died from COVID-19 , while 56 succumbed to pneumonia .
Two of those also had COVID-19 .
So again , we assume COVID-19 caused the pneumonia in those cases .
This means kids 1-4 years of age are 5.4 times more likely to perish from pneumonia than from COVID-19 .
In this same age group , 41 kids died from influenza , meaning these kids are 4.1 times more likely to die from the flu than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids 1-4 years of age , there is no evidence to support keeping kids out of school due to the pandemic .
The picture looks similar for students 5-14 years of age .
These are your kindergartners through eighth-graders .
Since Feb. 1 , 23 students in this age group have died from coronavirus .
Seven of the 88 kids in this age group who died from pneumonia also had COVID-19 .
The same assumption as before for them reveals these young boys and girls are 3.5 times more likely to die from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , 51 kids in this age group perished from influenza .
Therefore , the flu kills students in this age group 2.2 times more often than does the novel coronavirus .
So far , for kids under age 15 , none of the numbers suggest we should force the schools to stay closed .
Let ’ s look at the last age group , ninth grade through college , ages 15-24 .
I wish these numbers were broken down so we could break out the numbers under 19 and get an idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college death rates .
But the CDC age groups are what we have to work with so we ’ ll go with it .
At first glance , these data might be the smoking gun that advocates for keeping schools closed are looking for .
Older teens and young adults in this age group saw 242 COVID-19 deaths since Feb. 1 .
Pneumonia deaths counted 340 over the same period , with 81 of those also confirmed COVID-19 cases .
Again , we assume COVID-19 the pneumonia , meaning death by pneumonia is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this age group .
The flu is where the school closure advocates will hang their hats , though .
Only 52 influenza deaths for 15-24 year-olds since Feb. 1 , making it 4.65 times more likely for them to die from the virus than from the flu .
But what if there was a way to protect the vulnerable in this age group to reduce the death rate ?
Provisional death rates do not give data on underlying conditions .
An April examination of COVID-19 cases by the CDC indicates these may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we might be able to reduce the death rate in this age group by protecting those with such conditions .
According to that study , more than three-quarters of juvenile cases severe enough to require hospitalization were accompanied by at least one underlying condition .
And if we could split this age group and see data on 15-18-year-olds , we might well make our case for reopening schools even stronger .
In my home state of Arkansas , 573 deaths are attributed to COVID-19 .
Of those , exactly zero were under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death under age 25 in Arkansas .
And still , as noted above , the Arkansas Education Association wants to keep kids from returning to the classroom for now .
For this public school teacher , and for many of my colleagues , the data clearly fails to support the calls for continued school shutdowns .
It is time to open the schools .
It is time to get kids back to learning so parents can get back to work and this nation can get back on its feet .
The views expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website .
If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal , you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

We’re more than halfway through August. The days are still long, but not quite as long as they were not long ago. The summer heat is still oppressive, but every few days, if you rise early enough in the morning, especially in those few minutes before the sun breaks the horizon, you can almost feel a little chill, just letting you know that fall isn’t that far away.
The summer is winding down. It is time for the start of the new school year.
If you watch the news at all, you might believe there’s not a public school teacher in the U.S. who wants to return to school. I am writing to tell you there are.
I am a math teacher in a public high school, and I cannot wait to get back in the classroom teaching kids! Many of my colleagues feel the same. Last week we were back at work getting ready, and we’re really looking forward to having our kids back in class on Aug. 24.
You will not see us on the news.
Instead, you read about an NPR poll of teachers last month that found two-thirds believe schools should open virtually, offering students an opportunity to learn via the internet instead of the classroom.
You see in Chicago where teachers stood shoulder to shoulder in the streets, with no attempt to social distance, to “oppose a planned return to classrooms” because they are afraid they will catch COVID-19 from one of their colleagues or students.
Florida and Arkansas teachers unions are calling on elected officials to keep kids out of class. Earlier last month, the teachers union for Los Angeles made similar demands.
Even with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stressing the importance of opening schools for onsite instruction this fall, and the American Academy of Pediatrics concurring, the nation’s two largest teachers unions claim doing so now “could be putting students, their families, and educators in danger.”
Do you think schools across America should open up this fall? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 97% (259 Votes) No: 3% (7 Votes)
Every public school plan to reopen schools I have seen offers families a choice to keep their children home, giving them an online option for obtaining their education. So the risk to families is a nonstarter in this argument to open the schools. Families have a choice.
As for the risk to educators, from the start I have advocated for teachers in high-risk categories to have the option to teach from home. This would cost a little, but still it seems like a reasonable option as the pandemic continues to assault our population. As for the rest of us, it is time to step up, get back in school and do our part to get past this.
For the past five months, teachers and students have been banned from the schools, but all of us, at the very least, continued to patronize “essential” businesses.
Grocery stores, banks, even liquor stores and tobacco shops stayed open to serve us and everyone else. Many of those essential employees are parents of our students and even our students themselves. How can we teachers claim it is too dangerous for us to return to work while we expect our patrons to put themselves at risk to serve us?
What about the danger to students?
Take a look at some data — you know, those pesky numbers that people making emotional pleas in place of rational arguments just ignore. How about we start with the CDC’s own provisional death counts that are available for anyone to download?
The data available in this document give the number of deaths by age group for COVID-19, pneumonia and influenza.
Since we are concerned with the safety of students when we reopen schools, we will compare the number of deaths from each of these illnesses for Americans under age 25. The great thing about this document is that it only contains data from the time period of the pandemic. The counts we will discuss here are of deaths that occurred from Feb. 1 to Aug. 8 of this year.
The first age group we will look at are infants under 1 year.
Though these kids are not going to be taking classes at public schools, many will be headed back to day care as their parents return to full-time work. Many of these kids also have older siblings who will return to school, and a common argument is that kids will catch the virus at school and bring it home to their vulnerable family members. So let’s look at the numbers of deaths by COVID-19 versus deaths by influenza and pneumonia.
Since Feb. 1, 9,159 children under 1 year of age have died in the U.S. Sixteen of those died with COVID-19. That is sixteen across the entire country!
In the same time period, 83 children under 1 have died with pneumonia. (Two of those also had COVID-19, so we are going to assume COVID-19 caused the pneumonia in those cases.)
This means children under 1 year of age are more than five times more likely to die of pneumonia than from COVID-19. In the same time period, 15 kids under one have died from influenza. So kids under one are only slightly more likely to die from Covid-19 than from influenza. Considering only the risk to kids under 1, it might make sense to keep schools shut down due to the risk of death from this virus, but only if we did the same every flu season.
But we don’t shut down schools for flu season to protect kids under 1. So we can’t say these numbers make the case to keep school houses closed.
OK, what about those day care and preschool kids? How has the pandemic affected them?
Over the same pandemic time period as above, 10 children age 1-4 years have died from COVID-19, while 56 succumbed to pneumonia. Two of those also had COVID-19. So again, we assume COVID-19 caused the pneumonia in those cases.
This means kids 1-4 years of age are 5.4 times more likely to perish from pneumonia than from COVID-19. In this same age group, 41 kids died from influenza, meaning these kids are 4.1 times more likely to die from the flu than they are from the coronavirus.
For kids 1-4 years of age, there is no evidence to support keeping kids out of school due to the pandemic.
The picture looks similar for students 5-14 years of age. These are your kindergartners through eighth-graders. Since Feb. 1, 23 students in this age group have died from coronavirus. Seven of the 88 kids in this age group who died from pneumonia also had COVID-19.
The same assumption as before for them reveals these young boys and girls are 3.5 times more likely to die from pneumonia than from COVID-19. During this time, 51 kids in this age group perished from influenza. Therefore, the flu kills students in this age group 2.2 times more often than does the novel coronavirus.
So far, for kids under age 15, none of the numbers suggest we should force the schools to stay closed.
Let’s look at the last age group, ninth grade through college, ages 15-24. I wish these numbers were broken down so we could break out the numbers under 19 and get an idea of the difference in high school and college death rates. But the CDC age groups are what we have to work with so we’ll go with it.
At first glance, these data might be the smoking gun that advocates for keeping schools closed are looking for.
Older teens and young adults in this age group saw 242 COVID-19 deaths since Feb. 1. Pneumonia deaths counted 340 over the same period, with 81 of those also confirmed COVID-19 cases. Again, we assume COVID-19 the pneumonia, meaning death by pneumonia is slightly more likely than death by COVID-19 for this age group.
The flu is where the school closure advocates will hang their hats, though. Only 52 influenza deaths for 15-24 year-olds since Feb. 1, making it 4.65 times more likely for them to die from the virus than from the flu.
But what if there was a way to protect the vulnerable in this age group to reduce the death rate?
Provisional death rates do not give data on underlying conditions. An April examination of COVID-19 cases by the CDC indicates these may well be significant risk factors, suggesting we might be able to reduce the death rate in this age group by protecting those with such conditions.
According to that study, more than three-quarters of juvenile cases severe enough to require hospitalization were accompanied by at least one underlying condition. And if we could split this age group and see data on 15-18-year-olds, we might well make our case for reopening schools even stronger.
In my home state of Arkansas, 573 deaths are attributed to COVID-19. Of those, exactly zero were under the age of 25. Not one COVID-19 death under age 25 in Arkansas. And still, as noted above, the Arkansas Education Association wants to keep kids from returning to the classroom for now.
For this public school teacher, and for many of my colleagues, the data clearly fails to support the calls for continued school shutdowns. It is time to open the schools. It is time to get kids back to learning so parents can get back to work and this nation can get back on its feet.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
* Message
* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2020-08-17--Tensions Reach All-Time High as China Masses Amphibious Assault Armor on Taiwan Strait

On Aug. 9 , Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the highest-level U.S. official to visit Taiwan since 1979 .
While the visit was officially to congratulate the island nation on its COVID-19 response , HHS put out a statement saying the United States wanted to reaffirm its commitment to relations with Taiwan “ in contrast to authoritarian systems.
” Taiwan had probably better hope that commitment stays in place , because across the Taiwan Strait , the authoritarian system Azar was unsubtly referencing is involved in a serious military buildup .
And , just for good measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 400 miles north of Taiwan after the secretary ’ s trip as a sign of both strength and protest .
Just four days before Azar ’ s visit , the South China Morning Post reported on a massing of amphibious weapons systems on the mainland Chinese coast .
Satellite photos showed a number of Type 05 amphibious armored vehicles , which are designed for the People ’ s Liberation Army ’ s Marine Corps , transferred to the Eastern Theater Command .
While the Hong Kong-based SCMP is generally Beijing-friendly in its coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defense , an reputable publication in that arena .
The Type 05s seen in the photos are the ZTD-05 variant , which is an attack vehicle .
TRENDING : California Bill Would Apply Wealth Tax to Residents Who Fled the State in the Last 10 Years How to describe the Type 05 amphibious vehicle ?
Well , picture those boats that landed at Normandy .
Then picture them becoming tanks the second they hit land .
You can see how putting a cluster of them across the Taiwan Strait is ratting a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Type 05 in action from Chinese propaganda mill CGTN : While the Type 05s were designed for the Chinese Marine Corps , the green camouflage of the vehicles spotted in the satellite photos indicated they belong to the ground forces .
“ The PLA ground forces want to play an active role in the Taiwan issue because so far their weapon systems are powerful enough to attack Taiwan without the help of missile force , ” said Andrei Chang , chief editor of Kanwa Asian Defense , according to the SCMP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PLA are also deploying the powerful Type PCL191 multiple launch rocket systems ( MLRS ) to the ground forces of the Eastern Theatre Command.
” That mobile missile platform can hit pretty much any target on the western side of Taiwan within a 220-mile range .
RELATED : A Future Confrontation with China Looks Inevitable as Country Begins Mass Production of Game-Changer “ Under the reunification of Taiwan mission , the infantry force understands that the need for amphibious combat involved in island seizure is more important than land fights , ” Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SCMP .
“ However , the personnel ratio of existing marines is not enough to meet today ’ s warfare needs .
While the infantry has enough manpower and powerful amphibious weapons , it ’ s quite natural for them to make such changes to play a more active role.
” Meanwhile , beginning last Tuesday , the Chinese military started two live-fire drills in the East China Sea near the Zhoushan archipelago , which is only 340 miles north of Taiwan .
That live-fire drill lasted three days .
On Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drill .
Azar ’ s visit wasn ’ t the only reason that Beijing was unhappy with Taiwan , mind you .
In January , Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected in a landslide — in part because of her tough stance on China , including a rejection of the “ One China Policy , ” which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually rejoin the mainland .
In the wake of the election , she told Beijing to “ face reality ” on the issue .
“ We hope China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed by Taiwanese people in this election and review their current policies , ” she told reporters after her victory , according to The Guardian .
The United States has also increased arms sales to Taiwan under the Trump administration .
In July , Lockheed Martin announced a $ 620 billion contract to upgrade Taiwan ’ s missile defense systems .
Just Friday , Taiwan also finalized a deal with Lockheed Martin to buy $ 62 billion in F-16 fighter jets .
China announced it would sanction the American defense contractor giant over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what tack Beijing is taking , as always , is China ’ s multifarious media propaganda mills — which all seemed to point toward a hardening stance toward Taiwan .
“ The PLA Eastern Theater Command announced on Thursday a series of recent consecutive , true-to-life drills in the Taiwan Straits and its northern and southern ends that featured multiple military branches in multiple directions .
This , experts said , is an obvious response to recent US and Taiwan secessionists ’ provocative moves , highlighted by US Health and Human Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the Global Times , easily the worst-written of major China ’ s English-language publications , reported this weekend .
“ By announcing the F-16 deal has been finalized , the US is attempting to show its tough stance , and the move could be considered as corresponding to the PLA drills , Ni Feng , director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences , told the Global Times on Saturday .
“ Under these circumstances , the US move is even more dangerous , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese mainland ’ s red line on the Taiwan question , Ni said , noting that the risk of a confrontation continues to rise.
” Notice how these propaganda outlets always quote “ experts ” who are in no way Chinese Communist Party functionaries but simply offering their educated opinion of their free will .
Right .
CGTN is usually one of the more polished Chinese Communist Party mouthpieces , but here was its ungrammatical take on the exercises : “ Given the ‘ unprecedented ’ drills and the potent response from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy on Taiwan witnessing some kind of shift where it has significantly hardened its position on Taiwan ?
” CGTN asked in a Sunday piece .
“ In a way , it surely has .
The fact that the [ People ’ s Republic of China ] government , which normally would not give a political reason for military exercises or mention a particular target , this time explicitly stated its target and aims , gives very clear clues.
” Disregarding the fact that “ mainland ’ s policy on Taiwan ” can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of shift , ” both of these articles give a clear indication that the mainland means business when it comes to pursuing the “ One China Policy.
” Xi Jinping has already had a major win this year in subsuming Hong Kong , tearing up the 1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration treaty that established the one-country-two-systems governing structure by forcing the Hong Kong national security law down the SAR ’ s throat .
Taiwan could well be his next area of attention .
Without strong U.S. support for Tsai Ing-wen or her country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them than he has now .
As it stands , Beijing ’ s military movements — and the rhetoric surrounding them — are problematic enough .
In 2019 , having recently declared as a Democratic presidential candidate , Joe Biden mocked Trump ’ s hard line on China , particularly in trade .
“ China is going to eat our lunch ?
Come on , man … they can ’ t even figure out how to deal with the fact that they have this great division between the China Sea and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the west , ” he said , according to The Hill .
Beijing , Biden said , “ can ’ t figure out how they ’ re going to deal with the corruption that exists within the system .
I mean , you know , they ’ re not bad folks , folks .
But guess what , they ’ re not , they ’ re not competition for us.
” Biden now wants to pretend he ’ s tough on China and it ’ s actually Trump who ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at those amphibious vehicles and seeing those live-fire drills just a few hundred miles to the north , I would say Tsai Ing-wen might be less inclined to believe the man who said that the government behind it was “ not bad folks.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

On Aug. 9, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the highest-level U.S. official to visit Taiwan since 1979.
While the visit was officially to congratulate the island nation on its COVID-19 response, HHS put out a statement saying the United States wanted to reaffirm its commitment to relations with Taiwan “in contrast to authoritarian systems.”
Taiwan had probably better hope that commitment stays in place, because across the Taiwan Strait, the authoritarian system Azar was unsubtly referencing is involved in a serious military buildup. And, just for good measure, it held live-fire drills less than 400 miles north of Taiwan after the secretary’s trip as a sign of both strength and protest.
Just four days before Azar’s visit, the South China Morning Post reported on a massing of amphibious weapons systems on the mainland Chinese coast. Satellite photos showed a number of Type 05 amphibious armored vehicles, which are designed for the People’s Liberation Army’s Marine Corps, transferred to the Eastern Theater Command.
While the Hong Kong-based SCMP is generally Beijing-friendly in its coverage, the images come from Kanwa Asian Defense, an reputable publication in that arena. The Type 05s seen in the photos are the ZTD-05 variant, which is an attack vehicle.
How to describe the Type 05 amphibious vehicle? Well, picture those boats that landed at Normandy. Then picture them becoming tanks the second they hit land.
You can see how putting a cluster of them across the Taiwan Strait is ratting a few sabers.
Here’s a video of the Type 05 in action from Chinese propaganda mill CGTN:
While the Type 05s were designed for the Chinese Marine Corps, the green camouflage of the vehicles spotted in the satellite photos indicated they belong to the ground forces.
“The PLA ground forces want to play an active role in the Taiwan issue because so far their weapon systems are powerful enough to attack Taiwan without the help of missile force,” said Andrei Chang, chief editor of Kanwa Asian Defense, according to the SCMP.
“Further evidence is that the PLA are also deploying the powerful Type PCL191 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to the ground forces of the Eastern Theatre Command.”
That mobile missile platform can hit pretty much any target on the western side of Taiwan within a 220-mile range.
Tensions between Taiwan and China continue to escalate, satellite images reportedly show amphibious armoured vehicles and mobile missile launchers massing at military bases near the island nation. pic.twitter.com/OhQWOekbXV — Dwain Jude D’silva ?? (@JudeDwain) August 9, 2020
“Under the reunification of Taiwan mission, the infantry force understands that the need for amphibious combat involved in island seizure is more important than land fights,” Hong Kong-based military analyst Song Zhongping told the SCMP.
“However, the personnel ratio of existing marines is not enough to meet today’s warfare needs. While the infantry has enough manpower and powerful amphibious weapons, it’s quite natural for them to make such changes to play a more active role.”
Meanwhile, beginning last Tuesday, the Chinese military started two live-fire drills in the East China Sea near the Zhoushan archipelago, which is only 340 miles north of Taiwan.
That live-fire drill lasted three days. On Sunday, the PLA began a second two-day live-fire drill.
Azar’s visit wasn’t the only reason that Beijing was unhappy with Taiwan, mind you.
In January, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected in a landslide — in part because of her tough stance on China, including a rejection of the “One China Policy,” which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually rejoin the mainland. In the wake of the election, she told Beijing to “face reality” on the issue.
“We hope China can thoroughly understand the opinion and will expressed by Taiwanese people in this election and review their current policies,” she told reporters after her victory, according to The Guardian.
Do you support President Trump's China policy? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 100% (651 Votes) No: 0% (2 Votes)
The United States has also increased arms sales to Taiwan under the Trump administration. In July, Lockheed Martin announced a $620 billion contract to upgrade Taiwan’s missile defense systems. Just Friday, Taiwan also finalized a deal with Lockheed Martin to buy $62 billion in F-16 fighter jets.
China announced it would sanction the American defense contractor giant over the sales.
But the best barometer of what tack Beijing is taking, as always, is China’s multifarious media propaganda mills — which all seemed to point toward a hardening stance toward Taiwan.
“The PLA Eastern Theater Command announced on Thursday a series of recent consecutive, true-to-life drills in the Taiwan Straits and its northern and southern ends that featured multiple military branches in multiple directions. This, experts said, is an obvious response to recent US and Taiwan secessionists’ provocative moves, highlighted by US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar’s Taiwan visit,” the Global Times, easily the worst-written of major China’s English-language publications, reported this weekend.
“By announcing the F-16 deal has been finalized, the US is attempting to show its tough stance, and the move could be considered as corresponding to the PLA drills, Ni Feng, director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Saturday.
“Under these circumstances, the US move is even more dangerous, as it steps on and even crosses the Chinese mainland’s red line on the Taiwan question, Ni said, noting that the risk of a confrontation continues to rise.”
Notice how these propaganda outlets always quote “experts” who are in no way Chinese Communist Party functionaries but simply offering their educated opinion of their free will. Right. CGTN is usually one of the more polished Chinese Communist Party mouthpieces, but here was its ungrammatical take on the exercises:
“Given the ‘unprecedented’ drills and the potent response from the Chinese mainland, is mainland’s policy on Taiwan witnessing some kind of shift where it has significantly hardened its position on Taiwan?” CGTN asked in a Sunday piece.
“In a way, it surely has. The fact that the [People’s Republic of China] government, which normally would not give a political reason for military exercises or mention a particular target, this time explicitly stated its target and aims, gives very clear clues.”
Disregarding the fact that “mainland’s policy on Taiwan” can’t witness itself having “some kind of shift,” both of these articles give a clear indication that the mainland means business when it comes to pursuing the “One China Policy.”
Xi Jinping has already had a major win this year in subsuming Hong Kong, tearing up the 1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration treaty that established the one-country-two-systems governing structure by forcing the Hong Kong national security law down the SAR’s throat. Taiwan could well be his next area of attention.
Without strong U.S. support for Tsai Ing-wen or her country, Xi will have even less patience for them than he has now. As it stands, Beijing’s military movements — and the rhetoric surrounding them — are problematic enough.
In 2019, having recently declared as a Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden mocked Trump’s hard line on China, particularly in trade.
“China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man … they can’t even figure out how to deal with the fact that they have this great division between the China Sea and the mountains in the east, I mean in the west,” he said, according to The Hill.
Beijing, Biden said, “can’t figure out how they’re going to deal with the corruption that exists within the system. I mean, you know, they’re not bad folks, folks. But guess what, they’re not, they’re not competition for us.”
Biden now wants to pretend he’s tough on China and it’s actually Trump who’s the weak one.
Looking across that strait at those amphibious vehicles and seeing those live-fire drills just a few hundred miles to the north, I would say Tsai Ing-wen might be less inclined to believe the man who said that the government behind it was “not bad folks.”
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westernjournal--2020-08-17--‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Phil Robertson Baptizes Fans: ‘They Just Keep Coming’

Phil Robertson hasn ’ t slowed down since the family ’ s hit show “ Duck Dynasty ” went off the air in 2017 , with the reality TV star hosting a popular podcast called “ Unashamed ” and a TV show titled “ In the Woods ” and penning books like “ Jesus Politics : How to Win Back the Soul of America.
” But despite his continued success and all that comes along with it , Robertson , 74 , hasn ’ t moved away from his first priority : helping others find faith .
“ All we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaching out to our neighbor , and we ’ re telling them to love their God , repent and turn to God , walk like Jesus did , ” Robertson told the “ Edifi With Billy Hallowell ” podcast .
“ Love God and love your neighbor … I do not see the downside to that.
” And the impact of Robertson ’ s work is quite stunning , as he said his “ Unashamed ” podcast has encouraged groups of people to visit his small town of West Monroe , Louisiana , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re coming from that podcast … about nine or maybe 10 in the last three days — they ’ ve come all the way down here , ” he said .
“ And I ’ ve baptized that whole little crew .
Well , it ’ s that way every day or two .
They just keep coming.
” TRENDING : California Bill Would Apply Wealth Tax to Residents Who Fled the State in the Last 10 Years Robertson has also taken his Christian message straight to President Donald Trump , revealing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump during a private meeting before the commander-in-chief ’ s 2016 election .
“ I reached in my pocket and I pulled out a diagram of the gospel , an arrow coming down out of heaven — God becoming flesh — the cross , the tomb , and an arrow coming out of the tomb and the last arrow coming back down to earth , ” Robertson said .
“ I said , ‘ Whatever happens , Trump , don ’ t miss this.
” Trump , who seemed genuinely interested , asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And that ’ s when Robertson dove into the Bible ’ s message about Jesus and salvation , telling Trump , “ He died for Donald Trump ’ s sins.
” Robertson noted that Trump asked if he could keep the gospel diagram , to which Robertson obviously said “ yes.
” And that wasn ’ t the last time the two spoke , as Robertson said he later gave Trump some Bible verses and spoke more about the power of scripture .
Robertson , who also spoke about the current state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contemporary culture : “ We ’ re at a tipping point and the forces of evil are going up against the forces of good.
” Listen to the full interview with Robertson on “ Edifi With Billy Hallowell ” and hear more of Robertson ’ s perspective in his new book , “ Jesus Politics.
” This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider .
Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows .
You can get a free trial here .
We are committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Phil Robertson hasn’t slowed down since the family’s hit show “Duck Dynasty” went off the air in 2017, with the reality TV star hosting a popular podcast called “Unashamed” and a TV show titled “In the Woods” and penning books like “Jesus Politics: How to Win Back the Soul of America.”
But despite his continued success and all that comes along with it, Robertson, 74, hasn’t moved away from his first priority: helping others find faith.
“All we’re doing is we’re reaching out to our neighbor, and we’re telling them to love their God, repent and turn to God, walk like Jesus did,” Robertson told the “Edifi With Billy Hallowell” podcast. “Love God and love your neighbor … I do not see the downside to that.”
And the impact of Robertson’s work is quite stunning, as he said his “Unashamed” podcast has encouraged groups of people to visit his small town of West Monroe, Louisiana, to be baptized.
“They’re coming from that podcast … about nine or maybe 10 in the last three days — they’ve come all the way down here,” he said. “And I’ve baptized that whole little crew. Well, it’s that way every day or two. They just keep coming.”
Listen to Robertson discuss these powerful baptisms:
Robertson has also taken his Christian message straight to President Donald Trump, revealing the details of a conversation he had with Trump during a private meeting before the commander-in-chief’s 2016 election.
“I reached in my pocket and I pulled out a diagram of the gospel, an arrow coming down out of heaven — God becoming flesh — the cross, the tomb, and an arrow coming out of the tomb and the last arrow coming back down to earth,” Robertson said. “I said, ‘Whatever happens, Trump, don’t miss this.”
Trump, who seemed genuinely interested, asked, “What is this?” And that’s when Robertson dove into the Bible’s message about Jesus and salvation, telling Trump, “He died for Donald Trump’s sins.”
Robertson noted that Trump asked if he could keep the gospel diagram, to which Robertson obviously said “yes.” And that wasn’t the last time the two spoke, as Robertson said he later gave Trump some Bible verses and spoke more about the power of scripture.
Robertson, who also spoke about the current state of affairs, offered up a warning about contemporary culture: “We’re at a tipping point and the forces of evil are going up against the forces of good.”
Listen to the full interview with Robertson on “Edifi With Billy Hallowell” and hear more of Robertson’s perspective in his new book, “Jesus Politics.”
This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free trial here.
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westernjournal--2020-08-17--Cal Thomas: If His Name Weren’t Trump, POTUS Would Likely Get a Nobel Peace Prize for Middle East Pe

Cal Thomas: If His Name Weren’t Trump, POTUS Would Likely Get a Nobel Peace Prize for Middle East Peace

Anything that reduces tensions in the Middle East and contributes to Israel ’ s security should be applauded .
The agreement between the UAE and Israel to establish diplomatic relations in exchange for Israel ’ s suspension of settlements and claims to sovereignty over Judea and Samaria ( as Israel refers to the West Bank ) is a tremendous policy achievement , though UAE ’ s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was less enthusiastic in his description of the deal .
Not since Israel ’ s peace agreement with Jordan in 1994 and going back to the spectacular one between Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carter , with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat , has there been such a positive development in the region .
Credit goes to Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump , along with Trump ’ s son-in-law , Jared Kushner , and the U.S. ambassador to Israel , David Friedman , for their roles .
Former Israeli diplomat Yoram Ettinger thinks a primary motivator for the UAE is fear of Iran .
In his newsletter he writes : TRENDING : California Bill Would Apply Wealth Tax to Residents Who Fled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The UAE considers strategic cooperation with Israel , in general , and the peace accord , in particular , a critical added-value to its line of defense ( second only to the U.S. ) against lethal threats such as Iran ’ s conventional and terror offensive , persistent Muslim Brotherhood terrorism , ISIS and Al Qaeda terrorism , Turkey ’ s operational and logistic support of the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey ’ s military base ( 5,000 soldiers ) in the pro-Iran Qatar .
The UAE , as well as all other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most effective and reliable ‘ life insurance agent ’ in the region.
” Other Middle East countries , especially Saudi Arabia , also fear Iran and the growing possibility that Tehran will soon possess nuclear weapons .
The ever-cautious Saudis appear to be taking a wait-and-see attitude before deciding whether to follow the UAE , Jordan and Egypt and establish diplomatic relations with Israel , something that could then shift the pressure to Israel to solve the intractable Palestinian problem .
“ The diplomatic breakthrough also scrambles a volatile rivalry between Saudi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the mantle of Islamic leadership and used support for the Palestinians to burnish their credentials among fellow Muslims .
Any Saudi-Israeli rapprochement , in the absence of a statehood deal with the Palestinians , leaves Riyadh vulnerable to the same criticism Tehran is now leveling against Abu Dhabi.
” There remains the question of religion .
I emailed a top White House official with knowledge of the background of the UAE deal on this question and received no response .
A primary motivator for Arab and Muslim nations still hostile to Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to eradicate the Jewish state .
Can such agreements with people many radical Islamists have called infidels , apes , and pigs worthy of death have credibility when these same radical Islamists have been indoctrinated in Islamic schools , pulpits and their media with hatred for Israel and Jews ?
Will they receive a new revelation from Allah that he now believes it ’ s OK for Muslims and Jews to get along ?
That sounds like a stretch too far for me , but the region is a land of miracles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do about terrorist organizations .
Will they , possibly in coordination with Iran , launch attacks inside the UAE and against Israel to undermine the accord ?
RELATED : Op-Ed : What the 4th of July Means to Israel The key word in this diplomatic deal is “ suspend.
” If the deal leads to other nations in the region following suit — and as noted all feel threatened by Iran — this will be good for everybody and the Trump administration will have achieved something no one thought possible .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If his name wasn ’ t Trump , the president would likely get the Nobel Peace Prize , but that prize has lost all meaning since it once went to Yasser Arafat , who headed a terrorist organization , and to President Barack Obama , who some believe did nothing to earn it .
I am willing to suspend my skepticism about the possibility of genuine peace in the region to see where this agreement leads , but the religious component is key and until that is resolved , I remain neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website .
If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal , you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Anything that reduces tensions in the Middle East and contributes to Israel’s security should be applauded.
The agreement between the UAE and Israel to establish diplomatic relations in exchange for Israel’s suspension of settlements and claims to sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (as Israel refers to the West Bank) is a tremendous policy achievement, though UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was less enthusiastic in his description of the deal.
Not since Israel’s peace agreement with Jordan in 1994 and going back to the spectacular one between Israel and Egypt, brokered by President Jimmy Carter, with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, has there been such a positive development in the region.
Credit goes to Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump, along with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, for their roles.
Former Israeli diplomat Yoram Ettinger thinks a primary motivator for the UAE is fear of Iran. In his newsletter he writes:
“The UAE considers strategic cooperation with Israel, in general, and the peace accord, in particular, a critical added-value to its line of defense (second only to the U.S.) against lethal threats such as Iran’s conventional and terror offensive, persistent Muslim Brotherhood terrorism, ISIS and Al Qaeda terrorism, Turkey’s operational and logistic support of the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey’s military base (5,000 soldiers) in the pro-Iran Qatar. The UAE, as well as all other pro-US Arab regimes, recognize Israel as the most effective and reliable ‘life insurance agent’ in the region.”
Other Middle East countries, especially Saudi Arabia, also fear Iran and the growing possibility that Tehran will soon possess nuclear weapons. The ever-cautious Saudis appear to be taking a wait-and-see attitude before deciding whether to follow the UAE, Jordan and Egypt and establish diplomatic relations with Israel, something that could then shift the pressure to Israel to solve the intractable Palestinian problem.
As a Wall Street Journal editorial noted:
“The diplomatic breakthrough also scrambles a volatile rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Both have competed for the mantle of Islamic leadership and used support for the Palestinians to burnish their credentials among fellow Muslims. Any Saudi-Israeli rapprochement, in the absence of a statehood deal with the Palestinians, leaves Riyadh vulnerable to the same criticism Tehran is now leveling against Abu Dhabi.”
Do you think President Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the historic agreement between Israel and the UAE? Yes No
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There remains the question of religion. I emailed a top White House official with knowledge of the background of the UAE deal on this question and received no response.
A primary motivator for Arab and Muslim nations still hostile to Israel is their belief in a religious mandate to eradicate the Jewish state. Can such agreements with people many radical Islamists have called infidels, apes, and pigs worthy of death have credibility when these same radical Islamists have been indoctrinated in Islamic schools, pulpits and their media with hatred for Israel and Jews?
Will they receive a new revelation from Allah that he now believes it’s OK for Muslims and Jews to get along? That sounds like a stretch too far for me, but the region is a land of miracles.
There is still the question of what to do about terrorist organizations.
Will they, possibly in coordination with Iran, launch attacks inside the UAE and against Israel to undermine the accord?
The key word in this diplomatic deal is “suspend.” If the deal leads to other nations in the region following suit — and as noted all feel threatened by Iran — this will be good for everybody and the Trump administration will have achieved something no one thought possible. If not, Israel would likely pursue annexation.
If his name wasn’t Trump, the president would likely get the Nobel Peace Prize, but that prize has lost all meaning since it once went to Yasser Arafat, who headed a terrorist organization, and to President Barack Obama, who some believe did nothing to earn it.
I am willing to suspend my skepticism about the possibility of genuine peace in the region to see where this agreement leads, but the religious component is key and until that is resolved, I remain neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but cautiously skeptical.
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The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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