wearechange--2020-08-20--Steve Bannon Arrested and Charged With Fraud by Federal Prosecutors

Update ( 1300ET ) : The Hartford Courant just reported that Steve Bannon was arrested by – who else ?
– agents of the Postal Service while aboard a $ 28 million yacht owned by exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui .
Here ’ s more from the Courant ’ s Ed Mahoney : A company that both Guo and Bannon have ties to is reportedly being investigated by the FBI , though the fact that the two business partners were spending time together isn ’ t very scandalous all by itself .
Update ( 1150ET ) : In his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump recalled that he didn ’ t support the “ We Build The Wall ” project at the time , and added that he thought it looked like “ showboating ” .
“ This is a job for the government , not private people , ” he said .
Trump even tweeted his objections in July , as questions about the nonprofit and its work were being raised by watchdog groups and the press .
However , he added that Bannon ’ s arrest “ was a very bad thing ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ project , I thought it was being done for showboating regions , ” Trump said .
When pressed about reporters about the “ lawlessness ” in Trump ’ s administration ( because “ it ’ s not just Steve Bannon – it ’ s Michael Flynn , it ’ s Roger Stone… ” ) Trump shot back that there was plenty of “ lawlessness ” in the Obama Administration .
“ They spied on my campaign , ” he said .
Meanwhile , Scaramucci , who was Bannon ’ s arch-nemesis during Mooch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , couldn ’ t help himself .
And neither could Paul Krugman .
We suspect even Jared Kushner , who has no presence on social media and rarely speaks to the press ( except recently after the UAE-Israel deal ) probably cracked a smile when he heard the news ) , since the former chief strategist reportedly made several high-profile enemies within Trump ’ s circle during his time in the West Wing .
Another detail about Bannon ’ s arrest has slipped out .
According to a local TV news station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aboard a boat in Westbrook , Conn .
The boat is not Bannon ’ s , the law enforcement source told NBC New York .
Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has been arrested and indicted by the Manhattan US attorney for defrauding people in an online fundraising scheme .
The arrest is tied to the “ We Build The Wall ” online fundraising scheme which invited Americans to donate to a campaign to build the wall with private funds .
Bannon was arrested alongside Brian Kolfage , Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the online fundraising project ( we reported on the fundraiser back in 2018 ) .
Prosecutors allege that after promising not to use “ one cent ” of the money raised in the GoFundMe page and other fundraising venues to pay themselves , the men – particularly Kolfage , the public face of the endeavor – broke this promise .
In particular , Kolfage used much of the money to finance a “ lavish lifestyle , ” according to prosecutors ( more information can be found in the press release below ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsealed in Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday , Bannon and the three men willfully conned donors with their promise to build the wall with private money .
Per the indictment , Bannon once described WBTW as a “ volunteer organization ” .
Eventually “ hundreds of thousands of dollars ” were siphoned from the campaign , money supplied by donors , including some in the Southern District .
Feds say Bannon is in federal custody , and Fox News flashed video of the Bannon “ perp walk ” shortly after news of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a call to the office of Bannon ’ s lawyer wasn ’ t answered Thursday morning , while a spokeswoman for Bannon didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment .
Notably , this is a separate issue from the FBI investigation into a media venture involving Bannon , an exiled Chinese businessman , and the son of Morgan Stanley ’ s co-founder .
The arrest comes just hours before Joe Biden is set to accept the Democratic nomination .
Bannon was indicted by Audrey Strauss , the successor ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berman , the US attorney in Manhattan who was messily pushed out by Bill Barr a few weeks ago .
While these charges are the culmination of a separate investigation from the one that was leaked to the WSJ yesterday ( and which we mentioned above ) , it ’ s seems to be part of the same wave of charges and aspersions being cast upon the former White House chief strategist .
Aside from the investigation revealed yesterday , there have been multiple leaks about a “ previously unpublicized ” letter sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DoJ asking that Bannon be investigated for allegedly lying in his testimony to the Committee .
The letter , which was delivered to the DoJ last July when Richard Burr was still committee chairman , was a “ bipartisan ” effort .
Read the DoJ press release explaining the charges below : Audrey Strauss , the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York , and Philip R. Bartlett , Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service ( “ USPIS ” ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BRIAN KOLFAGE , STEPHEN BANNON , ANDREW BADOLATO , and TIMOTHY SHEA for their roles in defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign known as “ We Build the Wall ” that raised more than $ 25 million .
The defendants were arrested this morning .
KOLFAGE will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in the Northern District of Florida .
BANNON will be presented today in the Southern District of New York .
BADOLATO will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida .
SHEA will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix in the District of Colorado .
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in the Southern District of New York .
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said : “ As alleged , the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors , capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars , under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction .
While repeatedly assuring donors that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face of We Build the Wall , would not be paid a cent , the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage , which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle .
We thank the USPIS for their partnership in investigating this case , and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.
” Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said : “ The defendants allegedly engaged in fraud when they misrepresented the true use of donated funds .
As alleged , not only did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hide their misappropriation of funds by creating sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes , showing no regard for the law or the truth .
This case should serve as a warning to other fraudsters that no one is above the law , not even a disabled war veteran or a millionaire political strategist.
” According to the Indictment [ 1 ] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court : Starting in approximately December 2018 , BRIAN KOLFAGE , STEPHEN BANNON , ANDREW BADOLATO , and TIMOTHY SHEA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors , including donors in the Southern District of New York , in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign ultimately known as “ We Build The Wall ” that raised more than $ 25 million to build a wall along the southern border of the United States .
In particular , to induce donors to donate to the campaign , KOLFAGE repeatedly and falsely assured the public that he would “ not take a penny in salary or compensation ” and that “ 100 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used in the execution of our mission and purpose ” because , as BANNON publicly stated , “ we ’ re a volunteer organization.
” Those representations were false .
In truth , KOLFAGE , BANNON , BADOLATO , and SHEA received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor funds from We Build the Wall , which they each used in a manner inconsistent with the organization ’ s public representations .
In particular , KOLFAGE covertly took for his personal use more than $ 350,000 in funds that donors had given to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , through a non-profit organization under his control ( “ Non-Profit-1 ” ) , received over $ 1 million from We Build the Wall , at least some of which BANNON used to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in BANNON ’ s personal expenses .
To conceal the payments to KOLFAGE from We Build the Wall , KOLFAGE , BANNON , BADOLATO , and SHEA devised a scheme to route those payments from We Build the Wall to KOLFAGE indirectly through Non-Profit-1 and a shell company under SHEA ’ s control , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by using fake invoices and sham “ vendor ” arrangements , among other ways , to ensure , as KOLFAGE noted in a text message to BADOLATO , that his pay arrangement remained “ confidential ” and kept on a “ need to know ” basis .
Read the indictment by clicking here .

Update (1300ET): The Hartford Courant just reported that Steve Bannon was arrested by – who else? – agents of the Postal Service while aboard a $28 million yacht owned by exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui.
Hartford Courant reports Bannon was on the Lady May when he was arrested: https://t.co/3fJFL2CFMb Free Beacon reported in 2017 that Guo Wengui owns a yacht by that name: https://t.co/cJkllWVouU — Betsy Woodruff Swan (@woodruffbets) August 20, 2020
Here’s more from the Courant’s Ed Mahoney:
Stephen K. Bannon, former top advisor to President Donald Trump, was arrested while on a yacht off Westbrook early Thursday, law enforcement sources said. Bannon was arrested by inspectors from the U.S. Postal Service while cruising Long Island Sound near Westbrook in a $28 million mega yacht called Lady May. The yacht was seen anchored off West Beach in Westbrook early Thursday, local residents said.
A company that both Guo and Bannon have ties to is reportedly being investigated by the FBI, though the fact that the two business partners were spending time together isn’t very scandalous all by itself.
* * *
Update (1150ET): In his first comments on Bannon’s arrest, President Trump recalled that he didn’t support the “We Build The Wall” project at the time, and added that he thought it looked like “showboating”. “This is a job for the government, not private people,” he said.
Trump even tweeted his objections in July, as questions about the nonprofit and its work were being raised by watchdog groups and the press.
I disagreed with doing this very small (tiny) section of wall, in a tricky area, by a private group which raised money by ads. It was only done to make me look bad, and perhsps it now doesn’t even work. Should have been built like rest of Wall, 500 plus miles. https://t.co/L8RUPCAhqc — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2020
However, he added that Bannon’s arrest “was a very bad thing”.
“I didn’t like that project, I thought it was being done for showboating regions,” Trump said.
When pressed about reporters about the “lawlessness” in Trump’s administration (because “it’s not just Steve Bannon – it’s Michael Flynn, it’s Roger Stone…”) Trump shot back that there was plenty of “lawlessness” in the Obama Administration.
“They spied on my campaign,” he said.
Meanwhile, Scaramucci, who was Bannon’s arch-nemesis during Mooch’s 11 days in the White House, couldn’t help himself.
I tried to tell you guys about Steve Bannon — Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) August 20, 2020
And neither could Paul Krugman.
I'm sure a zillion people have made this point, but given the evil Bannon has wrought, this is like getting Al Capone on tax evasion https://t.co/yqTjrfAE8p — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) August 20, 2020
We suspect even Jared Kushner, who has no presence on social media and rarely speaks to the press (except recently after the UAE-Israel deal) probably cracked a smile when he heard the news), since the former chief strategist reportedly made several high-profile enemies within Trump’s circle during his time in the West Wing.
* * *
Update (1115ET): Beijing is already celebrating Bannon’s arrest.
Steve Bannon is among American political elite that Chinese people detest. But the Chinese previously thought he was at least a staunch American patriot. Now, Chinese will despise even more people like Bannon who advocate starting a new cold war against China. — Hu Xijin ??? (@HuXijin_GT) August 20, 2020
Another detail about Bannon’s arrest has slipped out. According to a local TV news station, Bannon was reportedly arrested Thursday while aboard a boat in Westbrook, Conn. The boat is not Bannon’s, the law enforcement source told NBC New York.
* * *
Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has been arrested and indicted by the Manhattan US attorney for defrauding people in an online fundraising scheme.
The arrest is tied to the “We Build The Wall” online fundraising scheme which invited Americans to donate to a campaign to build the wall with private funds. Bannon was arrested alongside Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea, all four of whom were involved in the online fundraising project (we reported on the fundraiser back in 2018). Prosecutors allege that after promising not to use “one cent” of the money raised in the GoFundMe page and other fundraising venues to pay themselves, the men – particularly Kolfage, the public face of the endeavor – broke this promise. In particular, Kolfage used much of the money to finance a “lavish lifestyle,” according to prosecutors (more information can be found in the press release below).
According to the indictment, which was unsealed in Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday, Bannon and the three men willfully conned donors with their promise to build the wall with private money. Per the indictment, Bannon once described WBTW as a “volunteer organization”. Eventually “hundreds of thousands of dollars” were siphoned from the campaign, money supplied by donors, including some in the Southern District.
Feds say Bannon is in federal custody, and Fox News flashed video of the Bannon “perp walk” shortly after news of his arrest hit. According to the AP, a call to the office of Bannon’s lawyer wasn’t answered Thursday morning, while a spokeswoman for Bannon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Notably, this is a separate issue from the FBI investigation into a media venture involving Bannon, an exiled Chinese businessman, and the son of Morgan Stanley’s co-founder.
The arrest comes just hours before Joe Biden is set to accept the Democratic nomination. Bannon was indicted by Audrey Strauss, the successor (and former deputy head) to Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney in Manhattan who was messily pushed out by Bill Barr a few weeks ago.
While these charges are the culmination of a separate investigation from the one that was leaked to the WSJ yesterday (and which we mentioned above), it’s seems to be part of the same wave of charges and aspersions being cast upon the former White House chief strategist. Aside from the investigation revealed yesterday, there have been multiple leaks about a “previously unpublicized” letter sent by the Senate Intel Committee to the DoJ asking that Bannon be investigated for allegedly lying in his testimony to the Committee. The letter, which was delivered to the DoJ last July when Richard Burr was still committee chairman, was a “bipartisan” effort.
Read the DoJ press release explaining the charges below:
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced the unsealing of an indictment charging BRIAN KOLFAGE, STEPHEN BANNON, ANDREW BADOLATO, and TIMOTHY SHEA for their roles in defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign known as “We Build the Wall” that raised more than $25 million. The defendants were arrested this morning. KOLFAGE will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in the Northern District of Florida. BANNON will be presented today in the Southern District of New York. BADOLATO will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Wilson in the Middle District of Florida. SHEA will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix in the District of Colorado. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in the Southern District of New York. Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction. While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. We thank the USPIS for their partnership in investigating this case, and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.” Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: “The defendants allegedly engaged in fraud when they misrepresented the true use of donated funds. As alleged, not only did they lie to donors, they schemed to hide their misappropriation of funds by creating sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes, showing no regard for the law or the truth. This case should serve as a warning to other fraudsters that no one is above the law, not even a disabled war veteran or a millionaire political strategist.” According to the Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: Starting in approximately December 2018, BRIAN KOLFAGE, STEPHEN BANNON, ANDREW BADOLATO, and TIMOTHY SHEA, and others, orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors, including donors in the Southern District of New York, in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign ultimately known as “We Build The Wall” that raised more than $25 million to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. In particular, to induce donors to donate to the campaign, KOLFAGE repeatedly and falsely assured the public that he would “not take a penny in salary or compensation” and that “100% of the funds raised . . . will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose” because, as BANNON publicly stated, “we’re a volunteer organization.” Those representations were false. In truth, KOLFAGE, BANNON, BADOLATO, and SHEA received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor funds from We Build the Wall, which they each used in a manner inconsistent with the organization’s public representations. In particular, KOLFAGE covertly took for his personal use more than $350,000 in funds that donors had given to We Build the Wall, while BANNON, through a non-profit organization under his control (“Non-Profit-1”), received over $1 million from We Build the Wall, at least some of which BANNON used to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in BANNON’s personal expenses. To conceal the payments to KOLFAGE from We Build the Wall, KOLFAGE, BANNON, BADOLATO, and SHEA devised a scheme to route those payments from We Build the Wall to KOLFAGE indirectly through Non-Profit-1 and a shell company under SHEA’s control, among other avenues. They did so by using fake invoices and sham “vendor” arrangements, among other ways, to ensure, as KOLFAGE noted in a text message to BADOLATO, that his pay arrangement remained “confidential” and kept on a “need to know” basis.
Read the indictment by clicking here.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-21--Satellite Image Shows Chinese Submarine Entering ‘Top Secret Cave’

The first-known and publicly released satellite photo of a Chinese submarine entering Yulin Naval Base in Hainan Island , one of the most important South China Sea military bases , was captured by Planet Labs and released on social media by Radio Free Asia .
Radio Free Asia , a U.S. government-funded broadcasting company , published the image Thursday of what appears to be a Shang-class nuclear-powered attack submarine entering “ a not-so-secret , subterranean base at China ’ s southern Hainan island .
Yulin Naval Base is home to subs of China ’ s South Sea Fleet and provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Not much is known about the interior of the underground military base .
The Drive raises an important question : Where are all the Chinese submarines ?
They say the “ docks are completely empty .
This also seems exceedingly rare based on our monitoring experience.
” We can only speculate and say the subs are either hiding out in the underground base or on patrol following a surge in tensions between the U.S. As for where all the other submarines are , we have no clue .
Tensions are exceedingly high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massively upped its presence there .
Meanwhile , Taiwan has gone on elevated alert as China executes war games nearby .
While some of those drills could and likely do involve submarines based at Yalin , it ’ s also possible that others have moved inside the mountain , as well .
Why exactly remains unclear .
– The Drive China is preparing itself for South China Sea domination ( see : “ Are China ’ s Naval Ambitions A Global Threat ?
” ) .
The question remains : Where are China @ @ @ @ @ @

The first-known and publicly released satellite photo of a Chinese submarine entering Yulin Naval Base in Hainan Island, one of the most important South China Sea military bases, was captured by Planet Labs and released on social media by Radio Free Asia.
Radio Free Asia, a U.S. government-funded broadcasting company, published the image Thursday of what appears to be a Shang-class nuclear-powered attack submarine entering “a not-so-secret, subterranean base at China’s southern Hainan island. Yulin Naval Base is home to subs of China’s South Sea Fleet and provides convenient access to the South China Sea.”
Not much is known about the interior of the underground military base. The Drive raises an important question: Where are all the Chinese submarines? They say the “docks are completely empty. This also seems exceedingly rare based on our monitoring experience.”
We can only speculate and say the subs are either hiding out in the underground base or on patrol following a surge in tensions between the U.S.
As for where all the other submarines are, we have no clue. Tensions are exceedingly high in the region and the U.S. has massively upped its presence there. Meanwhile, Taiwan has gone on elevated alert as China executes war games nearby. While some of those drills could and likely do involve submarines based at Yalin, it’s also possible that others have moved inside the mountain, as well. Why exactly remains unclear. – The Drive
China is preparing itself for South China Sea domination (see: “Are China’s Naval Ambitions A Global Threat?”).
The question remains: Where are China’s nuclear attack subs?
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-21--It’s Time to Get Out of the Big Cities and Live Free!

In this video , I tell you all about my new venture that I am very excited to share with @ @ @ @ @ GoFundMe by clicking here !
– https : //www.gofundme.com/f/getoutandlivefree It ’ s time to get @ @ @ @ @ and claim your freedom .
If you want to contribute to the campaign with Bitcoin @ @ @ @ @ to the following address ( Be sure to leave your email address in the memo @ @ @

In this video, I tell you all about my new venture that I am very excited to share with you.
Check out the GoFundMe by clicking here! – https://www.gofundme.com/f/getoutandlivefree
It’s time to get out of the big cities and claim your freedom.
If you want to contribute to the campaign with Bitcoin, you can send Bitcoin to the following address (Be sure to leave your email address in the memo) — 3MizCdbcANBGjcb37cKvAcJdnXPTcQXuyR


wearechange--2020-08-21--Trump Touts “Making Very Big Oil Deals” as Condition for “Getting Out” of Iraq

President Trump has again vowed that all US troops will soon be out of America ’ s second longest occupation in Iraq ( behind the longest running war in Afghanistan ) .
But curiously , like in neighboring Syria , he tied concluding the US mission there directly to the possibility of oil and resource benefits for American companies : “ We look forward to the day when we don ’ t have to be there , ” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi .
“ We were there and now we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be leaving shortly and the relationship is very good .
We ’ re making very big oil deals .
Our oil companies are making massive deals .
… We ’ re going to be leaving and hopefully we ’ re going to be leaving a country that can defend itself.
” Over the past months the president has been on record as desiring a troop withdraw as soon as possible , following tensions in January which nearly took the Pentagon to war against Iran-backed Shia militias in the country , in the wake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force chief Qassem Soleimani .
But the persistent key question remains as to the future presence of the some 5,000 US troops still in the country is the timetable .
When pressed by reporters on the issue , Trump turned to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who replied : “ As soon as we can complete the mission .
The president has made very clear he wants to get our forces down to the lowest level as quickly as we possibly can .
That ’ s the mission he ’ s given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iraqis to achieve that.
” So it appears these twin objectives have emerged out of years of endless mission-creep and ambiguously defined “ justifications ” for staying there ( a hallmark of the so-called ‘ war on terror ’ era : forever shifting objectives , or in some cases no objectives at all ) : • Countering Iran and leaving an Iraqi security force strong enough to be fully independent of the Shia militias .
On the latter note , a handful of American companies have been named as central to Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Meanwhile , across the border in Syria the US mission appears the same , given that for two years now US troops have been “ securing the oil ” – with deals for US entities to upgrade the facilities in Deir Ezzor in the works , namely the little known US-based firm Crescent Delta Energy .
At the UN this week , Syrian representative Bashar al-Jaafari slammed Washington for its ongoing brazen theft of the sovereign country ’ s oil and gas .

President Trump has again vowed that all US troops will soon be out of America’s second longest occupation in Iraq (behind the longest running war in Afghanistan).
But curiously, like in neighboring Syria, he tied concluding the US mission there directly to the possibility of oil and resource benefits for American companies:
“We look forward to the day when we don’t have to be there,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. “We were there and now we’re getting out. We’ll be leaving shortly and the relationship is very good. We’re making very big oil deals. Our oil companies are making massive deals. … We’re going to be leaving and hopefully we’re going to be leaving a country that can defend itself.”
Over the past months the president has been on record as desiring a troop withdraw as soon as possible, following tensions in January which nearly took the Pentagon to war against Iran-backed Shia militias in the country, in the wake of the US assassination of IRGC Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani.
But the persistent key question remains as to the future presence of the some 5,000 US troops still in the country is the timetable.
When pressed by reporters on the issue, Trump turned to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who replied: “As soon as we can complete the mission. The president has made very clear he wants to get our forces down to the lowest level as quickly as we possibly can. That’s the mission he’s given us and we’re working with the Iraqis to achieve that.”
So it appears these twin objectives have emerged out of years of endless mission-creep and ambiguously defined “justifications” for staying there (a hallmark of the so-called ‘war on terror’ era: forever shifting objectives, or in some cases no objectives at all):
Countering Iran and leaving an Iraqi security force strong enough to be fully independent of the Shia militias. “Make very big oil deals,” as Trump underscored Thursday.
On the latter note, a handful of American companies have been named as central to Iraq energy deals, per the Associated Press:
On Wednesday, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette announced energy agreements worth up to $8 billion between the Iraqi minsters of oil and electricity and five U.S. companies — Honeywell, Baker Hughes, GE, Stellar and Chevron. Brouillette said U.S. private investment will help Iraqi’s energy sector and stressed a need for Iraq to reduce its dependence on energy from Iran.
Meanwhile, across the border in Syria the US mission appears the same, given that for two years now US troops have been “securing the oil” – with deals for US entities to upgrade the facilities in Deir Ezzor in the works, namely the little known US-based firm Crescent Delta Energy.
At the UN this week, Syrian representative Bashar al-Jaafari slammed Washington for its ongoing brazen theft of the sovereign country’s oil and gas.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-22--Virginia Plans Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations for All Residents

As Friday ’ s hospitalization numbers across the Sun Belt appear to confirm CDC head Dr. Robert Redfield ’ s assertion that the American COVID-19 outbreak has peaked and is starting to fade , the State of Virginia is setting a new precedent by seriously discussing forcing Virginians to be vaccinated with whatever rushed-to-marked candidate the FDA approves first .
During an interview that aired on Friday , the state ’ s health commissioner said he planned to invoke state law to make vaccinations mandatory – once a western product is available , presumably .
State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to mandate coronavirus vaccinations for Virginians once one is made available to the public .
Virginia state law gives the Commissioner of Health the authority to mandate immediate immunizations during a public health crisis if a vaccine is available .
Health officials say an immunization could be released as early as 2021 .
Dr. Oliver says that , as long as he is still the Health Commissioner , he intends to mandate the coronavirus vaccine .
“ It is killing people now , we don ’ t have a treatment for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can prevent it from spreading in the community we will save hundreds and hundreds of lives , ” Oliver said .
Pro-medical-choice activists in the state argue that the issue is a matter of medical choice , and that the hasty “ expedited ” approval process being implemented by the FDA is grounds for concern .
State health authorities insist , meanwhile , that they would never mandate a vaccine that hadn ’ t already proven to be safe .
Virginia Freedom Keepers Director of Communications Kathleen Medaries , a mother of three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter of medical choice.This is not a Republican or Democrat issue .
It ’ s not a pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine issue , ” Medaries said .
“ For me , it ’ s an issue of being able to assess each vaccine for myself and my family one at a time.
” “ He shouldn ’ t be the one person to make a decision for all of Virginians , ” ” Medaries responded .
The state ’ s top medical official is opposed to a bill that has been put forth in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exemptions to the mandatory vaccination power , allowing exemptions on religious and other grounds .
Oliver believes that COVID-19 is a public health emergency that should take precedent over everything else , and that vaccine-assisted herd immunity is the state ’ s best and only real defense .
The decision comes after Massachusetts said it would make the flu vaccine mandatory this year as part of a campaign to protect the state ’ s medical system .
We suspect Virginia and Massachusetts won ’ t be the only states to discuss mandatory COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the school year begins .

As Friday’s hospitalization numbers across the Sun Belt appear to confirm CDC head Dr. Robert Redfield’s assertion that the American COVID-19 outbreak has peaked and is starting to fade, the State of Virginia is setting a new precedent by seriously discussing forcing Virginians to be vaccinated with whatever rushed-to-marked candidate the FDA approves first.
During an interview that aired on Friday, the state’s health commissioner said he planned to invoke state law to make vaccinations mandatory – once a western product is available, presumably.
Here’s more from ABC News 8:
State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver told 8News on Friday that he plans to mandate coronavirus vaccinations for Virginians once one is made available to the public. Virginia state law gives the Commissioner of Health the authority to mandate immediate immunizations during a public health crisis if a vaccine is available. Health officials say an immunization could be released as early as 2021. Dr. Oliver says that, as long as he is still the Health Commissioner, he intends to mandate the coronavirus vaccine. “It is killing people now, we don’t have a treatment for it and if we develop a vaccine that can prevent it from spreading in the community we will save hundreds and hundreds of lives,” Oliver said.
Pro-medical-choice activists in the state argue that the issue is a matter of medical choice, and that the hasty “expedited” approval process being implemented by the FDA is grounds for concern. State health authorities insist, meanwhile, that they would never mandate a vaccine that hadn’t already proven to be safe.
Virginia Freedom Keepers Director of Communications Kathleen Medaries, a mother of three from Chesterfield, says this is a matter of medical choice.This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It’s not a pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine issue,” Medaries said. “For me, it’s an issue of being able to assess each vaccine for myself and my family one at a time.” […] “He shouldn’t be the one person to make a decision for all of Virginians,””Medaries responded.
The state’s top medical official is opposed to a bill that has been put forth in the state assembly that would create more exemptions to the mandatory vaccination power, allowing exemptions on religious and other grounds.
Oliver believes that COVID-19 is a public health emergency that should take precedent over everything else, and that vaccine-assisted herd immunity is the state’s best and only real defense.
The decision comes after Massachusetts said it would make the flu vaccine mandatory this year as part of a campaign to protect the state’s medical system. We suspect Virginia and Massachusetts won’t be the only states to discuss mandatory COVID and/or flu vaccination in the coming weeks, as the school year begins.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-22--Hillary Clinton Gave Ghislaine Maxwell’s Nephew “Very Powerful” Position at State Department

Hillary Clinton “ gifted ” a prestigious job in the Obama State Department to the nephew of accused pedophile and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell , according to OK !
Magazine – and whose employment was confirmed by the Daily Beast .
Alexander Djerassi , the son of Maxwell ’ s sister Isabel , went from working on Hillary Clinton ’ s 2008 Presidential campaign , to a “ very powerful and prestigious position ” within the state department , working under Clinton in charge of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs .
He returned to Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Clinton gave Alex a job in one of the most sensitive areas of Obama ’ s executive apparatus , ” an anonymous source told OK !
.
“ The fact Alex Djerassi , fresh out of college , was put in charge of the State Department ’ s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs , covering the Middle East , was an interesting move.
” “ He worked directly on the Arab Spring , and Hillary sent Alex as the US representative to the expatriate rebel groups Friends of Libya and Friends of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued , adding that Djerassi was given “ special treatment.
” A State Department spokesperson confirmed Djerassi ’ s employment with The Daily Beast , though could not comment on whether the job was in fact “ gifted ” by Clinton .
A year before Mr. Djerassi ’ s appointment , his aunt ’ s ex-boyfriend , Epstein , pleaded guilty to a state charge ( one of two ) of procuring for prostitution a girl below age 18 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison .
Epstein served almost 13 months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probation on house arrest until August 2010 .
What ’ s more , during his tenure at the State Dept.
, Maxwell attended Chelsea Clinton ’ s wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010 .
–OK !
Magazine According to Djerassi ’ s LinkedIn profile , “ He worked on matters relating to democratization and civil society in the Arab world , the Arab uprisings , and Israeli-Palestinian peace .
Djerassi has served as a U.S. representative to the Friends of Libya conferences , Friends of the Syrian People conferences , U.S.-GCC Strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assemblies.
” Djerassi previously worked at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , focusing on Tunisia and US foreign policy towards the Middle East and North Africa .
According to the Beast , Derjassi ’ s name appears in a ‘ collection of Clinton ’ s emails ’ published by WikiLeaks – with Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman referring to his “ special assistant , Alex Djerassi ” in November of 2011 and January 2012 .
Meanwhile , the Beast also notes his employment on Clinton ’ s campaign .
From September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a policy associate for Hillary Clinton ’ s presidential campaign .
He listed his job duties as such : “ Researched and drafted memos , briefings , and policy papers for candidate , senior staff , and news media on wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues .
Prepared for more than 20 debates.
” ( In late 2007 , Epstein was under investigation for trafficking girls in Palm Beach and working on a secret plea deal with federal prosecutors .
Maxwell is believed to be one accomplice who was protected under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Princeton alum—the son of Maxwell ’ s sister Isabel—apparently returned for Clinton ’ s 2016 presidential run .
–Daily Beast Bill Clinton notably flew 26 times on the infamous “ Lolita Express ” belonging to Maxwell associate and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein .
The former US President was notably fingered as having been seen on Epstein ’ s “ pedo island ” according to court documents released three weeks ago .
More recently , photos of Clinton receiving a neck rub from one of Epstein ’ s accusers ( who said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Daily Mail .

Hillary Clinton “gifted” a prestigious job in the Obama State Department to the nephew of accused pedophile and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, according to OK! Magazine – and whose employment was confirmed by the Daily Beast.
Alexander Djerassi, the son of Maxwell’s sister Isabel, went from working on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 Presidential campaign, to a “very powerful and prestigious position” within the state department, working under Clinton in charge of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He returned to Clinton’s 2016 campaign, according to the Beast.
“Secretary Clinton gave Alex a job in one of the most sensitive areas of Obama’s executive apparatus,” an anonymous source told OK!. “The fact Alex Djerassi, fresh out of college, was put in charge of the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, covering the Middle East, was an interesting move.”
“He worked directly on the Arab Spring, and Hillary sent Alex as the US representative to the expatriate rebel groups Friends of Libya and Friends of the Syrian People,” the source continued, adding that Djerassi was given “special treatment.”
A State Department spokesperson confirmed Djerassi’s employment with The Daily Beast, though could not comment on whether the job was in fact “gifted” by Clinton.
A year before Mr. Djerassi’s appointment, his aunt’s ex-boyfriend, Epstein, pleaded guilty to a state charge (one of two) of procuring for prostitution a girl below age 18 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Epstein served almost 13 months before being released for a year of probation on house arrest until August 2010. What’s more, during his tenure at the State Dept., Maxwell attended Chelsea Clinton’s wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010. –OK! Magazine
According to Djerassi’s LinkedIn profile, “He worked on matters relating to democratization and civil society in the Arab world, the Arab uprisings, and Israeli-Palestinian peace. Djerassi has served as a U.S. representative to the Friends of Libya conferences, Friends of the Syrian People conferences, U.S.-GCC Strategic Coordination Forum, and several UN General Assemblies.”
Djerassi previously worked at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on Tunisia and US foreign policy towards the Middle East and North Africa.
Frequent WikiLeaks mentions
According to the Beast, Derjassi’s name appears in a ‘collection of Clinton’s emails’ published by WikiLeaks – with Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman referring to his “special assistant, Alex Djerassi” in November of 2011 and January 2012.
Meanwhile, the Beast also notes his employment on Clinton’s campaign.
From September 2007 to June 2008, Djerassi was a policy associate for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. He listed his job duties as such: “Researched and drafted memos, briefings, and policy papers for candidate, senior staff, and news media on wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues. Prepared for more than 20 debates.” (In late 2007, Epstein was under investigation for trafficking girls in Palm Beach and working on a secret plea deal with federal prosecutors. Maxwell is believed to be one accomplice who was protected under the controversial agreement.) The Yale and Princeton alum—the son of Maxwell’s sister Isabel—apparently returned for Clinton’s 2016 presidential run. –Daily Beast
Bill Clinton notably flew 26 times on the infamous “Lolita Express” belonging to Maxwell associate and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The former US President was notably fingered as having been seen on Epstein’s “pedo island” according to court documents released three weeks ago.
More recently, photos of Clinton receiving a neck rub from one of Epstein’s accusers (who said he was a perfect gentleman) surfaced in the Daily Mail.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-22--Pentagon Forms New Task Force to Investigate UFO Sightings

Last week , the Pentagon announced the formation of a new task force that will be studying UFOs or “ Unidentified Flying Objects.
” This term is most typically associated with alien spacecraft , but technically describes anything spotted in the sky that can ’ t be identified , this can include foreign military aircraft or civilian drones .
The formation of this new task force is something that has been in motion for a long time , since the Pentagon released declassified videos to the public which showed government aircraft interacting with UFOs in the sky .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authenticity of the videos , the US Department of Defense said , “ DOD is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real , or whether or not there is more to the videos .
The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as ‘ unidentified.
’ ” In June , the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to investigate the phenomenon after reviewing the videos .
Committee chairman , Senator Marco Rubio , suggested that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UFOs are from another planet instead of from a rival country .
“ We have things flying over our military bases and places where we are conducting military exercises , and we don ’ t know what it is and it isn ’ t ours , so that ’ s a legitimate question to ask .
Frankly , if it ’ s something from outside this planet , that might actually be better than the fact that we ’ ve seen some sort of technological leap on behalf of the Chinese or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , according to CNN .
The footage that provoked this renewed interest in UFOs was captured in 2014 and 2015 .
One of the videos , taken from US Navy aircraft , seems to show the pilots chasing a UFO off the east coast of the United States .
Navy pilots reported spotting the objects flying around 30,000 feet in the air at hypersonic speeds and showing no visible engines or exhaust plumes typical of any known aircraft currently on Earth .
Some of the footage can be viewed below :

Last week, the Pentagon announced the formation of a new task force that will be studying UFOs or “Unidentified Flying Objects.” This term is most typically associated with alien spacecraft, but technically describes anything spotted in the sky that can’t be identified, this can include foreign military aircraft or civilian drones.
The formation of this new task force is something that has been in motion for a long time, since the Pentagon released declassified videos to the public which showed government aircraft interacting with UFOs in the sky.
In a press release earlier this year confirming the authenticity of the videos, the US Department of Defense said, “DOD is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos. The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as ‘unidentified.’”
In June, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to investigate the phenomenon after reviewing the videos.
Committee chairman, Senator Marco Rubio, suggested that he might be relieved to find that these UFOs are from another planet instead of from a rival country.
“We have things flying over our military bases and places where we are conducting military exercises, and we don’t know what it is and it isn’t ours, so that’s a legitimate question to ask. Frankly, if it’s something from outside this planet, that might actually be better than the fact that we’ve seen some sort of technological leap on behalf of the Chinese or the Russians or some other adversary,” he said, according to CNN.
The footage that provoked this renewed interest in UFOs was captured in 2014 and 2015. One of the videos, taken from US Navy aircraft, seems to show the pilots chasing a UFO off the east coast of the United States. Navy pilots reported spotting the objects flying around 30,000 feet in the air at hypersonic speeds and showing no visible engines or exhaust plumes typical of any known aircraft currently on Earth.
Some of the footage can be viewed below:
Pentagon releases 'UFO' videos filmed by US Navy pilots The Pentagon has released three declassified videos showing US Navy pilots encountering what appear to be UFOs. ?A statement on the Department of Defense website said the footage was released “to clear up any misconceptions by the public".Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/pentagon-releases-videos-showing-ufos/ Posted by The Telegraph on Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Republished from TruthTheory.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-22--Rose McGowan Goes Ballistic Over ‘Rapist’ Biden, Liberal Elites in Massive, Multi-Day Rant

Actress Rose McGowan has gone on a massive , multi-day Twitter rant against Hillary Clinton , Harvey Weinstein , Bill Clinton , Kamala Harris , the Democratic Party , and former “ Charmed ” co-star Alyssa Milano .
McGowan – who alleges Harvey Weinstein raped her ( he did settle with her for $ 100,000 in October , 2017 before sending an Israeli intelligence agency , Black Cube , to spy on her ) – wrote in a Friday tweet : “ I was raped by a TOP Democratic donor .
Hillary Clinton shut down NBC ’ s exposé of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” adding “ I strongly believe Joe Biden is a rapist .
DNC had Bill Clinton , serial abuser of young women ( Epstein & others ) .
You want to be pro-Dem ?
I know more than you will ever know about their evil… ” She then engaged in a fight with enraged leftist actress , Patricia Arquette .
Days earlier , the disaffected actress then slammed the Democratic party , tweeting : “ What have the Democrats done to solve ANYTHING ?
Help the poor ?
No .
Help black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police brutality ?
No .
Help single mothers ?
No .
Help children ?
No .
You have achieved nothing .
NOTHING , ” adding “ Why did people vote Trujmp ?
Because of you motherfuckers.
” After McGowan then focused her lasers on former “ Charmed ” co-star and giant Biden supporter Alyssa Milano , Biden rape accuser Tara Reade piled on , tweeting “ And don ’ t ever forget @ Alyssa_Milano Joe Biden sexually harassed and assaulted then ruined my life .
Not once not twice but three times.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats are automatic Russians :

Actress Rose McGowan has gone on a massive, multi-day Twitter rant against Hillary Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party, and former “Charmed” co-star Alyssa Milano.
McGowan – who alleges Harvey Weinstein raped her (he did settle with her for $100,000 in October, 2017 before sending an Israeli intelligence agency, Black Cube, to spy on her) – wrote in a Friday tweet:
“I was raped by a TOP Democratic donor. Hillary Clinton shut down NBC’s exposé of HW with one call from her spokesperson,” adding “I strongly believe Joe Biden is a rapist. DNC had Bill Clinton, serial abuser of young women (Epstein & others). You want to be pro-Dem? I know more than you will ever know about their evil…”
She then engaged in a fight with enraged leftist actress, Patricia Arquette.
And did you forget Joe Biden terrorizing Aníta Hill? Did you forget all the drone bombing in other countries done by your beloved Democrats? Did you forget Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? Did you forget them letting prisons be privatized? https://t.co/sKWVuGsFPr — Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) August 22, 2020
Go wear another black dress to an awards show, go make another vacuous speech into an echo chamber of fellow wealthy liberals in Hollywood. My family fought for the Democrats for years, still do. Do not lecture me. https://t.co/FJmDHWVpDC — Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) August 22, 2020
Days earlier, the disaffected actress then slammed the Democratic party, tweeting: “What have the Democrats done to solve ANYTHING? Help the poor? No. Help black & brown people? No. Stop police brutality? No. Help single mothers? No. Help children? No. You have achieved nothing. NOTHING,” adding “Why did people vote Trujmp? Because of you motherfuckers.”
What have the Democrats done to solve ANYTHING? Help the poor? No. Help black & brown people? No. Stop police brutality? No. Help single mothers? No. Help children? No. You have achieved nothing. NOTHING. Why did people vote Trump? Because of you motherfuckers. — Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) August 21, 2020
You are the season of darkness. @JoeBiden @dnc You are monsters. You are frauds. You are the lie. — Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) August 21, 2020
After McGowan then focused her lasers on former “Charmed” co-star and giant Biden supporter Alyssa Milano, Biden rape accuser Tara Reade piled on, tweeting “And don’t ever forget @Alyssa_Milano Joe Biden sexually harassed and assaulted then ruined my life. Not once not twice but three times.”
And don't ever forget @Alyssa_Milano Joe Biden sexually harassed and assaulted then ruined my life. Not once not twice but three times. YOU ARE COMPLICIT @Alyssa_Milano and an enabler of rape And I will NEVER let you forget how you tried to erase me.
Now stop trolling Rose. — Tara Reade ? (@ReadeAlexandra) August 22, 2020
Apparently McGowan and anyone else who attacks Democrats are automatic Russians:
When these ghouls get back into power, are they going to continue to insist all their critics are really just Russian bots & Kremlin agents? I hope they don't really believe this – that it's just a cynical ploy to manipulate liberal rubes – but who knows?https://t.co/GB6LVvAf7A — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 22, 2020
Today's episode of "anyone who falls outside a narrow set of ideological parameters must be a stooge of Russia." Now four-years running, and set for renewal. Doubt we'd see the "series finale" if people such as Ben regain control of the NatSec apparatushttps://t.co/brm7qRlZua — Michael Tracey (@mtracey) August 22, 2020
One has to wonder, how many Democrats feel the same way as Rose McGowan? And how many will reject the party?
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-23--Oregon Could Become First State to Decriminalize Low-Level Possession of All Drugs

With opinions changing across the country over the need for urgent criminal justice reform , there ’ s no time like the present to enact a much-needed overhaul of laws that criminalize poverty and social ills such as drug use .
And this November , voters in Oregon will have an opportunity to decriminalize the low-level possession of all drugs .
Under the proposed Measure 110 , or the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act , the low-level possession of illegal substances would be reclassified from a misdemeanor to a violation , punishable by either a $ 100 fine or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain a felony offense , while substantial possession of drugs would be reduced to a felony .
Rehabilitation services would be expanded under the measure , and 24-hour Addiction Recovery Centers would also be opened .
By effectively decriminalizing the small-scale possession of drugs , the proposed measure would effectively halt one of the most pernicious means by which the “ War on Drugs ” has adversely impacted communities of color and poor communities that have suffered disproportionate over-policing and mass incarceration .
According to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission , the reclassifications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,800 fewer Oregon residents facing conviction for felony possession of a controlled substance annually – leading to a mammoth 95-percent drop from current conviction rates .
The report from the commission also found that Measure 110 would be of particular benefit for communities of color , with racial disparities in arrests and convictions falling “ substantially.
” However , the benefits would also cut across the board – with Black people seeing a fall in arrests by 93.7 percent and an 82.9-percent fall for Asians , 86.5 for Hispanics , 94.2 for Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The report also notes that “ inequities [ may ] exist in police stops , jail bookings , bail , pretrial detention , or other areas ” but there is not “ sufficient or appropriate data to examine those stages.
” The state would fund Measure 110 ’ s addiction programs , which are expected to cost $ 57 million yearly , entirely through excess taxes collected on cannabis sales .
Current tax revenue from cannabis sales are expected to yield $ 182.4 million from 2021 to 2023 .
And as tax revenues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state , petitioners for the Yes for 110 Campaign predict that even more funds can be reallocated to help treat and rehabilitate drug addicts .
Supporters of the measure have been enthusiastically organizing online , and have found that many Oregonians are on the same page with them over the need to end the failed “ War on Drugs ” and pursue an alternative course to tackle widespread drug addiction .
“ There ’ s no playbook for how to campaign in a pandemic , ” said Anthony Johnson , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , he ’ s confident that the measure has “ a really good chance of winning ” come November .
“ Our communications with voters all across the state shows that voters understand that the status quo is not working , ” Johnson added .
“ We ’ re clearly not going to arrest our way out of addiction.
” A large number of prominent groups and individuals have backed the measure .
This includes trade unions , faith groups and churches , groups representing Asian , Black , Indigenous and Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county district attorneys , and even drug policy reform advocates from the ranks of police .
Oregon is no stranger to blazing new trails in drug policy and criminal justice reforms .
In 2014 , the state legalized cannabis through a 2014 ballot measure , while a 2017 law drastically reduced the penalty for possessing small quantities of cocaine , LSD , and other substances .
This November , Oregonians will also have the opportunity to end the prohibition of psilocybin or “ magic ” mushrooms and establish a new statewide framework for @ @ @ @ @ @

With opinions changing across the country over the need for urgent criminal justice reform, there’s no time like the present to enact a much-needed overhaul of laws that criminalize poverty and social ills such as drug use. And this November, voters in Oregon will have an opportunity to decriminalize the low-level possession of all drugs.
Under the proposed Measure 110, or the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, the low-level possession of illegal substances would be reclassified from a misdemeanor to a violation, punishable by either a $100 fine or a health assessment.
Drug trafficking would remain a felony offense, while substantial possession of drugs would be reduced to a felony. Rehabilitation services would be expanded under the measure, and 24-hour Addiction Recovery Centers would also be opened.
By effectively decriminalizing the small-scale possession of drugs, the proposed measure would effectively halt one of the most pernicious means by which the “War on Drugs” has adversely impacted communities of color and poor communities that have suffered disproportionate over-policing and mass incarceration.
According to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, the reclassifications proposed by the measure would see roughly 1,800 fewer Oregon residents facing conviction for felony possession of a controlled substance annually – leading to a mammoth 95-percent drop from current conviction rates.
The report from the commission also found that Measure 110 would be of particular benefit for communities of color, with racial disparities in arrests and convictions falling “substantially.” However, the benefits would also cut across the board – with Black people seeing a fall in arrests by 93.7 percent and an 82.9-percent fall for Asians, 86.5 for Hispanics, 94.2 for Native Americans, and 91.1 for whites.
The report also notes that “inequities [may] exist in police stops, jail bookings, bail, pretrial detention, or other areas” but there is not “sufficient or appropriate data to examine those stages.”
The state would fund Measure 110’s addiction programs, which are expected to cost $57 million yearly, entirely through excess taxes collected on cannabis sales. Current tax revenue from cannabis sales are expected to yield $182.4 million from 2021 to 2023. And as tax revenues increase and decriminalization incurs further savings for the state, petitioners for the Yes for 110 Campaign predict that even more funds can be reallocated to help treat and rehabilitate drug addicts.
Supporters of the measure have been enthusiastically organizing online, and have found that many Oregonians are on the same page with them over the need to end the failed “War on Drugs” and pursue an alternative course to tackle widespread drug addiction.
“There’s no playbook for how to campaign in a pandemic,” said Anthony Johnson, one of the chief petitioners for the campaign. However, he’s confident that the measure has “a really good chance of winning” come November.
“Our communications with voters all across the state shows that voters understand that the status quo is not working,” Johnson added. “We’re clearly not going to arrest our way out of addiction.”
A large number of prominent groups and individuals have backed the measure. This includes trade unions, faith groups and churches, groups representing Asian, Black, Indigenous and Latino communities, human rights organizations, several county district attorneys, and even drug policy reform advocates from the ranks of police.
Oregon is no stranger to blazing new trails in drug policy and criminal justice reforms. In 2014, the state legalized cannabis through a 2014 ballot measure, while a 2017 law drastically reduced the penalty for possessing small quantities of cocaine, LSD, and other substances. This November, Oregonians will also have the opportunity to end the prohibition of psilocybin or “magic” mushrooms and establish a new statewide framework for licensed psilocybin therapy treatment centers.
Republished from TheMindUnleashed.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-23--An Asteroid Could Strike Our Planet a Day Before the Election, Reminding Us All That 2020 is No Joke

As if 2020 wasn ’ t already full of surprises , it now appears that scientists have identified an asteroid that is on course for Earth – and though the chances are incredibly slim , it could strike the planet one day before Election Day in the United States .
Luckily , the flying space object known as 2018VP1 only has a diameter of about 6.5 feet .
However , it has been stated that it will pass near our planet on November 2 , one day prior to the presidential election scheduled for Nov. 3 , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Jet Propulsion Laboratory .
The asteroid was first identified at Palomar Observatory in California in 2018 .
The U.S. space agency believes there are three potential impacts “ based on 21 observations spanning 12.968 days , ” and fortunately the chance of a direct impact is less than 1 percent – or more specifically , it only has a 0.41 % chance of striking our planet .
Either way , this space rock wouldn ’ t have a deep impact – nor will it lead to the sorts of apocalyptic scenes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such , researchers at NASA are not considering the asteroid to be a “ potentially hazardous object.
” In NASA parlance , potentially hazardous objects such as asteroids or comets are those which are large enough to cause significant damage to a region if they did hit our planet .
A car-sized asteroid recently flew past the Earth last weekend in the closest flyby on record , blindsiding scientists who didn ’ t know about the space rock until it had already passed .
The asteroid , now dubbed 2020 QG by astronomers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 16 at only 1,830 miles away , reports Space – making it the closest known non-impacting asteroid known to mankind , according to NASA .
Astronomers at the Palomar Observatory didn ’ t even know that the asteroid was flying by the planet until six hours after the fact .
“ The asteroid approached undetected from the direction of the sun , ” Paul Chodas , the director of NASA ’ s Center for Near Earth Object Studies , told Business Insider .
“ We didn ’ t see it coming.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ the ] closest on record , ” he added .
“ If you discount a few known asteroids that have actually impacted our planet.
” Asteroids are rocky , small objects that orbit the sun and are far smaller in size than planets .
Most asteroids can be found in the main asteroid belt .
the region of space lying between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter .
Some asteroids can also be found in the orbital path of planets .
meaning that the asteroid and the planet follow the same path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few others have such types of asteroids While some asteroids can span hundreds of miles in diameter , far more asteroids can be as tiny as pebbles , NASA explained .
Most asteroids are made of different rock types , but some have clays or metals including nickel and iron .

As if 2020 wasn’t already full of surprises, it now appears that scientists have identified an asteroid that is on course for Earth – and though the chances are incredibly slim, it could strike the planet one day before Election Day in the United States.
Luckily, the flying space object known as 2018VP1 only has a diameter of about 6.5 feet. However, it has been stated that it will pass near our planet on November 2, one day prior to the presidential election scheduled for Nov. 3, according to the Center for Near Objects Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The asteroid was first identified at Palomar Observatory in California in 2018.
The U.S. space agency believes there are three potential impacts “based on 21 observations spanning 12.968 days,” and fortunately the chance of a direct impact is less than 1 percent – or more specifically, it only has a 0.41% chance of striking our planet.
Either way, this space rock wouldn’t have a deep impact – nor will it lead to the sorts of apocalyptic scenes from blockbuster films like Armageddon.
As such, researchers at NASA are not considering the asteroid to be a “potentially hazardous object.”
In NASA parlance, potentially hazardous objects such as asteroids or comets are those which are large enough to cause significant damage to a region if they did hit our planet.
A car-sized asteroid recently flew past the Earth last weekend in the closest flyby on record, blindsiding scientists who didn’t know about the space rock until it had already passed.
The asteroid, now dubbed 2020 QG by astronomers, flew past our home planet on Aug. 16 at only 1,830 miles away, reports Space – making it the closest known non-impacting asteroid known to mankind, according to NASA.
Astronomers at the Palomar Observatory didn’t even know that the asteroid was flying by the planet until six hours after the fact.
“The asteroid approached undetected from the direction of the sun,” Paul Chodas, the director of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, told Business Insider. “We didn’t see it coming.”
“[The] close approach is [the] closest on record,” he added. “If you discount a few known asteroids that have actually impacted our planet.”
Asteroids are rocky, small objects that orbit the sun and are far smaller in size than planets. Most asteroids can be found in the main asteroid belt. the region of space lying between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Some asteroids can also be found in the orbital path of planets. meaning that the asteroid and the planet follow the same path around the sun. Our planet and a few others have such types of asteroids
While some asteroids can span hundreds of miles in diameter, far more asteroids can be as tiny as pebbles, NASA explained. Most asteroids are made of different rock types, but some have clays or metals including nickel and iron.
Republished from TheMindUnleashed.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-23--At Least 13 Killed in Peru Nightclub Stampede Triggered by Police ‘Social Distancing’ Raid

In an example of COVID-19-related law enforcement gone horribly awry , 13 people were killed in a deadly stampede , as patrons tried to flee a surprise police raid on a crowded Lima , Peru nightclub on Saturday night .
At least 6 people were seriously injured , including 3 cops .
Orlando Velasco Mujica , general of the Peruvian National Police Police , told CNN that police were summoned to the Thomas Restobar in the Los Olivos district of Lima , Peru ’ s capital city , on Saturday evening .
They were ordered to shut down an illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 120 people were in attendance .
Peru is struggling with one of Latin America ’ s deadliest and most devastating outbreaks .
Strict docial distancing measures have been mandated nationwide , along with a 10 pm curfew in an effort to slow the virus ’ s spread .
Despite taking strict preventative measures early on , Peru has racked up more than 576,000 cases , and more than 27,000 deaths , according to JHU .
The country has Latin America ’ s second-highest infection rate .
Peru ordered the closure of nightclubs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended family gatherings on Aug. 12 .
According to an official statement delivered to CNN , the Ministry of the Interior reported that the police did not use “ any type of weapon or tear gas to clear the premises.
” When people began to flee the 2nd floor venue , they were crushed on the steep stairs .
Already , 23 people have been arrested , and officials are looking to hold the owners of the nightclub responsible .

In an example of COVID-19-related law enforcement gone horribly awry, 13 people were killed in a deadly stampede, as patrons tried to flee a surprise police raid on a crowded Lima, Peru nightclub on Saturday night.
At least 6 people were seriously injured, including 3 cops.
Orlando Velasco Mujica, general of the Peruvian National Police Police, told CNN that police were summoned to the Thomas Restobar in the Los Olivos district of Lima, Peru’s capital city, on Saturday evening. They were ordered to shut down an illegal party, where officials believed more than 120 people were in attendance.
Peru is struggling with one of Latin America’s deadliest and most devastating outbreaks. Strict docial distancing measures have been mandated nationwide, along with a 10 pm curfew in an effort to slow the virus’s spread.
Despite taking strict preventative measures early on, Peru has racked up more than 576,000 cases, and more than 27,000 deaths, according to JHU. The country has Latin America’s second-highest infection rate.
Peru ordered the closure of nightclubs and bars back in March, and banned extended family gatherings on Aug. 12.
According to an official statement delivered to CNN, the Ministry of the Interior reported that the police did not use “any type of weapon or tear gas to clear the premises.” When people began to flee the 2nd floor venue, they were crushed on the steep stairs.
Already, 23 people have been arrested, and officials are looking to hold the owners of the nightclub responsible.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-24--Hong Kong Confirms First Case of COVID-19 Reinfection Anywhere in the World

Remember when the ‘ experts ’ warned that there was no credible evidence of coronavirus reinfection , claiming the notion that patients can be reinfected with the virus is categorically absurd ?
Well , since then , it looks like the New York Times has published stories arguing everything from ‘ reinfection is so rare as to make it a non-issue ’ , to signs that ‘ lasting protection might be elusive for some ’ .
It ’ s just one more sign of how little scientists know about the virus , and the latest reminder that projections for workable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is an incredibly high bar to set before the end of the year .
Still , the WHO ’ s official position is that reinfection is possible , and that has been the case since early days of the pandemic .
There ’ s still a lot we don ’ t know , including the virus ’ s ability to infect pets/zoo animals .
And now , researchers in Hong Kong have reportedly confirmed the first documented case of reinfection that meets certain scientifically rigorous standards .
Here ’ s more from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are reporting the first confirmed case of reinfection with the coronavirus .
“ An apparently young and healthy patient had a second case of COVID-19 infection which was diagnosed 4.5 months after the first episode , ” University of Hong Kong researchers said Monday in a statement .
The report is of concern because it suggests that immunity to the coronavirus may last only a few months in some people .
And it has implications for vaccines being developed for the virus .
The 33-year-old man had only mild symptoms the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The reinfection was discovered when he returned from a trip to Spain , the researchers said , and the virus they sequenced closely matched the strain circulating in Europe in July and August .
“ Our results prove that his second infection is caused by a new virus that he acquired recently rather than prolonged viral shedding , ” said Dr. Kelvin Kai-Wang To , a clinical microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong .
Given that there are millions of cases worldwide , it is not unexpected that a few , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be reinfected with the virus after only a few months , experts have said .
Several cases of reinfection have been discovered in the US and elsewhere , however , scientists weren ’ t able to use contact tracing tools and other efforts to confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that the case is a genuine reinfection .
Doctors have reported several cases of presumed reinfection in the United States and elsewhere , but none of those cases have been confirmed with rigorous testing .
Recovered people are known to shed viral fragments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to show a positive result in the absence of live virus .
But the Hong Kong researchers sequenced the virus from both rounds of infection and found significant differences in the two sets of virus , suggesting that the patient was infected a second time .
Common cold coronaviruses are known to cause reinfections in less than a year , but experts had hoped that the new coronavirus might behave more like its cousins SARS and MERS , which seemed to produce longer-lasting immunity of a few years .
A study published back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that antibodies , protective proteins made in response to an infection , may last only two to three months , especially in people who never showed symptoms while infected .

Remember when the ‘experts’ warned that there was no credible evidence of coronavirus reinfection, claiming the notion that patients can be reinfected with the virus is categorically absurd? Well, since then, it looks like the New York Times has published stories arguing everything from ‘reinfection is so rare as to make it a non-issue’, to signs that ‘lasting protection might be elusive for some’.
It’s just one more sign of how little scientists know about the virus, and the latest reminder that projections for workable mass-produced vaccines that are also “safe” is an incredibly high bar to set before the end of the year.
Still, the WHO’s official position is that reinfection is possible, and that has been the case since early days of the pandemic. There’s still a lot we don’t know, including the virus’s ability to infect pets/zoo animals. And now, researchers in Hong Kong have reportedly confirmed the first documented case of reinfection that meets certain scientifically rigorous standards.
Here’s more from the NYT:
Researchers in Hong Kong are reporting the first confirmed case of reinfection with the coronavirus. “An apparently young and healthy patient had a second case of COVID-19 infection which was diagnosed 4.5 months after the first episode,” University of Hong Kong researchers said Monday in a statement. The report is of concern because it suggests that immunity to the coronavirus may last only a few months in some people. And it has implications for vaccines being developed for the virus. The 33-year-old man had only mild symptoms the first time, and no symptoms this time around. The reinfection was discovered when he returned from a trip to Spain, the researchers said, and the virus they sequenced closely matched the strain circulating in Europe in July and August. “Our results prove that his second infection is caused by a new virus that he acquired recently rather than prolonged viral shedding,” said Dr. Kelvin Kai-Wang To, a clinical microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong. Given that there are millions of cases worldwide, it is not unexpected that a few, or even a few dozen, people might be reinfected with the virus after only a few months, experts have said.
Several cases of reinfection have been discovered in the US and elsewhere, however, scientists weren’t able to use contact tracing tools and other efforts to confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that the case is a genuine reinfection.
Doctors have reported several cases of presumed reinfection in the United States and elsewhere, but none of those cases have been confirmed with rigorous testing. Recovered people are known to shed viral fragments for weeks, which can cause tests to show a positive result in the absence of live virus. But the Hong Kong researchers sequenced the virus from both rounds of infection and found significant differences in the two sets of virus, suggesting that the patient was infected a second time. Common cold coronaviruses are known to cause reinfections in less than a year, but experts had hoped that the new coronavirus might behave more like its cousins SARS and MERS, which seemed to produce longer-lasting immunity of a few years.
A study published back in June in the journal Nature Medicine found that antibodies, protective proteins made in response to an infection, may last only two to three months, especially in people who never showed symptoms while infected.
Hong Kong’s outbreak has been waning over the past week as the strenuous social distancing measures imposed by Carrie Lam, along with a plan to test every Hong Kong resident, has slowed the infection’s spread.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-24--Something bigger is happening in Wisconsin…

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wearechange--2020-08-24--Massive Explosion Caused by “Terrorist Attack” on Syrian Gas Pipeline Triggers Nationwide Blackout

A massive explosion seen along the Arab Gas Pipeline , outside Damascus early on Monday , resulting in power outages across Syria was likely an attack by Islamic State ( formerly ISIS/ISIL ) , according to Reuters , citing state media and the country ’ s energy minister .
“ Assessments show that the explosion … was the result of a terrorist attack , ” Syrian Arab News Agency ( SANA ) quoted Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Ghanem as saying .
There were no further details of how terrorists managed to blow up the 36-inch pipeline .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ affairs James Jeffrey , the explosion was likely an attack by the Islamic State : “ We are still looking into that .
But it was almost certainly a strike by ISIS , ” Jeffrey said , as cited by Reuters .
Ghanem said electricity was gradually being restored to the country ’ s provinces , and some power returned to Damascus .
The location of the damaged pipeline was between the suburbs of Al-Dhumayr and Adra , and caused a rapid decline in gas supply to the country ’ s top power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even though the fire was extinguished , blackouts were still seen in the capital , with some power late Monday restored to hospitals and government buildings in Damascus .
Reuters noted the Arab Gas Pipeline system stretches from Egypt into Jordan and Syria .
Targeting of the pipeline comes as Turkish-backed forces cut water supply to over one million people in the country .
Syria faces increasing economic instability , and a flare-up in fighting following Trump ’ s “ secure the oil ” policy in the country led to a recent skirmish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army .

A massive explosion seen along the Arab Gas Pipeline, outside Damascus early on Monday, resulting in power outages across Syria was likely an attack by Islamic State (formerly ISIS/ISIL), according to Reuters, citing state media and the country’s energy minister.
BREAKING: Total blackout in #Syria after an explosion on the Arab Gas Pipeline near al-Dumair and Adraa, Damascus countryside. Electricity minister Mohammad Kharboutli said the incident “led to an electricity blackout across Syria”. Power is gradually being restored to provinces. pic.twitter.com/hLmNCgpJgc — Richard Medhurst ???? (@richimedhurst) August 24, 2020
“Assessments show that the explosion … was the result of a terrorist attack,” Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Ghanem as saying. There were no further details of how terrorists managed to blow up the 36-inch pipeline.
According to the US envoy for Syrian affairs James Jeffrey, the explosion was likely an attack by the Islamic State: “We are still looking into that. But it was almost certainly a strike by ISIS,” Jeffrey said, as cited by Reuters.
Ghanem said electricity was gradually being restored to the country’s provinces, and some power returned to Damascus.
The location of the damaged pipeline was between the suburbs of Al-Dhumayr and Adra, and caused a rapid decline in gas supply to the country’s top power stations, triggering a nationwide blackout.
Even though the fire was extinguished, blackouts were still seen in the capital, with some power late Monday restored to hospitals and government buildings in Damascus.
Well, looks like they managed to put out the fire. These images show the point of explosion in the gas pipeline. #Syria h/t @wolfaksh pic.twitter.com/IYfdmutPar — FJ (@Natsecjeff) August 24, 2020
Reuters noted the Arab Gas Pipeline system stretches from Egypt into Jordan and Syria.
Targeting of the pipeline comes as Turkish-backed forces cut water supply to over one million people in the country.
Syria faces increasing economic instability, and a flare-up in fighting following Trump’s “secure the oil” policy in the country led to a recent skirmish between US occupying forces and the Syrian Army.
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-25--China Arms Pakistan With ‘Advanced Warships’ as Threats of Nuclear War With India Escalate

When the Trump administration withheld billions of dollars in security aid to Pakistan in 2018 , the logic then was that the Pakistani military would be forced to form greater ties with the US and surrounding allies to reclaim lost aid .
Fast forward today , the new reality , Pakistan abandoned the West and its allies for China .
Pakistan quickly bolstered ties with China via billions of dollars in Belt and Road projects over the last two years .
China has also provided the Pakistani military with aircraft , weaponry , and other advanced hardware .
The cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leap as China just delivered the first of four “ most advanced ” warships to the Pakistani Navy , a move that will clearly upset India and the US .
VOA News reports the first advanced warship was officially launched on Sunday as border tensions with India continue to remain elevated ( see : Pakistani Minister Threatens India With Nuclear Attack “ To Save Muslim Lives ” On National TV ) .
The Pakistani Navy released a statement Sunday confirming Chinese state-owned Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai officially launched the Type-054A/P frigate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ship launch .
The statement said the vessel ( first of four ) has advanced electronics , including surface and subsurface weaponry , anti-air weapons , and high-tech sensors .
VOA estimates each of the vessels come at the cost of around $ 350 million .
The other three vessels are expected to be delivered to the Pakistani Navy sometime in 2021 .
Quoting Chinese state media , VOA said the four military vessels could “ double the combat power ” of the country ’ s naval fleet .
China has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other state-of-the-art defense items such as medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle combat drones .
Much of the new firepower has been a modernization effort by Pakistan to overhaul its armed forces as tensions with India over the last couple of years have increased along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir .
So while China arms Pakistan , the same is happening with the US arming India .
What could possibly go wrong ?

When the Trump administration withheld billions of dollars in security aid to Pakistan in 2018, the logic then was that the Pakistani military would be forced to form greater ties with the US and surrounding allies to reclaim lost aid.
Fast forward today, the new reality, Pakistan abandoned the West and its allies for China.
Pakistan quickly bolstered ties with China via billions of dollars in Belt and Road projects over the last two years. China has also provided the Pakistani military with aircraft, weaponry, and other advanced hardware. The cooperation between both countries has taken another giant leap as China just delivered the first of four “most advanced” warships to the Pakistani Navy, a move that will clearly upset India and the US.
VOA News reports the first advanced warship was officially launched on Sunday as border tensions with India continue to remain elevated (see: Pakistani Minister Threatens India With Nuclear Attack “To Save Muslim Lives” On National TV).
The Pakistani Navy released a statement Sunday confirming Chinese state-owned Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai officially launched the Type-054A/P frigate.
Top Pakistani officials were in attendance at the ship launch.
The statement said the vessel (first of four) has advanced electronics, including surface and subsurface weaponry, anti-air weapons, and high-tech sensors.
“These ships will significantly contribute in maintaining peace and security in our area of responsibility,” it added.
VOA estimates each of the vessels come at the cost of around $350 million. The other three vessels are expected to be delivered to the Pakistani Navy sometime in 2021.
Quoting Chinese state media, VOA said the four military vessels could “double the combat power” of the country’s naval fleet.
China has also delivered CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder multi-role combat aircraft and other state-of-the-art defense items such as medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle combat drones. Much of the new firepower has been a modernization effort by Pakistan to overhaul its armed forces as tensions with India over the last couple of years have increased along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir. So while China arms Pakistan, the same is happening with the US arming India. What could possibly go wrong? Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission


wearechange--2020-08-27--CNN Did What!? They Are Making This SO MUCH Worse!

In this video , we reveal new details about the riots in Kenosha , Wisconsin and explain how mainstream media @ @ @ @ @ situation so much worse .
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In this video, we reveal new details about the riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin and explain how mainstream media spin is making the entire situation so much worse.
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wearechange--2020-08-27--“I Don’t Think There Should Be Any Debates” Says Pelosi, Calling Them an “Exercise in Skullduggery”

Nancy Pelosi has just joined the chorus of prominent Democrats trying desperately to avoid placing Joe Biden in front of the proverbial firing squad in a debate with President Trump .
“ I don ’ t think that there should be any debates , ” Pelosi said on Thursday , one day after President Trump demanded Biden take a drug test before the two square off .
“ I wouldn ’ t legitimize a conversation with him – nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States , ” she added .
Pelosi said that Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Hillary Clinton during the 2016 debate by walking near her , and that he will probably “ act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency.
” “ I think he will also belittle what the debates are supposed to be about .
And they ’ re not to be about skulduggery on the part of somebody who has no respect for the office he holds , much less the democratic process .
“ I don ’ t think that he should dignify that conversation with Donald Trump.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold separate ‘ conversations ’ with voters , saying : “ Let that be a conversation with the American people , not an exercise in skulduggery.
” Pelosi is far from the first Democrat trying to avoid a Trump-Biden debate .
As Rick Moran wrote via PJMedia earlier this month : Democrats around the country have begun to pressure the Biden campaign to call off all debates with Donald Trump due to the coronavirus pandemic , they say .
In truth , the reason they don ’ t want Biden to debate Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump will play by their rules .
The president would take over the debate and make it about what he wants , not what Biden wants .
Democrats are also worried about Biden ’ s mental stamina and his ability to remain engaged for an hour and a half during a debate .
Democratic strategists and supporters of Vice President Joe Biden are urging him not to debate President Donald Trump in the lead-up to Election Day , citing Trump ’ s publicity stunts and disregard for the rules in 2016 .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applauded the University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan for cancelling their scheduled debates over COVID-19 concerns .
Former White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart joined several Democratic Party strategists in bluntly advising Biden , “ whatever you do , don ’ t debate Trump.
” Speaking on CNN Saturday , Lockhart said Trump shouldn ’ t be given another platform which will enable him to “ repeat lies , ” which he said occurred in the 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton .
Trump has a knack for exaggeration and hyperbole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s very effective in debates and Biden would spend most of his time on the defensive .

Nancy Pelosi has just joined the chorus of prominent Democrats trying desperately to avoid placing Joe Biden in front of the proverbial firing squad in a debate with President Trump.
“I don’t think that there should be any debates,” Pelosi said on Thursday, one day after President Trump demanded Biden take a drug test before the two square off.
“I wouldn’t legitimize a conversation with him – nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States,” she added.
Pelosi said that Trump was “disgraceful” when he ‘stalked’ Hillary Clinton during the 2016 debate by walking near her, and that he will probably “act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency.”
“I think he will also belittle what the debates are supposed to be about. And they’re not to be about skulduggery on the part of somebody who has no respect for the office he holds, much less the democratic process.
“I don’t think that he should dignify that conversation with Donald Trump.”
Pelosi then suggested that each candidate could hold separate ‘conversations’ with voters, saying: “Let that be a conversation with the American people, not an exercise in skulduggery.”
Watch:
.@SpeakerPelosi: “Don’t tell anybody I told you this.. Especially don’t tell Joe Biden. But I don’t think there should be any debates.” pic.twitter.com/Guu8Jkl1Gs — Benny (@bennyjohnson) August 27, 2020
Pelosi is far from the first Democrat trying to avoid a Trump-Biden debate. As Rick Moran wrote via PJMedia earlier this month:
* * *
Democrats around the country have begun to pressure the Biden campaign to call off all debates with Donald Trump due to the coronavirus pandemic, they say.
In truth, the reason they don’t want Biden to debate Trump is that they don’t think Trump will play by their rules. The president would take over the debate and make it about what he wants, not what Biden wants.
Democrats are also worried about Biden’s mental stamina and his ability to remain engaged for an hour and a half during a debate.
Newsweek:
Democratic strategists and supporters of Vice President Joe Biden are urging him not to debate President Donald Trump in the lead-up to Election Day, citing Trump’s publicity stunts and disregard for the rules in 2016. Meanwhile Biden backers, including some conservatives, applauded the University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan for cancelling their scheduled debates over COVID-19 concerns. Former White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart joined several Democratic Party strategists in bluntly advising Biden, “whatever you do, don’t debate Trump.” Speaking on CNN Saturday, Lockhart said Trump shouldn’t be given another platform which will enable him to “repeat lies,” which he said occurred in the 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton.
Trump has a knack for exaggeration and hyperbole that Democrats don’t like. It’s very effective in debates and Biden would spend most of his time on the defensive.
CNN political analyst @joelockhart tells @smerconish that Joe Biden shouldn’t debate President Trump. Trump “will take the truth and destroy it, and Biden will be in the position of correcting him over and over and over again. I don't think he should give him that platform.” pic.twitter.com/4EOR4Q9Um7 — CNN (@CNN) August 1, 2020
Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permission