Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Biden Time Again

Biden Asks Congress To Approve $100 Billion Supplemental For Disaster Relief

Authored by Emel Akan via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

WASHINGTON—The Biden administration is urging Congress to allocate $100 billion in disaster relief to assist communities across the Southeast affected by the recent hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“With the Congress now back in session, I write to request urgently needed emergency funding to provide for an expeditious and meaningful Federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters,” President Joe Biden said in a letter to Congress addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Nov. 18.

The administration on Nov. 18 submitted a funding request that included $40 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), $24 billion for the Department of Agriculture, and $12 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“The last time Congress passed a comprehensive disaster package was in December of 2022 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023,” Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters during a call.

“Since then, numerous deadly storms and disasters have struck communities across the country. Those, of course, include hurricanes Milton and Helene.”

Biden is seeking funding for a total of 16 agencies, with additional allocations such as $8 billion for the Department of Transportation, $4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, $3 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, and $2 billion for the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The request came after Johnson signaled that the House might delay appropriations bills until early 2025, when Republicans are set to control both Congress and the White House.

“We’re running out of clock; December 20 is the deadline,” Johnson told Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” on Nov. 17. “We’re still hopeful we might be able to get that done, but if not, we will have a temporary measure. I think it would go into the first part of next year and allow us the necessary time to get this done.”

US Is Lone Veto Of Gaza Ceasefire Call At UN, Citing It Neglects Hostages

The United States has again used its veto, blocking the fourth UN Security Council resolution on Gaza since the war began. The comprehensive resolution called for an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire." UN News writes:

United States vetoes Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of all hostages RESULT: In Favor: 14 Against: 1 (US) Abstain: 0

The text of the draft resolution did not link or condition the call for permanent ceasefire on the release on the hostages held by Hamas. The US has identified this as the reason for the veto.

A US official ahead of the vote made clear that the US will only support a resolution explicitly calling for the release of all remaining hostages as a key part of the ceasefire.

"As we stated many times before, we just can’t support an unconditional ceasefire that does not call for the immediate release of hostages," the official said.

The US official also alleged that Russia and China were conspiring to isolate the US, pushing the vote toward forcing Washington into being the lone veto:

Some of the council’s 10 elected members (E10) were more interested in bringing about a US veto than compromising on the resolution, the official said, accusing Russia and China of encouraging those members.
“China kept demanding ‘stronger language’ and Russia appeared to be pulling strings with various [elected] 10 members,” the official said. “This really does undercut the narrative that this was an organic reflection of the E10 and there’s some sense that some E10 members regret that those responsible for the drafting allowed the process to be manipulated for what we consider to be cynical purposes.”

The draft resolution not only demanded "an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire" but also the "immediate access [to] humanitarian assistance." The resolution mentioned the release of all hostages and prisoners, but failed to specifically condition it as part of a ceasefire.

Israel has long stood accused of blocking the free flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip. More recently, Palestinian groups looted some 100 aid convoy trucks in the south of the Strip.

Kamala The Destroyer Of Worlds

Europe Braces For War As Biden Shovels More Fuel On The Fire

Authored by Sam Faddis via AND Magazine,

As the mainstream press in the United States continues to obsess with imaginary threats from Trump’s army of “fascist” supporters, the Europeans are focused on the very real possibility that the Biden–Harris administration is going to start World War III on its way out the door. All over the continent, military and civilian authorities are working hard on civil defense preparations and planning for armed conflict with Russia.

Sweden is sending out five million pamphlets to its citizens telling them how to prepare. The pamphlets include instructions on stockpiling food and finding shelter during a nuclear attack. Excerpts from the document include:

“An insecure world requires preparedness. The military threat to Sweden has increased and we must prepare for the worst - an armed attack.”
“The global security situation increases the risks that nuclear weapons could be used. In the event of an attack with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, take cover in the same way as in an air attack.”
“Shelter provides the best protection. After a couple of days, the radiation has decreased significantly.”
“If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false.”

The Swedes are not alone. Norway and Finland are doing the same thing, preparing their populations for nuclear war.

Finland has launched a new website advising people on how to prepare, and the Norwegians recently mailed out their own booklet giving people tips on how to prepare for the end of the world. The Norwegian booklet includes advice on how citizens should prepare themselves to live self-sufficiently for a week, with a list of long-life items to keep such as cans of beans, energy bars and pasta, and medicines in case of a nuclear event.

The Finnish website includes detailed instructions on how Finns should react in the event of war:

“The warning signal is a regularly rising and falling sound that lasts for one minute used to warn people of an immediate outdoor hazard.
In the event of a war, the signal is used to alert people about incidents as well as air strikes, for example.
In case of a military attack, you must immediately seek shelter in the nearest civil defence shelter or the best available shelter.”

Salesman Of The Year

Biden Rushes $275M More In Weapons To Ukraine Before Trump Enters Office

There are just two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, and Ukraine hawks are feeling the pressure. For them, apparently it's time to flood Zelensky's coffers with as much money as possible ahead of the possibility that Trump may cut off the tap, after having on the campaign trail called Zelensky "the greatest salesman on earth".

"The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons, US officials said Tuesday, as the Biden administration rushes to do as much as it can to help Kyiv fight back against Russia in the remaining two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office," The Associated Press reports Tuesday afternoon.

And alarmingly, the same report observes that "In rapid succession this week, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the authority to fire longer-range missiles deeper into Russia and then Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons."

Contents or details of the new aid package have yet been made public, but there could be more missiles and equipment supporting the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which was used by the Ukrainians Tuesday against Russian territory, marking a new escalation.

The geopolitical analysis blog Moon of Alabama has zeroed in on why US authorization for ATACMS attacks on Russian soil is such a big deal:

We do not know yet if the new authorized use for ATACMS munition on targets within Russia is only relevant for the cluster ammunition missile type or for high explosive ATACMS missiles with a reach of 300 kilometer.
However, the Russian President Vladimir Putin has correctly pointed out that ANY use of ATACMS requires the involvement of NATO (U.S/UK) assets for acquiring the targeting data and for planning and programming the missile's mission.
Any use of ATACMS onto Russian proper is thus an act of war by NATO against the Russian Federation. The Russian response to such will be appropriate but may well surface in a theater far from Ukraine.

Indeed President Putin and Kremlin officials have echoed precisely this point of view of late, which is also why Putin signed into effect a new expansion of Russia's nuclear doctrine.

According to the newly expanded doctrine, in the event Western powers assist another nation in a major attack on Russian soil, those same Western powers will also be held responsible. This can trigger Russian nuclear launch. But so far Russian officials have made it clear that they do not anticipate nuclear war.

Going To Country

We Got Zelenskied!

Ukraine Launches First ATACMS Strike On Russia, Sending Markets Reeling Amid WW3 Fears

About a day after President Biden authorized Ukraine to use the long-range US-made MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System to strike deeper into Russian territory, a new report suggests that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have hit a military installation in the western Bryansk region. This comes after Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia's nuclear weapons doctrine was changed and signed by President Vladimir Putin, indicating "the use of Western non-nuclear rockets by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia can prompt a nuclear response."

"For the first time, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck Russian territory with ATACMS ballistic missiles," RBC Ukraine news agency reported Tuesday.

RBC Ukraine said the military facility near the city of Karachev in the Bryansk region was successfully hit with ATACMS. This location was about 115 kilometers (71 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

"Indeed, for the first time, we used ATACMS to strike Russian territory. The strike was carried out against a facility in the Bryansk region, and it was successfully hit," one source told the local media outlet.

Separately, media outlet Kyiv Post stated the 67th arsenal of the Main Directorate of the Missile and Artillery Directorate of Russia was hit. The facility reportedly had large stockpiles of anti-aircraft missiles, munitions for multiple launch rocket systems, artillery ammunition, and guided bombs, much of which was supplied by North Korea.

Kyiv Post noted:

Russian media sources, including residents on social networks, reported explosions coming from within the Karachev district, and suggesting that a "military base" was being attacked. The Russian Astra Telegram channel shared videos of the incident, while local reports said that there had been strikes on this arsenal in late 2023 and again in June and October this year.

Bloomberg revealed more details about the attack:

Russian Defense Ministry confirmed Ukrainian armed forces launched a strike with US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles at a military object in Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine, Interfax reports.
5 missiles were shot down, 1 damaged; no casualties reported
Missile debris caused fire in a military installation

Here's alleged footage of the strike:

Permanent Vacation

Boeing Lays Off 438 Union Workers As Drastic Cuts Begin

Boeing, still grappling with financial setbacks, regulatory scrutiny, and the aftershocks of an eight-week machinists’ strike, has begun delivering layoff notices to more than 400 members of its unionized workers as part of a broader plan to cut approximately 10% of its workforce, or 17,000 jobs.

The layoffs target members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), a union representing thousands of Boeing employees. According to the union, 438 members received pink slips last week, with affected employees remaining on the payroll through mid-January.

According to an October statement by Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, the layoffs are the result of 'overstaffing,' adding that the company must "reset its workforce levels to align with our financial reality."

Of the 438 SPEEA members impacted:

218 are engineers and scientists from the union’s professional unit.
220 are from the technical unit, which includes roles such as planners, technicians, and skilled tradespeople.

SPEEA, which represents 17,000 Boeing workers, noted that most of its members are based in Washington State, though the layoffs also affect employees in Oregon, California, and Utah.

For those losing their jobs, Boeing is offering limited support, including career transition services, subsidized healthcare benefits for up to three months, and severance packages typically amounting to one week of pay per year of service.

A Company Under Pressure

Boeing’s challenges have been mounting for years, exacerbated by a series of missteps and external pressures.

Boeing, based in Arlington, Virginia, has been in financial and regulatory trouble since a panel blew off the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane in January. Production rates slowed to a crawl, and the Federal Aviation Administration capped production of the 737 MAX at 38 planes per month, a threshold Boeing has yet to reach. -AP

"Republican Caesar" - Legacy Media Meltdown Over Trump's Triumphant UFC Appearance

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

The MAGA crew took over UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden over the weekend, triggering demon energy woke seethery into action.

Behold their media leaders, the CNN mole guys. Why do they all wear those thick heavy black rimmed glasses?

Anyway, these guys, it doesn’t matter what their names are, lets call them Howard and Greg, couldn’t cope with president Trump leading out his transition team to uproariously loud cheering at the event.

Howard said Trump was “giving supporter based permission structure,” by bringing his crew with him, while Greg said it was like ancient Rome with Caesar bringing his gladiators into the Colosseum.

“It really looks like ancient Rome here. This is the conquering Republican Caesar who’s going into the Colosseum, and everyone’s cheering, and he’s got his political gladiators with him,” Howard excitedly whined, ignoring the fact that Julius Caesar was long dead when construction on the Colosseum began.

“That appearance isn’t just about him enjoying the applause. He’s sending a message to the Senate. For sure,” Greg continued blathering.

“Not only are you entertained, but these are my people, and are you willing to fight?”Because here’s who I have,” Greg clamoured.

It’s hilarious watching these people having a meltdown analysing Trump’s team and the UFC crowd having fun.

They were having a well deserved day off, celebrating, watching the event and dancing to YMCA by the Village people, but the mole people want you to believe it’s some kind of scary authoritarian display of power.

Pentagon Fails 7th Audit In Row, Aims For Clean Audit In 2028

Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,

For the seventh year in a row, the Department of Defense (DOD) has failed its annual financial statement audit, a massive undertaking meant to ensure accountability for its $3.8 trillion in assets and $4 trillion in liabilities.

Despite the setback, Pentagon officials highlighted incremental progress and reaffirmed their commitment to securing a clean audit opinion by 2028.

The latest results, released on Nov. 15, confirmed that the DOD, once again received a disclaimer of opinion, meaning auditors could not provide assurance over the completeness and accuracy of the Pentagon’s financial records.

This year’s audit, like the six before it, exposed persistent challenges in the DOD’s financial management systems.

Teams of auditors conducted hundreds of site visits, assessing how the DOD manages taxpayer dollars across its operations, which span more than 4,000 sites in more than 160 countries.

Of the 28 sub-audits conducted across Pentagon entities that undergo standalone financial statement audits, only nine received unmodified (clean) opinions. Another entity received a qualified opinion, while 15 entities were issued disclaimers. Three audit opinions remain pending.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that, while some progress was made in this year’s annual audit, challenges remain.

“There are several areas where we need to work harder and achieve better results,” Austin said in a statement.
Critical improvements are needed in areas such as improving efficiency and property valuation, increasing accountability, capturing all accounting system transactions, and modernizing the Pentagon’s financial systems, he said.

Who Runs Bartertown?

In "Major Policy Shift" Biden Authorizes Ukraine's Use Of US Missiles To Hit Targets Inside Russia

In a move straight out of Louis "After me, the flood" XV, the outgoing BIden admin, in a seemingly desperate move to destabilize the global geopolitical picture, has authorized the lifting of some restrictions on Ukraine’s use of western-made weapons to strike military targets inside Russia, according to reports from Bloomberg and the AP. The decision was reportedly shaped by North Korea ramping up support for President Vladimir Putin’s army and an increase in Russian missile and drone attacks on its neighbor.

The approval represents a major U.S. policy shift and comes as the deep state-supported, dementia-ridden puppet Joe Biden is about to leave office and incoming President-elect Donald Trump has said he would bring about a swift end to the war and has expressed skepticism over continued support by the United States.

If approved, the capability would likely be used first in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukraine is fighting against North Korean troops as well as Moscow’s forces, the people said. Still, any permission, if granted, is unlikely to go as far as Ukraine has requested, one of the people said.

As the war in Ukraine heads into its third full winter, the US and its allies "have grown extremely concerned" about Pyongyang’s decision to deploy its forces in combat and assessments by some Group of 20 nations suggest North Korea could eventually send as many as 100,000 troops to Russia. The allies believe the deepening cooperation between Putin and Kim Jong Un could have consequences for the security balance in the Indo-Pacific region, Bloomberg has reported previously.

Russia Hits Ukraine Energy Sites With 120 Missiles, 90 Drones In Large Sunday Attack

Ukraine's national energy operator has announced significant power cuts for the Kyiv region and well as others areas in the east. This is after another major missile and drone assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure coming from Russia, estimated at about 120 missiles and some 90 drones.

The massive combined air attack marked one of the largest of the war thus far, and killed and wounded several people. It appears to be in response to ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russian military and naval sites and oil depots.

President Zelensky in a message claimed Ukraine anti-air forces were able to shoot down over 140 of the inbound Russian projectiles. But building fires and damage across the country point to many dozens of drone and missiles having got through to hit targets.

"The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children," Zelensky described.

Two others were reported killed in the Odessa region from the assault. A couple days ago, surreal footage of massive efforts to repel an aerial assault was captured and widely circulated:

Massive AAA engagement over Odesa last night, as Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners fought an incoming Russian attack drone wave. pic.twitter.com/j8o0XBNmY1
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 16, 2024

As for damage from this fresh weekend assault, Ukrainian private energy company DTEK has said a thermal power plant it operates was "seriously damaged". Russia has targeted these thermal power facilities since the start of the war.

Russia in a statement said it hit energy resources used to supply Ukraine's armed forces. The defense ministry detailed the following: "Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned fighting vehicles, missile forces and artillery of Russian Armed Forces’ groups inflicted damage on infrastructure of military airfields, gas production and energy facilities used for operation of Ukraine’s defense enterprises, a depot of drones, as well as the enemy’s troops and military equipment in 144 regions," the ministry said.

Democrats Propose 'Shadow Government' To Oppose Trump's Cabinet

If Democrats today are known for anything, it's their uncanny inability to read the room and listen to people when they say "No". It's a typical trait of psychopaths; the assumption that when people refuse your ideals and your leadership they "don't really mean it" and they "just"need a little more convincing". Sorry leftists, but no means no.

It doesn't help that the most common argument coming from leftist pundits after their brutal election loss is that the only reason voters didn't choose Kamala Harris and the woke cult is because most Americans are stupid. The progressives think they know what's best for everyone else. They're the smartest people in the room, after all...

Despite the supposedly incredible intellectual power of the progressive elites, they still lost the election in a landslide and common sense would dictate that they should reconsider their political philosophy and align more with the needs of the general public. However, recent events suggest that's not going to happen.

Donald Trump's cabinet process is well underway and some of his picks have the Democrats (and some Neo-Cons) truly terrified. In particular, the establishment media machine is already pumping out endless propaganda in an attempt to undermine RFK Jr, Matt Gaetz, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Pete Hegseth, etc. They are floating rumors of sexual misconduct, corruption, mental instability, conspiracy; desperately clamoring to stop these appointments no matter the cost. Why? Because these people will have the power to completely gut the status quo regime and they openly assert they will do so.

Trump faces perhaps the most aggressive opposition to his cabinet appointments of any president in recent history, and it's a sure bet that most Democrats and a number of GOP RINOs in the Senate will work together to sabotage the appointment process. But Trump has the ability to force the Senate into recess and make his appointments while lawmakers are out of session, which means Democrats and Neo-Cons might not have a choice in the matter.

In preparation for this outcome, some Democrats are calling for the creation of what they call a 'Shadow Government' or 'Shadow Cabinet'. Democrat Wiley Nicol from North Carolina cites a similar dynamic used by the UK government; a kind of counter-body of political leaders that hound elected officials with policy criticism while offering their own policies as a better option.

The idea is rather tone deaf. For Americans, the phrase "shadow government" has numerous negative connotations and inspires suspicions of corruption. In the UK it's a bit more innocuous - Members of a shadow cabinet have no executive power. It is the shadow cabinet's responsibility to apply scrutiny to the policies and actions of the sitting government, which doesn't sound much different from what opposing politicians already do.

That said, a shadow government also represents a false alternative. It's the government that the Democrats think should be in power instead of the government that the public actually voted for. It should be noted that the UK's socialist system have become increasingly authoritarian in recent years, with punishments for thought crimes now widely enforced. There is no true opposition party to the globalist establishment in the UK, they barely know what a legitimate conservative is.

All parties essentially hover around the center left, and with each passing year the center left moves further to the extreme left. The idea that UK or European government methods should be emulated by the US shows just how detached from the American people Democrats have become.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Credentials

Biden's Cabinet Nominees Were Completely Unqualified Compared To Trump's

Authored by Steve Watson via modernity.news,

The irrelevant legacy media is currently fixated on pushing the narrative that President-elect Trump’s cabinet nominees are not qualified to take the positions he has offered them.

As we highlighted yesterday, all the right people are pissed off about it.

Rachel Maddow, who is still adamant Trump is going to put her in a concentration camp, claimed that he is intentionally destroying the government with his cabinet nominations.

Now here’s a quick reminder that the media said nothing when Joe Biden made some truly incomprehensible nominations.

The post continues:

Jared Bernstein, Chair of Council of Economic Advisors – not an economist, Bachelor’s degree in music, masters in sociology

Pete Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary – no transportation background, Mayor of Indiana, “pothole Pete”

Mayorkas, DHS Secretary – no security background, lawyer, Asst U.S. attorney, Obama transition team

Jennifer Granholm, Energy Secy – no energy background, Michigan Governor

Gina Raimondo, Commerce Secretary – No trade background, Gov of Rhode Island

Deb Haaland, Interior Secy – New Mexico Congressman

And just for kicks…Bill Nye, the environmentalist “Science Guy” — no background in environmentalism or science, he’s a mechanical engineer and comedy writer.

Just look at this crew:

Got Uranium?

"We Don't Have Enough...": Russia Temporarily Limits Exports Of Enriched Uranium To U.S.

In news that will act as a headwind for the U.S.'s re-emerging nuclear industry, it was reported last week that Russia is temporarily restricting enriched uranium exports to the U.S., raising supply concerns for reactors that produce nearly 20% of the nation's electricity.

Russia provided no details or timeline for its uranium export restrictions in a Friday Telegram statement, though utilities' advance purchasing likely mitigates immediate effects, Bloomberg wrote in a report on Friday.

Amid global backlash over its war in Ukraine, Russia continues leveraging energy as a geopolitical tool, also cutting gas supplies to Austria—ending a 60-year agreement that fulfills 80% of its demand—citing a legal dispute.

Bloomberg noted that Russia's move targets a key U.S. vulnerability in the nuclear fuel cycle, as it controls nearly half of global uranium enrichment capacity and supplied over a quarter of U.S. enriched fuel last year.

Chris Gadomski, head nuclear analyst for BloombergNEF commented: “We don’t have enough enriched uranium here. They should have been stockpiling enriched uranium in anticipation of this happening.”

While 2023 deliveries are largely complete, a prolonged ban could affect reactor operators by 2025, leaving some without alternative suppliers.

Skynet On Wheels: Chinese Tech Firm Reveals Terrifying Robo-Dog

One of Tesla's competitors in robotics is the Chinese company Unitree, which is already selling its humanoid G1 robot for $40,000. The company also sells robo-dogs on the Amazon marketplace. Another Chinese robotics company, Deep Robotics, released a new video featuring one of its robo-dogs equipped with wheels, showcasing its ability to scale hillsides and navigate off-road terrain.

Deep Robotics describes itself as a "leader in embodied AI technology innovation and application," adding it's "the first in China to achieve fully autonomous inspection of substations with quadruped robots."

Earlier this week, Deep Robotics posted a short video on YouTube featuring one of its quadruped robots with wheels. The robot's mobility is absolutely terrifying.

Public trade data compiled by counterparty and supply chain risk intelligence firm Sayari shows that Hangzhou Yunshenchu Technology Co., Ltd owns Deep Robotics.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Monday, November 18, 2024

A Company Under Pressure

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Saturday, November 16, 2024