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Briefcase

Trump moves to crush 'flawed' Georgia election inquiry

Daniel Chaitin
The Daily Wire
Tue, 21 Mar 2023 19:26 UTC
trump georgia election fraud lawsuit
© ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty ImagesDonald Trump
Former President Donald Trump's lawyers moved on Monday to quash the report from a special grand jury in Georgia's 2020 election inquiry.

The legal team also seeks to "preclude the use of any evidence derived" from the report and the recusal of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis's office, according to The New York Times.

"The results of the investigation cannot be relied upon and, therefore, must be suppressed given the constitutional violations," Trump's attorneys wrote in their motion in Georgia court. The attorneys asked that the motion get a hearing by a different judge than the one who oversaw the special grand jury.
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Vader

Biden admin glosses over State Department's Ukrainian abuses in human rights report


RT
Tue, 21 Mar 2023 19:05 UTC
ukraine crackdown orthodox churches
Ukraine armed forces confront Orthodox priests
The State Department's annual assessment ultimately blames Russia for Kiev's transgressions

An annual human rights report, published by the US State Department on Monday, adopts a light touch in assessing human rights abuses in Ukraine.

The study blames the censorship of media, bans on political parties and extrajudicial executions in Ukraine on Russia, though some of these processes had begun before Moscow launched its military assault, in early 2022.

Kiev's crackdown on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not mentioned at all.

The report notes that businessman Denis Kireev was "allegedly killed during his arrest by the Security Service of Ukraine [SBU] after it obtained a recording of Kireyev allegedly implicating himself in treason." It goes on to quote the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) saying "the circumstances of [Kireev's] death remain unclear."
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Bullseye

Observations on the Ukrainian War, no. 3

Gordon M. Hahn, Ph.D
Russian & Eurasian Politics
Mon, 20 Mar 2023 18:21 UTC
Putin Biden Zelensky Ukraine Russia US
© The CradleAs the balance of power shifts again in Ukraine, its reverberations will impact the very unity of the EU project
Ukraine Is Winning?

Westerners like Joe Biden and Michael McFaul continue to assert that Ukraine is winning the NATO-Russia Ukrainian War. The reality is far different. The war could end this year with a complete collapse of the Ukrainian army and Maidan regime. This is not a certain outcome as yet but is possible if not this year then certainly in 2024 — in lieu of some negotiated end to war or at least the fighting — when Russian, Ukrainian and American presidential elections are scheduled. The election offing raises the stakes of the Ukrainian outcome, which is bleak for Kiev and Washington. Ukraine is running out of artillery shells and firing systems are suffering high attrition. The US has announced plans to produce 50,000 shells next year for Ukraine, but Ukraine is using 90,000 per month, ten times less than Russian and allied forces are using. Moscow has still to commit its newly mobilized troops in an all-out counteroffensive, but nevertheless Russian, Donbass, and Wagner forces are making major headway in three key areas, while Ukraine still is proving incapable of pushing back Russian forces, outside of the strategic retreats undertaken by Moscow in Kharkov and Kherson last year, with minimal casualties, even fighting.
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Handcuffs

Trump posts late-night video to supporters


RT
Tue, 21 Mar 2023 18:08 UTC
trump supporter
© Getty Images / Alexi Rosenfeld
The former US president posted footage on Truth Social, warning Americans it would be in their best interests to stand up for him

Former US President Donald Trump rallied his supporters with a video posted on Monday night to his Truth Social platform, condemning the "four horrible, radical left Democratic investigations" that have not yet managed to sink his political career.

The video came days after Trump warned he would soon be arrested on charges stemming from the Stormy Daniels scandal, in which his former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly paid hush money to the porn actress.

In the video, the 2024 presidential candidate described how previous lengthy, well-funded investigations against him had failed to prise him from the White House. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's "Russian collusion" probe, the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, and the "Stormy Horseface Daniels extortion plot" were all "sick" and "fake news," he said.

Comment: Jan 6 was a wakup call to the real state of the American "justice system" and a lesson Trump supporters won't soon forget.

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Card - VISA

Indonesian President Jokowi wants local governments to ditch Visa, Mastercard


The Jakarta Post
Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:01 UTC
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo
© BPMI Setpres/RusmanPresident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo speaks during the Mandiri Investment Forum in Jakarta, Feb. 2, 2023.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has urged regional administrations in the country to wean themselves off foreign payment networks like Mastercard and Visa and start using credit cards issued by domestic banks to shield any transactions from possible geopolitical fallout that could disrupt economic transactions.

Jokowi said that the war in Ukraine with the attendant economic sanctions imposed by the United States could create problems as economic tools, including payment systems, could be used against countries perceived to have any involvement in the conflict.

"Be very careful. We must remember the sanctions imposed by the US on Russia. Visa and Mastercard could be a problem," President Jokowi told a national meeting to promote the use of Indonesian-made products and services.
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Light Saber

Russia-China ties have no limits - Putin


RT
Sun, 19 Mar 2023 22:35 UTC
Putin Xi Jinping
© Sputnik / Sergey Guneev
Beijing and Moscow are working together to shape "a more just multipolar world," and ties between the two countries are now "at the highest level in their history," President Vladimir Putin said in an article released on the eve of a visit by his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to the Russian capital.

The piece, penned by Putin for China's People's Daily, was released late on Sunday by the Kremlin's press service.

"The progress made in the development of bilateral ties is impressive. The Russia-China relations have reached the highest level in their history and are gaining even more strength; they surpass Cold War-time military-political alliances in their quality, with no one to constantly order and no one to constantly obey, without limitations or taboos," Putin wrote, praising the "level of trust in our political dialogue, our strategic cooperation."

The two nations are busy shaping "a more just multipolar world," Putin noted, lauding Beijing's Eurasian international efforts under the One Belt, One Road Initiative, as well as China's Global Security Initiative, envisioning comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security.

Comment: See also: The China and Russia 'no limits friendship' 2.0

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Quenelle

Macron narrowly survives crucial no-confidence votes in parliament

Clea Caulcutt
Politico
Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:59 UTC
Emmanuel Macron
© Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty ImagesEmmanuel Macron's government survived today's no confidence vote
Emmanuel Macron's government narrowly survived a no-confidence vote in the French parliament Monday, after it pushed through a deeply unpopular pensions overhaul without a vote last week, sparking outrage and spontaneous protests across the country.

In a high-stakes vote in France's lower house of parliament, 278 MPs, mostly from the left and the far right, voted in favor of a cross-party motion of no confidence, falling just short of the 287 votes needed to topple the government. A second motion, backed only by the far-right National Rally, did not garner enough votes.

The outcome of the first vote was much tighter than anticipated and increases the pressure on Macron to withdraw his reform. It may also give a boost to the protest movement led by trade unions against the measures. The French president will also be under pressure to respond either by addressing the country or reshuffling his government.

Speaking ahead of the votes, the centrist MP Charles de Courson, one of the authors of the cross-party motion, accused Macron's government of lacking "courage" during the parliamentary debates.
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Biohazard

The US is stocking vaccines for a hypothetical smallpox bio-attack

Rachel Nuwer
Smithsonian Magazine
Tue, 21 Mar 2023 01:46 UTC
smallpox
© Florentine CodexFILE PHOTO: A 16th century illustration depicting smallpox victims.
In the event of a bio-terrorism smallpox attack, at least 2 million Americans will be able to get treatment, though we can all receive vaccinations
Planning for a bio-terrorism smallpox attack, the U.S. government just bought up enough smallpox medication supplies to treat two million people. But given that smallpox was eradicated in 1980 and that the only known remaining samples of the disease are kept under lock and key in the U.S. and Russia, the New York Times points out, some critics are crying foul over the $463 million the government shelled out for the vaccines.

Experts fear, though, that terrorists may have secret stockpiles of the virus or could figure out how to reengineer smallpox in the lab. Two million doses of treatment, the Times writes, could contain an outbreak in a large city in the event of terrorists dousing an airport or stadium with pathogens. But around 12 million doses would be needed to combat a nation-wide epidemic.

Comment: From November 2021: 'SMALLPOX found in Merck lab in Philadelphia, FBI launch urgent probe

Below is some research showing the US' research into small pox; outbreak simulations; as well as Wikileaks documents regarding America's ongoing research into smallpox:





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Pirates

Best of the Web: Poland's French embassy says they could 'enter conflict' in Ukraine against Russia


Anadolu Agency
Mon, 20 Mar 2023 21:51 UTC
Jan Emeryk Rościszewski
© Serwis Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 PL)Statement by its own ambassador during television interview forces Polish Embassy in France to issue denial Timo Kirez
According to Polish Ambassador to France Jan Emeryk Rosciszewski, a situation may arise in which Poland would have to directly enter the Russia-Ukraine war.

"It is not NATO, Poland or Slovakia that are exerting more and more pressure, but Russia, which has invaded Ukraine. Russia that is usurping its territories. Russia that is killing its people. And Russia that kidnaps Ukrainian children," the 57-year-old ambassador told French broadcaster LCI on Sunday evening.

"So either Ukraine defends its independence today, or we have to enter this conflict. Because our main values, which were the basis of our civilization and our culture, will be threatened. Therefore, we will have no choice but to enter the conflict," he added.

Comment: Notes from Poland reports:
His words triggered criticism from opposition politicians in Poland.

"The Polish ambassador to France saying we will enter a war with Russia if Ukraine fails is clearly exceeding his powers and should simply be removed from office. Hello [foreign ministry]!" tweeted Maciej Gdula, an MP from The Left (Lewica).



"The PiS [ruling party's] diplomatic staff are a disaster. They put forward people with no experience in diplomacy as ambassadors, and they later say whatever comes to mind," wrote Krzystof Bosak, one of the leaders of the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) party.


It's likely his words reflect the sentiment (and possible plans) of some of his colleagues. One recalls the recent comment from Germany's FM: Germany 'at war' with Russia - FM



"Looking for sensational content that does not fit with Poland's consistent efforts over the past year to help Ukraine win this conflict so that it would not spill over into Europe and Poland should be regarded as ill will," it added.

Although the Polish foreign ministry did not directly address the ambassador's statement in a separate communication, it retweeted the embassy's message.


Rościszewski's remarks came as one French politician, National Rally (RN) MEP and former minister Thierry Mariani, accused Poland of "clearly trying to drag the European Union into an escalation" of the war in Ukraine.

His comments came in response to Poland's president, Andrzej Duda, last week announcing that his country would become the first to transfer fighter jets to Ukraine.

"It seems to me that it is extremely dangerous for Poland to deliver military aircraft to Kyiv," Mariani told Russian state news agency TASS. "Until now, the United States has not made such a decision. Warsaw is now going even further than Washington in supplying Ukraine with military equipment."

Poland has long argued that helping Ukraine's defend itself against Russian aggression is vital for the safety of Europe, and in particular of NATO's eastern member states.

See also:

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Handcuffs

Nancy Pelosi is once again setting up the Trump 'incitement' narrative ahead of his expected arrest

Kyle Becker
The Wildfire Newsletter
Sat, 18 Mar 2023 00:00 UTC
Trump
© UnknownFormer US President Donald Trump
MAGA supporters tempted to protest an expected Trump arrest should be wary, especially in a major city. They might be walking into another "insurrection" trap.

Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States, is about to be arrested.

The expected Trump indictment hinges on his former lawyer Michael Cohen sending $130,000 to pornstar Stormy Daniels to prevent her from disclosing a purported 2006 affair with Trump, who has denied the allegation. Trump allegedly reimbursed Cohen with campaign funds, allegedly claiming them as "legal expenses."

Alvin Bragg responded on Saturday night to pushback ahead of the expected Trump arrest, as reported by Breanna Morello.

In part, Bragg told the members of his office:
"Please know that your safety is our top priority. We have full confidence in our outstanding security staff and investigators, along with our great OCA and NYPD colleagues, and will continue to coordinate with all of them. We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York."
Nancy Pelosi may no longer hold the Speaker's gavel, but she is already hammering home the point that Donald Trump is 'inciting' his supporters ahead of his expected arrest next week.
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