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• It's 10 years since the war in Syria began, but Western media & pundits are still eager to keep it going

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Unless the world wants to see loved ones "burned alive in a nuclear holocaust," politicians should cut out the "macho" act and begin to deescalate. That's according to former US congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a US Army veteran. American people must decide if they're willing to go to war with Russia on behalf of Ukraine. If not - the rhetoric must be toned down.

According to Gabbard, it would be a disaster if a war kicks off in Ukraine. In particular, she highlighted the "thousands of nuclear weapons" Moscow and Washington have aimed at each other, warning that "hundreds of millions" could die and suffer if a war kicks off.

According to the former congresswoman, a war between the US and Russia would lead to the "end of the world as we know it," and she called for American President Joe Biden to stop imposing sanctions and escalating tensions. "If he doesn't, it's not a question of if we go to war with Russia, or if this war ends up with a nuclear holocaust, but it really is then just a question of when."

A US Air Force reconnaissance plane flying in international airspace has been shadowed through the skies by a Russian fighter pilot off the country's Pacific coast, Ministry of Defense officials in Moscow confirmed on Friday.

A spokesperson for the department revealed that the Russian MiG-31 jet "took off from an airfield in Kamchatka to identify [the American plane] and accompany it. The fighter pilot identified the target as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135."

The ministry confirmed that the spy plane, equipped with high-tech reconnaissance equipment, had not violated the border and was escorted along its flight path. After the US pilot set a course away from the Russian mainland, the fighter disengaged, reports say.

Lots of heavy stuff moving in Russia; especially big artillery systems: 2S4 heavy mortars, 2S7 long-range guns and Iskanders. (Powerful counter-battery fire would be both effective and semi-deniable).

Stockpiles of equipment near Voronezh. Two armies (corps) plus airborne formations (probably more than NATO could field anywhere in real life; certainly never as quickly).

What most impressed were ships from the Caspian Sea Flotilla being transferred via the Volga-Don Canal. Never forget that the really important stuff is not visible - the Russians are the best at operational-level deception.

A Ukrainian convoy by comparison - pathetic mix of civilian vehicles and elderly APCs. (Incredibly, despite all the genuine videos, CNN still fakes it.) NATO huffs and puffs; Blinken ditto; Berlin throws some cold water on Kiev. Ritter calls Kiev's "NATO fantasy" a "suicide pill".

AND THEN AGAIN, MAYBE NOT.

Just reported that the two US warships will not enter the Black Sea; they are presently moored in Crete. Kiev changes its tune. Maybe the war hawks got the message: Moscow is determined, willing and more than capable.

In what is likely to go down as one of his greatest rants yet (and longest run-on sentences), former President Trump weighed in tonight on President Biden's court-packing commission:

Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

Wouldn't it be ironic if the Supreme Court of the United States, after showing that they didn't have the courage to do what they should have done on the Great Presidential Election Fraud of 2020, was PACKED by the same people, the Radical Left Democrats (who they are so afraid of!), that they so pathetically defended in not hearing the Election Fraud case.

Now there is a very good chance they will be diluted (and moved throughout the court system so that they can see how the lower courts work), with many new Justices added to the Court, far more than has been reported.

There is also a good chance that they will be term-limited.

We had 19 states go before the Supreme Court who were, shockingly, not allowed to be heard. Believe it or not, the President of the United States was not allowed to be heard based on "no standing." not based on the FACTS.

The Court wouldn't rule on the merits of the great Election Fraud, including the fact that local politicians and judges, not State Legislatures, made major changes to the Election - which is in total violation of the United States Constitution.

Our politically correct Supreme Court will get what they deserve - an unconstitutionally elected group of Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country.

With leaders like Mitch McConnell, they are helpless to fight. He didn't fight for the Presidency, and he won't fight for the Court.

If and when this happens, I hope the Justices remember the day they didn't have courage to do what they should have done for America.

Jonathan Turley recently noted, the Commission is set to consider a litany of truly looney ideas to prevent the conservative majority from deciding cases, including creating a new specialized court or limiting jurisdiction to remove certain cases from their docket.

The commission includes such individuals as Harvard University professor Laurence Tribe, who called Donald Trump a "terrorist" and has a history of personal and vulgar attacks on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and others, myself included, who maintain views that he opposes.

Tribe once ridiculed former Attorney General William Barr for his Catholic faith.

The only ire Tribe has drawn from the left, however, was when he referred to the possible selection of an African American like then Senator Kamala Harris to be vice president as mere "cosmetics" for the party.

Tribe has not been subtle about his sudden interest in court packing. After the election he declared:

"The time is overdue for a seriously considered plan of action from those of us who believe McConnell and Republicans, abetted by and abetting the Trump movement, have prioritized expansion of their own power over the safeguarding of our American democracy and the protection of the most vulnerable who are among us."

The bill intends to "restore balance to the nation's highest court after four years of norm-breaking actions by Republicans led to its current composition," Nadler said in a statement. Last week he signed off on the executive order to create the commission.

Scores of Republicans have come out against the move including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo:

The bill won't be going anywhere for now, however. Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters she does not intend to bring the bill to the house floor but that it "should be considered" and that she backs Biden's efforts to study the proposal.

During a Thursday congressional hearing, SaraACarter.com's Douglass Braff reports that a shouting match erupted between GOP Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Dr. Anthony Fauci over COVID-19 restrictions when Jordan pressed Fauci on when Americans can expect things to return to normal, bringing up civil liberties.

"When is the time?" Jordan asked during House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus hearing titled "Reaching the Light at the End of the Tunnel: Ending COVID-19". "When do Americans get their freedom back? We had 15 days to slow the spread, turned into a year of lost liberties."

"When we get the level of infection in this country low enough that it is not a really high threat," Fauci replied.

"What is low enough? Give me a number [...] what metrics, what measures, what has to happen before Americans get their freedoms?" the Ohio Republican asked.

Fauci replied that his message was to make sure as many Americans as possible get vaccinated quickly "to get the level of infection in this country low that it is no longer a threat."

Unsatisfied, Jordan continued to press him on this until Fauci took issue with the congressman's framing of the issue as one of civil liberties.

"You're indicating liberty and freedom. I look at it as a public health measure to prevent people from dying and going to hospital," Fauci said, adding that life will return to normal when people get vaccinated.

"You don't think Americans' liberties have been threatened the last year, Dr. Fauci?" Jordan asked, raising his voice. "They've been assaulted!"

Later on, the congressman brought up the various types of COVID-19 restrictions that have been put in place throughout the pandemic — such as those on houses of worship, having guests in one's home, and curfews — arguing that they violated people's constitutional rights.

The Congressman implored Fauci for an empirical answer:

"Are we gonna be here two years from now wearing masks ...?"

Dr. Fauci mumbled a shockingly disrespectful response:

"You're ranting again."

And that's when Jordan lost what little cool he had left: "Here's how it works, Dr. Fauci. I get to ask you the questions."

Subsequently, Jordan claimed people have been censored because they dared to disagree with Fauci, citing a video where physicians disagreed with Fauci's positions. This led to Fauci to claim that the congressman was making things personal.

"It's not a personal thing," Jordan claimed, to which Fauci shouted back: "You are! That is exactly what you're doing."

After Jordan's time expired, committee Chairman Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said that he would be pleased once 90% of Congress is vaccinated. This prompted the Ohio Republican to ask Fauci again for a specific standard.

"When? What are the numbers?" he asked.

"Right now we're at an unacceptably high level," Fauci said.

"What you're going to see as more and more people get vaccinated and we get over three million people a day, you're going to see the level of infection come down and down, and gradually there will be more flexibility for doing the things that you're talking about."

Jordan continued to press him for a specific number. But, as Fauci started to give a response, the next committee member began to speak, thanking Clyburn.

"I'd like my question answered!" Jordan shouted, in response to which Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) yelled:

"You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth!"

"Don't worry about this, we're going to handle this," Clyburn responded. "I think Mr. Jordan knows me very well, and he knows full well that we're going to handle this."

Jordan thanked the South Carolina Democrat, and the hearing proceeded, with the Ohio Republican and Fauci sparring some more in subsequent rounds of questioning.

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