Society's ChildS


Dollars

Judge overseeing Trump's Georgia case donated to Fani Willis campaign prior to appointment

Katelynn Richardson
Daily Caller
Wed, 21 Feb 2024 03:09 UTC
Judge
© Alyssa Pointer/pool/AFP/GettyImagesFulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee listens during a hearing into ‘misconduct’ allegations against Georgia prosecutor Fanni Willis at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 15, 2024.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the case against former President Donald Trump, made a small donation of $150 to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' campaign prior to his appointment.

McAfee, who was sworn in on Feb. 1, 2023 after being appointed by Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, made his donation in June 2020 while still working as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to financial disclosures. He will soon have to decide whether Willis should be disqualified over allegations that she financially benefited from appointing her romantic partner, Nathan Wade, to work on the Trump case.

McAfee also formerly worked under Fani Willis when she led the complex trial division in the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, according to the New York Times.
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Bad Guys

Google has 'paused' its Gemini AI tool after critics blast it as 'too woke'

Peter Hess
The Daily Mail
Fri, 23 Feb 2024 20:02 UTC
google gemini artificial intlligence woke images
© Frank J. Fleming/XX user Frank J. Fleming repeatedly prompted Gemini to generate images of people from white-skinned groups in history, including Vikings. Gemini gave results showing dark-skinned Vikings, including one woman.
The application generated images of Asian Nazis in 1940 Germany, Black Vikings and female medieval knights

Google is pausing its new Gemini AI tool after users blasted the image generator for being 'too woke' by replacing white historical figures with people of color.

The AI tool churned out racially diverse Vikings, knights, founding fathers, and even Nazi soldiers.

Artificial intelligence programs learn from the information available to them, and researchers have warned that AI is prone to recreate the racism, sexism, and other biases of its creators and of society at large.

In this case, Google may have overcorrected in its efforts to address discrimination, as some users fed it prompt after prompt in failed attempts to get the AI to make a picture of a white person.
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Arrow Up

Household debt highest in nation's history

Peter Schiff
Schiffgold
Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00 UTC
household debt
In a recent interview, Peter Schiff was featured on Real America with Dan Ball.

In analyzing the current economic landscape, Peter shared a perspective that challenges the optimistic narratives surrounding key indicators. His skepticism extends to reported job growth, which he attributes to individuals taking multiple jobs amid rising prices and stagnant paychecks. Peter also critiqued the inflation report, countering the notion of decreasing inflation by asserting that it is bottoming out and poised to intensify. He emphasized the stark contrast between official reports and the real experiences of everyday Americans, particularly underscoring the record-high levels of household debt and the government's role in exacerbating economic challenges.

Furthermore, Peter highlighted the potential repercussions of rising interest rates, predicting that instead of alleviating inflation, they would contribute to its escalation. The interview concluded with a cautionary note on government spending, as Peter advised against additional borrowing when the nation is already grappling with substantial debt.

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Cardboard Box

Maxim Yusin: Here's why Polish-Ukrainian relations are turning ugly


RT
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 22:21 UTC
Poland / Ukranian border
© Getty Images / Getty Images
The rift between the neighbors is now being felt on an emotional level as old tensions begin to reemerge
Kommersant columnist Maxim Yusin reflects on the causes and consequences of the crisis in Ukraine-Poland relations

The European Commission has called on Polish security forces to ensure the transit of Ukrainian goods across the EU border. Local authorities are responsible for maintaining law and order, so Warsaw must protect the rights of passengers and the free movement of products, which are key to the supply chains of the EU's internal market, Brussels has advised. Meanwhile, farmers and truckers who have been blocking Ukrainian lorries since November are now being joined by hunters unhappy with the new Polish government's environmental policies. The farmers themselves plan to step up their protests, blocking checkpoints on the border with Ukraine as well as transport hubs and access roads to rail and sea ports.

The crisis in Ukrainian-Polish relations may seem completely illogical and paradoxical. After all, it was Warsaw that, after 24 February 2022, positioned itself as Kiev's most reliable and resolute ally in Europe, demanding the toughest measures against Moscow even when Paris and Berlin hesitated, President Macron suggested continuing the dialogue with his Russian counterpart, and Chancellor Scholz initially hoped to limit himself to supplying the Ukrainian army with 5,000 helmets.

Comment: Once people see through the lies because their daily lives are affected and they feel the impact directly, they will stand up for their survival and that of their families. The ideologies of the upper class cannot win when people feel that their lives are in danger. No wonder things are emotional here.

See also:

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Stop

Four states race to stop 'Great Taking' of all bank accounts, stocks, bonds, pensions before financial/election events

Wayne Lusvardi
LewRockwell.com
Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:00 UTC
property rights
The good news is this "great taking" can be stopped at the state level. Americans don't need to count on a divided Congress to get the job done. Because the UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) is state law, state lawmakers can take concrete steps to restore the property rights of their constituents and protect them in the event of a financial crisis - Ellen Brown, Diffusing the Derivatives Time Bomb: Some Proposed Solutions, Feb. 14, 2024.
Presently four relatively small states, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Delaware, are trying to stop the burning fuse of a financial bomb that could cause a legally provided raid on all stock, bond and bank account investments from its residents, businesses, and pension funds in their jurisdictions. This financial bomb is to confiscate assets for losses on purely unrelated speculative gambling bets in the Derivatives Market, not from any genuine risk hedging (as insurance) to protect those financial resources.
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Stormtrooper

Arms maker BAE reporting record profits amid West's proxy war in Ukraine, and Israel's Gaza genocide

Jasper Jolly
The Guardian
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 13:37 UTC
Typhoon fighter jet
© Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergPictured: A BAE Systems Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet. FTSE 100 company says global instability is making government focus on defence spending
Increased military spending prompted by Russia's war on Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict helped the British weapons manufacturer BAE Systems to record profits last year, with further growth expected in the year ahead.

The FTSE 100 company made underlying profits before interest and tax of £2.7bn on record sales of £25.3bn in 2023.

Shares in weapons manufacturers have surged in the past two years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 made governments reassess their plans for military spending.


Comment: A variety of 'mishaps' highlight that, despite spending record sums, competence is plummeting: British nuclear submarine missile MISFIRES and 'plops' into the ocean, 2nd such incident amid a myriad of other Navy fails


Comment: And the UK's energy suppliers and supermarkets are also reporting record profits; it's rather telling as to the warped state of the Western world that, as the suffering of people increases, so do the profits of mega-corporations: UK food shortages 'alarmingly likely' next year, University of Belfast warns - malnutrition cases tripled in 10 years

Despite the hype, the more rapacious the West becomes, the more glaring its failings: Russian arms production has Europe's warmongers worried

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Hourglass

For Putin foe Alexey Navalny, Ukraine has long been a volatile issue

David M. Herszenhorn
The Washington Post
Fri, 27 Oct 2023 06:00 UTC
Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny, whose mother is Russian and whose father was born in Ukraine
© Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty ImagesRussian opposition activist Alexey Navalny, whose mother is Russian and whose father was born in Ukraine, has a complicated relationship with Ukraine.
The following article is adapted from "The Dissident: Alexey Navalny, Profile of a Political Prisoner," which was released by Twelve, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, on Oct. 31.
“The Dissident: Alexey Navalny, Profile of a Political Prisoner”
© The Washington Post, (Courtesy of Twelve Books)“The Dissident: Alexey Navalny, Profile of a Political Prisoner”
He is the imprisoned opposition leader who more than any other Russian political figure has challenged Vladimir Putin's rule. He has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and said that Moscow must withdraw its troops and pay reparations. He is half-Ukrainian.

And yet Alexey Navalny is widely distrusted, if not despised, in Ukraine.

For Navalny, like millions of other Russians with Ukrainian roots, Putin's war has been a blood-soaked tragedy. It has also put him in political quandary — compelled to change and clarify earlier statements that appeared to deny Ukrainian nationhood as he espoused the idea that Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians are all one people, and that Crimea, annexed by Putin, was an integral part of Russia wrongfully given to Ukraine by a Soviet leader.

Comment:

1) Alexey Navalny passed away on 16 February 2024: NATO stooge Alexei Navalny dies in prison following brief illness
In his political career he went through stages: From Russian far-right nationalist agitator to darling of Western liberals: Who was Alexey Navalny?
Between 2000 and 2007, Navalny was a member of the liberal Yabloko party, before co-founding an ethnic nationalist movement called 'Narod.' He appeared in two notorious YouTube videos for the group, one advocating for gun rights to fight "flies and cockroaches" (attached to images of Muslim insurgents from the southern Caucasus), and another comparing immigrants from Islamic regions to tooth decay.
2) See also: 3) Regarding the comment from Navalny:
"Recognizing our history and traditions, we must be part of Europe and follow the European path of development. We have no other choice, nor do we need any."
The European path of development is not straight forward: An Anti-Russian Europe Is a Europe That Destroys Itself!
West using 'Russia threat' as pretext to destabilize Europe: Lavrov
German FM says EU ready to hit Russia with new round of sanctions
Why NATO's 'Military Schengen' evokes memories of Nazi Germany's anti-Russia past
Scholz and lackeys dig grave for Germany
Paper tiger Ukraine signs 'security pacts' with paper tigers Germany and France
Germany gives timeframe for possible Russian 'attack' on NATO
World leaders no longer working toward peace - Serbian president

4) We live in a world with many political changes, and while conflicts can take up attention and seem scary, there are changes in other spheres: From that perspective, much of what Navalny was about could also be seen as a distraction.

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TV

CBS faces uproar after seizing investigative journalist Herridge's files

Jonathan Turley
The Hill
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 21:38 UTC
Catherine Herridge
© X/@FaceTheNation - ScreenshotVeteran national security reporter Catherine Herridge
"Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation." Those words, from CBS icon Edward R. Murrow, came to mind this week after I spoke with journalists at the network.

There is trouble brewing at Black Rock, the headquarters of CBS, after the firing of Catherine Herridge, an acclaimed investigative reporter. Many of us were shocked after Herridge was included in layoffs this month, but those concerns have increased after CBS officials took the unusual step of seizing her files, computers and records, including information on privileged sources.

The position of CBS has alarmed many, including the union, as an attack on free press principles by one of the nation's most esteemed press organizations.

Comment: From Assange on down, free speech and the ability to hold leaders to account is under attack.

Paramount exec conveniently axes award-winning CBS investigative reporters amid layoffs

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Cell Phone

US AT&T customers hit by nationwide cellular outages

Marlene Lenthang
NBC
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 18:19 UTC
at&t building
© Mike Blake / ReutersAT&T
AT&T's network suffered widespread outages across the country Thursday morning with cellular service and internet down, according to the tracking site Downdetector.

Some Verizon and T-Mobile customers also reported outages, though both companies said those affected had been trying to contact AT&T users.

Over 32,000 AT&T outages were reported by customers at about 4 a.m. ET on Thursday. Reports dipped then spiked again to more than 50,000 around 7 a.m., with most issues reported in Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta, according to the site.

Comment: It may be a sign of America's increasingly deteriorating infrastructure, and/or it may be notable in light of the following:

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Magnify

'Well being' of Europeans deteriorated following outbreak of war in Ukraine - study

Anke Poppen, University of Münster
Medical Xpress
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:15 UTC
well being europe
© Nature Communications (2024) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44693-6.Number of experience-sampling measurements in European countries between January 24 and March 27, 2022.
The outbreak of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine almost two years ago led internationally to a collective downturn in people's sense of well-being — irrespective of age, gender, political views or any other attributes which the people questioned had.


Comment: 'Russia's war of aggression' is a propaganda narrative pushed solely by the rapidly shrinking 'international community' of the West and its vassals.


However, individual personality traits play a decisive role as regards the issue of recovering from the shock.

These are the results of a study carried out by an international team of researchers headed by psychologists Julian Scharbert and Prof. Mitja Back from the University of Münster. The study was based on around 45,000 individual surveys taking in 1,300 people from 17 European countries, with over 50 researchers involved. The results of the study have been published in Nature Communications.

Comment: People in Russia and Ukraine likely have been subjected to more stressors, but one wonders whether there's a greater resilience due to having suffered significant societal unrest in their recent histories.

Furthermore, by comparison, Russian society hasn't been subjected to other fracturing issues, such as weaponised mass migration; the enforcement of ideologies like the Green Agenda, LGBTQ+; to name but a few of the differences: Over 80% of Russians are 'happy' - poll

Either way, the report doesn't bode well considering the establishment appears determined to directly involve Europe in a war of some kind with Russia: Korybko: Russia's Avdeevka win will reverberate across Europe and accelerate geostrategic shifts

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