Society's Child
Russia now has available in and around Ukraine 5-600,000 regular troops, almost none of which have been used so far, with Moscow having been relying on the DPR and LNR forces, the Wagner troops, Chechens, and massive attacks from the air by artillery, rockets, drones and such in previous phases of the war.
Several people familiar with the discussions inside the administration said the commerce department had notified some companies that it would no longer grant licences to any group wanting to export American technology to Huawei.
The move marks the latest prong in Washington's campaign to curb the Shenzhen-based tech company, which US security officials believe helps China engage in espionage. Huawei denies any involvement in spying.
Comment: It's pretty clear that this is just part of the US' attempts to contain China by way of sanctions by another name
Wind turbine failures are on the uptick, from Oklahoma to Sweden and Colorado to Germany, with all three of the major manufacturers admitting that the race to create bigger turbines has invited manufacturing issues, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Multiple turbines that are taller than 750 feet are collapsing across the world, with the tallest — 784 feet in stature — falling in Germany in September 2021. To put it in perspective, those turbines are taller than both the Space Needle in Seattle and the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Even smaller turbines that recently took a tumble in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Wales, and Colorado were about the height of the Statue of Liberty.

Although China successfully replicated some old ASML lithography, chipmakers stick with foreign technology
Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment said its SSZ600/20 could make 90nm chips.
ASML's sales of chipmaking equipment to China rose from about US$700 million in 2016 to US$2.8 billion in 2022.
Wennink also said that any further export ban would accelerate China's plan to develop its own lithography tools.
His comment came after media reports said the Netherlands and Japan, which have dominated the lithography markets for decades, would impose certain export restrictions on China as soon as the end of this month.
Comment: What are the chances that these bans, as with those against Russia, will backfire on the US and its lackeys in the West?
- US chip performance beaten by Chinese start up in independent testing, thwarting US blacklisting
- Belgium won't back EU ban on Russian diamonds, PM says the sanction is 'pointless unless it's global'
The decreases in payments are driven by two main factors, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) said in an update in early January.
FNS is an agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Firstly, the temporary increase to SNAP benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic - also known as emergency allotments - will end after the February 2023 payment.
The emergency allotments gave most SNAP households approximately $95 in extra payment, the agency said.
Comment: Crime in the US is already reaching record levels, and if welfare for the poor prevents people from procuring the necessities, crime will inevitably get many times worse.

Isla Bryson, 31, formerly known as Adam Graham, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, arrives at the High Court in Glasgow.
After facing pressure to intervene in the transfer of a transgender convicted rapist to an all-women's prison, Scotland's government has decided to stop transferring such inmates with a history of violence against women to its all-female prison, according to reports.
The Agence France-Presse, or AFP, reported the decision was made just days after a rapist was removed from the all-female prison.
Some people worry women-only spaces are being compromised by those who are fighting for transgender rights.
Comment: Who knew that author J.K. Rowling would emerge as a staunch defender of women's rights. But given her experiences with raising a child while on the edge of poverty, perhaps its not so surprising.
But are people aware of the extent to which their lives are dependent on fossil fuels? Do they know that more than 90 percent of things used in their everyday lives are derived from fossil fuels?
From your toothbrush to your car tire, a majority of the things you use today has been made possible because of fossil fuels. Shoes, refrigerators, washing machines, coffee makers, furniture, pens, eating utensils, eyeglasses, commodes, medical gear, camping equipment, and the list goes on and on.
Comment: This is what the spoiled brats of Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil refuse to understand. Their entire privileged lifestyle that allows them to throw public temper tantrums depends on fossil fuels. Beyond infuriating.
So many things wrong there, where to begin?
Comment: Tell Schumer to do (the real) math and stop the expanding the IRS. Given Congress' unread, 5000-page grift package known as the Appropriations Bill, Americans should decide whether the current government is worth their pennies.

Security officials inspect the site of a mosque blast in Peshawar on January 30, 2023.
Witnesses and officials say the explosion was so powerful that the roof of the mosque collapsed.
The authorities have declared a "medical emergency" in the city and called on locals to donate blood for the injured.
Security officials told Geo News that the suicide bomber was in the front row of worshippers during prayers when he set off the explosive.
Speaking to reporters, Capital City Police Officer Muhammad Ijaz Khan acknowledged that a "security lapse occurred."

FILE PHOTO: A Leopard 2 tank during an exercise in Ostenholz, Germany, October 2022.
"Russian servicemen that destroy or capture a German Leopard 2 battle tank or an American Abrams will receive a monetary reward," the company announced in a statement on its website on Friday.
"Fores will pay 5 million rubles [$70,700] for the first trophy. The payment for every next one ... will be 500,000 rubles [$7,070]."
The company added that if Ukraine ever acquires F-15 and F-16 jet fighters, Fores would hand out a 15-million-ruble ($212,100) prize for the first downed aircraft.
The decision to transfer Western tanks to Kiev shows that NATO is not only delivering defensive weapons to Ukraine, which highlights the need for consolidation and support for our army. We have been doing this since the first days of [Russia's] special military operation and will continue to support our servicemen.Founded in 2000, Fores makes and sells proppant, used by oil and gas companies for fracking, according to its website. The company's office is in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
On Sunday, Russian actor Ivan Okhlobystin, who is known for having hawkish views, announced a similar bounty on his blog. "Certain members of the big business community have authorized me to inform you that they are setting a 10-million-ruble ($143,900) prize for every destroyed Abrams," he wrote.
Comment: Don't expect those tanks, should they ever actually reach the battlefield, to last very long with such high bounties. The West seems to be solidifying not only Russian sentiment but also Ukrainian's inevitable defeat with every move it makes to support Ukraine.
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