DOUGH

https://www2.qanonbin.com/paste/03R0f1V7v

kitchen's open if you feel the need to knead

>>62508

tyb

Puerto Rico Bond Default Called Over Fiscal Plan’s Debt Cuts

Puerto Rico’s entry into court protection is exacerbating tensions between Wall Street firms holding sales-tax bonds that the territory’s federal overseers want impaired. Bank of New York Mellon alleges default on $17 billion in sales tax bonds

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. , the trustee for $17 billion in sales-tax bonds known as Cofina s, notified Puerto Rico in a Thursday letter that it believes events of default have occurred, according to a copy reviewed by WSJ Pro Bankruptcy. The alleged defaults stem from the controversial fiscal plan that Puerto Rico’s oversight board adopted as its framework for restructuring a $73 billion mountain of public debt. Last week Governor Ricardo Rossello signed a local law to comply with the fiscal plan that allows him under certain circumstances to break the lockbox securing the sales tax revenues and move them into Puerto Rico’s grasp. “As a result of these limitations and restrictions on Cofina’s rights and ability to meet its obligations to bondholders, the commonwealth’s enactment of the fiscal plan compliance law constitutes a default,” BNY Mellon said in the letter. A spokeswoman declined to comment further.

A spokesman for the federal oversight board didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Creditors holding Cofina bonds, which Puerto Rico began issuing a decade ago as an alternative way to borrow, have continued to be paid even after Puerto Rico stopped servicing other debts. Even so, Bank of New York’s position has become increasingly untenable. All signs indicate that Cofina’s special status is likely to end, leaving the bank caught between senior creditors arguing that the oversight board’s stated plans to confiscate the pledged sales tax revenues are a default, and junior creditors who want to avoid an acceleration of the senior bonds.

This week the oversight board placed Puerto Rico under a restructuring proceeding akin to bankruptcy that empowers a federal court to write down bonds by force. The fiscal plan allocates roughly $800 million a year in payments for creditors, compared with the $35 billion they are owed over the next decade. Sales taxes that had previously serviced only Cofina bonds would be commingled with other revenue streams and used for general purposes.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday appointed U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the Manhattan, New York federal court to preside over the unprecedented proceeding. Federal officials didn’t invoke the same bankruptcy option for Cofina, the public entity that issued the sales tax bonds, though they could do so at any time without public notice. Judge Swain is a Brooklyn native who practiced employment law at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP before assuming a bankruptcy judgeship in 1996. Former President Bill Clinton appointed her to the federal bench in 2000. Whitebox Advisors LLC, a holder of senior bonds, and Ambac Assurance Corp., which guarantees senior bonds, recently sued Bank of New York complaining that the trustee had failed to protect their interests and prioritize their holdings over those of junior creditors. Accelerating the maturity of senior bonds after a default would put their claims ahead of subordinated holders that include some of Puerto Rico’s largest mutual-fund creditors.

Negotiations between Puerto Rico and major creditor groups collapsed last week when the territory indicated it wanted deeper debt concessions from Cofina creditors than from competing general obligation bondholders. The territory released offers to pay sales tax bondholders a maximum of 58 cents on the dollar, compared with 77 cents for so-called G.O. creditors.

Puerto Rico later revised its offer to 90 cents on the dollar for the G.O.s, after which the oversight board stopped negotiations and placed the territory under bankruptcy protection, as reported by WSJ Pro Bankruptcy.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/puerto-rico-bond-default-called-over-fiscal-plans-debt-cuts-1494014938

from 2017

Puerto Rico credit sues BNY over sales tax bonds

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/puerto-rico-credit-sues-bny-over-sales-tax-bonds-2017-04-12

SAM775 USAF G5 west out of JBA

SCORE46 US Navy Triton drone out of Pax River over C-Bay at 50k ft

SAM744 USAF C-32A looks like it is heading to MacDill AFB

>>62496 pb

>>62522

add 09-0017 USAF C-32A departing JBA to the mix with SCORE46 drone heading for open water likely set up off DL/MD coast on the track

>>62508

TYB

>>62508

tyw

checkin in

ready to call the ball

confirm handoff

>>62527

all yers big daddy. let da bred flow.

Handoff Confirmed

>>62529

acknowledged

habs a smooth one

Origially UK #34 >>13038455

Whitney Webb on the Oxford-AstraZeneca Eugenics Links

Even some in the independent media have bought into the hype surrounding the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine and its “non-profit” nature. But once you peel back the layers of obfuscation you quickly find not only the profit motive hiding underneath, but the dark specter of eugenics. Whitney Webb of Unlimited Hangout joins us to discuss her recent article, “Developers of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Tied to UK Eugenics Movement.”

https://www.corbettreport.com/interview-1619-whitney-webb-on-the-oxford-astrazeneca-eugenics-links/

>>62532

RCH728T USAF C-17 Globemaster departing MCB Quantico after a ground stop-inbound from Charleston, SC

RCH573T USAF C-17 Globemaster departed Dover AFB nw

SCORE71 US Navy E-6B Mercury over C-Bay from Pax River

09-0017 USAF C-32A doign fly bys at Richmond, VA Int'l Airport

SCORE46 drone out off DL/MD

SAM797 USAF C-32A on approach for Peterson AFB form JBA depart

Froze at this point on descent

SAM744 USAF C-32A on approach for Homestead ARB, Fl from JBA

RAIDR64 USAF E-8C Joint STARS off Space Coast on the track from Robins AFB, GA

The true story of Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) who quit his job at The Department of Homeland Security to help save the lives of thousands of children from human trafficking.

#FREEDOM

IMDB – SOUND OF FREEDOM

The story of Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel), a former US government agent, who quits his job in order to devote his life to rescuing children from global sex traffickers.

https://twitter.com/KyleZachmann/status/1253894904268369920?s=20

https://youtu.be/Go62y25B8Vc Tim Ballard in front of the Senate.

>>62540

get well means illness to me, urban dict says drug addiction

also kinda found this

not sure but multiple meanings

>>62541

Attorney General Ken Paxton

@KenPaxtonTX

HUGE WIN. The first of many against Biden’s unlawful agenda. My team & I have fought tirelessly for TX, and we’ve built a nat’l coalition to stop Dems’ unconstitutional actions. The media’s ridiculous stories won’t stop my work. I’ll con’t to press on for freedom & for TX. #TEXAS

https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1364610771737485317

>>62542

Daily caller BLM funds, Q drop #4555

https://mobile.twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1364619894596071425

Having America's media and corporate elite spend a year promoting your organization with no questions asked has its perks Money bagMoney bagMoney bag

Ahead of March COMEX Silver Deliveries

As is often the case, there is a lot of hype regarding the impact the #SilverSqueeze movement might have on the delivery process at COMEX in March. The purpose of this post is not to discourage you, but instead brace you for how the month is likely to play out. If you're new to this heavily-manipulated market, there are a few key dates that you'll need to understand. First, there are five months of the year that are considered "delivery months", and the futures contracts for these months serve as the "front month" for trading purposes. These months are: March, May, July, September, and December. The current front month is the March21. Trading has been focused on this contract since the Dec20 went off the board and into delivery at the end of November last year. Before that, the Sep20 was the front month until it went off the board and into delivery back in late August, and so on.

There is a process and a schedule for moving the front month contract off the board and into delivery. That schedule can always be found at the CME Group website. Here's a link: http://www.cmegroup.com/trading/metals/precious/gold_quotes_settlements…

'that is if the CFTC /COMEX does not come in and bribe you (in cash-also against it's own rules) to stand down.

The first event is the expiration and pricing of options on the front month contract. This typically occurs 2-3 days before the contract goes off the board. For the Mar21, the options expired at the COMEX close on Tuesday, the 23rd. This is almost always an event where The Banks manipulate and manage price to their advantage. At TF Metals Report, we had been expecting a Tuesday closing price near $27.50 and definitely below $28. And that's precisely what we got. For #SilverSqueezers, the next key event comes on Thursday, the 25th, when the Mar21 contract goes off the board and into delivery. What does that mean?

After the COMEX close on Thursday, anyone still holding a Mar21 contract will be on notice that they may have a contract delivered to them. To show that you are financially capable of taking or making that delivery, the contract holder must show 100% margin in their account. If you are an active trader on margin, you'll likely want nothing to do with this, so you will liquidate your Mar21 position and roll it to the next front month of May before Thursday's close.

Yep

If you are seeking delivery, then you will fully fund that purchase (100% margin) by late Thursday, and then you will wait to get your warehouse receipt…which you hope you'll be able to convert into actual physical metal in as short a period of time as possible. The Mar21 contract will continue to trade through the month of March but only to entities with full 100% margin funding in their account. As the month progresses, "deliveries" of warehouse receipts will be made against the remaining open interest, with shorts delivering (issuing) to longs (stopping). Then, as March comes to a close, all remaining contracts will be settled out and the focus and process begins again in late April for the May contract.

So when you read the hysteria from the usual hype merchants about the possibility of "imminent COMEX collapse", understand that this "delivery process" has been taking place since precious metals futures trading was first introduced in January of 1975. There hasn't been a failure yet…and there's unlikely to be a failure in March, because the rules are such that a delivery failure is nearly impossible.

While it's possible that someday 40,000 contracts will remain open (200,000,000 ounces) and standing at First Notice Day when the delivery month contract goes off the board, the numbers for March don't make it appear that it will happen next month.

And frustration, despair, disappointment, and capitulation are the last things we need right now. Instead, if we are ever to defeat The Banks and force a change to their fraudulent pricing scheme, we need persistence. As we wrote three weeks ago, the only way to effect change is through a forced deleverage of the system…and only the removal of metal from the dirty hands of the Bankers can make this happen. Therefore, we must not get discouraged when the COMEX doesn't fail in March, and we must instead redouble our efforts in acquiring physical metal.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2021-02-23/ahead-march-comex-silver-deliveries

Tom Fitton now scheduled to speak at CPAC on Sunday. Watch live.

BREAKING: Judicial Watch announced its participation as a Supporting Sponsor of the annual CPAC, Feb 25-28, in Orlando, FL. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton is scheduled to speak on the main stage Sunday, Feb 28, 2021, from 12:10 p.m. – 12:25 p.m* (1/2).

Viewers can watch the broadcast live Thursday – Sunday at http://judicialwatch.org/cpac. They can also visit the Judicial Watch Facebook page or YouTube page (2/2).

https://twitter.com/JudicialWatch/status/1364623034368339971

>>62548

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Wednesday that the head of the European Union’s delegation in Caracas had 72 hours to leave the South American country after the bloc imposed new sanctions on Venezuelan officials this week.

In announcing the action against Portuguese national Isabel Brilhante, Arreaza described the sanctions against 19 Venezuelan officials “truly unacceptable.”

The sanctions were a response to legislative elections won by President Nicolas Maduro’s allies that Venezuela’s opposition and many Western democracies deemed fraudulent.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-eu-idUSKBN2AO26Z?taid=60368ada093c480001e4b576&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

North Dakota House passes bill prohibiting government mask mandates

Is now headed to the State Senate

The North Dakota House of Representatives has passed a bill that would ban the implementation of President Joe Biden’s proposed national mask mandate. The bill would “prohibit state and local officials, schools and businesses from mandating face masks.”

The anti-mask mandate bill passed on Monday by a narrow margin of 50-44, and is slated to head to the state Senate, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

Three months ago, Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum imposed a state-wide mask mandate, which expired in January. Several cities across the state, including Bismarck, Fargo, and Grand Forks had already required the use of masks in public spaces.

The sponsor of the anti-mask mandate bill, Republican state Rep. Jeff Hoverson, argued that North Dakota should be as free as its southern neighbor, South Dakota. The Grand Forks Herald reported that both state’s coronavirus numbers have steadily decreased, despite North Dakota’s imposition of a mask mandate. In contrast, South Dakota under Gov. Kristi Noem never imposed a mask mandate and allowed residents to make their own decisions.

Hoverson described the mask mandates as “diabolical silliness,” and described them as a part of a larger conspiracy by “unelected, wealthy bureaucrats who are robbing our freedoms and perpetuating lies.”

Supporters of the bill claim that masking does not prevent the spread of COVID-19, with many pointing out the ineffectiveness of cloth masks and paper masks as ineffectual forms of security theater. As many experts have pointed out, masks require an N-95 rating to be truly effective against the spread of infectious diseases, which many people are not wearing despite “masking up.”

Republican state Rep. Jason Dockter also spoke out against Burgum’s legislation, arguing that states should allow counties, schools, employers, and cities to have “local control” over the decision.

Experts argue that while COVID-19 cases dropped after the North Dakota governor issued a mask mandate, it was likely due to many other factors, including social distancing efforts and restrictions on the operation of businesses, more so than the mask requirement, the Herald reports.

The North Dakota bill comes following the release of new CDC guidelines pushing the importance of mask-wearing, including an advisory to wear two masks. According to the CDC, the organization ran experiments in order to examine the ways in which to improve “the fit of medical procedure masks: fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask, and knotting the ear loops of a medical procedure mask and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face. Each modification substantially improved source control and reduced wearer exposure.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. official on COVID, has been criticized for saying that wearing masks will be required indefinitely.

https://www.rebelnews.com/north_dakota_house_passes_bill_prohibiting_government_mask_mandates

>>62532

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It may take more than three years to reach the Federal Reserve’s inflation goals, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers on Wednesday, a further signal the U.S. central bank plans to look beyond any post-pandemic spike in prices and leave interest rates unchanged for a long time to come.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-powell-idUSKBN2AO254?taid=60368998d1af600001283844&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

Global airline industry body to launch Covid ‘travel pass’ by March

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that it will launch a Covid-19 travel pass by March, which it says will give travelers a way to display test results and confirmation they’ve received a vaccine.

The measure, dubbed the IATA Travel Pass, is aimed at providing government, airlines and travelers with a streamlined process to ensure there is “accurate information, secure identification and verified data” available to meet all relevant Covid-19 restrictions.

The IATA has outlined a timeline for the full rollout of its travel pass, with initial efforts underway at Singapore Airlines while a further 20 airlines are testing the app. More companies are set to start using it in the next few months, the organization said, and it aims to have the full pass ready to go live at the end of March.

At the same meeting, the IATA expressed concerns that the ongoing global restrictions around Covid are still hitting airlines, with its chief economist warning it will likely take longer than planned for companies to be able to stop burning cash and begin rebounding financially. Some companies have expressed concern that the summer booking period, a popular time for the airline industry, still “remains weak,” with reservations currently only at seven percent of pre-pandemic levels. The IATA, which represents some 290 members, has urged governments to provide further financial support to prevent the crisis in the travel industry from getting worse.

The statement from the IATA comes after Europol issued a warning about criminals selling falsified Covid-19 test results to travelers, allowing them to get around the restrictions in place because of the pandemic. In January, the UK’s Immigration Service Union told Britain’s Sky News that there is no way for border officers to validate Covid-19 tests to ensure they are legitimate.

https://www.rt.com/news/516475-global-airline-industry-covid-travel/

1 of 8

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2020, file photo, a server carries food for a customer at Ye Olde King's Head in Santa Monica, Calif. Not willing to wait for more federal help, states have been moving ahead with their own coronavirus relief packages. Maryland and California recently moved forward with help for the poor, the jobless, small businesses and those needing child care. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Not waiting for more federal help, states have been approving their own coronavirus aid packages, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to help residents and business owners devastated by the the pandemic’s economic fallout.

Maryland and California recently moved forward with help for the poor, the jobless, small businesses and those needing child care. New Mexico and Pennsylvania are funneling grants directly to cash-starved businesses. North Carolina’s governor wants additional state aid for such things as bonus pay for teachers and boosting rural internet speeds.

The spending also provides fuel for critics who say states don’t need another massive infusion of cash from Congress. The Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion relief plan would send hundreds of billions of dollars to state and local governments.

https://apnews.com/article/business-personal-taxes-pennsylvania-north-carolina-coronavirus-pandemic-af2c61f434baec02797cd407642aaca6?utm_medium=AP&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter

New York Democrats Hold Outdoor Presser Calling for Charges Against Governor Cuomo

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/breaking-big-new-york-democrats-hold-outdoor-presser-calling-criminal-charges-governor-cuomo-video/

FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden signs an executive order, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. Biden is signing an executive order Wednesday to review the United States’ supply chains for large capacity batteries, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals and semiconductors. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is preparing to sign an executive order to review U.S. supply chains for large-capacity batteries, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals and semiconductors that power cars, phones, military equipment and other goods.

The United States has become increasingly reliant on imports of these goods — a potential national security and economic risk that the Biden administration hopes to address with the planned 100-day review and the possibility of increased domestic production, according to administration officials who insisted on anonymity to discuss the order. However, Biden will also look to work with international partners to ensure a stable and reliable supply chain.

The order being signed Wednesday will include sectoral reviews to be completed within one year for defense, public health and biological preparedness, information communications technology, energy, transportation and food production.

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-global-trade-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b08eb8f76932cc71049732ddd60a035d?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP_Politics

>>62549

me too

>>62549

>>62563

Noice

Kekt

This is not a joke. Twitter has deleted dozens of account for the crime of "undermining faith in the NATO alliance".

https://twitter.com/AlanRMacLeod/status/1364548110521876480

This is absolutely fucking deranged. Twitter is deleting accounts that “undermine faith in NATO”.

Note that Gordon McMillan, a captain in the UK's 77th Brigade psychological warfare division, is a Twitter executive.

https://twitter.com/MarkAmesExiled/status/1364560254718144514

>>62568

RCH728T USAF C-17 Globemaster on final at Houston, TX Ellington Airport-second load delivered for Friday's visit

SAM526 USAF C-40B departed MacDill AFB north after an overnight-arrived from Shannon, Ireland ground stop and Abu Dhabi depart yesterday

State Dept AC

SAM744 USAF C-32A departed Homestead ARB, Fl after a ground stop-origin of JBA

>>62568

Shared that with the Brits, Aussies, Kiwis, and South Africans.

SAM767 USAF G5 (KAF AC of interdast) departed JBA ssw

99th Airlift Squadron

The 99th Airlift Squadron (99 AS) is part of the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. It operates C-9 Skytrain II and C-20 aircraft providing executive airlift. The mission of the 99th Airlift Squadron is to "Provide unsurpassed safe, comfortable, and reliable DV airlift for our nation's leaders and foreign dignitaries; anytime, anywhere".

The squadron operates specially configured aircraft on Special Air Missions (SAM) directed by HQ USAF supporting the President, Vice President, and other US and foreign senior diplomats. Selectively manned aircrews are responsible for the detailed planning and execution of sensitive missions of national and international consequence. The crew establishes direct coordination with numerous agencies to include Headquarters United States Air Force, embassies, and Congressional offices. Crews conduct these global missions isolated from normal supply and command and control structures. The aircrews accomplish Special Air Missions (SAM) into unfamiliar airfields, in all weather conditions, with 99.5% reliability and often while the world is literally watching. The crews obtain diplomatic clearances and coordinate all en route support requirements essential to mission accomplishment.

Typical missions include supporting Congressional delegations sent to monitor election results in Haiti, shuttle diplomacy missions in the Balkans, missions flown in support of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations, and the V-E and V-J Day celebrations. The 99th Airlift Squadron routinely conducts First Lady and Air Force Two missions and provides aircrew members to augment Air Force One missions.

https://military.wikia.org/wiki/99th_Airlift_Squadron

>>62571

> Royal United Services Institute

In the USAspending.gov database to the tune of just over $211K dollars. 39% of it spent in the US in Alabama? What's in Alabama?

Welll, apparently they had a symposium in Alabama and the DoD "supported" them in their endeavors. (2009) Haven't found the actual symposium yet. Will post if found.

https://www.usaspending.gov/recipient/a11f96c7-0d4b-d0ac-9e1a-fa847c075a1d-P/all

https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_FA330009P0126_9700_-NONE-_-NONE-

All of the Federal Reserve's wire and ACH systems are down

"A Federal Reserve operational error resulted in disruption of service in several business lines," said Jim Strader from the Richmond Fed.

All of the services available through the Federal Reserve's online portal have been down for more than an hour.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank Services' website, the bank is experiencing a disruption in its account services, central bank, Check 21, check adjustments, FedACH, FedCash, FedLine Advantage, FedLine Command, FedLine Direct, FedLine Web, Fedwire Funds, Fedwire Securities, and National Settlement — all services typically available — which started at 6:18 PM UTC today. In addition, all the access solutions that the Fed offers, with the exception of FedMail, are also offline. "A Federal Reserve operational error resulted in disruption of service in several business lines," said Jim Strader from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. "We are restoring services and are communicating with all Federal Reserve Financial Services customers about the status of operations."

https://cointelegraph.com/news/all-of-the-federal-reserve-s-wire-and-ach-systems-are-down

>>62577

Isn't "Space Camp" in Alabama?

Got a Space Force and a Space Camp and nobody wants to just through millions of dollars to me (capitalize a business it would, create jobs it would) so how about some Space Camp Scholarships?

>>62578

Didn't look or parse. Just a start if yer intrasted.

https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=christine%20pelosi

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1364670094144602117

NEW - Federal Reserve said that an "operational error" disrupted services in several of its business lines, including the electronic settlement system used by banks, businesses, and government agencies to execute some $3 trillion in transactions per day.

>>62594

THIS

>>62594

https://twitter.com/usairforce/status/1364674975395942411/photo/1

Accelerate Change or LOSE.

https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1364672560366026759

Yikes!!! That’s a no no Cuomo.

Is Chris going to cover this tonight? Maybe you guys can laugh about it with an oversized Q-Tip and make it go away?

>>62586

>>62594

"You'll see what happens"

[They] are asking the same thing

>I'm not worried about it in the least

[They] are

https://twitter.com/MarkMeadows/status/1364671851746713604

In that case: When can we expect the Democrat letter going after CNN, MSNBC, and more for breathless promotion of the debunked Russian collusion conspiracy?

https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1364637562128789505

Rep.

@cathymcmorris

rips House Dems attempting to pressure big tech to censor conservative media:

"That sounds like actions from the Chinese Communist Party, not duly elected representatives of the United States Congress… Should CNN still be carried after hosting Gov Cuomo?"

>>62595

Sigh

https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1364666413651275783?s=20

Cuomo aide denies Lindsey Boylan claim governor asked her to play 'strip poker' during 2017 flight

https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1364683421423972353

>>62602

IKR??

JUST IN - http://Reddit.com down, GameStop ($GME) stock up 103% in late-afternoon trading before shares were halted.

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1364683985905942530

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1364683985905942530

https://twitter.com/CatalinaLauf/status/1364683187356655616

https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1364646448894255108

I wonder if anyone is going to bring up years of Russia Hoax lies and disinformation about Trump supposedly being an agent of Russia in the #DisinformationHearing?

Or does CNN and MSMBC get a pass as they seem to function as agents of the radical left and the democrat party?

>>62574

SAM767 USAF G5 (KAF AC of interdast) landed at Miami Int'l about 20 minutes ago

>>62572

SAM526 USAF C-40B (State Dept AC) landed at JBA from MacDill AFB depart alos about 20 minutes ago

SAM775 USAF G5 departed Peterson AFB east back to JBA after a ground stop

SAM744 USAF C-32A continues nw from it's ground stop at Homestead ARB, Fl

SHADO5:5 US Navy E-6B mercury ne from Tinker AFB

COBRA63 USAF Rivet Joint se from Lincoln, NE (moar flights originating from Lincoln as the ops, are transferred to that location for the impending closure at Offutt)

Dollar hits fresh three-year lows against commodity-linked currencies

Dovish testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday bolstered bets on reflation and fears of inflation, driving the U.S. dollar to fresh three-year lows against commodity-linked currencies including the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars.

Powell reiterated on Wednesday that U.S. interest rates will remain low and the Fed will keep buying bonds to support the U.S. economy. Powell’s remarks to the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services mirrored his testimony before the Senate on Tuesday. Easy financial conditions, the promise of fiscal stimulus and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout have driven money into the reflation trade - which refers to bets on an upswing in economic activity as well as in inflation.

Currencies expected to benefit from a pick-up in global trade, like those linked to commodities, have benefited as have those in countries like Britain, that are making progress recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. he dollar’s weakness in recent days has been more remarkable as it comes against the backdrop of a broader rise in U.S. yields. Benchmark 10-year borrowing costs are holding near their highest in a year. [US/] But the Fed’s commitment to low rates and the passage of fiscal stimulus has some investors worried that inflation could outpace growth. Those fears may be further supporting commodity-linked currencies, because commodities rise with inflation. The Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars on Wednesday each hit their highest against the U.S. dollar since early 2018. Against the Canadian dollar, the greenback was last 0.61% lower on the day at 1.251 CAD per dollar. The Australian dollar was last up 0.67% to 0.796 per U.S. dollar. The Kiwi was last up 1.38% on the day to 0.744.

Overnight, the British pound climbed past $1.42 for the first time since April 2018.

The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies was at 90.058, down 0.07% on the day.

https://www.reuters.com/article/global-forex/forex-dollar-hits-fresh-three-year-lows-against-commodity-linked-currencies-idUSL1N2KU2U2

https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/dxy

>>62534

RCH573T USAF C-17 Globemaster on approach at Travis AFB from Dover AFB depart earlier today

AE67D3 US Navy P-8 Poseiden back to Whidbey Island after a runway shot at Monterey Regional Airport

Twitter Deletes 69 Russian Accounts for “Undermining Faith in NATO”

February 24th, 2021

Social media giant Twitter announced yesterday that it has deleted 373 accounts it claims were linked to Russia, Iran, and Armenia. In a blog post entitled “Disclosing networks of state-linked information operations,” it claimed that it had taken the decision to remove 69 Russian accounts primarily because they were “undermining faith in the NATO alliance and its stability.” The move sparked controversy on Twitter itself, with many users joking that their own fealty to NATO was insufficiently zealous.

Twitter justified the decision by pointing to its rules regarding the prohibition of state-controlled disinformation networks. Yet it failed to fully explain exactly how it knew these users were in the pay of the Kremlin or under the control of the Grand Ayatollah Khamenei. Indeed, the supposedly “independent investigation and analysis” team at the Stanford Internet Observatory, to which Twitter contracted out its work, itself has troubling connections to the (U.S.) state. For example, its non-resident fellow Matt Masterton was, until recently, a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security. Indeed, the whole observatory is located within the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, headed by former American Ambassador to Russia (and noted Kremlin hawk) Michael McFaul.

Supposed “experts” accuse users of being Russia-linked disinformation agents with great regularity. Ben Nimmo, data journalist and former NATO press officer, falsely asserted that a noted Ukrainian concert pianist and a Welsh pensioner were Kremlin bots. Nimmo was recently announced as Facebook’s chief of intelligence….

In addition to the appointment of NATO man Nimmo, Facebook also maintains a close relationship with the military organization. In 2018, it announced a partnership with the NATO-cutout group the Atlantic Council, whereby the council would help curate the news feeds of its 2.8 billion users.

Reddit also hired a former Atlantic Council deputy director of its Middle East Strategy Task Force as its director of policy, a move that linked the popular social news aggregation site to the national security state. Other big tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM have signed multi-billion dollar commercial deals with the CIA, a move that brings virtually the entire industry into the orbit of the national security state.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/twitter-deletes-accounts-for-undermining-faith-in-nato/275641/

Trump Gab post.

https://gab.com/realdonaldtrump/posts/105788308103458180

>>62617

Number one advertiser 1st quarter 2020 on Twitter is Nestle. Followed by Verizon, Disney, Heinz. Not a group of patriot companies. Nestle would be in trouble if patriots WW stopped buying their products. (Cap related) Some twitter advertising 'success' stories. Moar at the twitter link.

From the (pay to get infor) statista site:

In a Q1 2020 study of the Twitter advertising universe in the United States, it was discovered that Nestle was the largest advertiser on the platform in the measured period, having accumulated approximately 2.57 billion impressions. Verizon ranked second, with 1.26 billion advertising impressions on Twitter in the country.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1094351/us-twitter-advertisers-ranked-by-impressions/

archived twitter marketing: https://archive.vn/g9ru5

>>62537

SAM797 USAF C-32A on approach at LAX from Peterson AFB ground stop-depart of JBA earlier today

уσg @YogDev_ Replying to @disclosetv

Twitter is blocking links to CPAC's website, That slope sure got slippery quick!

https://twitter.com/YogDev_/status/1364688347176730629>>62617

Saudi sovereign fund invests over $3 billion in major game publishers

The Saudi Public Investment Fund, or PIF, has invested a significant amount of money in several major video game publishers.

In SEC filings reported on by Al Jazeera, the fund chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman acquired more than $3 billion of stock in Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive Software during the fourth quarter of last year. The filing also details other investments, including stakes in events company Live Nation Entertainment and Uber Technologies. Prince Mohammed has also invested in other games companies through his charitable foundation, including a 33.3% stake in Japanese company SNK that is planned to increase to 51% ownership in the future. These investments have sparked controversy in the past due to Saudi Arabia's notoriously poor human rights record, including the criminalization of homoseuxality and Prince Mohammed's alleged involvement in the assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Last year, League of Legends developer Riot Games cancelled a planned sponsorship from Saudi megacity-building project Neom due to criticism of the partnership.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-02-18-saudi-sovereign-fund-invests-over-usd3-billion-in-major-game-publishers

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1767640/000156761921003847/xslForm13F_X01/form13fInfoTable.xml

not a gamer but can appreciate this for what it is.

MbS goin' LARGE

>>62625

Nestle

'Member Nestle formula scandal?

https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6#the-baby-killer-blew-the-lid-off-the-formula-industry-in-1974-1

Big boycott organized to shut this down

no notes since #16606 next door

just started 09

too busy shilling xrp

New York Democrats Hold Outdoor Presser Calling for Charges Against Governor Cuomo

New York Assembly member Ron Kim, a Democrat, and Jessica Ramos, a Democrat, held a rally at City Hall on Wednesday. Kim was joined by fellow elected officials, advocates, and the family members of seniors, to announce a key list of demands from the Cuomo administration. The victims want justice!

FOX News meteorologist Janice Dean spoke at the rally today. Dean lost her inlaws to the coronavirus after the caught COVID in a New York nursing home.

Janice Dean has been leading the charge against the Cuomo administration and their lies to New Yorkers…..

As we reported in May, the reason for the Cuomo’s insane directives is related to money:

In 2018, as Governor Andrew Cuomo faced a challenge to his reelection bid in the New York State Democratic primary, he got a last minute $1m cash infusion from the General New York Hospital Association (GNYHA)—a powerful NY healthcare industry group. On April 2, 2020, he repaid the favor when he quietly signed legislation shielding hospital and nursing home executives from any lawsuits stemming from the coronavirus outbreak. The clauses, inserted into the annual budget bill by Cuomo, gave blanket immunity protections for healthcare industry executive and administrators''', the same individuals and institutions that have made a fortune moving sick Covid-19 patients to nursing homes.

The GNYHA gave to the Democrats an unheard of $3 million in the 2018 election cycle. Of this, Cuomo and his state party committee received close to $2.3m from various hospitals and nursing home industry donors. Governor Cuomo returned the favor with his directive forcing COVID-19 patients back into elderly homes. This directive provided a massive increase in revenues to organizations associated with the GNYHA who were paid handsomely for COVID patients. It was a bonanza for these entities.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/breaking-big-new-york-democrats-hold-outdoor-presser-calling-criminal-charges-governor-cuomo-video/

>>62635

>>62636

>>62637

LMAO

Entire Federal Reserve System Crashes

2-24-21

The United States Federal Reserve wire systems went down completely Wednesday, making it impossible for banks and other financial institutions to transfer money.

The issue was resolved a little more than an hour after the outage occurred.

The fed claimed the disruption was due to an ‘operational error.’

‘Our technical teams have determined that the cause is a Federal Reserve operational error. We will provide updates via service status as more information becomes available,’ the Fed said in a brief statement. Later adding, the Fed “will communicate remediation efforts to our customers when available.”

“The issue impacting Central Bank applications has been resolved and users may resume normal access,” an updated alert said. “The cause is a Federal Reserve operational error. We will provide updates via service status as more information becomes available. We acknowledge that payment deadlines are impacted and will communicate remediation efforts to our customers when available.”

https://breaking911.com/entire-federal-reserve-payment-system-crashes/

>>62627

BOXER43 USAF C-40C also departed Peterson AFB and on ground at LAX

This AC also departed JBA after SAM797 this morning

>>62574, >>62613

SAM767 USAF G5 on final approach at JBA from Miami Int'l ground stop

SCORE46 US Navy Triton drone heading north after work off NC

>>62527

yo

Here if you need a bread break, baker.

Just catching up on the notes and if I can post from muh 'chine here.

>>62645

wanna yo firmed

kek

#286

>>62522, >>62523, >>62534, >>62537, >>62538, >>62570, >>62572, >>62574, >>62613, >>62615, >>62620, >>62627, >>62643, >>62644 Eyes in the sky

>>62642 Georgia GOP Senate Passes Bill Requiring ID for Absentee Voting

>>62629 Saudi sovereign fund invests over $3 billion in major game publishers

>>62624 RPDJT backs Paduchik for chair of Ohio GOP Chair

>>62619 Dollar hits fresh three-year lows against commodity-linked currencies

>>62617, >>62625, >>62628, >>62630 Twitter has started to flag links to CPAC's website as "unsafe" on the eve of the conference

>>62599, >>62601, >>62611 When can we expect the Democrat letter going after CNN, MSNBC, and more for breathless promotion of the debunked Russian collusion conspiracy?

>>62608, >>62609 Catalina Lauf: I don’t have the support of the liberal ran mainstream/fake news media so I’m thankful for real news outlets like the @DailyCaller

>>62603 @DeptofDefense Cracking the ice

>>62593 “Red Cross prepares to contain deadly Ebola outbreak in Africa”-

>>62596 @usairforce ACCELERATE CHANGE OR LOSE

>>62579, >>62604 All of the Federal Reserve's wire and ACH systems are down/some services back up

>>62576 Opponents attack wife of Clarence Thomas over his dissent bashing decision to not hear critical election case

>>62568, >>62569, >>62571, >>62577, >>62621 Twitter has deleted accounts for the crime of "undermining faith in the NATO alliance"./RUSI diggz/Russia/Iran/Armenia

>>62561, >>62634 New York Democrats Hold Outdoor Presser Calling for Charges Against Governor Cuomo

>>62559 New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office Wants to Take Custody of Windham Voting Machines – Take Them Away for Audit

>>62558 Not waiting for more federal help, states have been approving their own coronavirus aid packages

>>62557 Global airline industry body to launch Covid ‘travel pass’ by March

>>62551 North Dakota House passes bill prohibiting government mask mandates

>>62547 Judicial Watch announced its participation as a Supporting Sponsor of the annual CPAC, Feb 25-28, Tom Fitton to speak at CPAC on Sunday

>>62546, >>62548, >>62549, >>62563 Ahead of March COMEX Silver Deliveries/anons deliver the truth

>>62545 Having America's media and corporate elite spend a year promoting your organization with no questions asked has its perks

>>62541, >>62543 Judge Indefinitely Bans Biden’s 100 Day Deportation Moratorium

>>62539 The true story of Tim Ballard, who quit his job at The DHS to help save childrens' lives from human trafficking. SOUND OF FREEDOM

>>62532, >>62553 WATCH LIVE: Fed Chair Jerome Powell testifies before Congress

>>62531 Whitney Webb on the Oxford-AstraZeneca Eugenics Links

>>62521 Puerto Rico Bond Default Called Over Fiscal Plan’s Debt Cuts

#286

https://www2.qanonbin.com/paste/8bBBywiI5

updated with notables

tyvm for relief bakerfam

>>62646

firmed yo

Thanks for the LnL and the dank bake.

Enjoy your rest.

Donald Trump Jr. Retweeted

Christopher F. Rufo

Crossed swords

@realchrisrufo

·

6h

The oldest Chinese-American association has announced a revolt against critical race theory. Many fled the Cultural Revolution in their home country—and they're not going to fall victim to the New Cultural Revolution in this country.

Welcome to the fight, friends. Swords up!

https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1364634988319154178

Congressional Republicans request FBI briefing on Swalwell's connections to Chinese spy

Swalwell remains seated on several committees that are regularly briefed on top secret information pertaining to American national security

House Republicans are asking FBI Director Christopher Wray to hold a briefing on any past ties that Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell might have had to an alleged Chinese spy.

The members are asking to be briefed on the "full extent" of the Chinese targeting of Washington lawmakers.

"As our nation faces a growing security threat from the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) attempts to infiltrate and undermine the United States Government, we write to request a full briefing regarding counterintelligence threats to Members of Congress, including information related to Rep. Eric Swalwell’s ties to a suspected Chinese intelligence operative," the 14 members wrote in a letter Wednesday to Wray.

In December, it was revealed that, several years ago, a Chinese national named Christine Fang (or Fang Fang) had targeted and successfully infiltrated the circles of up-and-coming politicians including Swalwell, of California.

Fang interacted with Swalwell for years and placed at least one intern in his office. Swalwell was briefed by investigators about Fang's loyalties in 2015, and promptly cut off all ties with the spy.

More recently, Swalwell told Politico that he believes his role as an outspoken critic of former President Trump made him a prime target for the initial information leak that linked his office to Fang Fang.

"I’ve been a critic of the president. I’ve spoken out against him. I was on both committees that worked to impeach him. The timing feels like that should be looked at," the congressman said.

Republicans, however, have not dropped the matter as they continue to express concern about Swalwell's position on committees including the House Homeland Security Committee, which grants him access to significant amounts of classified information. Repeatedly, since December, Republicans have questioned the decision to allow Swalwell to remain on committees that traffic in top secret information pertaining to American national security.

"Given these injurious efforts to target a Member of the Committee, it is imperative that the House Committeee on Homeland Security receive a classified briefing detailing Rep. Swalwell’s relationship with Fang and any potential exposure of classified information," wrote the lawmakers.

https://justthenews.com/government/congress/congressional-republicans-request-fbi-briefing-swalwells-connections-chinese

>>62647

tubular maaan

tyb

>>62650

Atlantic Council's DFRLab targets Sidney Powell Telegram acct as part of ongoing censorship push

A majority of Powell Telegram channel messages from January 2021 were also circulated on Twitter

….The Sidney Powell Telegram channel, with over 360,000 subscribers, is the most popular Powell-related Telegram channel, and has been active since January 13, after being created November 30. According to the Telegram statistics tool telemetr.io, the channel has over 310,000 views per post, and has been growing in subscribers since its first post.

The channel frequently circulates conspiracies about the outcome of the U.S. election, foreign interference, and Dominion Voting, as well as frequently forwarding messages from pro-Trump fan channels and the channels of other prominent Trump crusaders, including fellow pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood.

It purports to be the “official” channel of Powell, although this is unconfirmed. …

[Writer goes on to talk about how what he calls disinfo makes its way from alt platforms to Twitter, using Powell's acct as an example. Obvious intent is to encourage the shutdown of alternatives accts and twiiter accts that repost from them.]

This Telegram-to-Twitter phenomenon shows that in certain instances, when users are forced from mainstream social media sites to alternative platforms, those mainstream sites still play a role in the dissemination of their messages. Despite being banned, Powell and the messages allegedly written by her have an indirect way of accessing Twitter — albeit without the amount of influence she previously had. This complicates the efficacy of de-platforming alone as a platform strategy against conspiratorial, extremist activity; solutions that seek to remove harmful content online must also consider how other users act as proxies to circumvent those solutions.

https://medium.com/dfrlab/despite-sidney-powell-twitter-ban-twitter-users-amplify-messages-from-telegram-44d3ddcd4c43

NEW HIT PIECE from anti-Trump, anti-Q Atlantic Council

'''True that Sidney's account is not verified.

But FAKE NEWS DFR fails to say that no individual Telegram accounts can currently be verified. '''

SEE ATTACHED POST

on Telegram verifications procedures

>>62656

Outdated Telegram verification process helps outside censors discredit individual user accounts like Powell's

https://telegram.org/verify

The Telegram team generally verifies active official channels, bots or public groups that have verified accounts on each of these services:

- Twitter

- Facebook or Instagram (one is enough)

- YouTube

What if I don't have a verified account on all of these services?

If you have an undisputed page on Wikipedia, that satisfies Wikipedia's Notability Guidelines – and that page lists a link to your channel, bot or public group on Telegram – it can be counted as one of the missing verified accounts.

Can my user account be verified?

Sorry, Telegram doesn’t verify user accounts at the moment. Verification is only available for big and active official channels and bots.

- - - - - - -

This policy is clearly outdated

- It doesn't take into acct the pro-censorship, anti-conservative push by DS groups & proxies.

- It doesn't define what an "official" channel looks like, either.

- As applied to Sidney Powell's acct, she does have a Wikipedia entry, but since she is an individual user, it's unclear whether her account can be verified.

Implications:

- hard to vet individual accts

- makes individual accts an easy target for anti-free speech censors

- impossible for even "official" groups that aren't left of Mao to get verified

Warning for America: The Four Steps of Marxist Takeover Were Activated in 2020

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/warning-america-four-steps-marxist-takeover-activated-2020/

Kevin McCarthy Retweeted

Rep. Mike Johnson

@RepMikeJohnson

A graphic is worth a thousand words!

https://twitter.com/RepMikeJohnson/status/1364702696264126474

Kevin McCarthy Retweeted

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko

@RepDLesko

Less than 9% of this nearly $2 trillion partisan bill goes toward the vaccine rollout, and $1 trillion goes toward liberal pet projects. This bill is not about COVID-19 relief and helping the American people, it’s about appeasing the radical left.

https://twitter.com/RepDLesko/status/1364702896999305219

Kevin McCarthy Retweeted

Congressman Ben Cline

@RepBenCline

Of the $1.9 trillion Democrats plan to spend on their COVID wish list, only 8% goes toward directly combating the virus through increased vaccination, tracking, and testing programs. This package neglects the needs of the American people and is the wrong plan for the Nation.

https://twitter.com/RepBenCline/status/1364709274870505478

>>62661

Discovery, Inc sold by Newhouse Family Holdings: $463.65m-Feb 23

Discovery, Inc., formerly Discovery Communications, Inc., is a global media company. The Company provides content across multiple distribution platforms, including pay-television (pay-TV), free-to-air (FTA) and broadcast television, Websites, digital distribution arrangements and content licensing agreements. Its segments include U.S. Networks, which consists principally of domestic television networks and digital content services; International Networks, consisting primarily of international television networks and digital content services, and Education and Other, which consists principally of curriculum-based product and service offerings, and production studios. The Company's portfolio of networks includes television brands, such as Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, ID, Velocity and Eurosport. It is also engaged in extending content distribution across various platforms, including brand-aligned Websites, Web-native networks and online streaming. Number of employees : 9 200 people.

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/DISCOVERY-INC-9015/company/

Donald Newhouse and his late brother, Samuel "Si" inherited the publishing and broadcasting empire Advance Publications decades ago. Donald long oversaw the newspaper business that his father Sam built up from the daily Staten Island Advance. His brother, Si, who ran magazine publisher Conde Nast for years, died in October 2017. Advance Publications also has substantial stakes in Discovery Communications and social news site Reddit. Amid a tumultuous media environment, Conde Nast sold W Magazine, Brides and Golf Digest in 2019; it laid off 100 employees in May 2020. In January 2020 his foundation gave $75 million to Syracuse's communications school, the college's largest gift ever.

https://www.forbes.com/profile/donald-newhouse/?sh=6d520dfe1581

https://www.finviz.com/insidertrading.ashx?oc=1455381&tc=7&b=2

New Scavino

Dan Scavino

@DanScavino

2/24/2021

https://twitter.com/DanScavino/status/1364734212524376071

>>62667

Drop #729 (from the tweet timestamp)

>>340441

>>325370 You will cease to exist

Timestamp.

Learn.

Q

Senators order Amazon to explain why it removed book critical of transgender ideology

Senators criticize "shortsighted censorship" of political philosopher's book.

group of U.S. senators on Wednesday directed Amazon to give a detailed explanation as to why it removed from its digital shelves a book by a Princeton-educated political philosopher that criticized prevailing transgender orthodoxy.

Ryan Anderson, the president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, revealed this week that Amazon removed his 2018 book "When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Movement," with no explanation and with no apparent recourse to have the book re-instated on Amazon's digital storefront.

In a letter to Amazon on Wednesday, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, along with three other GOP senators, demanded that Amazon explain its reasoning behind its removal of Anderson's book.

"What was the motivating factor behind Amazon's decision to remove access to this book after hosting it for sale for over three years?" the senators wrote. "Is this action part of a broader campaign against conservative material and voices on Amazon's platforms?"

The senators asked that Amazon provide documentation to substantiate any claims that Anderson's book violated the company's book content policy.

"We would appreciate a reply no later than March 9, 2021," they wrote.

Amazon has thus far refused to tell Anderson why it removed his book from its website; when contacted this week, the retail giant also declined to explain its reasoning to Just the News.

https://justthenews.com/government/congress/senators-direct-amazon-explain-why-it-removed-book-critical-transgender

>>62603

Turkish pilots, official get 4-year jail over Ex-Nissan boss Ghosn's escape

A Turkish court convicted an official from a private airline and two pilots Wednesday for involvement in former Nissan Motor Co. chairman Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape out of Japan in 2019, and sentenced them each to four years and two months in prison.

The court in Istanbul acquitted two other pilots of the charge of "illegally smuggling a migrant." A flight attendant was acquitted of the charge of failing to report a crime, while the case against a second flight attendant was dismissed. Ghosn, who was arrested in Tokyo on financial misconduct allegations in 2018, skipped bail while awaiting trial. He was flown from Osaka to Istanbul on a private plane and then transferred onto another plane to Beirut, where he arrived Dec. 30, 2019. He is believed to have hid inside a large box. The convicted pilots, Noyan Pasin and Bahri Kutlu Somek, who flew Ghosn from Osaka to Istanbul, had maintained their innocence throughout the trial. They, the other two pilots and the flight attendants all denied involvement in plans to help Ghosn flee and insisted they did not know that he was aboard their flights.

The airline official, Okan Kosemen, claimed he was made aware that Ghosn was on the plane to Istanbul only after it landed. He admitted helping smuggle Ghosn onto the second, Lebanon-bound plane, but claimed he was threatened and feared for his family's safety, according to testimony reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency. Turkish airline company MNG Jet has admitted that two of its planes were used illegally in Ghosn's escape, flying him to Istanbul, and then to Beirut. The company said its employee falsified flight records so Ghosn's name didn't appear. All three defendants were expected to appeal their convictions.

Lawyer Erem Yucel said the two pilots who took Ghosn from Istanbul to Beirut were acquitted on a technicality, because the former Nissan chief's Lebanese nationality meant that he could not be considered a "migrant" being smuggled to Lebanon.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210225/p2g/00m/0na/017000c

>>62671

yo

If America Splits Up, What Happens To The Nukes?

Authored by Ryan McMaken via The Mises Institute - Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021 - 19:40

Opposition to American secession movements often hinges on the idea that foreign policy concerns trump any notions that the United States ought to be broken up into smaller pieces.

It almost goes without saying that those who subscribe to neoconservative ideology or other highly interventionist foreign policy views treat the idea of political division with alarm or contempt. Or both.

They have a point. It's likely that were the US to be broken up into smaller pieces, it would be weakened in its ability to act as a global hegemon, invading foreign nations at will, imposing “regime change,” and threatening war with any regime that opposes the whims of the American regime.

For some of us, however, this would be a feature of secession rather than a bug.

Moreover, the ability of the American regime to carry out offensive military operations such as regime change is separate and distinct from the regime’s ability to maintain an effective and credible defensive military force.

Last month, we looked at how even a dismembered United States would be more than capable of fielding a large and effective defensive military force. A politically divided America nonetheless remains a very wealthy America, and wealth remains a key component in effective military defense. In other words, bigness is not as important as the extent to which a regime can call upon high levels of wealth and capital accumulation.

That analysis, however, concentrated on conventional forces, and this leaves us with the question of how the successor states to a post-secession United States would fare in terms of nuclear deterrence.

In this case, there is even less need for bigness than in the case of conventional military forces. As the state of Israel has demonstrated, a small state can obtain the benefits of nuclear deterrence without a large population or a large economy.

In other words, an effective military defense through nuclear deterrence is even more economical than conventional military forces.

After Secession, Who Gets the Nukes?

But how would secession actually play out when nuclear weapons are involved?

One example we might consider is Ukraine’s secession from the Soviet Union the early 1990s.

https://mises.org/wire/if-america-splits-what-happens-nukes

continued

>>62675

In 1991, as the Soviet Union was collapsing, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly to secede and set up an independent republic. At the time, the new state of Ukraine contained around one-third of the Soviet nuclear arsenal. This means there were literally thousands of nuclear warheads within Ukraine’s borders, making Ukraine’s arsenal the third largest in the world. In 1994, Ukraine began a program of denuclearization and today is no longer a nuclear power.

The relations between Ukraine and the new Russian Federation were acrimonious in the early nineties—as now—so this means that the lessons of the Ukraine situation are limited if applied to American secessionist movements. American pundits may like to play up the red-blue division in America as an intractable conflict of civilizations, but these differences are small potatoes compared to the sort of ethnic and nationalist conflicts that have long existed in Eurasia.

Nevertheless, we can glean some insights from that separation.

For example, the Ukrainian secession demonstrates that it is possible for nuclear weapons to pass into the control of a seceding state without a general conflict breaking out. Indeed, Ukraine was not alone in this. Kazakhstan and Belarus “inherited” nuclear arms from the Soviet Union as well. If Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus can all peacefully negotiate a resolution on how to deal with a suddenly decentralized nuclear arsenal, the Americans can pull it off, too.

Nonetheless, the Ukraine situation highlights some of the technical and logistical problems involved in working out who exactly controls nuclear weapons in a postsecession situation.

For example, it was never a simple matter for the Ukrainian regime to assert technical control over land-based nuclear missiles. It is unlikely that Ukraine ever obtained all the tools necessary to actually launch the nuclear missiles within its territory.

It is likely, however, that Ukraine could have eventually gained this power, as it was already developing its own control system for the arsenal in 1993. Not surprisingly, the Soviet Russian regime was unenthusiastic about helping the Ukrainians in this respect.

When it came to using nuclear-capable bombers, on the other hand, it appears Ukraine’s regime had total control.

It is likely the successor states of the US would face similar issues. The use of land-based missiles would be heavily reliant on authorization from whichever faction most recently controlled access and launching authority, even if those missiles are physically located within the borders of a separatist state. It must be noted, however, that the state within which land-based nuclear missiles exist has the ability to prevent usage in most cases. This is because even if the missiles themselves cannot be directly controlled, the personnel that maintains and controls the sites can far more easily be traded out for personnel loyal to the new regime.

When it comes to submarines and bombers, a secessionist US region might find itself better able to assert control in the short term. Where those bombers and subs end up would have a lot to do with the likely chaotic situation in the wake of the independence movement and shifting borders.

Separatist Regions May Be Unwilling to Give Up Nukes

Ukraine had denuclearized in part due to bribes and pressure from both the United States and Russia. Russia wanted Ukraine’s arsenal for obvious reasons. The United States was obsessed with deproliferation, although it naturally insisted on keeping its own massive stockpile.

Neither the US nor Russia had the ability to force Ukraine to denuclearize—short of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, of course. However, Ukraine capitulated to pressure when the Russian Federation, the US, and the UK (and to a lesser extent China and France) pledged in the Budapest Memorandum to protect Ukraine's territorial integrity.

In 2014, many interpreted this move as a grand folly when Russia annexed the Crimea from Ukraine and none of the other parties to the memorandum intervened. Ukraine had given up its best guarantee against Russian intervention—its nuclear arsenal—in exchange for weak “assurances” from foreign states.

https://mises.org/wire/if-america-splits-what-happens-nukes

continued

>>62676

Some foreign policy scholars—most notably John Mearsheimer—had predicted this and advised against denuclearization in Ukraine. Indeed, in 1993, Mearsheimer doubted that Ukraine would cave to denuclearization pressure precisely because reliable assurances from outsiders were unlikely. Even after the Budapest Memorandum became a reality a year later, it was nonetheless a rather weak reed on which to hang denuclearization. As Mearsheimer pointed out, should the Americans fail to provide an effective defense for Ukraine—as ended up being the case with the Crimea crisis—the Americans “would not have to live with the consequences of a Russian attack.” Nonetheless, some Ukrainians insist the Crimea crisis is not evidence of a need for a nuclear deterrent.

Many, Americans, however, may be much less sanguine—even to the point of unwarranted paranoia—about the prospects of foreign intervention on American soil. This is why it is best to proceed assuming that at least some successor states to the current US would insist on retaining a nuclear arsenal. After all, while the Ukraine might have been betting on the US as the enforcer of the international order, such guarantees would be even more unlikely in the wake of an American secession crisis. Postsecession American states, in other words, would need to rely on a self-help system of deterrence.

On the other hand, we should not assume that all successor states to the United States would seek permanent nuclear arsenals. Some would likely give up nuclear programs, just as Sweden and South Africa have abandoned nuclear programs that were well advanced toward assembling arms (Sweden) or had already completed the construction of functioning warheads (South Africa). While the Ukrainian example of voluntary denuclearization may appear to be a blunder to many now, the situation in North America is different. North America is not eastern Europe with its long history of interstate conflict. In North America, Canada and the United States have been at peace for more than two centuries, and Canada has never made much effort to move toward assembling a nuclear arsenal. Rather, Canada’s proximity to the United States shields it from nuclear threats from outside North America. Any conventional or nuclear arrack on Canada from, say, China or Russia is likely to be interpreted as an attack on the United States, with disastrous consequences for the initial aggressor.

In other words, Canada benefits from what Baldur Thorhallsson calls “shelter” in the international arena. Canada requires no nuclear arsenal of its own, because it can use its close alliance with the United States as a substitute.

So long as some successor states of the United States maintain a functioning arsenal, other nonnuclear states in North America will be able to function similarly. It stands to reason that just as the United States in its current form has been at peace with all other former British colonies, it is likely that new North American republics will share a similar fate.

https://mises.org/wire/if-america-splits-what-happens-nukes

continued

FLASH21 USAF E-4B Nightwatch taking off from Edwards AFB just as the sun goes down

>>62680

Big States Are Not Necessary: A Deterrent Nuclear Force Is Entirely Feasible for Small States

A new American republic need not be especially large to maintain a working arsenal.

While a sizable economy and population are extremely helpful in terms of building a large conventional military, these factors are not nearly as important when it comes to a nuclear force capable of deterring foreign powers.

As Kenneth Waltz has explained, “Nuclear parity is reached when countries have second-strike forces. It does not require quantitative or qualitative equality of forces.” That is, if a regime can plausibly hide or move around enough nuclear warheads to so as to survive a nuclear first strike, it is able to deter nuclear aggression from other states altogether. Moreover, the number of warheads necessary to achieve this number “not in the hundreds, but in the tens.”

This is why Waltz has concluded that “deterrence is easier to contrive than most strategists have believed" and that “some countries may find nuclear weapons a cheaper and safer alternative to running economically ruinous and militarily dangerous conventional arms races. Nuclear weapons may promise increased security and independence at an affordable price.” In other words, deterrence “can be implemented cheaply.”

The Israeli state is an important and illustrative case. This is a country with a GDP smaller than Colorado's and a population smaller than that of the US state of Georgia, yet Israel is thought to maintain a nuclear triad of sea, air, and land-based warheads. In other words, this is a small state which has taken full advantage of the relatively economical nature of a small nuclear arsenal (estimated to include approximately eighty assembled warheads).

Clearly, claims that even medium-sized American states—such as Ohio with 11 million people and a GDP nearly as large as that of Switzerland—are too small to possibly contemplate functioning as independent states are quite detached from reality. Moreover, there is no reason to assume any postsecession American state would seek to act alone in the realm of international relations. Kirkpatrick Sale has pointed out what should be regarded as obvious: "Historically, the response of small states to the threat of … aggression has been temporary confederation and mutual defense, and indeed the simple threat of such unity, in the form of defense treaties and leagues and alliances, has sometimes been a sufficient deterrent" (emphasis added).

On the other hand, a continuation of the current trend toward political centralization in Washington—and the growing political domination of every corner of the nation by central authorities—is likely to only harm future prospects for amicable separation and peaceful cooperation on the international stage.

https://mises.org/wire/if-america-splits-what-happens-nukes

end

In the spirit of sheitzpostin

>>62689

Das Raysis

>>62691

NO GHEY POODLES

>>62691

>>62698

>>62698

>>62698

you say PoOdLe?!

>>62698

>>62704

SAM744 USAF C-32A on final approach for Seattle, WA Boeing Field from Homestead ARB, FL ground stop-departed JBA earlier today

>>62707

>>62710

>>62710

>>62711

imma wit wakes

>>62713

>>62710

weez here (ish)

>>62728

>>62735

looks those those damn mnr bakers - splittin the bakes again

>>62691

O heck yea