News of the World

[kyonides]

Biden to ‘Engage with China,’ Seeks Meeting with Xi on Chinese Spy Balloon

U.S. President Joe Biden is seeking a meeting with Chinese communist leader Xi Jinping to discuss developments related to the United States’ shooting down a Chinese spy balloon earlier this month, and to pursue regular relations with China.
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“I expect to be speaking with President Xi, and I hope we are going to get to the bottom of this,” Biden said during a Feb. 16 press conference.

“But I make no apologies for taking down that balloon.”
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“This episode underscores the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between our diplomats and our military professionals,” Biden said.

“Our diplomats will be engaging further, and I will remain in communication with President Xi.”

To that end, Biden said that the United States was continuing with efforts to engage China and seek normal relations between the two countries.

Thus far, the Biden administration has adopted a relatively mild response for the violation of U.S. airspace, opting to sanction six entities related to China’s military spy balloon program.

China, likewise, has issued largely symbolic sanctions on the United States’ two largest defense manufacturers, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.
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Despite this, Biden underscored, the administration still does not believe it is in a cold war with the CCP.

 Why do I get the feeling that the very first thing Biden will do is to apologize for shooting down the spy balloon near the coast of North Carolina?

Air India’s Purchase of 200 Boeings Will Create Over a Million US Jobs: Biden

Air India has struck a deal with Boeing to purchase 200 aircraft. The purchase is expected to support more than a million jobs across 44 states and strengthen U.S.–India relations, according to President Joe Biden.

“The United States can and will lead the world in manufacturing,” said Biden in a statement on Feb. 14. The first of the new aircraft is expected to enter service by the end of this year, while the bulk of the order will arrive from mid-2025 onwards, according to an Air India press release (pdf).

Biden said many of the jobs created will not require a four-year college degree. He expressed pride in the deal, which he said reflects the strength of the U.S.–India economic partnership.

“Together with Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi, I look forward to deepening our partnership even further as we continue to confront shared global challenges—creating a more secure and prosperous future for all of our citizens,” the President said.

Modi’s office described the deal as a “shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation” that will help create new employment opportunities in India as well.

Sanders to Introduce Legislation Mandating Minimum $60K Pay for Teachers

Amid controversy over woke agendas and declining test scores, a call for higher salaries for America’s public school teachers has gained bipartisan support.

In revisiting an idea first introduced last year by Democrats, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has re-proposed tripling federal funding of teachers’ paychecks that would guarantee them a minimum annual salary of $60,000.

Sanders, who recently assumed command over the influential Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, wants to secure the increased funding under legislation called the Teacher Pay Act that he says he intends to introduce.

He proposes raising the funds for the guaranteed wage threshold by increasing the estate tax on America’s wealthiest taxpayers.
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Sanders, who introduced the idea back in 2019, resurrected it following President Joe Biden’s call for higher teacher wages in his Feb. 7 State of the Union Address.

While Republicans have been reluctant to support federal legislation to set minimum salary standards for teachers, at the state level GOP governors have already enacted similar policies to the one proposed by Sanders.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves are among several Republican state leaders who have already signed into law minimum starting pay for teachers after Biden’s union address.

 You know, the wealthiest guys aren't gonna pay those taxes. Politicians will make sure the average joe does instead.

Nikki Haley Announces 2024 Presidential Bid

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Tuesday issued a video statement in which she officially threw her hat in the ring for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, becoming the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump.

“I’m Nikki Haley and I’m running for president,” Haley said in the video, which she shared on social media and on her newly launched campaign page.

Haley, who served as Trump’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, plans to lay out her campaign plans in a speech in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday.
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“China and Russia are on the march. They all think we can be bullied, kicked. You should know this about me: I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels,” she said.

“In China, they commit genocide,” she said, while in Iran “they murder their own people for challenging the government.”

“It puts things into perspective,” she continued. “Even on our worst day, we are blessed to live in America.”

Haley in May 2022 said that the controversial U.N. Human Rights Council must investigate the Chinese “genocide” of minorities, otherwise a planned visit by the U.N. Human Rights commissioner to the country would be just “one more Chinese publicity stunt.”

The Chinese regime has been accused of committing atrocities in Xinjiang.

EPA Chief: Norfolk Southern Will ‘Absolutely’ Be Held Accountable for Ohio Chemical Spill

Nearly two weeks after the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, leaked hazardous chemicals into the surrounding city, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan promised residents that the railway company would “absolutely” be held accountable.
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“We will be here as long as it takes to ensure the health and safety of the community,” he added.

In the wake of the Feb. 3 derailment, many East Palestine residents—of which there are more than 4,700—have reported mysterious animal illnesses and deaths and strange weather phenomena, including an “acid mist.”

On Tuesday, Tiffani Kavalec, chief of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water, confirmed that a “plume” of chemicals was also moving downstream in the Ohio River.

Authorities in the area have received backlash for their decision to burn off the leaked chemicals—which included highly toxic vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, and other hazardous materials—in a controlled burn that released thick, black clouds into the air.

But despite community members’ concerns about potential health impacts, Regan said Thursday that testing had revealed the air was safe to breathe.
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Adding that air monitoring would continue around the clock, Regan said the results from the state’s water testing were still pending and advised residents to use bottled water for the time being.

Ford Halts Production and Shipment of Electric F-150 Lightning Pickup Due to Battery Failure

The news of the suspension in deliveries of the automaker’s electric vehicle (EV) version of its classic pickup truck was first announced on Feb. 14 by Motor Authority.

“During a standard Lightning pre-delivery quality inspection, one vehicle displayed a battery issue,” Ford spokesperson Emma Bergg told The Epoch Times in an email. “We believe we have identified the root cause of this issue.”

“We are not aware of any incidents of this issue in the field and do not believe F-150 Lightnings already in customers’ hands are affected by this issue,” she added.

Bergg said that suspension of production at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center will last through at least to the end of next week when “we expect to conclude our investigation and apply what we learn to the truck’s battery production process; this could take a few weeks.”
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Ford has yet to provide a timeline for a production restart and when it will lift the in-transit stop-ship order.
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It is unknown if the pause had to do with batteries purchased from suppliers, battery pack defects, or a software issue regarding battery management, which is common on all EVs.
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Earlier this month, Ford posted poor fourth-quarter results and a loss of $2 billion for 2022 due to uncertainty over its semiconductor chip supply.

Ford CEO Jim Farley blamed systemic shortcomings around costs and systems that put the brakes on his plan to transform the company.

FBI Searches, Retrieves Materials from Biden Document Stashes at University of Delaware

The FBI twice searched the University of Delaware in recent weeks for classified documents stashed by President Joe Biden and retrieved materials from two separate locations, according to a report Wednesday evening.

Though the material retrieved by the FBI reportedly did not have classified documents, the agency reportedly did take certain materials with them. “Investigators retrieved materials from two university locations on two different days. The material did not appear to have classified markings, according to the source, but they are now being reviewed by the FBI,” CNN reported.

That the FBI searched the University of Delaware is notable. According to a Government Accountability Institute analysis, the University of Delaware received more than $6.7 million from anonymous donors from China. The donors include direct funds from the Chinese government.

The university is the second academic institution where searches have occurred for stashes of Biden’s classified documents. Classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center housed by the University of Pennsylvania, which has also received millions in anonymous donations from China. That trove was found on November 2.
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At least 25 classified documents have been found — some of which are classified as secret. Others reportedly pertain to Ukraine, Iran, and the United Kingdom.

[kyonides]

Illinois Supreme Court issues opinion over ongoing White Castle biometric privacy case

The Illinois Supreme Court issued an opinion Friday in an ongoing case against White Castle in connection to the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) that could potentially result in massive fines.

The opinion came after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th District requested for the state’s highest court to certify whether BIPA claims accumulate with each biometric data scan or transmission that allegedly violates the law or just the first instance.
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In the proposed class action case, the plaintiff sued White Castle on accusations the fast-food chain had "unlawfully collected her biometric data and unlawfully disclosed her data to its third-party vendor" without her consent for several years after implementing fingerprint-scanning for employee computer access, according to the Illinois Supreme Court document.
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Private entities are barred from "collect[ing], captur[ing], purchas[ing], receiv[ing] through trade, or otherwise obtain[ing]" someone’s biometric data without getting informed consent beforehand under BIPA. The law also puts restrictions on them "disclos[ing], redisclos[ing], or otherwise disseminat[ing]" such data without consent, among other provisions.

Negligent violations can come with $1,000 fines, according to the state law. For intentional or reckless violations, the penalties are $5,000 each.

White Castle contended alleged claims "can accrue only once – when the biometric data is initially collected or disclosed," the majority opinion said.
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White Castle said damages could be upwards of an estimated $17 billion "if plaintiff is successful and allowed to bring her claims on behalf of as many as 9500 current and former White Castle employees," the majority opinion stated.

US captures top ISIS official after helicopter raid in Syria

In a press release, CENTCOM announced that US Central Command forces worked with the Syrian military to conduct a helicopter raid which led to the capture of an ISIS official identified as Batar.

The press release says that Batar was “involved in planning attacks on SDF-guarded detention centers and manufacturing improvised explosive devices.”

No civilians, Syrian soldiers, or US forces were killed or injured, according to the press release.

Shortly after the press release, CENTCOM issued another release stating that coalition forces had been attacked by rockets in northeast Syria on Saturday evening but said no injuries were reported.

News of the successful raid comes the day after CENTCOM announced that four US service members were injured during a raid that left a senior ISIS leader dead.

Iran International TV station moves from UK to US to avoid Tehran-backed assassination attempts

The relocation of Iran International came at the behest of counterterrorism police chiefs who advised the channel to move after a recent string of thwarted plots targeting the station’s journalist, the Sunday Times of London reported.

The situation reportedly reached its climax last weekend when a 30-year-old Australian citizen was allegedly caught filming security details outside the channel’s headquarters in Chiswick, West London.

The man was charged with a terrorism-related offense, but investigations into the incident prompted authorities to declare that they had “serious concerns” about the employees at the station.
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The channel’s move comes after London’s Metropolitan Police deployed armored vehicles and officers to Iran International’s headquarters after threats deemed credible were made against the station.

Antony Blinken sat down with top China diplomat who called US handling of spy balloon ‘hysterical’

Blinken and Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party’s senior foreign policy official, spoke for an hour in Germany during the annual Munich Security Conference.

“I condemned the incursion of the [People’s Republic of China’s] surveillance balloon and stressed it must never happen again,” Blinken tweeted after their meeting.

The meeting came hours after Beijing’s emissary publicly bashed the US shoot-down of China’s balloon off the coast of South Carolina as “hysterical” and “unimaginable” – and complained that the American response violated international customs.
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“There are so many balloons all over the world, so is the United States going to shoot all of them down?” Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, asked.
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“We ask the US to show its sincerity and correct its mistakes, face up and resolve this incident, which has damaged Sino-US relations,” he said.

So the Chinese government is indirectly asking Biden to let them spy on Americans 24/7!?
 I had never thought a communist regime would go that far in my lifetime.

Marianne Williamson poised to challenge Biden for 2024 Democratic presidential nomination

Self-help guru Marianne Williamson appears to be readying to launch a 2024 primary challenge against President Biden, arguing that there is a disconnect between the 80-year-old commander-in-chief and average Americans.

“Apparently Biden’s going to run on a message that the economy is getting stronger. I think that speaks to the disconnect between the analysis of party elites versus the struggle of everyday Americans,” Williamson told Politico in an interview released on Friday.

“We’re being asked to limit our political imaginations — to just accept the low unemployment and low inflation rate, that that is sort of the best that we can get. But that is a hollow victory. The majority of Americans are still struggling to survive,” she added.
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Williamson, who championed issues on her viral 2020 presidential campaign that included establishing a “Department of Peace” and doling out $100 billion in reparations, dropped out last cycle before the Iowa caucuses.

The best-selling author and Oprah Winfrey pal endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for the White House after ending her 2020 long-shot campaign.

More communism.  Hurrah...

Ghana soccer star Christian Atsu’s body found under rubble in Turkey quake

“Atsu’s lifeless body was found under the rubble,” the ex-Chelsea winger’s Turkish agent Murat Uzunmehmet confirmed to reporters in Hatay Saturday.
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“Currently, more items are still being taken out. His phone was also found.”

The 31-year-old played for Hatayspor, a soccer team based in the Hatay province of Turkey, the area most devastated by the massive quake.

More than 45,000 people were killed in Turkey and Syria as of Saturday morning — nearly two weeks since the earthquake struck the region.

The club confirmed Atsu’s body will be sent to his hometown in Ghana.

South Korea says North Korea fires missile as allies ready drills

South Korea’s military said North Korea on Saturday fired one suspected long-range missile from its capital toward the sea.
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The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said the ballistic missile was fired at around 5:22 p.m. from an area in Sunan, the site of Pyongyang’s international airport. It didn’t immediately say where the weapon landed.

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Friday threatened with “unprecedently” strong action against its rivals, after South Korea announced a series of planned military exercises with the United States aimed at sharpening their response to the North’s growing threats.

Toshiro Ino, Japan’s vice minister for defense, said the missile was expected have landed in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, about 125 mileswest of Oshima island. Oshima lies off the western coast of the northernmost main island of Hokkaido.
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The unprecedented number of missiles underscored a continuation of expansion of his country’s military capabilities despite limited resources while negotiations with Washington remain stalemated.

Those missiles included a new system experts say is possibly linked to the North’s stated desire to acquire a solid-fuel ICBM. North Korea’s existing ICBMs, including Hwasong-17s, use liquid propellants that require pre-launch injections and cannot remain fueled for prolonged periods. A solid-fuel alternative would take less time to prepare and is easier to move around on vehicles, providing less opportunity to be spotted.

[kyonides]

300,000 Starbucks Frappuccino Bottles Recalled Over ‘Foreign Objects’

A nationwide recall was issued for Starbucks Frappuccino Vanilla drinks nationwide due to the bottles possibly containing glass, according to an announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

An FDA enforcement report, initially issued on Jan. 28, stated that the chilled coffee drink are sold nationwide and have best by dates of March 8, May 29, June 4, and June 10. As of Feb. 19, the recall has not been terminated, while the FDA classified the recall as Class II on Feb. 14, according to the agency’s notice.

The FDA notice stated that the recall is due to “foreign objects (glass)” in the products.

The recall affects 25,200 cases of select 13.7-ounce Starbucks Frappuccino Vanilla drinks. There are 12 bottles per case, which equals a total of 302,400 individual bottles.

People should not drink them and should return the bottles to the retailer where they purchased them from for a full refund, it states.

PepsiCo, which releases the bottled Starbucks coffee drinks, also confirmed the recall. A representative of the company told media outlets that the affected products are being removed from the marketplace, and that they “are not sold at Starbucks retail locations.”

China’s Elderly Protest Against Health Insurance Cuts, Risking Police Suppression

Older adults in the central Chinese megacity of Wuhan gathered last week for their second large-scale protest in a week against the Chinese communist regime’s cuts to health benefits in its recent medical insurance reform, while, at the same time, a similar protest was staged in the northeastern megacity of Dalian.

While the protesters are seeking international attention and support for their efforts, suppression by the regime in Wuhan on Feb. 15 led to the citizens being beaten, arrested, and dispersed.
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“Several friends who went to the protest were all interviewed and threatened by the police today. Now, there’s terror in the country everywhere. It is really scary,” he said.
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“Yesterday, at around two o’clock in the afternoon, the police began to clear the scene. There were a lot of riot police and policemen in groups separating the elderly protesters. There were also people sent by the authorities there, persuading the elderly and leading them to a building behind Zhongshan Park (the protest site) and telling the elderly people to go inside. There were some officials standing outside the building.”

Some elderly people were taken away when they went in, but An Ming didn’t enter.
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On the day of the protest, many people who wanted to participate were unable to go. Yang Wei (pseudonym), a retiree in Wuhan, told The Epoch Times on Feb. 16 that he was forced by police to stay home.

Undercover DC Police Officer Pushed Protesters Toward Capitol, Climbed Over Barricade

Three undercover Metropolitan Police Department officers joined the march of protesters up the northwest side of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021—including one who climbed over a barricade and pushed others toward the Capitol, and another who walked behind Ashli Babbitt and predicted that “someone will get shot,” according to newly disclosed court documents.

New court motions filed by Jan. 6 defendant William Pope of Topeka, Kansas, also show MPD bicycle officers stopping four armed men in plainclothes on Jan. 6. The men turned out to be federal agents. Video included with Pope’s filings also shows uniformed MPD officers saying, “we were set up” to fail on Jan. 6.
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The three undercover MPD officers approached the northwest corner of the Capitol grounds at about 1:40 p.m. on Jan. 6, one of the motions states. Officer 1, who was filming their journey, joined the crowd chanting, “Drain the swamp!”

When a group of men ran past them toward the Capitol, Officer 2—wearing a Trump beanie—remarked, “Those guys are getting shot,” the motion said.

At the base of the scaffold stairs, Officer 1 joined the crowd in a chant, “Whose house? Our house!”

“Officer 1 began yelling at people in front of him to ‘Go, go, go!’ As they climbed bicycle racks, Officer 1 yelled for the crowd to ‘help him up, help him up!” followed by ‘push him up, push him up!’” the motion reads of Pope describing how Officer 1 climbed over a barricade.

“Needing help to get up, Officer 1 asked a nearby man to give him a boost,” the motion says. “The man gives Officer 1 a lift up, and Officer 1 says ‘Thanks, bro.’”

Officer 1 pushed protesters in front of him to advance on the Capitol, shouting, “c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, let’s go!,” the motion said. People around him climbed over bike-rack-style barricades and scaffolding that had been set up for the presidential inauguration.

At one point, Officers 2 and 3 were almost directly behind Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt on the exterior stairs, about an hour before Babbitt was gunned down at the entrance to the Speaker’s Lobby, Pope said in a Twitter post on Feb. 18.

Jeffrey Epstein Documents, With Names of Associates, Set to Be Made Public

More than 150 people who have confirmed or alleged links to Epstein, such as being his employee or one of his alleged victims, chose not to come forward to object to the disclosure of their names. They are mentioned in documents filed in a defamation case brought in 2015 against Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate.

The lawsuit was settled in 2017, but outside groups have pushed for the release of the documents in the interest of public access.

Some of the people objected to their names being released and convinced U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska, the George H.W. Bush appointee who is overseeing the case, to keep their identities shielded.

Others failed, and Preska in November 2022 ordered the unsealing of documents with their names. The documents were unsealed the following month, including filings concerning Sarah Ransome, an alleged victim of Epstein who backed Giuffre’s allegations with her testimony.
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Maxwell formerly opposed unsealing the documents but dropped her objections after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking and Giuffre supports making the materials public.
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The document shows that the list includes more than a dozen employees of Epstein, more than a dozen alleged witnesses, more than two dozen alleged Epstein affiliates, and more than a dozen alleged victims.

Multiple alleged perpetrators and law enforcement officers are also described, including a former director of the FBI.

A number of the people have already given media interviews or testified during Epstein-related legal cases.

Japan’s Ruling Bloc Agrees to Allow Shooting Down Foreign Balloons, Drones

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has approved a proposal to ease limitations on the military use of weapons against unmanned aircraft that violate Japanese airspace.

The proposal, which was put forward by the Ministry of Defense on Thursday, would allow Japan’s Self-Defense Force (SDF) to shoot down foreign balloons and drones to protect the lives of citizens.

Currently, SDF law allows “necessary measures” to be taken against foreign aircraft that invade Japan’s airspace, but the use of weapons is only allowed in cases of legitimate self-defense or an act of necessity.

The proposed policy would permit the use of weapons against drones and balloons that pose a hazard to civil air traffic, even if doing so does not constitute legitimate self-defense, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
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Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has said the military would be allowed to use weapons, including air-to-air missiles, against foreign balloons that violated Japan’s airspace in accordance with the SDF law.
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The move came after the ministry revealed on Feb. 14 that it “strongly” suspected Chinese surveillance balloons had entered Japan’s airspace at least three times between 2019 and 2021.

Russia Expels 4 Austrian Diplomats in Tit-for-Tat Move

Russia said on Thursday it was expelling four Austrian diplomats in a tit-for-tat move after Vienna expelled four Russian diplomats in a case which appeared to be related to spying.

Austria said on Feb. 2 it was expelling four Russian diplomats for behaving in a manner inconsistent with international agreements, a reason often invoked in spying cases, without giving specifics. It gave them a week to leave.

In a statement on Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Vienna had taken an “unfriendly and unjustified step” and was ruining Austria’s previous position as a respected, unbiased, and neutral state.

Austria still has not elaborated on its reasons for expelling the diplomats, who worked at Russia’s Mission to the United Nations in Vienna and Russia’s Embassy to Austria.

“The expulsion of Austrian embassy staff from Russia does not come as a surprise. We regret this unjustified decision by Russia, which lacks any basis in fact,” Austria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement in response to Russia’s move.

Well, Austria was quite hypocritical there for it was obvious that Russia would kick out the Austrian diplomats in retailation. Russians felt they had been insulted and quickly reacted to Austria's move.  But there's something good about it, they no longer have to fear that some Russian will try to pass as a fellow Austrian only to poison them at any given moment. Or aren't Russians well known for being master spies that hide their weapons even in umbrellas or staves or their sleeves, too.

Strike at German Airports Grounds Nearly 300,000 Passengers

It was published last Friday.

A 24-hour strike at seven German airports, including Frankfurt and Munich, was set to affect nearly 300,000 passengers on Friday, as unionized workers pressed for higher wages and threatened a summer of “chaos” if their demands were not met.

The strike coincided with the start of the Munich Security Conference, with more than 40 heads of state and 60 ministers expected to attend.

In an early sign of the disruption, Romania’s foreign minister, unable to board a cancelled flight, will be forced to fly to Austria and then make the more than four-hour drive to Munich, a Romanian embassy official said.

It is the latest in a series of strikes and protests that have hit major European economies, including France, Britain, and Spain, as higher food and energy prices knocked incomes and living standards following the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Around 295,000 passengers are affected by the cancellation of some 2,340 flights at Bremen, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, and Stuttgart airports, according to the ADV airports association.

[DerVVulfman]

Sometimes, bad news comes in threes. This week, the news came out of Hollywood.

Raquel Welch,
Star of ‘One Million Years B.C.,’
Dies at 82

Once called "a marvelous breathing monument to womankind," she also was memorable in 'Fantastic Voyage,' 'Lady in Cement,' '100 Rifles' and 'Myra Breckinridge.'

Raquel Welch, the almond-eyed sex symbol who turned a doeskin bikini into one of the most iconic cinematic images of the 1960s, has died. She was 82.

Welch’s management company told The Hollywood Reporter that she died Wednesday morning following a brief illness. Her son, Damon Welch, confirmed that she died Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles.

Her success in Hollywood was due partly to talent, partly to perseverance, but mostly to hitting the genetic jackpot. Although she turned in several respectable performances — as a scientist’s assistant in Fantastic Voyage (© 1966), as Lilian Lust in Bedazzled (© 1967), as a transgender revolutionary in Myra Breckinridge (© 1970) — it was her strikingly photogenic features and voluptuous figure that catapulted her to international stardom.

She is survived by son Damon Welch and daughter Tahnee Welch (Cocoon ©1985).

Stella Stevens,
Starlet of the ’60s and ‘Nutty Professor’ Actress,
Dies at 84

She also sparkled in 'The Ballad of Cable Hogue,' 'Too Late Blues,' 'The Poseidon Adventure,' 'The Silencers' and 'Girls! Girls! Girls!'

Stella Stevens, the screen siren of the 1960s who brought sweet sexiness to such films as The Nutty Professor, Too Late Blues and The Ballad of Cable Hogue, has died. She was 84.

Stevens died Friday in Los Angeles, her son, actor-producer-director Andrew Stevens, told The Hollywood Reporter. “She had been in hospice for quite some time with Stage 7 Alzheimer’s,” he said.

Shining brightest in light comedies, the blond, blue-eyed actress appeared as a shy beauty contestant from Montana in Vincente Minnelli’s The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (© 1963), portrayed a headstrong nun in Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows! (© 1968) opposite Rosalind Russell and frolicked with the fun-loving Dean Martin in two films: the Matt Helm spy spoof The Silencers (© 1966) and How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life (© 1968).

Stevens lived for more than a decade on a ranch in Washington state and had a romantic relationship with Bob Kulick, a guitarist and music producer who worked with Meat Loaf, Lou Reed, Motörhead, Diana Ross and Kiss, from 1983 until his death in 2020. (Kulick’s brother Bruce was in Kiss.)

Survivors also include her grandchildren, Amelia, Aubrey and Samuel.

Richard Belzer,
Extraordinarily Smart-Ass as a Comic and a TV Cop,
Dies at 78
The stand-up legend and 'Groove Tube' actor played Det. John Munch on 'Homicide: Life on the Street,' 'Law & Order: SVU' and eight other shows.

Richard Belzer, the beloved comedian who began as an edgy stand-up performer before finding further fame as the cynical but stalwart detective John Munch on Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, has died. He was 78.

Belzer died early Sunday at his home in Bozouls in southwest France, writer Bill Scheft, a longtime friend of the actor, told The Hollywood Reporter. “He had lots of health issues, and his last words were, ‘Fuck you, motherfucker,'” Scheft said.

Belzer made his film debut in the hilarious The Groove Tube (© 1974), warmed up audiences in the early days of Saturday Night Live and famously was put to sleep by Hulk Hogan.

Survivors include his third wife, actress Harlee McBride (they married in 1985, and she played medical examiner Alyssa Dyer on Homicide), and stepdaughters Jessica and Bree.

[kyonides]

How will  Wulfo survive watching SVU now that his favorite character Munch is gone?
 Age can be a cruel enemy for sure.

China Sends Top Diplomat to Russia Ahead of Ukraine War Anniversary

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending Wang Yi, director of the regime’s Foreign Affairs Commission, to Moscow, where it is rumored Wang may even meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The visit comes just days after the United States announced that it was concerned the CCP may be preparing to provide weapons to Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Wang on Feb. 18, on the sidelines of a global security conference in Munich, where he warned Wang of consequences should the CCP provide materiel support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Chinese weapons supplies to Russia would risk a potential escalation of the Ukraine war into a confrontation between Russia and China on the one side and Ukraine and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance on the other.
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Wang Wenbin declined to say what Wang Yi would discuss with Russian authorities, but said the CCP aimed to avoid a nuclear war.

Despite the claim, both Russia and China are seeking to modernize and expand their nuclear arsenals, and Russia is deploying its nuclear forces in a posture unseen since the Cold War.

Russia Suspends Participation in Last Nuclear Arms Treaty With US

“As of today, Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty,” Putin said in a national address, which he delivered almost one year after the launch of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We’re not withdrawing from the agreement,” he clarified. “We’re just suspending [our participation in] it.”

The New START treaty, which was first signed in 2010 and took effect the following year, aims to set limits on both countries’ sizable nuclear arsenals.

In 2021, shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden took office, the treaty was extended by a further five years.
The United States and Russia are believed to account for roughly 90 percent of the world’s existing nuclear warheads.
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Russia’s arsenal consists of some 5,977 nuclear warheads, while the United States currently possesses about 5,550 warheads.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the move as “unfortunate and irresponsible.”

 Oh no! We're not retreating from the treaty, it's just that we need more time, like another 5 years, to get ready and let foreign inspectors confirm our official version. You've got nothing to  worry about.

Manufacturing in China and Exporting Globally ‘No Longer Viable’: Kyocera

Kyocera, one of the largest chip component manufacturers in the world, believes China can no longer play its role as the global factory amid heavy sanctions from the United States, and the company has begun shifting production to other places, including Japan.
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“Not only have wages gone up, but obviously, with all that’s happening between the United States and China, it’s difficult to export from China to some regions.”

Kyocera is building its first factory in Japan in almost 20 years.

On Oct. 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced new export restrictions on chip manufacturing and advanced semiconductors in a bid to prevent American technology from being used in the development of the Chinese military.

Tanimoto admitted that the U.S. export controls were a reason why the firm cut down its operating profit forecast for the year by 31 percent. Kyocera commands a 70 percent market share globally in ceramic components used in chip-manufacturing equipment.
...
Back in 2019, when the Trump administration had imposed tariffs on China, Kyocera had moved the manufacturing of copiers for the U.S. market from China to Vietnam.

Many companies have moved production out of China or plan to do so. In April last year, for example, Apple began manufacturing its iPhone 13 in India at a site owned by Foxconn, its Taiwanese contract manufacturer. In addition, Apple is sending the production of iPads and AirPods to Vietnam.

Samsung shifted production to Vietnam back in 2019. The company has also decided to manufacture its flagship Galaxy S23 smartphones in India for local sale. Amazon has shut down its Kindle facility in China and now produces FireTV devices in India.

Apple Daily Assets Up For Public Auction After NSA Raid and Closure

The assets of a former pro-democracy media in Hong Kong are up for public auction.

Apple Daily was raided by police on Aug. 10, 2020, after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

It was forced to cease operation after authorities froze the assets of company CEO Jimmy Lai on Jun. 17, 2021. Lai and six senior officials were arrested and charged with violating the Hong Kong National Security Law. Lai is facing a potential life-long sentence.
...
The employee said the equipment had become rusted and molded from being left unattended for too long. The untidiness of the office desks reflected the suddenness with which employees left without an opportunity to pack. Belongings were scattered and left behind during the quick evacuation.

MP Voices Concern About Chinese Diplomat Reportedly Boasting
She Helped Defeat 2 Tory Electoral Candidates

MPs raised concerns Tuesday in a House of Commons committee meeting about the latest revelations from reportedly leaked Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) files that allege Chinese interference in Canada’s last two federal elections.

The Commons Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Feb. 21 heard allegations based on a Globe and Mail report that China’s former consul-general in Vancouver, Tong Xiaoling, bragged that she helped defeat two Conservative MPs running for election in 2021, including an MP who she allegedly described as “a vocal distractor.”

The committee heard that former Consul General Wang Jin was also allegedly involved in efforts to rally support for Liberals and target Conservative candidates for election defeat, including tactics such as “funnelling money to candidates through illegal undeclared cash donations.”
...
Cooper said allegations include “disinformation targeted against Conservative candidates, collusion with Liberal candidates, the widespread use of proxies to advance the Chinese Communist Party’s objectives of helping the Liberal Party, and working to defeat certain Conservative candidates, all coordinated and directed by Chinese communist diplomats on Canadian soil.”
...
The MP said that Beijing allegedly had two overriding objectives: to ensure the Liberal Party was reelected with a minority government, and to make sure certain Conservative candidates deemed unfriendly to China would be defeated.

FAA Proposes $175,000 Penalty on SpaceX for Not Complying With Safety Rules

A $175,000 civil penalty has been proposed against SpaceX because the company didn’t submit launch collision trajectory data to the agency prior to launching the Starlink Group 4-27 mission on Aug. 19, 2022.
...
“SpaceX has 30 days to respond to the FAA after receiving the agency’s enforcement letter,” the agency stated. The mission had sent a batch of 53 Starlink internet satellites to space from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida using a Falcon 9 rocket.

Since SpaceX didn’t provide the launch collision analysis trajectory data seven days prior to the launch, it’s actually subject to an inflation-adjusted fine capped at $262,666 per federal statute.
...
In June 2022, the FAA said that SpaceX would be required to comply with more than 75 environmental actions before it’s allowed to launch its Starship spacecraft program.

The actions require SpaceX to remove launch debris from sensitive habitats in the Texas State Parks and Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge, monitor wildlife and plants for launch effects, and manage noise and light pollution from the launch site.

Uncontrolled Fire Growing North of Melbourne

A large, fast-moving and uncontrolled grassfire north of Melbourne is growing and heading towards more towns.

The blaze started at Flowerdale, about 90 minutes from the Victorian capital, on Tuesday afternoon and is burning north towards Yea.

Waterbombing aircraft were used overnight, and it’s believed no homes have been impacted, but the full extent of damage to fences and sheds is unknown.

The fire is more than 700 hectares in size and burning across steep, inaccessible terrain towards forested areas.

An emergency warning is in place for Flowerdale, meaning it is too late for many residents to leave.

However, those located between Dairy Creek Road and Handleys Road and Upper King Parrot Creek Road and Landmark Lane have been told to go before conditions get worse.

[kyonides]

NTSB Releases First Report on Train Derailment in East Palestine, Points to ‘Overheat Failure’

The report, which is preliminary and subject to change as investigators deepen their probe, suggests that blame for the accident lies in a wheel bearing that severely overheated before the train went off the rails.

The crew operating the freight train did not receive a critical warning about the overheated axle until moments before the derailment, the report states.

After getting a “critical audible alarm message” from the wayside defect detector—or hot bearing detector (HBD)—instructing the crew to stop the train to inspect a hot axle, the engineer slowed and stopped the train.

When the train came to a halt, the crew saw smoke and fire and alerted dispatch of a possible derailment.

Toxic Wastewater From Ohio Train Derailment Now Going to Texas

“I and my office heard today that ‘firefighting water’ from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment is slated to be disposed of in our county,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday.

Questions remain on when the contaminated water will be disposed of, what is being transported, and how it will be disposed of, she said.
...
Hidalgo also stated her office is closely coordinating with the mayor of Deer Park, Texas, located in Harris County.
...
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality told KTRK-TV that Texas Molecular “is authorized to accept and manage a variety of waste streams, including vinyl chloride, as part of their … hazardous waste permit and underground injection control permit.” Vinyl chloride was one of the materials that the train was carrying before it was derailed.

Tesla Moves Global Engineering Headquarters to California

The announcement comes after Tesla moved its corporate headquarters from Fremont, California, to Austin, Texas, in 2021, following a turbulent relationship with Golden State.

At the time, Musk said the decision was based in part on California’s soaring housing costs which were hindering Tesla’s ability to scale up in the Bay Area.
...
Tesla’s Fremont-based manufacturing plant has the highest automotive production output in North America and will likely produce more than 600,000 vehicles in the coming year.
...
Tesla also said Wednesday that it is moving its battery cell production from Germany to the United States to take advantage of federal incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act.
...
Electric vehicle maker Tesla is establishing its global engineering headquarters in California, CEO Elon Musk announced on Feb. 22.

In a joint press conference with California governor Gavin Newsom, Musk said the new engineering headquarters will be at the former offices of Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto.

Project Veritas Says James O’Keefe Could Return as It Asks Supporters to ‘Give Us a Chance’

Project Veritas said on Feb. 23 that founder James O’Keefe could return as it asked supporters to “give us a chance” following O’Keefe’s ouster.

O’Keefe spoke to staff members at the organization’s headquarters in New York on Feb. 20, announcing that he was leaving after being stripped of his position as CEO and chairman of the board of directors.

“I’m intending to start anew,” he said.

The board has stated that it didn’t fire him and that it didn’t want him to resign.
...
The board had stated that it uncovered “financial malfeasance” and that O’Keefe “left us no choice but to suspend him in the last few weeks when he unilaterally fired the CFO, who can only be fired with Board approval.”

Even if the internal rules say that the board should fire the CFO, wasn't his duty to protect the NGO from a conspirator that wanted it to go broke?  Couldn't the board simply hear his case against the CFO instead of directly suspending the CEO?

Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to 16 Years on LA Rape Conviction

The charges stemmed from an assault on a former model and actress, identified in court as Jane Doe 1, at a Los Angeles hotel in February 2013.

Weinstein, the powerful co-founder of Miramax Films, a movie production and distribution house, will serve the sentence after completing his 23-year sentence for a sexual misconduct conviction in New York.
...
Prosecutors called for a “high-term” penalty of 24 years because of the prior conviction, rather than a “mid-term” sentence of 18 years that California law would otherwise prescribe, absent additional “aggravating” factors.
...
The jury acquitted Weinstein of charges relating to a second alleged victim and failed to reach a unanimous verdict on charges arising from two other accusers.

One of them, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, now the wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, had disclosed she was the alleged rape victim referred to in court records as Jane Doe 4.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench declared a mistrial on the deadlocked charges.

US Considered Blocking Exports of Taiwanese Microchips to Russia

“A year ago, we led a coalition of 36 countries to align export controls against Russia,” said Raimondo at an event at Georgetown University in Washington.

“We could have done … we have the tools to do the extraterritorial controls,” she continued. “And I thought about it.”
...
“Semiconductors, for example, almost all of the semiconductors made in Taiwan are made with American machinery and software. So technically, we could have said to Taiwan, ‘You can’t sell any of that to Russia because if you do, you can’t use our hardware and software,” she said.

“We prefer not to do that. We prefer to go to our allies, as we did in Ukraine, and say instead, ‘You should control it; you should use your own controls. We don’t want to reach in and do that,’” continued Raimondo. “So that’s the way we want to operate, always with our allies, build consensus, build a coalition.”
...
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.—enacted its own export controls on Russia. TSMC produces 92 percent of the chips used in the United States.

Iraq to Allow Trade With China in Yuan Amid Shift Away From Dollar

The Iraqi central bank plans to allow trade with China to be settled directly in yuan as opposed to the U.S. dollar for the first time, it announced on Feb. 22, as part of efforts to reduce pressure on the falling dinar.
...
Under the plan, the central bank could boost the balances of Iraqi banks that have accounts with Chinese banks in the yuan.

However, this option would largely depend on the size of the central bank’s yuan reserves, Mudhir Salih, the Iraqi government’s economic adviser, told Reuters.

Another option would be to boost the balances of Iraqi banks through the accounts of the central bank to the final beneficiary in the Chinese yuan, via the central bank’s U.S. dollar reserves accounts with J.P. Morgan and Development Bank of Singapore, according to the statement.

The two banks would convert the dollars to yuan and pay the final beneficiary in China, Salih explained.
...
The total bilateral trade value between China and Iraq exceeded $24.8 billion in the first half of 2022, according to China Daily.

The new plan would cover private sector imports and not oil trade in Iraq.

[kyonides]

Russia Launches Rescue Ship to Space Station After Leaks

The capsule leak in December was blamed on a micrometeorite that punctured an external radiator, draining it of coolant. The same thing appeared to happen again earlier this month, this time on a docked Russian cargo ship. Camera views showed a small hole in each spacecraft.

The Russian Space Agency delayed the launch of the replacement Soyuz, looking for any manufacturing defects. No issues were found, and the agency proceeded with Friday’s predawn launch from Kazakhstan of the capsule with bundles of supplies strapped into the three seats.

Given the urgent need for this capsule, two top NASA officials traveled from the U.S. to observe the launch in person. To everyone’s relief, the capsule safely reached orbit nine minutes after liftoff — “a perfect ride to orbit,” NASA Mission Control’s Rob Navias reported from Houston.

Former Mexico Drug Czar Convicted in US of Taking Bribes From Cartel

...he took millions of dollars in bribes from the infamous Sinaloa cartel.

Federal prosecutors in the New York City borough of Brooklyn said Genaro Garcia Luna accepted bribes from the cartel once run by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in exchange for protection from arrest, safe passage for cocaine shipments, and tipoffs about forthcoming law enforcement operations.

On its third day of deliberations, the jury found Garcia Luna guilty on all five counts he faced, which included continuing criminal enterprise and conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the United States.

Garcia Luna, 54, is one of the highest-ranking Mexican officials ever accused of ties to drug trafficking. He led Mexico’s Federal Investigation Agency from 2001 to 2005 and was public security minister for six years until 2012.

Garcia Luna worked closely with U.S. counter-narcotics and intelligence agencies as part of former President Felipe Calderon’s crackdown on cartels.

He now faces a prison term of at least 20 years

US to Target Chinese Companies in Upcoming Sanctions on Russia

an upcoming sanctions package targeting Russia on the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine will also target China-linked entities that are violating export bans against Moscow.

The Biden administration has identified that China-linked firms—some Europe-based—are evading existing sanctions against Russia intended to weaken Moscow’s ability to finance and supply its military offensive in Ukraine.

“There will be in the sanctions packages that we will be announcing tomorrow on the one-year anniversary of the war,” Nuland told The Washington Post during a live event on Thursday. “We will also be putting other constraints on entities, Chinese-based or Chinese subs of entities in Europe.”

In January, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned the Chinese technology company Spacety for providing geolocating data to a private Russian mercenary group that has fought alongside Moscow forces in the war.

FTX Founder Bankman-Fried Hit With 4 More Charges
Including Illegal Campaign Donations

An indictment against former FTX CEO Samuel Bankman-Freid was made public on Feb. 23, and included 12 statutory allegations, including wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions.
...
The indictment asserts that Bankman-Freid directed tens of millions of dollars in illegal contributions to candidates of both parties to be donated in the names of others to “obscure the true source of the money and evade federal election law.”

According to the court filing, Bankman-Freid became one of the largest reported political donors in the 2022 midterm elections.
...
The indictment did not include the executive’s names but stated that one was used to donate to progressive causes, and the other’s name was used to donate to conservative candidates.

The document states the contributions were made directly to candidates in the names of the executives, and were made using funds from FTX and one of its sister companies.

...to “improve his personal standing in Washington, D.C., increase FTX’ s profile, and curry favor with candidates that could help pass legislation favorable to FTX’s or Bankman-Fried’s personal agenda.”
...
The court record seems to indicate that the executives knew about the scheme, citing conversations between one of the donors and a political consultant working for Bankman-Fried.

Japan Sends Bomb Experts to Inspect ‘Mystery Ball’ Washed Up on Shore

A local woman found the mysterious ball on Enshu Beach in Hamamatsu City and alerted the police. The object was described as an “iron ball” with a diameter of 1.5 meters (almost 5 feet), NHK News reported.

According to local reports, the iron ball appears rusty and has a latching point that would allow it to be hooked to something.

Police cordoned off the area in a 200-meter radius around the object and called in bomb experts to inspect it for explosives. The team used X-ray technology to examine the object and found it to be hollow.

The restriction was lifted at around 4 p.m. local time on Feb. 21 after authorities determined that it didn’t pose an explosive threat.
...
A local resident told NHK News that he had spotted the ball on the beach a month ago.

‘Steele Dossier’ firm Fusion GPS tied to bogus rape report against billionaire

A federal judge found last week that Fusion GPS...played a role in circulating a fake police report accusing a billionaire investor of rape.

Shervin Pishevar – a deep-pocketed investor in Uber, Airbnb, Slack and Postmates — has claimed for the past five years that Fusion GPS was the firm behind a forged police report that alleged he had raped a woman in a London hotel in May 2017.

The fake police report was signed by a police officer who never existed and then given to a reporter at Fast Company who published a story on it later that year.

The ultimate source of the report remains unclear.
...
The judge is issuing a subpoena demanding that Fusion GPS in the next 14 days reveal the identity of the people who created the fraudulent report as well as the person who paid for the report to be compiled.

 So Trump wasn't alone as a victim of Fusion GPS's libels.

Russian warships bypass the United Kingdom

The group of Russian warships, which were allegedly on their way back to Russia, passed through British waters at a time of heightened British-Russian tensions. British threats against Russia, for its invasion of Ukraine, have increased. The ships' route is thought to be provocative and, some believe, a message to NATO.

Britain has committed to sending 14 of their Challenger 2 main battle tanks, 30 self-propelled AS90 guns and military training to Ukraine. Britain has also increased sanctions against Russia.

Russia sanctioned British Foreign Minister James Cleverly last month. In response to the sanctions, Cleverly wrote "If this is the price for supporting Ukrainian freedom, then I’m happy to be sanctioned."
...
Some military experts have theorized that the ship is withdrawing resources from the Mediterranean to redirect for their invasion of Ukraine.

Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled says ex-Lebanon PM sent PFLP weapons to Europe

Convicted Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled - who carried out the hijacking of a Trans World Airlines flight to Tel-Aviv in 1969 and sought to hijack an El-Al flight to New York in 1970 - claimed in an interview this month that former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri was active in the terrorist group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and that he helped transfer PFLP weapons to Europe in 1970 and 1971.

Khaled, 78, a member of the Palestinian National Council, told the London-based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat on February 12 and 13 about Al-Hariri's alleged role in Palestinian terrorism in Europe. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) posted parts of the interview on its website.
...
Khaled said she was "not sure" if Hariri financed the PFLP. "All I witnessed was his assignment to transfer weapons. The rule of thumb was that no one should know anything except for what they have to complete their mission."
...
"Khaled refused to talk about how Hariri got the weapons to pass through the airports of France, Spain, and Germany," Al-Sharq Al-Awsat wrote.

Explosions heard in Karaj, Iran, air defenses activated

Explosions were heard in Karaj near Tehran in central Iran on Thursday night, with initial reports indicating that air defenses in the area were activated.

The official Iranian IRNA news outlet claimed that the explosions and the activation of air defenses were part of an IRGC defense exercise near Karaj.

Video reportedly from the scene shared on social media showed air defense batteries firing towards unseen targets.
...
The incident comes just a few weeks after suicide drones targeted an IRGC facility in Isfahan. Iran has blamed Israel for that attack and claimed that no significant damage was caused.
...
Defense facilities in and near Karaj have been targeted by attacks repeatedly in recent years.

[kyonides]

Biden Admin Proposes to Block Half of Current Gas Range Models

In a proposed regulation published at the beginning of February, DOE set a maximum annual gas consumption of 1,204 thousand British thermal units (kBtu), also known as the EL 2 standard, for all gas cooking tops.
...
“DOE estimates that nearly half of the total gas cooking top market currently achieves EL 2 and therefore would not be impacted by the proposed standard, if finalized,” DOE said in an updated analysis (pdf).

DOE issued the updated analysis mainly because it excluded certain types of gas cooking tops in the previous analysis that was published on Feb. 1.

Only 4 percent of the gas cooking tops in 2027 could meet the EL 2 standard if the new standard was not implemented.
...
The governmental agency includes gas cooking tops with high input rate (HIR) burners in the new analysis.
...all products with HIR can pass the new regulation, DOE said.

The new rule would be effective three years after it’s adopted.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) said they’re “very concerned” about the direction of the DOE.

Russia Halts Pipeline Oil Supplies to Poland

Russia has halted supplies of oil to Poland via the Druzhba pipeline, the chief executive of Polish refiner PKN Orlen said on Saturday, adding that the company would tap alternative sources to plug the gap.

The halt in supplies via the pipeline...came a day after Poland delivered its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

“We’re effectively securing supplies. Russia has halted supplies to Poland, for which we are prepared. Only 10% of crude oil has been coming from Russia and we will replace it with oil from other sources,” PKN Orlen Chief Executive Daniel Obajtek wrote on Twitter.

The company said it could fully supply its refineries via sea and that the halt in pipeline supplies would not impact deliveries of gasoline and diesel to clients.

As of February, after a contract with Russia’s Rosneft expired, Orlen has been getting oil under a deal with Russia’s oil and natural gas company Tatneft.

U.S. Consul Responds to Chinese Diplomat
Warning About Crossing Political ‘Red Lines’

During the meeting, Commissioner Liu stated “three red lines” that the U.S. consulate should not cross, namely endangering “China’s national security, not to engage in political interference in Hong Kong, and not to slander or damage Hong Kong’s development prospect,” according to a statement provided.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Consulate said that while they don’t generally comment on private diplomatic meetings, they don’t “hesitate to express publicly and privately the United States’ deep concern over the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy,” according to a statement provided to media outlets.
...
On Jan. 25, Gregory May, who took up his post in Hong Kong in September 2022, expressed concern over the city’s rule of law following Beijing’s imposition of a national security law in 2020. At the time, the foreign ministry of CCP accused May of vilifying the city’s legal system and seeking to disrupt the city.
...
He said more than 15,000 American citizens left Hong Kong and moved to other cities in the past two years.
...
He also accused the Hong Kong government of curtailing press freedoms since the enactment of the NSL imposed in response to the 2019 anti-government protests.

Mysterious White Dust Sweeps Across Parts of America

Parts of the mid-Atlantic United States are reportedly seeing mysterious white dust falling in the region, with officials testing samples of the dust to identify its origin.

“Several reports of an unknown WHITE POWDER OR DUST SEDIMENT falling out of the sky throughout West Virginia and Maryland … Local fire departments suggesting people shut windows and doors and stay inside until it can be investigated,” political strategist Chuck Callesto said in a Feb. 24 Twitter post. An accompanying video showed cars being covered by the white dust.
...
“Samples will also be taken to the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey in Morgantown to determine if the cause of the dust is related to recent dust storms in the Midwest,” the department added.
...
Similar dust fell in the previous week in Connecticut that reportedly had an odor similar to chlorine.

Australia’s Torres Strait Sound Alarm Over ‘Invasion’ by Chinese Fishing Boats

Australia’s fisheries authority is also alarmed by the border intrusions and is working to ramp up surveillance.

Traditional owners claim more than 50 Chinese-sponsored Papua New Guinean fishing boats have been intensively and illegally working the Warrior Reefs in the archipelago’s northeast.

“They’re taking anything and everything off that reef: clams, turtles, octopus, small, big, anything, and they’ve been doing it since December,” Iama Fisheries Management Authority spokesman Charles David told AAP.

“Some nights on that reef it’s like a city with all the lights. These people don’t muck around. They’ve got nothing to lose and they are raping our reef.”
...
“They’re harvesting endangered species too, including dugong, and they take up to 800 kilograms of product per boat.”

David believes the foreigners moved in after Australian Border Force vessels, which patrolled the maritime border in northern Queensland when migration was stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic, left the region in late 2022.

Japan’s Consumer Inflation Hits 41-year High, Keeps BOJ Under Pressure

The nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes energy costs, was 4.2 percent higher in January than a year earlier, matching a median market forecast and accelerating from a 4.0 percent annual gain in December.

January’s rise was the fastest since September 1981, when fuel costs spiked due to the Middle East oil crisis and hit Japan’s import-reliant economy.

Core consumer inflation has now exceeded the Bank of Japan’s 2 percent target for nine straight months, mostly reflecting persistent rises in fuel and raw material costs, the data showed.
...
Incoming Governor Kazuo Ueda faces a challenge in sustaining the BOJ’s yield control policy, which has come under attack by markets betting strong inflation will force the bank to raise interest rates.

Speaking in parliament, Ueda said the BOJ must maintain ultra-low rates as the recent acceleration in inflation is driven largely by rising raw import costs, rather than strong demand.
...
Upon approval by parliament, Ueda is expected to succeed incumbent Haruhiko Kuroda when his term ends in April. At Ueda’s debut policy meeting on April 28, the BOJ will release for the first time its inflation forecasts extending to fiscal 2025.

Climate Advocate Al Gore and CEO Tim Cook Must Be Ousted From Apple Board

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), a nonprofit that reports on the ethics of public officials.
...
The SEC filing that called for voting against Al Gore’s twenty-first term on the board of directors pointed out that he has built a “personal brand” for himself on climate change after losing a presidential bid against George W. Bush in 2000. “Mr. Gore has little technology, financial, or leadership success. His board membership relies heavily on his climate change expertise. However, Mr. Gore’s climate predictions have been mostly false; he lives a hypocritical carbon-intensive lifestyle; and his climate activism has been a tool for his personal enrichment, much of which depends on industries whose existence relies on government tax credits and subsidies,” the filing stated.
...
According to Apple’s 2023 proxy statement, “corporate governance” is stated as one of Gore’s director skills. The filing points out that prior to joining the Apple team, Gore has “never served on a corporate board.”
...
“Innovation and technology” is another skill listed under Gore in the proxy statement. However, Gore has “no prior business or technology experience.”
...
NLPC pointed out that Cook has failed “numerous times to live up to what he says are Apple’s ethical standards” ever since he took over as CEO in 2011. In addition, he has also made “multiple strategic mistakes” that ended up costing Apple billions of dollars.

“These include labor rights failures, privacy violations, and overreliance on China. But he is shielded from accountability, in part because of his position on Apple’s board. He should be removed as a director so the proper chain of command can be restored.”

German Chemical Giant BASF to Close Factories Without Cheap Russian Gas

BASF SE will cut 2,600 positions, about 2 percent of its global workforce, to save on operational costs, as the European Union’s biggest chemical firm is forced to deal without affordable Russian energy imports.
...
Meanwhile, 65 percent of BASF’s proposed layoffs in Germany, will be mostly in administrative and research positions.

Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industry employs about 466,500 people worldwide and has an annual turnover in excess of $211 billion, according to government data from Berlin.

Manufactured products from Germany are also an integral part of the automotive and other supply chains.

The chemical giant will close several factories in Germany, including two ammonia plants and related fertilizer facilities, which will lead to 700 job cuts at its main plant in Ludwigshafen, the company announced on Feb. 24.

Former Black Panther Discovers
One of Her White Ancestors Arrived on the Mayflower

A radical social justice Marxist and former member of the Black Panthers discovered that one of her ancestors arrived in the New World from England on the 1620 Mayflower expedition.
...
In the show’s final moments, Gates revealed that the investigation into her ancestry dated back to her tenth great-grandfather, a white man named William Brewster, who was born in England in 1570 and traveled to America on the Mayflower.

A visibly stunned Davis said, “No, I can’t believe this. My ancestors did not come here on the Mayflower. That’s a little bit too much to deal with right now.”

Davis emerged in California during the late 1960s as a prominent civil rights figure and a member of the Communist Party.

She’s continued to support radical, far-left politics, and is currently a professor at the University of California in Santa Cruz.

Amid her social justice activism, Davis was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for her alleged involvement in the armed seizure of a Marin County Courthouse in California that left four people dead, including a judge.

[DerVVulfman]

Lab Leak Most Likely Origin of Covid-19 Pandemic,
Energy Department Now Says!

U.S. agency’s revised assessment is based on new intelligence

The U.S. Energy Department has concluded that the Covid pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and key members of Congress.

The new report highlights how different parts of the intelligence community have arrived at disparate judgments about the pandemic’s origin. The Energy Department now joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation in saying the virus likely spread via a mishap at a Chinese laboratory. Four other agencies, along with a national intelligence panel, still judge that it was likely the result of a natural transmission, and two are undecided.

The FBI previously came to the conclusion that the pandemic was likely the result of a lab leak in 2021 with “moderate confidence” and still holds to this view.

The Central Intelligence Agency and another agency that officials wouldn’t name remain undecided between the lab-leak and natural-transmission theories, the people who have read the classified report said.

Despite the agencies’ differing analyses, the update reaffirmed an existing consensus between them that Covid-19 wasn’t the result of a Chinese biological-weapons program, the people who have read the classified report said.

U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan declined to confirm or deny the Journal’s reporting in an appearance Sunday on CNN. He said President Biden had repeatedly directed every part of the intelligence community to invest in trying to discern as much as possible about the origins of the pandemic.

[kyonides]

Senators Call for Declassifying Assessment
That COVID-19 Likely Came From Chinese Lab

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wrote on Twitter that documents described in a Wall Street Journal report “should be declassified.”

“President Biden needs to declassify everything we know today,” Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) added.

According to the report, the U.S. Energy Department is assessing that the pandemic likely started from a Wuhan laboratory leak.

The assessment was described in a document authored by the office of Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, a Biden appointee, the Journal reported.
...
The Energy Department told news outlets in a statement that it “continues to support the thorough, careful, and objective work of our intelligence professionals in investigating the origins of COVID-19, as the President directed.”

Virginia Moves to Ban China From Buying Farmland

Virginia will ban foreign adversaries, including China, from buying agricultural land in the commonwealth after legislators in the House of Delegates and Senate recently approved versions of the proposal and sent the measure to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin for his expected signature. The ban would be retroactively effective from Jan. 1.

Prohibiting China from buying farmland in Virginia tops Youngkin’s legislative agenda this year.

“Virginians—not the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]—should own the rich and vibrant agricultural lands God has blessed us with. That is why I am asking the General Assembly to send me a bill to prohibit dangerous foreign entities tied to the CCP from purchasing Virginia farmland,” he said in his State of the Commonwealth address at the beginning of the 2023 legislative session.

The law will also require Virginia’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to publish an annual report of foreign land ownership to the governor and General Assembly. The inaugural report is due on the VDACS website by July 1. The law, once enacted, won’t affect any transactions that were completed before this year.*

Education Reform Documentary ‘Canceled’ by Woke Activists in Illinois

Two attempts to publicly show the documentary film “Truth and Lies in American Education” were thwarted this month by threats of violence from self-avowed Antifa activists.

The one-hour movie advocates for parents’ rights, the abandonment of what it sees as the sexualization and political indoctrination of school children, and a return to classical education in public schools.

The film also urges that the lowering of academic standards be reversed and presents homeschooling and private schools as alternatives to public education.
...
The day before the scheduled free public showing, the management of a community theater in suburban Chicago backed out of a commitment to allow the Illinois chapter of USPIE to use the public building to show the documentary and conduct a panel discussion of its content afterward.

The event’s organizers quickly found another venue, a southside Chicago tavern, that was initially willing to accommodate them. At the last minute, its management backed out too, citing anonymous threats to “shoot up the bar” and concern for the safety of patrons and staff as the reason.

USPIE national founder and president, Sheri Few, told The Epoch Times, “So-called anti-fascists claimed credit for both cancellations on social media. They had threatened that if the film was shown ‘bullets would fly.’”

DeSantis Signs Bill Ending Disney’s ‘Corporate Kingdom’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis consigned Disney World’s self-governing status to the historical dustbin on Feb. 27 as he signed the bill setting up a new board to govern the Central Florida property, one of the world’s premier tourist destinations.

DeSantis staged the bill with a backdrop not of the Magic Kingdom, but of a big yellow fire truck at Reedy Creek Fire Station No. 4. Reedy Creek was the name of Disney’s self-governing district, which had governmental powers unlike those granted to any other business in the state.
...
The new legislation means Disney will no longer have governmental powers, including the right to tax, to avoid state building and fire codes, to avoid state regulatory reviews and approvals, to issue tax-exempt bonds, and to operate its own utility and emergency services within its 25,000 acres that straddle Orange and Osceola counties.

The measure, which takes effect in June 2023, renames the Reedy Creek Improvement District, dubbing it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Pennsylvania County Gets Rid of ‘Sanctuary’ Status Amid Fentanyl Crisis

Butler County, Pennsylvania, has terminated its “sanctuary” designation and will now cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when dealing with illegal immigrants as the area faces a fentanyl crisis and an uptick in trafficking crimes.
...
On Feb. 21, the Butler County prison board adopted a policy authorizing it to accept ICE detainers accompanied by arrest warrants for illegal aliens in the region. The agency will offer a list of inmates to the county prison on a weekly basis. An ICE detainer will allow the agency to assume custody of an illegal immigrant who’s in Butler County prison.

The decision comes as the county sees fentanyl making up a large portion of overdose deaths in the region. A powerful synthetic opioid, Fentanyl is about 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. In 2021, of the 66 overall overdose deaths in Butler County, 57 were attributed to fentanyl.

Energy Giant Moves Quietly to Erase Taiwan

A British-Australian energy giant has chosen to erase Taiwan from its financial statements, deciding instead to list all revenue from the autonomous region as from “Greater China.”
...
Rio Tinto, one of the world’s largest metal and mining corporations, made the decision to merge Taiwanese revenue data with those of Greater China in its 2022 Full Year Data Report (pdf).

“Consolidated sales revenue by destination has been adjusted to classify Taiwan and China together as ‘Greater China’; previously Taiwan was included in Asia (excluding Greater China and Japan),” the report said. “This change has resulted in a decrease in 2021 revenue attributable to Asia (excluding Greater China and Japan) of: 2.5 percent and US$1,570 million.”

Previously, Taiwanese revenues were classified as part of Other Asian Regions in the annual reports.

And that's exactly how you'll gonna get surprised that China eventually invades Taiwan, all because of companies that are entirely bought by the CCP.

DC Police Officer Who Struck Protesters With Flagpole on Jan. 6 Bragged
‘That Was My Best Weapon’

A Metropolitan Police Department officer wielding a wooden flagpole like a medieval lance inside the U.S. Capitol tunnel on Jan. 6, 2021, later bragged to fellow officers that the long wooden dowel was “my best weapon,” newly released bodycam video shows.

Video recorded by Officer Michael Dowling’s bodycam shows him climbing onto a narrow ledge in the Lower West Terrace tunnel and attacking a woman in a white coat standing near the entrance.

As Dowling jabbed at the woman—including two contacts to the head—she hurried to get off the ledge and escape the tunnel.
...
Dowling picked up the flagpole from the floor of the tunnel entrance at 3:19 p.m. and moved into the tunnel.

After dislodging the woman in white, Dowling jabbed at a number of men at the front line who faced inward toward the police. That drew the ire of protest leader Anthony Alexander Antonio of Wilmington, Delaware, who had been addressing the crowd with a bullhorn.
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Two hours later, after the crowds were pushed from the Lower West Terrace, Dowling met up with MPD Officer Jeffrey Leslie.

“I lost my flagpole,” Dowling lamented. “That was my best weapon.”

I don't know how he'd still be called a  cop after such acts of extreme violence against people that didn't attack him at all.

Republicans Sound Alarm on Beijing’s Efforts to Spread Propaganda in Western Outlets

In an op-ed recently published in the Washington Post, Xu Xueyuan, the chargé d’affaires at the Chinese regime’s embassy in Washington, repeated Beijing’s narrative that the balloon was for “meteorological research” and “posed no real security threat.”
...
The article has been shared by prominent CCP diplomats and Chinese state-run media, including Huang Ping, Beijing’s consul general in New York, and Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington.
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“Communist China’s attempt to play nice and cover up their surveillance operation is not the least bit surprising. This is what they do—pretend everything is fine and dandy while they continue to spy on Americans using TikTok, steal our intellectual property, and buy up our farmland,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, told The Epoch Times.
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“Communist oppression is a very serious and dangerous threat to the entire world, and we should not take these ‘wandering balloons’ lightly,” Higgins told The Epoch Times. [Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.)] added that Xu’s response has “certainly not wandered far from the Communist party line and shows that every citizen of every nation should be aware of the CCP’s global agenda.”
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“America did not overreact. If anything, we didn’t act soon enough,” [Sen. Marsha] Blackburn said.
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“The appropriate time for China to claim its balloon posed no threat was prior to its launch, not after it was deliberately floated across the U.S.,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who sits on the House Rules Committee, told The Epoch Times.

“With all due respect to Ms. Xu, our nation, not hers, will determine whether that payload was benign or malicious,” Norman added.