Today’s News 19th April 2023

• Leaks Spell The End For Ukraine (And Expose Western Disinformation)
  Leaks Spell The End For Ukraine (And Expose Western Disinformation)

  Authored by Joe Lauria via ConsortiumNews,com,

  Leaked U.S. intelligence documents have exposed Western disinformation  about Ukraine winning the war. Now the heavy fighting moves to Washington…

  

  Aerial view of the Washington battleground. (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz/Wikimedia Commons)

  A Washington Post headline last week was a bombshell for someone who has only been reading about the Ukraine war in The Washington Post and other Western media: “U.S. doubts Ukraine counteroffensive will yield big gains, leaked document says.”

  The story admits that Western media audiences have been misled about the course of the war, that essentially what mainstream media has been reporting about Ukraine has been a pack of lies: namely that Ukraine is winning the war and is poised to launch an offensive that will lead to a final victory. 

  Instead, the second paragraph of the piece makes clear the leaked documents show the long-planned Ukrainian offensive will fail miserably — “a marked departure from the Biden administration’s public statements about the vitality of Ukraine’s military.”  

  In other words, U.S. officials have been lying about the state of the war to the public and to reporters who have faithfully reported their every word without a hint of skepticism.

  The Post said, as if it’s a bad thing, that the leaks will likely “embolden critics who feel the United States and NATO should do more to push for a negotiated settlement to the conflict.”

  That has begun to happen. Writing in the uber-Establishment Foreign Affairs, former State Department official Richard Haass and Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, write that “it is difficult to feel sanguine about where the war is headed.”

  In “The West Needs a New Strategy in Ukraine: A Plan for Getting From the Battlefield to the Negotiating Table,” they say:

  “The best path forward is a sequenced two-pronged strategy aimed at first bolstering Ukraine’s military capability and then, when the fighting season winds down late this year, ushering Moscow and Kyiv from the battlefield to the negotiating table.”  

  The article does not mention the leaks, though it was published after the disclosures made clear that the Ukrainian offensive, intended to  break through Russia’s land bridge to Crimea, would fail.

  Filled with the usual talk about Ukraine having better “operational skill” than Russia, and that the war will end in a “stalemate,” the piece represents an emerging strategy in the West: namely that before negotiating, Ukraine needs to launch its offensive to gain back some territory, “imposing heavy losses on Russia, foreclosing Moscow’s military options, and increasing its willingness to contemplate a diplomatic settlement.”

  But that is a tall order. Moscow would be unlikely to negotiate at the end of the Ukrainian offensive, particularly as the article admits the “Russian military’s numerical superiority” and that Ukraine is “facing growing constraints on both its own manpower and help from abroad.” 

  Moscow was ready to cut a deal with Kiev one month after Russia’s intervention but the West, with its strategy of lengthening the war to weaken Russia, quashed it. Why would Moscow accept a deal now when Ukraine is at its weakest and Russia is poised to make significant gains on the battlefield?

  The Foreign Affairs piece admits, “This diplomatic gambit may well fail. Even if Russia and Ukraine continue to take significant losses, one or both of them may prefer to keep fighting.”

  “Come the end of this fighting season,” the article says, “the United States and Europe will also have good reason to abandon their stated policy of supporting Ukraine for ‘as long as it takes,’ as U.S. President Joe Biden has put it.”

  And what comes next? “NATO allies would start a strategic dialogue with Russia on arms control and the broader European security architecture.”  

  Incredibly this is what Russia was asking for before its February 2022 intervention and it was rebuffed by NATO and the U.S.  Now a Foreign Affairs article is recommending it.

  Is there no better sign that Ukraine has lost this war?

  Going Ahead With the Offensive Anyway

  The strategy of Ukraine going ahead with an offensive it knows will achieve little is Kiev’s last gasp — unless delusional neocons continue to outmaneuver the realists in Washington.

  Most importantly for the West, the failure of this last-gasp attempt would serve as a way for it to escape the disaster it has created for itself: namely, the backfiring of the economic war on Russia; the failure of the information war in the non-West and ultimately defeat on the battlefield in its proxy war.   

  Already in February, French President Emmanuel Macron, who is also pushing this strategy, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy that the game was up.  This news was brought to us by the establishment Wall Street Journal. 

  And then ten days later U.S. intelligence provided a story to The New York Times that a pro-Ukraine “group,” and possibly the Ukrainian government itself, was behind the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, a way of distancing the U.S. from Kiev as the exit ramp looms into sight. 

  Why Did the MSM Publish the Leaks?

  Why did the Times, the Post and other establishment outlets publish stories about these leaks if they severely undermined their own credibility? There are three possibilities.   

  The first is simply competition.  The Times or the Post may have gotten word that their rival had their hands on the leaks and did not want to be beat. There is almost nothing worse for an editor or reporter (in the petty world of journalism) then having to “match” a competitors’ story.

  The second reason has to do with keeping up appearances. These leaks were eventually to come out somewhere and may not have been easily ignored. What would it have looked like if the big papers didn’t have it first?

  More importantly, corporate journalism needs to keep up the pretense that it is actually doing journalism, i.e. that it will publish material from time to time that makes their governments look bad, and in this case, even themselves. They have to convince the public that they haven’t entirely given up on adversarial journalism if they are to survive.  

  It was the same when corporate outlets partnered with WikiLeaks in 2010 to publish leaks that exposed U.S. war crimes. But eventually the media turned on Assange and WikiLeaks, and fell into line with the state. 

  Why the Media Went After the Leaker

  And that it is indeed what has happened here. After splashy stories about the leaks, the Times and the Post, teaming with Western intelligence-backed Bellingcat, turned their attention to finding the leaker, in what Elizabeth Vos in an article today on Consortium News argues makes corporate media the anti-WikiLeaks.

  Rather than protecting the source of leaks, vital to the public, they hunted down the alleged leaker, 21-year old Air National Guardsman Jack Texiera, who was arrested by military-clad F.B.I. agents outside his Massachusetts home. 

  So what is the third reason why the major media published the leaks?

  Very likely for the same reason they published the stories about Macron and Scholz telling Zelensky he’s lost the war, and that the Ukrainian government may have been responsible for the Nord Stream sabotage:  to lay the ground work for the U.S. and its allies to pull the plug on their Ukrainian adventure by finally admitting Ukraine is losing.

  Towards that end, there is speculation that Texiera did not act alone with the motive of impressing his teenage followers on the Discord chat forum, as the press has reported. 

  Former C.I.A. analyst Larry Johnson believes Texiera was set up, possibly by a senior officer.  Johnson thinks this because among the documents Texiera allegedly leaked was one from the Central Intelligence Agency Operations Center, where Johnson used to work.

  “CIA Operations Center produces two daily reports — one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It is not a ‘Community’ product, i.e., it is not distributed to the other intelligence agencies. It is an internal CIA document (of course, it is available to the Director of National Intelligence), ” Johnson wrote on his website Son of the New American Revolution.

  Texiera was not in the C.I.A. so there is no way he’d have access to an Operations Center document, Johnson wrote. So how did he get his hands on it?

  The implication is that Texiera may have been a patsy for someone within the realist wing of the U.S. military or intelligence establishment who opposes the neocons’ obsession with continuing the war at all costs.  

  The neocons are not going down without a fight. John Bolton, the former U.S. national security advisor and chief neocon, wrote a desperate piece in The Wall Street Journal last week, titled, “A New American Grand Strategy to Counter Russia and China.”  

  Bolton gets it that the world is changing, and not in America’s favor. So his response is not to reverse failed U.S. policy, for the U.S. to become part of the rest of the world rather than trying to dominate it, but to double down like a riverboat gambler.  His solution: raise military spending to Reagan-era levels; resume underground nuclear bomb testing and taking “the North Atlantic Treaty Organization global, inviting Japan, Australia, Israel and others committed to NATO defense-spending targets to join.”

  Bolton laughingly says the U.S. must “exclude” Moscow and Beijing from the Middle East, where both capitals are orchestrating the most dramatic diplomatic transformation in decades.

  But Boltons saves his best laugh for Ukraine:

  “After Ukraine wins its war with Russia, we must aim to split the Russia-China axis. Moscow’s defeat could unseat Mr. Putin’s regime. What comes next is a government of unknowable composition. New Russian leaders may or may not look to the West rather than Beijing, and might be so weak that the Russian Federation’s fragmentation, especially east of the Urals, isn’t inconceivable.”

  Even if the ludicrous Bolton is dismissed, there’s still a major obstacle in the realists’ way: Biden’s re-election campaign. He says he’s going to announce soon. He’s already thrown his lot in with the neocons.

  Is there any conceivable way that he could accept Ukraine losing this war, after all the blue and yellow flag-waving, without also losing the election? 

  The Biden team’s aim was to bleed Russia. But it is Ukraine that is hemorrhaging. Will reality at last overcome delusion in Washington?

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 04/19/2023 – 02:00

• Accountability For Biden's Botched Afghan Withdrawal?
  Accountability For Biden’s Botched Afghan Withdrawal?

  Authored by Rep. Mark Green via RealClear Wire,

  Nineteen months ago, the last U.S. soldier was lifted out of Afghanistan, but hundreds of Americans were left behind in a country overrun by the Taliban and abandoned by President Biden. Yet in a recent press conference, Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby had the audacity to state that he was proud of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. This followed the release of a report from the Biden administration that lays the blame for this withdrawal at the feet of President Trump, taking little to no responsibility. This is a sign of failed leadership. 

  

  President Biden seems to forget that a year and a half ago millions of Americans, our allies, and our adversaries saw the botched Afghanistan withdrawal with their own eyes. Plastered across our television sets were tragic images of Afghans giving up their infants to complete strangers in hopes of saving them from the tyrannical rule of the Taliban. Others were so desperate for freedom that they tried climbing onto American aircraft during take-off, eventually plummeting to their deaths. One Afghan was even found crushed within the wheel well of an outbound aircraft. 

  Despite the desperation of Afghan citizens to escape Taliban rule, even to the point of death, this president saw fit to leave hundreds of his own countrymen behind. This botched withdrawal won’t just be a stain on this administration for all-time, but Kabul will be remembered with Saigon as one of the worst military evacuations in American history. In turn, our adversaries from China and Russia to Iran and North Korea are emboldened. This is extremely dangerous.

  There must be accountability. Unfortunately, President Biden has been seeking to avoid accountability for himself and for this administration. In fact, in his press conference on the report, Kirby stated, “For all this talk of chaos, I just didn’t see it, not from my perch.” I wonder if Mr. Kirby would be comfortable saying that to the families of the 13 servicemembers murdered by a suicide bomber during the evacuation. 

  How do we know this report is about the Biden administration making excuses instead of taking responsibility for its failures? The 12-page summary fails to mention the abandonment of Bagram Air Base. Instead of keeping this pivotal airbase, U.S. forces deserted it in the middle of the night. This decision emboldened the Taliban, demoralized the Afghan government and military, made it harder for U.S. allies to evacuate after the fall of Kabul, and allowed the Taliban to free thousands of prisoners being held there, including senior al Qaeda operatives. 

  It is far past time to hold this administration accountable ourselves, because clearly it isn’t going to take responsibility for its own decisions. Many may wonder why this accountability hasn’t happened yet. The answer is simple; when Democrats controlled the House of Representatives, they refused. This was a dereliction of duty. Keeping the executive branch in check is one of Congress’ most important responsibilities. It shouldn’t matter if the president in office is Republican or Democrat—we should always be willing to fulfill our oversight duty as the people’s representatives. Despite this Constitutional obligation, Democrats refused to call this administration to account, even after finding out that President Biden left behind at least $7 billion in military equipment that is now turning up in various conflict zones.

  This is why Republicans made a promise to the American people when we took control of the House: we will have “a government that’s accountable.” And that’s what the Foreign Affairs Committee sought to do in its hearing titled: “During and After the Fall of Kabul: Examining the Administration’s Emergency Evacuation from Afghanistan.” The American people deserve answers, and we are working overtime to get them.

  When the last helicopters left the rooftops of Kabul, President Biden told the American people that only one-hundred American citizens remained in the country. The reality was much worse. Thanks to volunteer veteran groups who risked their lives to save their fellow countrymen, we now know that the Biden administration left over 1,000 Americans behind in Afghanistan. 

  The thought of leaving Americans behind goes against every fiber of my being. The Ranger Creed states, “I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstance will I ever embarrass my country.” Because of President Biden’s failed leadership, our country did not live up to this creed, and we are still red in the face because of it.

  It is unconscionable that President Biden would leave American citizens behind and abandon our Afghan allies that had helped us through the war. For two decades, these Afghans guided our troops through dangerous territories, gave us vital intel, and aided our soldiers. For the Taliban, they are primary targets. In total, this administration abandoned tens of thousands of Afghan military personnel and interpreters that we promised to give sanctuary. What does it say to our allies around the world that we abandoned our Afghan allies to the Taliban? With the rise of nations with larger and more powerful militaries, we need our allies to trust that we will keep our word.

  There are also 13 American families who will never see their loved ones again because of this president’s ineptitude. 13 U.S. servicemembers were killed and 45 were wounded after a member of ISIS, released by the Taliban from Bagram prison, detonated a suicide bomb at the Kabul airport. Among the servicemembers killed was U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, a native of Corryton, Tennessee. He was just 23 years old. Tennesseans now, and forever, will keep his memory with us and honor his service to our nation. And when we fight for accountability in Washington, his face will be in front of our eyes. 

  What’s more disturbing is that this tragedy could have been prevented. Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee that U.S. intelligence had a description of the two terrorists planning the suicide attack.

  While on duty, Sgt. Vargas-Andrews saw the couple matching the description of the suspected bombers from his sniper tower. With a clear opportunity for engagement, he requested permission to engage. The message he got back is chilling: “Do not engage.”

  Eventually the suspect disappeared, and later that day 13 of our servicemembers and 170 Afghans were killed in a suicide bombing. Forty-five more soldiers, including Sgt. Vargas-Andrews, were maimed. This was negligence of the highest order. But John Kirby had the arrogance to stand before the American people and claim the mission a success. Maybe he should stand before the families and loved ones of the 58 American casualties and tell them how proud he is of this botched withdrawal. 

  Someone must answer for the decisions that cost a nation its freedom and 13 American servicemembers their lives—and that person is our Commander-in-Chief.  

  Despite the failures of this administration during our withdrawal from Afghanistan, I want veterans of the War on Terror to know that your service to our country was not in vain. We kept America safe for 20 years, and Americans are alive today because of your sacrifices. Thank you for everything you did for our country and God bless you.

  Mark Green is a U.S. representative for Tennessee and a former physician, business owner, and combat veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, where he served three tours of duty. He is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

  Tyler Durden
  Wed, 04/19/2023 – 00:05

• Money = Happiness?
  Money = Happiness?

  The question of whether money makes people happy has probably been on mankind’s mind for as long as this means of payment has existed.

  In the infographic below, Statista’s Martin Armstrong tries to get closer to an answer.

  The underlying figures are, on the one side, the points achieved by the countries in the World Happiness Index (X-axis of the chart) and on the other, their respective gross domestic product per capita (Y-axis).

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  As indicated by the distribution of countries based on the green dots and the corresponding red trend line, there is a correlation between the variables: The higher a country’s GDP per capita, the more points it tends to score on the World Happiness Index.

  The correlation comes to a value of 0.69 – representing a strong association.

  There are however deviations and outliers. For example, Hong Kong’s (HK) GDP per capita of $49,700 is relatively high, but its Happiness Index score of 5.31 is relatively low – many countries with similar Happiness Index scores have GDP per capita below $10,000.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 23:45

• The Great COVID-19 Vaccine Bribe
  The Great COVID-19 Vaccine Bribe

  Authored by John Leake and Dr. Peter A. McCullough, MD via Courageous Discourse (emphasis ours),

  Many readers of this Substack have doubtless wondered why their “health care providers”—i.e., doctors, repeatedly exhorted them to get the COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. In my extended social circle, I heard many reports of doctors being downright pushy about it—as though getting the COVID-19 vaccine was the single most pressing matter of medicine and health.

  

  Even patients who’d recently recovered from COVID-19 were urged by their doctors to get the shots, as were patients who had bad reactions to the first injection.

  For a long time, Dr. McCullough and I wondered if these doctors really were that brainwashed, or was there some other explanation for their zeal?

  A few days ago, fellow Substack author, Tessa Lena (Tessa Fights Robots) published this document that was apparently circulated to doctors with patients insured by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid in the state of Kentucky.

  

  The document raises a number of intriguing questions. I wonder: How many members might be registered in a given practice—that is, how many of those $125 bonuses per vaccinated member could a busy and efficient doctor with a good support staff receive?

  Secondly, how many of these “COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Incentive Programs” were operating in the United States during 2021?

  As we awakened souls try to figure out what’s going on in our bizarre world, it’s always useful to follow the money. It almost always leads to the explanation for any strange state of affairs that puzzles us.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 23:25

• Taiwan To Buy 400 US Anti-Ship Missiles, Announced As China Conducts "Major" Military Drills
  Taiwan To Buy 400 US Anti-Ship Missiles, Announced As China Conducts “Major” Military Drills

  Taiwan is set to purchase up to 400 land-launched Harpoon missiles in order to repel a future Chinese invasion, according to the president of the US-Taiwan Business Council Rupert Hammond-Chambers, speaking to Bloomberg.

  While Harpoons have previously been purchased by Taiwan for deployment on warships, this marks a first time acquisition of the mobile, land-launched version.

  

  Per Bloomberg, “The Pentagon announced the $1.7 billion contract with Boeing on April 7 but made no mention of Taiwan as the purchaser” at a moment of tense US-China relations due to ratcheting Chinese military drills around the self-ruled island. 

  As the Monday report additionally reviews: 

  The Harpoon contract has been cited by members of Congress including Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as part of as much $19 billion in “backlogged US sales to Taiwan that they say need to accelerated. In addition to the Harpoon, the list includes the F-16 Block 70 fighter, the MK-48 torpedo, the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer and the Stinger missile.

  Additionally the US-Taiwan Business Council has now confirmed the Harpoon is to be transferred. 

  Meanwhile China’s military announced on the same day it is conducting “major military activity” in the Yellow Sea in waters off the coast of Shandong province.

  While these drills were only scheduled for a few hours, they follow a series of major days-long encircling drills threatening Taiwan, which have been going off-and-on since earlier this month Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California’s Simi Valley, a meeting which Beijing warned strongly against.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 23:05

• NRA Official Says Concealed Carry License Holders Must Plan For Police Interactions
  NRA Official Says Concealed Carry License Holders Must Plan For Police Interactions

  Authored by Michael Clements via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  The time for a holder of a concealed carry firearm permit to determine how to interact with the police during a traffic stop or other situation is before law enforcement ever becomes involved, according to an official with the National Rifle Association.

  “You’ve got to think ahead; you’ve got to prepare,” Glen Hoyer told seminar attendees during the NRA’s Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Indianapolis on April 16.

  

  At the NRA’s annual meeting, he leads the seminar, “Armed Citizen: How to Interact with Law Enforcement.” The seminar aims to provide law-abiding firearms owners with information they need to make the process run as smoothly as possible.

  He said the first step is for the gun owner to understand the mind of the police officer—who has one goal in mind.

  “The officer’s No. 1 job, at the end of the day, is to go home to his family,” Hoyer said.

  

  With that in mind, the officer will arrive ready to do what he or she needs to preserve everyone’s safety. It’s also important to realize that upon arrival, the officer will have limited information. So, he will do what he is trained to secure the scene, preserve evidence, and gather information, he said.

  When firearms are involved in a possible crime, Hoyer said, people will be searched, handcuffed, and placed in a police car. This means the officer will use whatever force is necessary and legal.

  “There is nothing personal; they are simply trying to secure the scene,” Hoyer said. “It’s a whole lot easier to apologize later.”

  At the same time, it’s essential to know your rights and responsibilities under the law. Some states require a concealed carry license holder to immediately notify a police officer that they have a gun. Some only require answering truthfully if the officer asks, and some states don’t require notification.

  “Know the law in your area,” Hoyer said.

  

  In addition, he said it is essential to know your legal rights and to exercise those rights properly.

  For example, under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, a citizen can refuse to allow a law enforcement officer with no warrant to search their person or property. However, arguing, taunting, or belittling an officer will only heighten tension. Politely declining could have long-term benefits.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 22:45

• US Navy Tests Iron Man-Like Jetpacks
  US Navy Tests Iron Man-Like Jetpacks

  Gravity Industries showcased their Iron Man-like jetpacks at a field training exercise earlier this month in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

  Gravity worked with the Joint Prototyping and Experimentation Maritime program at Naval Surface Warfare Center to conduct multiple mock exercises with the jetpacks, including rapid transit from shore-to-sea and sea-to-shore missions. 

  

  Each jetpack is powered by five micro jet turbines that generate about 1,000 horsepower.

  

  In the video, two pilots maneuvered from ship to shore and shore to ship to demonstrate the impressive capabilities the jetpacks can one day give Tier 1 operators. 

  The suit can run on jet fuel, diesel, or kerosene. Users can travel as fast as 80 mph and reach an altitude of 12,000 feet. However, both pilots in the video performed maneuvers at lower heights for safety purposes.  

  In the near future, jetpacks will likely be deployed with special forces units on the modern battlefield. The Brits are already flying theirs around. 

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 22:25

• California's 'Dream For All' Home Down Payment Program Ran Out Of Money In 12 Days
  California’s ‘Dream For All’ Home Down Payment Program Ran Out Of Money In 12 Days

  Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  Demand for California’s new downpayment assistance program overwhelmed the system and depleted its $300 million budget in less than 12 days, with applications put on pause effective April 7, according to the housing finance agency.

  

  The legislator responsible for proposing the program responded optimistically to the news.

  “It is incredible and inspiring to see that the launch of the California Dream for All program has already been so successful,” Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said in a statement April 14. “The fact that it has helped more than 2,400 first-time homebuyers with their down payments in its first two weeks is terrific.

  Designed to provide up to 20 percent of funding for low-income first-time home buyers, the “Dream for All” program was initiated with the passage of Assembly Bill 140 in 2021.

  Resources are provided through the Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan, in which the state provides a portion of the down payment in exchange for a share in the property.

  The loan, in addition to a portion of the appreciated value of the home, will be repaid when the property is resold, according to the legislation.

  

  The lowest eligible income for the program is $159,000 for several counties throughout the state, with San Franciscans and Silicon Valley residents in Santa Clara and San Mateo residents eligible if they make $300,000, the highest. Los Angeles’s limit is $180,000, and Orange County has the highest income limit in Southern California, at $230,000.

  The original text written in 2021 proposed funding the project with $1 billion annually for 10 years. The proposal suggested the $10 billion invested would assist more than 150,000 Californians.

  After legislative wrangling, the proposed amount later dropped to $500 million in 2022 and with the state facing a $25 billion budget deficit for the next fiscal year starting in July, Newsom decreased the allocation to $300 million for its introduction in 2023.

  The funding gap leaves the program stalled awaiting further resources, according to legislators.

  “While we are off to a strong start, we can’t truly make a difference in opening the doors to building generational wealth for Californians—especially those who historically have faced systemic barriers to homeownership—without sustained funding for the program,” Atkins said in the statement.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 22:05

• DoD Could Derail Biden's Offshore Wind Farm Dreams
  DoD Could Derail Biden’s Offshore Wind Farm Dreams

  A Bloomberg report reveals that the Defense Department is increasingly worried about President Biden’s proposals to build massive wind farms across the mid-Atlantic region, as some of these areas are considered “highly problematic” for potential interference with military operations. 

  The DoD shared the map with energy industry stakeholders and lawmakers late last year. It outlines four large sections of water off the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, earmarked for potential wind farms. Areas in red are labeled “highly problematic.” Areas in yellow indicate that military officials need to conduct more research. 

  

  “The initial assessment performed by DoD found compatibility challenges with wind turbines near Navy and Air Force training,” DoD spokesperson Kelly Flynn said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo. About 25% of the total planned offshore wind farms are impacted by the department’s graphic. 

  “This assessment is the first step in the process and DoD will continue to refine the analysis and collaborate with the other stakeholders in order to promote compatible development in this location,” Flynn added.

  The DoD’s opposition to the green project comes as the Biden administration wants to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power this decade — equivalent to 30 nuclear reactors.

  Surprisingly, it appears the Biden administration didn’t consult with the military during the planning stage of these wind farms. 

   

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 21:45

• Budweiser's New Pro-America Advertisement Sets Social Media Ablaze Amid Mulvaney Controversy
  Budweiser’s New Pro-America Advertisement Sets Social Media Ablaze Amid Mulvaney Controversy

  Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  In what appears to be an attempt to win back the audience that was angered over Bud Light after its endorsement deal with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, Anheuser-Busch launched a new patriotic advertisement with its most iconic image.

  

  The advertisement, released Friday on social media, shows a Clydesdale horse—used for decades by Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser—walking past the Grand Canyon, New York City, and other landmarks. The clip didn’t make mention of Mulvaney or issue an apology.

  “This is a story bigger than beer,” the narrator in the video says. “This is the story of the American spirit.”

  The advertisement also shows an American flag being raised. And one of the flag-raisers is seen putting a hand over her heart as the narrator says the beer is “brewed for those who found opportunity in challenge and hope in tomorrow.”

  pic.twitter.com/T3TVGEzIi0

  — Budweiser (@budweiserusa) April 14, 2023

  AB InBev, which owns Anheuser-Busch, is the world’s largest brewer and owns Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob, Stella Artois, Beck’s, and a number of other brands. It owns about 630 beer brands in 150 countries.

  In the midst of the controversy, country music singer John Rich, singer Travis Tritt, rocker Kid Rock, and others called for boycotts against Bud Light. A number of analysts and industry experts also questioned why Bud Light chose Mulvaney as a partner, saying the move would be repellent to the beer’s consumer base.

  Some Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch distributors around the country have expressed alarm over the deal, with one report saying that a number of bars have refused to serve Bud Light. Country singer and Nashville bar owner John Rich, meanwhile, told Fox News earlier this week that his bar won’t sell the beer.

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 21:25

• Subprime Used Car Dealership With Dozens Of Locations 'Temporarily Closes'
  Subprime Used Car Dealership With Dozens Of Locations ‘Temporarily Closes’

  “We have temporarily closed our dealerships and are working on a solution to re-open them as soon as possible. But don’t worry. We aren’t going anywhere! US Auto’s affiliated loan servicing company (USASF Servicing LLC) is still open to accept your payments and assist in servicing your account. Please continue to make your payments as scheduled and reach out to us with any account questions,” a statement posted on the homepage of subprime car dealership US Auto Sales. 

  

  The Georgia-based dealership with more than two dozen locations in the Southeastern US is working to re-open operations. 

  

  US Auto Sales boasts on its website “no credit” is needed to obtain a vehicle. 

  

  Vehicle financing has become the most challenging in more than a decade. According to Bankrate data, the average rate for a used car has reached 7.39%, the highest level since 2009. High borrowing costs and sky-high used car prices have sparked an affordability crisis. 

  

  “US Auto Sales has regularly turned to bond markets to raise money from investors, packaging subprime auto loans into bonds known as securitizations for sale to institutional investors. It most recently sold a $233 million bond in June of last year,” Bloomberg said. 

  Meanwhile, Capital One Financial Corp. recently exited its lending business for car dealerships due to mounting macroeconomic headwinds. 

  Troubles for US Auto Sales come as the subprime auto loan market is sliding into turmoil as delinquencies hit a 13-year high. 

  

  Several months ago, we told readers a “perfect storm” was brewing in the auto market, outlining “More Americans Can’t Afford Their Car Payments Than During The Peak Of Financial Crisis“… 

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 21:05

• "This Is Industrial Suicide": Biden’s EV Plan Could Be Key To China’s Global Economic Dominance
  “This Is Industrial Suicide”: Biden’s EV Plan Could Be Key To China’s Global Economic Dominance

  Authored by Nathan Worcester via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “strongest-ever” vehicle emissions standards designed to drive mass adoption of electric cars within a decade will increase the United States’ dependence on China, experts warn.

  “It benefits the Chinese Communist Party because they control the critical minerals supply chain that is going to be necessary to build out the batteries for those electric vehicles,” said Mandy Gunasekara, director of the Center for Energy and Conservation at Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative think tank, in an April 17 interview with The Epoch Times.

  

  Gunasekara served as chief of staff in the EPA under former President Donald Trump. She argued that the Trump administration did a better job of integrating environmental, economic, and strategic considerations than the Biden team, including when it came to the critical minerals used in electric vehicles (EVs) and other technologies.

  “There was a concerted effort to ensure we weren’t setting regulations that shut down industrial activity here in the United States, knowing good and well that productivity doesn’t go away—it just materializes somewhere else, and typically a place like China,” she said.

  The agency anticipates that with the new standards, two-thirds of new light-body vehicles will be electric by the model year 2032, up from less than six percent today.

  The proposed rules, which would go into effect with cars from model year 2027 onward, target tailpipe emissions from light-, medium-, and heavy-body vehicles.

  The EPA claims the standards would “significantly reduce climate and other harmful air pollution, unlocking significant benefits for public health, especially in communities that have borne the greatest burden of poor air quality.”

  

  ‘Industrial Suicide’

  “This is industrial suicide,” said James Kennedy, a U.S. mine owner and rare earths expert, in an April 17 interview with The Epoch Times.

  “By design, their goal is to wipe out, to destroy, to effectively terminate the massive economic investment that the auto companies have made in the internal combustion engine,” he said.

  He outlined China’s long-range, strategic plan to dominate the mining and refining of rare earths, as well as the production of downstream technologies.

  “No one in the West will accept the reality that China has total domain control at every level,” he added.

  The rare earth metals terbium, holmium, and dysprosium are one key choke point for Chinese control over EV production.

  Kennedy explained that the elements enable neodymium magnets to function at the high temperatures found in the motors of electric cars.

  “China is the only country in the world, period, exclamation point, that can separate those materials,” he said.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 20:45

• Pentagon Seeks To Justify Syria Occupation Through More Raids On ISIS
  Pentagon Seeks To Justify Syria Occupation Through More Raids On ISIS

  US Central Command announced Monday that US commandos conducted a successful early morning helicopter raid on an ISIS hideout in northern Syria, resulting in the death of a suspected senior Syrian ISIS leader.

  CENTCOM said the target, Abd-al-Hadi Mahmud al-Haji Ali, has been confirmed killed, in an operation that was launched based on intelligence saying ISIS was plotting to kidnap officials abroad. But US officials didn’t name any target countries where such plots might be executed.

  

  “We know ISIS retains the desire to strike beyond the Middle East,” CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Buccino asserted in a statement. “This raid deals a significant blow to ISIS operations in the region but does not eliminate ISIS’ capability to conduct operations.”

  “Two other armed individuals were killed on the target,” the statement continued, and claimed that no civilians were killed or injured in the raid. Additionally, CENTCOM Commander Gen. Erik Kurilla described: “Though degraded, ISIS remains able to conduct operations within the region with a desire to strike beyond the Middle East,” and vowed to “continue the relentless campaign against ISIS.”

  Lately there have been bipartisan efforts to force President Biden to pull all American troops out of Syria. So far these Congressional moves have failed, but it has increased the pressure on the administration and the Pentagon to seek to justify the years-long occupation. 

  The “answer” has been to attempt to show the American public that ISIS remains a threat that “requires” the Pentagon’s ongoing presence. But the reality is that the US is occupying the country’s oil and gas producing region, effectively blocking the Assad government and population from accessing its own vital resources, also at a moment of Washington’s far-reaching sanctions which has increased the suffering of common people. 

  But it’s also true that ISIS continues to strike, as international reports highlighted over the weekend:

  A truffle hunter was killed Sunday by a suspected ISIS fighter in the Syrian desert.

  The civilian was in the Hama province, east of the city of Hama when an unknown gunman shot and killed him, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports. The killing is the latest example of the dangers of hunting for the edible underground desert fungus.

  Twelve more civilians were also attacked in the area. They were said to be members of the Al-Bosraya tribe, according to SOHR. Four escaped while the other eight have not been unaccounted for. Hunters were also fired upon, again by suspected ISIS members, on Saturday.

  Truffle trapping is a common practice in Syria where truffles command a high price on the market. They can be sold for up to $35 per kilogram, The New York Times reports. Hunters may earn more than $400 per day by selling what they find.

  There have been other reports of a spate of killings related to impoverished Syrians collecting truffles, likely by ISIS:

  Is ISIS killing truffle hunters in #Syria?

  Both al-Monitor staff and SOHR report that they are.https://t.co/VjKcZIbrUB via @AlMonitor

  — Joshua Landis (@joshua_landis) April 11, 2023

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  The Syrian Army and its Russian and Iranian partner forces have also been directly waging war on remnant ISIS terrorists. All three countries have actually at various times accused the US of allowing ISIS and other Islamist terrorists cells to fester, in order to falsely justify the ongoing occupation of a sovereign country.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 20:25

• Gun-Free Zones, Red Flag Laws Only Make Gun Crime Worse: Economist
  Gun-Free Zones, Red Flag Laws Only Make Gun Crime Worse: Economist

  Authored by Michael Clements via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  Two of the most popular gun control proposals have little to no effect on gun crime and actually exacerbate the problem for the people they’re supposed to protect, according to economist, researcher, and author John Lott.

  “Those are the people who are harmed,” Lott told seminar participants at the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Indianapolis.

  

  Lott is considered an authority on guns and crime, having authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and 10 books on the subject. He led two seminars discussing the effectiveness of gun-free zones, red-flag laws, and other gun control measures.

  He said the story of Nikki Goeser encapsulates the shortcomings of these laws.

  Goeser is the author of “Stalked and Defenseless: How Gun Control Helped My Stalker Murder My Husband in Front of Me.” She’s also the executive director of the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), of which Lott is the president.

  

  Goeser was scheduled to speak at the event but couldn’t attend because of family obligations.

  Fourteen years ago, Goeser and her late husband, Ben, operated a karaoke business. A man the couple had met became infatuated with her and began stalking her.

  While Goeser had a license to carry a concealed pistol, at the time, it was illegal in her home state of Tennessee to carry a firearm in any business that served alcohol.

  One night, while running their karaoke business, Goeser’s stalker showed up and shot her husband seven times in front of her. Goeser’s situation was known to the police, but the stalker had been undeterred.

  Lott said Goeser has stated that she isn’t sure she could have stopped the crime if she had had her pistol. But she’s confident that complying with the law ensured that she couldn’t protect her husband or herself.

  “As the title of her book says, she was denied the chance,” he said.

  

  Lott told the gathering that Goeser’s story is a perfect example of the problems with gun-free zones.

  According to statistics from the CPRC, 94 percent of mass shootings since 1950 have occurred in gun-free zones.

  Lott said one well-known mass killer explained his reasoning in a manifesto written the year before he struck.

  The 19-year-old man who killed 10 people in a Buffalo, New York, grocery store on May 14, 2022, has been described as a right-wing racist, Lott said. But, while he was an avowed racist, Lott said the shooter described himself as an environmentalist and eco-terrorist.

  In his manifesto, the shooter claimed that minorities were damaging the environment by having too many children, and that’s why he decided to attack black people.

  “Attacking in a weapon-restricted area may decrease the chance of civilian backlash,” Lott quoted from the shooter’s writings. “… ‘areas where CCW [concealed weapons] are outlawed or prohibited may be good areas of attack,’ and ‘areas with strict gun laws are also great places of attack.’”

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 20:05

• Manhattan Parking Garage Collapses, Kills One
  Manhattan Parking Garage Collapses, Kills One

  Late Tuesday afternoon, shortly after markets closed, a parking garage in Lower Manhattan collapsed, resulting in the death of one person and five others injured, reported FDNY. 

  Footage posted on Twitter shows the twisted wreckage of steel and concrete resulting from the collapse of the second floor of the four-story parking garage at 57 Ann Street. Although the building remains standing, the entire structure is at risk of crumbling.

  Garage collapse in the Financial District in downtown NYC. 🙏 Praying that the garage workers made it out. pic.twitter.com/5CyBa1VcfB

  — Erasmo Guerra (@erasmoguerra) April 18, 2023

  There is video footage from inside the building during the collapse.

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  🚨#UPDATE: The incident was caught on footage from a vehicle parked inside the garage after there was reports of an explosion and collapse in a parking garage at Ann St and William St in Manhattan. Multiple people reportedly trapped possibly feared dead. Some buildings near the… pic.twitter.com/Y5G0n0FgKR

  — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 18, 2023

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  According to the FDNY, six workers were in the building during the collapse, and all have been located. Of the six, one individual was killed, four were hospitalized and are in stable condition, and the other worker refused medical attention. 

  FDNY officials provide an update on a parking garage collapse in Lower Manhattan https://t.co/nTinhAuMZy

  — FDNY (@FDNY) April 18, 2023

   FDNY’s robo-dog surveyed the incident area. 

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The FDNY’s robot dog is a Dalmatian – it’s checking the parking garage collapse in lower Manhattan pic.twitter.com/OeHuAyvm9t

  — LilEsBella 💅🏽 (@LilEsBella) April 18, 2023

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The cause of the building collapse was not yet known. 

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 19:45

• Why "Net Zero" Is Not A Rational U.S. Energy Policy
  Why “Net Zero” Is Not A Rational U.S. Energy Policy

  Authored by Jonathan Lesser via RealClear Wire,

  Despite Germany’s last-ditch attempt at realism, the European Union recently approved a 2035 ban on gas-powered cars, moving ahead with its “net zero” emissions agenda. In the U.S., the cost of achieving net-zero carbon emissions would be staggering – $50 trillion if the goal is reached by 2050 – as would the demand for raw materials, which in most cases would exceed current annual worldwide production. 

  

  The impact on world climate, however, would be negligible. Emissions in developing countries will continue to increase as those countries’ focus is economic growth for their citizens, not permanent economic misery to “save” the climate. Although a recent Washington Post article suggests that wealth be viewed in terms of “joy, beauty, friendship, community, [and] closeness to flourishing nature,” impoverished individuals who cook with animal dung – such as 80% of the population in the African nation of Burkina-Fasso – aren’t likely to find much joy and beauty in economic misery. Granted, having to cook with animal dung ensures “closeness to nature,” although probably not the one the article’s author envisions.

  Rather than approaching energy policy clearly, the U.S. (and most of the western world) is pursuing so-called “net zero” energy policies aiming to fully electrify western economies, while relying almost entirely on wind and solar power. The additional required electricity – after all, the wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun sets nightly – would supposedly be supplied by energy storage batteries or hydrogen-powered generators. Two factors drive these policies. 

  First, there is climate hysteria, which promotes claims that have either proven to be false (the “end of snow” in Great Britain, the disappearance of glaciers in Glacier National Park) or posit extreme scenarios (complete agricultural collapse, massive sea level increases, more frequent hurricanes). The actual evidence is to the contrary, including increased agricultural yields, minimal sea level rise, and no increases in observed hurricane frequency. 

  Second, these policies are driven by old-fashioned greed. Green energy subsidies, which were already large, have been hugely expanded under the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA is a virtual smorgasbord of green energy subsidies for offshore wind, solar power, electric vehicles, and charging infrastructure. The green energy pork, which relies on climate alarmism for its justification, is increasing electricity costs and reducing standards of living, such as in Europe, where deindustrialization is taking place because of unaffordable energy costs. Even progressive California admits its zero-emissions goals primarily will benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor.

  Although the author of the Washington Post article may think differently, modern society requires ample supplies of reliable and affordable energy. A modern society that runs solely on electricity must have a foundation built upon three key pillars.  First, it must provide lots of electricity, far more than is generated today, because U.S. electricity consumption accounts for only about one-fifth of total energy consumption. Second, all of that electricity must be available 24-7. Third, it must be affordable. Those pillars cannot be supported by reliance on intermittent wind and solar power and huge banks of batteries to store electricity when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. Nor will those pillars be based on technologies that don’t even exist, such as generators that run on pure hydrogen. 

  Even if one believes that addressing climate change is crucial and that low- or zero-emissions technology will yield worldwide benefits, the current approach is the most expensive way to achieve it. 

  Despite the hyperventilation of some politicians, such as Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s predictions of doom, climate change need not entail economic suicide. A far better approach is adaptation to and mitigation of potential future damages that may be caused by a changing climate, such as gradual sea level rise and slightly warmer temperatures.

  It is doubtful the U.S. will adopt this approach in the near future, because political expediency nearly always beats rational economics. But as economist Herb Stein said long ago, something that cannot go on forever, won’t. The unrealistic energy policies in place today eventually will collapse under their own weight. The resulting costs to U.S. consumers and businesses will be staggering.

  Jonathan Lesser is the president of Continental Economics and an adjunct fellow with the Manhattan Institute.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 19:25

• Q1 Earnings Season Starts Off With A Bang… And The Best Beat Rate In Over 10 Years
  Q1 Earnings Season Starts Off With A Bang… And The Best Beat Rate In Over 10 Years

  Week after week, starting in December 2022 Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson was swearing up and down to anyone who listened that only he sees just how bad this earnings season will be, and only he has a clue how unprepared investors are for the coming carnage. Eventually, his fire and brimstone sermon became so grating and contagious that other banks – such as Goldman – jumped on the bearish board, and eventually consensus S&P expectations did in fact drop, if nowhere near low enough to catch down to Mike Wilson’s expectations. But the bottom line from a growing number of analysts and experts was clear: earnings would be terrible and possibly worse.

  

  And then something remarkable happened: earnings in the first quarter, the quarter when according to Mike Wilson would see everything crash down (actually he said that about Q4 22 but when it didn’t happen he just pushed forward his forecast one quarter up), are coming in much stronger than the morose consensus expects.

  As Bank of America’s Savita Subramanian writes in her first weekly Earnings Tracker for Q1 (available to pro subs in the usual place), following Week 1 in which 30 S&P 500 companies (including early reporters) comprising 10% of earnings reported…

  

  … results have been blowout: 90% of companies beat on EPS, 73% on sales, and 67% on both, well above last quarter’s 54%/83%/46% post-Week 1 and historical average of 67%/64%/48%. Fueled by big bank beats, Q1 EPS is tracking a 30bp surprise.

  

  Putting this in context, according to Savita this is the “best beat rate after Week 1 since at least 2012” (at least for now).

  To be sure, there is a reason for this blowout start to Q1 earnings season, and it has to do with the big banks, which as we said have emerged as massive beneficiaries from the bank run that crippled that small and regional banking sector in March. Here is Savita:

  Big banks’ solid results (JPM, C, WFC beat on revenue and EPS) despite March’s bank scare helped performance. JPM saw increased deposits vs. peers declining 3% in 1Q23 but warned on outflows from here. Other non-banks benefited from March’s regional outflows – e.g. mega-cap Blackrock saw $40B+ inflows into cash-management products. Banks may be tightening credit standards, but larger ones are operating with excess capital vs. prior crises. JPM/WFC bought back stock in 1Q and expect to continue in 2023, an increasingly scarce positive amid potentially slowing buybacks in general.

  Still, despite reporting on what may end up being the best earnings season relative to dramatically slashed expectations in over a decade, Bank of America – which like Mike Wilson – is very bearish on the outlook, suggests that – what else – the earnings drop may not have started but it will come… eventually… the same argument Mike Wilson trots out every Monday when he has to explain to his client how he kept them out of the 3800 to 4200 rally in the past 5 months.

  A massive, systemic financial confidence shock appears to have been averted, but tighter credit is manifesting in the real economy: Fastenal, an industrial bellwether, cited softer March sales especially in manufacturing, and consumption slowed in March across income cohorts. Capex, usually hit hard by a credit cycle, has remained robust and could buck trend given multiple secular tailwinds.

  

  Tech capex and stock buybacks may be more at risk, where Tech, Communication Services, and Health Care have been the biggest beneficiaries.

  That said, Bank of America is ready to capitulate on its bearish outlook should the strength in earnings persists, and as Subramanian writes, “our 2023 EPS forecast ($200 vs. $220 consensus) could be too low if March’s events prove to be idiosyncratic and temporary.” Furthermore, the recent decline in rates has catalyzed some early cycle leadership like housing, where demand is recovering. But even if 1Q YoY growth flat-lined through year-end, 2023 EPS would be just ~$203.” Or as Savita rhetorically asks, “Does 2023 matter if 2024 EPS recovers quickly to 2022 levels, as history would suggest?“

  Longer-term, BofA notes that automation capex bodes well for productivity (earnings positive) and mega-caps’ newfound discipline around supply, cash return and capacity rationalization argue for more earnings stability (market multiple positive).

  Still, remaining true to its bearish view for now (as it has no choice for now), the bank predicts that earnings are likely to outpace the economy in 2024, as the earnings downturn began earlier than the economic downturn this cycle. Earnings also recover stronger than they fall…

  

  … as downturns usually remove excess capacity, resulting in leaner cost structure and improved margin profiles. “But consensus 2024 EPS of $247 (+12% YoY) looks ambitious to us, especially if full-year GDP remains largely flat YoY (BofA house view).”

  Ironically, earnings don’t even have to be all that strong going forward: as long as they are consistently higher than consensus expectations, and as long as there is a near-record short and bearish sentiment overhang, the meltup will continue.

  More in the full BofA note available to pro users in the usual place.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 19:05

• Then There Were Nine: Comer Alleges A Wider Range Of Potential Biden Beneficiaries from Possible Influence Peddling
  Then There Were Nine: Comer Alleges A Wider Range Of Potential Biden Beneficiaries from Possible Influence Peddling

  Authored by Jonathan Turley via jonathanturley.org,

  House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer  has revealed that there are not three but nine members of the Biden family that may have benefitted from suspected influence peddling efforts. For those of us who have long criticized the corrupt practices of the Biden family, the identity of these other family members is intriguing after the Committee secured new bank and financial records. Democratic members again insisted that there is no need to investigate such influence peddling.

  

  The new information on the Biden family is due largely to the takeover of the House by the GOP. Previously, Democrats blocked efforts to investigate influence peddling by the Biden family for years.

  After assuming control of the Committee. Comer sought suspicious activity reports sent by banks to the Treasury Department alerting of potential criminal activity in transactions involving President Biden’s family.

  He stated on Monday that “We’ve identified six additional members of Joe Biden’s family who may have benefited from the Biden family’s businesses that we are investigating, bringing the total number of those involved or benefiting to nine.” Those are six names beyond the previously discovered payments to linked to at least three Biden family members and two associates from China in 2017.  That $3 million was wired Biden family associate Rob Walker in March 2017, who then allegedly divided and distributed the funds later.

  There remains an “Unknown Biden” who received four payments in 2017 totaling $70,000.

  The investigation into the Bidens has made many in the Beltway uncomfortable. Influence peddling has long been the favored form of corruption in this city, but few families seemed to have cashed into the extent of the Bidens.

  I frankly do not understand the willingness of so many Democrats to cover for the Bidens. Democratic members have gone all in with censorship, but this is an effort to scuttle investigations into corruption that may have resulted in millions of dollars going to Biden family members.

  The Biden family has long been associated with influence peddling to the degree that they could add an access key to their family crest. Influence peddling has long been a cottage industry in Washington. For decades, I have written about this loophole in bribery laws. It is illegal to give a member of Congress or a president even $100 to gain influence. However, you can literally give millions to their spouses or children in the forms of windfall contracts or cozy jobs.

  James Biden has been remarkably (even refreshingly) open about marketing his access to his brother. Former Americore executive Tom Pritchard and others allege the Biden openly referenced his access to his brother and his family name in his pitch for clients. James has faced a wide array of litigation over allegedly fraudulent activities as well as a personal loan acquired through Americore before it went into bankruptcy.

  Hunter worked with his uncle but also branched off on his own in the family business. While his father recently emphasized that his son was a hopeless addict, that defense stands in glaring contradiction to the fact that he maintained a multimillion-dollar influence-peddling scheme. The question is why foreign figures (including some associated with foreign intelligence) rushed to him international money transfers and complex deals worth millions from Moscow to Kyiv to Beijing.

  However, the Biden most concerned may be the president himself. Joe Biden has repeatedly denied knowledge of Hunter Biden’s business entanglements despite numerous emails and pictures showing him meeting with Hunter associates. That includes at least 19 visits to the White House by Hunter’s partner, Eric Schwerin, alone between 2009 and 2015.

  While emails on Hunter Biden’s laptop make repeated reference to his father as a possible recipient of funds derived from influence peddling. Indeed, in one email, Tony Bobulinski, then a business partner of Hunter, was instructed by Biden associate James Gilliar that the Bidens wanted to avoid such references: “Don’t mention Joe being involved, it’s only when u [sic] are face to face, I know u [sic] know that but they are paranoid.”

  In discussing these deals, Joe Biden is referenced with code names such as “Celtic” or “the big guy.” In one, “the big guy” is discussed as possibly receiving a 10% cut on a deal with a Chinese energy firm. There are also references to Hunter paying off the bills of his father from shared accounts. From his board memberships to venture deals to legal fees to his art deals, Hunter Biden is a tour de force of alleged corrupt practices used in Washington.

  Many Democrats and legal experts have objected that influence peddling is not a crime. However, it is corrupt and squarely within the oversight authority of Congress. Indeed, if it is not a matter for criminal charges, such congressional action may be the only way to force accountability for corrupt efforts to sell influence and access.

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 18:45

• Saudi Foreign Minister Lands In Syria, Meets Assad, In 1st Since War's Start In 2011
  Saudi Foreign Minister Lands In Syria, Meets Assad, In 1st Since War’s Start In 2011

  This is the visit that Washington policymakers and establishment Middle East “experts” have been dreading, and signals that the West’s proxy war to oust Assad is definitively over – at least in terms of the end of hawks and neocons’ longtime hope of seeing Assad overthrown…

  Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan landed in Damascus on Tuesday for the first time since the start of the war in 2011.

  

  It’s also an image that many thought would never happen, and paves the way for a possible future visit of Assad to Saudi Arabia, where he could eventually meet directly with King Salman or crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

  The high-level visit comes just following last week’s “surprise” trip by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to the kingdom. Clearly, relations are fast being restored and rumors are that the next move is for Assad to be invited back into the Arab League.

  According to a summary of Tuesday’s visit in regional news source Al-Monitor: 

  Farhan was received by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The two discussed efforts towards finding a “political solution” to the Syria conflict that would “preserve Syria’s unity, security, stability, Arab identity, and territorial integrity.”

  They also talked about the “return of Syria to its Arab fold and the resumption of its natural role in the Arab world,” according to a statement from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  Already the United Arab Emirates (UA) had resumed relations with Syria in 2018. Other regional countries now seem to be lining up to restore normal relations.

  📷 | pic.twitter.com/YxjC766s5T

  — Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) April 18, 2023

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  For example, Tunisia and Syria agreed to fully restore relations last week, after a three-day visit of Syrian FM Mekdad to Tunis.

  This wave of thawed relations between Assad and Arab states was without doubt helped to a large degree by the China-brokered peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Syria is Iran’s closest ally in the Levant, and is also a hub of support to Lebanese Hezbollah. It’s likely to complicate the US-brokered Abraham Accords, and may hinder recognition between Saudi Arabia and Israel. 

  Tyler Durden
  Tue, 04/18/2023 – 18:25

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