News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Aftermath Video: Supersonic Air Force jet lands without landing gear, catches fire
“No injuries, both pilots are fine,” Mott said.
Beale Air Force Base in a news release said that a “T-38 Talon assigned to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing experienced a gear-up landing” at Mather Airport. The base confirmed there were no injuries.
The T-38 Talon is a supersonic jet used frequently by the Air Force for training.
“Beale aircraft utilize the Mather Airport and local airspace to conduct training operations,” the news release said.
Ohio Health Dept. segregates ‘vaccine town halls’ by race; only option for white folks is a ‘rural’ town hall
In a post published on its website, the health department announced that four separate town halls were set to take place beginning Monday, during which health experts would seek to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the coronavirus vaccines.
The department then listed off four options for residents to choose from:
- Monday, Feb. 22, 6:30 p.m. – African American Ohioans
- Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. – Hispanic/Latino Ohioans
- Monday, March 1, 6:30 p.m. – Asian American and Pacific Islander Ohioans
- Tuesday, March 2, 6:30 p.m. – Rural Ohioans
Neither were there town hall options for individuals from a range of other races and ethnicities which undoubtedly call Ohio home.
Amid Capitol riot, FBI released files from Kennedy-era investigation into Nancy Pelosi’s father
While Washington, D.C. was riveted Jan. 6 on events at the U.S. Capitol, the FBI quietly released a trove of files from an “urgent” — yet seemingly controlled — investigation 60 years ago into Nancy Pelosi’s father.
The files reveal the results of an intense two-month investigation into Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., a Maryland politician who served in a long career as a member of Congress and mayor of Baltimore.
“The White House has requested that we proceed with a special inquiry investigation but that if substantial derogatory information were developed, we should report this and discontinue any further inquiries because substantiation of any of the allegations would eliminate Mr. D’Alesandro,” the FBI director wrote in the teletype that is located on page 19 of the trove.
“There have been allegations that D’Alesandro has associated with the Baltimore criminal element and [redacted] and the son, Franklin Roosevelt D’Alesandro, had been arrested for rape,” an agent wrote on page 14 of the trove.
Elsewhere, the memo cites a “confidential source, who has furnished reliable information in the past,” reporting that D’Alesandro appeared onstage at a 1943 rally for the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, which was formed in 1943 by the Coummunist Party USA as a Soviet front group, according to the FBI.
Ocasio-Cortez raises $1 million for Texas residents hit by severe winter storms
Ocasio-Cortez asked supporters on her fundraising site to “please chip in what you can afford today,” adding that “100 percent” of the donation will be sent to grassroots organizations in Texas.
Those going to her site could donate any amount of money they wanted but could also click on set money options ranging from $6 to $1,000.
By 9:15 p.m. Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez – a leader in of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing and known for her social media skills – announced the fundraising effort had already raised the million dollars.
“I’m at a loss for words,” she told supporters. “Always in awe of movement work.”
De Blasio Throws Cuomo Under The Bus!
Commentary/Opinion:
Jason goes unscripted on this story and breaks down what’s happening in New York right now.
Pennsylvania independent review agency asks for pause on carbon trading program
The nonpartisan review board said too many questions remain about the program’s purported environmental and health benefits, as well as its impact on the economy and the overall cost it would impose on electricity consumers.
It also expressed skepticism that bypassing legislative approval to enter the program made sense, given that 10 of the 11 states participating in RGGI did so with the blessing of their respective legislatures.
In a nine-page document, IRRC laid out its concerns and asked the Department of Environmental Protection to pause on the issue until 2023.
John Kerry: ‘We Have Nine Years’ Until Climate Crisis — ‘There’s No Room for B.S. Anymore’
Kerry told CBS “This Morning” reporter Ben Tracy in an interview which aired Friday, that the winter weather seen across the country could be the “new normal” and needs to be prevented by cutting global carbon emissions.
“It is directly related to the warming, even though your instinct is to say, wait a minute, this is the new ice age, but it’s not,” Kerry asserted. “It is coming from the global warming, and it threatens all the normal weather patterns.”
He added, “Even if we did everything that we said we were going to do when we signed up in Paris, we would see a rise in the Earth’s temperature to somewhere around 3.7 degrees or more, which is catastrophic.”
Report: Ghislaine Maxwell Allegedly Refused to Help Find Bill Clinton Tapes Because It Would Hurt Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Run
“She gave me a stern look and pointed a finger in my face,” Rosen claimed, adding, “She said: ‘I am the daughter of a press baron. I know the way you people think. If you do one side, you must do the other. If you get the tapes on Trump you have to do Clinton.’”
Maxwell reportedly told Rosen Epstein never revealed to her where the alleged tapes were kept.
Bill Clinton has denied he ever visited Epstein’s Caribbean estate after court documents claimed the former president and “two young girls” were guests of Epstein’s in the early 2000s, Breitbart News reported in July.
However, photos published in August showed Bill Clinton receiving a neck massage from alleged Epstein victim Chauntae Davies, according to Breitbart News.
Scientists Clone Endangered U.S. Animal for the First Time
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday that the cloned ferret, Elizabeth Ann, was cloned from the cells of another black-footed ferret, Willa, that lived more than three decades ago.
She was among the last wild black-footed ferrets and her genes and tissue samples were sent to the San Diego Zoo Global’s Frozen Zoo in 1988 after her capture.
Noreen Walsh, director of the service’s Mountain-Prairie Region, said in the release that they are working to “overcome genetic limitations hampering recovery of the black-footed ferret.”
“Although this research is preliminary, it is the first cloning of a native endangered species in North America and it provides a promising tool for continued efforts to conserve the black-footed ferret,” Walsh said in a press release.
Vietnam Vet Beaten by Police in Unprovoked Assault at VA Hospital
José Oliva survived the bloodiest year in Vietnam, but he most feared for his life when he was brutally beaten in an unprovoked attack by federal officers in a Veterans Affairs hospital in his hometown of El Paso.
If the Fourth Amendment doesn’t protect a 70-year-old veteran beaten by federal police inside a veterans’ hospital for no reason, it doesn’t protect anyone.
That’s why, on January 29, 2021, the Institute for Justice filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to reverse the clearly erroneous 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which ruled that federal officers, such as those in a VA hospital, may act with impunity and not be held accountable for their actions, no matter how unconstitutional.
35 Capitol Police Officers Under Investigation, 6 Suspended Over Capitol Breach: Department
In January, two officers were suspended by the department, according to Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who chairs the House Appropriations Committee. Ryan alleged that one of the officers took a selfie photo with one of the protesters.
And following the breach, a number of the Capitol Police department’s leadership resigned.
Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told CBS News this week that Capitol Police were given intelligence suggesting there was a heightened threat on Jan. 6.
“Why they did not execute a plan, if they had a plan in place, to further protect that Capitol I think is an ongoing question,” Wolf said.
Report: Texas Electricity Provider Put Off On-Site Winter Inspections Due To COVID Protocols
Instead of sending inspectors to complete important examinations at state power facilities to ensure they were adequately equipped to handle winter weather and high electricity demands, ERCOT management chose to host “virtual tabletop exercises” for only a portion of their plants, keeping their in-person contact limited to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Beyond permitting only 94 of the state’s 600 facilities to participate in the virtual meeting centered on preparing for winter, ERCOT also did not require any plants to adapt their protocols for the colder months, instead just offering a list of suggested guidance for plant operators to follow voluntarily.
When the recent storm hit Texas and these unprepared power plants, 40 percent of ERCOT’s generators were rendered out of commission and couldn’t perform under the wintery conditions.
Kevin Sorbo speaks out after Facebook removed his page
Actor Kevin Sarbo argues if your posts don’t fit Facebook’s political narrative, the social media giant will remove you.
Politics:
Todd Bensman: The pull of Biden policies is so powerful that a new migration is happening
“Joe Biden Admin has furtively approached Mexicans and Guatemalans, asked them to retain Trump era policy of breaking up caravans for political optics
But the pull of Biden policies is so powerful that a new migration is happening.”
US House Reintroduces Bill to Ban All Xinjiang Goods Made With Forced Labor
The revised version of the bill that passed the House 406–3 in the previous Congress last September is similar to the Senate version—the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which was reintroduced last month.
It would grant President Joe Biden the authority to place sanctions against any individual responsible for slave labor practices forced upon the region’s ethnic Uyghurs, the majority of whom practice Islam.
The House Bill would also require companies listed in the United States to provide financial disclosures on its interaction with Chinese firms and entities engaged in abuses, a provision not included in the Senate version.
Psaki Plays Up Identity Politics, Avoids Straight Answers
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki panders to the left instead of actually answering questions about the administration’s policies. One America’s Hans Hubbard reports.
World News:
US commander says military seeks ‘fallback’ Saudi bases amid tensions with Iran
He made the comments while on a tour of the Middle East, during which he also assailed the Taliban for increased violence in Afghanistan.
Referring to Saudi Arabia, McKenzie stressed that the Pentagon was not looking for new permanent bases, but rather sites that could be quickly utilized in time of crisis.
“These are things that any prudent military planner would want to do to increase their flexibility, to make it more difficult for the adversary to target them,” he added.
Meanwhile, McKenzie also said that Taliban militants were “clearly” responsible for a recent surge in violence in Afghanistan.
U.S. and European Government Leaders Slam ICC Investigation into Israel
The International Criminal Court’s decision to initiate an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes threatens to undermine the body’s judicial integrity and is driven by groups that seek to delegitimize the world’s only Jewish state, according to a group of former senior government and military officials from the United States and Europe.
The ICC’s recent decision to pursue charges against Israel represents an “unprecedented campaign of delegitimization against Israel waged by the enemies of the Jewish State and supported by numerous international institutions,” according to a letter sent by these government officials on Friday to newly installed ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan.
The Friends of Israel Initiative, an international coalition of former military and government officials that advocates on Israel’s behalf, organized the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
Biden Announces U.S. Now Officially Back in Paris Climate Agreement
Speaking at the Virtual Munich Security Conference on Friday, Joe Biden said he was “grateful for Europe’s continued leadership on climate issues over the last four years”, and that the U.S. had officially completed the process to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement.
Is the Mideast heading toward a nuclear arms race? Jerusalem Studio 582
Next month will mark the 51st anniversary of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) coming into force.
Only 5 world nations are not members of this voluntary regime, which involves obligations and benefits. Despite having signed and ratified the treaty, interests and ambitions of governments and individuals keep driving some countries to pursue nuclear weapons.
It’s a nightmare ‘domino theory’ – if Iran gets the bomb, it would soon be joined by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates.
What is the state of this race? Are Riyadh and Ankara among regional capitals awaiting a cue from Tehran, or are they acting in accordance with their own private agendas?
US moves to rejoin Iran nuclear deal; Israel-Syria prisoner-swap confirmed- TV7 Israel News 19.02.21
1) An Israeli woman who illegally-crossed Israel’s northern’ border into Syria approximately two weeks ago, was returned to the Jewish State in a Russian-brokered prisoner’ swap between Jerusalem and Damascus.
2) The United States, under the Biden Administration, has effectively reversed the Trump Administration’s approach toward the Islamic Republic of Iran –succumbing (in part) to Tehran’s demands.
3) In light of the latest developments; Israel reiterates its steadfast commitment to preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons and its position on the nuclear agreement has not changed.
NASA’s rover sends back first images from Mars
NASA’s mission to find signs of life on Mars has beamed back its first images from the surface of the red planet after its rover survived a perilous descent through the thin atmosphere.
The Perseverance rover survived the ‘seven minutes of terror’ and successfully landed on Mars after a more than 400-million-kilometre journey which began in July.
An 11-minute delay meant earth bound engineers had no contact with the rover when it attempted to enter the atmosphere, descend, and land, meaning the sequence had to be completed flawlessly.
The Perseverance rover landed in the Jezero crater in the planet’s northern hemisphere which is thought to have been a lake fed by a river 3.5 billion years ago.
Aussie PM Scott Morrison Claims Global Support in Fight Against ‘Arrogant’ Facebook
Canada, India, France and the UK are just a few of the countries Morrison pointed to as preparing to emulate Australia in its stand for democratic principles against monopolistic mayhem.
Morrison said the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and France’s Emmanuel Macron were also monitoring the issue closely.
“People are looking at what Australia is doing,” he said, before adding he had enjoyed “exchanges also with Prime Minister Trudeau, and I know Prime Minister Johnson is very interested.
“I’ve spoken to President Macron about these things, in the same way we talk about that they should pay tax too. And we discuss that a lot.”
Italy: Holocaust survivor’s plug for vaccine sparks hatred
After Segre’s comments received negative social media attention, Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese expressed solidarity with her and denounced the “new and unacceptable attack” which he said was marked by “a very dangerous mix of hate, violence and racism.”
Segre publicly bared a shoulder to receive her vaccine injection at a hospital on the first day that Milan began administering the shots to residents age 80 and older. She said that she believed that those who refuse to be vaccinated are “either too frightened or not informed enough.”
Segre holds one of Italy’s highest honors. In 2018, President Sergio Mattarella made her a senator-for-life in tribute to her years of speaking about the Holocaust with Italian schoolchildren in classrooms across the nation.
Water Leaks Indicate New Damage at Fukushima Nuclear Plant
TOKYO—Cooling water levels have fallen in two reactors at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant since a powerful earthquake hit the area last weekend, indicating possible additional damage, its operator said Friday.
New damage could further complicate the plant’s already difficult decommissioning process, which is expected to take decades.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Keisuke Matsuo said the drop in water levels in the Unit 1 and 3 reactors indicates that the existing damage to their primary containment chambers was worsened by Saturday’s magnitude 7.3 quake, allowing more water to leak.
Commentary/Opinion:
Biden Administration Prepares Way For Banks To Refuse Service To Democrats’ Enemies
Signs of Operation Choke Point’s formal resurrection are symbolic of the larger attempt by government actors to choke politically disfavored industries and individuals from the mainstream.
While cancel culture has led to a politicized economy, the federal government’s arbitrarily targeting of individuals, groups, and entire companies will increase the politicization of the country, where the only acceptable views are from those in power.
Operating in the dark corners of the federal bureaucracy, Operation Choke Point bypasses public input and the legislative process, leaving politically unpopular individuals and businesses to fend for themselves.
If the Biden administration’s rule reversal is any sign, the next four years won’t be about unifying the country to “Build Back Better.”
Why it was stupid to rejoin the Paris Agreement
The Paris Climate Accords will cost billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars, will result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, and won’t actually change anything regarding the climate of our planet.