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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

7 January - Blogs I'm Following - 1 of 5

10 pm MST

Foreign Correspondent-- What’s Really Going On With The U.S. And Iran?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 8 seconds ago
*U.S. troops in Kurdistan. Photo by Reese Erlich* *-by Reese Erlich* On Jan. 2 a U.S. drone fired a missile on a car caravan leaving the Baghdad airport, killing Iranian Major General Qassem Suleimani and leaders of Iraqi militia groups. The Trump administration claims the attack eliminated terrorists planning attacks on U.S. forces. But many Iraqis and Iranians consider it an act of war. Who is Suleimani and what impact will his assassination have on the region? 48 Hills talked with Erlich, who has reported from Iran and Iraq for 20 years. *48 Hills:* *Who was Qassem Suleimani and... more »

Open Thread

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 4 minutes ago
Time for a new open thread. Thanks for your comments.

How dare they?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 14 minutes ago
Though blaming climate change for the wildfires in Australia, the BBC has nevertheless dispatched Clive Myrie to cover the story, despite already having two correspondents in the country (Shaimaa Khalil and Phil Mercer). I'm guessing Clive travelled there by plane rather than paddling by canoe.

Has been criticised

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 14 minutes ago
As per yesterday's *"It seemed very white"* post , last night's BBC *News at Ten* continued racialising the BAFTAs: The nominations have been announced for this year's BAFTA awards, which celebrate the best in British and international TV and film. They have not been without controversy as the nominees list has been criticised for not being sufficiently diverse. All of the nominees in the acting categories are white and no female directors were nominated for the seventh year in a row. Last year, BAFTA introduced new rules saying films would not be nominated for Best British film or... more »

Men

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 14 minutes ago
Reporting on the return to the UK of the woman convicted of lying about being gang-raped in Cyprus, last night's BBC One *News at Ten *made reference to the men she accused of raping her. Four times they were referred to as "Israeli men", and once as "Israeli tourists". The BBC can be precise, when it suits them.

"It is a fact"

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 14 minutes ago
Last night's BBC *News at Ten* featured the BBC's deputy political editor John Pienaar focusing on two things: firstly, "the uncomfortable truth" that British ministers now have little power to influence events or American presidents and, secondly, that Boris should have 'led the line' on the US-Iran 'crisis'. Here's his editorial in full: Quite, Fiona. *The uncomfortable truth is that chorusing the case for restraint is about the extent of British ministers' power to influence events in this crisis*, whether it's the Defence Secretary in the House a short while ago or whether, lik... more »

The madman theory

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 14 minutes ago
The BBC's permatanned North America correspondent Nick Bryant, talking on last night's BBC *News at Ten* of "the most unpredictable president ever to occupy the White House", concluded his latest editorial for the BBC by saying: It sometimes feels like Donald Trump is pursuing a modern day version of what Richard Nixon called 'the madmen theory', creating a sense amongst American adversaries that he would be prepared to take the most extreme military options, casting aside the notion of proportionality. He has also repeatedly stated he doesn't want to embroil his country in another... more »

Breaking News: Ukraine Passenger Airline Has Crashed Outside Of Tehran. Was It Shot Down?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 17 minutes ago
*Daily Mail:* *Ukranian Airlines Boeing 737 with 170 aboard crashes shortly after take-off from airport in Tehran 'due to technical problems' just hours after missiles were fired at US bases* * A Ukrainian passenger plane carrying 170 people has crashed near Tehran * The airliner, said to be a Boeing 737, went down near Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, according to local media * Fars News Agency reported the plane suffered technical problems then went down minutes after take-off in Tehran * Video appeared to show the first footage of a Ukrainian flight no. PS 752 plane f... more »

Iran Media: Tehran Will Unleash Hezbollah To Attack Israel And Dubai If US Responds To Iran Attack

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 30 minutes ago
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivers a speech. (Photo credit: REUTERS) *Jerusalem Post:* *Report: Hezbollah will attack Israel if US responds to Iran attack* "We in no way consider the Zionist regime (of Israel) to be separate from the criminal US regime in these crimes." Hezbollah will attack Israel if the United States responds to missile attacks carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday night, according to the Iranian Tasnim news agency. "We in no way consider the Zionist regime (of Israel) to be separate from the criminal US regime in... more »

Think Your Job Is Rough? Try Disabling a Nuclear Bomb

Steve Weintz at The National Interest - 32 minutes ago
*Steve Weintz* *Security, * [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon#/media/File:Fat_man.jpg] Somebody's got to do it. *Key Point:* Dr. John C. Clark disabled two nuclear weapons in his lifetime. In the spring of 1952, the U.S. government tested tactical nuclear weapons at the Nevadoa Proving Ground as part of Operation Tumbler-Snapper. It was the third nuke test series in 18 months at the Nevada site in an era of breakneck atomic development. At 4:00 in the morning on May 13, one of the Tumbler-Snapper bombs — code name “Fox” — was scheduled to go off. But the mome... more »

RICHMOND: THE MOTHER OF ALL BUFFALO JUMPS

Hardnox at 'Nox & Friends - 32 minutes ago
I repost this without comment. Matt echos my thinking, albeit better articulated, than my article from yesterday. It was written by Matt Bracken at American Partisan. ~ Hardnox —oo— The more I ponder the mass demonstration being promoted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League for the annual Lobby Day at the Richmond Capitol, the more it looks like a disaster in the making. I wish it were otherwise, but I see many times more downside risk than possible upside benefit. Even if Virginia Senate Bill 16 is passed, banning nearly all semi-automatic firearms, the new law will be challenge... more »

Who Are The Happiest People In Iran?

Terry at 'Nox & Friends - 32 minutes ago
A: Funeral Home Owners. Is it just me, or does Soleimani’s casket ( shown at :46 sec) look like a taped up FedEx cardboard box ? I understand each mourner, including democratic members of US congress, received their very own souvenir piece of the beloved general, hermetically sealed inside of a goat testicle. This funeral killed more than the actual Airstrike! There is no need for further US attacks. These stone-age barbarians will kill each other off. Just like the traitorous democrats. ~Terry

Our contemporary Reichstag fire?

Sandy Levinson at Balkinization - 41 minutes ago
We are promised a speech from the White House tomorrow at which our ignorant, pathologically lying, and narcissistic President will try to reassure the country that there was in fact some genuine defense for the assassination of Gen. Suliemani and whatever further escalation will meet the Iranian attack on US forces in Iraq. The real question is why anyone in the entire country should take seriously anything said by Trump (or by such enablers as the West Point honor-oath betraying Secretary of State), including accepting any further orders that he gives as Commander in Chief furthe... more »

Not enough is being done on the affordable housing front, say advocates

Jennifer Henderson at Halifax Examiner - 47 minutes ago
Last August, the federal government signed a 10-year-deal with the province of Nova Scotia to cost-share a $400-million-dollar contribution towards affordable housing. The timing couldn’t be better for people trying to find a place to live in Metro Halifax. Not only is the population growing but the vacancy rate is at a historic low — […]

Georgie Fagan used to organize with white supremacists. Now he condemns them.

El Jones at Halifax Examiner - 47 minutes ago
The friendship I can’t remember exactly when I met Georgie Fagan, but for some time we organized together for prisoners. Georgie had been in and out of prison for most of his life, and has years of experience in the prison system. At Prisoner Justice Day a few years ago, he spoke movingly about his […]

Gold And Oil Prices Soar. Stocks Tumble.

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago
REUTERS/Li Sanxian *Reuters:* *Stocks tumble, gold and crude soar after Iran strike on U.S. forces* SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Asian shares and U.S. treasury yields tumbled on Wednesday, while the yen, gold and oil shot higher after Iran fired rockets at Iraqi airbases hosting U.S. military forces, stoking fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Iran’s missile attacks on the Ain Al-Asad air base and another in Erbil, Iraq, early Wednesday came hours after the funeral of an Iranian commander whose killing in a U.S. drone strike has intensified tensions in the region. MSCI’s broad... more »

Herald silencing climate sceptics

Richard Treadgold at CCG - 1 hour ago
The Herald printed these letters on Saturday. Here is the letter (now slightly altered) I sent them that day, still … Continue Reading →

America's New Aircraft Carriers Are Vulnerable To Russia And China

Robert Farley at The National Interest - 1 hour ago
*Robert Farley* *Security, * But "obsolete" ships can still be useful. *Key Point:* Aircraft carriers' main job is not to penetrate A2/AD systems, and "obsolete" ships are still useful for decades. The United States has decided to spend many billions of dollars on the CVN-78 (“Ford”) class of aircraft carriers to replace the venerable Nimitz class. The latter has served the U.S. Navy since 1975, with the last ship (USS George H. W. Bush) entering service in 2009. The Fords could be in service, in one configuration or another, until the end of the 21st century. Just as the U.S.... more »

That Time Nazis and Americans Fought On the Same Side

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 1 hour ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *History, * They did in this one, strange World War II battle. *Key point:* Crazy things happen in the confusion of war. In 1943, Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS and an all-around monster, decided it would be a good idea to take the top members of France’s political and cultural elite and imprison them in a medieval castle in Austria. That sentence alone should tell you that the Nazis’ predilection for acts of Hollywood villainy was deep-seated and incurable. But real events soon became stranger than fiction. A small American recon platoon managed to libera... more »

These 5 Deadly Bullets Are As Important As The Guns That Fire Them

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 1 hour ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, North America* The world's best. *Key Point:* Don't be on the wrong end of these. Since their invention in the tenth century, engineers, soldiers and tinkerers have constantly tried to make firearms more deadly. Typically that involves moving to heavier bullets driven by more powerful gunpowders, and while that is effective it is also louder, generates more recoil and necessitates new firearms. One solution is the creation of newer, deadlier ammunition for existing guns. *Dum Dum Bullets* Dum Dum bullets were developed for use by British and colonial ... more »

Will NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons comment on this strange beam in the sky at a fire

Editor, cairnsnews at Cairns News - 1 hour ago
These photos compliments of ‘State of the Nation’ Just like Operation Torch California, hard evidence of DEWs appearing throughout Australian bushfires (Video + Photo Proof) NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said he was offended he wasn’t told the army was coming to help with logistics for the bush fires emergency. What a shame […]

Sea Ice Extent (Global Antarctic and Arctic) – Day 6 – 2020

Hifast at Climate Collections - 1 hour ago
Originally posted on sunshine hours: South / North

Preliminary Reports: No U.S. Casualties In Iran Missile Strike

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago
*Defense News: **No US casualties in Iran missile strike, preliminary reports say* Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing American troops, but preliminary reports suggest there are no U.S. casualties yet, two sources with direct knowledge of actions on the ground have told Military Times Tuesday night. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command have not provided a formal battle damage assessment. A U.S. defense official told Military Times that Iran shot 15 missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops from inside Iran tonight — 10 missiles hit Al As... more »

On Iran: 2003 Iraq War Run-Up ‘All Over Again’ – fmr Official

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
RT America More than 3,000 troops of the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are en route to Kuwait in response to escalating tension after the United States assassinated Iranian Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani. Former Pentagon official Michael Maloof and former UK MP George Galloway dive into the latest. end

Whistleblowers Expose New ‘Lack of Evidence’ in OPCW Syria Report

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
RT Whistleblowers accused the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of twisting findings to fit their narrative on the alleged 2018 Douma attack in Syria which was blamed on the Syrian Army, more and more people question the OPCW report. end

Trump Starting Albert Pike’s WWIII?

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
Trump Starting Albert Pike’s WWIII? by https://www.henrymakow.com/ Time to cull the goyim (again)? You notice there are no Israeli feet on the ground. – ‘Evil and catastrophe are endemic factors in the process of creation. Without evil, there could be no good. Without destruction, creation could not take place.‘ — Byron L. Sherwin, author of ‘Kabbalah: …

And Again: The Fed Monetizes $4.1 Billion In Debt Sold Just Days Earlier

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
Is this the real reason for the Middle East war? Ie. Currency and financial system collapse. And Again: The Fed Monetizes $4.1 Billion In Debt Sold Just Days Earlier by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/ Over the past week, when looking at the details of the Fed’s ongoing QE4, we showed out (here and here) that the New York …

Repo Panic Returns As Fed Injects $99BN In Liquidity, Including First Oversubscribed Term Repo In Three Weeks

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
Is this the real reason for igniting the Middle East war? Ie. the entire financial system is collapsing. – Repo Panic Returns As Fed Injects $99BN In Liquidity, Including First Oversubscribed Term Repo In Three Weeks by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/ And just like that, the repo market is on the fritz once again. More than …

“We’re Going To War, Bro”: Elite 82nd Airborne In Largest ‘Fast Deployment’ In A Decade

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
“We’re Going To War, Bro”: Elite 82nd Airborne In Largest ‘Fast Deployment’ In A Decade by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/ “We’re going to war, bro” — declared a young US soldier from the US Army’s celebrated 82nd Airborne Division. He gave reporters a confident two thumbs up as his unit moved out on its largest “fast deployment” in a decade at a …

CNN Settles $275M Lawsuit With ‘Punchable’ Teenager Nick Sandmann

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
CNN Settles $275M Lawsuit With ‘Punchable’ Teenager Nick Sandmann by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/ CNN settled its $250 million lawsuit with Covington High School Student Nicholas Sandmann for an undisclosed sum on Tuesday. – Sandmann was viciously attacked by left-leaning news outlets over a deceptively edited video clip from the January, 2019 March for Life rally at …

NATO Chief Silent On Whether The Alliance Would Respond To Iranian Attack On US

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
NATO Chief Silent On Whether The Alliance Would Respond To Iranian Attack On US by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/ Iran’s “severe retaliation” threat has yet to come, but Washington is bracing for impact, also at a moment the US military may be mulling a troop pullout from Iraq amid conflicting reports. – Considering Iranian threats over …

Iraqi Prime Minister Says Qassem Soleimani Was in Iraq to ‘discuss de-escalating tensions between Iran and Saudis’ when he was killed – and claims Trump Had Asked for Help Mediating Talks After Embassy Attack

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
Iraqi Prime Minister Says Qassem Soleimani Was in Iraq to ‘discuss de-escalating tensions between Iran and Saudis’ when he was killed – and claims Trump Had Asked for Help Mediating Talks After Embassy Attack by ARIEL ZILBER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS and AFP, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ * Iraq’s caretaker prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, told his parliament in Baghdad on …

Tucker: DC Insiders Push for War with Iran

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
Fox News It’s harder to get rich and powerful in D.C. during peacetime; our leaders have a built-in bias for war. #Tucker #FoxNews end

Iraq PM Confirms Receiving ‘Signed’ US Pullout Letter

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
Iraq PM Confirms Receiving ‘Signed’ US Pullout Letter by https://www.presstv.com/ Amid confusion over a reported US letter to Iraq announcing the steps its military would take to move out of Iraq, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi confirms that Baghdad has actually received “signed and translated” copies from the US Army concerning the withdrawal. – In …

Iran Strikes Al Asad Air Base Home to U.S. Troops in Iraq

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
CBS Evening News Iran has launched dozens of ballistic missiles at two locations in Iraq where U.S. troops are based. The missiles were fired from Iranian territory in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike in Baghdad last week. David Martin reports. end

Iran Launches ‘SECOND WAVE’ of Retaliation Strikes Against US Assets in Iraq – Reports

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
Iran Launches ‘SECOND WAVE’ of Retaliation Strikes Against US Assets in Iraq – Reports by https://www.rt.com/ Iran has launched another volley of missile strikes on a number of American facilities in Iraq, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The new round of missiles follows the first by just over an hour. – “A few …

IRGC Targets US Airbase in Iraq in Response to Assassination of General Soleimani

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
 IRGC Targets US Airbase in Iraq in Response to Assassination of General Soleimani by https://www.presstv.com/ Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has targeted the US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Anbar province in western Iraq after vowing to retaliate the US assassination of top Iranian anti-terror commander, Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. – “Tens of …

Iran Claims Al-Asad Missile Strike as Revenge for Soleimani, Demands US Withdrawal from Iraq

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 1 hour ago
Iran Claims Al-Asad Missile Strike as Revenge for Soleimani, Demands US Withdrawal from Iraq by https://www.rt.com/ The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran reportedly confirmed their missiles struck a US base in western Iraq, calling it revenge for the killing of General Qassem Soleimani and warning more strikes might be coming. – “The brave soldiers …

Could Iran-US tensions mean troubled waters ahead in the Strait of Hormuz?

Rockford Weitz, Professor of Practice & Director, Fletcher Maritime Studies Program, The Fletcher School, Tufts University at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 1 hour ago
Any disruption to shipping in the narrow seaway could impact oil prices and ratchet up geopolitical tensions.

How Glyphosate Herbicide Has Destroyed America’s Wheat

Admin at Health Impact News - 1 hour ago
As we have reported many times since 2014, America has a major problem with its wheat supply. Virtually all of the wheat grown in the northern climates is contaminated. There is currently no GMO wheat grown in the U.S., even though from time to time a farmer will find wheat growing that does not die when sprayed with glyphosate herbicides. These are no doubt rogue varieties of wheat left over from GMO test plots years ago, but there is currently no commercially grown GMO wheat. And yet, most of the nation's wheat is contaminated with glyphosate. This is because of the practice of "... more »

President Trump Posts A Tweet Saying He Will Be Making A Statement Wednesday Morning

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 1 hour ago
*WNU Editor:* There are a lot of nervous people tonight.

The Inefficacy of Libertarianism

Unknown at The Verma Report - 1 hour ago
The man who becomes a libertarian because he is inspired by the idea of liberty and free markets is like an alcoholic who tries to quench his thirst for alcohol by gazing at the labels in the bottles stacked on the shelves of a liquor shop. All that libertarianism can give you is the label (or the abstract theory) of liberty and free markets—this movement is not capable of persuading people to accept its ideas. A nation is not an abstraction. People are not the creatures of ideology. Politics is not an abstract theory; it’s the domain of practical knowledge and skill. A movement wh... more »

New Year's Message: Kesha Rogers on the Artemis Age & Cooperation Among Nations in Space

Alicia at LaRouchePAC Feed - 2 hours ago
Space New Year's Message: Kesha Rogers on the Artemis Age & Cooperation Among Nations in Space Video of New Year's Message: Kesha Rogers on the Artemis Age & Cooperation Among Nations in Space Kesha Rogers welcomes the New Year with a review of the inspiring progress made by U.S. and other space agencies in our mutual quest to bring human life beyond planet Earth in 2019. In this new decade we will return to the Moon and stay there, setting up a colony for scientific research and habitation. These are the great projects that will transform relations among nations, as we r... more »

VIDEO: Three Times LaRouche Forecast Today's Crisis—And The Way Out

Alicia at LaRouchePAC Feed - 2 hours ago
Video of UXb7yTqmC54 Often the targets of warfare paraded across our television screens are merely proxies—casualties, but not the targets themselves. Similarly, the motives for such conflicts are rarely what they appear, what is presented as two warring factions, are often compounded interests around the world, and throughout time. This means that solving these "conflicts" involves understanding interests, economic and otherwise, it means knowing what motivates whole cultures, and what leverage exists to bring people to the bargaining table. Throughout his career as an economist ... more »

Smart meters to receive $2.7 million subsidy

TOTT News at News – TOTT News - 2 hours ago
The Australian government will provide $2.7 million to subsidise new advanced smart meters for households, businesses and schools in a trial to monitor energy use. The $8 million project will be lead by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and will allow the provider access to household data in order to tap in and reduce personal off-peak consumption.

Baby Yoda has an actual name — here are some theories on what it is

Dannielle Maguire at Just In - 2 hours ago
Director Taika Waititi says Baby Yoda is not the real name of "the child" in the Star Wars spin-off, The Mandalorian, but does not say what it is.

Buddy Franklin 'a chance' for AFL round one after knee surgery

Just In - 2 hours ago
The Sydney Swans' superstar forward goes under the knife for a "clean-up" on his knee, but the AFL club says there are no long-term concerns for the 32-year-old.

Slain fruiterer's family hopes crime scene clue will help find freeway murderer

Just In - 2 hours ago
The son of Melbourne fruiterer Paul Virgona, who was gunned down on a tollway while driving to work last year, says "hurtful" rumours about the reasons his father was targeted are not based on the facts.

Iranian official taunts Donald Trump with flag tweet

Just In - 2 hours ago
A representative of Iran's Supreme Leader tweets a pointed image of the country's flag after rockets were fired at the Al Asad airbase in Iraq, which hosts US forces.

Kangaroo Island man denies sexually abusing four boys

Claire Campbell at Just In - 2 hours ago
Kangaroo Island man John William Hardy pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting four boys, after being charged with 13 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency.

Orchard owner gifts 200,000 mangoes to community to lift spirits amid drought

Jennifer Nichols at Just In - 2 hours ago
In an incredible act of generosity, a Queensland man is opening his orchard, donating his bumper crop of more than 200,000 mangoes to local charities and drought-affected communities.

Trump knew Iran would retaliate for Soleimani's killing — here's why he did it anyway

David Lipson at Just In - 2 hours ago
While previous US presidents knew killing Iran's top general wasn't worth the risk or repercussions, Donald Trump has a unique approach to foreign policy, writes David Lipson.

Chicken rescue: Community effort saves livestock from bushfires raging near Kangaroo Valley

Sarina Locke at Just In - 2 hours ago
Quick action by Kangaroo Valley locals saw a convoy of utes pulling thousands of hens to safety before a firestorm raced through the forested escarpment.

Prince Charles admits bushfire message to Australia 'hopelessly inadequate'

Just In - 2 hours ago
Prince Charles delivers a heartfelt message to Australia, saying he and his wife have been in despair watching the "appalling horror" of the country's bushfire crisis.

NSW fire boss says people complaining about lack of hazard-reduction burns have short memories

Rani Hayman at Just In - 2 hours ago
NSW's top fire brass has weighed in on a national debate about hazard-reduction burns, saying the practice made his organisation "public enemy number one" last year when Sydney was shrouded in smoke.

Live: Iran launches strikes against US troops in Iraq

Liam Butterworth at Just In - 2 hours ago
Iran says it has fired ballistic missiles at bases used by US forces inside Iraq. The Pentagon has confirmed at least two airbases have been targeted. Follow live.

Iran 'revenge' operation sees US bases attacked with 'ballistic missiles'

Just In - 2 hours ago
At least two military bases housing US troops in Iraq have come under fire from "at least a dozen ballistic missiles" fired from Iran, the Pentagon says. The targets include the Al-Asad airbase.

Iran's Ballistic Missile Attack

LL at Virtual Mirage - 2 hours ago
Based on current information, Iran lobbed a dozen or so conventional warhead ballistic missiles at the Iraqi desert and hit their target. They certainly had targeting information sufficient to drop their missiles within the perimeter of the Al Asad Air Base. But they apparently did not. The missiles used were likely the older Shahab A, based on the North Korean Nodong missile. (I expect that "no dong" means something different in North Korea than it does in the USA) Iran likes to walk right up to the line.

First Videos Of Missile Impacts At Ain Al Assad US Military Airbase

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago
First video of missile impact at Ain Al Assad US military airbase appeared. #HardRevenge #OperationSoleimani #Iraq #Iran #Attack pic.twitter.com/x4xdi8N3h9 — Ali (@ali_cgn) January 8, 2020 فيديو لحظة سقوط الصواريخ في قاعدة عين الأسد غرب الانبار ..#العراق_ينتفض pic.twitter.com/vtBGArNIai — Mustafa Hamid 🇮🇶 (@mustafahamaidhe) January 8, 2020 *WNU Editor:* These are alleged missile strikes.

Turkey's Fight In Syria Showed The Flaws In Germany's Leopard 2 Tanks

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 2 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Middle East* The Leopard 2 wasn't prepared for asymmetric warfare. *Key Point:* The Turkish military not only wants additional belly armor to protect against IEDs, but the addition of an Active Protection System (APS) that can detect incoming missiles and their point of origin, and jam or even shoot them down. Germany’s Leopard 2 main battle tank has a reputation as one of the finest in the world, competing for that distinction with proven designs such as the American M1 Abrams and the British Challenger 2. However, that reputation for nigh-invincib... more »

China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Isn't Great, but It Isn't a Joke Either

David Axe at The National Interest - 2 hours ago
*David Axe* *Technology, Asia* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/CHINA-AIRSHOW--RC18660A96B0.html] Take the J-20 seriously. *Key Point:* The J-20 stealth fighter is a design success and is a large boost to China's already growing military power. China's J-20 stealth fighter was a disappointment at the 2018 edition of the country's annual air show in Zhuhai in southern China. Three of the twin-engine warplanes put on what one reporter called a " conservative" aerial display lacking quick turns and other high-energy maneuvers. Likewise, it was apparent that the J-20s a... more »

This 2013 War Game Shows How Worthless the Littoral Combat Ship Is Against China

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 2 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, Asia* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/INDONESIA-AIRPLANE-TM3EB180SYC01.html] A paper tiger. *Key point:* Washington needs ships that work and that aren't easily destroyed. The U.S. Navy in late 2019 or 2020 expects to select a shipyard to build the fleet’s new guided-missile frigate. The 20 heavily-armed frigates will replace roughly half of the 50 or so Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) that the Navy had planned to buy before realizing that the lightly-armed LCS likely couldn’t survive in a major shooting war. Just how vulnerable is the LCS?... more »

Civilian Traffic Over Iraq And Iran Have Not Been Affected By Tonight's Missile Attacks

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago
For the moment civilian air traffic over Iraq and Iran doesn't seem to have been affected by the Iranian missile attacks on targets in Iraq. https://t.co/btzYzZQ79J pic.twitter.com/q4DLd0JX5K — Hans de Vreij (@hdevreij) January 8, 2020 *WNU Editor:* This can change in a heart-beat. *Update: *Its starting .... *US Restricts Flights Over the Persian Gulf: Iran Update* (Bloomberg)

Liberalism Is A Failure

GunnyG at 'Nox & Friends - 2 hours ago
the numbers don’t lie but try telling that (or ANY fact that goes against Liberalism, for that matter) to Liberals who have adamantium/titanium anti-fact skull covers, one and all. And this jewel… EXCERPT: “Illinois’ experience with out-migration shows just how damaging being an “exit” state can be. The state’s $5.6 billion AGI loss in 2018 wasn’t just a one-time thing. Wirepoints’ analysis found Illinois has netted annual AGI losses every single year since at least 2000. The losses have piled on top of each other, year after year, and if you add them all up, Illinois’ AGI losses to... more »

“Deplorables”: A 30-minute Video from Spiked That’s Well Worth Your Time

SafeSpace at 'Nox & Friends - 2 hours ago
Enjoy this video about “the working people who deal with the world as it is”, in Trump’s America, in Boris’ England, and increasingly all across this globalism-rejecting planet. — Safespace —

Press Coverage From Iranian News On Tonight's Missile Attacks Against US Forces In Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 2 hours ago
*Tasnim News Agency*:* Iran Hits US Base in Iraq in Retaliation Attacks after US Killing of Gen. Soleimani* TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday targeted the US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Anbar province in western Iraq. The attack on the US major air base in Iraq came after Iran pledged to retaliate the US assassination of top Iranian anti-terror commander, Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. “Tens of surface-to-surface missiles” were fired at the strategic airbase but the exact number is now known now. The attack was later confirmed by the US off... more »

World News Briefs -- January 7, 2020 (Evening Edition)

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 3 hours ago
Reuters:* Iran fires missiles at Iraqi bases in retaliation for U.S. strike on commander* BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran said it launched a missile attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East. Tehran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian territory against at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S.-led coalition personnel at about 1.30 a.m. local time, the U.S. military said on Tuesday. Iran’s Islamic Re... more »

Iran Strikes Back! RPI's Daniel McAdams on WWIII Threat.

RPI Staff at 3 hours ago
Iran fires missiles at at least two US bases in Iraq! What is next? RPI Director Daniel McAdams in an extensive interview as the dramatic events of tonight unfold of Iranian retaliation in Iraq for the US assassination of top anti-ISIS Iranian General Qassim Soleimani. Will Trump's embrace of the neocons cost him a second term?

"Iran Fires 'More Than A Dozen' Ballistic Missiles At Two US Airbases In Iraq"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago
*"Iran Fires 'More Than A Dozen' * *Ballistic Missiles At Two US Airbases In Iraq"* by Tyler Durden "*Summary: *Iran has launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against multiple bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq, and have threatened "more crushing responses" if Washington carried out further strikes. Initially, nine rockets hit the sprawling Ain al-Asad airbase in the country's west, the largest of the Iraqi military compounds where foreign troops are based. The attack came in three waves just after midnight, AFP reported. Iran swiftly claimed responsibility for the attack, wi... more »

Assyrian Pastor's Son Summoned to Begin Jail Sentence in Iran

Ramiel Bet-Tamraz (centre) with his parents, pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz and Shamiram Issavi.The son of an Assyrian-Iranian couple facing years in prison for their Christian activities has been summoned to serve his own four-month sentence for "actions against national security".

Let’s Give Trade a Chance

BANGKOK, Thailand, Jan 07 (IPS) - Mia Mikic is Director, Trade, Investment and Innovation Division in ESCAP & James Gregory Gallagher is an Intern, Trade, Investment and Innovation DivisionImagine going through the day without consuming or using some product, service, data, technology, personal contact, or payment which has not – at least in some part – crossed one or more national borders before reaching you. Read the full story, “Let’s Give Trade a Chance”, on globalissues.org →

Are we safer? – not so per The Washington Post editorial

Keith at musingsofanoldfart - 3 hours ago
The following editorial by Joe Scarborough called “Trumps ignorance has created an international crisis” appeared in The Washington Post. It is not an isolated opinion, as variations of concerns can be found in other publications. Yet, this is the first … Continue reading →

*Update* REPORTS: Iran Launches Short-Range Missiles into U.S. Bases in Iraq…

sundance at The Last Refuge - 3 hours ago
UPDATE: Response from President Trump There is a big difference between “rockets” being fired, and ground based “missiles” being launched from inside Iran. Stay aware initial reports are often wrong or misleading. Breaking Reports are confirming that several “short range” … Continue reading →

Were ‘Nearly 200’ People Arrested for Deliberately Starting Australia Bushfires?

Bethania Palma at Snopes.com - 3 hours ago
Misinformation spread wildly as brushfires devastated Australia in late 2019 and early 2020.

Some Messaging From Iran That The U.S. Should Not Respond To Iran's Missile Attacks

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 3 hours ago
There is some messaging going on here - Zarif is saying that the regime could do more, but the U.S. should accept this strike & not respond - hinting that Iran needs a face saving gesture. Multiple attacks on multiple U.S. bases by IRGC-QF *Wild Card AAH, KH, KIA, HN, BADR — Michael P Pregent (@MPPregent) January 8, 2020 *WNU Editor:* The Iranian foreign minister message that "the regime could do more, but the U.S. should accept this strike and not respond" is nonsense. If there are US casualties, expect a major US response.

Four Reasons Why Millennials Don’t Have Any MoneyThe same forces...

Robert Reich - 3 hours ago
*Four Reasons Why Millennials Don’t Have Any Money* The same forces that are driving massive inequality between the top 1 percent and the rest of us are creating a vast generational wealth gap between baby boomers — my generation — and millennials. Millennials aren’t teenagers anymore. They’re working hard, starting families and trying to build wealth. But as a generation, they’re way behind. They’re deeper in debt, only half as likely to own a home, and more likely to live in poverty than their parents. If we want to address their problems, we need to understand those problems.... more »

Independent: Australia: More than 10,000 camels to be shot because they drink too much water

Erin Elizabeth at Health Nut News - 3 hours ago
Drought-afflicted South Australia will use professional firearms experts to shoot more than 10,000 camels to prevent them from drinking too much water. The shooters, who will be in helicopters, will begin the slaughter on Wednesday following an order from Aboriginal leaders in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands. Their carcasses will be left to dry […] The post Independent: Australia: More than 10,000 camels to be shot because they drink too much water appeared first on Health Nut News.

Lithium-Sulphur Battery Can Power A Smartphone For 5 Days

News Staff at Science 2.0 blogs - 3 hours ago
Australian academics have a filed patent (PCT/AU 2019/051239) on the manufacturing process for a lithium-sulphur battery capable of powering a smartphone for five continuous days. Even better for them, they got $2.5 million in government funding and industry partners to test it. They say their ultra-high capacity Li-S battery has four times better performance and less environmental impact than current lithium-ion products. Improvements are certainly needed. Li-ion batteries were developed decades ago and while technology has zoomed into the future in many areas, in battery storage i... more »

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Unknown at Accidental Deliberations - 3 hours ago
Occupied cats.

Jan. 7: for today, a very unfinished blog....

Graeme Decarie at The Decarie Report - 3 hours ago
I am adding this note as I have almost finished today's blog. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2020/jan/07/trump-news-today-live-impeachment-articles-iran-latest-updates-democrats _______________________________________________________________ There's a great deal of confusion about what is happening in Iran. Crowds in Baghdad are so great that over 50 people have died in the crush. It is so great that the funeral of Iran's military leader has been postponed. There is great unrest in Iraq which has had quite enough of the American presence. Watch for retaliation against the U... more »

Second Richest Man Spouts Nonsense

David Henderson at Econlib - 3 hours ago
In a New Year’s Eve blog post, multi-billionaire Bill Gates Jr. called for raising taxes even higher on rich people like himself. Here are some relevant parts of his post (in boxes) along with my comments. Although I’m not an expert on the tax code, here are some steps I think America should take to […] The post Second Richest Man Spouts Nonsense appeared first on Econlib.

Iran Launches Second Wave Of Missile Attacks Against U.S. Forces In Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 3 hours ago
A photo circulating in Iranian media purporting to show a missile fired at a US base in Iraq in retaliation for the recent killing of a top Iranian general. © Fars News Agency *RT: **Iran launches 'SECOND WAVE' of retaliation strikes against US assets in Iraq – reports * Iran has launched another volley of missile strikes on a number of American facilities in Iraq, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The new round of missiles follows the first by just over an hour. “A few minutes ago [3:30 am local time] the second wave of Iranian missile attacks on the US base is l... more »

Time Offers Help With Your 'Woke' Kindergartener

Diogenes Sarcastica™ at Diogenes' Middle Finger - 3 hours ago
I remember reading in the early hours after the 2016 election how so many journalist and Hollywood types were lamenting on how they would have to explain to their young children that DJT was now president. I couldn't help be giggle as I envisioned them seated in front of their 4 year old staring back at them over their unwanted bowl of soggy coco puffs in puzzlement as they eat a booger. *PJM -* For reasons I will never fathom, 21st-century American leftists continue to insist that the country is crawling with woke eight-year-olds who are forever curious about national political to... more »

WATCH: Iran Launches ‘Revenge’ Attack on US Base in Iraq, Pentagon Vows Retaliation

The Free Thought Project at The Free Thought Project - 3 hours ago
Video footage has emerged purporting to show the first moments of an alleged Iranian retaliatory strike on an American base in Iraq

Smart Democratic Candidates Should Be Going On The Offensive Against Trump Ginning Up A War With Iran

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
*And that's Gamba to the right of the banner at Friday night's citizens' protest* Milwaukie Mayor Mark Gamba, who’s running for Congress in Oregon in a seat held by reactionary, warmonger Kurt Schrader,a hopeless corporate Blue Dog. Gamba was the first candidate I saw who sent a letter to his supporters talking exclusively about the assassinations and what that means in terms of his own candidacy. The subject line of his e-mail was “We Must Fight For Peace?” He began by writing that he wanted to “make clear to you where I stand on the President’s recent assassination order of a high... more »

Ansarallah forces shoot down enemy aircraft in Yemen

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 4 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:20 P.M.) – The Ansarallah forces announced on Tuesday that their troops the shot down an enemy aircraft belonging to the Arab Coalition forces in the Al-Jawf Governorate of Yemen. The Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces loyal to the Ansarallah Movement, Brigadier General Yahya Sare’i, said in a statement on his Facebook […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Iraqi PM says he received message from US about withdrawal

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 4 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:00 P.M.) – The head of the Iraqi caretaker government, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, said that Baghdad had received a message from the American Army regarding the withdrawal of its forces from the country. “Arabic versions and English from the American message are not identical. Iraq asked for clarification,” Abdu-Mahdi said in regards to the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Thousands of Syrians gather in Aleppo to condemn assassination of Qassem Soleimani: video

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 4 hours ago
Thousands of people gathered in Aleppo’s Saadallah al-Jabiri Square on Tuesday to condemn Iranian Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani’s assassination by the US at Baghdad airport on Friday. People can be seen burning Israeli flags as well as carrying around a symbolic coffin for Soleimani as well as chanting. Soleimani’s killing has sparked international condemnation […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Libyan Army captures vehicle allegedly belonging to Syrian militants in Sirte: video

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 4 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:30 P.M.) – The Libyan National Army (LNA) captured a vehicle inside the city of Sirte this week that allegedly belonged to the Syrian militants that deployed to the North African nation. In a video released this week, the Libyan National Army claims they captured a vehicle from militants that fought against the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

NATO withdraws some troops from Iraq due to safety concerns

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 4 hours ago
The NATO alliance is moving ‘some personnel out of Iraq’ amid concerns for their security, an alliance official cited by Reuters has said. “We are taking all precautions necessary to protect our people. This includes the temporary repositioning of some personnel to different locations both inside and outside of Iraq,” the official said. The official […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Iran Launches Missile Attacks Against US Targets In Iraq

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 4 hours ago
*Daily Mail*:* Iran fires TENS of ballistic missiles at US bases in Iraq in operation 'Martyr Soleimani' after promising 'crushing revenge' for Trump's decision to kill the top general in drone strike ping that round* Tehran has tonight launched a missile attack on two Iraqi air bases The rockets hit Ain Asad which houses US and coalition troops Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan - which provides facilities and services to at least hundreds of coalition personnel and CIA operatives - was also attacked The Pentagon confirmed: 'At approximately 5.30pm (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more tha... more »

Should We Believe Trump’s Reasons for Soleimani Assassination?

Joe Wolverton, II, J.D. at rss - 4 hours ago
[image: should-we-believe-trump-s-reasons-for-soleimani-assassination] How credible are the president's reasons for why he had to order the execution of Iranian General Qassim Soleimani?

How Negative Energy Can Affect Our Lives

Natalie Porter at Enlightened Consciousness - 4 hours ago
The world is made up of energy; energies move through our bodies, transferring information with it. Two types of energies that we possess are negative and positive. Positive energy is terrific as it motivates and inspires us, as well as making us feel happy, alive, and energized. On the flip side, negative energy will make us feel exactly the opposite, unhappy, depressed, even angry. Extreme volumes of negative energy could make us ill. We create our energies by the way we act, speak, and think. Energy is also transferred from one to another by touch, or even in the form of food w... more »

Worse Today Because Climate Change

Ron Clutz at Science Matters - 4 hours ago
This from the Onion confirms our suspicions. Excerpt in italics with my bolds. Report: Everything Slightly Worse Than Yesterday NEW YORK—Emphasizing that the phenomenon is barely perceptible on a daily basis yet significant when observed on the whole, the nation’s top qualitative experts released a report Monday confirming that everything in every significant area of […]

Electricity surges thru soil in Norway

Robert at Ice Age Now - 4 hours ago
Why am I not surprised? I talk about electrotelluric currents surging through the soil in “Not by Fire but by Ice.” ___________ “Yesterday, January 6th, something unexpected happened in the soil of northern Norway. “Electrical currents started flowing,” reported Rob Stammes, who monitors ground currents at the Polarlightcenter geophysical observatory in Lofoten–an archipelago in NW ... Read moreElectricity surges thru soil in Norway The post Electricity surges thru soil in Norway appeared first on Ice Age Now.

New Illinois Law Making Marijuana Legal to Result in over 700,000 Pardons of Convictions of 30 Grams or Less

Admin at Health Impact News - 4 hours ago
As 2020 started last week, Illinois' new law legalizing marijuana went into effect. Illinois became the 11th state in the U.S. to make marijuana legal for recreational use, and the first one to do so via legislation rather than a ballot initiative. On Dec. 31, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that he was issuing 11,017 pardons to people with low-level marijuana convictions. Vaidya Gullapalli, writing for The Appeal, states that these pardons by the Illinois governor "are a reminder of the scale of marijuana arrests," which target Black people and Latinos in a much larger p... more »

Trump Pressed to Detail What Prompted Strike on Iran General

AP News at Snopes.com - 4 hours ago
President Donald Trump and his top advisers are under pressure to disclose more details about the intelligence that led to an American airstrike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Iran Strikes Back at US with Missile Attack at Air Base

AP News at Snopes.com - 4 hours ago
Iran struck back at the United States for the killing of a top Iranian general, firing a series of surface-to-surface missiles at an Iraqi air base housing U.S. troops and warning the United States and its allies in the region not to retaliate.

Did Finland’s Prime Minister Ban Trump from Visiting?

David Mikkelson at Snopes.com - 4 hours ago
A routine review of content labeled satire.

Is it time to wake up & mobilize for peace yet folks?

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 4 hours ago
The U.S. usually likes to attack countries that can't fight back very effectively. Picking on Iran was not such a good idea - they can and will fight back. If the Pentagon can't handle Afghanistan how do they think they can take on Iran? Kiss another trillion $$$ bye-bye America! You think our roads, bridges, sewer & water systems are bad now, just wait a few more years...... The Pentagon has sent six B-52 bombers to their base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to engage in military operations against Iran. The United States has many military bases surrounding Ira... more »

Absolutely 100% politically incorrect deliciousness...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 4 hours ago
*gleefully stolen from the incomparable* *Woodsterman*. *And now a whole bunch of other happy stuff.* CNN is settling with high school Nicholas Sandmann for an undisclosed amount for slandering him. *According to Newsbusters:* The news brings to an end a dispute nearly a year after CNN decided to falsely tar and feather Sandmann and his fellow students as racist rascals following a January 18, 2019 confrontation with the less-than-truthful Native American activist Nathan Phillips on the National Mall. *Read the rest* Also at Newsbusters: *The Horror: WashPost Turns to SPLC, CAIR... more »

Arrest the Gun Grabbers…

Fuzzyone at 'Nox & Friends - 4 hours ago
As I read the news, all over the ‘net, I see Virginia Sheriffs saying they will not enforce unconstitutional gun laws. How about enforcing the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution? Every Virginia representative that votes to violate the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution must be arrested and tried, in the district that they represent, for perjury of their Oath of Office, required by the United States Constitution, and they should also be held responsible for each and every persons violated Right to Keep and Bear Arms. This is not a right the Commonwealt... more »

Live Long And Prosper

Terry at 'Nox & Friends - 4 hours ago
Boldly going where no president has gone before. INSTEAD OF CASH TURN THEM INTO ASH ~Terry

Breaking News!: Reports of Iranian Strikes on Iraqi Base (Housing Americans)

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 5 hours ago
*It's important to mention that when this news broke all initial reports came via US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Israeli sources. The 5 eyes plus one all claimed that this was reported in Iranian 'state tv'. I've not seen anything from Iran as of yet. Nor have there been any reports of damage or casualties as of this last update 7:32 pm EST.* * Update: Reports of a second base being struck. Ain Asad/ Al Assad (multiple spellings reported) base being the first reported base hit. * *Pentagon says more than a dozen missiles 'launched from Iran' against 2 US bases, vows ‘necessary’ c... more »

Chaos at WBEN, as Baurle and Bellevia are rumored to be feuding

The Buffalo Chronicle at The Buffalo Chronicle - 5 hours ago
Sources say that Western New York’s most listened to talk radio station — WBEN Newsradio 930 AM — is ‘imploding with chaos’ behind the scenes, and it could lead to drastic programming changes. The station’s flagship program, Baurle and Bellavia,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year… (Merry Sickness and a Happy Penu-monia)

Norbert Rug at The Buffalo Chronicle - 5 hours ago
BY NORBERT RUG Life is filled with ironies. It was strange having an article published on Christmas Day about how much I enjoyed our traditions around the holidays. Odd that this would be in the paper seeing that December 2019

This Picture Might Be Iran or North Korea's Worst Nightmare

David Axe at The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, * The U.S. Air Force’s first two front-line F-35 wings in January 2020 conducted their biggest-ever mass staging of the single-engine stealth fighters. The U.S. Air Force’s first two front-line F-35 wings in January 2020 conducted their biggest-ever mass staging of the single-engine stealth fighters. Fifty-two of the 78 F-35As belonging to the active-duty 388th Fighter Wing and the reserve 419th Fighter Wing on Jan. 6, 2020 lined up on the runway at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. The so-called “elephant walk” marked the wings’ declaration of “full warfighti... more »

What Trump Could Do To Scare Iran: Give Israel's Air Force B-52 Bombers

Robert Farley at The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*Robert Farley* *Security, Middle East* A bad idea. *Key Point:* It’s tough to imagine any aircraft more symbolic of American empire than the B-52. In April 2014, retired Air Force lieutenant general David Deptula and Michael Makovsky of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs penned an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal arguing that the United States should turn over a dozen surplus B-52 heavy bombers to Israel. Deptula and Makovsky said that the eight-engine B-52s should come with a consignment of America’s special Massive Ordnance Penetrators—gigantic bombs tailore... more »

Japan Wants Even More Upgrades for Its Powerful F-15J Fighter

David Axe at The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, Asia* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/JAPAN-RP2DSFIYPJAA.html] But why? *Key point:* Tokyo wants to take an already good platform and make it even better. The U.S. State Department in late October 2019 cleared the Japanese government to spend up to $4.5 billion upgrading 98 Boeing F-15J fighters to a new and greatly-improved standard it calls the “Japanese Super Interceptor.” The JSIs could fly alongside the Japanese air force’s growing fleet of stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, each type complementing the other. The U.S. ... more »

It Looks Like China Is Testing 2 Kinds of Hypersonic Missiles

David Axe at The National Interest - 5 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, Asia* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/CHINA-ANNIVERSARY-PARADE-SP1EFA10JPR16.html] A great leap forward in hypersonic weapons? *Key point:* Hypersonic missiles travel faster than regular missiles and so are even harder to shoot down. China is testing two hypersonic surface-to-surface missiles and not one as previously reported, state media claimed. If true, the development of a second munition capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound while maneuvering could weigh on the balance of power in the Pacific region. The second mi... more »

India to hang four men for gang raping and murdering woman in 2012

Just In - 5 hours ago
A court in India sets an execution date for four men convicted of the 2012 gang rape and murder of a woman known as Nirbhaya on a New Delhi bus, in an attack that sent shockwaves across the world.

A new blood donor is needed every five minutes to meet growing demand

Jemima Burt And Erin Semmler at Just In - 5 hours ago
A new blood or plasma donor is needed every five minutes to meet the growing demand for blood products, according to the Australian Red Cross.

Controversy as Margot Robbie nominated twice in same category at BAFTAs

Just In - 5 hours ago
The Australian actor will compete against herself and three others in the supporting actress category at Britain's film awards, sparking a backlash on social media from people decrying a lack of diversity among the nominees.

This may be as close as we get to a 'shark proof' Western Australia

Eliza Borrello at Just In - 5 hours ago
Swimmers are returning to Perth's iconic Cottesloe Beach in droves after a shark net was put up, but a fatal attack off Esperance again forces West Australians to consider the risks of entering the water.

'Girls to the side' as men's ATP Cup takes priority in Brisbane

Just In - 5 hours ago
Grand slam winners Sloane Stephens, Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova are among the women's players who have spoken out after being forced to the show courts as the Brisbane International plays second fiddle to the ATP Cup.

Australian shares take a hit following Iran's retaliation against the US

Stephanie Chalmers at Just In - 5 hours ago
The Australian share market is firmly in negative territory, as US stock market futures fall following an Iranian attack on US forces in Iraq.

'A bowl surrounded by hills': Why Canberra will likely stay a smoke pit until the fires are out

Markus Mannheim at Just In - 5 hours ago
Bushfire smoke's comings and goings can't be predicted precisely, but meteorologists say it's likely to keep on blanketing Canberra for some time.

US doctors perform first cataract surgery on a gorilla

Just In - 5 hours ago
Veterinarians at San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the United States and a team of doctors successfully carry out cataract surgery on a three-year old female western lowland gorilla, who suffered from increasing blindness on her left eye.

Did Mike Pompeo Say ‘We Will Continue to Fight These Battles Until the Rapture’?

David Mikkelson at Snopes.com - 5 hours ago
White evangelical Christians are a powerful force in the Republican Party.

Official Quits Amid Charges He Paid Women to Give Up Babies

AP News at Snopes.com - 5 hours ago
An elected official in metro Phoenix has resigned, months after being charged with running a human smuggling operation that paid pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to give up their babies in the U.S.

Did Eleanor Roosevelt Say This About the Word ‘Liberal’?

Dan MacGuill at Snopes.com - 5 hours ago
"A strange thing happened to that word," read a quotation attributed to the former first lady that was shared widely on social media in January 2020.

FRANK RICH'S DELUSIONS OF COSMIC JUSTICE

Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog - 5 hours ago
Frank Rich believes that infamy is the inevitable fate of President Trump's aides and enablers. ... Trump’s collaborators will one day be viewed through the long lens of history like Nixon’s collaborators before them and the various fools, opportunists, and cowards who tried to appease Hitler in America, England, and France before that. Once Trump has vacated the Oval Office, and possibly for decades thereafter, his government, like any other deposed strongman’s, will be subjected to a forensic colonoscopy to root out buried crimes, whether against humanity or the rule of law or bot... more »

Mexico Reports Over 61,000 People Missing Since 2006

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 5 hours ago
The majority of the 62,000 went missing after 2006 *BBC: **Mexico's war on drugs: More than 60,000 people 'disappeared'* More than 60,000 people have disappeared in Mexico since the start of the country's war on drugs in 2006, according to authorities. The number is far higher than previous estimates of around 40,000. On top of this, more than 31,000 people were murdered in the country last year alone. While drug cartels and organised crime groups are the main perpetrators, security forces are also blamed for deaths and disappearances. Around 53% of those who disappeared were betw... more »

University of New Haven Partners With New Haven Promise to Offer More Scholarships

Sarah Wood at Diverse - 5 hours ago
The University of New Haven recently partnered with New Haven Promise to provide students an extended opportunity to attend college at a lower cost.

Some Illinois adult-use marijuana shops close due to product shortages, high demand that totaled $11M in sales in first week

John Schroyer at Marijuana Business Daily - 5 hours ago
Illinois cannabis shops have had approximately a week to sell recreational marijuana since the state began allowing it Jan. 1, and demand has proved so extreme that – despite enjoying about $11 million in early sales – some retailers have cut off adult-use customers temporarily in order to conserve inventory. “The demand in Illinois is every […] Some Illinois adult-use marijuana shops close due to product shortages, high demand that totaled $11M in sales in first week is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

New York Times Reporter Tom Friedman: 'Qassem Soleimani Was Possibly The Dumbest Man In Iran'

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 5 hours ago
Iranian President Rouhani and Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qasem Soleimani. Iran Project *FOX News:* *As press questions intel, an unlikely voice blames Soleimani’s stupidity* Seventeen years after the press rolled over for faulty intelligence on Iraq, journalists are training a harsh spotlight on disputed intelligence on Iran. It’s healthy for the media to question how President Trump decided to take out Qassem Soleimani, and to examine the far-ranging consequences — though some of the coverage has been cloaked in the usual anti-Trump hostility. Several network and cabl... more »

Prepper Cuisine – Sardine Pho Vietnamese Noodles

E.M.Smith at Musings from the Chiefio - 5 hours ago
How to prepare a very nice lunch from foods that store very well (for years) and are not very expensive. In this case, using packaged Vietnamese Pho noodle bowls, and adding a protein to it such as canned sardines or meats. Continue reading →

Protest Song Of The Week: ‘We Are Rising’ by Taína Asili

CJ Baker at Shadowproof - 5 hours ago
The following post was originally published at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs. Taína Asili is a New York-based Puerto Rican singer, filmmaker, and activist who for over two decades has been using her art to honor the tradition of her ancestors and deliver a stirring message of hope and liberation. The post Protest Song Of The Week: ‘We Are Rising’ by Taína Asili appeared first on Shadowproof.

Intellectual laziness of the masses ‘sad and tragic’ over so-called climate change

Editor, cairnsnews at Cairns News - 5 hours ago
by Mike O’Connor, Courier Mail columnist, October 2019 There are times when I feel like a stranger in my own country, the urge to scream in frustration all but overwhelming. My problem is that I’m not a believer. I don’t believe in man-made climate change and shake my head in bemusement at the people who […]

President Trump Holds Press Availability With Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis – Video and Transcript…

sundance at The Last Refuge - 5 hours ago
Earlier today President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mrs. Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis to the White House. Prior to their bilateral meeting the two leaders held a press availability in the … Continue reading →

Defense Secretary Mark Esper Holds a Press Briefing….

sundance at The Last Refuge - 5 hours ago
Earlier today U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper held a press briefing. Video below. When the transcript is available it will be posted HERE.

MAGAnomics – U.S. Trade Deficit Drops 8.2% in November to $43.09 Billion…

sundance at The Last Refuge - 5 hours ago
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has released Q4 (November) import/export data showing a considerable drop in the U.S. trade deficit. [Release Here] Exports increased approximately .7 percent ($208.6 billion) while imports dropped one percent ($251.7 billion. Lowering the overall … Continue reading →

Are We Even Ready for World War III?

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Gotham City - 5 hours ago
This is a good article on the possibility of WWIII. Yet, among the things the author didn't consider is the very likelihood of Iran's allies coming to defend them or to attack us. Iraq, which, as with Iran, is now largely Shia since Saddam's downfall, will surely be one. 17 years of unending occupation and bloodshed, over a million dead, two and a half million more displaced, their economy a shambles, Nisour Sq... none of these things will be forgotten. In fact, I'm sure these things were in the backs or even forefronts of their minds as they voted on Sunday to expel our ... more »

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