[Washington Examiner] A Pentagon agency has denied any role in attributing the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee to Russia after an email indicated special counsel John Durham's team asked a computer expert who had researched Trump-Russia collusion claims about it.
Democratic cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann was indicted last year for allegedly concealing his clients, including Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, from the FBI when he pushed since-debunked claims of a secret back channel between the Trump Organization and Russia’s Alfa Bank.
Durham revealed in February he has evidence Sussmann’s other client, known to be former Neustar executive Rodney Joffe, "exploited" domain name system internet traffic at Trump Tower, former President Donald Trump’s Central Park West apartment building, and "the Executive Office of the President of the United States."
Dr. Manos Antonakakis, dubbed "Researcher-1" in Durham’s filings, is a professor at Georgia Tech, wrote in a July 2021 email that Durham prosecutor Andrew DeFilippis asked him about work he had done associated with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, apparently also asking him about an online persona named "Guccifer 2.0," whom U.S. intelligence officials and special counsel Robert Mueller concluded was created by Russian intelligence to assist in a hack-and-leak operation against the DNC in 2016.
The alleged DNC "hack" was big news at the time. Someone at DARPA must have heard the news. Did DARPA investigate the "hack", it's origins, attributions? If not, why not ?
Was DARPA simply in the nur befehle befolgen mode. Additional clarification appears to be required.
Notice if will, how the correct questions are so seldom asked.
[Deadline] Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s path to becoming the next U.S. ambassador to India hit a potential snag Thursday when a senior senator said he wants Garcetti’s confirmation vote delayed pending an investigation into whether the mayor knew about and ignored sexual harassment and assault allegations made against his former senior advisor.
In a letter made available to Politico, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), "I will object (to Garcetti’s nomination) because I have received numerous credible allegations from multiple whistleblowers alleging that Mr. Garcetti, while mayor of Los Angeles, had knowledge of sexual harassment and assaults allegedly committed against multiple city employees and their associates by his close advisor, and that he ignored the misconduct."
Investigators in Grassley’s office are reportedly conducting their own investigation into the allegations and requested the nomination be put on hold until their process is complete.
Grassley continued, "The United States owes it to the Republic of India to send them a qualified Ambassador that will represent the values of the United States. Mayor Garcetti may very well be fully qualified, but at this time, the Senate needs to look at these allegations further."
Grassley also said his office had spoken with people who "have not previously spoken to the Foreign Relations Committee, and are presenting new allegations that must be fully investigated."
According to Politico, Democrats can confirm Garcetti without GOP support, but they will need all 50 of their members in attendance as well as Vice President Kamala Harris’ vote to break a 50-50 tie.
The Office of the Mayor pushed back on Grassley’s allegations.
"Repeating a malicious falsehood will never turn a lie into the truth," it said in a statement to Deadline. "The Mayor has testified under oath multiple times, including before the U.S. Senate, and stands by his testimony unequivocally: he absolutely did not witness nor was he informed of any of the behavior being alleged. The Mayor has spent the better part of his life advocating aggressively on this issue, and had he been aware of any such behavior, he absolutely would have acted to stop it."
[THEEPOCHTIMES] A Michigan county elections official and former township clerk was charged with ballot tampering related to the August 2020 primary election, according to state Attorney General Dana Nessel. Kathy Funk, who was running in 2020 as a Democrat for reelection as Flint Township clerk, also was charged with misconduct in office, Nessel said. The charges, which are both felonies, each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison upon conviction.
Nessel alleged that Funk purposely broke a seal on a container for ballots so that the votes couldn’t be totaled during an anticipated recount. She narrowly won reelection in the unofficial count, the attorney general’s office said.
"Election officials must uphold the integrity of their positions. Those who abuse that commitment undermine the very foundation of our democracy," Nessel, a Democrat, said in a Twitter response to a Clickonbankrupt, increasingly impoverished, reliably Democrat, Detroit ... ruled by Democrats since 1962. A city whose Golden Age included the Purple Gang... report.
"Our department is committed to prosecuting election violations, regardless of the political party of the perpetrator."
Nessel’s office didn’t provide any more details about the allegations against Funk.
After the August 2020 election, Funk filed a report with the Flint Township Police Department claiming there was a break-in at the election office and said a seal on a canister containing ballots had been broken, according to local reports. Her opponent, Manya Triplett, said she had considered a recount but, according to state election law, those votes couldn’t be included in a recount because of the tampering.
Under Section 168.871 of Michigan state law, "the board of canvassers conducting a recount" has to look over "all ballots of a precinct using an electronic voting system" unless certain problems arise.
The law stipulates that ballots cannot be recounted if "the seal on the transfer case or other ballot container" is broken or have a different number than recorded in the poll record book, among other circumstances. If the seal on the ballot "label assembly" is broken or if numbers don’t match the poll records or ballot labels, they cannot be counted, according to the Michigan Legislature’s website, which offers details of state voting law.
Funk later resigned as Flint Township clerk to become Genesee County’s elections supervisor, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Funk’s attorney told the news outlet that she is expected to enter a plea of not guilty.
"She says it’s absolutely not true," attorney Matthew Norwood said of the charges, according to the outlet.
Genesee County officials and Norwood didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time.
#3
The interesting part of this story is that Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel is prosecuting a Democrat for election fraud. Dana has previously been against election integrity measures.
Also interesting is how easy it is to eliminate ballots from a recount merely by breaking the seal on the box. Ooopsie!
[Anti-War.com] On Sunday, former House representative for Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard released a video calling for the Biden administration to work with Russia and other parties to establish a ceasefire in Ukraine so dangerous pathogens held by US-funded biological research labs in the country could be destroyed.
Despite the undeniable evidence that there are Pentagon-linked biological labs in Ukraine, any concern about the pathogens has been labeled "Russian propaganda" by hawks in Washington. In response to Gabbard’s video, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) labeled her as "treasonous."
"Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives," Romney wrote on Twitter.
Gabbard’s video also elicited a response from Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), one of the leading proponents of the idea that the US should impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which would mean direct conflict with Russia and risk nuclear war. "Actual Russian propaganda. Traitorous," Kinzinger said.
In response to Romney, Gabbard challenged Romney to provide evidence that what she said was not true. "Senator Romney, please provide evidence that what I said is untrue and treasonous. If you cannot, you should do the honorable thing: apologize and resign from the Senate," she said.
Gabbard also presented evidence of the US’s involvement with Ukrainian biolabs, including a Pentagon fact sheet dated March 11 that details US funding of the facilities. The Pentagon funds labs in Ukraine through its Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The fact sheet said since 2005, the US has "invested" $200 million in "supporting 46 Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities, and diagnostic sites."
Continued on Page 47
#5
Secure site means admitting USA involvement, secure evidence.
Guess they don't want any of that noise. I mean, that would be a legit call for a temporary suspension of air activities...but no, its treason, which is an actual criminal charge.
#6
One fine day Pierre can get together with John McCain in hell and they can corroborate on their tall tales. I'm sure the devil is wise enough to give them all the credence they deserve.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/15/2022 11:57 Comments ||
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#7
This whole line of either you agree with me or we should lock you up is just out of control.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
03/15/2022 12:15 Comments ||
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#11
It's like, you're either Putin's cock holster or you're a neocon warmonger. No ones allowed to say hey, there's bad shit on both sides, or maybe it's not really any of our business
#15
"They aren't bioweapon labs, they are bio-defense labs, and if you mention them again, I'll call for your death."
Interesting tack.
Also interesting are the architects and beneficiaries of 20 years of Afghanistan and Iraq are all, "Acksually, invading a country is a war crime."
I hate to be fair here, but were there not economic nukes deployed, attempting to shut off the ability to purchase food and heat in the middle of winter for some 140 million Russians, and how many Canadians?
#17
All of these 'people' running their mouths are basically having to accuse others because they're not planning on doing anything for Ukraine themselves. Distract, distract, distract...
#18
Mittens has lost his lil mind, keeping with the pattern set for Presidential Election losers since 2000. Odd and sad. Too soon to say about The Donald yet, although the boy gives me pause sometimes.
[AMGREATNESS] Dozens of TikTok "influencers" were given a White House briefing on the Russia-Ukraine war, Thursday, the Washington Post reported. In a Zoom call, National Security Council staffers and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki ...a valley girl who woke up one morning and found she was spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State under Obama... reportedly provided to "30 top TikTok stars" the Biden administration’s talking points on "the United States’ strategic goals," and answered a number of questions.According to WaPo internet technology news hound Taylor Lorenz, "millions" of people are turning to the Chinese-owned social media app for information about what is going on in Ukraine.
TikTok videos offered some of the first glimpses of the Russian invasion and since then the platform has been a primary outlet for spreading news to the masses abroad. Ukrainian citizens hiding in bomb shelters or fleeing their homes have shared their stories to the platform, while dangerous misinformation and Russian propaganda have also spread. And TikTok stars, many with millions of followers, have increasingly sought to make sense of the crisis for their audiences.
This is not the first time, the administration has used TikTok influencers for propaganda purposes.
The administration worked with dozens of top TikTok stars last year to encourage vaccination. He also hosted a briefing for influencers to educate them about his infrastructure plan. To emphasize the child-care components of his "Build Back Better" initiative, he sat for interviews with two parenting influencers on Facebook Live and YouTube.
Last August, the Biden White House recruited a TikTok personality known as "Benny Drama" to promote the experimental, genetic vaccines in a cringe-inducing video called "A day in my life as a White House intern
#4
...Were I King For A Day (and I'm not; more's the pity) I would decree that everyone using the word 'influencer' should receive, without warning or explanation, a severe electric shock.
Until, of course, they renounce such things.
Followed by one more shock, just as a matter of principle.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/15/2022 7:10 Comments ||
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#10
Its very possible any one of these agents draws a larger crowd each evening than all TV news viewers combined, especially if you count second tier influencers.
#11
I think the network evening news draws between 5-8 million viewers each. Despite all the talk about cable and internet news and opinion influence, network news outdraws them all.
#12
^ Yes, but the people who look to network news are either looking to hear what they already think reinforced, or, are too unsophisticated of information consumers to understand they could learn more elsewhere.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/15/2022 10:56 Comments ||
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#13
I saw somewhere Influencer is the number 1 career choice for high schoolers.
Don't know. All I know is four years ago they were convincing people to eat laundry soap, so I wonder where it is now. Sales networking baby. Its young, its now, its hip, its wow. If the kids are doing it, then drunk mom is on board, which just finished 2 tours of lockdown enforcers. Look up Island Boys, if you dare.
#23
There was a part in there about having a hard time keeping up with Russian propaganda because Russia doesn't play by the rules, unlike us pure as the snow Western governments.
I wish there was post-discussion like, "Well that wasn't the real definition of Inflation." or if it went, "The larbiggest attack since WW11." Yes, spelled correctly from some I've seen, WW11.
I think I saw something like 180,000 Russian troops, which is right in that North Korea 1950 range, and Sino-Vietnamese estimates.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Washington Examiner] A Pentagon agency has denied any role in attributing the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee to Russia after an email indicated special counsel 
[Anti-War.com] On Sunday, former House representative for Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard released a video calling for the Biden administration to work with Russia and other parties to establish a ceasefire in Ukraine so dangerous pathogens held by US-funded biological research labs in the country could be destroyed.
[AMGREATNESS] Dozens of 
