[Gateway] In August, former Twitter employee Ahmad Abouammo was found guilty by a jury on multiple counts including acting as a foreign agent without notice, money laundering and falsifying records. In addition, Abouammo was found guilty on wire fraud and honest services fraud.
The convictions resulted from Abouammo accepting bribes from Saudi representatives in exchange for providing Twitter user information, users alleged to be be dissidents of the Saudi government.
On Thursday, he was sentenced to 42 months in prison.
The Saudi government has been roundly criticized for their treatment of dissidents, including allegations that the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is alleged to have been carried out on orders of the crown prince.
[ABC] More records related to President John F. Kennedy's assassination were released Thursday by the National Archives.
The agency released 13,173 documents containing new information, stating now over 97% of records in the collection are publicly available. Originally, the National Archives said 12,879 documents were being released but later updated the total due to "last minute additions."
President Joe Biden authorized the release of the documents, but will continue to block some materials from public view until June 30, 2023, claiming releasing them now would result in "identifiable harm."
"I agree that continued postponement of public disclosure of such information is warranted to protect against an identifiable harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or the conduct of foreign relations that is of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in disclosure," Biden said in a memorandum released Thursday afternoon.
Biden stated that after a "comprehensive effort" to review a full set of 16,000 records that were previously released in redacted form, more than 70% of those records would now be released in full.
#1
"... 97% of records in the collection are publicly available..." of the 16,000 admitted to documents.
So like many, now I am wondering what names and facts are in the 480+/- (3% of 16k) documents that still need to be sealed from the public some 59 years later?
Robert Sundin, 70, was fatally wounded after saving waitress Teresa Brasher
Brasher, a longtime server, was approached by a masked robber who was riding an electric scooter outside Scotty's restaurant in Vallejo, California, on Dec. 8
The suspect, who had not yet been identified, fled the scene
The married father was at the restaurant every weekday morning at 5:30am
OBERLIN, Ohio (WJW) — Oberlin College and Conservatory has fully paid the penalty ordered after it was found liable of defaming a local family-operated bakery in 2019.
A college spokesperson confirmed to FOX 8 News that the damages awarded — totaling $36.6 million with interest — have been paid in full to Gibson’s Bakery. The spokesperson declined to make any further comment.
Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh, 20, from northern Iran, recognised by Guinness World Records as the shortest man alive, with a height of 2ft 1 inch (65.24cm)
Afshin struggles to use mobile phone because they are too heavy for him to hold
He hopes his newfound fame will help him look after his parents, who have paid for their son's treatment and medication
[TampaFreePress] The FBI secretly pressured Americans into signing forms that relinquish their rights to own, purchase or even use firearms, according to a trove of internal documents and communications obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
by Gabe Kaminsky
The FBI secretly pressured Americans into signing forms that relinquish their rights to own, purchase or even use firearms, according to a trove of internal documents and communications obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Continued on Page 49
#2
Can't sign away your rights. They're immutable. There is a reason for Miranda. Did you inform the individuals they had a right of legal representation prior to signing anything?
#4
You haven't dealt with law enforcement from the other side have you p2k? All that informing you of things like representation is for television for the most part.
Posted by: Chris ||
12/16/2022 10:51 Comments ||
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#5
Seems like secret documents would make enforcement difficult.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/16/2022 12:18 Comments ||
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[FoxNews] President Biden proclaimed Wednesday that the United States and other G-7 countries will donate billions to get South Africa off coal and on renewables, to the chagrin of many on Twitter.
"Today’s announcement joined a portfolio of Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment projects already underway in Africa," Biden declared at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, "Including mobilizing $8 billion in public and private finance to help South Africa replace coal-fired power plants with renewable energy sources."
Biden also said money would be spent helping "develop cutting-edge energy solutions like clean hydrogen, a deal worth $2 billion to build solar energy projects in Angola, $600 million high-speed communications cables that will connect Southeast Asia to Europe via Egypt and the Horn of Africa and help bring high-speed internet connectivity to countries all along the way."
#2
High speed internet!
Better'n drums and shit!
The Biden bidness be here
to set you up, it's lit!
The G of 7, yo!
This is what we do!
We make our people sweat,
we make 'em sweat for you!
#3
Yes, "lunacy" indeed. That shut'n down the mine theme in SA, not popular at all. Those 30+ miners on the ground in the 2012 Marikana photo were seriously dood! The South African Police Service (SAPS) were in no mood for chanting and isikhwili waving. Bad ending, all around I'd say.
#5
First CO2 was an issue. Now they are worried about nitrogen as well. When they declare O2 or water vapor as problematic, even the dumber people will probably be able to figure out where this is headed.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/16/2022 12:31 Comments ||
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#6
Its weapons grade alright.
Not as dramatic as bombing the power plants, but they get paid immediately to provide relief from the problem they just made.
[LettersFromAustralia] Big Tech has been hiding true stories of mRNA injuries, suppressing scientists who warned of risks - and the government won't say if it directed the oppression
Respected scientists smeared, blacklisted by Big Tech to push failed covid policies
Facebook hides true stories of mRNA injuries, Google manipulates searches
Censorship bureau ACMA and Big Tech giants collude with code of practice
Did Australia’s government ask Google to manipulate searches? They won’t say
US cardiologist Peter McCullough to tour Australia in February: Craig Kelly
#2
A year from now people will look back in amazement at the damage of this latest madness of crowds, except unlike the Dutch Tulip Mania this one was deliberately manipulated.
[ZERO] The base version of the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup now starts at $56,000, more than 40%, or about $15,000, over its original listing price earlier this year, according to Electrek. Ford hiked prices in August and October.
Electrek discovered the stealth price hike after visiting the order page of the Detriot-based automaker's website. The configuration and base price of all EV Lightning variants is shown below.
"Interestingly, the prices of the other versions of the F-150 Lightning haven't increased with this update. The cheapest way to get a Lightning with the longer-range extended battery pack is still the XLT, starting at $81,000," Electrek said.
There was no explanation by Electrek or Ford about the price hike. However, we pointed out several days ago that lithium-ion battery packs jumped in price for the first time since BloombergNEF began tracking.
#5
I was having a tire fixed at a Ford dealership in rural Utah a couple months ago (the only repair place around that was open early). They had a Lightning sitting in the showroom (just for 'looks', not for sale apparently).
Almost everyone that came in for whatever reason was either a rancher, farmer or someone in the mining industry. They all looked at it pretty thoroughly and to a person said "nope".
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
12/16/2022 8:10 Comments ||
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#6
I talked a client out of buying one of these things yesterday, mainly because he's not getting the vaunted $7,500 tax credit the salesman was jamming down his throat (his income's too high so he got phased out of that credit). I also told him my 50 foot rule (my minimum distance from a Tesla firebox if I have to park somewhere). He says 'I'll stick with gas.'
#11
A rare case of truth in advertising.
Buy one, and they start "lightening" your wallet.
(BTW, I once actually had a '01 F150 Lightning. Absolute freakin' rocket ship. And I never had it over 120.)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/16/2022 20:52 Comments ||
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BERLIN (AP) — A huge aquarium in Berlin burst, spilling debris, water and more than a thousand tropical fish out of the AquaDom tourist attraction in the heart of the German capital early Friday.
Police said parts of the building, which also contains a hotel, cafes and a chocolate store, were damaged as 1 million liters (264,000 gallons) of water poured from the aquarium shortly before 6 a.m. (0500 GMT). Berlin’s fire service said two people were slightly injured.
The company that owns the AquaDom, Union Investment Real Estate, said in a statement Friday afternoon that the reasons for the incident were "still unclear."
Mayor Franziska Giffey said the incident had unleashed a "veritable tsunami" of water but the early morning timing had prevented far more injuries.
"Despite all the destruction, we were still very lucky," she said. "We would have had terrible human damage" had the aquarium burst even an hour later, once more people were awake and in the hotel and the surrounding area, she said.
[ZERO] New documents reveal how the United States government used a secret Twitter portal to censor COVID-19 content that contradicted the government’s narrative.
In its ongoing probe into Twitter’s censorship practices, America First Legal has obtained a fourth set of documents (pdf) exposing a secret Twitter portal, which U.S. government officials used to censor dissenting COVID-19 views in violation of the First Amendment. It’s a revelation Elon Musk described as "extremely concerning."
#4
Ref #1, my guess is in shared communications between the US G and the CCP, the indicator is who is in transmit and who is in receive mode initially. Traffic pattern analysis would give a clear signature of the command nodes. Anyone?
[The Federalist] U.S. intelligence agencies are obstructing congressional oversight by failing to disclose relevant information about Covid-19’s origins and potential connections to a Chinese bioweapons program, finds a new report from the Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee On Intelligence. The HPSCI Republicans led by Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio found "indications that SARS-CoV-2 may have been tied to China’s biological weapons research program and spilled over to the human population during a lab-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV)."
U.S. intelligence agencies, along with corporate media and Big Tech, scrambled at Covid’s release to censor suggestions the virus leaked from a lab working on gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Publications such as The Federalist that reported on evidence for the lab leak theory were punished by internet censors.
Wenstrup confirmed during a press conference on Thursday that "right now, there’s no evidence that it came from nature." He also said China’s communist government likely benefitted from misleading reports that Covid originated in a Chinese wet market, instead of from a government-run lab.
"Since the People’s Republic of China has not been transparent in sharing information, the IC is uniquely situated to provide relevant information. However, the IC has thus far failed to inform the public and failed to keep its Congressional oversight committees fully informed about what it knows," the report states. "The IC owes the American people greater transparency on the information it already has and must be fully transparent to those in Congress with oversight responsibility."
#5
I won’t believe anything about the origins of Covid until you can provide me with an explanation letter signed by at least 51 retired members of the IC with no more than 8 of their identities redacted.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/16/2022 12:37 Comments ||
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#8
I won’t believe anything about the origins of Covid until you can provide me with an explanation letter signed by at least 51 retired members of the IC with no more than 8 of their identities redacted.
After they doxxed everyone who ever did undercover work in the last forty years and their families to China in the OPM breach, I'd not believe it even then.
AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the termination until legal challenges by Texas and Missouri are settled but didn’t order the policy reinstated. The impact on the program wasn’t immediately clear.
"It’s a common sense policy to prevent people from entering our country illegally," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted after the ruling. "Texas wins again, for now."
The decision comes as El Paso, Texas, and other border cities face a daily influx of migrants that could grow larger if separate asylum restrictions enacted under President Donald Trump end next week as scheduled.
Thursday’s ruling could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it disagreed with the ruling and was considering its next steps. It said the government was well within its authority to end the policy.
Under Trump, about 70,000 asylum-seekers were forced to wait in Mexico for U.S. hearings under the policy introduced in January 2019. President Joe Biden — who said it "goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants" — suspended the policy on his first day in office.
Iraq and Iran ...The nation is noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence... on Thursday exchanged the remains of more than 100 soldiers killed in their 1980-88 war, which claimed the lives of one million people.
The bodies of 98 Iranians and three Iraqis were handed over at the border crossing point of Shalamcheh in southern Iraq, while military bands played national anthems.
All but one coffin, containing the remains of Iraqi pilot Mustafa Ahmad, were unidentified, the human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... directorate at the Iraqi defense ministry said on its part of the swap.
The statement said that the 63 of the 98 coffins the Iranian side received were also identified.
In 2008, Iraq and Iran signed an agreement, under the ICRC auspices, regarding the exchange of information and the handing over of the remains of missing persons during the war.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/16/2022 01:47 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11126 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
An interesting factoid about the country some love to hate.
[IsraelTimes] Statistics released by the IDF today indicate that there is a correlation between higher socioeconomic levels and service in elite and top combat units.
"A socioeconomic analysis of those serving in the IDF finds that as socioeconomic status goes up, so too does the percentage serving in combat roles," an IDF study finds.
The highest level is seen in the commando units, where more than 40% of the soldiers are from the top 20%, while only 3% came from the bottom 30% socioeconomically.
Overall, 62% of conscripts from the top 30% were serving in combat units, the IDF says.
[IsraelTimes] Streets are bustling with tour groups and hotels are fully booked, as Israeli-Paleostinian tensions appear to be having little effect on the number of holiday tourists.
[IsraelTimes] Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights says it will investigate claims by pro-Israel advocates that the school failed to address antisemitism among students.
Not even pretending it’s merely about Israel anymore.
#3
The entire Dem party ought to be force fed a daily dose of lithium.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/16/2022 12:10 Comments ||
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#4
Moslemnity afoot I'll bet.
This is primarily leftwing viciousness, Dron. After Israel started giving up labour socialism for capitalism under Manachem Begin, and even more under Bibi Netanyahu, the left decided Israel (and Jews) were no longer a protected minority but were part of the international white, colonialist oppressor class. Muslim Jew-hate is just frosting on that ugly cake.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] An F-35B Lightning II fighter jet crashed during a vertical landing at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday.
The pilot was forced to eject during the crash landing, and it remains unclear whether or not they were injured in the incident
The jet, which costs about $100million to produce, can take off and land vertically, much like a helicopter can.
This was merely the latest accident involving the jet, which has seen numerous crashes and malfunctions since its introduction in 2015.
From my armchair, it appears the descent rate may have been greater than typical + forward travel, and the pilot may have pushed the joystick forward as a result of forces generated by the "ka-boing" = nose gear collapse, etc.
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.