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White House says it can't confirm that US-supplied heavy artillery system destroyed by Russia in Ukraine

January 5, 2023 Published by

The White House on Wednesday said there was no confirmation of reports from Moscow that the Russian military had destroyed a U.S.-supplied heavy artillery system called HIMARS in Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday said in a progress report that missile and air strikes launched in the east of Ukraine destroyed “two launching ramps for U.S.-manufactured HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS).”

National security spokesperson John Kirby, in a call with reporters, said Wednesday, “I’ve seen Russian claims that they hit a HIMAR system, and in response to this, we have no information to confirm that report.” 

Kirby added that the Russians have released similar reports before, suggesting it is part of President Vladimir Putin’s disinformation campaign that paints Russia’s more than 10-month assault on Ukraine as a defensive military operation. 

“Let’s be, just, real crystal clear here. This is a war by Russia on Ukraine,” Kirby said.

“And Mr. Putin can claim all he wants that this is some sort of fight against the West, it’s existential for his security, it’s the U.S. versus Russia, it’s NATO versus Russia — we all know that’s a bunch of B.S.,” he continued.

“Russia is the one who’s visited violence on the Ukrainian people at a scale that is quite historic and unprecedented. And we are and will continue to provide them the kinds of systems and assistance that they need to defend themselves.”

The Kremlin’s claims followed a devastating attack on a Russian military base in territory it occupies in eastern Ukraine, where Russian officials said at least 63 of its soldiers were killed after coming under fire from what it said were U.S.-provided HIMARS.

Reached for comment, a Pentagon spokesperson said they “are aware of the reports but are unable to confirm the accuracy at this time.”

“We have deferred to Ukraine to speak to their own operations as they defend themselves from Russian aggression,” the Defense Department spokesperson said.

Kirby said that the Biden administration could provide Ukraine with additional HIMARS, which stands for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. 

Congress approved a $45 billion aid package for Ukraine last month, coinciding with a historic visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to speak at the Capitol and meet with President Biden, who further announced an additional $2 billion in support, including the coveted Patriot missile defense battery. 

“The United States is committed to ensuring that the brave Ukrainian people can continue to defend their country against Russian aggression as long as it takes,” Biden said at the time.  

The Biden administration in September committed to deliver at least 18 HIMARS to Ukraine, on top of at least 16 known to be in the field in August. 

The multiple rocket launch systems are praised for their agility and power; its satellite-guided rockets are mounted on a truck. The systems provided to Ukraine allow its military to strike at Russian positions at a distance of 50 miles, although this is significantly shorter than the nearly 200-mile capability of the system. 

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the Biden administration secretly modified the artillery systems to handicap their range and prevent long-range missiles from being fired by Ukraine into Russia.

Biden administration officials had earlier said it had received assurances from Ukrainian officials that it would not use the systems to strike within Russian territory, an effort to avoid escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow.

Kirby on Wednesday said that HIMARS give Ukraine “a standoff distance, defensive capability.” 

“Well, it obviously can strike offensively as well,” he added, “but I mean, the point is, it gives them range and distance and space in an area of Ukraine which is a lot of open ground. And so, the HIMARs have proven very, very effective, and we’re going to continue to support Ukraine with weapons systems, as you’ve heard the president say, for as long as it takes.”

—Updated at 4:24 p.m. Ellen Mitchell contributed.

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MSNBC host spars with Lauren Boebert, suggests she’s seeking attention: ‘You’ve never been on with me before’

January 5, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News 

Liberal MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle sparred with Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., one of the outspoken rebel lawmakers blocking Kevin McCarthy from becoming House Speaker.

Towards the end of a fiery interview, Ruhle pointed to the rhetoric of Boebert’s GOP colleague Dan Crenshaw of Texas, who has been vocal in his criticism of the 20 Republicans who refuse to rally behind McCarthy.

“Dan Crenshaw and these other Republicans, do you see yourself working with them again?” Ruhle asked. “In the last 24 hours, he’s called you ‘the enemy’ and said you would rather work with Democrats than Republicans.”

“He thinks you’re doing all of this for attention. And let’s be honest, you’ve never been on with me before,” the MSNBC host added. 

HANNITY AND BOEBERT SPAR OVER HOUSE SPEAKER CHAOS: SHOULDN’T ‘YOU PACK IT IN?’

“Well I’ve seen Dan Crenshaw work with Democrats on red flag laws,” Boebert responded. “So this is just how things operate here.”

Boebert continued, “We are going to come together, we are going to be stronger than ever, we are going to handle the issues that the American people care about. We just need to elect a speaker. And it’s ok if it takes a couple of days. It’s not the end of the world, there will be a news cycle that comes around when we get to work and you see how productive we can actually be when we are united. I believe that we will find that consensus candidate and someone who can unite the Republican Party and I look forward to that day.”

Earlier in the interview, the “11th Hour” host repeatedly challenged Boebert over the math working against her, stressing McCarthy has over 200 votes while the opposition is only at 20.

“Yesterday, you backed Jim Jordan. Today, you’re backing Byron Donalds as speaker. He’s got 20 votes. You think that guy’s getting to 218 tomorrow?” Ruhle asked.

HOUSE SPEAKER VOTE DERBY THE ‘ANTI-GROUNDHOG DAY’ BECAUSE MCCARTHY’S PROSPECTS KEEP GETTING WORSE, CRITICS SAY

“I know that there are many of our colleagues who are cheering us on silently,” Boebert responded.

“Silently won’t help, ma’am,” Ruhle interrupted. 

“We’re going to get there as long as it takes,” Boebert asserted. “And we’re going to make sure that this is right for the American people.”

After listing potential alternatives to McCarthy like Steve Scalise and Patrick McHenry, which Boebert rejected, Ruhle pressed her, “How long are you willing to wait?”

“The American people voted you in, you waited for this… you’ve got the power, and every day that passes that you are not doing your jobs, voters are saying, ‘Hold on a second, I voted you in to get something done.’ So, when you talk about names coming up and evolving, give me a timeline. How long are you willing to wait for this evolution?” Ruhle grilled Boebert. 

HOUSE SPEAKER RACE: REP-ELECT BYRON DONALDS RESPONDS TO ‘RETRIBUTION’ FOR RUNNING AGAINST KEVIN MCCARTHY

“Well actually, I look at it and a very different way,” Boebert responded. “I see it as Congress not spending money they don’t have. Because every day that I’ve been in Congress, we’ve done exactly that. So, the taxpayers are actually winning here because Congress has not organized.

“Excuse me, I’m going to interrupt you,” Ruhle pushed back. “With every passing day, it’s not that Congress isn’t spending money. Anything that was put in place during Nancy Pelosi’s term, none of that is going to stop. And until you put a speaker in place, nothing that you want to do is getting done.”

Before cutting to a commercial break, Ruhle appeared to defend having Boebert on her program in an address to her viewers following the interview. 

“The most important news story in politics right now is the fracture in the Republican Party that’s preventing Congress from selecting a speaker of the House. And I want you, our audience, to know Lauren Boebert was here tonight because she’s at the center of that story,” Ruhle told viewers. “I want you to know that we are not giving her a free pass to talk about conspiracy theories. We’re not giving her a free pass to talk about the lies that she has spread at other times. We don’t even cover them on this show, but trying to understand what is keeping Congress from starting the work of the American people, that’s why we talked to her tonight.”

 

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China and Philippines agree to 'manage differences' on South China Sea

January 5, 2023 Published by


Hong Kong
CNN
 — 

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have agreed to strengthen economic ties and resume talks on oil exploration, as they look to revive their economies amid the pandemic downturn and friction over contested areas of the South China Sea.

Xi met with Marcos Jr. on Wednesday during the Philippine President’s first state visit to Beijing, where the two leaders agreed to “appropriately manage differences,” according to a joint statement released Thursday.

The statement said the leaders had an “in-depth and candid” discussion about the situation in the South China Sea and “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region.”

During the talks, Manila and Beijing also agreed to resume negotiations on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea that were halted last June due to constitutional challenges and issues of sovereignty.

Marcos Jr. had previously said his country would pursue oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea even without a deal with China, which claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea as its own, though other territories, including the Philippines, have competing – and sometimes overlapping – claims on certain areas.

The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing, and relations were further strained in December when the Philippines Department of National Defense expressed “great concern” about the presence of Chinese vessels in the contested waterway.

The Philippines has repeatedly accused the Chinese vessels of harassing Filipino fishers in the region, and in a statement released Wednesday, Marcos Jr. says he raised the issue with Xi during their meeting in Beijing.

In the statement, Marcos Jr. said Xi promised to “find a solution” that would allow Philippine fishermen to operate in the Southeast Asian country’s natural fishing grounds.

“We also discussed what we can do to move forward, to avoid any possible mistakes, misunderstandings that could trigger a bigger problem than what we already have,” he added.

To that end, the countries announced plans to set up a direct line of communication between their maritime departments.

In the Philippines’ statement, Marcos Jr. said that Xi vowed to extend assistance to the Philippines including agriculture, infrastructure and maritime security, with both sides inking a total of 14 bilateral agreements.

Xi also promised wide-ranging cooperation opportunities with the Philippines, including support for Chinese investment to the Philippines, and helping its neighbor to develop agricultural technology, basic education, meteorology and space, and vaccine research, China’s Foreign Ministry said.

The Philippines has long been balancing America’s strategic interest in the Pacific alongside China’s geopolitical and economic rise.

While the Philippines is a longstanding defense ally of the United States, previous leader Rodrigo Duterte sought closer relations with China during his six years in power, setting aside its territorial spat in exchange for Chinese investments.

Marcos Jr.’s Beijing trip comes after US Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Philippines in November, where she reaffirmed Washington’s “unwavering” commitment to its ally.

During that visit, Harris and Marcos Jr. discussed 21 new projects funded by the United States, including more defense sites around the Philippines.

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Microsoft May Finally Have a Way to Make Bing a True Google Rival

January 5, 2023 Published by

Microsoft wanted to find a new name for its rebranded search engine in 2009.

The software giant was moving on from Live Search and wanted a name that was memorable and short.

The company decided upon Bing, as it would remind people of the sound made during “the moment of discovery and decision making.”

The search engine was announced in May 2009 and in July, Microsoft  (MSFT) – Get Free Report and Yahoo announced a deal where Bing would power Yahoo Search.


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Twitter doesn’t let Randi Weingarten get away with blaming teacher shortage on ‘culture’ wars: ‘Lost the plot’

January 5, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News 

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten came under fire on Twitter Tuesday after a post pinning blame for America’s teacher shortages on “culture wars.”

“The truth about America’s teacher shortage -it worsened during the pandemic-because of burnout & “the culture wars that put teachers and staff under constant scrutiny over any conversations involving history, racism and sexuality,” Weingarten wrote.

The caption coincided a link to a Washington Post article from last month arguing that the teacher shortage emerged in consequence of low pay failing to attract potential educators to the field.

Many platform users took a different perspective on the “culture wars” claim, lambasting Weingarten not only for her remarks, but also for turning off the comments.

TED CRUZ PUTS AFT PRESIDENT RANDI WEINGARTEN ON BLAST OVER PANDEMIC ‘AMNESTY’: ‘HELL NO’

“Of course she has the comments disabled. No need to hear dissenting views,” one user named “Ian” tweeted.

Another slammed her for censoring dissent, writing, “You speak as if ‘constant scrutiny’ of what teachers are teaching is a bad thing? You have really lost the plot. Why are replies turned off?”

Others criticized the notion that parents should refrain from criticizing their children’s teachers as well as the content of their course curriculum, arguing parents reserve the right to be involved in education.

RANDI WEINGARTEN ANGRILY CLAIMS POMPEO ‘HURTING KIDS’ WITH ATTACKS ON HER

EXPERTS ON RANDI WEINGARTEN WINNING EIGHTH TERM AT AFT: ‘NEUTRALITY IS NOT WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR’

Another comment from a former school board candidate from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Timothy John Mehl, accused Weingarten and her followers of “grooming” children in his tweet, echoing a common criticism from others in the thread.

“There wouldn’t be a culture war if you weren’t grooming kids,” he tweeted, alluding to swirling controversies regarding sexually explicit books and instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary school classrooms.

Others slammed the AFT president for refusing to take responsibility for the shortage, labeling her as “out of touch,” a “coward” or a “propagandist.”

 

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FBI, ATF and DC police increase reward for information on pipe bombs found near RNC and DNC headquarters to $500,000

January 5, 2023 Published by


Washington
CNN
 — 

The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department are now offering $500,000 for information leading to an arrest of the person who placed pipe bombs near the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, the night before the 2021 US Capitol riot, the FBI announced Wednesday.

The announcement represents a sharp increase in the amount of money the government is willing to pay for information in the investigation: the monetary reward had previously stood at $100,000 prior to Wednesday, up from the $50,000 the bureau initially offered in the wake of the riot.

The increased amount comes days before the two-year anniversary of the insurrection. Little information has been released about the investigation since the pipe bombs, which were viable but never detonated, were discovered.

“With the significantly increased reward, we urge those who may have previously hesitated to contact us – or who may not have realized they had important information – to review the information on our website and come forward with anything relevant,” said David Sundberg, the assistant director in charge of the FBI field office in DC, in a statement.

“Despite the unprecedented volume of data review involved in this case, the FBI and our partners continue to work relentlessly to bring the perpetrator of these dangerous attempted attacks to justice,” Sundberg added.

The statement said that investigators have “conducted around 1,000 interviews, visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, collected more than 39,000 videos, and assessed nearly 500 tips” about the pipe bomber.

The bombs were discovered within minutes of each other around 1 p.m. ET on January 6, just around the time that a mob of angry supporters of then-President Donald Trump descended on the building after a nearby rally with the president, according to an account the acting chief of the US Capitol gave to lawmakers in January and the FBI poster.

According to the FBI, the individual placed the two pipe bombs between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on January 5, 2021.

Security footage released by the FBI shows the person was carrying a backpack in their hand and wearing a face mask, gray hooded sweatshirt and black and light grey Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers with a yellow logo.

In releasing additional footage in September 2021, the FBI said that “reviews of the suspect’s behavior in video footage and interviews with residents in the Capitol Hill neighborhood have led the FBI to believe the suspect is not from the area.”

CNN previously reported the devices had been rigged to egg timers and filled with an explosive powder. Officers from the ATF, FBI, US Capitol Police and DC Metropolitan Police had responded to the scene at the two offices, which are less than a quarter mile apart and just blocks south of the Capitol, and the bombs were safely detonated at the scene by robots.

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday acknowledged the upcoming two-year anniversary of the Capitol riot, saying in a statement that the Justice Department’s work of prosecuting those who attacked democracy is “far from over.”

“Two years ago, the United States Capitol was attacked as lawmakers met to affirm the results of a presidential election,” Garland said. “Perpetrators attacked police officers, targeted and assaulted members of the media, and interfered with a fundamental element of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.”

The DOJ released updated figures on its sprawling criminal investigation, announcing that more than 950 defendants have been arrested for their alleged participation in the riot, more than 284 of whom have been charged with assault, and 99 with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.

Of the nearly 1,000 defendants, 484 have pleaded guilty, the department said, and 40 defendants have been found guilty after taking their cases to trial in DC. Only one January 6 defendant has been acquitted of all charges relating to the riot.

Law enforcement officials are still looking for approximately 350 people who the department believes were involved in violence at the Capitol, including 250 who allegedly assaulted police.

CLARIFICATION: This headline and story has been updated to reflect that along with the FBI, the ATF and DC police have increased the reward amount.

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As COVID surges in China, US begins testing more travelers

January 5, 2023 Published by

Top News: US & International Top News Stories Today | AP News 

Passengers disembarking from international flights take anonymous COVID tests for study purposes at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. Amid a COVID-19 surge in China, the U.S. is expanding its traveler-based genomic coronavirus surveillance program, an early warning system for detecting new variants. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Seven airports are currently part of the U.S. government’s traveler-based genomic coronavirus surveillance program. The program is used as an early warning system for detecting new variants. (Jan. 5) (AP Video: Shelby Lum, AP Animation: Marshall Ritzel)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Shubham Chandra knows how dangerous the coronavirus can be: He lost his dad during the pandemic. So when he cleared customs at Newark Liberty International Airport and saw people offering anonymous COVID-19 testing, he was happy to volunteer.

“It’s a minimum amount of effort to help a lot of people,” said the 27-year-old New York City man, who had just stepped off a plane from Cancun, Mexico.

The airport testing is part of the government’s early warning system for detecting new variants, which began expanding recently in the wake of a COVID-19 surge in China.

With the addition of Los Angeles and Seattle, there are now seven airports where arriving passengers can volunteer for COVID-19 tests. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program now covers about 500 flights from at least 30 countries, including more than half from China and surrounding areas.

As of Thursday, the CDC is also requiring travelers to the U.S. from China, Hong Kong and Macao to take a COVID-19 test no more than two days before travel and provide a negative result before boarding a flight.

And down the road, some scientists are calling for wider use of an additional strategy: screening wastewater from toilet tanks on arriving airplanes.

Hub peek embed (apf-Health) – Compressed layout (automatic embed)

“Without surveillance, it’s very hard to know what’s going on,” said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. “Hopefully, with more sampling, we will get more information about what’s circulating.”

Some scientists are worried the COVID-19 surge in China could unleash a new coronavirus mutant on the world, since every infection is another chance for the virus to change. There’s no sign of a new variant from China at this point. But one reason for new testing requirements, according to the CDC, is a lack of adequate and transparent information from China on viral strains infecting people there.

“We have very little control over what happens elsewhere,” said epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina, a consultant to the CDC. “What we can control is what’s happening in the United States.”

The airport program is based on an unfortunate reality: “Travelers … go across the globe quickly and they can get and spread infectious diseases really fast,” said Dr. Cindy Friedman, chief of CDC’s travelers’ health branch.

Friedman said the program is a partnership with two companies that take care of the testing and lab work — XpresCheck and Concentric by Ginkgo. A pilot program was expanded around the time the first omicron variant emerged in the U.S. more than a year ago. Besides Newark, Seattle and Los Angeles, the program includes New York’s Kennedy, Washington’s Dulles and airports in Atlanta and San Francisco.

The latest expansion of the traveler surveillance program aims to capture more flights from China. But on Wednesday in Newark, some of the targeted planes arrived from Mexico, France and Belgium. After clearing customs, travelers could stop at a table, swab their noses and fill out a form. Chandra said it took about a minute.

Like other travelers, he won’t get the results. But he tests for COVID-19 when he flies to Ohio every other month to see his mom, he said, since “the last thing I want to do is bring (the virus) home to her.”

About 10% of people on targeted flights volunteer. Their samples are pooled and PCR tested. Positive ones are genetically sequenced. Volunteers get free home COVID-19 tests.

Over time, Friedman expects the program to grow and potentially go global. It’s already shown it can spot coronavirus variants early — detecting omicron variants BA.2 and BA.3 and reporting them to a global database weeks before others did.

But Jetelina said a surveillance program at seven airports is “just not that big” so trying to spot variants might be like “looking for a needle in the haystack.”

To aid the search, experts suggest taking more samples from airplane bathrooms.

“It’s a little gross when you start thinking about it,” Jetelina said. “But these are really long flights and we would expect the majority of people would go to the bathroom.”

The CDC, which monitors wastewater in municipal systems, ran a pilot program last summer testing airplane wastewater at Kennedy airport. Friedman said the agency is working to expand this type of surveillance.

Such testing has been used elsewhere. A study last year in the journal Environment International looked at wastewater testing from 37 flights chartered to bring Australians home earlier in the pandemic, concluding that the practice “can provide an additional and effective tool” for monitoring the virus coming into a country. Recently, Canada announced an expanded wastewater pilot program and Belgium said it would test wastewater from airplanes coming from China.

As surveillance continues, scientists believe that the omicron variant BF.7, which is extremely adept at evading immunity, is driving China’s current surge. CDC data shows BF.7 is already in the U.S., and currently accounts for about 2% of COVID-19 cases. The most prevalent mutant in the U.S. is XBB.1.5, another variant responsible for 41% of U.S. cases. Ray said this one attaches more tightly than its competitors to a receptor that allows viruses to enter a cell.

Scientists said the virus will surely keep evolving — which is why they need to keep searching for new variants. The coronavirus is like a predator stalking humanity, Ray said, and “the predator adapts to the prey.”

___

Ungar reported from Louisville, Kentucky.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

 

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Biden battle over presidential pets shows relations with Secret Service are going to the dogs

January 5, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News 

“It didn’t happen.” According to published excerpts, President Joe Biden is denying an account of the Secret Service about an agent being attacked by his German Shepherd, Major, at the White House. The statement from the president raises some interesting legal questions after he effectively called an agent a liar about an official report on one of many bite incidents with the Biden dogs. 

If the quote is accurate, the criticism could not only be viewed as defamatory but another unfounded attack on the integrity and veracity of federal employees by the president. This should not be dismissed as some sensational “President Bites Agent” story. It raises long-standing concerns over the lack of recourse for agents endangered or abused by protected individuals. Indeed, the controversy raises some of the issues litigated during the Clinton administration over the status of Secret Service agents. 

The book, “The Fight of His Life,” by author Chris Whipple details Biden’s continued mistrust of the Secret Service and his alleged avoidance of saying anything in front of agents. Biden has long had tense relations with the Secret Service, particularly after female agents complained about his exposing himself to them by insisting on swimming in the nude. 

BIDEN BELIEVES SECRET SERVICE ‘LYING’ ABOUT WHITE HOUSE DOG BITE INCIDENT, CLAIMS AGENTS ARE PRO-‘MAGA’: BOOK

The new book claims that Biden has his own “deep state” conspiracy theories. Biden reportedly views the Secret Service as essentially the enemy within, suggesting that it is populated by “MAGA sympathizers” due to the fact that the service “is full of white ex-cops from the South who tend to be deeply conservative.” 

However, this is a major escalation in that reportedly strained relationship. Some of us previously discussed the problem of the Biden dogs (including his other dog Champ) biting agents, attacks that would ordinarily lead to liability. In one eight-day period, agents were bitten every day. Indeed, outside of the White House, the Biden dogs would qualify for strict liability under the common law as displaying a vicious disposition. 

Under the common law, the Bidens could claim that Major and Champ were entitled to “one free bite.” The “one free bite rule” is a commonly misunderstood torts doctrine — suggesting that you are not subject to strict liability until after the first time your dog bites someone. In fact, you are subject to strict liability whenever you know or have reason to know of the vicious propensity of your animal. That can be satisfied by conduct such as frequent snapping or aggressive behavior. 

The Biden case is more analogous to the infamous case from San Francisco involving lawyers and dog owners Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel. They were found both criminally and civilly liable after their two Presa Canario dogs killed apartment neighbor Diane Whipple. Various neighbors complained about the dogs. The dogs had not bitten anyone but were known to be aggressive. That was sufficient. 

Accounts from the prior biting incident indicate that Major had been displaying aggressive behavior, including barking and charging at White House staff and security. Major’s “vicious propensity” was known or should have been known to the Bidens. 

Yet, after the prior incident, White House press secretary Jen Psaki called the injury as “minor” and insisted that Major was just “getting acclimated and accustomed to their surroundings and new people.” He was then sent away to Delaware with Champ. It was the equivalent of a politician going into “treatment” at the height of a scandal. Major was later returned to the White House but proceeded to “acclimate” himself on the limbs of Secret Service agents. 

The White House failed to disclose the incidents and only partially confirmed past attacks when pressed by the media. 

Now Biden is quoted as saying that he does not trust the Secret Service and believes that one agent is outright lying about one attack by Major. The president is quoted as saying “Look, the Secret Service are never up here. It didn’t happen.” 

The incident was reported by the agent and photos were taken to document that attack. The president’s denial of the location ignores the confirmed attack itself. Other agents complained about the disregard of the agents by the Bidens in the repeated attacks, including one agent who reportedly insisted that the president personally pay to repair a ripped coat after one attack on March 6, 2021. 

Agents are quoted as being angry when then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed one attack as an agent triggering Major by suddenly appearing in the private quarters. 

There is a difference, however, between being callous and being accusatory toward agents. Biden went further in claiming that the agent was lying. 

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It is not the first time that the president has refused to consider evidence and categorically denounced federal officers. Last year, Biden publicly declared border agents guilty of whipping migrants despite a videotape refuting the allegation. He promised that they would be punished. The agents were later cleared of all of the whipping allegations, but the Biden administration still sought to punish them anyway. 

Now the president is calling an agent a liar about one of the numerous dog attacks by Major (who was later shipped away to be housed with “friends.”). It is a clearly defamatory statement since he is alleging that the agent not only lied but then filed a false report. The statement also impugns the character of other agents who documented the incident. 

The Secret Service is not some Praetorian Guard serving at the pleasure of the First Family or their pets. During the Clinton administration, I represented former attorneys general in opposing claims by President Bill Clinton that agents could not give evidence against him under a “Secret Service Privilege.” The courts agreed that they remain law enforcement officers, not some personal bodyguard. 

The only recourse for agents in the Biden biting incidents was to file for medical or leave benefits. The president, however, has impugned their integrity and professional reputations. If he told another person (as reported in this book) there is “publication” of a defamatory claim. Moreover, this is not an opinion but a stated fact that agents are “never up here” and thus the incident could not have occurred. 

The Bidens know that it is doubtful that any agent would sue over their treatment. These are professionals. It is up to Congress to exercise oversight authority to guarantee that they are also not treated as the chew toys of privileged pets. 

 CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JONATHAN TURLEY

 

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Coinbase Faces Huge Fine Over Ignoring a Key Flaw

January 5, 2023 Published by

A disastrous year for cryptocurrencies culminated in the infamous November 2022 collapse of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange.

The rapid fall of FTX had devastating effects on the entire crypto-asset sector and led to several other bankruptcies.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former FTX CEO, after a series of revelations and legal actions, ended up pleading not guilty to fraud and other charges on Jan. 3.

Three federal agencies (the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency) even issued a joint official statement warning banks of crypto risks, also on Jan. 3.


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Myanmar junta to free more than 7,000 prisoners under amnesty

January 5, 2023 Published by



CNN
 — 

Myanmar’s military government will release 7,012 prisoners under an amnesty to mark the country’s independence day, state broadcaster MRTV reported on Wednesday, as the junta chief praised some countries for maintaining support for his nation.

The Southeast Asian country has faced international isolation and Western-led sanctions since the military seized power from a democratically elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi nearly two years ago.

“I want to say thank you to some international and regional countries and organizations and individuals who positively cooperated with us… in the midst of all the pressure, criticisms and attacks,” Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech to mark Myanmar’s 75th independence day.

“We are closely working with neighbouring countries such as China, India, Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh. We will work together for border stability and development,” Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech at a parade in the capital Naypyitaw, complete with flag-waving civil servants, marching soldiers, tanks and a flypast by military jets.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the army took power from Suu Kyi’s government on February 1, 2021. They have since detained her and other officials, and responded to pro-democracy protests and dissent with brutal force, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

While street protests are now rare after bloody crackdowns, the military is involved in almost daily clashes with minority ethnic forces and insecurity has spread to swathes of the country as members of a so-called People’s Defense Force have taken up arms to fight for a return to democracy.

Meanwhile, Suu Kyi was recently convicted of five counts of corruption and jailed for seven more years, wrapping up a marathon of trials condemned internationally as a sham designed to keep the junta’s biggest threat at bay amid widespread domestic resistance to its rule.

Suu Kyi is being held in a jail in Naypyitaw in solitary confinement, and the military insist she has received due process by an independent court.

Authorities typically release some prisoners to mark the day when Myanmar declared independence from British rule.

MRTV said the latest amnesty would not include those convicted of murder and rape, or jailed for charges related to explosives, unlawful association, weapons, drugs, natural disaster management and corruption.

It was not immediately clear if any political detainees would be freed.

The United States, the European Union and countries such as Britain and Canada, have imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military and individuals deemed to have helped the junta come to power.

In a further rebuke, the UN Security Council last month adopted its first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years, demanding an end to violence and for the junta to free all political detainees.

Referring to international pressure, Min Aung Hlaing hit out at what he said were “disruptions from countries and organizations who want to intervene in Myanmar’s internal affairs.”

Still, the junta has maintained some international support. The UN Security Council remains split over how to deal with the Myanmar crisis, with China and Russia arguing against strong action. They also abstained from last month’s vote on a resolution, along with India.

Thailand also hosted regional talks last month to discuss the crisis, including rare international appearances by junta ministers, even as several key members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, vocal in their criticism of the junta, did not attend.

ASEAN is leading diplomatic peace efforts and Myanmar’s generals have been barred from the bloc’s high-profile gatherings for failing to honor promises to start talks with opponents linked to Suu Kyi’s ousted government.

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