Biden admin could seek to 'weaponize' government against Twitter if Trump returns, Musk says



Business magnate Elon Musk, who purchased Twitter last year, suggested in a tweet on Wednesday that President Joe Biden's administration might attempt to "weaponize" the federal government to target Twitter if former President Donald Trump returns to the platform.

"Will be interesting to see how the Biden administration reacts to this," Musk wrote when responding to a tweet about Trump potentially returning to Twitter and Facebook. "They may try to weaponize Federal agencies against Twitter."

\u201c@alx Will be interesting to see how the Biden administration reacts to this. \n\nThey may try to weaponize Federal agencies against Twitter.\u201d
— ALX \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@ALX \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1674058151

Twitter permanently suspended Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — but since acquiring the company, Musk has reinstated many accounts that had previously been banned, including Trump's — however, Trump has not posted any content since being reinstated.

NBC News reported that Trump's campaign is aiming to get the former president reinstated on Facebook — he was blocked from the platform in early 2021, with the company later announcing that Trump's accounts would be suspended for a two-year period — but that period has fully passed.

"We believe that the ban on President Trump’s account on Facebook has dramatically distorted and inhibited the public discourse," the campaign wrote in a letter to Meta, according to NBC News, which reported that the campaign asked for a "meeting to discuss President Trump’s prompt reinstatement to the platform." The letter reportedly said that "every day that President Trump’s political voice remains silenced furthers an inappropriate interference in the American political and election process."

The outlet pointed to anonymous sources to report that Trump could start using Twitter again. "Trump is probably coming back to Twitter. It's just a question of how and when," a Republican said, according to NBC News. "He's been talking about it for weeks, but Trump speaks for Trump, so it's anyone’s guess what he'll do or say or when." The outlet reported that someone else said Trump had been seeking input about getting back on Twitter and that campaign advisers had mulled possibilities for Trump's initial tweet.

Recently, in a reference to the controversial issue of environmental, social, and governance investing, Musk quipped that the letter "S" in ESG means "Satanic."

\u201c@ShellenbergerMD The S in ESG stands for Satanic\u201d
— Michael Shellenberger (@Michael Shellenberger) 1673829001

The billionaire business tycoon tweeted on Wednesday that the World Economic Forum "is increasingly becoming an unelected world government that the people never asked for and don't want."

\u201c@disclosetv WEF is increasingly becoming an unelected world government that the people never asked for and don\u2019t want\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1673978681

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Poland, NATO: Missile 'very likely' fired into Poland by Ukrainian forces in 'tragic incident'



American and European officials now believe the explosion that killed two people in Poland near the country's border with Ukraine was "very likely" caused by Ukrainian air defenses. Polish President Andrzej Duda stated that "there is no evidence that it was launched by the Russian side."

What are the details?

Amid a brutal Russian missile barrage targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Tuesday, an explosion rocked the Polish village of Przewodów, just five miles away from the Ukrainian border. Two farm workers were killed.

Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of a "major escalation."

While Polish combat planes were scrambled, Warsaw summoned Russia's ambassador.

A Russian attack on Poland would have been sufficient to trigger articles 4 and 5 of the NATO charter, potentially putting the U.S. into direct conflict with the nuclear power.

Duda, President Joe Biden, and the leaders of other allied countries held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to collectively determine their next steps. In the talks, Biden condemned the "scores and scores of missile attacks in western Ukraine."

Hours later, the Polish president indicated on Twitter that the explosion was instead an “unfortunate accident” caused by a "S-300 rocket made in the Soviet Union, an old rocket and there is no evidence that it was launched by the Russian side."

Barron's reported that the Russian defense ministry corroborated the Polish president's statement, stating, "Photographs of the wreckage ... were unequivocally identified by Russian military experts as fragments of a guided anti-aircraft missile of a Ukrainian S-300 air defence system."

"It is highly probable that it was fired by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense," added Duda.

Duda noted that "there are many indications that it was an air defense missile, which unfortunately fell on Polish territory."

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba dismissed the claim that the explosion was caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile, calling it a Russian "conspiracy theory."

According to Kiev, Russia launched over 90 missiles into Ukraine on Tuesday, 77 of which the Ukrainian military allegedly shot down.

The Guardian reported that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg similarly suggested that, on the basis of preliminary analysis, it appears that "the incident was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile fired to defend Ukrainian territory against Russian cruise missile attacks."

"We have no indication that this was the result of a deliberate attack," said Stoltenberg, "and no indication that Russia is preparing offensive military actions against NATO."

While it may have been a Ukrainian missile, Stoltenberg stressed that the "tragic incident" is "not Ukraine’s fault. Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine."

This sentiment was also expressed by Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski, who indicated that "we are dealing with a consequence of Russia's actions."

In concurrence with Duda and Stoltenberg, Biden suggested Wednesday morning that it is "unlikely in the lines of the trajectory that [the missile] was fired from Russia, but we’ll see.”

\u201cNOW - Biden says "preliminary" information suggests it is "unlikely" missile that killed two in Poland was fired from Russia.\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1668564301

'Be calm'

In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a forceful statement, saying, "Russian missiles hit Poland, the territory of our friendly country. People died."

Zelenskyy, keen on NATO's formal induction into the war, said, "The longer Russia feels impunity, the more threats there will be to anyone within reach of Russian missiles. To fire missiles at NATO territory! This is a Russian missile attack on collective security! This is a very significant escalation. We must act!"

\u201cZelensky: \u201cTerror is not limited to our national borders. Russian missiles hit Poland. \u2026 To fire missiles at NATO territory. This is a Russian missile attack on collective security! This is a very significant escalation. We must act.\u201d\u201d
— Christopher Miller (@Christopher Miller) 1668543105

The Russians also jumped to conclusions.

The Washington Post reported that the Russian defense ministry intimated that the explosion was a false flag attack, calling it "a deliberate provocation in order to escalate the situation."

Polish President Andrzej Duda did not, however, jump to conclusions. He indicated that an investigation was under way and advised people to "be calm."

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki suggested that it may not be necessary to invoke NATO's Article 4. Nevertheless, NATO is set to meet on Wednesday at the request of Poland.

US government buys $290 million in anti-radiation drugs as Biden warns of nuclear 'Armageddon'



On Thursday, at a Democrat fundraiser in New York City, President Joe Biden claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "not joking" about his "potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons."

Biden suggested the reason for Putin's alleged willingness to risk a nuclear confrontation with the West is that "his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming."

The president told Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee donors at James Murdoch's house, "We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis."

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also recently employed the term "Armageddon," when in September he called for the global dismantling of nuclear warheads to prevent "humanitarian Armageddon."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that there was yet no "indication that Russia is preparing to imminently use nuclear weapons."

In his September 22 speech to the United Nations, Biden condemned Russia, suggesting it stood as the chief threat to global peace. He characterized Putin's previous warnings as "irresponsible nuclear threats."

Biden stated, "A nuclear war cannot be won ... and must never be fought."

Earlier this week, CIA Director William Burns told CBS: "We have to take very seriously [Putin's] kind of threats given everything that's at stake," but indicated that U.S. intelligence had no "practical evidence" that Putin was on the verge of executing the nuclear option.

Russian threats

On September 21, Putin stated, "I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, and for separate components and more modern than those of NATO countries." Putin may have been referring to Russia's hypersonic missiles, which can fly up to fifteen times faster than the speed of sound, its quiet-running submarines or its modernized nukes.

"When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal," he said.

Putin added, "This is not a bluff. And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the weathervane can turn and point towards them."

Putin's emphasis that he was not bluffing was likely in reference to the following remarks made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in March: "I think that the threat of nuclear war is a bluff. It's one thing to be a murderer. It's another to commit suicide. Every use of nuclear weapons means the end for all sides, not just for the one person using them."

Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany suggested that Putin's remarks were those of a "misguided" man who had only too late come to understand that he initially "underestimated the situation. ... He's desperate."

Josep Borrell, vice president of the European Commission, noted that "Putin says that he is ready to use all arms at his disposal, and when someone says 'all' he also means explicitly nuclear arms." Borrell called for the U.N. to act.

Prague-based military analyst Yuri Fyodorov told Reuters Putin was bluffing in the interim, but that may soon change "in a week or a month from now ... when he understands the war is lost."

Chechen leader and Putin appointee Ramzan Kadyrov recommended in a Telegram post that "more drastic measures should be taken, right up to the declaration of martial law in the border areas and the use of low-yield nuclear weapons."

Kadyrov's suggestion came after Russian forces were forced to retreat from the city of Lyman, southeast of Kharkiv in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine.

On September 30, Putin announced his intentions to annex the eastern portions of Ukraine (i.e., the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions). In his speech, Putin accused the U.S. of setting a nuclear weapons "precedent" by bombing Japan in 1945, effectively ending the Second World War.

Reuters reported that Russia's criminal annexation of 18% of Ukraine greatly heightens the risk of nuclear war, as "Putin could cast any attack on these territories as an attack on Russia itself."

Putin would not require an initial nuclear volley by the West to justify his regime's deployment of nukes. After all, Russia's nuclear doctrine calls for nuclear retaliation after "aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened."

Extra to the nuclear threat, Putin has also called up 300,000 Russian troops for new attacks on Ukraine.

Ukrainian suggestion

On Thursday, Zelenskyy told an Australian policy-focused think tank that NATO should "eliminate the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons," recommending "preemptive strikes, so that they'll know what will happen to them if they use nukes, and not the other way around."

Zelenskyy added, "Don't wait for Russia's nuclear strikes, and then say, 'Oh, since you did this, take that from us!'"

\u201cNEW - Ukraine's Zelensky calls on NATO to launch "preemptive strikes" against Russia to "eliminate the possibility" of a Russian nuclear strike.\n\nhttps://t.co/gj6mSRZfFF\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1665082794

Zelenskyy's office later indicated that the Ukrainian president was not calling for a "preemptive" nuclear strike on Russia. Nevertheless, the Kremlin interpreted that to have been his meaning.

A Kremlin spokesman said Zelenskyy's comments "are nothing but a call to start a world war," which would result in "unforeseeable disastrous consequences."

A subsequent statement from Zelenskyy's office reiterated "only the terrorist state Russia can afford to blackmail the world with explosions ... and hint at the use of nuclear weapons, and Ukraine will never make such calls." The statement also indicated that "the US administration, together with its partners, is discussing a response plan in the event of the use of nuclear weapons by the Russian federation."

Preparing for the worst

The U.S. government is taking preparatory steps in the event diplomacy fails. On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was purchasing a supply of the drug Nplate, which has been FDA-approved to "treat blood cell injuries that accompany acute radiation syndrome in adult and pediatric patients."

Acute radiation syndrome occurs when a person's "entire body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation" — the kind resulting from a nuclear explosion or a dirty bomb. Nplate serves to reduce radiation-induced bleeding by stimulating the body's production of platelets. The drug can reportedly be used in both adults and children.

Ukraine is similarly preparing in the eventuality that nuclear weapons are used in the war. Its capital city of Kyiv is readying evacuation centers and ensuring sufficient stock of potassium iodine pills are on hand. Such pills help protect against radiation absorption.

Nukes and their power

According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has an estimated 5,977 nuclear warheads. That total includes 1,588 deployed strategic nukes; 2,889 reserve, nondeployed nukes; and 1,500 stockpiled and retired nukes.

The U.S., by way of comparison, has 5,428 nuclear warheads; 1,644 of those are deployed strategic warheads, 100 are deployed nonstrategic nukes, 1,964 are reserve or nondeployed nukes, and 1,720 are retired.

The Washington Post reported that standard modern nuclear bombs have yields equivalent to 500,000 and 1 million tons of TNT (i.e. 500 kilotons and 1 megaton). The nukes dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had, by comparison, yields of 15 and 21 kilotons, respectively.

In the way of nuclear warheads dropped to date, Russia holds the record for the most powerful ever exploded. In October 1961, the Soviets dropped "Tsar Bomba" over Siberia. This particular bomb had a yield of at least 50 megatons (i.e. the equivalent of 50 million tons of TNT).

Russia releases secret footage of 1961 Tsar Bomba hydrogen blast youtu.be

So-called "low-yield" nukes, like those Kadyrov recommended Putin use to cover Russian retreats, are still incredibly more powerful than the 2020 Beirut explosion, which injured over 7,000 and killed 218.

\u201cUn a\u00f1o de la explosi\u00f3n en el puerto de #Beirut (#Libano) que cost\u00f3 la vida a 215 personas, heridas a m\u00e1s de 5000 y un coste econ\u00f3mico de entre 15.000 y 20.000 millones $. Un a\u00f1o despu\u00e9s el pa\u00eds est\u00e1 inmerso en una profunda crisis pol\u00edtica, econ\u00f3mica y social.\n#BeirutExplosion\u201d
— Alfonso Poza (@Alfonso Poza) 1628074440

Famed author Salman Rushdie attacked in New York, stabbed in neck as he was set to deliver lecture



Famed British-Indian author Salman Rushdie was attacked in western New York on Friday as he was about to give a lecture.

Witnesses saw a man storm the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and assault Rushdie as he was being introduced, the Associated Press reported. The 75-year-old author was reportedly stabbed several times and fell to the floor. The assailant was restrained and taken into custody.

Bystanders rushed to the author's aide and held up his legs, presumably to send more blood to his chest, the AP reported.

Hundreds of people in the audience watched in horror during the attack and were then evacuated from the scene.

Rushdie was flown to a hospital. His condition is unknown.

\u201cSalman Rushdie, who was stabbed at an event in New York, is being flown to hospital. No word on his condition\u201d
— BNO News (@BNO News) 1660320074

New York State Police said Rushdie suffered a "stab wound to the neck, and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital."

\u201cUPDATE - Rushdie has suffered a "stab wound to the neck, and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital."\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1660317694

"On August 12, 2022, at about 11 a.m., a male suspect ran up onto the stage and attacked Rushdie and an interviewer. Rushdie suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck, and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital. His condition is not yet known," New York State Police Major Eugene Staniszewski said in a statement.

"The interviewer suffered a minor head injury. A State Trooper assigned to the event immediately took the suspect into custody. The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene," Staniszewski added.

Rushdie's novel, "The Satanic Verses," is highly controversial among Muslims, as some consider it to be blasphemous. In 1988, Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of Rushdie and his publishers.

Iran has offered a bounty of over $3 million to anyone who kills Rushdie.

Though the Iranian government has since distanced itself from Khomeini's edict, the fatwa is still in effect to this day. Iranian leadership insists only the person who issued a fatwa may withdraw it, according to journalist Yashar Ali. Khomeini has been dead for more than 30 years.

\u201cNo idea what the motive is here, but everyone should remember that the bounty on Salman Rushdie\u2019s head from the Iranian government remains active and the Twitter account of Iran\u2019s supreme leader was locked a few years ago for reminding people of that.\u201d
— Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18 (@Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18) 1660316987
\u201cThe Iranian government largely walked away from it for many years but the Supreme Leader reignited it when he tweeted about it. \n\nThe government will say only the person who issued the fatwa can withdraw it. \n\nThat person, the Ayatollah Khomeini, has been dead for over 30 years.\u201d
— Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18 (@Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18) 1660318892

In 2012, an Iranian religious foundation raised the bounty on Rushdie's head from $2.8 million to $3.3 million.

Rushdie downplayed the threat at the time, saying there was "no evidence" anyone was interested in claiming the reward.

That same year, Rushdie published a memoir, "Joseph Anton," about the fatwa. The title was taken from the pseudonym he had used while in hiding.

The Chautauqua Institution, located about 55 miles southwest of Buffalo in a rural part of New York, is known for its summertime lecture series, the AP reports. Rushdie has given lectures there before.

Biden administration declares monkeypox a public health emergency



The Biden administration on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency in order to speed up delivery of the vaccine.

Politico first reported that the Department of Health and Human Services would make a public emergency declaration that will grant the government additional powers as more than 6,600 monkeypox infections have been reported in the United States. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra held a press briefing announcing the decision Thursday afternoon.

"I will be declaring a public health emergency on monkeypox," Becerra said.

"We're prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus," he added. "We urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus."

\u201cJUST IN - HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra declares #monkeypox a public health emergency in the United States.\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1659638390

A public emergency declaration could permit the government to access emergency funds to fight the virus, enable health authorities to collect more data about cases and vaccinations, and ramp up vaccine distribution.

The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on July 23 — after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus overruled an expert committee that recommended against an emergency declaration. Since then, New York state, California, and Illinois have issued their own emergency declarations, with New York being the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak.

The Biden administration's decision comes as the virus has spread rapidly in the United States, with more than 1,200 cases reported in just the last three days. Most of the cases internationally have been reported among men who have sex with men, and public health officials have advised gay and bisexual men to limit their sexual partners to mitigate spread of the disease.

Though monkeypox is not a disease that solely infects homosexual males, health officials have raised concerns that festivals or pride parades where gay men gather and are likely to be in close personal contact could become super-spreader events.

In the U.S., 99% of monkeypox cases were reported among men, according to HHS. The average patient is about 35 years old, but people of all ages can be infected. There have been five cases found in children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms of the virus include a painful rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. Some patients may also experience chills, headache, and muscle pain.

Monkeypox is a disease that is native to parts of central and west Africa, where people may be exposed to the virus through bites or scratches from animals. The virus does not spread easily between people, but transmission can occur through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, or through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact, according to health officials.

HHS said last week that 338,000 monkeypox vaccine doses have been distributed as of July 28. The federal government has ordered another 5.5 million doses, which the agency said will be available by May 2023.

WHO declares monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency after 5 deaths worldwide



The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency.

"I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Saturday morning during a briefing in Geneva.

Members of an expert committee met on Thursday to decide if the current monkeypox outbreak should be escalated to a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Of the virologists, vaccinologists, epidemiologists, and health experts, nine voted against declaring monkeypox a PHEIC, and six voted in favor, according to Reuters.

The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee were "resolved by consensus to advise the WHO Director-General that at this stage the outbreak should be determined to not constitute a PHEIC."

"However, the Committee unanimously acknowledged the emergency nature of the event and that controlling the further spread of outbreak requires intense response efforts," according to the WHO. "The Committee advised that the event should be closely monitored and reviewed after a few weeks, once more information about the current unknowns becomes available, to determine if significant changes have occurred that may warrant a reconsideration of their advice."

In the end, Ghebreyesus overrode the committee and declared monkeypox to be a public health emergency of international concern.

According to The Nation's Health website, "A PHEIC gives WHO authority to make formal recommendations to contain an outbreak. The declaration is intended to raise public awareness and can galvanize funding, expertise, and resources from other member nations, said Lawrence Gostin, JD, an international health law professor at Georgetown University."

ABC News noted that this is the seventh event declared a PHEIC by the WHO since 2007, "The other six include the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009; the Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2013 to 2015; the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2018 to 2020; the Zika outbreak in 2016; the ongoing spread of poliovirus that started in 2014; and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to the National Library of Medicine."

\u201cNOW - WHO's Tedros: "I have decided that the global #monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern."\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1658587347

Tedros stated, "Although I’m declaring a public health emergency of international concern, for the moment, this is an outbreak that’s concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners. That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups."

The World Health Organization director-general added, "Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been more than 16,000 global cases of monkeypox in 2022 in 74 countries.

There have been nearly 3,000 cases in the United States this year, according to the CDC. As of Wednesday, there were 679 cases of monkeypox in New York – 94% of them in New York City, according to state officials.

There have reportedly been a total of five deaths from monkeypox worldwide.

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported, "Though the outbreak is heavily concentrated in Europe, the five deaths have been reported in African nations."

The Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority (BARDA) – which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – has purchased a total of 6.9 million monkeypox vaccines through mid-2023.

The WHO noted that monkeypox is a "viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe."

"Monkeypox primarily occurs in central and west Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas," the global health agency stated. "Animal hosts include a range of rodents and non-human primates."

Reporter confronts Nancy Pelosi about husband's controversial stock purchases. Her reaction says it all.



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi abruptly left her weekly press conference on Thursday when a reporter asked about her husband's controversial stock transactions.

Toward the end of the press conference, a reporter asked Pelosi whether her husband — Paul Pelosi — has ever made a stock transaction based on information she provided him.

The suggestion underlying the question is that the Pelosis, whose net worth is estimated to be over $100 million, have benefited from information to which Speaker Pelosi is privy as a high-ranking member of Congress.

"Over the course of your career has your husband ever made a stock purchase or sale based on information he has received from you?" the reporter asked.

Pelosi indicated that she was unable to hear the question, so she leaned over her lectern and asked the reporter to repeat his question. When she finally heard it, she immediately scoffed.

"No. Absolutely not," Pelosi shot back.

The speaker then folded down the microphone and walked away from the lectern.

\u201cNEW - Pelosi says "no, absolutely not" and leaves when asked if her husband ever made stock trades based on information received from her.\n\nhttps://t.co/ay04qa0zl5\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1658418740

Paul Pelosi's stock market transactions became an item of interest over the weekend after disclosures showed Mr. Pelosi bought between $1 million and $5 million in NVIDIA stock last month.

The timing of the transaction raised eyebrows because Congress is considering bipartisan legislation that would provide $52 billion worth of taxpayer-funded subsidies to domestic companies in the semiconductor chip business. NVIDIA is a leading company in that market, although it does not fabricate semiconductor chips itself.

Speaker Pelosi's office responded to the transaction with a lengthy statement on Monday denying impropriety.

"The Speaker does not own any stocks. As you can see from the required disclosures, with which the Speaker fully cooperates, these transactions are marked ‘SP’ for Spouse," said spokesman Drew Hammill. "The Speaker has no prior knowledge or subsequent involvement in any transactions."

Pelosi has said she will support the semiconductor bill. The legislation could come up for a vote in the House as soon as next week.

Speaker Pelosi Hosts Weekly Press Conference www.youtube.com

Authorities release photos of 'armed and dangerous' person of interest in deadly Highland Park mass shooting, first victim identified, videos show chaotic scene



Six people were murdered and at least 31 were injured in the mass shooting that occurred during a July 4th parade in Highland Park, Illinois.

Videos have surfaced from the deadly mass shooting in Highland Park.

\u201cNOW - Multiple people shot at July 4th parade in Highland Park, IL.\n\nhttps://t.co/uJMkG2UhYF\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1656950373
\u201cMy video.. I was at #Highland Park parade.. Terrified people fleeing July 4th parade when shooting started.\u201d
— Lynn Sweet (@Lynn Sweet) 1656951524
\u201cA Lake County police officer walks through chairs and bikes left behind on the Central Avenue parade route sidewalk near the scene of the Highland Park mass shooting. \n\n\u2018It was chaotic,\u2019 reports of 6 dead, 2 dozen others shot during Fourth of July parade https://t.co/kWBnLbO2nS\u201d
— Brian Cassella (@Brian Cassella) 1656958964

Highland Park Police Cmdr. Chris O'Neill said, "The suspect is currently described as a male white, approximately 18 to 20 years old, with longer black hair, a small build, and wearing a white or blue t-shirt."

The FBI named a person of interest in the Highland Park shooting. Authorities named 22-year-old Robert “Bobby” Crimo III as a person of interest. He is said to be driving a Silver Honda Fit with the license plate "DM80653." Crimo is considered "armed and dangerous."

\u201cBREAKING: A 22-year-old \u201cperson of interest has been identified\u201d following mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, authorities say. https://t.co/K27Tjyz28I\u201d
— ABC News (@ABC News) 1656971933
\u201cFBI wanted poster:\u201d
— Brian Entin (@Brian Entin) 1656974653


\u201cBREAKING: Robert "Bobby" Crimo III has been identified as the person of interest in the deadly mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois (near Chicago). Six were killed & dozens injured at the July 4th holiday parade massacre. #HighlandPark\u201d
— Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1656974491


\u201c\u201cPolice identify person of interest in Highland Park parade shooting as Robert "Bobby" E Crimo, III. 22 years old. Believed to be driving a 2010 Silver Honda Fit, Illinois license plate DM80653\u201d\n\nInstagram has already been \u201cseized\u201d\n\nYoutube: https://t.co/lImXHUwCeK\u201d
— Shane B. Murphy (@Shane B. Murphy) 1656972533

Crimo is also known as "Awake the Rapper," according to Fox News.

IMDb describes Crimo as "an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and director from Chicago, IL. The hip hop phenom is mostly known for his hit song 'On My Mind' which was released on October 8, 2018. The track has amassed millions of plays so far across online streaming platforms."

The IMDb listing states that Crimo was born on Sept. 20, 2000.

Sgt. Christopher Covelli – from the Lake County Major Crime Task Force – said law enforcement recovered a rifle from the crime scene of the Fourth of July shooting. Covelli noted that the shooter appears to have been "shooting from a roof."

Covelli said Crimo is “from the area” of Chicago’s northern suburbs.

The ages of the victims ranged from eight to 85.

One of the alleged victims is Nicolas Toledo – who was reportedly 79 years old.

"We are all feeling pretty numb. We're all pretty broken inside," Toledo's granddaughter told WBBM-TV.

\u201cThe family of Nicolas Toledo tells me he was one of the people shot and killed at the Highland Park 4th of July Parade. \u201cWe are all feeling pretty numb. We\u2019re all pretty broken inside,\u201d his granddaughter said. She shared these photos with @cbschicago\u201d
— Tim McNicholas (@Tim McNicholas) 1656964299

The FBI asked for assistance from the public, "If you have any images or video related to the shooting that occurred at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in Illinois, please submit them to http://fbi.gov/highlandpark."

Akron police release bodycam video of fatal shooting of Jayland Walker – who suffered '60 to 80' wounds; 8 involved officers placed on administrative leave



Ohio authorities released bodycam video of the fatal police shooting of 25-year-old Jayland Walker.

Early Monday morning, police attempted to pull over Walker for traffic and equipment violations in Akron, according to the department. However, Walker reportedly disregarded law enforcement and led them on a chase. As many as 10 police cruisers were chasing Walker around 12:30 a.m., according to the Akron Journal Beacon.

Police said officers "reported a firearm being discharged from the suspect vehicle" during their pursuit.

Walker jumped out of his vehicle as the car was rolling forward, and police chased him on foot. Police say Walker was wearing a ski mask when he exited the vehicle. Cops attempted to stop Walker by using stun guns, but they were ineffective. Police then opened fire on Walker.

Walker was pronounced dead at the scene.

Eight police officers were directly involved in the shooting, and have since been placed on administrative leave.

An attorney for Walker's family, Bobby DiCello, told the Akron Beacon Journal on Saturday that the 25-year-old suffered "60 to 80 wounds."

"He is just in a down sprint when he is dropped by I think the count is more than 90 shots," DiCello said. "Now how many of those land, according to our investigation right now, we're getting details that suggest 60 to 80 wounds."

"Actions by the suspect caused the officers to perceive he posed a deadly threat to them,” police said, according to NBC News. “In response to this threat, officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect.”

Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett said Walker was unarmed when eight officers shot at him. He added that a gun was recovered from inside Walker's car.

USA Today reported, "Video from the scene showed a gun on the front seat of Walker's car, and Mylett said video did appear to show the flash of a gun from Walker's car during the chase. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is conducting the investigation at the request of Akron police."

DiCello said he had yet to see any evidence that Walker shot at police officers.

The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office said Walker died from multiple gunshot wounds, and ruled the death as a homicide.

Akron police released bodycam video of the deadly police shooting on Sunday afternoon. DiCello said that he and the family had already reviewed the bodycam footage before the video was released to the public.

DiCello called the video "brutal," he added that the bodycam footage would "stir up some passion" and is "going to make people uneasy."

The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation will lead the probe into the deadly use of force by the police.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the FBI field office in Akron were "closely monitoring and reviewing the circumstances" surrounding Walker's death.

"The FBI continues to coordinate with state and local partners to provide resources and specialized skills," the Department of Justice said in a statement. "If the evidence reveals potential violations of federal criminal statutes, the Justice Department will take appropriate action.”

Mylett said of the video, "It was difficult to watch and shocking."

Mylett said he is not "going to pass judgment" until the investigation is complete.

Officials in Akron have already canceled several Fourth of July festivities in preparation for protests. There have already been several protests by racial justice advocates.

Walker's family called for peaceful protests in the wake of their son's death.

Akron Mayor Daniel Horrigan said, "The video is heartbreaking, it's hard to take in. He pleaded for calm and for patience while the investigation is underway.

Of the canceled Independence Day festival, Horrigan said, "I feel strongly that this is not the time for a city-led celebration."

(WARNING: Graphic video)

\u201cNOW - Police have released bodycam footage of the shooting of Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio.\n\nWalker was unarmed at the time of the shooting, but a gun was found in the car, police says.\u201d
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1656869885

Tulsi Gabbard bashes President Biden for 'essentially' calling millions of Americans 'terrorists' with his incendiary insults against 'MAGA crowd'



President Joe Biden lashed out at the "MAGA crowd" and supporters of former President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The harsh and derogatory disparagement against tens of millions of Americans prodded former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard to condemn President Biden.

On Wednesday, Biden suggested that the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade was a slippery slope.

Biden proposed a hypothetical situation, "What happens if you have states change the law saying that children who are LGBTQ can’t be in classrooms with other children?"

President Biden told reporters at the White House, "Is that legit under the way the decision is written? What are the next things that are going to be attacked?"

"Because this MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history, in recent American history," Biden said, making a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

NOW - Biden: "This MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that has existed in American history."pic.twitter.com/XX4ehVHpTb
— Disclose.tv (@Disclose.tv) 1651678471

Some are comparing Biden's insults against millions of Americans to Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" remark that she made leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

"You know, just to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables," Clinton said at an LGBT-centered fundraiser. "The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it. And unfortunately, there are people like that. And he has lifted them up."

CNN host Michael Smerconish warned that Biden risks suffering backlash to attack Americans in the same way that Clinton did.

"I think that that backfired on her," Smerconish said of Clinton's comments. "I think that she regretted it. I think it became a rallying cry. You remember there was merchandise, there was merch at the time. People were wearing T-shirts proudly proclaiming that they were part of the deplorables."

Smerconish noted that "it’s a fine line" to besmirch fellow Americans who may not vote the way you want them to.

Gabbard was incensed by Biden's incendiary remarks and slammed the president during an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity."

"When you look at the President of the United States of America calling millions of Americans, essentially terrorists, people who politically opposed him or voted against him, he's calling them terrorists in an attempt to intimidate them into silence. And we know this because we've heard this before from both him and his attorney general."

Gabbard pointed to the Justice Department's newly-formed "Domestic Terrorism Unit" that will target the "elevated threat from domestic violent extremists."

"You remember when his attorney general said, you know, anyone who holds extremist or anti-authority views will be targeted for investigation and potential prosecution by their domestic terrorist unit," Gabbard said. "So he's essentially saying that this, quote-unquote 'MAGA' crowd are worse than terrorists. This is outrageous."

"And so for every American who's watching, every American who's seen this, no matter how you feel about the MAGA crowd, this is an authoritarian assault on our freedom," the former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii proclaimed. "And we need to stand together very strongly against this attempt to intimidate and silence anyone who holds political views that are different from or opposed to what this president and his administration are furthering. This is an assault on our democracy."

Tulsi Gabbard rips Biden's comments on the MAGA crowd: 'Outrageous' www.youtube.com

In January, Gabbard trashed Biden for "pouring fuel on the fire of divisiveness."

"Biden promised to unite our country," Gabbard wrote on Twitter. "Instead he betrayed us, pouring fuel on the fire of divisiveness, tearing our country apart. Biden compares those who disagree with him to racists, traitors & enemies, & has his AG target Americans as domestic terrorists. Unfit to lead."

One of Biden's most consistent messages during the 2020 presidential campaign was "unity."

"Unity" took center stage during Biden's inaugural speech.

"History, faith, and reason show the way, the way of unity," Biden said. "We can see each other, not as adversaries, but as neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature. For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury."

"No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward," Biden declared.