Biden administration begs to keep spying on American citizens despite concerns over abuses
Elements of the intelligence community implored the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act so that the Biden administration can continue spying on American citizens' private communications.
Top officials from the FBI, the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Justice described 702 as "invaluable" and "indispensable," at times invoking the 9/11 Islamist attacks on the United States as lasting justification for far-reaching warrantless surveillance, even though thousands and possibly even millions of Americans may have been caught up in the resulting dragnet.
Deputy directors George Barnes of the NSA, David Cohen of the CIA, and Paul Abbate of the FBI issued a joint statement along with Chris Fonzone, general counsel with the ODNI, and Matthew Olsen, assistant attorney general for the DOJ's National Security Division, claiming 702 "helps protect Americans" every day, sparing them from "terrorist plots, weapons of mass destruction, malicious cyber activity, and hostile state behavior from China and Russia."
The intel officials suggested 702 is not only "an elegant solution to an operational challenge created by the advent of the Internet" but a "cornerstone of our Intelligence Community's efforts to identify and understand a broad range of challenges our country faces in an increasingly complex and dangerous world."
They further indicated that 246,073 targets were authorized for "collection" under 702 last year alone.
Section 702 is a provision of FISA enacted by Congress in 2008 that enables the government to spy on foreign nationals located outside the United States with the coerced aid of electronic communication service providers.
According to the ODNI, Section 702 was necessary because by the mid-2000s, "many terrorists and other foreign adversaries were using email accounts serviced by U.S. companies. Because of this change in communications technology, the government had to seek individual court orders, based on a finding of probably cause, to obtain the communications of non-U.S. persons located abroad."
Going through the courts "proved costly because of the resources required and because the government couldn't always meet the probable cause standard, which was designed to protect U.S. persons and persons in the U.S."
While allegedly intended to zero in on foreign nationals abroad "who are expected to possess, receive, or communicate foreign intelligence information," the FBI acknowledges that those targeted "may send an email or have a phone call with a U.S. person."
Accordingly, under Section 702, Americans can be subject to warrantless surveillance and have their phone calls, text messages, emails, and other communications both tapped and stored as a consequence of 702.
The New York Times reported that the data belonging to Americans spied on without a warrant is generally stored by the government for five years and can be searched by analysts at the aforementioned agencies by using Americans' identifiers, such as names, Social Security numbers, passport numbers, and email addresses, as query terms.
Critics of 702 suggest that these queries provide the state with the ability to circumnavigate the Fourth Amendment's requirement that the government first acquire a warrant before violating citizens' privacy.
The Times noted that an audit released in December revealed a number of instances in which "F.B.I. analysts queried the Section 702 repository using Americans' identifiers for unapproved reasons, such as vetting potential informants or maintenance workers."
During Tuesday's hearing, the FBI admitted there had been 278,000 "unintentional" back-door search queries of the 702 database for the private communications of Americans between 2020 and 2021 alone.
According to the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, various Jan. 6 protesters, 19,000 donors to a Congressional campaign, and BLM protesters were among those subjected to the warrantless searches, reported the Register.
Despite the widespread and routine abuse of 702, Abbate maintained it was still worth preserving.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), on the committee, later noted, "FBI’s tone on FISA was shockingly defiant and at times indignant at today’s hearing. That’s really something for an agency that has admitted to 278,000 'accidental' warrantless searches of American citizens."
The Utah senator stressed that Americans' constitutional rights were being violated and the intelligence agencies' track record of abuse left little hope that their proposed reforms would make a difference, even if executed in the first place.
\u201c\ud83e\uddf5 Why should we ever trust the @FBI & @TheJusticeDept to fix its own problems internally?\u201d— Mike Lee (@Mike Lee) 1686674155
Lee later tweeted, "Democrats and Republicans agree that FBI can’t be trusted to wield its FISA authority responsibly. It’s time to clip FBI’s wings. I’m working on bipartisan FISA reforms to protect Americans from warrantless 'backdoor' FISA searches.'"
"The FBI has, right now, an unlimited hubris that you believe you are unaccountable," committee member Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said during the hearing. "You don’t believe you’re accountable to the United States Congress, and you don’t believe you’re accountable to the American people, and you are doing damage."
While Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) admitted 702 "has been abused," he suggested that Congress "reauthorize this program and build in some safeguards," reported the Register.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, "I will only support the reauthorization of Section 702 of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act if there are significant reforms. ... And that means first and foremost, addressing the warrantless surveillance of Americans in violation of the Fourth Amendment."
Top FBI, DOJ Officials Grilled About Biden Whistleblower, FISA Abuse In Senate Judiciary Committee youtu.be
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Statement claims Harry and Meghan were involved in a 'near catastrophic car chase'
A spokesperson claimed in a statement that the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were targeted by the paparazzi in a "near catastrophic car chase."
The statement reportedly said that the the couple, and Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, "were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi." The statement claimed the "relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams seemed to indicate that according to a briefing he received, two police officers could have been hurt. But a police statement says, "The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard."
\u201cMore than 24 hours after Prince Harry & Meghan\u2019s office claimed photogs hounded them in \u201cnear catastrophic\u201d chase, @NYPDnews has yet to provide details/clarity about what happened. NYPD\u2019s response to follow up q\u2019s sent today? The same short statement they sent Tuesday. Not great.\u201d— Mike Sisak \ud83d\uddd2\ufe0f (@Mike Sisak \ud83d\uddd2\ufe0f) 1684434788
Reports seem to indicate that the trip involved leaving an event, eventually stopping at a police precinct, hopping in a taxi, eventually circling back to the precinct, and eventually leaving again.
According to the New York Times, Harry, Meghan, and her mother departed from the Women of Vision awards event where Meghan had been an honoree.
The Times reported that according to a law enforcement official who has knowledge about the issue, the group departed in a private security vehicle with a law enforcement escort but were unable to lose the paparazzi. They were then escorted to the 19th police precinct, the official reportedly claimed.
Taxi driver Sukhcharn Singh says he picked up Harry, Meghan, another woman, and a security guard outside the precinct, according to the Washington Post. Singh indicated that they were followed by two vehicles. "They kept following us and were coming next to the car," he said, according to the outlet. "They took pictures as we stopped and were filming us."
He took the passengers back to the precinct, he noted, according to the Times.
"I don't think I would call it a chase," he said of the experience, according to the Post. "I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn't like a car chase in a movie. They were quiet and seemed scared but it’s New York — it's safe." He estimated that the trip in the taxi was around 10 minutes long.
The group eventually departed the precinct with a police escort and no paparazzi on their tail, the Times reported, citing the official.
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Mike Lee issues challenge to Elizabeth Warren after she claims 'right-wing extremists' have 'hijacked' Supreme Court
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) challenged Democratic colleague Sen. Elizabeth Warren to a debate this week over her renewed demands to pack the Supreme Court.
What did Warren say?
Amid new allegations of ethical impropriety against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Warren claimed on Monday that "right-wing extremists" have "hijacked" the Supreme Court.
The only antidote for such a disease, according to Warren, is to pack the court with justices who would issue rulings that she agrees with. She couched her demands using language about "rebalance" and protecting "our democracy."
"I'll just be blunt: right-wing extremists have hijacked the Supreme Court of the United States. From shredding abortion rights to rigging the rules against workers and consumers, an out-of-touch majority is substituting their own views for the rule of law," Warren said.
"For the sake of our freedoms and the sake of our democracy, we must expand the Supreme Court to rebalance it, and we need to institute a binding code of ethics for the justices," she added.
\u201cFor the sake of our freedoms and the sake of our democracy, we must expand the Supreme Court to rebalance it, and we need to institute a binding code of ethics for the justices.\u201d— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1682345129
How did Lee respond?
The Utah Republican offered to debate Warren about the merits of her demands.
"I'd love to debate you on this topic at a mutually agreeable time and venue," he told her on Tuesday.
Lee also directed Warren to his book, "Saving Nine," which makes a comprehensive argument against expanding the Supreme Court. Some of the most compelling evidence in Lee's book focuses on the words of Democrats and liberal-leaning justices who warned against packing the court.
\u201c.@ewarren, I\u2019d love to debate you on this topic at a mutually agreeable time and venue. In the meantime, please take a look at Saving Nine, which I wrote to defend the position previously held by @POTUS\u2014that packing the Supreme Court would harm all of us. https://t.co/6ImeXEpRuV\u201d— Mike Lee (@Mike Lee) 1682395368
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for instance, was a prominent critic of Democrats'' ideas of "court reform."
"I have heard that there are some people on the Democratic side who would like to increase the number of judges. I think that was a bad idea when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to pack the court," Ginsburg told NPR in 2019.
"[I]f anything would make the court appear partisan then it would be that, one side saying, 'When we're in power we're going to enlarge the number of judges so we'll have more people who will vote the way we want them to,'" she added.
Warren did not respond to Lee's debate challenge.
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Elon Musk suggests legalizing, regulating fentanyl would reduce drug deaths
Billionaire business tycoon Elon Musk has floated the idea of legalizing fentanyl in an attempt to cut down on fentanyl-related deaths.
Self-described PhD candidate Hilary Agro tweeted, "Most fentanyl sellers are people who use it as well, and they are trying to survive under the same destructive, racist system that replaced opium with morphine, then heroin, then fentanyl: the War on Drugs."
Responding to someone who shared a screenshot of Agro's tweet, Musk argued in favor of legalization and regulation.
"I think we should legalize it," Musk declared. "The probability of overdose or a bad batch is greatly reduced if there is actual QA & regulation. Also, crime flourishes when substances are made illegal. Alcohol is very much a 'drug' – it's just a legacy drug from olden times when we had no technology! Prohibition of alcohol in the United States caused the greatest increase in organized crime in our history. How many times do we have to learn this lesson!?"
\u201c@micsolana I think we should legalize it. The probability of overdose or a bad batch is greatly reduced if there is actual QA & regulation.\n\nAlso, crime flourishes when substances are made illegal. Alcohol is very much a \u201cdrug\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s just a legacy drug from olden times when we had no\u2026\u201d— Mike Solana (@Mike Solana) 1681160043
Musk, who acquired Twitter last year, claimed that fentanyl is currently easy to procure in San Francisco.
"It’s super easy to get Fentanyl *right now*. People buy it in open air drug markets in SF and take it right in front of you in broad daylight! They don't even try to hide. I see this almost every time I drive to Twitter. Just as with alcohol prohibition, people didn't actually stop drinking, but they did start drinking badly made alcohol (Moonshine), which could be poisonous, depending on how it was made and what contaminants were present," Musk tweeted.
"The strength of Fentanyl means that even a small dosage increase can be fatal. People are rarely trying to commit suicide, but they can easily inadvertently take too much. Therefore, it seems likely to me that pharma-grade quality and precise dosage will dramatically reduce deaths. A limited time and location test of this policy is worth trying, as our current approach is failing badly," he wrote.
\u201c@Liv_Boeree @micsolana It\u2019s super easy to get Fentanyl *right now*. People buy it in open air drug markets in SF and take it right in front of you in broad daylight! They don\u2019t even try to hide. I see this almost every time I drive to Twitter.\n\nJust as with alcohol prohibition, people didn\u2019t actually\u2026\u201d— Mike Solana (@Mike Solana) 1681160043
In late December, Musk tweeted, "I am not endorsing drugs, but I am saying that the evidence suggests that banning them is a net societal negative."
He also agreed with someone who claimed, "Regulation and taxation are a far better path. It will have a net harm reduction and take profits away from organised crime."
\u201c@Jiu_Jase @WholeMarsBlog Exactly\u201d— Whole Mars Catalog (@Whole Mars Catalog) 1672384890
The U.S. Drug Enforcment Administration seized more than "50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder" in 2022, according to a December 2022 press release. "The DEA Laboratory estimates that these seizures represent more than 379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl," the release noted. "Most of the fentanyl trafficked by the Sinaloa and CJNG Cartels is being mass-produced at secret factories in Mexico with chemicals sourced largely from China."
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Republicans demand action against China after another report confirms communist lab was likely source of COVID-19
Republicans are demanding that action be taken against China following the apparent confirmation by the U.S. Department of Energy that COVID-19 leaked from a communist Chinese lab.
What's the background?
Numerous Republicans have long maintained that millions of Americans and tens of millions of people worldwide had their lives cut short on account of the virus that escaped from a Chinese Communist Party-controlled lab in Wuhan.
Former President Donald Trump intimated in spring 2020 that he had seen evidence that gave him a high degree of confidence that the virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, adding, "Certainly it could have been stopped."
Trump also lambasted the World Health Organization for suggesting a zoonotic origin, stating, "I think that the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves, because they're like the public relations agency for China. ... They shouldn't be making excuses when people make horrible mistakes, especially mistakes that are causing hundreds of thousands of people around the world to die."
\u201cI\u2019ll never forget when they ruthlessly attacked Trump for exposing the birthplace of COVID-19.\n\nLOOK WHO WAS RIGHT!\u201d— Graham Allen (@Graham Allen) 1677504840
Like Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo caught heat from the liberal media for suggesting in May 2020 that there was "enormous evidence" supporting the lab-leak theory.
In a Jan. 30, 2020, tweet, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) noted that the WIV "works with the world's most deadly pathogens," including the coronavirus, and suggested again a lab-leak origin for the pandemic.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and other Republicans on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions released a report in October detailing the untenability of the claim of natural origins and suggesting that the "COVID-19 pandemic was, more likely than not, the result of a research-related incident."
In their December "Second Interim Report on the Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic," House Republicans on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence noted on the basis of both classified and previously glossed-over declassified intelligence that "there are 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)."
Contrariwise, the media and elements of the Democratic establishment supported the Beijing-favored zoonotic-origins theory, holding that the lab-leak theory was baseless and denouncing those who entertained it as conspiracy theorists.
The New York Times and the Washington Post were among those outfits that called the claim that COVID-19 came from the WIV a "fringe theory."
Holding communists culpable
The DOE recently joined the FBI in saying the virus likely spread via a mishap at the WIV.
In 2021, the FBI determined with "moderate confidence" that the pandemic was likely the result of a lab leak. The bureau still holds to this view, reported the Wall Street Journal.
Republicans who suspected the coronavirus lab that performed gain-of-function experiments at the epicenter of a coronavirus pandemic may have been responsible are now calling for action.
Cotton tweeted Sunday, "Re. China’s lab leak, being proven right doesn’t matter. What matters is holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable so this doesn’t happen again."
\u201cRe. China\u2019s lab leak, being proven right doesn\u2019t matter.\n\nWhat matters is holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable so this doesn\u2019t happen again.\u201d— Tom Cotton (@Tom Cotton) 1677432559
CBS News previously denounced Cotton as a conspiracy theorist, suggesting the lab-leak theory was "absolutely crazy."
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) mocked Glenn Kessler, editor of the Washington Post's "Fact Checker," with clown emojis for his May 2020 tweet claiming it was "virtually impossible for this virus jump from the lab":
\u201c4 \ud83e\udd21\u2019s for Glenn.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1677438398
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) shared the Wall Street Journal's report on the DOE's recent confirmation, writing, "For years, Anthony Fauci and Biden officials called this a conspiracy."
Former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci long claimed that the virus occurred naturally. He repeatedly dismissed the lab-leak theory, calling it a "circular argument."
TheBlaze previously reported that Fauci was also part of an concerted effort to downplay the possibility that COVID-19 originated in a lab and to instead bolster then-unsubstantiated claims that the virus had naturally made the trans-species jump to humans.
Unredacted emails from 2020 obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Guardian reporter Jimmy Tobias revealed great anxiety and uncertainty among Fauci and other virologists.
Despite recognizing that the virus' furin cleavage sites were not naturally occurring — suggestive of human intervention and a lab origin — Fauci told CBS' "Face the Nation" in March 2020 the virus had jumped from an animal to a human. In May 2020, he told National Geographic there was "no scientific evidence" to suggest the virus had come from the Wuhan lab.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted, "Once again... Conspiracy theorists - 100 Media - 0."
Pompeo tweeted, "There was always enormous evidence that the Wuhan coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan lab. I'm glad the Department of Energy recognizes this reality. It's past time to make the CCP pay."
\u201cThere was always enormous evidence that the Wuhan coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan lab.\n\nI\u2019m glad the Department of Energy recognizes this reality.\n\nIt\u2019s past time to make the CCP pay.\n\nhttps://t.co/9AJKF3lK2H\u201d— Mike Pompeo (@Mike Pompeo) 1677441595
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) tweeted, "The left spent the past 2yrs trying to censor the truth & cover up for Communist China, but the facts are undeniable. The CCP is evil. Its virus killed millions & Xi will stop at nothing to destroy the U.S. It's time to hold this evil regime accountable."
The Hill reported that Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) went on NBC's "Meet the Press" calling for "extensive" public hearings about the origins in Congress.
Sullivan said of China, "Look, this is a country that has no problem coming out and lying to the world. ... I think that we need to make sure every country knows that, and then look at what the consequences could be."
In addition to hearings during which the possibility of action will be discussed, there is a bill presently in the House aimed at holding the CCP responsible.
TheBlaze noted that if passed in the Republican-controlled House, Texas Republican Rep. Troy Nehls' "China Lied, People Died" Act (H.R.566) would "prohibit the availability of Federal funds for programs, projects, or activities in the People's Republic of China until amounts made available for COVID-19 relief in the United States have been reimbursed, and for other purposes."
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'No way I was going to leave him like that': Cop risks tornado winds for his K-9 partner
The tornado that touched down in Deer Park, Texas, on Jan. 24 may have ripped through stone and metal, but it ultimately found a bond it couldn't break.
Footage showing Deer Park Police Officer Joel Nitchman running back to his squad car mid-tornado for his furry partner, K-9 Roni, has gone viral.
KHOU reported that narcotics K-9 Roni and Nitchman, who have worked together to protect the community for over five years, had completed training and returned to the DPP station when the afternoon sky turned ominously dark.
An EF-3 tornado with gusts between 136 and 165 miles per hour touched down around 2:49 p.m., wreaking havoc, pulling down power lines, and doing significant damage to multiple buildings, especially to a nearby assisted living center.
Officials indicated that around 30 streets were closed as a result of debris thrown about by the tornado.
Despite the destruction, there were no casualties reported. Nitchman helped ensure that outcome.
Roni was still in his kennel in the rear of the squad car when visibility dropped to near-zero and winds began whipping debris, even moving a metal fence, thereby blocking the entrance of the station.
Nitchman, who told KHOU that Roni has "put himself in harm's way for me before," knew he had to return the favor, noting, "The thought of debris, or the car flipping over ... I couldn't do that to him. I couldn't have him out there during that."
The station's parking lot surveillance camera caught Nitchman bolting to his squad car as lightning streaked the air and nearby trees were thrashed by the high-force winds.
"I knew something was bad when things were hitting my face. I knew it was debris of some kind," said Nitchman.
The shrapnel, rain, and wind nearly proved insurmountable.
"Once I went around the car, that's when all heck broke loose," said the officer. "I could barely open his door."
When he finally managed to pry the door open, Nitchman had to contend with a less-than-enthused partner.
"He's a smart dog. He saw what was going on outside and he said I'm not coming out. ... I'm, like, coaching him, 'Come on, buddy. Let's go,'" recalled Nitchman.
Trusting in his partner, Roni ultimately joined Nitchman. That trust turned out to be well placed.
Both officers pressed through the blistering winds together and were able to find safety inside the station.
"I love that dog. He's my hip attachment almost every day of the week," said Nitchman. "He's a part of our family. We can't leave a loved one like that. There's no way I was going to leave him like that.
Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton spoke to reporters about the tornado, stating, "It's amazing no one got injured. ... I'm just grateful to God that he was able to protect life in here."
Watch the parking lot rescue:
\u201cWatch as K-9 Officer Joel Nitchman of the Deer Park, TX Police Dept. races to rescue his #dog Roni as the EF3 #tornado hits on Tue. As he said, "Any handler would have done the same for their K-9 partner." Very happy that both are safe!\n#dogsarelove \n\ud83d\udcf9@DEERPARKTXGOV\u201d— Mike Seidel (@Mike Seidel) 1674758460
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Four-star US Air Force general predicts war with China in 2025
A four-star U.S. Air Force general is predicting a war with China in 2025.
The grim prediction of war within two years between the global powers was made by Gen. Mike Minihan – head of Air Mobility Command.
The Air Mobility Command "provides the capability to deploy U.S. armed forces anywhere in the world within hours and help sustain them in a conflict." Air Mobility Command has nearly 50,000 service members and almost 500 aircraft.
Minihan believes that China will attempt to invade Taiwan in 2025 because the United States will be distracted by the 2024 presidential election.
"I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025," Minihan wrote in the memo obtained by NBC News.
"[Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] secured his third term and set his war council in October 2022," Minihan said in the memo future-dated for Feb. 1.
"Taiwan's presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a reason," the four-star general continued. "[The] United States' presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a distracted America. Xi's team, reason, and opportunity are all aligned for 2025."
Minihan told U.S. military members that they need to be ready to "deter, and if required, defeat China."
Minihan noted that "a fortified, ready, integrated, and agile Joint Force Maneuver Team ready to fight and win inside the first island chain" will be required for the war against China.
Minihan directed his Air Force commanders to report back to him by Feb. 28 on how they are preparing for the war against China.
The general hints that drones would be a critical weapon in a war against China. He instructs KC-135 units to develop methods of "delivering 100 off-the-shelf size and type UAVs from a single aircraft."
TSgt. Zachary Boyer, a spokesperson for the Air Mobility Command, confirmed to The Drive that the document is "authentic."
"This is an authentic internal memo from General Minihan addressed to his subordinate command teams," the statement said. "His order builds on last year’s foundational efforts by Air Mobility Command to ready the Mobility Air Forces for future conflict, should deterrence fail.”
A defense official told Fox News that Minihan’s remarks "are not representative of the department’s view on China."
\u201cNew window just dropped\u201d— Mike Black (@Mike Black) 1674828799
Department of Defense press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement, "National Defense Strategy makes clear that China is the pacing challenge for the Department of Defense and our focus remains on working alongside allies and partners to preserve a peaceful, free and open Indo-Pacific."
Earlier this month, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin acknowledged that China has "increased aerial activity in the straits, we've seen increased surface vessel activity around Taiwan." He added, "But whether or not that means that an invasion is imminent, you know, I seriously doubt that."
In September, President Joe Biden said he would send American troops to defend Taiwan "if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack" by China.
Xi has made it clear that his intention is to reunify Taiwan with mainland China – even if it requires military force by an invasion.
In January 2019, Xi said, "Reunification is the historical trend and it is the right path. Taiwan’s independence is a reversal of history and a dead-end road."
"We make no promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means,” Xi said, adding China would not be deterred by any "external interference."
In October 2021, Xi declared, "Taiwan independence separatism is the biggest obstacle to achieving the reunification of the motherland, and the most serious hidden danger to national rejuvenation."
"No one should underestimate the Chinese people's staunch determination, firm will, and strong ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Xi said. "The historical task of the complete reunification of the motherland must be fulfilled, and will definitely be fulfilled."
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'Very cute': Mockery ensues when Geraldo Rivera whips out musket to make point about Second Amendment
Fox News host Geraldo Rivera brandished a musket during a debate about the Second Amendment on Tuesday, suggesting that only antiquated firearms are acceptable to own.
Last week, Rivera falsely claimed the "AR" in "AR-15" means "assault rifle." Actually, the two letters stand for "ArmaLite," the company that designed and manufactured the original AR-15 rifle. Additionally, the AR-15 is not an "assault rifle," which by definition refer to fully automatic rifles. AR-15s, rather, are semiautomatic.
What happened?
Hannity reminded Rivera that "AR" does not "stand for assault rifle," to which Rivera protested that he merely described the AR-15 as an "assault rifle"
"You probably have not fired one and compared and contrasted it to other weapons," Hannity shot back. "The reality is, whether it's a pistol, whether it's a rifle, America's Second Amendment is clear. The right of the people to keep and to bear arms shall not be infringed."
Then invoking California Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent condemnation of the Second Amendment, Hannity added, "He is surrounded by armed guards, Hollywood elite are surrounded by armed guards. The people that make this country great have a right to defend themselves and their family and their property. And by people trying to take away that right from them, they are denying them the very security that they, the elite, have.
"Why would you support that?" Hannity then asked. "What would you do if somebody broke into your home?"
\u201c\u201cThis is what weapons looked like when the Second Amendment was passed.\u201d Geraldo Rivera brandishes a musket to point out high-powered firearms weren\u2019t anticipated in 1791. (Video: Fox News)\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1674643076
As Hannity was dressing him down, Rivera spoke to someone off camera: "Give me that rifle." Rivera then appeared on-screen with a muzzle-loaded long gun.
"This is what weapons looked like," Rivera shouted as he held the antiquated gun. "This is what they looked like when the Second Amendment was passed. This is what they looked like."
"I'll let everyone in the country — you wanna own this? You can own this," he continued. "You can load it, you can do whatever you want with it. What you don't want, though, is to give them weapons of war that they can tear the hell out of people with."
Both Hannity and guest Pete Hegseth mocked and laughed at Rivera. Hannity said the gun is "very cute" and warned Rivera that he might get arrested in New York for possessing it. Hegseth joked that he will "ride to work on a horse."
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Climate alarmist Greta Thunberg's 'arrest' at anti-labor protest exposed as media stunt, widely ridiculed
Images of climate alarmist Greta Thunberg's supposed arrest by German police circulated widely after the Tuesday incident, prompting some to contemplate her apparent bravery in the face of statist force.
Raw footage of the incident and additional scrutiny have together revealed that the 20-year-old Swedish activist, like her actor father, has a knack for the theatrical. Not only was Thunberg's arrest reportedly staged, it wasn't an arrest at all.
What's the background?
Climate alarmists flocked to a condemned western German village Tuesday for an anti-labor protest, denouncing a job-creating coal mine expansion.
Hamstrung by domestic anti-oil policies and unable to count on renewables, Europe ended up overly reliant on Russian energy. As Russia began to cut off the continent during its war on Ukraine, countries like Germany — which previously obtained roughly 30% of its supply from Russia — were forced to return to using coal.
While climate alarmism had a hand in driving Germany's desperate need for coal, Thunberg and others nevertheless voiced their opposition to the demolition of the abandoned village of Luetzerath, required for the expansion of the Garzweiler 2 mine.
Though condemned and owned by the mine, Luetzerath has recently become an ecosocialist squat for leftist militants and climate extremists.
Leftist extremists from the condemned village can be seen here attacking journalists:
\u201cAt the autonomous zone in #Luetzerath, Germany by militant leftists, #Antifa & climate extremists, Antifa surrounded and attacked journalists. The violent occupation has been praised by leftists & Greta Thunberg for stopping a coal mine expansion.\u201d— Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1673762169
Police, who had been trying to prevent protesters from getting injured in the open-pit mine, were reportedly pelted with incendiary devices. Over 70 officers were injured.
Climate alarmists and other anti-labor protesters also reportedly damaged police patrol cars.
Reuters initially reported that Greta Thunberg, who had trespassed to as far as the edge of the mine, had been arrested.
Police told Reuters that "Greta Thunberg was part of a group of activists who rushed towards the ledge [of the mine]. However, she was then stopped and carried by us with this group out of the immediate danger area to establish their identity."
After police rescued the dramatist's daughter, Thunberg was reportedly "held by one arm at a spot further away from the edge of the mine where she was previously sat with the group."
Thunberg, ostensibly wearing a jacket and bag made with petroleum products, told the Associated Press that "what everyone does matters. ... And if one of the largest polluters, like Germany, and one of the biggest historical emitters of CO2 is doing something like this, then of course it affects more or less everyone — especially those most bearing the brunt of the climate crisis."
Some of Thunberg's fans saw the initial images, apparently believing that she had been arrested doing something that mattered.
NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus tweeted, "Greta's first arrest. It's time for many more of us to stand up and risk arrest for the sake of a livable planet. It will turn the tide."
Climate activist Mike Hudema tweeted with similar urgency, "Greta Thunberg has been detained in Germany for protesting the expantion [sic] of a coal mine despite the government claiming it will exit coal by 2030. The coal expansion betrays 'present and future generations.' There is no time to wait."
\u201cGreta Thunberg has been detained in Germany for protesting the expantion of a coal mine despite the government claiming it will exit coal by 2030. \n\nThe coal expansion betrays "present and future generations."\n\nThere is no time to wait. #ActOnClimate \n#IStandwithGreta #L\u00fctzerath\u201d— Mike Hudema (@Mike Hudema) 1673985657
Frown for the cameras
The Guardian reported that, contrary to previous claims, Thunberg was briefly detained, not arrested.
The Hill noted that Thunberg, who had been trespassing, was simply escorted along with other climate alarmists away from the coal mine site on private property.
Snopes all but conceded it was nothing more than a photo op, writing that "activists often plan such sit-ins and protests as media events to publicize their cause, in full knowledge that police and media will be present — which is to say that they are, in a sense, 'staged.'"
A video has emerged of Thunberg chuckling away with her supposed captors.
The footage shows Thunberg and her police escorts striking different poses for the cameramen and videographers in their orbit, laughing sporadically.
After the photo op, the police escorted the Swedish trespasser off the private property.
\u201cYes, the Greta Thunberg arrest was staged for the establishment media.\u201d— Catch Up (@Catch Up) 1673993443
Sky News host Chris Kenny said the photo op was "Just farcical, isn’t it? Deceptive too – it’s theatre, climate theatre, and most media just goes along with the charade."
Townhall editor Guy Benson noted that Thunberg's photo op with German police had the "Same energy" as when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) pretended to be handcuffed when being escorted from a pro-abortion protest at the U.S. Capitol.
\u201cSame energy\u201d— Guy Benson (@Guy Benson) 1673997674
At the time of the incident, Thunberg said, "Germany is really embarrassing itself right now. ... I think it’s absolutely absurd that this is happening the year 2023."
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