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Lebanese customs chief arrested over Beirut blast
Today's Headlines
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Page 6: Politix
12 22:32 trailing wife [9] 
3 13:13 Abu Uluque [8] 
3 16:41 Airandee [2] 
4 18:47 M. Murcek [6] 
22 16:45 Clem [12] 
9 21:02 Woodrow [6] 
4 07:51 Besoeker [1] 
3 13:45 Abu Uluque [1] 
Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 2: WoT Background
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Page 3: Non-WoT
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14 23:09 Clem [3]
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26 22:26 gorb [3]
18 18:02 swksvolFF [2]
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8 15:28 Thing From Snowy Mountain []
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Page 4: Opinion
8 14:46 gorb [5]
2 10:03 JohnQC [1]
12 17:35 swksvolFF [7]
3 18:17 Clem [2]
2 13:48 Abu Uluque []
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Devin Nunes 'shocked - shocked' that presiding FISA court judge assigned to ex-FBI lawyer's case
[Washington Examiner] A top House Republican said he was "shocked" when he saw the name of the judge before whom former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith is expected to plead guilty in the first criminal case arising out of U.S. Attorney John Durham's inquiry into the Russia investigation.

Rep. Devin Nunes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox Business host Lou Dobbs on Monday he has no idea how Judge James Boasberg, the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, ended up being in charge of a case related to the FISA surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide.

"I saw that today. I was a little bit shocked," the California Republican said. This was after Dobbs, a staunch ally of President Trump and stern critic of the Russia investigation, asked if it was "a little bit screwed up."

The FISA court, which oversees requests for surveillance warrants for federal law enforcement and intelligence purposes, is currently composed of 11 judges. Boasberg, who is a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has served in the FISA court since 2014. He was named the presiding judge of the FISA court on Jan. 1.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/18/2020 02:13 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  We take care of our own. 'Voels van 'n veel'... (birds of a feather) so to speak. If Clinesmith goes down hard, all of us could be implicated as well.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/18/2020 2:20 Comments || Top||

#2  Yes. This is all not only above but also outside your pay grade taxpayer citizen prole. Just move along now...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 2:24 Comments || Top||

#3  "judge" Didn't even THINK to recuse himself?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 08/18/2020 4:47 Comments || Top||

#4  When Obama said this was all to be done “by the book” was there any indication which book he was referring to?
Posted by: Airandee || 08/18/2020 6:58 Comments || Top||

#5  Little red book?
Posted by: Frank G || 08/18/2020 7:05 Comments || Top||

#6  Devin is a Ghey Rowdy Republican now too.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 12:49 Comments || Top||

#7  Either Nunes is a fool, or he's in on it.

What's sad is how many "conservatives" eat the grifters' thin gruel up.

"Trust the plan." LOL
Posted by: charger || 08/18/2020 13:00 Comments || Top||

#8  Robert's had something to do with it?
Posted by: Woodrow || 08/18/2020 20:58 Comments || Top||

#9  Appointed by John Roberts

Yup but!

Hillary Clinton emails
On August 22, 2016, Boasberg ordered the release of over 14,000 emails found in the United States Department of State correspondence of Hillary Clinton by the FBI during an investigation of Clinton's private server.[20] These emails were requested by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group, because the FBI has indicated that emails were work-related and not entirely private as Clinton had previously said.[20]

Trump tax returns
On August 18, 2017, Boasberg dismissed a lawsuit from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), which had sued the IRS under FOIA seeking President Donald Trump's personal tax returns from 2010 to the present to be released. Boasberg concluded that because personal tax returns are confidential, they may only be obtained either by permission from Trump himself or if Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation signed off to allow the disclosure.[21

Posted by: Woodrow || 08/18/2020 21:02 Comments || Top||


-Land of the Free
Kimberly Klacik @kimKBaltimore US House candidate, MD-7
[Twitter]
Posted by: 3dc || 08/18/2020 11:26 || Comments || Link || [9 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Great commercial. Even if she doesn't win she's got a future in the GOP.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/18/2020 11:56 Comments || Top||

#2  Please no more Mia Loves.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 12:55 Comments || Top||

#3  Not everyone needs to agree 100%. the left is the camp of Cult of Personality not the right.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/18/2020 13:25 Comments || Top||

#4  She's a classic, no doubt.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 14:59 Comments || Top||

#5  I definitely have a new political crush.

If she wins, hopefully she has what it takes to capitalize on it.

Either way, this commercial is an instant classic
Posted by: DarthVader || 08/18/2020 15:11 Comments || Top||

#6  Where did she grow up/go to school? If I had not watched the video, I'd never have realized that was a black woman talking.
Posted by: Clem || 08/18/2020 16:40 Comments || Top||

#7  Wow, just WOW! She lays it all out concisely, in a short commercial. Very well done. Now it is up to the voters of Baltimore to make the changes necessary.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 08/18/2020 18:27 Comments || Top||

#8  If she doesn't get at least a dozen marriage proposals out of this I'll be surprised.

Politically astute, media aware and she totally rocks the red dress.
Posted by: lord garth || 08/18/2020 18:57 Comments || Top||

#9  Her campaign website: https://kimkforcongress.com/. It tells very little more about her personal history, and her Wikipedia page is similarly sparse.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/18/2020 21:14 Comments || Top||


#11  It would be great to see this play during a commercial break of the DNC.
Posted by: Airandee || 08/18/2020 22:11 Comments || Top||

#12  If she doesn't get at least a dozen marriage proposals out of this

She’s married with a three year old, so perhaps her would-be swains will gift her their votes and donations instead of their hearts. ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/18/2020 22:32 Comments || Top||


Down Under
Jacinda Ardern's Covid autocracy
[Spiked] New Zealand has delayed its election, even though just five people are in hospital with Covid.

With New Zealand overwhelmed by a terrifying 78 cases of Covid-19, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has taken the emergency decision to postpone the general election by a month.

New Zealand’s hospitals are presumably struggling to cope with their staggering total of five Covid-19 patients. The prospect of voters going to the polls and spreading their democratic germs, therefore, does not bear thinking about.

This is the latest authoritarian pandemic overreaction by Ardern’s government, which recently put Auckland back into lockdown. That decision was made because four new cases of Covid-19 were discovered in the city. It has a total of just 19 active cases, and, throughout the pandemic, not a single person has died from the virus there.

’Covid Zero’ is not a reasonable requirement for a reopening of society. With uncertainty about when and even if a vaccine will be produced, such an approach could lead to perpetual restrictions.

But it is also striking how little reaction the news of the election delay has received, especially considering the outrage when Donald Trump suggested doing the same thing in the USA, a country far worse-hit by the virus than New Zealand.

Accusations of an autocratic takeover were aired in response to Trump’s idea. One senator called it a ’serious, chilling attack on the democratic process’, and many Trump critics agreed. How can the difference in the reaction to Ardern’s decision be so stark?

It’s simple: Ardern is a poster girl both for liberals and for keen enthusiasts of authoritarian Covid-19 measures. Apparently this means she should be immune from criticism.
Posted by: Beavis || 08/18/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It's a religion. The savior must be trusted.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 1:53 Comments || Top||

#2  When you throw out God, you make yourself god. History shows you make a very very terrible god.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 08/18/2020 7:40 Comments || Top||

#3  Hmmm, so maybe it's not just about COVID-19.
Posted by: Clem || 08/18/2020 7:42 Comments || Top||

#4  Ref #2: Most excellent comment. If you had time, I could site endless personal validations.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/18/2020 7:51 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Here's why Michelle Obama appeared to snub Kamala Harris in DNC speech
h/t Instapundit
[NYP] - There was one glaring omission from Michelle Obama’s 20-minute Democratic National Convention speech Monday night — Kamala Harris.

That’s because the former first lady recorded her rousing speech before Joe Biden selected Sen. Harris of California as his running mate.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 08/18/2020 10:07 || Comments || Link || [8 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What do Jewish voters need to know about Kamala Harris?
Posted by: Skidmark || 08/18/2020 10:23 Comments || Top||

#2  What do Jewish voters need to know about Kamala Harris?

She's professional "African American" married to a liberal Jew = "Anti-Zionist" squared.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 08/18/2020 11:26 Comments || Top||

#3  “Right now, kids in this country are seeing what happens when we stop requiring empathy of one another,” Obama said.

You cannot require empathy from anyone. It's hard to empathize with people who do stupid things and then suffer the natural consequences. But if you had taken your two daughters to Sunday School they might have at least learned the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 08/18/2020 13:13 Comments || Top||


DNC Night One‐I Think the Democrats Want Trump to Win
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 08/18/2020 10:06 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Those who did were in for a real treat if they’ve never had a concussion or done hallucinogenic drugs before and wondered what either is like without having to actually experience them.

Solid. Gold.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 11:52 Comments || Top||

#2  I wonder how many viewers they had, other than political pundits.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/18/2020 15:47 Comments || Top||

#3  The RINOs are so conditioned to losing they are backing Biden.
Posted by: Airandee || 08/18/2020 16:41 Comments || Top||


New York Times Manipulates FBI Lawyer's Guilty Plea To Hide Real Spygate News
Mollie Hemingway - excellent as usual
[Federalist] A New York Times reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for his role perpetrating the Russia collusion hoax was tasked with framing the news that a former top FBI lawyer was to plead guilty to deliberately fabricating evidence against a Donald Trump campaign affiliate targeted in the Russia probe. The resulting article is a case study in how to write propaganda.

Adam Goldman broke, and cushioned, the news that former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith was to plead guilty to fabricating evidence in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant application to spy on Trump campaign affiliate Carter Page.

His job was to present the news as something other than an indictment of the FBI’s handling of the Russia collusion hoax, to signal to other media that they should move on from the story as quickly as possible, and to hide his own newspaper’s multi-year participation in the Russia collusion hoax. One intelligence source described it as an “insult” to his intelligence and “beyond Pravda,” a reference to the official newspaper of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. Here’s how Goldman did it.
Posted by: Frank G || 08/18/2020 07:08 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Klingons and the Deep State on the offense.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/18/2020 8:03 Comments || Top||

#2  The NYTs is going with the narrative that Clinesmith was a "Lone Wolf?" Is Adam Goldman going to return his Pulitzer?

I see this as the MSM continuing the cover-up of the conspiracy.
Posted by: JohnQC || 08/18/2020 9:35 Comments || Top||

#3  actually although he has filed paper saying he plans to plead guilty, he has not, as of a few minutes ago, filed the plea

Posted by: lord garth || 08/18/2020 16:15 Comments || Top||

#4  Yes. He has a walk in the park to take before entering that plea.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 18:47 Comments || Top||


John Kasich - Hey, look at me, me, me. Orange Man Baaad !
[RedState] In a delivery already as bland as a 2nd-grade talent show, John Kasich was even more unremarkable.

It was some good comedy when it was announced last week that the Democrats had invited former Ohio Governor John Kasich to speak at their convention. Not only was he likely to generate the exact same unmeasurable amount of influence on GOP voters, but he was also slated to have more speaking time than the party darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And Alex From the Bronx was clearly in a snit over this.

She has been sniping about Kasich for the better part of the week, and today he returned fire, leading to an epic confrontation on par with two goldfish having a territorial dispute in the bowl. Finally, tonight, we got to see the majestic discourse from the postal progeny, and it was bad enough to Return to Sender.

John’s message was centered on a concept that is not only unoriginal, but a well-worn path. ’’America is at a crossroads.’’ Then to deliver this message with the deft touch only the ham-fisted can — to illustrate this he was literally standing at a crossroad.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/18/2020 02:23 || Comments || Link || [12 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Kay-sick.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 2:39 Comments || Top||

#2  Is this the fork in the road where Kasich gets out of the car and cuts off his Slauson?
Posted by: Crolump Sninemp2426 || 08/18/2020 2:45 Comments || Top||

#3  Kasich is an f'in dork.
Posted by: Clem || 08/18/2020 7:16 Comments || Top||

#4  “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” - Yogi Berra
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 08/18/2020 7:32 Comments || Top||

#5  The new socialist party approve 'Republican' for a seat at the CNN/MSNBC talking head gig. Beats working for a living.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 08/18/2020 7:34 Comments || Top||

#6  But in a way, at least Kay-suck is not hiding it, unlike John "Maverick" McCain.
Posted by: Clem || 08/18/2020 7:36 Comments || Top||

#7  Did he mention he was the son of a mailman?
Posted by: Raj || 08/18/2020 7:55 Comments || Top||

#8  Who?
Posted by: DarthVader || 08/18/2020 8:59 Comments || Top||

#9  Kasich has taken off the mask and finally come out of the closet.
Posted by: JohnQC || 08/18/2020 9:00 Comments || Top||

#10  Don Lemon's new top
Posted by: Glusosh Oppressor of the Faeries5978 || 08/18/2020 9:02 Comments || Top||

#11  Isn't he the one who looks like he is constantly nesting a water balloon?
Posted by: swksvolFF || 08/18/2020 10:50 Comments || Top||

#12  More worthless than "Morning Joe" Scarborough?
Posted by: magpie || 08/18/2020 11:50 Comments || Top||

#13  What is a Buckeye? A worthless, inedible nut...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 11:53 Comments || Top||

#14  Full disclosure: I went to Case Western Reserve Univeristy, better known as SCWRU U.

Good times.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 11:55 Comments || Top||

#15  M Murcek, I went to Case Institute of Technology, right as it became CWRU.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 08/18/2020 12:07 Comments || Top||

#16  Isn't it time for the Children of the Corn to come take him?
Posted by: Silentbrick || 08/18/2020 13:33 Comments || Top||

#17  It's Daddy issues again, isn't it? It's always daddy issues with these people.
Posted by: SteveS || 08/18/2020 13:45 Comments || Top||

#18  How long does he get to call himself a Republican.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/18/2020 14:32 Comments || Top||

#19  Rambler, was "the fence" still up when you were there? It was long gone in 1978.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/18/2020 14:53 Comments || Top||

#20  When Kasich sees a fork in the road, he uses it to eat his pizza.

In Ohio's partial defense, he's actually from Pennsylvania.

OTOH, the Ohioans did elect him to office.
Posted by: charger || 08/18/2020 15:16 Comments || Top||

#21  How long does he get to call himself a Republican.

Ask Senator Romney. You think the state party could expel such creatures from the rolls.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 08/18/2020 16:36 Comments || Top||

#22  @ #14 & #15 - Ah, the halcyon days of University Circle. Were you there when some punk damaged Godin's "Thinker" statue?
Posted by: Clem || 08/18/2020 16:45 Comments || Top||


de Blasio announces plans to return most vulnerable to shelters
That’s nice. Will he comp the hotels for their clean-up and redecorating costs?
[NYDAILYNEWS] The city will eventually move homeless people out of hotels and back into shelters, Mayor de Blasio said Monday, though he declined to provide a timeline.

The promise came amid growing concerns of aggressive panhandling, public urination and other quality-of-life infringements blamed on homeless people housed in hotels in Hell’s Kitchen and nearby nabes.

"As the ... health situation continues to improve, we’re going to start the process of figuring out where we can get homeless individuals back into safe shelter facilities and reduce the reliance on hotels," de Blasio said at a presser.

In the spring, the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) began moving about 10,000 homeless people into hotels from shelters, where fear of coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague)
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...
spread remains high.

Since then, residents of Hell’s Kitchen, where homeless people are living in eight hotels, and other areas have complained of close encounters with enraged or apparently drug-addled individuals.

Hizzoner insisted the city has the situation under control.

"On the specific quality-of-life issues, it’s incumbent upon every city agency involved to get out there and solve them," he said, mentioning the NYPD, DHS, and the Health and Sanitation departments.

"I’ve instructed all of them to address these issues as they come up and make sure that neighborhood residents see that these concerns are being addressed," he added.

De Blasio said for the city to get homeless people out of hotels, it has to "identify space that will work in our existing shelters.

"We’ll have more to say on that as the plans are more deeply developed and as we see what the health situation shows us," he added.
Posted by: Fred || 08/18/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The Covid-19 crisis is waning. More DEATHS are desperately needed.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/18/2020 3:02 Comments || Top||


#3  That’s nice. Will he comp the hotels for their clean-up and redecorating costs?

If the freaks cook meth in those hotels, no amount of cleaning and redecorating will make them safe again. The buildings will have to be condemned.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 08/18/2020 13:45 Comments || Top||



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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
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Two weeks of WOT
Tue 2020-08-18
  Lebanese customs chief arrested over Beirut blast
Mon 2020-08-17
  Syrian presidency reveals conditions for direct talks with US
Sun 2020-08-16
  Erdogan accused Greece of state terrorism against Turkish/Muslim minority
Sat 2020-08-15
  Recently released ISIS terrorist beheaded his mother, father, sister & two nephews in Ain Zara Tripoli
Fri 2020-08-14
  Oman and Bahrain to follow UAE in normalizing Israel ties
Thu 2020-08-13
  Diplomatic relations between Israel and UAE
Wed 2020-08-12
  Turkish strike kills Iraqi border guards, Iraqi military says
Tue 2020-08-11
  Seattle police chief to resign following department cuts
Mon 2020-08-10
  Lebanese Prime Minister announces resignation of government
Sun 2020-08-09
  Lebanese Army evacuates protestors from government buildings
Sat 2020-08-08
  Portland mayor unleashes police on violent demonstrations
Fri 2020-08-07
  Pakistain Borrows $1 Billion from Chinese Peter To Pay Back $1 Billion Saudi Paul
Thu 2020-08-06
  DOJ Atty reveals 300 domestic terrorists investigations have been opened since May 28th
Wed 2020-08-05
  Death toll from Beirut blast reaches 100 but is expected to rise even further
Tue 2020-08-04
  Beruit goes BOOM!


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