Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
November 30, 2021
Good afternoon
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Doctors Warn New Medical School Guidance Would Lead to Unqualified Physicians and Unscientific Medicine . . . The two accrediting bodies for American medical schools now say that meritocracy is "malignant" and that race has "no genetic or scientific basis," positions that many doctors worry will lower standards of care and endanger lives by discouraging vital genetic testing. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits all
medical schools in North America, is cosponsored by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)—the same groups that on Oct. 30 released a controversial guide to "advancing health equity" through "language, narrative, and concepts."
Those concepts include the ideas that "individualism and meritocracy" are "malignant narratives" that "create harm," that using race as a proxy for genetics "leads directly to racial health inequities," and that medical vulnerability is the "result of socially created processes" rather than biology. Integrating these ideas into medicine, five professors and practicing doctors told the Washington Free Beacon, would be a catastrophe, resulting in underqualified doctors, missed diagnoses, and
unscientific medical school curricula. Washington Free Beacon
Politicization of our military, science, and medicine is probably the top domestic strategic threat America faces today.
Biden faces US legislative logjam in run-up to Christmas . . . US lawmakers on Capitol Hill are returning to work after the Thanksgiving holiday faced with a logjam of make-or-break votes that will provide another crucial test of Joe Biden’s political power in the run-up to Christmas. After the president signed a $1.2tn bipartisan infrastructure bill into law earlier in the month, Chuck Schumer, Democratic Senate majority leader, vowed to
pass the second flagship piece of Biden’s legislative agenda — a $1.75tn investment in America’s social safety net — by December 25, a significant challenge given the long list of issues still dividing his party. At the same time, the clock is ticking for Democrats to strike several deals with Republicans to avert a federal government shutdown, avoid a default and keep funding the US military — all before the end of the year. Financial Times
Biden suddenly cancels planned remarks . . . President Biden abruptly canceled plans Monday to address the supply chain issues to the nation following his COVID-19 remarks. According to the White House schedule, Biden was scheduled to speak on “his Administration’s work to strengthen the nation’s supply chains, lower everyday costs for families, and ensure that shelves are well-stocked this holiday season.” However, fifteen minutes
prior to Biden’s scheduled remarks, the White House announced to the press poll that the president’s address was canceled. “The President will no longer deliver remarks following his meeting with CEOs. These remarks will be delivered on Wednesday, Dec. 1,” the statement reads. White House Dossier
Very unusual. The White House gave a weak excuse, saying Biden wanted to spend more time hanging out with business types. Was the now-79-year-old President Biden for some reason not feeling up to make the remarks?
Biden Admin Withholds Report on Illegal Immigrant Population . . . The Biden administration has yet to publicly disclose critical information on the number of illegal immigrants in the United States, a violation of congressional guidance and a departure from federal transparency standards. The Department of Homeland Security has given Congress its report on the number of foreign nationals who remain in the United States on expired visas,
but the information has not been subsequently released to the public, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. Stretching back to at least the Obama administration, DHS has made the annual report on suspected visa overstays available to the public shortly after giving it to Congress. Requests for comment to various agencies within DHS on the report went unanswered. Congress has mandated that the report is released online to the public, out of concern that "the large number of annual
in-country alien overstays threatens national security and the integrity of legal immigration." Washington Free Beacon
Senate Democrats’ Russian pipeline headache just won’t go away . . . The Biden administration’s decision to waive sanctions on a Russian-built pipeline in Europe keeps hitting close to home.
The move to let the pipeline go forward, which drew bipartisan criticism at the time, not only kicked off the Republican-led blockade of President Joe Biden’s foreign-policy nominees — now it's imperiling passage of the annual defense policy bill, typically a bipartisan affair that's become law each year for six decades. GOP senators have resorted to hardball tactics to force the administration to implement sanctions on the Russia-to-Germany natural gas line, known as Nord Stream 2.
Republicans have slow-walked confirmation of key national security officials and, on Monday night, blocked further action on the defense policy bill absent a vote to strengthen those sanctions. Politico
Trump, Jan. 6 panel are set for Tuesday faceoff . . . Former President Trump and the Jan. 6 select committee will face off in court on Tuesday over whether he can use executive privilege claims to block lawmakers from obtaining extensive internal White House records. The fast-moving case could have ripple effects on Congress’s ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch, and the select committee is seeking a quick and decisive
victory to set the tone for their investigation. Trump is asking the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court’s ruling that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) may hand over the records to Congress. His lawyers argue that the Biden administration’s refusal to honor the former president’s claims of executive privilege violate Trump’s rights and set a dangerous precedent for future conflicts between incumbent and former presidents. “The stakes in this case
are high,” Trump’s legal team wrote in a brief earlier this month. The Hill
Trump allies work to place supporters in key election posts across the country, spurring fears about future vote challenges . . . In Michigan, local GOP leaders have sought to reshape election canvassing boards by appointing members who expressed sympathy for former president Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 vote was rigged. In two Pennsylvania communities, candidates who embraced election fraud allegations won races this month
to become local voting judges and inspectors. And in Colorado, 2020 doubters are urging their followers on conservative social media platforms to apply for jobs in election offices. Washington Post
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Spies in the Ointment: Which Way Will FBI, CIA Swing if Trump Returns? . . . To the growing anxiety about the possibility of a triumphal Donald Trump return to office, we can add yet another worry line: How would the recalcitrant former president mobilize the intelligence agencies to punish enemies and reward friends? With pro-Trump Republicans increasingly embracing "any means necessary" to retake control of
Washington, from extreme gerrymandering to new voter suppression laws -- and poised to capture Congress in the mid-terms -- apprehension is growing among veterans of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies that bad times may be ahead for them. Military
Wouldn't it be fun if Trump ran again, won, and made Mike Flynn his national security advisor? Flynn knows where all the bodies are buried in the IC. The Deep State apparatchiks must be shaking in their boots.
U.S., Allies Weigh Response to Russian Military Buildup Around Ukraine . . . NATO foreign ministers are meeting here Tuesday to calibrate a response to Russia’s military buildup around Ukraine, seeking to deter the Kremlin from any potential assault while making clear the limits of its support. Concern over the Russian buildup has risen in recent weeks. The U.S. has briefed allies that Moscow could launch a new military operation in
Ukraine, following its seizing of Crimea and covert invasion of its neighbor’s east in 2014. Russia, which wants to draw the former Soviet republic back into its orbit, says it has no plans to invade and can move troops as it wishes on its sovereign territory. The U.S. and allies have warned that an invasion would spark a sharp response, pointing to earlier financial, political and other sanctions, arms deliveries to Ukraine and the positioning of new North Atlantic Treaty Organization
forces in the alliance’s east. Wall Street Journal
Russian Navy Test-Fires Hypersonic Missile . . . Russia's navy successfully test-fired a prospective hypersonic missile, the military said Monday. The Defense Ministry said that the Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the White Sea launched the Zircon cruise missile, hitting a practice target 400 kilometers (215 nautical miles) away. The launch was the latest in a series of tests of Zircon, which is set to enter service next
year. President Vladimir Putin has said Zircon would be capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Putin has emphasized that its deployment will significantly boost the capability of Russia's military. Zircon is intended to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines. It is one of several hypersonic missiles under development in Russia. Military.com
Pentagon’s Global Posture Review emphasizes China, but lacks major strategic changes . . . After a nine-month deep-dive by Defense Department planners and policy experts billed as a holistic look at where and how America is deployed around the world, the Pentagon has concluded that no major changes to its military posture are needed — and that no public version of the document will be released. The Pentagon’s Global Posture Review comes
amid US concerns about confronting China in the Pacific, a build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border and an enduring counterterrorism mission that will continue globally despite the end of the war in Afghanistan. But rather than a large shift in resources and plans, the review, which looked at US troop locations and capabilities across the globe, ultimately concluded that no major strategic changes are needed. Breaking Defense
Seriously? The Pentagon, which was just chased out of Afghanistan by the Taliban, will potentially have two wars on its hands with near-peer adversaries, Russia and China. And the DOD bureaucrats conclude that no major changes are needed? Stunning.
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Taliban responsible for executing more than 100 former police and intelligence officers in Afghanistan: Watchdog . . . Taliban forces in Afghanistan are responsible for the death or disappearance of more than 100 former police and intelligence officers, according to a report from Human Rights Watch. The report , released on Tuesday, documents the killing or vanishing of 45 former Afghan National Security Forces soldiers who had
surrendered to or were apprehended by the Taliban between Aug. 15, when they rose to power, and Oct. 31. In all, the group “gathered credible information on more than 100 killings from” four provinces, according to a statement. Washington
Examiner
Putin warns NATO not to deploy troops or weapons to Ukraine . . . Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday sternly warned NATO against deploying its troops and weapons to Ukraine, saying it represents a red line for Russia and would trigger a strong response. Commenting on Western concerns about Russia's alleged intention to invade Ukraine, he said that Moscow is equally worried about NATO drills near its borders. Speaking to
participants of an online investment forum, the Russian president said that NATO's eastward expansion has threatened Moscow's core security interests. He expressed concern that NATO could eventually use the Ukrainian territory to deploy missiles capable of reaching Russia's command centers in just five minutes. He added that Moscow has been forced to counter the growing threats by developing new hypersonic weapons that are set to enter service with the Russian navy early next year.
These weapons would be capable of reaching targets in comparable time. "It would also need just five minutes to reach those who issue orders," Putin said. Fox News
Putin says he hasn't decided on 2024 run but Biden right to seek 2nd term . . . Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he had not yet decided whether to run for six more years in the Kremlin when his current term ends in 2024, while praising U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to seek re-election in that year. Putin has been in power as president or prime minister since the turn of the century, making him the
longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin. Russia passed reforms last year allowing him to run for two more six-year terms, without which he would have had to step down in 2024. Reuters
Trump Vindicated: Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Deal Was Merkel’s ‘Biggest Mistake’, Says Former EU Chief . . . The approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia is outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “biggest mistake”, the former president of the EU Council said in comments backing up warnings from former President Donald Trump. In a press conference on Sunday, former President of the European Council Donald Tusk said that Angela
Merkel was “helpless” in the face of lobbying efforts from German industry to approve the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is set to deliver gas to Germany from Russia in a pipeline along the bottom of the Baltic sea. “As Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel was helpless in the face of the lobbying force of domestic entrepreneurs,” Tusk said, claiming that the outgoing leader of Germany “admitted” as much in past conversations with him. Breitbart
In Interpol Elections, the Autocracies Take Control . . . Thanks to “Red Notice,” the new Netflix movie starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds, Interpol is enjoying new fame. The International Criminal Police Organization is nothing like Hollywood depicts it. Interpol doesn’t chase criminals. In reality, it’s more like an electronic bulletin board on which police agencies around the world can post wanted notices. But being
on that bulletin board could get you in a lot of trouble. You could be arrested. Your bank account could be closed. And at worst, you could be extradited to stand trial abroad. Lots of the red notices on Interpol’s bulletin board are legitimate. But quite a few are not. Around the world, dictatorships and autocracies—almost all of them members of Interpol—have realized that these red notices are a good way to harass their enemies. For the past several years, the autocracies have
pushed to take control of Interpol’s leadership. Daily Signal
UK Spy Chief: Iran Stands with China, Russia at Top of Threat List . . . China, which is increasingly flexing its muscles around the world, is one of the biggest threats to Britain and its allies, and a “miscalculation” by Beijing could lead to war, the head of the U.K.’s foreign intelligence agency said Tuesday.
MI6 chief Richard Moore said that China, Russia, Iran and international terrorism make up the “big four” security issues facing Britain’s spies in an unstable world where both countries and illicit organizations are racing to exploit fast-changing information technology. In his first public speech since becoming head of the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, in October 2020, Moore said China is the intelligence agency’s “single greatest priority” as the country’s leadership
increasingly backs “bold and decisive action” to further its interests. Breitbart
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Moderna chief predicts existing vaccines will struggle with Omicron . . . The chief executive of Moderna has predicted that existing vaccines will be much less effective at tackling Omicron than earlier strains of coronavirus and warned it would take months before pharmaceutical companies could manufacture new variant-specific jabs at scale. Stéphane Bancel said the high number of Omicron mutations on the spike protein,
which the virus uses to infect human cells, and the rapid spread of the variant in South Africa suggested that the current crop of vaccines may need to be modified next year. Financial Times
Biden vaccine mandate for health workers blocked in ten states . . . A judge decided that rational thinking should prevail once in a while, so he ruled that the cost of firing health care workers for not getting vaccinated exceeded the benefit. Missouri-based U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp granted an injunction on Biden’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers in 10 states on Monday, court documents show. The case applies to
Medicare and Medicaid-certified medical establishments in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Alaska, and Arkansas. The injunction concerns the federal vaccine mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). White House Dossier
Justice Breyer refuses to block COVID-19 vaccine mandate at Mass. hospital . . . Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer on Monday rejected a request by health workers to block a large Massachusetts hospital system’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Justice Breyer denied a request for an emergency injunction from workers at Mass General Brigham without an explanation or referring the case to fellow justices, according to the Courthouse News
Service. The hospital started to enforce its vaccine mandate on Nov. 5. Objecting workers say the rules violate their Title VII rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act because there are insufficient exemptions. The workers had sought immediate relief while their broader litigation plays out in the lower court. Washington Times
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Covid-19 Variant Omicron Threatens U.S., Global Economies . . . The global economy could suffer a modest blow from the Omicron variant of Covid-19, though the scale of damage will hinge on the potency of the strain itself, economists say. Tourism spending will likely weaken, and perhaps so too will restaurant spending and shopping at stores. But compared with the initial wave of Covid-19 in March 2020 and the Delta
variant this summer, Omicron’s threat to economies will likely be less severe, economists say, in part because each new virus strain has had a diminished economic impact. Wall Street Journal
Powell signals support for quicker ‘taper’ of Fed’s bond buying scheme . . . Jay Powell signaled his support for a quicker withdrawal of the Federal Reserve’s massive asset purchase programme, in comments that raised the spectre of earlier interest rate rises next year and exacerbated a stock market sell-off. Powell’s testimony at a congressional hearing roiled markets, which were already under pressure after the chief executive of
Moderna predicted that existing vaccines would be less effective against the new Omicron coronavirus variant. In response to lawmakers’ questions, the Fed chair admitted the risk of higher inflation had increased and said the US central bank could respond by speeding up the withdrawal of stimulus measures it put in place at the onset of the pandemic. “The economy is very strong and inflationary pressures are high,” said Powell. “It is therefore appropriate in my view to consider
wrapping up the taper of our asset purchases . . . perhaps a few months sooner.” Financial Times
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FBI: Black Friday week saw 687,788 gun background checks . . . The yearlong frenzy of gun buying went into overdrive last week, guaranteeing that 2021 will be the second-best year for sales after last year’s record binge.
Urged by the industry to extend sales over the week so the FBI wouldn’t be overwhelmed on Black Friday, the National Shooting Sports Foundation said there were 687,788 firearms checks last week. Even with sales lasting several days, the industry representative said Black Friday was one of the top 10 busiest for background checks. “FBI’s NICS recorded 187,585 on Black Friday alone, ranking it among the top 10 highest days for NICS checks and a .5% increase from Black Friday 2020,
186,645,” a representative for NSSF said. The numbers from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System roughly suggest sales and checks for other firearms-related issues, such as applications for concealed carry permits. Washington Examiner
Americans aren't stupid. Since politicians are calling to defund the police while protecting themselves with security details, ordinary folks realize they must turn to self-defense for protection from crimes.
Superintendent Who Implemented CRT In Loudoun County Is Overseeing A CRT-Inspired ‘Strategic Plan’ In Texas Schools . . . Some parents in suburban Houston told the Daily Caller that they are scared because the superintendent who implemented critical race theory-inspired lessons in Loudoun County Public Schools was hired by their district. Superintendent Eric Williams joined the Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) in January
2021 after working in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) for seven years, according to local news reports. Williams received criticism in the Loudoun County area after parents leaked an email wherein the superintendent admitted the district teaches the core principles of critical race theory. According to the email obtained by the Daily Caller, Williams admitted that some of the district’s plans “do align with the ideology of CRT.” Daily Caller
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Interesting channel NOMAD CAPITALIST
Video: USA’s Transition From a Capitalist to a Socialist Society #NomadDad
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