Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
May 21, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Israel accepts an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. IDF holds back a Hamas “finale strike” . . . The security cabinet voted on Thursday, May 20, to accept a ceasefire in its 11-day operation to combat a Hamas and Islamic Jihad rocket blitz from Gaza. An Egyptian source said the two sides had agreed in principle to a mutual halt in hostilities, but details had yet to be worked out. The ministers were unanimous in their decision after a detailed
briefing on the proposal and the state of play. Egyptian led the effort to broker a ceasefire. Israel’ national security adviser Meir Ben Shabbat received from Egypt the proposal to restore calm 12 days after Hamas launched a fresh round of rocket fire, starting with Jerusalem. DEBKAfile
Biden grabs credit from Egypt for Israel-Hamas ceasefire . . .
Netanyahu ignored Biden for days as the president begged him to stop bombing Hamas in Gaza. After, finally, Egypt brokered a ceasefire, Biden claimed credit. From a piece Keith wrote for Fox News: President Biden sought to take credit for a cease-fire Thursday between Israel and Hamas, despite credible reports that it was Egypt that brokered the peace. Biden, who spoke at the White House, included a sentence in his remarks commending Egyptian officials for their “critical role” in
ending the fighting. But he repeatedly emphasized the intensive work he said was done by his own administration. White House Dossier
The Revolution Comes for Israel: What makes this war different—and disturbing . . . Israel has battled Hamas four times since the terror organization seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Each battle unfolds the same way: Hamas launches rockets at Israel’s civilian population, Israel bombs Hamas targets, and the fighting continues until terrorist infrastructure is sufficiently degraded so that the rocket fire stops for a few years.
Israelis call it "mowing the lawn." The last major clash was in 2014. In its origins, order of battle, and strategy and tactics, Operation Guardian of the Walls, which began May 10, resembles these previous flareups. But this time, everything is different. The region has changed. In 2014 the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action legitimized the nuclear program of Israel’s archenemy Iran. Its adoption and America’s withdrawal from the agreement in 2018, realigned the Middle East along the
axis of Iranian power. The result was an Arab-Israel détente formalized in the 2020 Abraham Accords. From a regional perspective, the Palestinian cause is less important than Iran’s ambitions. Israel has changed. Washington Free Beacon
Americans Don’t Like Kamala Harris . . . Democrats have a problem that doesn’t appear to have an easy fix. That problem? Americans don’t like Vice President Kamala Harris. This personal distaste is reminiscent of that of Hillary Clinton, whose unlikability far exceeds any likability. In a recent YouGov poll, Harris finds herself under water by nearly 10 percentage points, with 49% of Americans having an unfavorable view
of the president-in-waiting. Patriot Post
Oh, no! Who would have thought? What a bunch of racists.
Biden Admin Hollows Out Trump-Era COVID Protections at the Border . . . The Biden administration is preparing to gut COVID-19 safety restrictions on illegal immigrants and asylum seekers and essentially reverse the Trump administration’s pandemic health protections without public notice, according to documents circulating within U.S. Customs and Border Protection. While the Trump administration took a hardline approach to turning away
immigrants to avoid "a serious danger of introduction of [a communicable] disease," at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Customs and Border Protection is now quietly walking much of that guidance back. A May memo authored by senior staff at CBP, emphasizes the ability of "customs officers [to] determine [who] should be allowed into the United States." Washington Free Beacon
Biden flying illegal immigrant minors into Tennessee in the dead of night . . . The Biden administration is sending illegal immigrant minors into Tennessee. It's unclear where else illegal immigrants are being seeded throughout the country. Lawmakers from Tennessee are sounding the alarm after reports that the Biden administration has been flying unaccompanied minors into the state in the middle of the night without their
knowledge. The White House is transporting migrants into an airport in Chattanooga from where they are bused to cities within the Southeast. White House Dossier
Trump slams 'weak' Republicans who don't want to talk about Arizona audit . . . Former President Trump on Thursday slammed “weak” Republicans who don’t want to talk about the audit of the 2020 election results in Maricopa County, Ariz. During a sit-down interview with One America News Network (OANN), Trump reiterated his unsupported claims of election fraud. The former president told OANN reporter Chanel Rion that Republican voters want
to know "what's going on in Arizona." “That’s all people ask me. They say ‘what’s going on in Arizona?’ They want to talk about the election fraud. The weak Republicans don’t want to talk about it,” Trump said. “ The Hill
Here Are The 35 Republicans Who Voted For The January 6 Commission . . . Thirty-five House Republicans voted in favor of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, despite the opposition of party leadership. The 35 Republicans, including former Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney and Freshman Class President Stephanie Bice, joined all 217 present Democrats in supporting the legislation. Daily Caller
Democrats, GOP face crowded primaries as party leaders lose control . . . Dozens of candidates are entering races for seats in critical states across the country as both Democrats and Republicans confront the prospect of crowded primary fields ahead of next year’s midterm elections. In years past, party leaders have stepped in to anoint a favored candidate, bestowing the title of presumptive nominee on a contender who appeared straight
from central casting. But this year, the democratization of both fundraising and the ability to communicate with voters has robbed each side of much of their power to influence primary voters. The result has been a mad dash to enter the races that will decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress. The Hill
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US seeing wave of 'textbook anti-Semitism' amid Israel-Gaza tensions . . . From New York and California to Illinois and Utah, the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza has generated a disturbing backlash against American Jews – who have found themselves the targets of death threats, hate speech and violent physical attacks. "Stop telling me this is about Israel and Gaza," said a New Yorker who was confronted by a
pro-Palestinian mob on his way to synagogue this week. "My people are being targeted across the United States in broad daylight. This is textbook anti-Semitism, and we will continue to live in danger until the public starts to recognize it for what it is." His remarks were a common refrain rippling across U.S. Jewish communities in recent days. Here's a look at some recent incidents throughout the country. Fox News
ICE picking up 75% fewer criminal illegal aliens . . . Get ready for crimes committed by those in the country who already have a record of bad behavior, as the Biden administration stops targeting them. No doubt, the “police reform” President Biden also supports will make it even easier for these people to commit crimes against Americans. Rules imposed by President Joe Biden to reduce arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants have
slashed the targeting of criminal illegal immigrants by ICE agents 75%, greatly endangering communities they are released in, according to law enforcement and immigration officials. White House Dossier
Pipeline ransom attack exposes risk of digitizing US infrastructure . . . Motorists on the US east coast have learnt to bear up when problems hit their most important fuel artery, the Colonial pipeline. Drivers queued at petrol stations because hackers had infected the pipeline’s information technology systems with ransomware, forcing its owner to stop the flow of 2.5m barrels a day of petroleum products. The attack exposed how a push to
digitize critical infrastructure has created new opportunities for cyber criminals, putting at risk essential goods and services such as energy, water and healthcare. Digitization has enabled industrial companies and utilities to increase efficiency with greater oversight and control of their sprawling operations, which in the case of the Colonial pipeline extends 5,500 miles through a network branching from Texas to New Jersey. Financial Times
Moonlight Maze cyber attack on US networks by Russia in late 1990s should have been a wake up call to build security into the IT networks. It wasn't. The internet was designed for maximum access, which minimized security. Everyone scrambles now to add security, as an afterthought, a difficult task.
If the recent cyber attack on Colonial pipeline by "Russia-based" hackers doesn't serve as a wake-up call to start thinking seriously about securing our networks - especially now that the precedent for incentivizing criminal behavior has been set, by paying ransom - we can expect a cyber Pearl Harbor. The Russians developed a certain doctrinal concept, which I described in my upcoming book "Putin's Playbook." Here's how they characterize
it: "It doesn't take much for the entire system to collapse, if you strike at the right spot."
US special ops investing in new technology as warfare evolves . . . The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is investing in new technology as warfare evolves, Gen. Richard Clarke said earlier this week. The SOCOM commander specifically mentioned cyberthreats, including the Colonial Pipeline hack that led to a significant gas shortage in areas across the East Coast after a Russian ransomware group called DarkSide attacked the company's
software, as well as global threats from China and Russian disinformation campaigns. Fox Business
UFOs – The Next National Security Threat . . . Here’s what Newt had to say during his most recent Inner Circle Live Event in which he answers a question about the recent developments with UFOs.
I had a long talk today with Bob Walker, who I served with in Congress and who was a one-time chairman of the Science and Technology Committee. I found the 60 Minutes piece on UFOs very compelling, so I wanted to know his take. The two most likely explanations are either that the Chinese or the Russians have developed a technology that is generations ahead of us. I don’t think it’s very likely, and certainly some of the things that these unidentified flying objects are doing are so extraordinary
that it’s kind of hard to believe they’d have that kind of technology without us knowing. I would not rule out the possibility that these are visitors from another planet. Gingrich360
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Psaki won’t say if evidence disproves COVID Wuhan lab leak theory . . . White House press secretary Jen Psaki would not say Thursday whether the Biden administration has seen evidence that COVID-19 did not leak from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Psaki chided Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy after he put the question to her. “. . . there needs to be an independent, transparent investigation and that needs to happen with
the cooperation and data provided from the Chinese government,” Psaki continued. “We don’t have enough information at this point to make an assessment.” New York Post
Expecting the Chinese to provide accurate and complete data is stupid or naive, or both. To have 'enough' information, you have to dig for it, Jen. Tell CIA to task its HUMINT sources in China.
Oh, wait, "The Agency" let its informants in China get rounded up and executed by the CCP, after their identities were compromised. Guess, we have to reach out to Hunter to work his sources in Bejing.
Marjorie Taylor Greene shreds warning letter received after violating face mask requirement . . . Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shared a video showing her shredding what the congresswoman said was a warning she received from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for not wearing a face mask on the House floor. Ms. Greene, Georgia Republican, appeared maskless on the House floor in violation of chamber rules for the second time in as many
days. “You can’t discriminate against people simply because they won’t wear a mask, and today I refused to wear a mask on the House floor . . .” Ms. Greene said in the video while displaying a letter she claimed to have received from the California Democrat. Washington Times
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Putin warns Russia's enemies will have 'teeth knocked out' . . . The Russian President warned on Thursday that those who attack the country will "have their teeth knocked out." Vladimir Putin was speaking at a government meeting when he made the strong comment saying Russia's enemies were looking to clip its wings every time the nation grew stronger. He didn't name the country's adversaries explicitly, but it comes
at a time of difficult relations with the West. Putin said that "everyone wants to bite us somewhere or to bite off something from us. But they -- those who are going to do it -- should know that we will knock out their teeth so that they cannot bite." "It is obvious, and the key to this is the development of our armed forces. Euronews
Putin is signaling, ahead of the summit with Biden - who called him a killer, meaning it as an insult, but for the ex-KGB operative it's a complement" - who is in the position of strength.
Biden must not meet with Putin. He has already given many gifts to Putin - signed the START treaty, waived sanctions on Russia's pipeline, while canceling Keystone XL, initiated US troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan, is relentlessly degrading US military.
What is there to meet about? Russia will not help the US with the Iran problem or terrorism problem, as many "experts" hope it will. Is Biden planning to convince Putin not to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty that Russia was cheating on, to collect intelligence on US critical infrastructure targets to enable its wartime doctrine? That would be equally dumb.
American Cold War Adviser Asks 'Gentleman' Vladimir Putin for Russian Citizenship . . . An American historian who advised the former President Ronald Reagan about the Soviet Union in the final years of the Cold War, has appealed to Vladimir Putin to grant her Russian citizenship. Suzanne Massie, 90, is a Russia expert who schooled the late Republican president about the country and its people during his dealings with the last Soviet
leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Newsweek
Useful idiot.
Newsweek has been peddling Russian propaganda of late. BTW, the New York Post story titled 'Pentagon reportedly running secret army of 60,000 around the world,' which I linked to a couple days ago, originally came from Newsweek. The story is Russian "active measure," another form Moscow's special intelligence tradecraft that I discuss in my book. It was pointed to me by my friend and mentor, a former very senior intelligence and national security official. After
a very thorough second look, I agreed with my mentor. (Thank you, KD!) My apologies for that.
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Consumer Prices Outpace Americans’ Wage Growth As Inflation Surges . . . Massive government spending has decreased the value of the American dollar and triggered increased consumer prices, which economic experts said will only get worse. Americans will continue to see higher prices across the board, from food and gasoline to home appliances and cars, as the federal government continues to propose more stimulus into the
economy without an adequate plan to pay for it. Even if the government doesn’t pass legislation increasing taxes, higher prices ultimately amount to an “inflation tax,” some of the experts said. “Over the past few months, we have seen an inflation rate that is much higher than where we’ve become accustomed to,” Heritage Foundation research fellow Joel Griffith told the Daily Caller News Foundation Daily Caller
Janet Yellen makes an idiot of Pete Buttigieg . . . Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen just made a punk out of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Yellen called on the business community Tuesday to help foot the bill for President Joe Biden’s more than $4 trillion American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan, which include every wish list item proposed by the Democratic Party going back nearly 50 years. This is an interesting
development, considering Buttigieg claimed last week the White House's “infrastructure” plan “is paid for. Washington Examiner
Bidenomics on hold? Poor economic reports raise caution flags for massive spending plans . . . Market economists warn of weakened recovery and rising prices, even as Fed chairman counsels calm. As problems for President Biden multiply at home and abroad, Bidenomics — the massive public spending that drives the president's economic and domestic agenda — suddenly faces especially strong headwinds, as bad reports on jobs and inflation have
raised giant yellow caution flags. The month of April produced an unexpectedly disappointing jobs report, followed by a sharp rise in inflation — at the grocery store and the gas pump — that is being felt alike in homes across the nation and in the financial markets, which were sent into a frenzy by the numbers. And Americans continue to line up for (expensive) gas all along the East Coast ahead of Memorial Day. Just the News
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Food Supply Chains Are Stretched as Americans Head Back to Restaurants . . . Americans are returning to restaurants, bars and other dining places as Covid-19 restrictions come down, adding new strains in food supply chains.
Suppliers and logistics providers say distributors are facing shortages of everyday products like chicken parts, as well as difficulty in finding workers and surging transportation costs as companies effectively try to reverse the big changes in food services that came as coronavirus lockdowns spread across the U.S. last year. “Over the last six weeks, we have seen the market come roaring back faster than anybody would have anticipated,” said Mark Allen, chief executive of the International
Foodservice Distributors Association. “Everybody is trying to turn it on immediately and the capacity might not be there.” Wall Street Journal
CNN’S View of Rioters Depends on Its Politics . . . CNN aired an anti-Republican prime-time special on May 16, titled “A Radical Rebellion: The Transformation of the GOP.” Host Fareed Zakaria lamented how “An American president incited an angry mob to attack the U.S. Capitol.” Zakaria decree the GOP as “a band of ideological warriors with apocalyptic visions that fuel the end of days, see opponents as traitors and devils, and
believes that all methods are sanctioned in its battle to save civilization and itself.” Just five days prior, CNN's Zakaria explained away Hamas’ launching hundreds of missiles at Israeli cities. They “have to” kill innocent people to get attention, he says. “What the Palestinians have to—I mean, they’re frustrated. They’re trying to get—uh—get some kind of attention.” Speaking of cognitive dissonance, on the same Sunday night Zakaria was decrying Capitol rioters, CNN aired an episode
of “United Shades of America” that celebrated the leftist protesters of Portland. Daily Signal
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Maine Police Chief Loses License After Faking Report To Avoid Meeting . . . A former Maine police chief wanted to skip out of a public meeting so badly that it cost him his career. A law enforcement oversight board has decided to revoke the license of former Fryeburg Police Chief Joshua Potvin after an investigation found Potvin, who had been chief for six years, invented a suspicious person report so he could ditch a Fryeburg Board of
Selectmen meeting in February 2020.
The Maine Criminal Justice Academy decision said Potvin engaged in a multi-step fraud that began with texting one of his officers and asking her to call him out of the meeting. Potvin then drove his cruiser to the Fryeburg Fairgrounds. Potvin then used the computer in his cruiser to create a false entry in the department dispatch system that said he drove there in response to a report of a suspicious person. He also entered a fairground employee’s license plate number into the
entry. The academy voted in February to take away Potvin’s license. HuffPost
Do some of these Zoom meetings make you think of something similar to get out of them? ;-)
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Rebekah
Rebekah Koffler
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