There's No Longer Any Question That Biden Carried Out A Cover-Up In Ukraine

Trump stands vindicated for accusing Biden of trying to cover up his son's corruption in Ukraine after one of that country's lawmakers released audio recordings of the former Vice President's numerous conversations with former President Poroshenko to that effect, proving that the real Ukrainegate scandal has been about the Democrat front-runner all along.

Caught Red-Handed

Ukrainian lawmaker Andrei Derkach released audio recordings that he claims to have received from journalists which convincingly sound as though they're truly of former President Poroshenko's numerous conversations with former Vice President and current Democrat front-runner Biden. The content of their chats concerns the latter's efforts to pressure the then-Ukrainian leader to remove General Prosecutor Shokin, which Trump and many of his surrogates have claimed was undertaken in an attempt to cover up his son Hunter's corruption at the Burisma gas company where he was employed and which was the subject of an investigation by Shokin. The recordings are remarkably frank, with Poroshenko proudly pledging fealty to Biden and regularly updating him on the progress that he's made in keeping what he refers to as his "promises" to the former Vice President.

Related: Senate panel approves subpoena in Hunter Biden probe

The Real Ukrainegate & Russiagate Scandals

The Daily Beast reported that suspicions are swirling over whether the leak was an inside job in Ukraine or the result of so-called "Russian hacking", but that's just an attempt to distract from the calls, just like the unproven claims that Russia was responsible for hacking the DNC's emails four years ago. The real Ukrainegate scandal therefore wasn't over the now-debunked allegations that Trump engaged in a quid pro quo with current Ukrainian President Zelensky in an attempt to reopen this investigation for supposedly political reasons, but over Biden's attempts to cover up his son's corruption in Ukraine in order to not hurt the Vice President's future campaign prospects. This is similar in essence to how the real Russiagate scandal wasn't about Russia allegedly helping Trump, but about Hillary trading the US' strategic uranium deposits for Clinton Foundation kickbacks.

Pattern Of Hypocrisy

The pattern at play is unmistakable, and it's that the Democrats have recently taken to accusing Trump of the same spirit of what they themselves are really guilty of. Be it in carrying out shady deals with Russia, Ukraine, or whichever other country's dirty laundry has yet to reach the light of day, the Democrats have a track record of international corruption unlike Trump, who comes off as squeaky clean in comparison. That's not to absolve the sitting American President of whatever his administration might secretly be doing abroad, but just to point out that the two highest-profile accusations of corruption against him have been proven to be false and much more applicable to the same party that publicly made them in the first place.

Intriguing Timing

The timing of the Biden-Poroshenko leaks is intriguing and deserves some further analysis. It's unclear why they weren't released any earlier considering that the fake Ukrainegate impeachment conspiracy against Trump began last summer, which suggests that they might have either only been recently obtained or strategically kept in reserve to unveil at an opportune moment during the 2020 campaign. If the latter, then the current timing might be connected to the Democrats' desperate attempts to pin the blame for the US' controversial handling of World War C on Trump personally in yet another effort to impeach him or at the very list tilt the upcoming vote to his opponent's favor. Regarding that selfsame opponent, Biden seems to be afflicted with dementia and is widely considered to simply be a stand-in functioning as a puppet of more shadowy party interests.

A "Dark Horse" For The Democrats?

There's been some debate in Democrat circles about the wisdom of promoting him as their candidate of choice, but they probably didn't have any more viable option since the other politicians in the primary either didn't manage to generate any genuine grassroots support from their party's base or were considered too radical and therefore unable to appeal to the on-the-fence voters in "Main Street" America who'll likely decide this election like usual. With that in mind, these criminally incriminating leaks could either throw the party further into disarray or present an opportunity for a so-called "dark horse" replacement to be put forth by the party during its summer convention, meaning that they might have been an inside job by disgruntled Democrat "deep state" operatives who don't believe in Biden's ability to beat Trump and want to force the party to replace him.

Democrats = Corruption

It can only be speculated who's really behind the leaks and why, but they'll likely end up being extremely damaging to Biden's campaign. He's now been caught red-handed doing exactly what his party wrongly accused Trump of last summer, and the average American -- while generally susceptible to partisan propaganda from both sides of the aisle -- isn't so stupid as to not realize that. At the very least, these leaks confirm that the Democrats are indeed the party of corruption seeing as how they denied Trump's original accusations against Biden but then subsequently concocted a literal conspiracy to try to impeach him once it was proven that he took tangible action to revive the investigation into Hunter's corruption. They wouldn't have done something so dramatic if there wasn't any corruption there to begin with, which makes them look even guiltier in hindsight.

Concluding Thoughts

There's no longer any question that Biden carried out a cover-up in Ukraine, with it now remaining to be seen how this will impact his campaign and the Democrats more broadly. In all likelihood, the party will be unable to recover from this enormous blow to its reputation, though there's still a faint chance that they might seek to reinvigorate their electoral prospects by replacing Biden with a "dark horse" candidate during this summer's convention. Should that transpire, then that individual would probably be distanced from the Obama Administration since it's now forever tainted with corruption after the second most powerful man in the country at that time has now been proven to have engaged in high-level corruption and foreign meddling. Politically speaking, Biden is now a "dead man walking", and it wouldn't be surprising if the Democrats dump their puppet in favor of one who they can at least portray as being "less controversial" than Trump.

Source: http://oneworld.press/?module=articles&action=view&id=1474

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China Warns US at Brink of Starting 'New Cold War' with Beijing

On May 24, 2020, file photo, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is seen broadcasted remotely on big screens at the media center during a press conference held on the sideline of the National People's Congress in Beijing.

China says some “political forces” in the United States have taken bilateral relations hostage and are pushing the world’s two biggest economies towards “a new Cold War.”

Related: US General: We Are At War with China

Speaking on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress in Beijing Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Wu said “a political virus is spreading in the United States” which is “using every opportunity to attack and smear China.” 

Wang said China has no intention to either change or replace the U.S., and that the U.S. should abandon its “wishful thinking of changing China and stopping 1.4 billion people in their historic march toward modernization.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks to reporters via video link at a news conference held on the sidelines of the National People's Congress (NPC), from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 24, 2020.

The Trump administration has clashed with Beijing over a range of issues in recent months, including trade, technology, and the coronavirus pandemic, with President Donald Trump himself alleging the virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the virus was first detected late last year. 

China’s proposed security law for Hong Kong is the latest flashpoint between the two sides, which critics say threatens Hong Kong’s semi-autonomous status.  

Source: https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/voa-news-china/china-warns-us-brink-starting-new-cold-war-beijing

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Senate panel approves subpoena in Hunter Biden probe

A Senate committee has voted to issue a subpoena as part of its investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, a move that met immediate opposition from Democrats who said the panel should be focused on overseeing the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted 8-6 to subpoena Blue Star Strategies, a lobbying firm that was a consultant to Burisma, a gas company in Ukraine that paid Hunter Biden to serve as a board member.

There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma. But Republicans coming to President Donald Trump’s defense during and after last year’s impeachment trial have encouraged investigations of Hunter Biden’s activities, questioning whether his highly paid job created a conflict of interest for Joe Biden as the former vice president worked on Ukraine policy in the Obama administration

The chairman of the Republican-led panel, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, has repeatedly insisted that the investigation is not designed to hurt Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee in this year’s presidential election. Another Republican on the committee, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, said at the vote that “we need to get to the truth about the Bidens’ relationship with Burisma. These hearings will provide the Senate with the full picture.”

A Biden campaign spokesman said in a statement that Johnson was “running a political errand” for Trump.

“Senator Johnson should be working overtime to save American lives — but instead he’s just trying to save the president’s job,” said Andrew Bates.

Democrats decried the investigations as politically motivated and said they are a distraction from work the committee could be doing to try to help mitigate the pandemic.

“At this moment when Americans need us to work together, this extremely partisan investigation is pulling us apart,” said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the committee.

Peters noted a letter from Blue Star Strategies to the committee in which the CEO, Karen Tramontano, said the company has already cooperated with the probe and is willing to cooperate further. Johnson told Peters that he would allow the letter to be added to the committee’s official record, but said he disagreed that the company has been cooperating.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of promoting “conspiracy theories.”

“It appears the subpoena is just for show, a way to create the false impression of wrongdoing,” Schumer said Wednesday from the Senate floor. “It’s like in a third world dictatorship, a show trial with no basis in fact, with no due process, with no reality.”

Trump has been clear about his intentions to use Hunter Biden’s work in his reelection bid, saying in March that it will be a “major issue” in the campaign. “I will bring that up all the time,” he said then.

The president’s efforts to have Ukraine investigate Hunter Biden’s role as a board member for Burisma were at the heart of House Democrats’ impeachment probe last year. Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens on a July phone call that was later revealed by a whistleblower’s complaint.

The House impeached Trump in December for pressuring the Ukrainian government on investigations while withholding military aid to the country. The Senate acquitted him in February.

Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-panel-approves-subpoena-in-hunter-biden-probe

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Michael Flynn's Attorney slams FBI, Obama: This was 'orchestrated'

James Rybicki, who served as chief of staff to former FBI Director James Comey, suggested in sworn testimony that the Trump-Russia collusion investigation was orchestrated by Obama's White House in October 2016, according to newly released bureau documents.

A heavily redacted transcript of Rybicki's interview with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel includes an unidentified prosecutor's summary of the former FBI official's testimony.

"So we understand," the prosecutor says, "that at some point in October of 2016, there was, I guess, a desire by the White House to make some kind of statement about Russia's. ... "

The next page is omitted.

The United States Office of Special Counsel, not to be confused with Robert Mueller's special counsel, is a permanent independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency designed to protect federal employees from reprisal for "whistleblowing."

Lawyer Ty Clevenger obtained the documents as part of a lawsuit on behalf of businessman Ed Butowsky, who claims columnist Ellen Ratner told him murdered Democratic National Committee worker Seth Rich and his brother provided WikiLeaks the DNC emails before the 2016 election, not Russia.

Clevenger explained that the OSC prosecutors were noting that the FBI publicized its reactivation of the Clinton email investigation shortly before the 2016 election. So, why, the prosecutors wondered, did the FBI not counterbalance that disclosure by publicizing the "Russian collusion" investigation into Donald Trump?

It was in that context that one of the prosecutors commented that the White House wanted some kind of statement made about Russia.

Clevenger said that almost certainly refers to the Oct. 7, 2016, joint statement of the Department of Homeland Security and the Directorate of National Intelligence. The agencies said the "U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations."

"In other words," Clevenger said, "it looks like the Obama White House put its thumb on the scale, pressuring intelligence agencies to adopt the Democratic National Committee's talking points, i.e., to blame the stolen emails on Russian hackers rather than an internal source (like Seth Rich)."

The lawyer noted that no federal agency has examined the DNC servers, relying only on a redacted report from a private security company, CrowdStrike, that has strong Democratic affiliations.

Crowdstrike was hired by Perkins Coie, the law firm retained by the Hillary Clinton Campaign and the DNC that hired Christopher Steele and Fusion GPS to produce the infamous anti-Trump "dossier." The dossier of unverified claims by unidentified senior Russian officials was used by the Obama Justice Department and DOJ to obtain warrants to spy on the Trump campaign.

Clevenger said CrowdStrike and the DNC are fighting subpoenas he issued on behalf of Butowsky for information about the servers and the purported Russian hacking.

Source: https://www.wnd.com/2019/07/ex-fbi-chief-of-staff-russia-conspiracy-came-from-obama-white-house/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=PostSideSharingButtons&utm_campaign=websitesharingbuttons

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Fauci Caught Running Wuhan Coronavirus Weapons Program

Fauci Caught Running Wuhan Coronavirus Weapons Program

Source: https://www.brighteon.com/5c4cb87a-b85e-46e0-a381-9dd2e2e1cfd3

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US General: We Are At War with China

General Robert Spalding claiming that the US is already at war with China.

Related: Putin And Trump vs The New World Order: The Final Battle

Source: https://www.brighteon.com/43730bf4-0e60-43be-8640-e72b9bcce42f

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‘Bill Gates seeks to microchip humanity!’ Russian Oscar-winning director pushes vaccine conspiracy

Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov claims billionaire Bill Gates might be seeking to implant humanity with microchips under the guise of vaccination, seeking to control people and ultimately “solve” overpopulation.

The ongoing coronavirus crisis has produced a number of wild conspiracy theories, as some are trying to find the “secret” reasons behind the pandemic. A handful of them revolve around Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his efforts to develop a vaccine against Covid-19.

One Microsoft patent that recently received international recognition has been found by many ‘truth-seekers’ to be particularly alarming. The patent WO/2020/060606 describes a “Cryptocurrency system using body activity data” – basically, a device which can be used to ‘mine’ some digital coins using one’s body. Or, rather, “award cryptocurrency to the user whose body activity data is verified,” as the patent abstractly puts it.

The patent did not escape Nikita Mikhalkov, renowned Oscar-winning film director, who pushed quite a theory in a new issue of ‘Besogon TV’ (roughly translated as ‘demon banisher’, dubbed, ‘In whose pocket the state is?’ The episode was aired by the Rossiya 24 TV channel on Friday, but was then quietly taken down from its schedule and not repeated – something Mikhalkov has taken for an act of “censorship.” 

Mikhalkov claims the very name of the patent has an occult meaning in it, accusing Gates of actually seeking to implant humans with microchips to control them, and tying it to his potential vaccination program.

The 060606 part is somewhat alarming. You probably understand this, right? Is this a coincidence or an intentional selection of such a symbol, which in the Apocalypse of John is called the ‘number of the beast’ – the 666.

Mikhalkov then goes on a rant about a dystopian future where digitized (and microchipped) society is split into two unequal parts, namely the elite and the human drones they control. In search of Gates’ global “co-conspirators,” he squarely points finger at Herman Gref, the head of Russia’s state-owned bank Sberbank, a known proponent of the digitalization of society. The director’s theory falls short of explaining how that system would solve the overpopulation problem, though – or why Russia would be keen to follow the American business magnate’s lead, for that matter.

Like any other outrageous theory peddled by a celebrity, the new issue of ‘Besogon TV’ went viral online, getting around 700,000 views in less than in a day.

Mikhalkov’s conclusions might be quite far-fetched, and the patent WO/2020/060606 is not directly linked to Gates, who has technically stepped down from Microsoft’s board to focus on running his and his wife’s Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Neither does it mention microchipping, instead describing “sensors” coupled with a “device” to register the body activity. One alleged purpose of such a technology described is to encourage healthy lifestyle with users awarded cryptocurrency for exercising.

Should that be a hype killer then? Hardly, as some would still be freaked out by the potential Black Mirror-esque applications of this tech, while the discussion on the encroachment of technology (and various forms of controls) on our daily lives has never been more relevant. And those who fear being forcefully microchipped by an evil corporation, should probably first check their own pockets for a little “tracking device” called a smartphone, which they had purchased and carry around voluntarily.

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China Warns of WAR With US Amid Coronavirus Backlash

Internal memo says China should prepare for “worst case scenario” of “armed conflict” with USA, according to Reuters

A leaked Chinese memo recommends the country prepare for a “worst-case” scenario of “armed confrontation” with the United States amid global backlash over the coronavirus pandemic, according to Reuters.

Chinese leaders are concerned about anti-China sentiment spreading across the globe as controversy grows over China’s handling of the coronavirus during the outbreak’s early stages, but it’s unknown if the memo reported by Reuters currently reflects the sentiment of Beijing or if it’s intended to put the country on a war footing.

Related: Putin And Trump vs The New World Order: The Final Battle

“An internal Chinese report warns that Beijing faces a rising wave of hostility in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that could tip relations with the United States into confrontation, people familiar with the paper told Reuters,” the outlet reported, stating that it didn’t see the memo directly. “The report, presented early last month by the Ministry of State Security to top Beijing leaders including President Xi Jinping, concluded that global anti-China sentiment is at its highest since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, the sources said.”

It is known that the US and China have both stepped up military activity in the disputed South China Sea over the past few days, with both the USS Bunker Hill and the USS Barry sailing near islands claimed by China and several other countries.



And the Czech Republic installed signs informing their Chinese tourists of the events of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and to put this into context, China has spent the past several decades censoring all information on the ’89 protests involving ‘Tank Man’ that an entire generation of Chinese citizens have grown up completely unaware the protests ever happened.

“China’s early coverup of the outbreak – including silencing and/or disappearing whistleblowing doctors and journalists, lying about the transmissibility of the virus while hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE), quarantining Wuhan domestically while allowing international travel and using the World Health Organization to run cover – has drawn global scorn as COVID has infected over 3.5 million and killed nearly 250,000 in five months,” Zero Hedge reported.

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CIA & MI6 put together 'scientific' dossier ‘targeting China's Covid-19 cover-up’ - as West readies to demand Beijing COMPENSATION

 

 An aerial view shows the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China. April 17, 2020 © AFP / Hector Retamal 

The West’s wish to pin the blame on China (and probably the bill too) for the Covid-19 pandemic has been reportedly incarnated in a 15-page dossier compiled by intelligence agencies, which has now leaked, according to reports. 

The document, described by the Australian newspaper the Sunday Telegraph, was prepared by “concerned Western governments.” The publication mentions that the Five Eyes intelligence agencies are investigating China, pointing to the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK.

The authors of the research found some pretty strange ways to paint China’s response to the outbreak in a negative and even sinister way. For instance, despite a presumed requirement for brevity in such a short paper it refers to a study which claimed the killer coronavirus had been created in a lab.

The scientific community’s consensus says otherwise, while US intelligence is on the record agreeing with this position. The study itself has been withdrawn because there was no direct proof to support the theory, as its author Botao Xiao acknowledged. But the ‘China dossier’ found a warm spot for a mention, it appears.

A large portion of the document is apparently dedicated to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and one of its top researchers, Shi Zhengli, who has a long and distinguished career of studying SARS-like coronaviruses and bats as their natural reservoirs. It seems the dossier is not interested in the database of bat-related viruses she helped create but rather in the claim that the Covid-19 pandemic started as a leak from her lab.

The dossier points to the so-called gain-of-function research that Dr. Shi was involved in. Such studies are aimed at identifying possible mutations in infectious agents that may occur naturally and makes them much more dangerous to humans. Creating stems with such mutations in the lab allows to prepare for a possible outbreak, though whether such research is worth the risk of accidental release or even bioterrorism attacks has been subject to much debate.

In the contents of the dossier however the implications seem clear: what if China lost control of one of its dangerous samples and then did everything it could to cover it up? The alleged obfuscation seems to be the main focus of the damning document. It claims Beijing was engaged in “suppression and destruction of evidence” including by disinfecting the food market believed to be the ground zero of the Covid-19 pandemic. China is also accused of hypocrisy because it imposed a ban on internal travel from the Hubei province while arguing against a ban on international flights.

“Millions of people leave Wuhan after the outbreak and before Beijing locks down the city on January 23,” the newspaper cited the document as saying. “Thousands fly overseas. Throughout February, Beijing presses the US, Italy, India, Australia, Southeast Asian neighbours and others not to protect themselves via travel restrictions, even as the PRC imposes severe restrictions at home.”

A Senior Intelligence Source tells me there is agreement among most of the 17 Intelligence agencies that COVID-19 originated in the Wuhan lab. The source stressed that the release is believed to be a MISTAKE, and was not intentional.

— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) May 2, 2020

The leaked dossier is yet to be made public for independent scrutiny. But the dramatic tone of the quotes in the Telegraph and the far-fetched implications indicate that it is along the lines of infamous intelligence assessments and media leaks by anonymous officials, which have been the staple of Western foreign policy for decades. Remember how Saddam Hussein secretly obtained yellowcake uranium and was ready to strike Europe with his missiles in 45 minutes? Or the Russian bots that swayed the 2016 election with memes? If true, we can expect many ‘revelations’ in months to come.

Source: https://www.rt.com/news/487661-china-covid-dossier-leaked/

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WHO Guidelines Encourage Children Younger Than 4 be Taught “Masturbation” and “Gender Identity”

 WHO guidelines for sex education recommend that children aged 0-4 be taught about “masturbation” and “gender identity.”

The World Health Organization’s ‘Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe: A framework for policymakers, educational and health authorities and specialists’, advises children be taught about sexually pleasuring themselves and transgenderism before they’ve even fully learned to talk.


The WHO advises that children aged 0-4 are given “information about enjoyment and pleasure when touching one’s body… masturbation.”

Toddlers are also to be encouraged to “gain an awareness of gender identity” and given “the right to explore gender identities.”

In the ages 4-6 bracket, educators are urged to “give information about same-sex relationships” and “help children develop respect for different norms regarding sexuality.”

(Click here to enlarge image)

Of course, in any sane world, no child of this age should be exposed to any kind of information about sex whatsoever.

Despite them being complicit in China’s cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak, the media has held up the WHO as an organization beyond reproach which cannot be questioned.

Social media networks are removing material and banning people who criticize the World’s Health Organization’s guidelines.

Given that the global health body is pushing such sickness onto toddlers, the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw funding is looking better every day.

Source: https://summit.news/2020/04/29/who-guidelines-encourage-children-younger-than-4-be-taught-masturbation-and-gender-identity/

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Yuan Crashes After Trump Weighs Blocking Retirement Fund Access To Chinese Stocks As War Of Words Escalates

Having tumbled yesterday on the first set of headlines reporting on the Trump administration's plans to seek 'COVID reparations' amid accusations of Chinese 'meddling' in the US election (obviously not in favor of Trump), the Chinese yuan legged dramatically lower in this evening's illiquid session which sees most of Asia closed for May Day, after Bloomberg reports that Trump is exploring blocking a government retirement fund from investing in Chinese equities considered a national security risk.

Trump made his initial threats from the Rose Garden at the White House Monday after he was pressed by a reporter over a German newspaper report suggesting that China should be issued a $160 billion invoice for the impact on Europe's economy.

The president responded he had a "much easier" idea:

"We have ways of doing things a lot easier than that," Trump told the coronavirus press briefing. "Germany’s looking at things, and we’re looking at things, and we’re talking about a lot more money than Germany’s talking about."
"We haven’t determined the final amount yet. It’s very substantial," Trump added, suggesting it would be significantly more than the $160 billion floated in German media.

Asked whether he was considering the use of tariffs or even a debt write-offs for China (something which Larry Kudlow vehemently rejected earlier on Thursday), Trump would not offer specifics.

“There are many things I can do,” he said. “We’re looking for what happened.”

Since then various plans have been proposed, but Trump escalated the war of words further, during an Oval Office interview with Reuters  published Wednesday night,  saying that he thinks that China is determined to see him lose the November election based on Beijing’s response to the coronavirus, and that he is considering various ways to punish the Chinese government which he he again blamed for allowing the virus to spread across the world.

"China will do anything they can to have me lose this race," Trump said in the interview and said he was looking at different options in terms of consequences for Beijing over the virus. “I can do a lot,” he said.

Which was quickly followed by denials from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, saying that China has no interest in interfering in internal U.S. affairs (unless of course that 'affair' involves investigating the origin of COVID-19). China hopes some people in U.S. won’t drag country into its internal processes, Geng said.

And tonight, Bloomberg reports that, after months of pressure from concerned lawmakers, according to a person familiar with the internal deliberations, the Trump admin is planning an executive order to block a 2017 decision that The Thrift Savings Plan, the federal government’s retirement savings fund, would transfer a massive $50 billion to an international fund which would mirror the MSCI All-Country World Index.

The issue being China's addition to the index, and thus the fund being forced to allocate significant capital to the Chinese stock markets, at a time when the gloves between the two nations are clearly off.

Needless to say, the optics of the US halting capital from entering China would be staggering and could result in a reversion of China-bound capital flows across all Western countries until the current war of words between Trump and Xi rages. The only problem is that, as we noted yesterday, this particular war of words could last a long time, since there is no longer any impetus to kiss and make up, and if anything, Trump will only escalate the anti-China sentiment into the election (and after), to keep pounding that the collapse resulting from the coronavirus pandemic is not his fault, but rather's Beijing, even as China pursues a mirror image approach, blaming the US for launching the pandemic.
The most obvious market reaction for now is in Offshore Yuan which has collapsed in the last two days, extending losses tonight...

Source: Bloomberg

Bloomberg reports that Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, applauded reports of the move in a statement Thursday.

“It’s outrageous that five unelected bureaucrats appointed by the previous administration have ignored bipartisan calls from Congress to reverse this short-sighted decision, and I applaud President Trump for directing his administration to take swift action preventing this from going forward,” he said.

We would expect China to be furious at this discussion and wonder what they will do to stall this move - one suggestion, given the weakness in US equity futures overnight, is to push volatility back into US markets - to shake the faith in the dramatic market rebound (that The Fed enabled).

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/yuan-crashes-after-trump-weighs-blocking-retirement-fund-access-chinese-stocks-war-words

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50 years off-grid: architect-maker paradise amid NorCal redwoods

In 1968, Charles Bello and his wife, Vanna Rae, moved onto 240 acres of redwood forest looking to live a simpler life off the land. They had spent their savings to purchase the land so they got to work building their home themselves. Their first structure was a panelized A-frame that they erected in 5 days (with help from a couple family members). Total cost was $2,800.

The property is a half-hour drive down a dirt road and it was bare land when they arrived so Charles and Vanna Rae built their own infrastructure: roads, bridges and went decades without refrigeration nor phone (they eventually installed PV panels and cabling for phone lines).

After 15 years in the A-frame, they built a cabin in the woods and there they lived for a decade until the trees began to block out their views. In 1991 Charles (who once apprenticed under famed architect Richard Neutra) designed the Parabolic Glass House. With a curvilinear wood roof and two curved walls of windows, the home feels enveloped in trees.

Charles and Vanna Rae built it for $8,500 with timber they milled themselves, using salvaged materials for everything from doorknobs to stoves. The couple relied on photovoltaics, solar thermal and gas for power and a dug-in greenhouse attached to the home provided much of their food. By canning and preserving, they could go for months without going to a grocery store. Their two boys were homeschooled. The couple supported themselves selling Christmas trees. 

Nearly all the old growth trees on the property were logged in the early 20th century, but Charles has spent the past half century restoring the land. He and his wife set up the Redwood Forest Institute in 1997 to manage and preserve the forest. He has carefully selected 1,000 trees to be preserved for 2 millenia as the next generation of old growth.

Now, 87 years old and a widower, Charles is determined to find successors; he hopes to find three couples who want to settle on the property (currently worth about 4-6 million dollars) in exchange for continuing as stewards of the land. He is currently building glamping guest houses that he hopes will help fund the enterprise. His website now advertises “seeking caretaker ASAP”, someone “wanting to get away from it all and live a more simple down to earth lifestyle”.

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US-China Relations on the Rocks?

Both right wings of the US war party are hostile toward sovereign independent states that are free from its imperial control.

It’s notably true for nations with enormous hydrocarbon resources like Iran and Venezuela — what the US seeks control over for added ability to dominate other countries.

Most of all, it’s true for powerful nations like China and Russia, able to challenge US hegemonic aims effectively.

Russia’s super-weapons, exceeding the best in the West, made it the world’s dominant military power.
China’s growing economic, industrial, technological, and political power most concerns US policymakers because of the country’s increasing preeminence on the world stage at the expense of America in decline.

In their eyes, China is public enemy No. 1. Are both countries on a collision course for confrontation?

A rupture in political relations could follow the Trump regime’s trade war.

It’s exacerbated by unacceptable Pentagon incursions close to and in Chinese waters, and now falsely blaming Beijing for spreading COVID-19 outbreaks to shift responsibility from US failures to deal with the public health crisis effectively.

Intense China bashing affects US public opinion. A February Gallup poll showed two-thirds of Americans view Beijing mostly or very unfavorably — a 20 point decline from 2018.

A March poll by the organization showed nearly half of US respondents view China as a “critical threat.”

A new Pew Research poll showed two-thirds of Americans view China unfavorably. When Trump took office, it was 47%.

According to Asia Society’s director Orville Shell, “(i)t’s hardly surprising.”

“It’s now just about the only thing in Washington that Republicans and (Dems) agree on…(They) have a much more skeptical view of China’s intentions” — ignoring their own.

Negative US public opinion toward China shows propaganda works as intended.

According to former US National Security Council member Douglas Paal, proposed congressional legislation calls for greater get tough on China policies.

It’s an election issue. Congressional members and aspirants believe that publicly bashing China is a way to gain voter support.

Bilateral relations are likely to worsen ahead, including in the aftermath of US November elections — heightening the risk of confrontation by accident or design.

The outlook ahead is unsettling at best, a matter of great concern if bilateral relations continue deteriorating.

A rupture will be harmful to both countries. The US is China’s largest export market. It’s a major market for US exports.

According to the St. Louis Fed, agricultural products, aircraft, motor vehicles, and microchips are the top US exports to China.

The country is the world’s leading source of low-cost goods for the US and many other nations. It’s a major buyer of US Treasuries.

In response to growing contentious relations with the US, China began developing internal consumer-led growth years ago, including for services — to be less dependent on exports for future growth, especially to the West.

Has Russiagate shifted to Chinagate? US anti-China Cold War poses the risk of turning hot.
Is mutual trust beyond repair short-or-longer-term?

The issue goes way beyond Trump and GOP hardliners. If Biden succeeds DJT as president in January, Sino/US relations are unlikely to improve.

Given the current trend, they’re more likely to further deteriorate.

Obama’s 2013 Asia pivot aimed to reassert America’s East Pacific presence by advancing its military footprint in a part of the world where it doesn’t belong.

It aims to challenge and counter China growing preeminence on the world stage, while checking Russia in its far east at the same time.

Containment has been US policy throughout the post-WW II period, targeting nations able to challenge its hegemonic aims.

Cold War politics rages on multiple fronts, mainly against China and Russia — in the Middle East against Iran, in Latin America against Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.

It’s what the scourge of Washington’s imperial agenda is all about, risking endless wars by hot and other means.

US imperial overreach threatens everyone everywhere.

What’s unthinkable is possible, the risk of military confrontation with China and/or Russia that could go nuclear if pushed too far.
*

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Source: https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-china-relations-rocks/5711313

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DAVID ICKE BANNED ON FACEBOOK - WATCH ROSE/ICKE III SUN MAY 3

The Broadcast They Don’t Want You To See… The Ideas They Don’t Want You To Hear…

On May 3, 2020 at 5pm UK time, David Icke is LIVE on the DIGITAL FREEDOM PLATFORM for the largest LIVESTREAM of a conversation in human history. This single broadcast could change the course of humanity.

If we get the information now, we can act on it, we can change course.

If We Are Silenced, It Could Be The End of Humanity As We Know It.

Watch here : London Real

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‘Dirty cop Comey got caught!’: Trump unloads on FBI after documents reveal effort to set up General Flynn

President Donald Trump has bashed former FBI Director James Comey, after unsealed documents revealed an agency plot to entrap Gen. Michael Flynn in a bid to take down the Trump presidency.

“DIRTY COP JAMES COMEY GOT CAUGHT!” Trump tweeted on Thursday morning, in one of a series of tweets lambasting the FBI’s prosecution of retired army general Michael Flynn, which he called a “scam.”

DIRTY COP JAMES COMEY GOT CAUGHT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2020

Flynn served as Trump’s national security adviser in the first days of the Trump presidency, before he was fired for allegedly lying about his contact with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

An FBI investigation followed, and several months later, Flynn pleaded guilty to Special Counsel Robert Mueller about lying during interviews with agents. He has since tried to withdraw the plea, citing poor legal defense and accusing the FBI and Obama administration of setting him up from the outset.

Documents unsealed by a federal judge on Wednesday seem to support that argument. In one handwritten note, dated the same day as Flynn’s FBI interview in January 2017, the unidentified note-taker jots down some potential strategies to use against the former general.

“We have a case on Flynn + Russians,” the note reads. “What’s our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?”

#FLYNN docs just unsealed, including handwritten notes 1/24/2017 day of Flynn FBI interview. Transcript: “What is our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” Read transcript notes, copy original just filed. @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/8oqUok8i7m

— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) April 29, 2020

The unsealed documents also include an email exchange between former agent Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, in which the pair pondered whether to remind Flynn that lying to federal agents is a crime. Page and Strzok were later fired from the agency, after a slew of text messages emerged showing the pair’s mutual disdain for Trump, and discussing the formulation of an “insurance policy” against his election.

Flynn’s discussions with Kislyak were deemed truthful by former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. Additionally, a Washington Post article published the day before Flynn’s January 2017 interview revealed that the FBI had tapped his calls with the Russian ambassador and found “nothing illicit.”

Still, Section 1001 of the US Criminal Code, which makes it illegal to lie to a federal agent, is broad in its scope. Defense Attorney Solomon Wisenberg wrote that “even a decent person who tries to stay out of trouble can face criminal exposure under Section 1001 through a fleeting conversation with government agents.” 

Source: https://www.rt.com/usa/487394-comey-trump-fbi-documents-flynn/

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