WILL THE CONSERVATIVE-MAJORITY SCOTUS DUMP ROE VS WADE ONTO THE ASH HEAP OF HISTORY? ..... SOMETHING TELLS ME NO

Roe v Wade future to be decided in Supreme Court, here's what you need to know

 

By Srivats Lakshman  

 

meaww

November 29, 2021

 

 

Pro-choice activists and Pro-life activists confront each other on abortion issues in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on January 23, 2006

 

From December 1, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will take up its most controversial case yet - abortion. The court is set to debate on the future of Roe v Wade, based on laws passed by Mississippi and Texas, which undermine the precedent. As Notre Dame law professor Sherif Girgis noted, "there are no half measures here," either the court reaffirms Roe v Wade, or wipes it away altogether.

Both states have made their disdain for Roe v Wade quite apparent, with Mississippi's AG even asking the SCOTUS to overturn it outright. In Texas, the state managed to bypass it entirely with S.B.8, the new abortion bill that bans abortions after six weeks. The bill has been seen as an inspiration, with other conservative states attempting to follow suit, such as Arkansas. In fact, many GOP-controlled states are expected to introduce similar heartbeat-style bills, as the party continues its war on abortion.

That's why the SCOTUS case is so vital. It could either give the GOP the greenlight to effectively ban abortion in over 20 states, leaving women with little choice after the party has also gutted social care and other services. It effectively means they will be forced to carry pregnancies to term, even if they aren't financially able to afford to raise a child. 

 

Demonstrators rally outside the state Capitol on October 2, 2021 to protest Texas' new abortion law, which bans the procedure as early as six weeks

 

Why does it matter?

As mentioned above, there are no half measures with this ruling. Texas managed to overcome Roe v Wade by putting the onus on citizens to report illegal abortions, and by setting a timeframe. The six weeks enshrined in Texan law has been largely condemned by medical experts, who say most women won't even know they are pregnant at that point. In Mississippi, the timeframe is 15 weeks, which is also being slammed for being too restrictive.

Since Roe v Wade isn't enshrined in the constitution, the court could simply choose to overrule the standard, thereby making abortion illegal all over the US overnight. It would not only allow states to issue abortion bans but also possibly a conservative US Congress, affecting other states as well. Whether that happens is unclear, but a ruling in favor of pro-life activists would effectively open the door for that option.

Who's debating?

The 6-3 conservative majority is what worries most pro-choice activists. "It’s going to be an uphill battle. And, our Supreme Court I’m afraid is politically partisan and to the right. Way to the right," lamented Debbie Craig to WLOX. Chief Justice John Roberts was the only conservative judge to oppose in the September vote, but he has swung on abortion before. Even if he does dissent this time, it won't be enough. Justice Clarence Thomas has openly called for Roe v Wade to be overturned and is likely to vote for it this time round.

The swing vote will possibly hinge on Justice Neil Gorsuch, who has the shortest record on abortion. He was the deciding vote in the court's September 5-4 ruling in favor of Texas, so is likely to be the deciding vote this time as well, if Roberts sticks with his September ruling. Justices Kavanaugh and Barrett are almost likely to vote to repeal Roe v Wade, while Kagan and Sotomayor are expected to vote for. Effectively, the future of abortion in the US lies in the hands of Roberts and Gorsuch.

The future of abortion

Should the court overrule Roe v Wade, Mississippi is one of 12 states ready to act almost immediately. In the near future, 26 states could enforce a near-total abortion ban according to the Guttmacher Institute. It would mean half the country wouldn't have access to abortion services, even in cases of rape. And of course, it also opens the door for federal laws on abortion, if the GOP manages to get back control of the House and presidency. 

With Roberts' track record, things don't look very good right now for pro-choice activists. As The New York Post noted, "Since Roberts became chief justice in 2005, the court has moved in smaller steps on some issues, even when it appeared there was only a binary choice." From voting rights to organized labor, Roberts has led the court to chip away in favor of conservatives, something he could do here as well.

But, there's no middle path when it comes to abortion. Especially with Texas' loophole on the line. Needless to say, the choice before the court is as historic and important as Roe v Wade itself.

'JOHN'S OTHER WIFE' IN OUTER SPACE

Russia threatens criminal charges against NASA astronaut for 2018 ISS incident

 

UK Today News 

November 30, 2021

 

Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, has threatened to press charges against a NASA astronaut who it claims drilled a two millimeter hole in a Soyuz MS-09 vehicle that was docked with the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018.

The agency recently completed its investigation into what it deems was a sabotage, citing Serena Auñón-Chancellor, a crew member of the ISS at the time of the incident, as the culprit.

The allegations have been handed over to Russian law enforcement, allowing Roscosmos to announce the possibility of criminal charges.

The Izvestia newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources, that Auñón-Chancellor made the hole with the hopes of return home early, TASS reports.

Sources told the Russian news outlet that Auñón-Chancellor wanted to leave the orbiting laboratory due to a blood clot or fight wither her boyfriend onboard the ISS.

Scroll down for video 

Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, has threatened to press charges against a NASA astronaut who it claims drilled a two millimeter hole in a Soyuz MS-09 vehicle that was docked with the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018

DailyMail.com has reached out to NASA for more information and has yet to receive a response.

According to a report in TASS, Roscosmos insiders claim there were multiple holes drilled by someone unfamiliar with the module design and without proper support to ensure accurate drilling in low gravity.

The hole was spotted on August 30, 2018, after a pressure drop was identified due to an air leak.

Russian cosmonauts quickly plugged the hole and restored pressure, patching it up with several layers of epoxy resin – a glue-like substance. 

 

The agency recently completed its investigation into what it deems was a sabotage, citing Serena Auñón-Chancellor, a crew member of the ISS at the time of the incident, as the culprit

 

 

The allegations have been handed over to Russian law enforcement, allowing Roscosmos to announce the possibility of criminal charges. The hole was spotted on August 30, 2018, after a pressure drop was identified due to an air leak

After the hole was sealed cosmonauts carried out photo- and video surveillance of the hole using an endoscope.

A Russian official said in September 2018 that the hole appeared to have been punctured using a drill, and could have been caused deliberately by someone on the ground.

Russia opened an investigation into what caused the hole in 2019 and shared allegations in Augusts that Auñón-Chancellor made the hole.

NASA responded by saying it does not comment on medical matters but disputed the claim, describing the astronaut as extremely well respected and as making many invaluable contributions.

Bill Nelson, head of NASA posted on Twitter in August: ‘I fully support Serena.’

However, the latest development now opens the door for Russia’s Roscosmos to press charges against Auñón-Chancellor.

NASA claimed the astronauts on board were never in danger of suffocation due to the ‘lifeboat’ spacecraft attached to the station to provide a return to Earth.

 

Russian cosmonauts quickly plugged the hole and restored pressure, patching it up with several layers of epoxy resin – a glue-like substance

 

Later, images and further investigation revealed the hole had been made from the inside, ruling out space debris as the cause.

Sergey Prokopyev and two other astronauts, Auñón-Chancellor of NASA and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, were on board when it as detected.

The allegation against Auñón-Chancellor was made in an article published by TASS claiming to ‘debunk’ 12 things America claims about the Russian space agency.

They report it would not have been possible for the damage to happen on Earth as the ship would never pass vacuum chamber tests, essential to be flight ready.

‘If there were any holes in it, then the pressure in this ship would immediately drop and it would not pass the appropriate tests. Thus, Roscosmos immediately ruled out the version of damage to Soyuz-MS-09 on Earth,’ TASS reported.

It then goes on to discuss the mental health of Auñón-Chancellor, suggesting she took drastic action to ‘speed up her return to Earth’.

It lists the reasons behind the defamatory claim, suggesting the video camera at the junction of the Russian and American segments ‘mysteriously’ stopped working at the time and that the US astronauts refused to pass a polygraph.

Roscosmos insiders told TASS that the Russian astronauts took a polygraph and added the agency wasn’t allowed to examine the tools and drills on the ISS for presence of the remains of metal shavings.

It went on to add that of the eight holes only one went all the way through, the rest appeared to just scuff the walls.

WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A HOLE IN THE ISS?

Theory one – it was caused by a small meteorite

A tiny hole appeared in a Russian space capsule locked to the ISS on 30th August.

The ‘micro fracture’ believed to be around 2mm wide in the $150 billion (£115 billion) space station was discovered after astronauts noticed a drop in pressure.

European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst reportedly put his finger over the hole before crew patched it with tape.

The hole was confirmed repaired by Friday (31 August) after cabin pressure returned to normal.

It was initially believed to have been caused by a small meteorite and astronauts used tape to seal the leak after it caused a minor loss of pressure. 

Theory two – it was made deliberately while in orbit

However, as the investigation went on it began to look like the hole was made from someone inside as opposed to outside, either back on Earth or in space, the Russian space agency claimed. 

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said in September that the hole could have been drilled during manufacturing or while in orbit with a ‘wavering hand’.

He didn’t say if he suspected any of the US crew, but the statement has caused some bewilderment.

Sources suggest the question of how to fix the hole may have strained relations between Moscow and Houston.

Rogozin has since reneged on his statement blaming the media for twisting his words and said that he ‘never pointed the finger at U.S. astronauts’.

Theory three – it was caused by a worker at Energia

A leading theory from an unnamed source at Energia said the hole was made on the ground – potentially caused by ‘deliberate interference’ – with suggestions the person responsible may have already been identified.

Another anonymous source said the hole was drilled by a worker who hid their mistake with a seal instead of reporting it.

An unnamed source at Energia told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that ‘[t]he hole was made on the ground’.

According to the source, ‘[t]he person responsible for the act of negligence has been identified’.

Another anonymous source said the hole was not made intentionally but by a worker who hid their mistake with a seal instead of reporting it.

The patchwork repair lasted the trip up to the ISS but after three weeks in orbit gradually peeled away. 

MAJOR SCANDAL AT POLICE ACADEMY GUN STORE IN L.A.

by Bob Walsh

There is a large gun store at the L.A. Police Academy.  It is the central point of a serious scandal that just broke.

Assuming the press are reporting it correctly Archi Duenas, manager of the gun store, has been stealing and selling guns under the table for more than a little while.  He has from time to time been jacked up for sloppy record keeping and coming in to work late, but he ALWAYS closed up and NEVER took a vacation.  For years he was mister reliable at the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club.  One of his jobs was to daily hand count the inventory.  Every day.

Finally back in February of 2020 he was ordered to take some time off due to his accrued leave time being higher than was acceptable.  Somebody else was doing the inventory while he was gone.  They found and empty gun box that, according to the inventory, was supposed to have a gun in it.  Then another one.  Then another one.  Duenas was promptly arrested and an in-depth investigation was started, leading to the above-mentioned scandal.  It seems that a significant number of the buyers of these off-paper guns were cops.  

Many of the cops involved are asserting that, as far as they know, they made a legal gun purchase from a legal gun store.  Also accusations have been made that top brass at the LAPD are deliberately screwing with the investigation.  

No cops have as yet been charged in the case.  

There are a lot of back and forth emails from people, including cops, concerning buying the guns at what seems to be highly inflated prices with the understanding there will be no records of the purchases.  

A total of 44 firearms are known to have been stolen in this manner.  Of that number 34 have been recovered.  One of the officers had five stolen weapons.  

So far the DA has declined to prosecute several of the officers citing insufficient evidence.  Several of them, though, are looking at issues over negligent storage of firearms in their homes, which in CA is a criminal offense.  Also BATF is following the case as some of the people involved were apparently engaged in large scale gun sales without proper licenses or document trails.  In CA off-paper private hand gun sales are illegal and have been for years.   

INVASION BIOLOGY

Vox article mocked for calling term 'invasive species' problematic because it has 'nativist bias'

 

By Brandon Gillespie 

 

Fox News

November 30, 2021 

 

 

The brown tree snake, an invasive species that costs Guam millions and has killed six species of bird to date

 

Left-wing news website Vox published an article this week that claimed it was time to stop demonizing "invasive" species, arguing that the ongoing use of the term divided life on Earth, including people, between native and non-native.

In the Sunday piece, freelance journalist Marina Bolotnikova blamed climate change for the forced migration of certain species, criticized measures taken by some governments to terminate those species, likened their treatment to the experiences of immigrants and suggested the term "invasive" wasn't appropriate to describe the migrating groups. 

"Ecologists expect climate change to create mass alterations in the habitats of these 'range-shifting' or 'climate-tracking' species, as they’re sometimes called, which will reshuffle ecosystems in ways that are hard to predict. The migrations are critical to species’ ability to survive hotter temperatures," Bolotnikova wrote, citing instances of dark unicorn snails migrating from Mexico to California as an example.

Bolotnikova said that the scientific community largely viewed that sort of habitat shift as a "good thing," but that governments and the general public were "less forgiving." 

"'Invasive species' is a concept so ingrained in American consciousness that it’s taken on a life of its own, coloring the way we judge the health of ecosystems and neatly dividing life on Earth into native and invasive," she wrote. 

"For decades, invasion has been a defining paradigm in environmental policy, determining what gets done with limited conservation budgets. Species deemed invasive have often been killed in gruesome ways," she added. "Even though invasion biologists readily point out that many non-native species never become problematic, the invasion concept almost by definition makes scientists skeptical of species moving around."

Bolotnikova claimed that a growing number of scientists and environmental philosophers were starting to question if  a concept "defined by a species' geographic origin" could actually capture the "ethical and ecological complexities of life on a rapidly changing planet."

She argued that it was "crucial" to get right how to handle continued disruption of ecosystems in the 21st century, something she said would become more true as climate change and habitat loss accelerated. She then detailed arguments by some scientists that species referred to as "range-shifters" shouldn't be referred to as "invasive," but rather as "the refugees of climate change that need our assistance."

"Climate change and the range shifts it’s causing are extraordinary circumstances. If a species flees a habitat that is burning or melting, is it ever fair to call it invasive?" Bolotnikova wrote. "Even outside of a climate context, this tension reflects a more fundamental problem within the invasive species paradigm. If the label is so stigmatizing that the only appropriate response feels like extermination, perhaps something else needs to take its place."

She later referred to conservationist efforts in North Carolina to prevent coyotes from mating with endangered red wolves as bearing "uncomfortable parallels to Western preoccupations with racial purity."

"That’s why some scientists look askance at the influence of invasion biology and argue that the field has a baked-in, nativist bias on documenting negative consequences of introduced species and preserving nature as it is," she wrote. 

"What’s more, the very notion of 'invasion' draws on a war metaphor, and media narratives about non-native species are remarkably similar to those describing enemy armies or immigrants," Bolotnikova added before citing a news story that referred to armadillos "besieging" North Carolina as "pests" and "freakish."

"[The story] also gawked at the animal’s 'booming reproduction rate,' an allegation that, not coincidentally, is leveled against human migrants," she wrote. 

The article drew an amused reaction, with some poking fun at the "woke"  biology at display and disparaging Vox for criticizing a legitimately scientific phrase as not politically correct.

REALLY STUPID

by Bob Walsh

There isn't much doubt as to what happened.  The how and why though is a little bit open to interpretation.

Assuming the owner of the Costal Firearms gun store in Charleston, S.C. is telling the truth he accidentally shot a customer in the face when he "mistook" a real handgun for a BB gun, pointed at the customer and pulled the trigger early this month.  There was an independent ear witness but no eye witness to the shooting.  

The owner was arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter.  

This is so stupid I have to wonder if there was something else going on, but the witness did not report any sort of difficulty between the two men, just normal conversation before a load BANG was heard.

MORE TRAGIC STUPIDITY

by Bob Walsh

Thanksgiving turned to crap for the a Georgia family due to carelessness and stupidity.  The father of a three-year old boy left his loaded handgun unsecured where the little tyke could get ahold of it.  He did, and shot his 5-year old cousin to death.  At this stage they are operating in the belief that the three-year old did not intentionally kill his cousin and very likely did not know the gun was real.  

I have no idea what laws, if any, there are about the safe storage of handguns.  That being said just putting down or hiding a gun where a three year old lives is not going to do the job.  At the very least it should be unloaded and separated from the ammunition and locked when the rugrats are around.  

The matter is still under investigation.  No charges have been filed.  Yet.

COMPARING FAUCI TO THE 'ANGEL OF DEATH' SHOULD GET LARA LOGAN FIRED BECAUSE IT MINIMIZES THE MURDER OF 6 MILLION JEWS

‘Lara Logan is a lunatic’: Fox host slammed for comparing Fauci to Nazi Josef Mengele

 

By Srivats Lakshman   

meaww

November 29, 2021

Fox News host Lara Logan compared Anthony Fauci (R) to Josef Mengele (L)

 

Fox News host Lara Logan became the latest right-wing celebrity to compare the Covid-19 pandemic to the holocaust during an appearance on 'Fox News Primetime' on November 29. The host drew widespread flak and fury for comparing Dr  Anthony Fauci to Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor dubbed the 'Angel of Death' for his experiments on Jews in Auschwitz. 

The holocaust has become the popular standard of the GOP and conservatives, who keep pushing back at vaccines and mask mandates. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ignited a similar firestorm in May 2021, after she said vaccine and mask mandates are "exactly the type of abuse" Jews faced in Nazi Germany. Others who have made similar statements include Oklahoma GOP chairman John Bennett, and New Jersey State Senator Edward Durr, also a Republican. But, despite the public outrage, they've faced little backlash, allowing people like Greene and Bennett to double down on the comparisons. Now, Logan has become the latest to jump on the bandwagon, by going even further. She dragged into the controversy Mengele, the infamous Nazi doctor behind some of the most gruesome experiments conducted in Nazi Germany.

 

Nazi 'Angel of Death' Josef Mengele conducted horrifying 'medical' experiments on inmates, including children,at Auschwitz

 

'He doesn’t represent science'

For those unaware, Mengele was the Nazi scientist behind the human experimentation at Auschwitz concentration camp. It's unclear how many people he killed, but it is expected to be in the hundreds as a result of his experimentation. After the end of World War 2, he fled to Argentina and died in Brazil, but was never caught and put on trial. He is perhaps one of the most infamous Nazis of his time, so naturally, the Internet was furious when Logan compared him to Dr Fauci. 

"This is what people say to me: He doesn’t represent science. He represents Josef Mengele ... the Nazi doctor who did experiments on Jews during the Second World War in the concentration camps. And I am talking about people all across the world are saying this!" she said during her appearance on 'Fox News Primetime'. Logan added, "Because the response from COVID. What it has done to countries everywhere. What it has done to civil liberties. The suicide rates. The poverty."

Taking a leaf out of Trump's playbook, Logan didn't mention who exactly was making the comparison. But that didn't let her off the hook. Here are just some of the many reactions social media had to her comments.

 

'How is this kind of madness allowed'

"Lara Logan is a lunatic. A full-fledged, past-the-point-of-no-return, all-that's-missing-is-the-official-diagnosis lunatic. And if that wasn't enough, her words are an affront to the memory of all of those who suffered during the Holocaust. What a despicable person," one user tweeted. POLITICO correspondent Ben White said, "How is this kind of madness allowed on a major broadcaster? Just disgusting." Another slammed, "Lara Logan comparing Dr. Fauci to Josef Mengele is so despicable that I am opting for no joke. Not funny. Not worth making it funny. Logan used to be a journalist. I don't know what the fuck you call what she is now. I know it is wrong. Mengele did sick experiments on my people."

Tennis star Martina Navratilova tweeted, "Lara Logan- you are a total disgrace and a sorry excuse of a human being." Another user mocked, "Lara Logan compared Dr. Fauci to Dr. Mengele. Almost as horrible and unfair as comparing her to an actual journalist." One user joked, "Lara Logan is the Marjorie Taylor Greene of journalism." Another person said, "Lara Logan another Fox-a-hole compared Fauci to a Nazi. Seriously? WTF?? The right’s obsession with Dr. Fauci has reached psychopathic levels."

As always, neither Logan nor Fox have apologized or redacted the controversial statement.

WHILE SMOLLETT CONTINUES TO ENJOY THE LIFE OF A CELEBRITY, THE OSUNDAIRO BROTHERS HAVE BEEN OSTRACIZED FOR EXPOSING JUSSIE'S LIES

Jussie Smollett trial: Where are Nigerian brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo?

 

By Pritha Paul  

 

meaww

November 30, 2021

 

 

The Osundairo brothers, left and Jussie Smollett

 

Jussie Smollett is finally getting his day in court after being accused of lying to police when he reported he was the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago nearly three years ago.

On Monday, November 29, the former 'Empire' actor's trial began in court with jury selections as the actor is facing six felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report after police claimed Smollett staged a racist and homophobic attack on a frigid night in January 2019 in a bid to get himself a higher salary on the set of the hit Fox drama. If convicted on the Class 4 felony charges, Smollett could face up to three years in jail. However, experts have said that he’s likely to face probation and possibly some community service.

Who are Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo?

Attorney Gloria Schmidt, left, and brothers Olabinjo Osundairo, right, and Abimbola Osundairo, the key witnesses in Jussie Smollett's trial 

 

Two Nigerian brothers — Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo — are at the center of the trial. The pair is among the prosecution's star witnesses and will probably testify that they met Smollett on the set of 'Empire' and the actor paid them $3,500 to stage the hate crime and pose as his assailants. Jurors might also get to see surveillance video from more than four dozen cameras which trace the brothers’ movements before and after the reported attack. There is also a video showing the brothers purchasing a red hat, ski masks and gloves from a beauty supply shop hours before carrying out the attack. 

The two brothers were arrested in 2019 in connection with Smollett’s hate crime. However, they soon confessed that Smollett had hired them to stage an attack on him. Smollett had alleged that the duo had doused him in bleach and placed a noose around his neck as they shouted that the actor was in "MAGA country" alluding to the phrase that former President Donald Trump popularized.

 

While the Osundairo brothers have had to eat at a 'food pantry', Smollet continues to enjoy the life of a celebrity

Where are the brothers now?

The last we heard from the brothers, who are personal gym trainers and aspiring actors, was last year when Page Six reported that they haven't been able to get work after the scandal and had been forced to eat at a “food pantry". “It’s been really hard for them, they’ve tried to kind of jump back into the life they had [and] they couldn’t,” Chicago defense attorney Gloria Schmidt said. “They were getting 4 to 5 auditions a month before, that’s completely dried up. Their talent agent dropped them… they’re eating at the food pantry. It’s not going well for them.”

The attorney also added that Abimbola and Olabinjo won’t feel vindicated until people know they’ve been telling the truth all along, describing the brothers as “very even-keeled". “This is the end of the beginning for them, they know there’s a long road ahead and there’s a lot of things that need to happen before a jury or judge finds they’re truthful,” Schmidt explained. “They have no real skin in the game, they just know their role is to be honest and tell the truth about what happened... They know what happened, they know what he did, he’s making it up to be something that’s not accurate.”

NUCLEAR TALKS: RUSSIA AND CHINA DON'T CARE IF IRAN HAS NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THE WEST IS WEAK

New Talks With Iran Seem a Waste of Time

 

By Yochanan Visser 

 

Israel Today

November 30, 2021

 

 

Low expectations as Iran and a handful of world powers gather in Vienna for renewed nuclear talks

 

Iran nuclear talks resumed on Monday, November 29 following a hiatus of nearly six months. The talks in Vienna are taking place without the presence of the United States, which is supposedly on standby in case Iran does make a concession and wants to talk about extending or even improving the JCPOA.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was the official name for the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers that was concluded in 2015 but was never signed by the parties.

The United States left the JCPOA in 2018 after then-President Donald J. Trump concluded that Iran had cheated and failed to comply with the agreement.

Trump came to this conclusion after he and his team reviewed Iran’s secret nuclear archive, which Israel’s foreign intelligence agency Mossad stole from a warehouse in a suburb of Tehran in late January 2018.

Low expectations

Expectations regarding the outcome of the renewed negotiations with Iran are very low for various reasons.

First, Iran only wants to talk about lifting Trump’s reintroduced sanctions against the Islamic Republic and not about revising or extending the JCPOA.

Iran has continuously violated the original agreement since the US left the deal and now, for example, is in possession of 25 kg of 60 percent enriched uranium. Uranium enriched up to 90 percent is needed to make an atomic bomb.

However, the time it would take Iran to further enrich the 60 percent uranium hexafluoride gas to 90 percent is less than six weeks.

After that, experts say, it will be less than two years before Iran will have a nuclear warhead it can mount on a long-range ballistic missile.

New extremist regime in Iran

Second, there is now a new regime in Tehran led by extremist President Ebrahim Raisi.

The new president of Iran is actually against negotiations on an amended nuclear deal and also does not want negotiations with the United States.

This is also the position of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in the past has strongly criticized former President Hassan Rouhani for his “soft” attitude toward the West.

Iran’s new government is, furthermore, exclusively made up of ex-members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, where resistance to any deal over Iran’s nuclear program is greatest.

A third factor dampening expectations about the renewed talks with Iran is the position of Russia and China. Both superpowers have shown little interest in the renewed talks with Iran and are at odds with the United States over expansionist drives in Asia and Ukraine.

China has remained Iran’s main oil importer despite the sanctions and Russia is pursuing a two-track policy toward the Islamic Republic.

On one hand, President Vladimir Putin does not want Iran to possess nuclear weapons, but on the other, Russia was responsible for the construction of some nuclear facilities in Iran, including the nuclear power plant in Bushehr.

In addition, Russia also supplies weapons to Iran, and the same goes for China.

Iran’s new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi, isn’t fooling anyone when he claims his nuke program is “peaceful”

 

Israel charts its own course

Israel has already indicated that it will not feel bound by any revised or entirely new nuclear deal with Iran and reserves the right to act alone against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities if necessary.

Intelligence experts in Israel are divided over the capabilities of the Israeli military to carry out simultaneous attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Ex-Mossad director Yossi Cohen is on the side of those who say Israel is indeed capable of putting an end to Iran’s nuclear program.

Cohen was responsible for the Iran dossier until his resignation in July this year and led the Mossad operation at the warehouse in Tehran in late January 2018.

The Israeli cabinet recently decided to allocate an extra budget of more than $1.5 billion to the IDF in order to prepare for military action against Iran.

To up pressure on Iran, the Israel Navy recently held a joint exercise with the navies of the US, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the Red Sea.

In addition, fighter jets from Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also escorted American long-range bombers when they flew in the airspace over Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States.

All this shows that since the signing of the so-called Abraham Accords, military cooperation has developed between Israel and some Arab countries, including now Morocco, which signed a defense pact with Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz last week.

This cooperation is mainly aimed at Iran, which is seen as the common enemy.

Defiant Iran

Iran, meanwhile, gives the impression that it does not feel impressed by its adversaries, saying through Mohammad Eslami, the new head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO), that Israel should first “look in the mirror to assess its capabilities before making threats to Iran.”

Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, went one step further and spoke of “the dire consequences” of an eventual Israeli attack on Iran.

“Instead of allocating a budget of $1.5 billion dedicated to atrocities against Iran, the Zionist regime should earmark trillions of dollars to repair the damage that will be caused by Iran’s horrific response,” Shamkhani said during an interview with Iran’s state television.

Iran, meanwhile, maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

That claim was finally exposed as a blatant lie last weekend by the former head of the IAEO, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani.

Abbasi-Davani told IRNA TV that Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the founder of Iran’s nuclear program, had been working on a nuclear weapon.

The ex-IAEO chief alleged that Fakhrizadeh had acted against a “fatwa” banning the production of nuclear weapons.

This fatwa allegedly issued by Khamenei actually consisted only of a statement announcing that it was to be issued.

However, Khamenei himself ordered the IAEO to work on a nuclear weapon and never issued a fatwa banning the production of nuclear weapons.

Fakhrizadeh was also tasked with establishing and arming the many militias that make up the Iranian axis, Abbasi-Davani said.

Iran’s top nuclear scientist was reportedly liquidated last year by Mossad, which most likely used a remote-controlled automatic rifle mounted on a pickup truck to assassinate Fakhrizadeh.

In 2014, The New York Times compared Fakhrizadeh to Robert Oppenheimer, who developed the first American atomic bomb.

That claim was finally endorsed in 2015 by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.

In a report titled “Final Assessment,” the IAEA wrote that Fakhrizadeh oversaw nuclear activities “in support of a potential military dimension” to Iran’s nuclear program.

The same IAEA, meanwhile, bemoans Iran’s lack of cooperation and says it is “blind” regarding key components of Iran’s nuclear program, such as the centrifuge plant in Karaj that was also targeted by the Mossad earlier this year.

The Iranians have produced 170 advanced centrifuges in Karaj since the beginning of August without any oversight by the IAEA.

TEXAS INTENDS TO BUILD ITS OWN BORDER WALL

Texas Agreement Authorizes Border Wall Construction in Rio Grande Valley

 

By Charlie McCarthy   

 

Newsmax

November 29, 2021

 

 

A section of the southern border wall is shown on Sept. 23, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas

 

The Texas General Land Office and Texas Department of Public Safety have signed a lease agreement authorizing construction of a border wall in part of the Rio Grande Valley.

The agreement authorizes "construction of border wall along a GLO-owned farm tract in Starr County," The Monitor reporter Valerie Gonzalez tweeted Monday morning.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced the agreement as the latest effort to "mitigate the immigration crisis" following Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency declaration to complete the border wall.

"Washington continues to ignore the Biden administration's border crisis, leaving Texans no choice but to take matters into our own hands," Bush said in a statement. "Lease revenue for this land directly benefits the most important asset in Texas – our schoolchildren.

"As the border crisis continues to escalate, the lives of Texans are being endangered and we are at serious risk of losing revenue generated from leased lands along the Texas-Mexico border. I thank DPS for their partnership on this critical issue – working together, we will secure our border.”

Abbott announced in June a crowdfunding effort to pay for the wall and other barriers such as fencing. The Republican governor pledged $250 million in state money to start the project.

The Texas Senate approved House Bill 9 in September to allocate $1.88 billion toward border security, a move that nearly tripled state spending after already approving $1.05 billion earlier this year.

A recent survey found that more Texans support Abbott's border policies than those of President Joe Biden.

Nearly half (49%) of respondents said they approved of how Abbott was handling immigration at the southern border, The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler found in a poll taken Nov. 9-16.

The Texas Tribune reported late last month that five firms remained on a short list to design and build southern border barriers in the state.

The list included some businesses that came under question by the Trump administration for quality of work or impact on the environment with previous projects, the Tribune said.

Bush announced Nov. 15 that he officially filed to be in next year’s race for Texas attorney general, KXAN reported.

Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, last week told Newsmax’s "Stinchfield" that he also would be seeking the Republican nomination for attorney general.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY ..... INCOMING.

by Bob Walsh

Edilberto Miguel Palaez Moctezuma, 25, was eating his Thanksgiving dindin  in his home in Norristown, PA when several people unrelated to the family inside got into a fight outside of his house.  One of them pulled a gat and started blasting.  Moctezuma was killed by a stray shot.

Kevon Clarke, 19, is now in the bucket and is suspected of being the shooter.  Two other known idiots are being sought.  The fight was over missing liquor.

AFTER A 30 DAY ABSENCE, NORTH KOREA'S JACK-IN-THE-BOX POPS UP AGAIN TO BAN THE IMPORT OF CHEAP LEATHER

Kim Jong-un bans leather across North Korea after rip offs gain popularity

 

By Aryan Vaksh  

 

meaww

November 29, 2021

 

 

Kim Jong-un was seen wearing the black leather jacket when he reappeared after 30 days

 

Kim Jong-un, the fashion-conscious tyrant of North Korea, was first spotted wearing his black trenchcoat in 2019 and was still wearing it until last week when he made his first public appearance after being absent from the public eyes for a month. According to North Korean observers, his month-long absence is the longest since 2011. This comes after news of his health surfaced earlier this year.

Kim's leather coat has now become famous in the Hermit Kingdom, where the ruler and his fashion choices are surrounded by a cult of personality. Because only the communist state's elite could afford actual leather coats, it was originally only the high-class elite who could copy their leader. However, North Korean garment designers began importing fake leather in order to manufacture local copies. The coats soon made its way to every North Korean mart and many young guys prancing around in them.

That was enough for the leader to impose a ban on leather across North Korea in order to crack down Kim clones. According to Radio Free Asia, real fashion cops have been scouring the streets, confiscating the jackets from dealers. The ban, however, didn't go down well with those who purchased the coats.

 

After kim's wearing the black jacket alot of rip offs were being sold around the country 

 

“Young men protest, saying they bought the coats with their own money and there is no reason to take them away," an insider told the news agency. "The police respond to the complaints, saying that wearing clothes designed to look like the Highest Dignity’s is an ‘impure trend to challenge the authority of the Highest Dignity." The insider further added, “They instructed the public not to wear leather coats because it is part of the party’s directive to decide who can wear them.” 

 

Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong (in red dress) is rumored to be his preferred successor

 

The dictator's sister Kim Yo Jong, who is rumored to be his preferred successor, has also donned the leather trenchcoat. As a result, it is believed to have become a symbol for powerful women as well. It comes after Jong-un reportedly shaved his mullets and forbade the throwback hairdo, as well as slim jeans, as a dig at "Western decadence."

ALABAMA MURDERER'S EXECUTION CAUSED HIM NOT TO BE EXECUTED

Doyle Hamm: Alabama death row inmate, who survived horrifying execution attempts, dies of natural causes

 

By Nishtha Dixit  

 

meaww

November 29, 2021

 

 

Doyle Hamm, the man who survived botched execution in 2018 

 

Doyle Hamm, a death row inmate who survived a 'botched execution' attempt in 2018, has died of natural causes. He has been fighting a terminal disease since 2014 but was scheduled to be executed despite his health issues. 

In 1987, 64-year-old Hamm was sentenced to death for the murder of Patrick Cunningham. He shot Patrick in the head while he was serving an overnight shift at the Anderson Motel in Cullman, Alabama. Hamm was in jail for more than 33 years. 

In 2018, the state tried to execute Hamm by lethal injection. However, he managed to survive after it took doctors two-and-a-half hours to find a vein, his lawyer Bernard Harcourt said. At the time, he also sustained a few internal injuries. His lawyer also said that the state might have punctured his bladder and an artery, or most likely both, even though this was never proved. It is said that years of drug abuse and continuous cancer treatment made it hard to locate his veins.

In a press release, Doyle's lawyer said that the state of Alabama later decided not to set any more execution dates for Hamm. The decision came after months of legal battles revolving around whether Doyle's veins were suitable and able to handle the IVs used in inject the lethal drugs. His medical reports revealed that Hamm was jabbed 11 times with needles hitting his bones.

 

Images entered in court records show Doyle Lee Hamm's veins, and how the veins in his lower extremities are more accessible after his botched execution

 

In court, Harcourt stated that it became almost impossible to locate Hamm's veins after extreme drug consumption and treatment for lymphatic cancer. He also argued that Hamm was under excellent medical care and was under the continuous attention of Dr Connie Uzel, an oncologist. He said, "She was an extraordinary doctor who he was really grateful for."

Hamm's lawyer also said, "The result was an agonizing, torturous botched execution that left him on the gurney for two and a half hours as they picked and prodded at his legs and groin, trying to find a vein. It was unconscionable." He was given needless cruel treatment. 

Later, it was also revealed that the process was so painful for the inmate that he just wanted to 'get over with it'. As the doctors tried to locate his veins, he was stabbed 11 times in the legs and groin. Hamm's medical examiner said that he was too weak to stand after the process and was left bleeding from the groin and urinating blood for an hour.

KAMALA'S CHOICE FOR 'KINDEST HUMAN': JUSSIE SMOLLETT

Kamala Harris's old tweet defending Jussie Smollett resurfaces as trolls mock Veep

 

By Yasmin Tinwala  

 

meaww

November 29, 2021

 

 

Kamala Harris was trolled for supporting Jussie Smollett (R) in 2019. Smollett had staged a racist and homophobic attack on himself with the Osundario brothers 

 

Jussie Smollett is expected to be on trial in a Chicago court on November 30. In 2019, he was indicted for paying brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo after staging a racist and homophobic MAGA attack on himself and was charged with sixteen counts of lying to the police and providing false information. All of those were dismissed by Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx with a $10,000 bail which was forfeited as the only real penalty. Foxx's actions drew mass outrage leading to special prosecutor Dan Webb and his team bringing six new disorderly conduct charges against him in 2020. But a year before that Kamala Harris had painted Smollett as the "kindest and gentlest human beings" on Twitter. The old tweet has resurfaced on the Internet ahead of the trial and VP Harris is being brutally trolled for it. 

Smollett's defense team had spoken to the press after Foxx dismissed all charges against him. "Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgment." Police's investigation had shifted after they had spoken to the Osundairo brothers who claimed they were paid $3,500 to stage the attack. Later it was reported that one of them was a side character on 'Empire' which further proved that Smollett had a prior relationship with the actor. 

VP Harris accused of wanting a 'race war' after old tweet resurfaces 

On January 29, 2019, Kamala Harris tweeted: "This was an attempted modern day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate."

 

Kamala Harris' 2019 tweet in support of Jussie Smollett resurfaced on the Internet on Sunday, November 29. The 'Empire' cast member was trending a night before he stands trial for the hate-crime hoax and Harris' tweet was reshared after which netizens branded her as his top supporter. "Remember that time when the elite Jussie Smollett faked a hate crime? Many of us remember. We also remember Harris condoning such a disgusting thing. You know who wants a race war? #Biden #KamalaHarris and #Pelosi. #LiberalHypocrisy" a tweet read. Another user tagged VP in his tweet asking, "@VP The Jessie Smollett trial starts tomorrow..... Do you think NOW is a good to apologize for your false statement?"

"Keep in mind timing of #JussieSmollett hoax #HateCrime was during period when then-Senator #KamalaHarris was pushing anti-lynching legislation. Smollett campaigned for Harris; they were close friends. Had a noose around his neck when #police arrived. Coincidence or the plan?" a third tweeted. "@KamalaHarris @joerogan Kamala, why don't you comment on Rittenhouse or the terrorist attack in Waukesha? I remember how you defended Jussie Smollett and his fake racist claims...might wanna prepare since Smollet's trial starts this week," tweeted another. If convicted on any of the six disorderly conduct counts, Smollett could face one to three years in prison but chances are he can receive probation given his squeaky clean record. 

Disclaimer: This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

WHO YOU GONNA BELIEVE? ... SMOLLET OR THE OSUNDAIRO BROTHERS

How Jussie Smollett's 'MAGA attack' snowballed into a boiling pot of racism and politics

 

By Sumanti Sen  

 

meaww

November 29, 2021

 

 

Jussie Smollett's trial on disorderly conduct charges begins on November 29 

 

Jussie Smollett's trial on new disorderly conduct charges begins on Monday, November 29, where jurors will have to answer one simple question — did Smollett stage a hate crime on himself? Back in 2019, in downtown Chicago, Smollett, a Black and openly gay actor, told Chicago police that he was the victim of a hate crime.

The Jussie Smollett trial is expected to last at least a week. It is also going to be the highest-profile event since the Leighton Criminal Court Building was virtually shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic over a year and a half ago. There will be no livestream of the proceedings.

Smollett had claimed that he was walking home from a Subway restaurant when he was attacked by two men wearing ski masks. The men, he claimed, hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him, and even put a noose around his neck. He alleged that one of the attackers appeared to be White. While being assaulted, he allegedly heard one assailant yell, “This is MAGA country" — a reference to then-President Donald Trump’s slogan.

Smollett's manager called the police and cops arrived to find that the noose was still hanging around his neck. “I just wanted y’all to see it,” Smollett had told them. However, two brothers — Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo — later informed police that Smollett had faked the attack. They said that Smollett made them stage the assault in an attempt to grab the attention of his 'Empire' (musical drama) bosses. Smollett was ultimately charged with giving a false report to the police.

In a shocking move later, Cook County prosecutors dropped the charges after Smollett's indictment. Following a mass outcry after this incident, a special prosecutor, Dan Webb, was appointed. Just before the pandemic hit, Webb and his team brought a new indictment against Smollett in February 2020. Finally, on November 29, the evidence against Smollett will be publicly aired in court.

The case is expected to be largely dependant on the credibility of the Osundairo brothers, as they are the key witnesses of the prosecution. They are expected to reveal in detail how they were recruited by Smollett and persuaded to stage the attack. The defense will likely argue that the brothers indeed attacked Smollett and then went on to frame him to save themselves from being criminally charged. 

Defense attorney Tina Glandian said in court earlier this year that the available evidence supports both theories. There is no video that has captured the assault, but even if it were available, it would not be of much help because both the sides agree that the brothers attacked Smollett. The only question is whether the attack was real, or carried out at Smollett's bidding.