Putin Bluster Is All Bluff — He’s Losing at Home and in Ukraine

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Make no mistake: Vladimir Putin is losing the war in Ukraine. The menacing speech, broadcasted mysteriously on Wednesday morning instead of the originally scheduled Tuesday night, might be the closest the Russian dictator will ever get to admitting defeat before his hold begins to crumble.

The address had several audiences. For one, it aimed to deter the West from supporting Ukraine by raising the specter of nuclear escalation in defense of annexed territories that will soon become part of the “Motherland.” At home, Putin tried to keep hardline nationalist critics of the conduct of Russia’s military operation at bay by showing that the Kremlin is doubling down on its efforts in the Donbas — while also scrupulously seeking to avoid alienating wider swathes of Russia’s population by pursuing only a “partial” mobilization. . .

If the special military operation was going according to plan, as the Russian officialdom was assuring Russians until today, why has it suddenly become “necessary to support the proposal of the Defense Ministry and the General Staff” to mobilize?

Mobilizing the wider population carries political risks, which is why the Kremlin hesitated until now and why only around 300,000 men will be called to serve, according to the government. Already on Wednesday night, Russian cities saw sizeable protests — at least as measured by standards of a country where public expressions of discontent with the war may land one in jail for 10 or more years. Meanwhile, prices of one-way tickets out of Russia skyrocketed (until 18- to 34-year-old men were banned from leaving the country) and “how to break an arm at home” became a top search term on Russian search engines.

Militarily, calling on the reservists is a desperate move, though congruent with reports of extraordinarily high attrition that Russia is suffering in Ukraine. Normally, months of specialized training would be needed for reservists to fight effectively. Even then, an army needs weapons, equipment, and supplies — all of which are in short supply in Russia. Inevitably, thousands of the undertrained, undermotivated, and undersupplied reservists are bound to die tragic deaths at their first contact with Ukraine’s experienced and well-equipped fighting force — a fact that is a matter of indifference to Putin and his circle, as long as the elite’s children remain exempt from service. (Read more from “Putin Bluster Is All Bluff — He’s Losing at Home and in Ukraine” HERE)

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FBI Hero Paying the Price for Exposing Unjust ‘Persecution’ of Conservative Americans

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Bombshell allegations by FBI Special Agent Steve Friend contained in a whistleblower complaint filed late Wednesday with the Department of Justice inspector general reveal a politicized Washington, DC, FBI field office cooking the books to exaggerate the threat of domestic terrorism, and ­using an “overzealous” January 6 ­investigation to harass conservative Americans and violate their constitutional rights.

Friend, 37, a respected 12-year veteran of the FBI and a SWAT-team member, was suspended Monday, stripped of his gun and badge, and escorted out of the FBI field office in Daytona Beach, Fla., after complaining to his supervisors about the violations.

He was declared absent without leave last month for refusing to participate in SWAT raids that he believed violated FBI policy and were a use of excessive force against Jan. 6 ­subjects accused of misdemeanor ­offenses.

This American hero, the father of two small children, has blown up his “dream career” because he could not live with his conscience if he continued to be part of what he sees as the unjust persecution of conservative Americans.

“I have an oath to uphold the Constitution,” he told supervisors when he asserted his conscientious objection to joining an Aug. 24 raid on a J6 subject in the Jacksonville, Fla., area. “I have a moral objection and want to be considered a conscientious objector.” (Read more from “FBI Hero Paying the Price for Exposing Unjust ‘Persecution’ of Conservative Americans” HERE)

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Two Americans Captured Fighting for Ukraine Dodge Russian Firing Squad

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Two U.S. veterans from Alabama branded “soldiers of fortune” by Moscow after being captured fighting for Ukraine have been spared their date with a firing squad after a Saudi-brokered prisoner swap.

Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, who were captured in June while defending Kharkiv, were at the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia after being freed in the exchange, a representative of their families told Reuters Wednesday.

“We are thrilled to announce that Alex and Andy are free,” the representative said in a statement. “We deeply appreciate everyone’s prayers and especially the close communication and support of our elected officials, Ukrainian Ambassador Markarova, and our members of the US embassies in Ukraine and Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Department of State.”

The swap was part of a deal that also included five British nationals, one Moroccan, one Swede, and one Croatian. It was mediated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi foreign ministry said. Ukrainian officials released an unknown number of Russian captives as their part of the deal.

Drueke and Huynh were the first known U.S. citizens to be captured by Russian forces. Huynh’s fiancé, Joy Black, told Reuters at the time the men signed up to fight after seeing television footage of the Russian invasion, which began February 24. (Read more from “Two Americans Captured Fighting for Ukraine Dodge Russian Firing Squad” HERE)

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Health Task Force Proposes Screening All Adults Under 65 for Anxiety, Even if They Have No Symptoms

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For the first time in its history, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force has proposed that all adults under the age of 65 be screened for anxiety, even if they have no anxiety symptoms.

According to a Draft Recommendation Statement which USPSTF released on Tuesday, conducting anxiety screenings on all adults between 18 and 64 — including women who are pregnant or postpartum — takes “the first step” in connecting potentially vulnerable people to health care professionals who can help diagnose and treat a possible mental health condition.

“To address the critical need for supporting the mental health of adults in primary care, the Task Force reviewed the evidence on screening for anxiety, depression, and suicide risk,” said Task Force member Lori Pbert, Ph.D. “The good news is that screening all adults for depression, including those who are pregnant and postpartum, and screening adults younger than 65 for anxiety can help identify these conditions early so people can be connected to care.”

USPSTF claimed that the benefits of universal adult anxiety screenings until age 65 outweigh any risks, which may include inaccurate screenings and recommending mental health interventions for people who are mentally well. (Read more from “Health Task Force Proposes Screening All Adults Under 65 for Anxiety, Even if They Have No Symptoms” HERE)

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Florida Taps Supreme Court to Decide Future of Social Media Regulation

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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, a Republican, petitioned the Supreme Court on Wednesday to overturn a federal court decision that struck down large portions of the state’s law banning social media companies from de-platforming political candidates.

The petition is in response to a May decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit that held it is unconstitutional for the state to block social media companies from banning politicians, a victory for Big Tech companies that sought to block the law from taking effect.

Moody wrote that the 11th Circuit ruling “strips States of their historic power to protect their citizens’ access to information, implicating questions of nationwide importance,” according to court filings.

The attorney general also mentioned a recent U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruling in favor of a similar law in Texas, which blocks companies from removing online posts based on a person’s political disposition.

Because the appeals court decisions conflict, Moody argues the high court should resolve the differences. (Read more from “Florida Taps Supreme Court to Decide Future of Social Media Regulation” HERE)

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Fauci Says He Wants to Inspire ‘Younger Generation of Scientists and Would-Be Scientists’ Upon Retirement

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he wants to inspire a new generation of scientists upon his retirement after decades of service in the federal government.

In an interview with The Atlantic in Washington .D.C., Fauci, 81, who has been praised and vilified during the pandemic as he became the face of the American government’s policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, talked about what life for him will be like in the coming months.

“I’m not going to retire in the classic sense,” he said. “How can I further contribute to society both domestic and global? At my age, I have a few more years to do something.”

“Having the experience I’ve had. I’ve been at the NIH (National Institutes of Health) for 54 years. I’ve directed the largest research institute for infectious diseases in the world for 38 years, what can I contribute? I think what I can contribute is the benefit of my experience to hopefully inspire the younger generation of scientists and would-be scientists,” he added. (Read more from “Fauci Says He Wants to Inspire ‘Younger Generation of Scientists and Would-Be Scientists’ Upon Retirement” HERE)

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Appeals Court Allows DOJ to Continue Investigation Into Documents Seized at Mar-a-Lago

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A federal appeals panel overruled a decision that was temporarily blocking the investigation from the Department of Justice into documents seized at Mar-a-Lago.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit issued the ruling Wednesday evening.

Previously, a judge sided with attorneys representing former President Donald Trump and appointed a special master to independently review the documents seized and temporarily blocked the DOJ investigation. Liberals and other critics of the former president accused the Trump-appointed judge of being biased in her ruling.

The panel said in their 29-page ruling that Trump “has not even attempted to show that he has a need to know the information contained in the classified documents. Nor has he established that the current administration has waived that requirement for these documents.”

The Justice Department had argued that a special master was unnecessary because Trump could not declassify documents as a former president. (Read more from “Appeals Court Allows DOJ to Continue Investigation Into Documents Seized at Mar-a-Lago” HERE)

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WATCH: Canada Wants to Help US Women Kill Their Babies

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is willing to help ensure women in the United States who want an abortion can get one.

“We will make sure we continue to fight for better health and reproductive rights all around the world. It used to mean being there to fight for health and reproductive rights in the global south. We’ll help out in the United States if we need to as well,” Trudeau told reporters at the United Nations on Wednesday.

“As we see in the United States attempts to roll back rights that women have fought for for generations, the idea that there are young girls growing up in the United States who will have less rights over their own bodies than their mothers did is exactly what Canadians, Americans, and people all around the world are so concerned about,” he added.

Trudeau previously called the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade “horrific.”

“In Canada, we support unequivocally a women’s right to choose. It is a fundamental tenet of freedom,” Trudeau said. (Read more from “WATCH: Canada Wants to Help US Women Kill Their Babies” HERE)

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Why a Judge Removed a Woke Virginia DA From Another Case

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Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj got booted from another case in Virginia. If that name doesn’t sound familiar—it’s because she’s the woke district attorney who reportedly doesn’t like jailing anyone, including domestic abusers. Her staffers don’t like Trump, white people, or conservatives. These revelations aren’t shocking, but this isn’t the first time her office has been asked to remove itself. We’ll circle back to the initial case that exposed Biberaj’s office as a lefty woke circus. For now, this one involves the student who was sexually assaulted in a bathroom in May of 2021.

The attacker was a teenage male who was initially reported as gender fluid, as he reportedly wore a skirt on the day of the assault. The student was not immediately held accountable. He was allowed to attend a different school, where he committed another sexual assault, with allegations that the school board was trying to bury this sexual assault. The student was later found guilty of both attacks.

The father of the bathroom assault victim, Scott Smith, was caught being dragged out of a school board meeting last year, which became a focal point for the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election. Mr. Smith was enraged that the school administration did nothing to ensure his daughter’s safety and the rest of the district’s student body—they had a sexual predator on the loose. He was charged and convicted of obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct; the former charge was dismissed, but Mr. Smith is appealing the latter. Judge James Plowman then decided that Biberaj’s office lacked the impartial capacity to proceed in this matter (via Fox News):

A Virginia judge has booted liberal Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj from an appeal case citing “concerns” over “impartiality.” The case involves a Virginia father who was arrested last year while speaking out at a school board meeting after his daughter was sexually assaulted in a public school bathroom by a male student.

“All that Scott Smith and his family have ever asked for is that the Loudoun County school system protect their daughter and treat them fairly; it has not,” Bill Stanley, the attorney for Virginia father Scott Smith, said in a press release Monday provided to Fox News Digital.

(Read more from “Why a Judge Removed a Woke Virginia DA From Another Case” HERE)

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We’re Going to Be Investigating Pandemic Fraud for the Next Century

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Have you ever looked at the scandals involved in President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration and wondered how such corruption occurred?

Well, it’s time to check your arrogance at the door because future generations are going to view the past two and a half years with the same disbelief.

The United States just experienced billions of dollars in pandemic-related fraud. According to one inspector general, it will take 100 years to fully investigate.

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger charged 47 individuals in a “massive scheme” to fraudulently take $250 million in U.S. taxpayers’ money that was meant to feed low-income children during the COVID pandemic.

According to prosecutors, employees at the non-profit Feeding our Future established shell companies during the COVID pandemic that claimed to be giving away meals to thousands of kids in Minnesota. Because certain rules were waived as part of the public-private response to the virus, participating parties were then able to receive reimbursement for those “meals” through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food nutrition programs. (Read more from “We’re Going to Be Investigating Pandemic Fraud for the Next Century” HERE)

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