Why Marine One Was Making All That Commotion Near the Vice President’s Residence

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One of the top trending topics on Twitter this afternoon was Marine One. The spike in interest in the presidential helicopters was due to some heavy flight traffic by them around the Vice President’s Residence at the Naval Observatory, which is located about three miles to the northwest of the White House. The movements were so noticeable that NBC’s Michael Benboss tweeted about it, which catapulted the Twittersphere into wild theory and conspiracy manufacturing mode. Considering the unprecedented events of the last week on Capitol Hill, this is hardly surprising. So, I wrote a tweet thread on the topic that tried to explain what folks were seeing. Although the explanations are far less entertaining than what some may hope, many seemed to appreciate the commentary and background, so I thought I would adapt it and do a formal post on the matter.

There are two major possibilities here to point out, and both of them being accurate simultaneously is actually more probable than not. Keep in mind that none of this is definitive, but it should go a long way in helping to explain what folks were likely seeing, and calm some nerves in the process. . .

Part of HMX-1’s role in COG operations includes quickly snatching POTUS and the VP and whisking them away to highly secure remote facilities were a major threat to emerge. This highly challenging action has to occur in a manner of minutes. This is partially why HMX-1 has a heavily guarded forward operating location at Naval Support Facility Anacostia, which is located just three miles from the White House. The unit is otherwise based 30 miles south of the Capital in Quantico, Virginia. With all this in mind, practice is important, especially considering the state of play in the Capital at this time. In fact, one could argue it is more critical now than at any time in recent memory. . .

The practice of primarily using the motorcade to get the Vice President where he needs to go, and especially from his residence to the White House and the Old Executive Building, is among the most obvious security changes that should happen, and we can only hope that it has. The alternative to the motorcade’s armored vehicle procession is using HMX-1’s White Tops. This would result in a sudden spike in helicopter activity at the Vice President’s residence. It may demand some additional training for HMX-1 crews in order to support the new transportation regime over the coming days. (Read more from “Why Marine One Was Making All That Commotion Near the Vice President’s Residence” HERE)

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Organizations Linked To Chinese Military Are a Cash Cow for American Colleges

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Chinese military-linked entities, including those behind extensive cyber attacks and espionage, funneled at least $88 million into U.S. universities over the course of six years, according to a Washington Free Beacon review of federal records.

Some of America’s most prestigious universities have cashed lucrative checks from Chinese institutions that directly threatened national security. Duke University operates a joint-campus in China with Wuhan University, a public university that repeatedly carried out cyber attacks on behalf of the Chinese military. Northwestern University and the University of California Irvine have together received more than $4 million in research funding from an entity controlled by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, a Chinese defense contractor that used stolen designs of American F-35 fighters to build planes for the Chinese military.

Institutions controlled by the Chinese government—state-owned enterprises, state-controlled public universities, government-controlled nonprofits, and other sources—collectively donated at least $315 million to American colleges between 2014 and 2019. More than a quarter of the contributions—27 percent—came from either state-owned defense contractors or public universities that closely partner with the Chinese military to conduct defense research.

The expenditures indicate that the Chinese government is a much bigger player in U.S. academia than previously thought. State-backed entities often avoid scrutiny as their government ties are not immediately obvious. The $315 million sum, based on federal disclosures, is likely a conservative estimate of Chinese influence peddling on campus. A Department of Education audit found that U.S. universities failed to disclose more than $6.5 billion in foreign funding from China and other countries in recent years. (Read more from “Organizations Linked To Chinese Military Are a Cash Cow for American Colleges” HERE)

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U.S. Sanctions 2020 Election Meddlers Tied To Giuliani

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The Trump administration on Monday issued a fresh round of sanctions on a Russia-backed network of individuals who attempted to influence the 2020 election by spreading false information about Joe Biden, according to an announcement by the Treasury Department.

The sanctions target several people linked to Andrii Derkach, the Ukrainian lawmaker who helped Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani disseminate negative stories about President-elect Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, during the 2020 election cycle. Derkach, a leading pro-Moscow voice, was sanctioned in September, and the new measures are part of an effort by the U.S. government to crack down on his associates, who are tied to election interference as well. The sanctions target seven Ukrainians believed to be part of the Derkach-led network that sought to sway last year’s election through a series of online influence operations.

The United States maintains Derkach and his allies disseminated and promoted “fraudulent and unsubstantiated allegations involving a U.S. political candidate,” now widely known to be Biden. Derkach knowingly pushed false information about Biden’s dealings in Ukraine, the Treasury Department claimed in a statement that was notable for its rebuke of Russian sympathizers known to have worked with Giuliani, a top Trump adviser. Derkach, the government said, was acting “as an agent of the Russian intelligence services to influence the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.” The campaign was meant to “advance disinformation narratives that U.S. government officials have engaged in corrupt dealings in Ukraine.”

The statement was vague on details, however, about what information the United States specifically deemed to be false. Hunter Biden is currently under federal investigation for his work with Ukrainian energy company Burisma, giving credence to claims that he inappropriately profited from his family name. (Read more from “U.S. Sanctions 2020 Election Meddlers Tied To Giuliani” HERE)

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Parler Sues Amazon Web Services

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Parler, a free speech social media platform, filed a lawsuit against Amazon Web Services on Monday alleging that the big tech company terminated the social media platform’s account due to “political animus” and violated antitrust laws in the process.

“This death blow by AWS could not come at a worse time for Parler — a time when the company is surging with the potential of even more explosive growth in the next few days,” the lawsuit states. “Worse than the timing is the result — Parler has tried to find alternative companies to host it and they have fallen through. It has no other options. Without AWS, Parler is finished as it has no way to get online.”

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, follows Amazon’s decision to boot the site off of its web hosting service effective Sunday over “a steady increase in violent content.” Google and Apple also decided to remove Parler from their app stores, just days after the app received an influx of users following Twitter’s ban on President Donald Trump and other conservative accounts. (Read more from “Parler Sues Amazon Web Services” HERE)

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Meghan McCain Suggests Capitol Rioters Be ‘Sent To Gitmo,’ Treated ‘Like Any Other Terrorists’

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Co-host Meghan McCain says the Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building last week should be “prosecuted like any other terrorists who have attacked our homeland,” and suggested that those found guilty even be sent to prison in Guantanamo Bay.

During ABC’s “The View” on Monday, McCain and her co-hosts were discussing the prospect and timeline of impeaching President Donald Trump when she interjected, “I just think we need to treat domestic terrorists the way we do actual terrorists.”

“I think we need to consider all, all, all possibilities,” she continued. “I’m not against sending these people to Gitmo. And that may sound extreme, but these are domestic terrorists who attacked our own republic, they should be treated the same way we treat Al Qaeda.”

McCain delivered a similar statement on Twitter ahead of the show, writing, “The MAGA terrorists should be prosecuted like any other terrorists who have attacked our homeland and be given the same severity of consequences. They should also be tried for treason. No mercy.”

(Read more from “Meghan McCain Suggests Capitol Rioters Be ‘Sent To Gitmo,’ Treated ‘Like Any Other Terrorists'” HERE)

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U.S. Internet Provider To Block Twitter, Facebook; Facebook Removing All Content That Mentions ‘Stop the Steal’ Ahead of Inauguration Day

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By The Blaze. Twitter and Facebook just got a digital glove to their faces. . .

In the wake of Twitter and Facebook banning President Donald Trump following the U.S. Capitol siege that leftists — and some conservatives — say Trump incited, an internet provider in Idaho says it’s blocking Twitter and Facebook for customers who request it, KREM-TV reported.

The station said Your T1 WIFI provides internet services to North Idaho and the Spokane, Washington, area — and that it got calls from customers about both social media sites. . .

At first the internet provider said it would block Facebook and Twitter outright unless customers specifically asked Your T1 WIFI to allow Twitter and Facebook to be viewed — but KREM said the internet provider changed its approach Monday and said Twitter and Facebook would be blocked only for those who request such an action. (Read more from “U.S. Internet Provider To Block Twitter, Facebook” HERE)

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Facebook Removing All Content That Mentions ‘Stop the Steal’ Ahead of Inauguration Day

By The Epoch Times. Facebook announced on Monday it is removing all content that contains the phrase “stop the steal” ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

The company issued a statement saying it was removing content containing the phrase that was used by supporters of President Donald Trump to question the integrity of the 2020 general election. Trump supporters held multiple rallies across the country called “Stop the Steal” following the Nov. 3 election.

The social media company said that the move is an attempt to remove content that “could incite further violence during these next few weeks.” Content will be removed under the company’s Coordinating Harm policy.

“We’ve been allowing robust conversations related to the election outcome and that will continue,” Facebook officials Guy Rosen and Monika Bickert said in a statement. (Read more from “Twitter Shares Tumble More Than 10% After Site Permanently Bans Trump” HERE)

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U.S. Capitol Hill Officer Assigned to Senate Commits Suicide; Father Was Former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Who Died of Heart Attack at 62

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By Daily Caller. A Capitol Police officer died in an off-duty incident, suspected to be suicide, on Friday, the New York Post reported Sunday.

Officer Howard Liebengood, 51, was assigned to the Senate Division and had worked with the department for almost 16 years and died in an off-duty incident, according to the Capitol Police. The department did not release the details of Liebengood’s death, though Punchbowl News reporter Jake Sherman said he died by suicide, citing “several sources.”

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and colleagues,” the Capitol Police said in a statement on Sunday. “We ask that his family, and other USCP officers’ and their families’ privacy be respected during this profoundly difficult time.”

(Read more from “U.S. Capitol Hill Officer Assigned to Senate Commits Suicide” HERE)

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U.S. Capitol Hill Officer Assigned to Senate Commits Suicide; Father Was Former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Who Died of Heart Attack at 62

By Law and Crime. An officer with the United States Capitol Police has died by suicide. He was Howard Liebengood, said sources cited by Punch Bowl News‘ Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan.

“The United States Capitol Police is deeply saddened by the off-duty death on January 9, 2021, of Officer Howard Liebengood, age 51,” Capitol police said in a statement released on Sunday. “He was assigned to the Senate Division, and has been with the Department since April 2005. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and colleagues. We ask that his family, and other USCP officers’ and their families’ privacy be respected during this profoundly difficult time.”

Liebengood was the son of former Senate sergeant-at-arms Howard S. Liebengood, who died in 2005 of a heart attack at age 62. His father also previously served as a chief of staff for two Republican senators, and was a lobbyist.

It is unclear if Liebengood left behind an explanation. His death happens mere days after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol Building on Wednesday. Congress was certifying the electoral college votes that favored President-elect Joe Biden. Trump has incessantly been lying that he actually won, and the election was stolen from him. (Read more from “U.S. Capitol Hill Officer Assigned to Senate Commits Suicide; Father Was Former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. Died of Heart Attack at 62” HERE)

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What’s Happening to a Public School Teacher Who Attended the D.C. Protest Should Worry Us All

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Hundreds of thousands of Trump supporters gathered in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to protest an election many consider to be unfair. One of those attendees, a public school teacher in Allentown, Pennsylvania, has been relieved of duty pending a formal investigation into his attendance at Wednesday’s protest.

“Because of the emotion and controversy stirred by the events of January 6, 2021, the teacher has been temporarily relieved of his teaching duties until the School District can complete a formal investigation of his involvement,” reads a statement from Allentown School District Superintendent Thomas Parker. . .

“Yesterday’s events have added to the confusion and uncertainty our students are experiencing during this unprecedented time,” Thomas continued. “To that end, we are reminding our staff to think carefully about what they share online and how it could affect their students and fellow community members. While we all have the right to express ourselves, it is important to do so respectfully. We ask the same of our students and families.” (Read more from “What’s Happening to a Public School Teacher Who Attended the D.C. Protest Should Worry Us All” HERE)

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New Jersey Man Arrested at Capitol Called the Siege ‘Stupid’

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A New Jersey man who was among the dozens arrested at the Capitol last Wednesday said the violent turn of events was “stupid,” a report said.

Leonard Guthrie Jr., a Middle Township resident, admitted to several media outlets that he crossed a police line outside the Capitol in an act of civil disobedience, but said he was not part of the building breach.

Guthrie, a self-described street preacher, told NJ.com that he went to the nation’s capital to “pray for honesty and integrity.”

Speaking with the Press of Atlantic City, Guthrie told the newspaper, “This wasn’t about going in and destroying the building. It had nothing to do with that.” . . .

“I have nothing to say about that other than they shouldn’t have done that. That was wrong. That was stupid,” Guthrie told the Press of the siege. (Read more from “New Jersey Man Arrested at Capitol Called the Siege ‘Stupid’” HERE)

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Manatee Found With ‘Trump’ Scrawled on Its Back in Florida

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A manatee was found with the word “TRUMP” scrawled on its back in a Florida swimming hole, prompting an investigation from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, reports said Monday.

The defenseless animal was spotted with the political inscription over the weekend in the Blue Hole headwaters of the Homosassa River in Citrus County — about 80 miles northwest of Orlando, the Citrus County Chronicle reported.

Witnesses reported the animal to federal authorities, the outlet said.

“It’s been my experience that this is very out of character for this community,” Craig Cavanna, a senior federal wildlife officer in charge of the investigation, told the outlet.

“Wildlife conservation is a core value in Citrus County. That’s why it’s called the Nature Coast.” (Read more from “Manatee Found With ‘Trump’ Scrawled on Its Back in Florida” HERE)

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