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Senate Rejects Resolution to Block President Trump From Lifting Sanctions on Russia

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The Senate failed to advance a bill to prevent President Donald Trump from lifting sanctions on three Russian businesses. Eleven Republicans joined 46 Democrats to vote for cloture on the bill, but they fell three votes short of the 60 votes needed to end debate. . .

In April, the Trump administration placed U.S. sanctions on three businesses connected to an oligarch associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, had also been cited by prosecutors as a financial supporter of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s alleged criminal activity in Ukraine. Deripaska accused Manafort and Rick Gates (Trump campaign’s former deputy chairman) of disappearing with $26 million of his money.

In December, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that it was lifting sanctions on these three businesses. Sanctions on Deripaska will remain.

“Treasury sanctioned these companies because of their ownership and control by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, not for the conduct of the companies themselves. These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaska’s ownership and sever his control. The companies will be subject to ongoing compliance and will face severe consequences if they fail to comply,” Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in the department’s news release. (Read more from “Senate Rejects Resolution to Block President Trump From Lifting Sanctions on Russia” HERE)

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The Dossier: Two Alarming Explanations for the FBI Trump-Russia Investigation

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The two alarming explanations for Comey-McCabe-Strzok FBI’s evidence-free Trump-Russia investigation

There are really only two tenable explanations for the bombshell revelation that the Andrew McCabe-led FBI opened up a counterintelligence investigation into President Trump’s supposed ties to Russia following his decision to fire then-FBI Director James Comey.

The first is that the FBI is extremely incompetent. Following the firing of disgraced FBI Director James Comey, his deputy Andrew McCabe explored an evidence-free hunch, based on anonymously sourced media reports and political opposition material traced to Democrats, that the president was a Russian agent.

The second is that McCabe, knowing that he had nothing, used the Trump-Russia collusion “conspiracies” as part of an information operation intended to destroy the legitimacy of the duly elected president, hoping the FBI probe would tie him up in endless additional investigations that would chip away at his mandate. To put it more bluntly, McCabe and his collaborators engaged in subversion.

When discussing this shocking idea, it’s worth remembering that Andrew McCabe has a long track record of appalling behavior. He was fired after an internal DOJ probe found that he lied under oath at least three separate times. Additionally, McCabe attempted to frame and sabotage FBI colleagues for his own leaks to the media. McCabe later blamed his multiple lies on the president, claiming the “chaos inside the FBI under siege from Trump and his allies” forced him to lie under oath. (Read more from “The Dossier: Two Alarming Explanations for the FBI Trump-Russia Investigation” HERE)

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Russia Derangement Syndrome: Dem Senator Says It’s Not Insane to Ask If Trump Is a Russian Agent

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By Townhall. Russia collusion might be the topic of discussion nowadays with the government shutdown, but it’s still a pathogen that has yet to leave the Democratic Party’s system. Today, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) suggested that it’s not insane to ask if Trump, knowingly or unknowingly, is a Russian agent. Warner was interviewed by CNN’s Jake Tapper (via NTK Network):

Jake, I think the earlier evidence this week, where the president’s campaign manager – and we’re unaware whether the president knew – where the president’s campaign manager, at whose direction turned over confidential polling data to a known Russian agent, a known Russian agent, who has ties to Putin,” Warner said. “Why would you turn over that information?”

Warner then told Tapper that it was this kind of information that Trump’s campaign manager Paul Manafort gave the Russians that they would have used to interfere in the 2016 election.

(Read more from “Russia Derangement Syndrome: Dem Senator Says It’s Not Insane to Ask If Trump Is a Russian Agent” HERE)

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Trump Targets Dems Over DACA Amid Shutdown Talks

By The Hill. President Trump on Sunday hit Democrats for their hesitance to include protections for beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in talks to end a prolonged government shutdown, despite his own administration’s insistence that the program be left out of negotiations.

“Democrats are saying that DACA is not worth it and don’t want to include in talks,” Trump tweeted. “Many Hispanics will be coming over to the Republican side, watch!”

The president’s tweet contradicts comments he and Vice President Pence have made in recent days about DACA, which allows young immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children to live and work here without fear of deportation. (Read more from “Trump Targets Dems Over Daca Amid Shutdown Talks” HERE)

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OUTRAGE: FBI Began Investigation Into Whether Trump Was a Russian Agent After He Fired Comey

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By AP. Law enforcement officials became so concerned by President Donald Trump’s behavior in the days after he fired FBI Director James Comey that they began investigating whether he had been working for Russia against U.S. interests, The New York Times reported Friday. . .

The inquiry forced counterintelligence investigators to evaluate whether Trump was a potential threat to national security, and they also sought to determine whether Trump was deliberately working for Russia or had unintentionally been influenced by Moscow.

The Times reports that FBI agents and some top officials became suspicious of Trump’s ties to Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign but didn’t launch an investigation at that time because they weren’t sure how to approach such a sensitive and important probe, according to the sources. But Trump’s behavior in the days around Comey’s May 2017 firing, specifically two instances in which he seemed to tie Comey’s ousting to the Russia investigation, helped trigger the counterintelligence part of the investigation, according to the Times’ sources. (Read more from “Outrage: FBI Began Investigation Into Whether Trump Was a Russian Agent After He Fired Comey” HERE)

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F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

By The New York Times. In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.

The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.

The investigation the F.B.I. opened into Mr. Trump also had a criminal aspect, which has long been publicly known: whether his firing of Mr. Comey constituted obstruction of justice.

Agents and senior F.B.I. officials had grown suspicious of Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign but held off on opening an investigation into him, the people said, in part because they were uncertain how to proceed with an inquiry of such sensitivity and magnitude. But the president’s activities before and after Mr. Comey’s firing in May 2017, particularly two instances in which Mr. Trump tied the Comey dismissal to the Russia investigation, helped prompt the counterintelligence aspect of the inquiry, the people said. (Read more from “F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia” HERE)

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Tucker: Criticizing FBI Could Get You Investigated

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Links Emerge Between Fusion GPS-Tied Group Connected to False Flag Operation

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A nonprofit group linked to Fusion GPS and partially funded by George Soros worked in recent months with a technology company implicated in a scheme to use fake Russian bots during Alabama’s special Senate election.

The groups, the Democracy Integrity Project (TDIP) and New Knowledge, partnered before the 2018 midterms to track alleged Russian disinformation networks, a website the organizations collaboratively run shows.

Both organizations have links to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), which is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, as well as possible Trump campaign collusion.

SSCI provided New Knowledge with data from various social media companies as part of an investigation into Russian disinformation networks, according to a report New Knowledge released Dec. 17. Two days later, news broke that New Knowledge’s chief executive was involved in a self-described “false flag” operation in the special election for a Senate seat in Alabama, as was another staffer who was the lead author on the Senate report.

TDIP is also linked to the Senate Intelligence panel. Its founder, Daniel J. Jones, was previously a staffer for Democrats on SSCI. He was also in contact in early 2017 with Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic vice chairman of SSCI. As part of TDIP’s own Trump-Russia investigation, the group hired Fusion GPS and Christopher Steele, the author of the anti-Trump dossier. (Read more from “Links Emerge Between Fusion GPS-Tied Group Connected to False Flag Operation” HERE)

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New: Emerging Information on U.S. ‘Spy’ Detained in Russia

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As I previously reported here at Townhall, a United States citizen who has now been identified as Paul Whelan, has been detained by the Russian Federal Security Service and said to be caught “during an espionage operation.”

His twin brother is now speaking up on background regarding his brother’s trip, who was a former U.S. Marine. David asserted in many TV interviews early Wednesday that his brother was in Russia to attend a wedding. David Whelan has also shared that this family was told by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that they have not been able to speak to Paul since his arrest.

Paul’s brother claims he was a frequent traveler to Moscow and the last time anyone heard from him was around 5 p.m. when he failed to show up that evening for the wedding.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said the United States intends to learn more about the charges and will demand his immediate return “if the detention is not appropriate.”

Pompeo continues in part stating that the U.S. has “made clear to the Russians our expectation that we will learn more about the charges and come to understand what it is he’s been accused of and if the detention is not appropriate we will demand his immediate return.” (Read more from “New: Emerging Information on U.S. ‘Spy’ Detained in Russia” HERE)

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Russia Claims It Has Arrested a U.S. Citizen. This Is His Charge.

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By The Blaze. The Russian FSB State Security agency claims that it has arrested a United States citizen named Paul Whelan who was “caught spying” in Moscow.

According to BBC, the U.S. Department of State confirmed that Moscow notified them of the alleged arrest, but did not confirm the arrest or the man’s name.

According to Reuters, the man was allegedly arrested on December 28th, but neither the United States nor Russia have commented on the nature of his alleged spying activity. The State Department has requested consular access to see the American citizen. A spokesperson told Reuters, “We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it.”

Russian authorities indicated that they had opened a criminal case against the alleged spy, which could carry penalties of 10 to 20 years in prison. (Read more from “Russia Claims It Has Arrested a U.S. Citizen. This Is His Charge.” HERE)

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Russian Security Agency Arrests ‘US Spy’ in Moscow

By BBC. Russia’s FSB state security agency says it has arrested a US citizen “caught spying” in Moscow.

It named him as Paul Whelan, saying he was arrested in Moscow on 28 December and charged with “espionage”.

The US state department says it has requested consular access for the man held in Moscow, Reuters news agency reports. The US has not confirmed his name, but says it has been officially notified about the arrest.

If found guilty, he faces between 10 and 20 years in jail, Russia’s Tass news agency reports.

Spying accusations have been a persistent feature of Russia’s relations with the US and UK this year. (Read more from “Russian Security Agency Arrests ‘US Spy’ in Moscow” HERE)

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China Is America’s Biggest Rival, and Russia Isn’t Even Close

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President Trump’s decision to move the remaining American troops out of Syria came under heavy criticism from the mainstream media the day it was announced. Trump’s Syria blunder marks “a win for Putin,” reports The Washington Post. The New York Times labels Russia “a winner” in the Syria decision.

Everything Trump does seems to be giving leverage to a more powerful and hungry Russia, says the media, so much so that Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank is now claiming that Trump singlehandedly “lost [America] the Cold War.”

It is no surprise that the media exaggerates the scale of Russia’s threatening nature whenever given the chance. Many American journalists, relishing the way Trump’s foreign policy dovetails into the media’s narrative of his collusion with Russia over the 2016 election, have an interest in doing so. But all this talk of Russia over the past two years has diminished attention towards the far bigger, more poised, and more capable geopolitical threat America faces today: China.

China easily economically dominates Russia. The gross domestic products of the United States, China, and Russia are mapped in the Google public data graph... The United States still has the world’s highest GDP, but China’s economic growth in the past ten years has doubled that of the United States and put it on track to compete directly for the world’s economic supremacy. Russia, meanwhile, has a GDP lower than that of Italy.

China’s military adventurism, too, outpaces Russian expansionism. In contrast, China’s moves into the South China Sea have made its control over an extremely large portion of East Asian waters practically “a done deal.” Who cares about ocean waters, one might ask? How about maritime traders and aircraft carriers, for a start? It is true that Russia annexed Crimea in a show of force. But while Russia gained access to one strategic port, China’s recent exploits have cemented legions of ports and bases across East Asia for years to come. (Read more from “China Is America’s Biggest Rival, and Russia Isn’t Even Close” HERE)

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Charles Blow’s Latest Column Accidentally Reinforces That Russia Collusion Is a Hoax

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The New York Times published an opinion article Sunday by Charles M. Blow titled, “What Would Happen If,” which attempts to argue that the day of reckoning with accusations of Trump-Russia collusion has arrived for President Trump supporters. RealClearPolitics.com assigned it the misleading click-bait title, “It’s Becoming Clear Trump Colluded with Russia.”

I’ve been searching for a coherent and updated Russia collusion piece for some time, because it’s been so clear for so long that the Trump-Russia collusion story is a hoax. What am I missing? Maybe this New York Times article can explain to me how liberals continue to believe the story in spite of the mounting evidence to the contrary. I thirst for evidence contradicting my beliefs, because I find it so hard to believe that honest liberal journalists would knowingly continue to advance a story that appears to have been so thoroughly debunked as a hoax. So I took the bait and clicked.

Blow begins with one of those famous “We know” statements that pundits tend to use when they actually don’t know, but don’t want to argue threshold assumptions. “A crime has been committed by Russia and Trump cheered the crime and used the loot thereof to advance his candidacy,” Blow writes. “That is clear.” I looked for a hyperlink to support this bold statement, to no avail. I’m left to guess what he means. What crime? What loot? . . .

For a more detailed write-up, click here. Alternatively, the crime to which Blow so un-clearly refers might be the case against the named Russian GRU operatives, which again, are mere allegations and not proven. That case will likely never see the inside of a courtroom and probably ended with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s self-congratulatory press conference. To quote Rosenstein during the press conference: “There is no allegation in this indictment that any American citizen committed a crime. There is no allegation that the conspiracy changed the vote count or affected any election result.”

I assume “any American citizen” includes candidate Donald Trump. Indeed, the culpability for the Democratic National Committee server hack and the John Podesta email hack have not been established beyond the mere indictment. As far as the DNC server is concerned, intelligence experts have offered plausible alternate theories. Why is this still not clear two years after the hack? Because the DNC’s subcontractor Crowdstrike likely destroyed the original evidence before obtaining a third-party review of its attribution accusing the Russians. (Read more from “Charles Blow’s Latest Column Accidentally Reinforces That Russia Collusion Is a Hoax” HERE)

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Why Putin’s Game of Russian Roulette With Ukraine Is a Big Deal

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In a stunning sequence of events, the Russian military opened fire then seized three Ukrainian navy vessels in an unprovoked attack on the Black Sea last Sunday. In the melee, several Ukrainian sailors were wounded and 24 captured. Moscow followed up this flagrant act of war by parading the sailors on Russian television to give clearly coerced confessions of guilt.

This attack is but the latest escalation in the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine that has been churning since 2014. It’s also the first great test for the Trump administration regarding Russia and one that will have lasting consequences on the future of Europe and the world. . .

The war in Ukraine began in 2014 after Russian special forces seized Crimea. The tactic Moscow used is what I dubbed, in U.S. Army publications, “the strategy of ambiguity.” Putin directed that his troops remove all symbols and anything else that would identify them as Russian soldiers.

This had the desired effect, as American journalists breathlessly reported of the ridiculously labeled “little green men” from unknown origins taking control of Crimea. President Obama and the rest of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies wrung their hands on what to do. The tactic worked––as President Obama dithered, Russia seized Crimea within a week without firing a shot in anger.

The takeover of Crimea was quickly followed by local referenda to ascertain if Crimea desired to become part of Russia––a vote, of course, that overwhelmingly supported the idea. The deal was sealed just a month after the little green men seized the country, with Putin announcing that Crimea would be annexed by Russia. (Read more from “Why Putin’s Game of Russian Roulette With Ukraine Is a Big Deal” HERE)

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