National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG

EU mobile coverage may go down this winter – Reuters –The networks don’t have sufficient resilience to deal with possible blackouts, telecom officials told the news agency | 29 Sept 2022 | Possible blackouts in the EU during the winter may leave people without a stable mobile connection because the existing backup power reserves are not sufficient, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a warning it received from four telecom officials. Telecoms could take measures like optimizing traffic flow or upgrading equipment to more power-efficient variants, but they would likely need government intervention to prevent mobile phone outages, the news agency said. French electricity distributor Enedis plans for potential power cuts of up to two hours, with suspension of supply rotated between various parts of the country. Paris pledged to ensure that crucial consumers like hospitals and police stations are not impacted, but mobile networks are not on the list, according to Reuters sources.

Ukraine Crisis Giving Birth to Multipolar World Order: Read Putin’s Full Speech on New Territories | 30 Sept 2022 | The Russian president, other senior officials, and the heads of the Donbass republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson gathered in the Kremlin on Friday to formalize the results of status referendums held between September 23-27, in which overwhelming majorities of voters expressed their support for their regions becoming part of Russia. Below is the full, unredacted, official Kremlin translation of President Vladimir Putin’s historic speech before lawmakers in Moscow on Friday dedicated to the accession of four new regions into the Russian Federation: “Citizens of Russia, citizens of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, residents of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, deputies of the State Duma, senators of the Russian Federation, As you know, referendums have been held in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The ballots have been counted and the results have been announced. The people have made their unequivocal choice. Today we will sign treaties on the accession of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporozhye Region and Kherson Region to the Russian Federation…“

NATO tested underwater ‘equipment’ close to Nord Stream – Moscow–In June, the military alliance experimented with unmanned subs near the island of Bornholm | 29 Sept 2022 | NATO conducted exercises using deep-sea equipment in the area where gas leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were detected this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. She added that the entire Baltic Sea is “packed full” of the bloc’s military infrastructure. Speaking at a regular press briefing on Thursday, Zakharova dismissed any allegations that Russia was behind the incident. “May I ask you a question? When exactly did Russia decide it wanted to stop supplying energy to Europe?” she asked. Zakharova said NATO was engaged in military activities close to the location where the leaks were found, noting that it might have presented an interesting “opportunity” for the bloc. “So, maybe the NATO bases never conducted exercises there, while American soldiers have never been stationed on the territory of nearby countries?” she quipped, adding that this summer “in the area of Bornholm, Denmark, NATO conducted exercises that used deep-sea equipment.”  

Nord Stream incident a ‘terrorist act’ – Kremlin –Such an incident is unlikely to have happened without the involvement of a state power, spokesman Dmitry Peskov says | 29 Sept 2022 |The damage inflicted on the Russian Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines points to a probable “terrorist act,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. He told journalists it is currently difficult to say with absolute certainty what happened to the pipelines, but “the scale of destruction indicates that it really was a sort of a [terrorist] act.” “It’s very hard to imagine that such a terrorist act could have happened without the involvement of some state power,” he said.  

‘People Have Made Their Choice’: Putin Marks Support for Four New Regions’ Entry Into Russia | 30 Sept 2022 | Between September 23 and 27, the Donbass republics and areas of Kherson and Zaporozhye freed during the course of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine held referenda on whether to accede into Russia. Overwhelming majorities of residents in each territory voted in favor of doing so. Vladimir Putin has expressed his full support for the incorporation of the Donbass and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions into Russia, and signed a decree to that effect. “Dear residents of Russia, residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, the people of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions…you know that referendums have taken place. The results have been calculated. The results are known. People have made their choice, an unequivocal choice,” Putin said, speaking at a ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday.  

Vaccination Increases Infection Risk by 44%, Oxford Study Finds | 28 Sept 2022 | Two doses of COVID-19 vaccine make you 44% more likely to be infected, a study from Oxford University has found, contradicting the basis of global vaccine policy, which assumes vaccination significantly cuts incidence and transmission. The study, published in the Lancet, looked at all infections reported in England among adults registered at a medical practice from December 8, 2020, to November 17, 2021, meaning it spanned the Alpha and Delta periods. It used a case-control design to estimate vaccine effectiveness, allowing potential confounding factors such as age, sex and underlying conditions to be controlled for, while individuals with prior infection were excluded. The results for effectiveness against positive Covid test (i.e., reported infection), which were found buried away in the supplementary appendix.  

New ivermectin study shows 92% lower chance of COVID death | 31 Aug 2022 | A large study on the impact of using ivermectin as a prophylaxis for COVID-19 found that regular users of the drug experienced up to a 92% reduction in mortality compared to those who did not. Brazilian research scientist Dr. Flavio A. Cadegiani said via Twitter that his study in his home country showed a “dose-response effect,” meaning “the more you used, the more protection you had.” He observed that people who use ivermectin regularly every 15 days for at least six to eight weeks had up to a 92% reduction in mortality. Cadegiani conducted a previous study of drug that evaluated whether its use could impact COVID-19 infection and mortality rates.  

Biden calls for dead congresswoman –“Where’s Jackie?” Joe Biden asked at a White House event, looking for the late Representative Walorski | 28 Sept 2022 | Joe Biden on Wednesday called out for a congresswoman who had died in a car crash in early August – apparently forgetting his own statement of condolence to her family, or the tribute video that reportedly aired before the event. “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie,” he said, looking at the people attending the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. “She was going to be here,” he added, according to NPR. Others quoted Biden as saying “She must not be here,” based on video footage from the event. Biden was looking for Jackie Walorski, a Republican congresswoman from Indiana who had co-sponsored the bill to fund the conference. The reason she was not in the crowd was that she had died in a car crash on August 3 near Elkhart, Indiana – along with two members of her staff. At the time, the White House released a statement of condolence, attributed to Biden and his wife Jill, and lowered the flags at half-staff to mark Walorski’s untimely passing.

Petition Filed With the U.S. Supreme Court Against Dominion, Facebook and CFCL in ‘A Case of Great National Importance’ | 29 Sept 2022 | A group of individuals filed a class action lawsuit against Dominion Voting Systems, Facebook, CTCL and Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, which is now going to the U.S. Supreme Court. This group claims that the defendants worked together with government employees in a concerted and coordinated effort to change the results of the 2020 Presidential Election in ways that go against the U.S. Constitution… In the Appendix below that was filed with the US Supreme Court, the plaintiffs state: “This lawsuit arises out of the 2020 election for President of the United States. The original Complaint, filed December 22, 2020 (Dkt. #1) and which purports to be a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of 160 million registered voters, alleges a vast conspiracy between four state governors; secretaries of state; and various election officials of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia; along with Dominion Voting Systems, Inc.–a private supplier of election and voting technology; the social media company Facebook, Inc.; the Center for Tech and Civic Life (“CTCL”)–a non-profit organization dedicated to making elections more secure and inclusive; as well as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan…” 

Ginni Thomas Tells Liz Cheney and Jan. 6 Committee She Still Believes 2020 Election Was Stolen | 30 Sept 2022 | Liz Cheney and the January 6 Committee recently came to an agreement with conservative Ginni Thomas to be interviewed in their ongoing witch-hunt. In June the J6 Committee sent Thomas a letter requesting her appearance. In July, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas’s lawyer sent a response Tuesday to the sham January 6 Committee one week after they formally requested her testimony. Thomas’s lawyer, Mark R. Paoletta, said he does “not understand the need to speak with Mrs. Thomas” and indicated she is willing if they can provide further information regarding their intentions. On Thursday, Ginni Thomas testified before the committee and told them the election was stolen.

30 ex-FBI agents stand up to support whistleblower who exposed agency’s political bias By Miranda Devine | 28 Sept 2022 | Thirty former FBI agents, including a retired deputy assistant director, head of counterterrorism and five SWAT team members, have spoken out publicly in support of suspended FBI whistleblower Stephen Friend. Their heartfelt messages, obtained exclusively by The Post, show a deep and widespread anguish about the politicization of the FBI. “It’s time to stop the FBI from being the enforcer of a political party’s ideology,’ says Ernie Tibaldi, a retired agent from San Francisco. “We need to reestablish the FBI as the apolitical and independent law enforcement entity that it always was.” He expressed gratitude to Friend “for having the courage to stand up to the corruption that has taken over the leadership of the FBI.” Many former agents hailed Friend, a SWAT team member in Florida, as a “hero,” after he was punished for refusing to participate in what he regarded as unnecessarily heavy-handed SWAT raids over Jan. 6 misdemeanors.

FDNY EMS lieutenant fatally stabbed while on duty in Queens – police| 29 Sept 2022 | An on-duty FDNY EMS lieutenant was fatally stabbed outside of her EMS station in Queens on Thursday, officials said. The FDNY identified the victim as Alison Russo-Elling, a 24-year veteran of the department. Authorities said Russo-Elling was stabbed multiple times by the alleged suspect at the corner of 20th Avenue and 41st Street in Astoria, about a half block from her EMS station, around 2:15 p.m. She was on duty and in uniform, authorities said. Emergency responders took Russo to Mount Sinai Queens, where she was pronounced dead, according to police.

Dow tumbles 500 points on Friday to end September down nearly 9% | 30 Sept 2022 | Stocks fell in choppy trading Friday as Wall Street closed out a terrible week, month and quarter that brought the S&P 500 to a new 2022 low. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed below 29,000 for the first time since November 2020. The index fell 500.10 points, or 1.71%, to 28,725.51. The Nasdaq Composite was 1.51% lower, ending the day at 10,575.62… The index closed out its worst month since March 2020. Friday marked the last day of the month and the third quarter. For September, the Dow tumbled 8.8%, while the S&P 500 fell 9.3%. The Nasdaq lost 10.5%.

At Least 21 Dead in Florida After Hurricane Ian as Toll Is Expected to Rise | 30 Sept 2022 | The head of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management said Hurricane Ian left at least 21 people dead in the state, although that figure is expected to climb as search and rescue efforts continue. Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie told reporters in Tallahassee that there was one confirmed death in Polk County, 12 unconfirmed deaths in Charlotte County, and eight in Collier County. The state is monitoring possible deaths reported in Lee and Volusia counties as well as vehicle deaths in Lake and Putnam counties, he said. Gov. Ron DeSantis said that so far, more than 700 people have been rescued after the storm hammered Florida’s western coast on Wednesday. More than 1,000 search-and-rescue personnel are working across the state, he confirmed.

More than 190,000 people without power in North Carolina as Hurricane Ian nears landfall | 30 Sept 2022 | 6:00 p.m. EDT update: Friday is going to be a wet and windy day for North Carolina. Power outages across the state have increased to over 190,000 as Ian continues to drop heavy rains and gusty wind. Crews across the state are working to restore power and clean up trees that have fallen due to the storm.