National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG

In shocking litmus test, FBI security inquiry tried to unmask employee’s Trump support, views on COVID-19 vaccine, memos show | 10 June 2024 | FBI officials conducting a top-secret security clearance review for a longtime employee asked witnesses whether that employee was known to support former President Donald Trump, if he had expressed concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine or had attended a Second Amendment rally, according to internal memos that prompted a complaint to the Justice Department’s internal watchdog alleging political bias inside the bureau. The employee’s security clearance was revoked months after the interviews, which confirmed his support for Trump and gun rights and his concerns about the COVID vaccine, according to the documents obtained by Just the News. The memos show that agents for the FBI’s Security Division asked at least three witnesses in spring 2022 whether the employee, whose name and job title was redacted from the memos, had been known to “vocalize support for President Trump” or “vocalize objections to Covid-19 vaccination.” Agents ascertained from at least one witness that the worker, in fact, had declined to get the coronavirus inoculation.

U.S.-Backed Ukrainian Publication Releases New ‘Enemies List’ Including Donald Trump, Ron Paul, the Libertarian Party, Hundreds More | 8 June 2024 | The U.S. government-affiliated Ukrainian web publication “Data Journalism Agency” (TEXTY) has just released a report attacking hundreds of prominent American individuals and organizations as enemies for not supporting sending more U.S. m-ney and weapons to Ukraine. The report, titled “Roller Coaster: From Trumpists to Communists. The forces in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine and how they do it,” intends to smear American politicians, journalists, and social media influencers as tools of Russia… The report also includes such prominent American politicians and journalists as Sen. JD Vance, Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Jim Jordan, and Col. Douglas Macgregor.

Russia, Belarus Embark on Second Stage of Non-Strategic Nuclear Drills – Defense Ministry | 11 June 2024 | Previously, troops underwent training to operate Iskander missiles and to equip Kinzhal hypersonic missiles with specialized warheads. The second stage of drills focusing on the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons by Russian and Belarusian forces has commenced, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. “In accordance with the decision of Russian President [Vladimir Putin], the second stage of the exercise of non-strategic nuclear forces began,” the ministry said in a statement. During the exercise, the joint training of units from the armed forces of Russia and Belarus will be carried out.

Russian warships will arrive in Havana next week, say Cuban officials citing ‘friendly relations’ | 6 June 2024 | Four Russian ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will arrive in Havana next week, Cuban officials said Thursday, citing “historically friendly relations” between both nations and as tensions escalate over Western military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Cuba’s foreign ministry said in a news release that the ships will be in Havana between June 12 and June 17, noting that none of them will carry any nuclear weapons and assuring their presence “does not represent a threat to the region.” The announcement came a day after U.S. officials said that Washington had been tracking Russian warships and aircraft that were expected to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise. They said the exercise would be part of a broader Russian response to the U.S. support for Ukraine.

Russia gains more ground against Ukraine – MOD –Kiev’s troops have been pushed out from two more villages, the Russian military has reported | 11 June 2024 | Russian forces have gained control of two more villages on the front line with Ukraine, the Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday. Both advances were made by the ‘West’ grouping of the armed forces, according to the military’s regular media briefing. The settlement of Artyomovka was liberated in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic. The other community, Timkovka, is located in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region. Elsewhere, near Kupyansk and Nevskoye, several Ukrainian units suffered heavy damage, the ministry claimed. Overall, Kiev lost over 560 troops on this axis alone in 24 hours, the ministry estimated.

U.S. changes rules on Ukrainian neo-Nazis using its weapons –The State Department has allowed members of the notorious Azov Brigade to use U.S.-supplied weapons | 11 June 2024 | The U.S. State Department has allowed the delivery of U.S. weapons to Ukraine’s Azov Brigade, whose members have openly espoused ultranationalist and neo-Nazi views. The flow of arms had previously been restricted due to the unit’s ties to hateful ideology. The State Department noted that it found “no evidence” of [human rights] violations committed by Azov. Ukrainian officials treated the lifting of the ban as “a top priority” during their lobbying efforts, the Post said. The unit’s co-founder, Andrey Biletsky, was a member of a white supremacist organization in the 2000s. He has since toned down his rhetoric and denied ties to neo-Nazism. Nevertheless, many Azov fighters continue to sport Nazi tattoos and symbols associated with the Third Reich. The brigade continues to use banners with the Wolfsangel symbol, which was used by several German divisions during World War II, including the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich. The unit was incorporated into Ukraine’s National Guard in 2015 and has significantly grown over the years.

Dozens killed, including child, in Ukrainian strike on Russian region – governor | 7 June 2024 | At least 22 civilians have been killed in Ukrainian shelling targeting the village of Sadovoe in Russia’s Kherson Region, Governor Vladimir Saldo said on Friday. A nine-year-old child is among the victims, he added. The attack hit a small shop in a residential area, Saldo said. When locals rushed to aid the victims of the first strike, a second one followed, striking the same area, he said. A total of 17 civilians were killed in the shop and near it and four more people living in the nearby houses lost their lives as well, according to the governor. At least 15 people were also injured in the strike, Saldo said, adding that five of them are currently in “critical condition.”

Hamas says it accepts UN-backed Gaza truce plan, U.S. cites ‘hopeful sign’ | 11 June 2024 | Hamas accepts a U.N. resolution backing a plan to end the war with Israel in Gaza and is ready to negotiate details, a senior official of the Palestinian militant group said on Tuesday in what the U.S. Secretary of State called a hopeful sign. But Qatari and Egyptian mediators have not received formal replies from Hamas or Israel to the U.N.-backed truce proposal, an official close to the talks told Reuters, and both sides suggested on Tuesday the plan fit their clashing goals, raising doubt whether any genuine headway towards a deal had been made. Discussions also touching on post-war plans for Gaza will continue over the next couple of days, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tel Aviv after talks with Israeli leaders.

Israeli forces killed hundreds in hostage rescue operation – Gaza authorities –Mahmoud Abbas has slammed the IDF operation as a “bloody massacre” | 8 June 2024 | Israeli forces killed more than 200 Palestinians in the land, sea, and air attack that accompanied their rescue of four hostages from Nuseirat in central Gaza on Saturday, authorities in the enclave have claimed. As Israeli jets launched airstrikes on the sprawling Nuseirat refugee camp on Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a short statement saying that it was targeting “terror infrastructure” in the area. Several hours later, the IDF announced that a team of police and military commandos had rescued four hostages from Hamas captivity in Nuseirat, taking heavy fire on the way in and out of the camp. Shortly after the hostages were returned to Israel, reports of massive Palestinian casualties began to surface.

More People Quit British Military Than Enlisted Last Year, Data Show | 6 June 2024 | Government data show more people left the British military than signed up last year, further exacerbating an ongoing recruitment crisis. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported 16,140 full-time personnel quit the armed forces in the past 12 months, while only 10,680 enlisted. Of those who left, more than half were considered early retirement. According to Labour Party shadow defense secretary John Healey, the numbers reflect a concerning “failure” in defense. He pointed to poor living conditions and eroding troop morale as the main reasons behind the falling retention rate.

France Snap Election: Macron Says He Won’t Resign – No Matter What | 11 June 2024 | President [WEF troll] Emmanuel Macron threw down the gauntlet to the French people and the right-populist opposition on Sunday, calling a snap election to save his leadership, but now says he won’t resign even if he loses. France will elect a new Parliament on June 30, after an astonishingly short election campaign of just three weeks after the fresh vote was called on Sunday — just hours after President Emmanuel Macron’s political faction was handed a humiliating defeat in the European elections. The National Rally (RN) right-populists of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella got twice as many votes as Macron’s group, the highest proportion of any French political party in 40 years. Macron’s “put up or shut up” challenge to the French people could risk everything if the RN wins, particularly now a putative unite-the-right coalition to win the election is coalescing around Le Pen. But high-stakes or not, Macron has now insisted even if he suffers a second massive defeat, he won’t surrender the Elysée Palace and will attempt to continue to govern a country clearly opposed to him, and without the support of parliament.

EU to secure 40 million avian flu vaccines for 15 countries – officials | 10 June 2024 | The EU will sign a contract on Tuesday to secure over 40 million doses of a preventative avian flu vaccine for 15 countries with the first shipments heading to Finland, EU officials said on Monday. The deal secures up to 665,000 doses from vaccine manufacturer CSL Seqirus and includes an option for a further 40 million vaccines for a maximum of four years. The vaccines will be jointly procured by the Commission’s emergency health arm HERA and 15 countries in the EU and the European Economic Area. The doses are intended for those most exposed to the virus, such as poultry farm workers and veterinarians. The United States, Canada and Britain are also in the process of securing preventative vaccine doses.

4 Democratic leaders arrested, charged with ballot fraud in Bridgeport | 11 June 2024 | Connecticut prosecutors charged four Bridgeport political operatives on Tuesday with abusing the absentee balloting system during the city’s 2019 Democratic primary for mayor. Bridgeport city councilman Alfredo Castillo and Wanda Geter-Pataky, the vice chairwoman of the city’s Democratic Party who became the face of another major election scandal last year, are among those charged. The Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney also charged Nilsa Heredia and Josephine Edmonds, two other campaign workers who were involved in the 2019 primary between Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim and his Democratic challenger, Marilyn Moore. All four defendants are accused of unlawfully possessing another person’s absentee ballot, along with a variety of other election-related charges. Geter-Pataky, Edmonds and Heredia are also charged with witness tampering.

Pelosi declared in video shot by daughter ‘I take responsibility’ for Jan. 6 security failures –House Republicans said the footage undercut three years of Democratic-led narrative that Jan. 6 and its failures were the sole responsibility of former President Donald Trump and his followers. | 10 June 2024 | Moments after being whisked away from the U.S. Capitol after it was breached on Jan. 6, 2021, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was captured on videotape declaring “I take responsibility” for failing to have a better security plan for the complex that fateful day, according to footage released Monday by House GOP investigators. “We have responsibility, Terri,” Pelosi is heard saying on the videotape to her chief of staff, Terri McCullough. “We did not have any accountability for what was going on there, and we should have. This is ridiculous.” Pelosi also said: “You’re going to ask me – in the middle of the thing when they’ve already breached the inaugural stuff – ‘Should we call the Capitol Police, I mean the National Guard?’ Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with?” McCullough, replied as the speaker’s SUV raced through an underground parking garage: “They thought that they had sufficient…resources.”

Former federal prosecutor predicts Hunter Biden will get prison time | 11 June 2024 | A former federal prosecutor in a Tuesday interview predicted Hunter Biden will get prison time, following the guilty verdict in the federal gun case against the president’s son. “I do. I do,” Thomas Dupree said in a CBS News interview, when asked whether he thinks Hunter Biden will go to prison. Dupree, a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Washington, said he does not expect the sentence to be “unduly severe,” noting Hunter Biden has not previously been convicted of a crime. “Really, he’s effectively a first-time offender,” Dupree said. “I suspect that the judge will look somewhat sympathetically on this case.”

Hunter Biden guilty on all 3 felony gun charges | 11 June 2024 | Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was found guilty Tuesday of lying about his use of illicit drugs when applying to purchase a gun six years ago and unlawfully possessing it thereafter, marking the first criminal conviction of a sitting president’s child. After roughly three hours of deliberation, a jury of 12 Delaware residents issued the three felony convictions that stemmed from Hunter Biden’s 2018 purchase of a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver. On a federal gun purchase form, the president’s son checked “no” when asked if he used or was addicted to illegal drugs. Then, he unlawfully possessed the firearm for 11 days.

Hunter Biden found GUILTY of all charges at federal gun trial – Trump calls verdict ‘a distraction from family’s real crimes’ | 11 June 2024 | Hunter Biden has been found guilty of three felonies today in his Delaware gun crimes trial. The Wilmington, Delaware, jury unanimously voted to convict Joe Biden’s son of two counts of lying on a federal form to buy a gun, and one count of possessing the firearm while abusing drugs. The historic conviction marks the first time a current president’s child has been found guilty of a felony. He will now await Judge Maryellen Noreika to decide on a sentence for the crimes, which could be as high as 25 years in prison and a 250,000 fine – though the typical sentence is much lower.