Talk Nation Radio: Omali Yeshitela on No to NATO — Yes to Peace

Omali Yeshitela is Chairman of the Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace, and Reparations. The website is at blackisbackcoalition.org

He has agreed to speak on April 4th in Washington DC at the No to NATO — Yes to Peace events. The website for that is NotoNATO.org.

Chairman Omali is also Chairman of the African People’s Socialist Party USA and the African Socialist International, and is the founder of The Burning Spear newspaper. See theburningspear.com

Total run time: 29:00
Host: David Swanson.
Producer: David Swanson.
Music by Duke Ellington.

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Mueller Report Won’t Be Delivered Next Week

Contrary to a Wednesday report from CNN, special counsel Robert Mueller will not deliver his report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday or next week, according to The Hill, which notes that “The highly anticipated report is expected to cap off a sprawling 20-month investigation into Russia’s attempts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.”

Once completed, Mueller will submit the final report to Attorney General William Barr (whose daughters’ weddings Mueller attended), which may lead to a potential conflict over how much of the report Barr is willing to share with Congress, or make public. 

It’s also possible that Mueller has made referrals to other prosecutors – as CNN reported that attorneys from the US attorney’s office for Washington DC have been visiting Mueller “more than usual.”

As we noted on Wednesday, signs that the Mueller probe is winding down have been multiplying in recent weeks. Four of his 17 prosecutors have been reassigned, while the grand jury he has used to secure his indictments hasn’t convened since late January.

While Trump is probably hoping that the Russia collusion narrative will decidedly die after the report is released, former DNI James Clapper – whom Trump threatened to strip  of his security clearance – warned that the report might leave open the question of whether there actually was collusion between Trump and Russia, giving the release a disappointingly anti-climactic feel, according to the Hill.

Activist Max Blumenthal Asked Congress Members If the US Is Meddling in Venezuela

Many in Washington DC have denounced Russia for interfering in US elections, but the US is openly working to topple the government of Venezuela. US Representatives seemed confused when asked if the US was “meddling” in Venezuela.

Virginia Judge Indefinitely Postpones Manafort Sentencing

The Virginia judge who presided over Paul Manafort’s summer trial where he was ultimately convicted on eight counts, including five counts of tax fraud and three of failure to disclose foreign bank accounts (mistrials were declared on another ten) has postponed what was supposed to be a Feb. 8 sentencing indefinitely, Politico and NPR reported.

The sentencing is believed to be suspended until Manafort’s battle with a Washington DC court, where he has been fighting accusations levied by Mueller that he continued to lie to prosecutors in violation of his plea agreement, has been resolved.

The sentencing is being delayed because the outcome of the Washington court dispute could have some bearing on the results, according to a court filing.

Amy Berman Jackson, the judge in the Washington case, is expected to hold a private hearing on Feb. 4 to determine whether Manafort lied to prosecutors in violation of his agreement. If he’s found guilty, he could face an additional 10 years in prison on top of the seven to 10 years he was expected to receive for the charges stemming from the Virginia case.

Russian Long-Range Bombers Intercepted In Canadian Air Identification Zone By NORAD Jets

At a tense moment of a number of heightened geopolitical standoffs in hot spots where Russia and the west have competing aims, Russian bombers are reportedly cruising over skies near Canada. This comes just as UN Security Council talks are underway over Venezuela at UN headquarters in New York, and at a time when NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is in Washington DC for talks with US leaders.  

File photo of a prior 2015 incident involving a RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft (left) flying close to a Russian strategic Tupolev TU-160 bomber, via Defence Blog

NORAD released the following official statement Saturday just before noon indicating a total of 5 US and Canadian allied military aircraft have identified and shadowed two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers:

An E-3 AWACS, 2x F-22, 2x CF-18 fighter jets from NORAD positively identified 2x Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers entering the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone on January 26, 2019. Bombers remained in international airspace and did not enter sovereign territory.

The E-3 AWACS is the US Air Force’s airborne early warning and control aircraft capable of covering an extensive region of surveillance and communications. 

The NORAD statement identified two American F-22 Stealth Raptors and two Canadian Royal Air Force CF-18 Hornet jets as conducting what appears an intercept of the Russian long range bombers in or near the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone.

A map from Nav Canada shows the latest boundaries of Canada’s Air Defense Identification Zone, which were recently expanded to cover the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. (Nav Canada)

However, the statement acknowledged the Russian aircraft stayed within international airspace, but was seen “entering” Canada’s expansive aerial defense monitoring zone, which triggered the NORAD response. 

Last May Canada expanded its Air Defense Identification Zone after it observed an uptick in Russian air activity in the Arctic region. 

“Canada remains committed to supporting the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The alignment of the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone with our sovereign airspace and its approaches is another expression of our responsibility for the Arctic,” Canada’s Minister of National Defense said in a statement at the time.

In December the Kremlin had controversially deployed Tu-160 Blackjack bombers to Caracas ostensibly on a “training mission” as well as to show solidarity with now embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. After what was reported to be a severe White House rebuke of the action, the Russian strategic bombers withdrew after brief joint training missions with Venezuelan aircraft over the Caribbean. 

developing…

Attorney Robert Barnes Puts Democrat Ilhan Omar on Notice For Spreading Lies About Covington Teens

Newly elected Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) attacked the Covington teens Tuesday night and defended the black supremacists who taunted the Kentucky teens with racial slurs.

The Covington Catholic teens have been exonerated after the full video showing what really happened at the Lincoln Memorial this weekend surfaced.

The media lies have been debunked.

The Black Supremacists shouted homophobic and racist slurs at the Covington teens after the March for Life rally in Washington DC.

Then out of no where, Native American activist Nathan Phillips approached the students and loudly beat a drum in their faces.

The Covington boys showed incredible restraint in the face of vile taunts and harassment — the main teen being targeted, Nick Sandmann, stood silently while Nathan Phillips got up in his personal space with his drumming and chants.

The mainstream media has retracted their false stories and apologies have flooded Twitter, but the radical Muslima is still spreading lies about the Covington boys.

Ilhan Omar falsely claimed the Covington boys were taunting the black supremacists and spread the lie that the teens “surrounded” Nathan Phillips and led racist chants.

Even more disgusting, Ilhan Omar accused the Covington boys of protesting abortion by saying, “It’s not rape if you enjoy it.”

Attorney Robert Barnes, who offered to represent the Covington families pro bono, wasted no time putting Ilhan Omar on notice.

“This is libel. Retract, or get sued,” Barnes said in a concise message to Omar Tuesday night.

How Sending Out Food Stamp Benefits Early Could Cause Another Problem In A Few Weeks

Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,

As I’ve written before, the government shutdown is a perfect demonstration of our politicians participating in partisan showmanship, with poor people as the victims of their theater. As individual states desperately attempt to take care of the people depending on them by sending out food stamp benefits early, the theater in Washington DC continues, completely unconcerned about the havoc being wrought.

Regardless of your thoughts about people who are on government assistance, it’s incontrovertible that people are seeing the rug yanked out from under their feet quite suddenly. Here are some numbers:

That’s a whole lot of Americans who are dealing bigtime stress right now.

Food stamp benefits are going out early.

A number of states are issuing food stamp benefits early due to the government shutdown. They’re doing this over concern that if the shutdown continues, they won’t be able to issue the payments in February.

But the early payment comes with a sobering warning. A press relief from the state of Michigan said:

For food assistance clients, Michigan will begin issuing February benefits on Saturday, Jan. 19. Clients who don’t receive their benefits on that date should receive the funds the following week. That means the 1.2 million Michigan residents who receive food assistance will have benefits to feed their families in February even if the partial federal government shutdown continues.

The early food assistance benefits are not additional benefits and there will be no food assistance payments in February. MDHHS strongly encourages families to budget the funds they receive in January so they can meet their food needs through the entire month of February. (source)

Another warning, more bluntly worded, came from an official in Pennsylvania.

Carmen Rodriguez, a Camden County Freeholder and Liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services, has a warning for anyone who uses the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. She says don’t blow through the money.

“It is very important for people to understand that this is an early payment. You are not going to get more money later,” Rodriguez said.

“This is you getting your February allotment for Food Stamps today.” (source)

So, to be perfectly clear, many people who receive food assistance are getting an early payment that must see them through until March, at which time officials hope the shutdown will have ended and things will go back to normal. That’s a 6-week time period that people will need to cover with a payment that really isn’t that big. (If you’re curious how much money people are getting on food benefits, I found this calculator. )

Read this article for tips on buying food to get you through an extended period of tough times.

School lunch programs are also being hard hit

About the saddest thing I’ve seen so far regarding the shutdown is the fact that school lunch programs are now rationing out food to the kids. This is a big problem for some children whose only meal of the day comes from the school cafeteria. 29.7 million children eat meals that are funded by the National School Lunch Program, which is funded by the USDA.

Add to this the fact that even more kids now qualify for free lunches because their parents are furloughed from government jobs.

A school district in North Carolina took to Facebook to announce that their lunch program was now conserving food through “minimum levels.”

Due to the Federal Government Shutdown, lunch menus in Vance County Schools have been revised to a minimum level to conserve food and funding.

Starting the week of January 21, minimum level means: one main dish, bread, two vegetables, one fruit and milk.
No fresh produce will be included, except at elementary schools as part of the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program. This program will be decreased to two days each week. (source)

My hope is that if this continues, the schools will set up some kind of way to accept food donations for hungry kids. I know that nobody wants to see children going without at least one balanced meal per day.

What to do if you’re affected

If you are affected by the government shutdown in some way, you’re going to need to make some changes to get through this situation. With the folks in Washington playing an elaborate game of Chicken, there’s no telling how long this sh*tshow will continue.

This article provides detailed information on how to feed your family during difficult times. So if you’re without a paycheck or trying to make your benefits stretch, the advice there may help you a lot. In situations like this, remember that nothing is guaranteed – you have to make anything you buy stretch as far as possible.

There are also instructions in the article on how to get my PDF, The Flat Broke Cookbook: Thrifty Meals & Shopping Tips for Tough Times, for FREE (no questions asked) if you’ve found yourself in a bad situation.

You’re going to have to tighten up your budget, change your eating habits, and be creative to get through this. And hopefully, once it’s over, you’ll have gained some new tools to help you get better prepared for a similar situation in the future. Because regardless of how much the folks in DC say they’re there to help you, they are only there to help themselves. This will happen again and one day, eventually, the benefits and government jobs simply won’t be coming back.

Keep in mind that if this shutdown continues, there will be a trickledown effect. Businesses in Washington, DC are already seeing their revenue drop because no one has the money to eat out or shop. State and county jobs that are federally funded will soon be affected. This is not going to stop with only the people who are federal government employees or who are on welfare.

If you’re in a position to help your neighbors, now would be a great time to do so.

Georgia Man Arrested In Terror Plot To Attack White House With Anti-Tank Rocket

Federal authorities on Wednesday announced the arrest of a Georgia man in a terror plot involving using an anti-tank rocket in an attack against federal buildings, including the White House, according to the Springfield News-Sun

21-year-old Hasher Jallal Taheb of Cumming, Georgia was arrested in Gwinnett County, after which he appeared briefly in a downtown Atlanta courtroom in a case brought by the FBI. 

Taheb broadened his prospective targets in the Washington, D.C. area and indicated he wished to attack the Washington Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and a specific synagogue,” the complaint reads. 

According to prosecutors, Taheb – who is believed to have been acting alone, reportedly spoke of traveling to territory controlled by the Islamic State.

Accoring to AJC.com Taheb allegedly put his vehicle up for sale, at which point an FBI informant reached out to show interest – meeting with him days later. 

The criminal complaint, which accuses him of plotting to destroy a government building, said a community member contacted law enforcement in March 2018 to say that Taheb had become radicalized.AJC

U.S. Attorney Byung Jin Pak said that Taheb is charged with “intent to destroy by fire or explosive a building owned, possessed or leased by the United States or any department or agency thereof, or any institution or organization receiving federal financial assistance,” among other charges. 

“His alleged intent was to attack the white house and other targets of opportunity in the Washington DC area by using explosive devices including an improvised explosive device, and an anti-tank rocket,” said Pak.

The case was initiated “after receiving a tip from the community.” 

LIVE: Veterans and Active Duty Military March For Ron Paul

The Intel Hub February 20, 2012 Today upwards of a thousand veterans and active duty military troops will take to the streets in Washington DC to show their support for Ron Paul’s bid for president. The group, Veterans for Ron Paul, has planned to march from the Washington Monument to the White House and back […]

CIA Claims Release of its History of the Bay of Pigs Debacle Would “Confuse the Public”

The CIA explained to a Judge of the US District Court in Washington DC that releasing the final volume of its three-decade-old history of the 1961 Bay of Pigs debacle would “confuse the public,” and should be withheld because it is a “predecisional” document. Wow. And I thought that I had heard them all.
Red Ice Creations News Feed

TSA Directly Violated US Constitution By Detaining Senator Rand Paul

(PRISON PLANET)   In preventing Kentucky Senator Rand Paul from flying to Washington this morning, the TSA directly violated the law as written in the US Constitution.

The Constitution specifically protects federal lawmakers from being detained while en route to Washington DC.

Article I, Section 6 states:

“The Senators and Representatives…shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same….”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_E6jp0PLDU

Rand Paul was travelling from his home in Louisville to attend a session in the Senate today.

This is the reason that TSA officials have since put out the talking point in the media that Rand Paul was never officially detained, despite the fact that the Senator himself confirmed that he was told to sit in a cubicle and wait without any indication of when he would be allowed to leave.

The Senate is back in session at 2 p.m., and votes are scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Senator Paul was allowed to board a second flight after a separate screening by TSA agents, however, it remains to be seen whether he will make it to the capital in time.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/tsa-directly-violated-us-constitution-by-detaining-senator-rand-paul.html

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