Fake..

Though peace talks are now at a standstill, they may revive when Russia’s Donbas push either succeeds or ends in stalemate, and Ukraine may again be presented with an unpleasant peace offering, lose Crimea, accept more autonomy for much of the Donbas, commit to neutrality. 

If Kyiv thinks Western support is endless, or likely to grow more direct, it may end up rejecting a deal it should have taken and suffer for it when the help it banked on doesn’t materialize.

The problem here isn’t helping Ukraine, it’s pretending the help is unconditional.

This conflict itself was partly precipitated by a series of false but beguiling assurances from Washington to Kyiv, which gave the impression of an alignment of interests.

The fatal dalliance included promises of “ironclad” support, the hollow suggestion of eventual NATO membership and the establishment of a security partnership backed by increased material and military assistance that fell short of a guarantee. 

That all left Ukraine in a vulnerable no-man’s land: without the shield of actual Western commitment yet emboldened to take measures that accelerated Russia’s determination to stop it from joining the West, like rejecting neutrality.  [Cato Institute By Justin Logan, Benjamin H. Friedman, and Patrick Porter]

Anyone..

 

Moscow has once again laid out its conditions for peace negotiations with Ukraine. Russia wants to see genuine political will on Kyiv's part to engage in dialogue.

 Moscow wants legal guarantees that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO, the Western military alliance, and wants Ukraine to change its constitution to cement this.

 In the past few months, Vladimir Putin has called for talks with Ukraine several times. Even the United States privately urged Volodymyr Zelensky to be open to talks. 

But the Ukrainian President has ruled out the possibility of negotiations, as he sees talks with Russia as a compromise and a surrender in front of Moscow. Watch this report for full information.

Does anyone want peace between these two countries?

Morality..

 

Many major world powers have implemented coercive measures against Venezuela in response to public corruption, human rights abuses, and antidemocratic actions taken by the Maduro government.

The US had led the most severe sanctions, which began when President Obama declared a national emergency and implemented targeted sanctions in 2015.

On 12 February 2021, Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights, released a preliminary report condemning international sanctions against Venezuela.

Over five years since these sanctions were first introduced, the country faces a desperate humanitarian crisis, calling into question the morality and efficacy of such measures.

Douhan states: “Before the Blockade, Venezuela was spending 76% of its oil revenues on social programs. Now it can’t even invest 1% of that.” Douhan argues that sanctions on the economic activity directly impede the government’s ability to guarantee the human rights of its population, which has had a “devastating impact on the whole population of Venezuela”.

Just a "Moral" thought.

Front..

 

Syria..

 

An American military outpost in Syria has come under rocket fire. 

At least two missiles hit the U.S. patrol base near the town of Al-Shaddadi in northeastern Syria late on Friday night, according to Central Command. While the U.S. military remained silent about the type of missiles used in the attack, it noted that a "third unfired rocket" was later discovered at an "origin site." 

The latest rocket attacks come just days after the Pentagon voiced "deep concern" about Ankara’s ongoing military action in Syria.

We are occupying this piece of Syria because of.....  

Is that considered another Afghanistan?  Just a thought.

Ban..

 The EU-U.S rift over the Ukraine war is out in the open as the conflict enters its tenth month. 

Senior officials of the European Union are angry at the Biden administration for capitalising on the Ukraine war and the bloc's economic problems, according to media outlet Politico's report. 

“The fact is, if you look at it soberly, the country that is most profiting from this war is the U.S. because they are selling more gas and at higher prices, and because they are selling more weapons,” one senior official said.

 The explosive comments, backed in public and private by officials, diplomats and ministers elsewhere, follow mounting anger in Europe over American subsidies that threaten to wreck European industry.  

 “We are really at a historic juncture,” the senior EU official said, arguing that the double hit of trade disruption from U.S. subsidies and high energy prices risks turning public opinion against both the war effort and the transatlantic alliance. “America needs to realize that public opinion is shifting in many EU countries.”

Well, to the EU, don't act too surprised. You saw that from the beginning when the President insisted on suspended Nord Stream 2.    Just a thought.

Help..

 

Politics..

Cap..

 

European energy ministers failed to reach a compromise over a cap on natural gas prices after "heated," "ugly" and "tough" discussions

Countries eager to implement the cap, most notably Poland, Spain and Greece, say this proposal is not realistic as it is so high that it is unlikely to ever be triggered.

The European ministers can't stop disturbing the energy market in its format, and the outcome is complete disaster in so many ways. 

The European countries ae purchasing Natural gas with  priceses three folds of what it was. Look at the countries in the EU where inflation reached 20%, economic development and the cost of living that is much trouble.

lets not pull the two ends of the robe, hands off approach may be the right thing to do at this time.  Just a thought.

FIFA..

The 2022 Qatar World Cup is going to be the first-ever World Cup held in the Middle East and it has proved to be the most controversial to date.

Based on the projections, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said earlier this week that 5bn people are expected to tune in for the World Cup this winter.

For the 2018 tournament in Russia, the global TV audience was 3.5bn. The rise is likely down to the increasing popularity of football in countries such as Canada and the USA which have huge populations. Just a "great Sport" thought.

More..

Tribe..

 

The Rush..

The senior fellow at the Cato Institute, Dr. Jeffrey Singer, joined The National Desk  to talk more about this. Both Pfizer and Moderna are conducting clinical trials to determine if their COVID-19 vaccines could be contributing to possible cardiac issues. 

"Young people, mostly males, to have vaccine-induced myocarditis. That's an inflammation of the heart muscle only associated so far with the mRNA vaccines. 

Since 2020, almost all of the serious illnesses and deaths occur in people who are over the age of 50 and usually have other comorbidities," Singer explained. "So there have been several experts who have been saying, 'What's the rush in trying to get the young people, who are at least risk for getting vaccinated, through an emergency use authorization? Why don't we spend some more time studying it?' But nevertheless, that's happened."

Just a thought.

Wisdom..

 

The Bank of England has increased the cost of borrowing by 0.75 percentage points to 3%, despite predicting that higher interest rates would push the economy into the longest recession since the 1930s.

In a split vote, the central bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a 7-2 majority for the biggest increase in rates since 1989 to combat an inflation rate that hit 10.1% in September.

The Bank blamed higher energy prices and a tight labour market for the decision to increase interest rates, matching rises in the last week by the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank.

The war in Ukraine, and the western response, support to the Ukraine with weaponry to extent the war, blocking the Russian energy by USA and Europe, bringing this chaos to Europe. 

Wisdom at its best.  Just a thought.

Winner..

Iran scored twice after the eighth minute of stoppage time to snatch a stunning 2-0 win over Wales that breathed new life into their World Cup campaign and left the Welsh flat on their backs and facing a make-or-break decider against England. 

After Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off in the 87th minute, Iran produced a remarkable finale, with Roozbeh Cheshmi driving home to give them the lead before Ramin Rezaeian added another in the 11th minute of stoppage time.  A great win for Iran. Just a "Surprising " thought.

Boiling..

Dig-Up..

Censor..

When the New York Post's bombshell report was first published before the 2020 elections, many social media companies were quick to remove posts about the story, including Twitter and Facebook. Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted the social media platform was wrong to intervene in the Hunter Biden story.

During an interview on "The Joe Rogan Experience," Zuckerberg admitted the FBI approached Facebook warning the platform about "Russian propaganda" ahead of the bombshell Hunter Biden story. The platform manipulated algorithms to suppress the story from circulating, which Zuckerberg defended due to FBI warnings.

In addition to the censorship from Big Tech, multiple media outlets originally labeled the laptop as Russian disinformation. Dozens of former intelligence leaders and officials also signed a letter saying they believed the story was part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Since then, many news outlets have independently verified the story.
CBS was the latest news organization in verifying the laptop story. Nearly two years later, media outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, NBC News and Politico have all confirmed the story. 

You be the Judge.  Just a thought.

Hunt..er..

Investigating Hunter Biden will be equivelant to the Jan. 6th inserrections that the Democrats were very excited about it for two years with no outcome. Biden's will be different.  Just a thought.

Pause..

Dung..

 

Like..

Please..

 

Dees..

 Ten hospitals and medical facilities around the city, Facilities given a “D” from the Leapfrog Group include city-run Kings County and Coney Island hospitals, along with Maimonides, Interfaith, and Brookdale hospitals in Brooklyn; Flushing hospital in Queens; three facilities run by Montefiore Medical Center — Einstein, Moses and Wakefield campuses — in the Bronx and BronxCare Health System.

The rating categories included infections, problems with surgery, safety issues, practices to prevent errors and leadership communications with hospital staff.
A group calling for an overhaul of the leadership of Maimonides hospital.

Facilities given a “D” from the Leapfrog Group include city-run Kings County and Coney Island hospitals, along with Maimonides, Interfaith, and Brookdale hospitals in Brooklyn; Flushing hospital in Queens; three facilities run by Montefiore Medical Center — Einstein, Moses and Wakefield campuses — in the Bronx and BronxCare Health System.

Threat..

The U.S. military responded to recent missile launches from North Korea by flying two supersonic bombers alongside South Korean and Japanese warplanes.

North Korea Launched an intercontinental ballistic missile capable (ICBM) of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and with a range that could reach anywhere on the U.S.’s mainland.

The U.S. accused Pyongyang of attempting to destabilize the region as it looks to bolster its nuclear program and gain geopolitical prowess though its military advancements.

The U.S. deployed B-1B supersonic bombers in joint drills over South Korea earlier.

Who is threatening who? And what for... More Inflation?

Weakening..

 

The Wharton finance professor, Jeremy Siegel, in his weekly commentary for WisdomTree on Monday, rejected Jim Bullard's suggestion that interest rates may need to reach 7% to beat back inflation. Siegel said he had no idea what data the St. Louis Fed chief has been looking at.

In response to inflation surging to a 40-year high this year, the Fed has hiked rates from near zero in March to a range of 3.75% to 4% today, in a bid to cool demand and slow the rate of price increases. 

The US central bank has signaled rates could peak above 5%, as it continues to see inflation as a serious threat.

However, Siegel flagged evidence of dwindling inflation and a weakening US economy in his commentary. He pointed to recent data for producer prices, retail sales, employment, and home sales.

Blur..

Bags..

Load..

Famaz..

Amateur..

Lemon..

 

Shock..

 

Argentines woke up early in the capital Buenos Aires to cheer on their team in the soccer World Cup over morning pastries and coffee, but were left with a bitter taste after the team was humbled in a shock loss to Saudi Arabia.  

Unheralded Saudi Arabia notched one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history with a 2-1 win over Lionel Messi's Argentina, dampening the South American team's hopes of winning the tournament for a third time and the first since Diego Maradona in 1986.

FTX..

 

Neutral..

 

Qatar’s football stadiums, designed by some of the world’s most renowned architects, have become a symbol of Qatar’s monumental development project ahead of the FIFA World Cup  

Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and Fenwick Iribarren are just some of the stars behind the eight stadiums for Qatar 2022, where accessibility, sustainability and the legacy of stadiums has been the top priority.

“The first thing we did was build the stadiums. We work with very high-level and specific construction standards, which are as efficient as possible and which work for the region.

The stadiums have been designed to be sustainable and use solar panels, and state-of-the-art waste management systems and will continue to be used after the World Cup, given six of the eight stadiums have been built with a modular system, meaning they can be disassembled or modified after the tournament.

It will be the first FIFA World Cup to have the ISO 20121 sustainability certification — which sets the requirements for an event to be labeled as sustainable — and the first carbon-neutral tournament.

Qatar-1..

 

A million supporters from around the world will descend on the small but wealthy Gulf nation to watch stars from 32 countries face off over the next four weeks in the men’s soccer tournament, which is the world’s second-largest sporting event after the Olympics.

The time of year and location, this is the first World Cup to take place in the Middle East, meant the event had long promised to be unlike any other before it.

The news that alcohol sales would be banned from stadium perimeters highlighted the cultural clash of the conservative emirate hosting a global party.

In a press conference on the eve of the tournament, Gianni Infantino, the head of world soccer’s governing body, accused the host’s critics of hypocrisy. Just a thought.

Qatar..

Flipping..

 

Real estate investor Austin Rutherford, who has over 700,000 followers on TikTok, has talked at length about the opportunities for wealth in real estate investing since the start of the pandemic. But, in a recent video, he breaks down how his latest deal will likely result in a $30,000 loss.

Rutherford purchased the Hilliard, Ohio home last year for $248,000 and says he put in between $5,000 and $10,000 worth of work. Now, he's receiving offers for only $260,000, which after closing costs and agent fees will likely put him in the red.

Flippers across the country from small-time independent operators to major corporations are facing difficult market conditions as increasing mortgage rates freeze out buyers. 

The iBuyer firm OpenDoor has been losing money on homes in pandemic real estate hotspots Austin, Atlanta, and Phoenix. More recently, competitor Redfin announced that it was getting out of the flipping game and was laying off its 13% of its staff. And then in other instances, some flippers are turning to deep-pocketed investors to bail them out.

Dis..

 

Enron..

 

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is likening the collapse of troubled cryptocurrency exchange FTX to the meltdown that engulfed Houston-based energy company Enron two decades ago.

The swift collapse of FTX was underscored on Friday by the company’s announcement that it had begun Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in a Delaware court and that its chief executive, Sam Bankman-Fried, had resigned. John J. Ray III, the lawyer who was brought in to clean up the mess left at Enron, was appointed to succeed Bankman-Fried. The announcement rattled the cryptocurrencies sector, where the price of Bitcoin BTCUSD touched a two-year low after FTX’s announcement.

“A lot of people have compared this to Lehman. I would compare it to Enron,” Summers reportedly said.

Enron is the once high-flying energy trading company that collapsed in late 2001 amid accusations of accounting fraud.

Hunt--er..?

 

House Republican poised to investigate the Biden family said he's not planning to subpoena President Joe Biden despite being prepared to issue one to his son, Hunter.

"There's no plans to subpoena Joe Biden. There are plans to subpoena Hunter Biden," GOP Rep. Jim Comer told CNN in a sit-down interview.

The acknowledgment by Comer, the likely next chairman of the House Oversight Committee, that subpoenaing a sitting president unleashes a host of thorny executive privilege issues underscores the complicated task ahead for Republicans as they claim they will try to connect Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings to his father.

Comment: No wonder President Biden kept saying he is defending Democracy. He is not concerned about Democracy; he may have a different concern.  

Just a thought.

Liz..

 

 In 2014, Elizabeth Holmes, then 30 years old, a Stanford University drop-out, founded a company valued at $9bn (£6.5bn) for supposedly bringing about a revolution in diagnosing disease.

With a few drops of blood, its Edison test could detect cancer and diabetes quickly without the hassle of needles. Bigwigs from Henry Kissinger to general James Mattis sat on the board.

But by 2015, the seams were coming apart, and within a year, Holmes was exposed as a fake. She had a time to switch to the real diagnosis.

During the trial Holmes accused her ex-boyfriend and business partner, Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, of emotional and sexual abuse at the time of the alleged crimes, impairing her mental state. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Just a thought.

Gavel..

 

Diffusing..

 

94%..

Vroom!

Formula..

 

Colossal..

 

US has been named the “colossal fossil” of the Cop27 climate talks by campaigners who criticised the country for its intransigence in providing support to developing countries hit hardest by the climate crisis.

John Kerry, the US climate envoy, has said the US is open to discussing the idea over the next two years, although it is wary of opening itself up to any sort of liability for the damages its huge historical emissions have caused.

Sadly, the US traded its supposed climate ambition for some dino-sized hypocrisy at this summit,” said Jean Su, energy justice director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Su said that the US has not only blocked loss and damage financing but is pushing ahead with new gas infrastructure on the Gulf of Mexico coast.