Link: https://www.rt.com/news/569626-biden-disaster-california-storms/

■ Major atmospheric river lashes California: 90% of state under flood watch (Axios)

Link: https://ground.news/article/bills-damar-hamlin-released-from-cincinnati-hospital-after-cardiac-arrest-on-field_be379a

(Ground News // Articles) Bills safety Damar Hamlin has returned home to Buffalo after nearly a week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center following a Week 17 matchup against the Bengals where he suffered cardiac arrest, doctors said Monday.

Link: https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jan/6/russia-will-soon-launch-submarine-capable-of-firin/

A Russian nuclear submarine capable of launching the country’s hypersonic missile will enter naval service within three years, defense ministry officials said Thursday. The Yasen-class submarine will be the first regular carrier of the Zircon, Russia’s advanced hypersonic cruise missile, according to the country’s official TASS news agency. | “The Perm submarine with Tskirkons [missiles] is planned to enter service with the Navy in 2026. Prior to that, the submarine will undergo trials in late 2024 or early 2025,” a Russian defense ministry official told TASS. Hypersonic missiles are capable of maneuvering while flying faster than sound. In the past, Russian officials have claimed their Zircon missiles could accelerate to Mach 9, more than 6,900 miles per hour. The Russian navy conducted test launches of its Zircon missiles from a submarine in October, TASS reported. At least six similar submarines are being constructed at shipyards in Russia, officials said.

■ The U.S. State Department Has Published a Pep Talk to the People of Russia... (01/07/23)

Link: https://www.rt.com/news/569604-turkish-attitude-russia-poll/

Almost three quarters of the people surveyed have said they have a positive view of the country | An overwhelming 72.8% of Turks said the two nations should have a good relationship, while 62.6% said Russia was making a positive contribution to the Turkish economy. ● The news outlet suggested that the attitude contrasted to how Turks felt about the US, stating that the perception of Washington in the country took a turn for the worse after the [US] attempted [to carry out a] military coup [there] in 2016. 💬 “We can say that the people are more distant from the West and have more confidence in the Russians,” Murat Gezici, the president of the polling agency, said, as quoted by Ulusal.

Link: https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/bulletin-flash-urgent-w-h-o-meeting-in-secret-to-convert-themselves-to-enforceable-law-under-existing-treaty

The International Health Regulations Review Committee (IHRRC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) is planning to meet in secret from Monday, January 9, 2023 to Friday January 13, 2023. The IHRRC will be working to finalize what is now a 46 page document that includes proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR). | The 76th World Health Assembly is scheduled to occur from Sunday May 21, 2023 to Tuesday May 30, 2023. In order for the proposed amendments to be considered during the 76th World Health Assembly, they must be submitted to the World Health Organization at least 4 months in advance. The IHRRC plans to submit these proposed amendments to the WHO by Sunday, January 15, 2023. ● The International Health Regulations are existing, legally-binding international law. If the proposed amendments are presented to the 76th World Health Assembly, they could be adopted by a simple majority of the 194 member nations. According to the already agreed upon rules of the IHR, if the proposed amendments are adopted, the member nations would not need to take any additional actions.

Link: https://news.antiwar.com/2023/01/08/zelensky-thanks-us-for-over-3-billion-arms-package-calls-it-an-awesome-christmas-present/

The US also announced $682 million in aid for its European allies to 'backfill' weapons that have been sent to Ukraine | The US on Friday pledged a new $3.075 billion weapons package for Ukraine that includes Bradley Fighting Vehicles for the first time, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called an “awesome Christmas present” as it was announced on the eve of Orthodox Christmas. ● The aid marks the single largest arms package the US has pledged to Ukraine at one time since Russia’s invasion. On Twitter, Zelensky thanked President Biden for the “all-time defense package” and said it was an “awesome Christmas present” for Ukraine that would bring a “common victory” for the US and Ukraine. ● The $3.075 billion includes $2.85 billion in presidential drawdown authority, which allows Biden to send Ukraine weapons directly from US military stockpiles. Ukraine will also receive $225 million under the State Department’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, which provides foreign governments with funds to purchase US-made military equipment.

Link: https://www.axios.com/2023/01/09/biden-visits-el-paso-first-border-trip-president

President Joe Biden arrived in El Paso, Texas, on Sunday as part of his first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border as president amid a major influx of migrants and asylum seekers arriving at the border. | Republicans, who made border security one of their top campaign issues in the 2022 midterms, have argued that Biden's lack of a visit is evidence the president is unserious about addressing illegal immigration across the southern border. ● Biden, after announcing the El Paso visit, unveiled a new policy last week to curb illegal border crossings, telling migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti in a rare public address dedicated to the border issue to "not just show up at the border," Axios' Stef Kight reports. The big picture: During his visit, Biden met with local officials, faith leaders and non-governmental groups who've supported migrants fleeing political oppression and economic collapse in their home countries at the El Paso County Migrant Services Support Center.

■ Biden Makes First Presidential Trip To Border

Link: https://www.axios.com/2023/01/08/bolsonaro-supporters-storm-congress-brazil

Supporters of Brazil's right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the National Congress and other government buildings in the capital Brasilia on Sunday in an attack that echoed the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot by supporters of former President Donald Trump. | Authorities said late Sunday they had cleared the Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace offices of rioters, the New York Times reports. At least 300 people had been arrested, police said. What happened: Footage broadcast by several news outlets earlier Sunday showed protesters climbing onto the Congress building's roof, smashing some of its glass windows and doors, and damaging furniture. ● They also flooded parts of the Congress building with the sprinkler system and damaged furniture in the presidential palace and Supreme Court building, per Reuters. ● President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office less than a week ago, was in Sao Paulo at the time of the attacks. ● While Congress was not in session, protesters reportedly threatened employees if they tried to block their entry into the building, per CNN. ●  About 3,000 people took part in what initially started as a demonstration in Brasilia, according to local media.

Link: https://legitgov.org/dod-controlled-covid-vaccines-start-under-national-security-program-lied-entire-time-were-never-safe

DOD Controlled COVID 'Vaccines' From the Start Under National Security Program, Lied the Entire Time - Were Never 'Safe and Effective' | According to congressionally passed statutes, research of active laws, and extra details obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the Department of Defense owns, implements, and oversees the COVID-19 vaccine program as a "countermeasure" to foreign attack. While the public was bombarded with an orchestrated fear campaign, the U.S. government managed the Covid response as a national security threat. The research and documents were obtained by a former executive of a pharmaceutical Contract Research Organization (CRO), Sasha Latypova, and intensive legal researcher Katherine Watt. The Three-Legged Stool The undercover operation was orchestrated utilizing three critical legal maneuvers: 1. Emergency Use Authorization EUA; 2. Prep Act; 3. Other Transactions Authority. President Trump declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) on March 13, 2020, under the Stafford Act, putting the National Security Council in charge of the Covid policy. Covid-19 vaccines are "medical countermeasures" -- a grey area of products that are not regulated as vaccines or medicines.

Link: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/01/newly-discovered-emails-mo-la-government-lawsuit-reveal-biden-regime-pressured-facebook-censor-tucker-carlson/

Newly Discovered Emails in MO and LA Government Lawsuit Reveal Biden Regime Pressured Facebook to Censor Tucker Carlson and Targeted Robert Kennedy, Jr. | In May 2022, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and former Missouri Attorney General and current Senator Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit alleging the President of the United States and other senior officials in the Biden Administration violated the First Amendment by directing social-media companies to censor viewpoints that conflict with the government's messaging on Covid-19 and election integrity concerns relating to the 2020 general election... Dr. Tony Fauci, Nina Jankowicz, Vivek Murthy, and Karine Jean Pierre were served subpoenas along with several more Biden officials, the five social media giants as well as NIAID and the CDC in the Missouri and Louisiana lawsuit alleging collusion between the Biden administration and Big Tech in silencing conservative speech. The subpoenas request all communications between government officials and bodies and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. On Friday, January 6, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry released communications between Joe Biden's Director of Digital Strategy, Joe Flaherty, pressuring Facebook to censor Tucker Carlson of FOX News.

Link: https://www.rt.com/news/569533-kevin-mccarthy-speaker-recap/

After a divisive voting process, Republicans choose the California lawmaker as the new speaker of the House of Representatives on Saturday | Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was sworn in as speaker of the House of Representatives on Saturday morning, bringing a divisive week of infighting to a close and formally handing control of the House to the GOP. A split in the party turned what is normally an uneventful procedure into an historic standoff, with 20 hardline Republican lawmakers holding up the process in a combined bid to thwart McCarthy’s appointment and squeeze concessions out of a leader they view as too establishment-friendly.

Link: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/irs-targeted-poorest-taxpayers-millionaires-went-unscathed-2022-report

IRS targeted poorest taxpayers while millionaires went mostly unscathed in 2022 - report | A study of 2022 IRS tax audit data found that a taxpayer in the lowest income bracket is five times more likely to face an audit that would a member of the highest income bracket... The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University examines internal IRS management reports each month, and the group noticed different trends by reviewing 2022 data. Most notably, the group looked at audits, particularly considering the agency relying more heavily on automatically produced letters sent to taxpayers. The data showed that the IRS conducted 85% of its audits through these letters, which request additional information and documentation related to specific items of interest. The rate of income tax audits for those in the lowest income bracket hit 12.7 per 1,000, compared to 2.3 per 1,000 among theose in the highest -- a nearly five-fold increase. The odds of a millionaire facing an audit were around 1.1%.

Link: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-us-house-speaker-kevin-mccarthys-dream-job-could-become-nightmare-2023-01-07/

Kevin McCarthy woke up on Saturday morning with a long-held dream fulfilled: After a four-day standoff, he was elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the most powerful member of the Republican Party. | But that role could turn into a nightmare because it requires leading a caucus that strongly rejects leadership. Conservatives have regularly excoriated top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell for agreeing to compromises of any kind with Democrats and earlier this week rejected former President Donald Trump's call to quickly fall in line behind McCarthy.

Link: https://greatgameindia.com/how-google-could-takeover-the-world/

Link: https://slaynews.com/news/twitter-exaggerated-russian-propaganda-claims-appease-democrats-media/

Twitter deliberately exaggerated claims about Russian propaganda flooding its platform in an effort to appease the Democrats and their allies in the corporate media, the latest installment of the “Twitter Files” has revealed. | According to journalist Matt Taibbi, who released another batch of the internal communication files this week, Twitter found no evidence that Russia was ramping up its influence efforts on the social media platform. Twitter’s own internal investigations found that the claim was a “dud,” Taibbi revealed. Nevertheless, Twitter’s former executives continued to push the Democrats’ narrative that Russia was using bots to spread propaganda and influence America’s elections, despite knowing it was false.

Link: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-reopens-borders-final-farewell-zero-covid-2023-01-08/

Travellers began streaming into mainland China by air, land and sea on Sunday, many eager for long-awaited reunions, as Beijing opened borders that have been all but shut since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. | After three years, mainland China opened sea and land crossings with Hong Kong and ended a requirement for incoming travellers to quarantine, dismantling a final pillar of a zero-COVID policy that had shielded China's people from the virus but also cut them off from the rest of the world. China's easing over the past month of one of the world's tightest COVID regimes followed historic protests against a policy that included frequent testing, curbs on movement and mass lockdowns that heavily damaged the second-biggest economy.

Link: https://sputniknews.com/20230107/all-by-myself-washington-dc-tops-list-of-loneliest-cities-in-america--1106110587.html

Incresingly more one-person households and marriages put on hold for a number of reasons are just some of the factors that have been feeding into the despondent statistics released by the US Chamber of Commerce. | America's capital, Washington DC, has been named as the loneliest city in the entire country, according to a new study from the Chamber of Commerce. ● Analyis of US Census Bureau data revealed the disheartening statistics: among the 319,565 households in Washington, D.C., nearly half (48.2%) had just one occupant. Overall, 154,140 residents live "solo" in the nation's capital, with this applying to 21.5% of men and 26.7% of women. ● Furthermore, the trend appears to be gathering steam, as the city is persistently "getting lonelier." Statistics don't lie: the number of people leading solitary household lives has increased 5.9% year-over-year since 2016, the survey showed. Across more than 170 cities of the United States with a population of at least 150,000, more than 36 million Americans (approximately 29 percent of all households) had just one occupant, continued the study.

Link: https://sputniknews.com/20230107/man-behind-the-gavel-who-is-the-new-house-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-1106098948.html

Man Behind the Gavel: Who is the New House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy? | Republican Kevin McCarthy finally clinched US House speakership after the 15th ballot was held on Friday. McCarthy (Calif.) became the nation’s 55th speaker, wrapping a contentious few days of heated debates and concessions which had left the chamber leaderless for the longest time in a century. ● The 57-year-old lawmaker had remained confident throughout the tense debates with GOP holdouts and concession-trading that finally landed him the gavel. Incidentally, it was Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) who handed Speaker-elect Kevin McCarthy the gavel, calling to mind a joke made by the Californian back in August, 2021.

■ McCarthy weighing $75B defense budget cut in quest for speakership (Responsible Statecraft)
■ McCarthy elected House speaker after historic battle with GOP rebels (Axios)
■ US House elects speaker on 15th attempt (RT.com)

The woman was taken into custody over a minor traffic offense | The mother of Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old military veteran fatally shot by police as she stormed the halls of Congress on January 6, 2021, has been arrested during a demonstration to mark the second anniversary of her daughter’s death. ● A small protest march in Washington, DC on Friday ended in the arrest of Micki Witthoeft, 58, who was slapped with traffic violations after refusing orders to get out of the street. ● In footage of the encounter captured by journalist Ford Fischer, Witthoeft is seen attempting to cross a road near the Capitol before she is shoved by a police officer, who repeatedly tells her to return to the sidewalk. Declining to do so, the woman then turned around with her hands behind her back, apparently asking to be arrested. Following an exchange of words, she was then placed in the back of a squad car.

Link: https://nypost.com/2023/01/06/117-year-old-church-burns-down-in-latest-portland-mayhem/

An arson attack that destroyed a 117-year-old church in downtown Portland, Oregon, this week has become a symbol of disorder in the city. | Cameron David Storer, a trans woman also known as “Nicolette Fait,” was arrested following an investigation by the Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigations Unit.

The 27-year-old is charged with two counts of first-degree arson, one count of second-degree arson, and two counts of second-degree burglary — all felonies. According to prosecutors, Storer walked into the Multnomah County Detention Center and confessed to setting the church on fire using a lighter.

“Storer stated that they heard voices in their head saying they would ‘mutilate’ Storer if they did not burn the church down and that they had planned it up to one day in advance,” said the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office in a press release. Storer allegedly told investigators she was taking oxycodone and had a history of mental illness. [i.e. "wokeness"]

What remains of the church’s charred steeple could collapse at any moment, according to the fire department, which blocked off the area pending a demolition. The church had previously been damaged in a 2020 fire and was routinely illegally occupied by squatters.