Threat Matrix 2020

Established in 2001 after the 9/11 attack on America, this thread is designed to identify threats to America, both internal and external, and evaluate the probability of those threats occurring and the extent of potential damage. Discussions may stray into ‘tinfoil’ territory, but the goal is to peel back and confirm information so we can make founded decisions and actions.

Thanks, Godzilla.

(from last night post) Tucker just had on Detroit Police Chief, James Craig...the best Detroit has ever had. He will not let rioters destroy his city. A couple of years ago he told Detroiters that the police could not protect them in all situations and that they should arm up. Detroiters went through the ‘67 riots and witnessed the senseless destruction. I have a lot of friends in Detroit...including pastors. All that I know will not put up with this bs. I lived in Detroit 5 different times and graduated from Wayne St. University in Detroit. My girlfriend in ‘67 lived in Detroit near Grand River and Oakman. There were tanks on the street and National Guard troops. I pleaded with them to let me see my girlfriend 2 streets past the checkpoint at Oakman and Grand River. They let me through, but said don’t go to Livernois...there are snipers down there and lots of trouble. I didn’t. I still keep in touch with Marilyn and she a dear friend of my family. I will be very surprised if Detroiters allow bad things to happen. HOORAY Detroit and Chief Craig.

(and this morning) In addition to a great police chief, James Craig, in Detroit...there are 2 very good Democrats (I can’t believe I just said that) mayor Mike Duggan and Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy, who prosecuted former POS thug mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. There are a lot of great Americans in Detroit. HOORAY Detroit.

FYI

Detroit remains calm...

https://michigan.liveuamap.com/en/2020/2-june-police-presence-remains-but-things-are-calm-in-downtown

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/06/01/stefan-perez-detroit-protests-mike-duggan/5313967002/

https://www.wxyz.com/news/live-at-2-detroit-mayor-mike-duggan-to-address-weekend-protests

Great Coronavirus Panic of 2020 -
Many of the various categories I’m following have now integrated effects from this pandemic, but I’m keeping them separate for clarity. Check numerous FR threads for more specific corona virus threads. On the good side, daily cases and deaths have clearly been decreasing since April 2, 2020. Better details here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3853245/posts

Mortality rate is approximately 1/3 of what it was at the peak on about April 19th.

We are entering uncharted waters as far as this pandemic goes. . . . . .

The riots have largely overwhelmed this category, with just a few items to note. There are some alleged spikes in reporting numbers and the Fauci group warning that the masses of rioters not practicing social distancing may cause a large increase in infections - karma? Surprisingly, NYC is allowing phase 1 opening with meetings of up to 100 - you think!

Brazil and other Latin American countries struggling with associated deaths and destruction of their economies.

A German report critical of the government response to the virus has been leaked to the street. Key passage is that the danger of the virus was overestimated and the threat posed did not go beyond the normal level.

CW2 -
Wow, what a week to be off. Violence has finally began to drop off over the weekend, though there are still (less violent) protests across the country. Still trying to get caught up and wrap my head around developments. My observations of the week and near future:

1. Antifa / BLM violence to me now appears to have been a recon in force to test just how far they could go before triggering a major push back (in this case, deployment of active duty forces). They tested command and control methods they’ve been working on for the past several years and in my view was a success in that they diverted so much of the protests into violence. An “iron fisted” response would aid the leftist cause..

2. Riots have forced local govts to give in to one of their major goals - defunding/elimination of police forces. Minnesota the leftist city council has a veto proof majority saying that they will not only defund but disband the police. New York, LA and other cities pledging to take huge chunks of police budget and shift it to ‘social causes’. The cities doing this had spineless leadership to begin with. BLM has announced it will be forming Black Panther style armed ‘patrols’ monitoring the behavior of officers on the streets. Initial response indicates that there are a lot of resignations/retirements in police departments that have been targeted for these actions - developing. By defunding/disbanding police forces, future riots will be easier initially for leftist elements to gain control of urban centers in a quick manner.

3. THIS IS THE SCARY PART - though well within his right/privilege to invoke the Insurrection Act, the President encountered near insurrection from the Pentagon in the form of Esper and retired (and probably some active) generals. Ret Gen Mattis even inferred that a ‘hard’ coup is justified to remove the President. The deep state has corrupted military leadership far more than I once thought. Note that violent protests did suddenly decline after the president mobilized the 82d into DC. The ‘military’ pushback probably gave antifa (and its ‘handlers’) an opportunity to disengage, accomplishing #1 above.

4. Leftist psyops had mixed effects with the threat to move violence into the suburbs and rural areas. Suburbs around violence impacted urban areas did show a degree of panic and some stores (like in my area) did board up and reduce hours. There were some probing, but nothing big. Antifa/BLM tried moving into rural red area, to encounter many patriots armed to the teeth sitting back and enjoying the protesters squirm.

5. Liberal literally on their knees and faces in surrender to the threats of Antifa/BLM, acquiescing to their demands and in essence pleading for peace. Optics that may come back to haunt the left.

Based on 1 - 4 above, I think this was a test run. I fully expect more riots occurring prior to the election day with the goal of being violent enough to hinder or even stop the voting - even to the point of generating martial law in places. Optics they think may sway support away from the President.

On the good side I think this also gave law enforcement (the real good guys, not the spineless corrupted elements) an excellent opportunity to see Antifa/BLM’s command and control. Those few uncorrupted elements now have time to pour over the data and see what’s what. Further, they have opportunity to disrupt Antifa/BLM planning for later protests by arresting key leadership.

Economy -
May’s job report was a shocker, analysts had anticipated a loss of 8 million jobs, but instead an increase of 2.5 million employed and a drop in the unemployment rate. Most of the gain was due to actions in red states and in sectors poised to rebound.

N Korea -
North Korea pulled out of the inter-Korean liaison office, located in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. The agency was set up to reduce tensions between the two nations - part of an agreement signed by leaders Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un in 2018.

Syria -
Syrian currency collapsed has thrown an already weak and unstable economy into greater turmoil and complicated it’s military options and operations against the hold out region of Idlib.

China/India -
Both sides continue to build up forces on each side. Negotiations have been going no where, with India digging in with its demands that China depart from its territory.

Hong Kong -
Pro-democracy members who control 17 district councils across Hong Kong have unanimously voted in favour of a motion calling for the withdrawal of the upcoming national security legislation. The HK government has refused to recognise the legitimacy of the motion, saying that the issue of national security law doesn’t fall within the scope of the councils and has nothing to do with district work.

Iran -
There are unsubstantiated information that Iran is repositioning Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria in preparation to more aggressively respond to Israeli airstrikes on its warehouse and supply depots. Part of this involves stationing of forces within Syrian elements, generally avoided by Israeli targeting in the past. They are counting on Syria to respond for them and the threat of open war with Syria to be a deterrent to further Israeli strikes. Additionally, unconfirmed reports of thousands of pro-Iranian militias have been integrated into the Syrian army, with many stationed on the border with Israel.

Libya-
Monitoring the arrival of Egyptian M1 tanks to the Libyan border area as a possible counter to Turkish delivered M60A3 tanks for the GNA.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3853625/posts

We are entering uncharted waters as far as this pandemic goes. . . . . .

Some are looking at satellite photos of hospital parking lots in Wuhan and note a significant increase in the number of vehicles in the parking lot. This increase is noted beginning in October, and are interpreting it as representing when the virus started to cause a spike in hospital activity. Antidotal evidence, but could explain some of the early infections that hit the US.

The WHO reports that asymptomatic corona infectees are not a risk to spread the virus. This was one of the key panic points early on.

Fauci continues to say the riots are a ‘perfect setup’ for corona virus to spread. Time will tell given the 10-14 day incubation period and the start of riots.

European countries are continuing to roll back restrictions as infection and death rates continue to fall. Much to the fear of liberals, Trump rallies may resume later this month.

CW2 -
Remarkable to note that rioting and violence has suddenly dropped of the chart. There still are protests with all the signs and chatter, but the burning and looting has practically ceased.

Just 16% of Americans support cutting funding for police departments, according to a YouGov poll. Advocates have no clue as to what they are going to replace their police forces with. Congress critters and their cultural misappropriated kneeling yesterday is getting slammed by . . . . liberals.

The radical left does have their replacement for police. Hawk Newsome, chairman of BLM’s Greater New York chapter, said the organization has military Special Forces officers training and advising members who will “patrol” black communities and challenge law enforcement. “We pattern ourselves after the Black Panthers, after the Nation of Islam, we believe that we need an arm to defend ourselves. We will build and train peace officers to keep the peace in our communities, to defend our communities, to keep our communities safe.”” One can see the writing on the wall if allowed to go forward - civil war.

MY OBSERVATIONS: The political left has largely kowtowed to BLM and associated rioters for their demand to defund/disband police forces. This shift has happened at about the same time rioting/looting ceased to be key. If the anti-law enforcement movement continues to its qualified logical conclusion, the conditions will be very ripe for future actual race-based civil war that the marxists actually want. Armed militias roaming inner cities with a grudge towards whites and other non-blacks will have little to hold them back from periodic ‘enforcement’ actions of surrounding areas. This will also bring rise to Muslim patrols enforcing Islamic law in concentrated areas - which may bring conflict with the BLM enforcers. This will not end well

There have been over 45 federal level arrests of individuals associated with the instigation of rioting/looting. IMHO, these are the low lying fruits with little connection to the real organizers across the country. Even leftist Austin TX protesters and police recognize that leftists from outside were instrumental to initiating violence in city protests. Again, I think the marxist/antifas related core elements got what they wanted - a test of just how hard they can push and at what point things would start breaking bad for them. Now monitor the political effort to neuter law enforcement that will create conditions that will permit them to go further next time.

Economy -
The S&P 500 erased the corona virus losses and now has gone green for the year. Significant economic impacts for riot torn cities as many businesses are not able to rebuild or are planning on moving to more stable areas.

N Korea -
Concerns about NK discontinuing its end of the ‘hot line’ connections with the south. It was this line that helped prevent the May 3d incident on the DMZ from escalating.

We are entering uncharted waters as far as this pandemic goes. . . . . .

One day after claiming the transmission of COVID-19 by people who never develop symptoms is “very rare,” the World Health Organization walked back its comments, saying asymptomatic spread is a “really complex question.” WHO officials state that there is still “much that is unknown” regarding the asymptomatic spread of coronavirus.

There are increasing reports that the number of infections has increased with the shut-downers saying “I told you so”. Too soon to tell, given the incredibly mixed up reporting scheme as to what denotes an infection as well as questions on the accuracy of testing. Of course White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning the pandemic “isn’t over yet”, after an extended absence from the media spotlight.

CW2 -
Seattle gave up about 6 square blocks to a combined Antifa/BLM element after police/NG abandoned a police precinct. Calling it “Free Capitol Hill” they have taken over & created an “autonomous zone” in city w/their own rules. Still largely buried in most news reports, the so called protesters have declared this area to be completely separate from the US and has called for armed volunteers to defend its borders.
MY EVALUATION: This could be an attempt to restart the “occupy” movement in order to be a thorn in the side of President Trump as well as provide essentially bases in which further indoctrination and planning for the next stage of violence can be conducted. Unlike the previous occupy, this one is appearing to be more militaristic and violence prone. The link below has a map of “Free Capitol Hill”. There are possibly as many as 500 residential homes within this compound.

https://pjmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Seattle-Autonomous-Zones-1110x725.jpg

The chaos isn’t finished with Seattle though, protesters and rioters were allowed into Seattle’s City Hall after Councilwoman Kshama Sawant used her key to unlock the building and let them inside. Hundreds of “protesters” entered the building. They left peacefully an hour later after demanding that the Seattle mayor resign for refusing to disband the police.

Economy -
Growing concern about other underlying issues that could arrest the recovery.
Riots and destruction of businesses is causing a migration out of inner cities/urban areas to more stable regions. The mayor of Chicago is begging Walmart and other stores to rebuild. Walmart has only partially committed to a limited rebuild. Riots burned many grocery stores in Chicago making it difficult for many to get food.

Iran -
The country continues to have financial crises, continuing anti-government protests and growing criticism from government and military leaders. Poverty is growing in Iran and the government continues to spend lots of money on military operations in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. Syria is the costliest foreign adventure. So far this year some 50,000 Iranian mercenaries have been transferred to the Syrian Army. These men still take orders (and monthly pay) from Iran but now wear Syrian uniforms and are based near the Israeli border. This move is designed to place pressure on Israel as well as provide a force with which to support what I consider to be an eventual attack on Israel lead by Hezbollah.

Commercial satellite imagery shows Iran has also built a mock up aircraft carrier for probable attack ‘practice’.

India/China -
Limited disengagement talks are taking place along the LAC where a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops has been on for over a month. Along with the talks are reported to be troop withdrawls to lower tensions.

Hong Kong -
HK police have organized a special police unit to enforce the new security law when it comes into effect.

We are entering uncharted waters as far as this pandemic goes. . . . . .

Claims being made that the “second wave” is hitting Florida and other states that have opened early. However, even late opening states like California are saying infections are increasing. With this, the US has hit the 2 million case mark.

CW2 -
The Veritas Project recently released an exposé on the Shelby, North Carolina chapter of Redneck Revolt. According to the report, members view themselves as armed revolutionaries, and reportedly told the undercover investigative journalist that they believe in the abolition of police. Redneck Revolt is a pro-gun Leftist organization made primarily of more rural, as opposed to urban, anti-racists who want to arm oppressed classes for self-defense. Members are also known to attend antifascist demonstrations, often open-carrying firearms. They are part of other antifa associated leftist groups - Socialist Rifleman Association and John Brown Gun Club - that are arming up in an effort to offset conservative militias.

DHS is warning that police officer personal information is being posted on social media. This will likely be used by leftist assets to pick off LEOs and terrorize their families.

All is not well in the Marxist/socialist enclave called Free Capitol Hill Zone (I refer to is as just Zone). Yesterday it was reported that homeless individuals invited to stay there ran off with all their food, prompting a call for vegan based resupply (perhaps they should call the police - oh wait). On a darker note, the Zone is devolving into warlordism. Rapper Raz Simone, who has been patrolling the barricades with an AK-47 and a handgun, has begun assaulting residents who disobey him. “We are the police now,” says his crew. “We are the leaders.” (Self appointed ‘police’ violence). Businesses caught in the Zone are being extorted for money and supplies by Antifa et al. Elements of the John Brown Gun Club reportedly have showed up to provide armed border protection. There is RUMINT that the marxist/antifa/blm are going to try to set up another zone in the West Precinct (which also houses the 911 call center) but at present, i’m not giving much credibility at the moment - monitoring.
MY OBSERVATIONS: If this marks the start of a new occupy movement, it also marks the start of a far more violence based occupy that is armed and acting more like a criminal mob than peaceful activists. Seattle leadership is too spineless and leftist to do anything about it at the moment. However, extortion by the self appointed leadership of the Zone - unopposed by Seattle leadership - could spawn some serious lawsuits once the trash is taken out.

Economy -
The Federal Reserve decided on Wednesday to hold interest rates steady at near-zero, signaling its intention to support a post-COVID economic recovery by keeping rates at the lower bound through at least 2022. GDP contracting by 6.5% in 2020 with the unemployment rate at an elevated level of 9.3% by the end of the year. But in 2021, the median projection has unemployment falling to 6.5% and real GDP rebounding by 5.0%.

With increasing reports of the ‘second wave’ of infections, markets are very shaky globally and are dropping relatively hard in comparison to recent weeks. First time jobless claims were better than expected but it will be a bumpy day on Wall Street.

CBS reports that 722 companies sought bankruptcy protection around the U.S. last month, a 48% increase from the year-ago period. Chapter 11 filings also jumped in April and March, as states started imposing business restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak. Many were already on the ropes prior to shutdown, with the shutdown and aftermath all but eliminating possible debt restructuring commonly used to allow businesses to work their way out of difficulties.

Strategic Deployments -
The USS Reagan has deployed for patrols in the Philippine Sea region.

Syria -
In 2019 Iranian economic problems led to a sharp (over 50 percent) cut in cash aid to Syria. This year the sanctions on Syria have multiplied and been enforced more effectively. It is harder for the average Syrian to buy consumer goods and basic items. The Syrian pound has collapsed and shortages are affecting even the wealthy. There is no prospect for relief any time soon.

West Bank -
PA is losing power and Islamic Jihad terror group is moving in to fill the vacuum. Part of this comes from financial issues combined with the corona virus and Israel’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank. The PA is relatively powerless to stop armed demonstrations by the IJ and their radicalism is winning supporters.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Tuesday that if Israel annexes parts of Judea and Samaria, the Palestinians would declare a state based on the pre-1967 lines and launch an international recognition campaign. The campaign, he said, would include recognition of eastern Jerusalem as the state’s capital, reported Ynet. Shtayyeh called annexation an “existential threat” for the Palestinians. July 1 is a date floating about that may be the date Israel will declare its annexation. Monitoring.

N Korea -
Kim Jong-Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, has been taking a more visible position since her brother’s “Where is Waldo” period of absence from the public eye. She is currently leading what observers consider to be a very vicious attack on S Korea and defectors. She is also seen as taking the leading role in dealing with S Korea on other policy matters.

Domestically, the situation has changed significantly from virus to riots/insurrection.

Wuhan Virus -

No DoughtyOne post as of this morning

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said state officials have learned a lot and are ready to reimplement stay-at-home orders if an outbreak materializes. Pro-lockdown voices in the medical community are saying that the second coronavirus wave could be seen in November, coincidentally coinciding with the elections.

Economy -
Yesterday was bloody for the stock market, losing the most in one day since March. Concern is the resurgence of the corona virus. Expect another rough ride today.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC that a second shutdown of the economy because of the coronavirus isn’t a realistic option. “We can’t shut down the economy again. I think we’ve learned that if you shut down the economy, you’re going to create more damage,” Mnuchin said.

CW2/Civil Unrest -
What we’re seeing now is not democracy. It’s anarchy.

Seattle Mayor has dubbed the insurrection at the Zone “patriotic”. The president has repeatedly threatened military action to close out the Zone. This option is fraught with potential land mines. First the reported blow up between him and his defense officials and generals over the DC deployment of the 82d. Second, the stated willingness of the terrorists to shoot first, forcing a lethal response from military forces - creating an optic of Trump killing ‘citizens’ to be used against him in the election cycle. Third, he will receive no support from either the state or city leadership.

West Bank -
According to Israeli news sources, Palestinian intelligence offices in at least two West Bank cities have been ordered to hide sensitive documents in preparation for possible violence. This is viewed as a precursor to potential violence if Israel goes ahead with applying sovereignty to large parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley. The last time this was done was just before the Second Intifada which lasted from 2000 until 2005.

Israel/Gaza -
“Balloon Units” in Gaza are threatening to restart the IED balloon assault on Israel again. A few balloons have been launched in recent days. During the last episode, Israel targeted launching areas and developed laser systems to quickly shoot down balloons.

Lebanon -
Riots/protests stretch from Beirut to Tripoli against massive corruption, economic bankruptcy and political stagnation.

Venezuela -
Fuel crisis is resulting in no crops being planted. According to the International Crisis Group, Venezuela is on the verge of a famine. More than half of the land used to grow vegetables last year won’t be replanted, according to farming federation Fedeagro. Corn production is expected to cover less than a quarter of national demand.

India/China -
Talks to defuse the situation on the LOC are going nowhere. China and India are mobilizing more troops along the border. The Daily Telegraph can reveal that up to 12,000 Chinese troops pushed over the border into India last month amid border clashes as Beijing looks to slap down Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ever-closer relationship with the United States. Along the Line of Control in the Ladakh sector only, the China has deployed over 10,000 troops with tanks and long range artillery.

Domestically, the situation has changed significantly from virus to riots/insurrection.

Wuhan Virus -

DoughtyOne post as of yesterday

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3854973/posts

Brazil overtakes UK to have second highest Covid-19 death toll in the world
The country’s health ministry recorded 909 deaths in the past 24 hours, putting the total at 41,828

An official for Beijing’s Fengtai District spoke on the spike in coronavirus cases at a wholesale food market in the Chinese capital. This is a massive wholesale market, reportedly the largest in Asia. It’s not unlike the type of wholesale market you’d see in any country. Xin Fa Di Market is said to supply 80% of Beijing’s vegetables and meat. The official said at a briefing Saturday that the district was now in a “wartime emergency mode” with sports events and inter-provincial tourism suspended. The Associated Press also reported that 11 residential communities near the market had been locked down

Economy -
California Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill that would allow small businesses — like cafes, restaurants and bars — to renegotiate and modify lease deals if they have been impacted by shelter-in-place orders and economic shutdowns. If an agreement isn’t reached after 30 days of negotiations, the tenant can break the lease with no penalty, effectively starting a revolution in the world of credit by retroactively transforming commercial loans into non-recourse debt.

CW2/Civil Unrest -
What we’re seeing now is not democracy. It’s anarchy.

Minneapolis City Council unanimously passes resolution to replace police department with a “community-led public safety system” - Reuters. The replacement ‘system’ is still amorphous and there is a 1-year transition period planned.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued a warning to demonstrators looking to set up an autonomous zone in front of the state Capitol Friday, saying that “lawlessness, autonomous zones, and violence will not be tolerated.” According to a local news outlet, a large group of demonstrators reportedly intended to set up an autonomous zone in front of the Capitol in solidarity with the demonstrations in Seattle. Police in Asheville, North Carolina ripped down barricades of an attempted autonomous zone.

NOTE: I stated earlier that Seattle may be a start of a new phase in protests to resurrect the ‘occupy’ model.

Meanwhile in the people’s republic of chazistan, chaos rules as everyone and no one appears to be in charge there. But a great vacation spot. Follow the link for a good laugh today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaf6bqlgu9I

China -
A Chinese military officer was caught trying to leave California with university research materials this week, after allegedly lying on an application to obtain a visitor visa for a work-study exchange program, the Justice Department announced. Xin Wang, a scientific researcher and officer with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), was arrested at LAX as he was attempting to board his flight to Tianjin, China, according to court documents unsealed this week. He faces visa fraud charges.

West Bank -
The IDF, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Israel Police and civilian security organizations are planning for the worst-case scenarios when July 1 arrives and the expected annexation of parts of the West Bank.

N Korea-
North Korea has deemed its negotiations with the U.S. over the North Korean nuclear program a failure, in a statement marking the second anniversary of President Donald Trump’s meeting with dictator Kim Jong-Un. This level of rhetoric may presuppose that they expect that Trump will not be re-elected.

Lebanon -
Protests continue across the country over the government’s handling of their economic crisis. This needs monitoring in the event Hezbollah finally tries to pull the trigger on Israel in response to West Bank annexations.

Domestically, the situation has changed significantly from virus to riots/insurrection.

Wuhan Virus -

DoughtyOne post as of yesterday

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3855284/posts

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday additional lockdowns may be needed if rising infection data doesn’t improve, and some researchers are warning the resurgences in some states isn’t even the “second wave” that many feared — it’s still isn’t the second wave yet.

Economy -
Efforts to stall the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) not only brought the economy to a halt, but they also ended what had been the best African American job market on record. Recent rioting hit numerous black-owned businesses, ensuring that any recovery for the black community would be stymied

CW2/Civil Unrest -
What we’re seeing now is not democracy. It’s anarchy.

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said she wants to retake the police precinct in the self-declared “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” or “CHAZ,” “as soon as possible.” Reports that violent crime in the area has jumped 300% and police are unable to respond.

In North Carolina, activists began to create their own autonomous zone in Asheville, but it didn’t last long on Friday night. Less than two hours after activists starting establishing their autonomous zone, police were tearing it down.

Antifa and BLM this week set up a new “autonomous zone” at Hyde Park inside and around the University of Chicago Police Department. the ones camping “inside” are not being allowed to use the toilet or have food, while those outside are allowed both.

More riots in Atlanta due to the police shooting death of a black man. The chief of police also resigned. Of particular note: A skateboard was used to attack a CNN crew at the Atlanta riots. I noted this to be a common weapon of this riot outbreak. IDK if it was prominent in protests prior to 2020, but it has been a common one in this wave of violence.

The Department of Justice has filed what looks to be the first tranche of charges against violent antifa protesters from coast-to-coast following weeks of rioting following the killing of George Floyd by police. As Antifa itself would say, “it’s going down.” NOTE: these numbers are currently relatively small given the scope of rioting across the nation.

N Korea-
South Korea has convened a National Security Council meeting following threat from North Korea’s Kim Yo-Jong, the sister of Kim Jong-Un . National Security Council meeting was held at midnight on the 14th, and It couldn’t wait until the morning to hold this meeting, shows there’s urgency behind the meeting.

The sister of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un bashed South Korea and has threatened military action after a recent decline in relations. Kim Yo Jong took aim at the inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong, promising a “tragic scene” after she accused Seoul of not doing enough to stop an anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign, calling the liaison office “useless.” Activists regularly float balloons into North Korea carrying leaflets that criticize the leadership, a move that generally garners a furious response.

“We will soon take a next action. By exercising my power authorized by the Supreme Leader, our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with enemy to decisively carry out the next action”“...the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army. Our army, too, will determine something for cooling down our people’s resentment and surely carry out it, I believe.

MY OBSERVATIONS: Silence from her brother - the ruler of NK is LOUD. The power structure in NK allowing her to take center stage on announcing potential military action against SK indicates she has nailed the right to succession. Secondly, I don’t doubt for a minute that China has given their consent because of the international push back lead by the US. What better time to launch an international situation, when they are getting hammered by the US and while the US is tied in knots by both the corona virus and rioting.

Bottom line, SK is closely watching NK troop movements. Her warning focuses on Kaesong, so at this time I would think any military operations would be limited to that area, possibly from a pinpoint strike on the building rather than ground troops.

Iraq -
Multiple rockets fell inside Taji base that house US military personnel northern Baghdad. There were no reports of any injuries .

Great Coronavirus Panic of 2020 -

Many of the various categories I’m following have now integrated effects from this pandemic, but I’m keeping them separate for clarity. Check numerous FR threads for more specific corona virus threads. On the good side, daily cases and deaths have clearly been decreasing since April 2, 2020.

Yesterday’s data dump from DoughtyOne

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3855580/posts

We are entering uncharted waters as far as this pandemic goes. . . . . .

China reported its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases in months on Sunday, triggering fears of a second wave of infections. The resurgence in domestic infections has rattled China, where the disease emerged late last year but had largely been tamed through severe restrictions. Particularly so since the current hot spot is in the Beijing metropolitan complex/region - an area that was spared the first go round.

Fauci getting more face time as the fear mongering begins for a second wave in the US.

DeBlazio’s contact tracers have been instructed to deliberately avoid asking questions about any participation in any of the Floyd protests/riots. Kind of defeats the purpose of such tracing.

CW2 -
The Alamo has been threatened for vandalism by radicals on social media (as they have attacked other sites across the country). George P. Bush, Texas Land Commissioner, put it pretty straight forward to them - “My message to the protesters is simple: Don’t mess with The Alamo.” This is but one example of growing pushback to the reckless vandalism and destruction of public landmarks. In south Philadelphia, citizens are surrounding and protecting the Columbus Statue. Other statues/monuments are being protected by citizens elsewhere.

More “autonomous zones” have been attempted in several places, but have been quickly taken down by police.

Economy -
With resurgent corona virus concerns, this week the stock market will be a rough one.

Iraq/Turkey -
Turkish jets struck Kurdish targets in northern Iraq overnight. They claim they targeted bases used by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants.

Israel -
Russia has joined a number of other countries warning against a July 1 annexation of portions of the West Bank.
NOTE: If things are going to blow up significantly, the annexation has a good chance at lighting the fuse.

N Korea -
Situation is still tense following the weekend statements by Kim’s sister. Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the first-ever summit between the leaders of the two Koreas, stoking speculation that whatever provocation the regime may be planning could be timed to coincide with that.

Black Swans -
Ebola has reared its head again in the Congo, monitoring.

Lots of overnight happenings.

Yesterday’s data dump from DoughtyOne

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3855847/posts

We are entering uncharted waters as far as this pandemic goes. . . . . .

An investigation at the National Institutes of Health has led to the firings and resignations of 54 scientists after they failed to disclose foreign ties while registering for grants. The agency opened investigations into nearly 200 scientists with unreported foreign ties; 93% of the undisclosed funding came from China. The NIH has, so far, removed 77 grant recipients from its databases.

Swinging from its ok to riot to not ok to hold political rallies, medical “experts” are trying to inject corona virus fears into the public eye again. So far, except for the supportive MSM, the panic porn doesn’t seem to be gaining traction as most of America has become immune to more fear mongering given the substantially less than predicted disaster the virus has shown itself to be.

CW2 -
A clash between armed groups pro and con concerning a statue of a bronze conquistador outside an Albuquerque museum resulted in one person being shot as one side attempted to pull the statue down. The shot man is listed in stable but critical condition. The potential for armed conflict will only continue to grow.

Noisy protesters (a group called ‘Occupy’) put the fear in the rich community of Beverly Hills when they went through in the middle of the night chanting, honking horns and playing loud music. The city since has enacted a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people in residential areas between 9 PM and 8 AM.

President Trump is set to hold a rally in Tulsa OK this weekend. Reportedly over 1 million ticket requests have been made for a venue that can hold around 19K. Tulsa is pretty dark red territory, but like moths to a flame expect trouble from BLM / Antifa rioters who can’t avoid the optics of confronting the President and their enemies in the open. Probability of violence is high.

Economy -
A recent poll of commercial truck drivers by CDL Life News indicates nearly eight in 10 drivers would refuse to drive shipments to cities that have either defunded or disbanded their police departments. The commercial trucking industry publication CDL Life News conducted the poll through its internal app. The poll results indicated 79 percent of respondents said they refuse to drive shipments to cities with defunded police. Though technically ‘unscientific’, it does indicate that truckers don’t want to expose themselves to potential violence. The Floyd riots caught several truckers off guard resulting in injuries to truckers and protesters stupid enough to try to stop a moving semi. A boycott of cities could cause crippling food, medical, and other supply shortages within a few days.

Iran -
Observers of Middle eastern activity are noting that Iran has pulled back on the aggressive moves against Israel and is apparently relying on the American presidential elections in November to bring to power a more pro-Iran and anti-Israel government. This pull back has also been forced on it due to the country’s economic disaster and internal protests. Iran has over 50,000 mercenaries in Syria and the cost of keeping them paid and fed, along with the almost regular destruction of arms and material stockpiles by Israel has become an even bigger drain on their budget.

Iran has also been trying to improve relations with Turkey, taking up a space that has developed between Russia and Turkey lately. Talks between officials reportedly revolved around common issues against the west.

Growing concerns from the IAEA over Iran’s nuclear program. Some estimate that they are less than 2 years (some say less than 6 months) away from a working bomb.

N Korea -
Overnight, NK blew up a building constructed in 2018 as a liaison office to the north in Kaeson. It has sat empty since January 2020 due to corona virus lockdowns. The order was given by Kim’s sister and there has been absolutely no word from Kim about it. The reason was NK’s anger over balloons being launched from the south carrying propaganda to the north and the lack of response from SK to stop the actions. This has reinvigorated speculation on Kim’s condition and who’s running the government.

In associated statements in light of the destruction of the liaison building, concern is growing over a potential movement of NK forces into the DMZ, an act that would likely trigger a resumption of a hot war with the south and the US. Again, silence from Kim.

SK is maintaining close coordination with the United States to monitor and detect military moves in North Korea. The military is in a full readiness posture in preparations for “any circumstances “ (Yonhap).

China/India -
Three Indian soldiers, including one officer, were killed by Chinese troops during an “incident” in the disputed Ladakh border area. China claims they cross the border for “illegal activities”, provoking and attacking Chinese personnel. Urgent meetings by senior military officials are under way to defuse the situation.

France -
Reports of a ‘war’ between various Muslim factions in France is gaining attention. Fighting between Chechen, Algerian and Moroccan Muslim immigrant gangs spread havoc in the streets of Dijon (yes where the famous mustard canoes from) France. Video postings show chaos and shooting between the groups. Fighting reportedly started as a result of N African arab/muslim gang beating a 16 yr old Chechen boy. Chechen assembled from across the area seeing revenge. France responded by sending ‘hundreds’ of police to try to restore order.

Strategic Deployment -
US Navy press releases report the deployment of three 100,000-ton US Navy aircraft carriers to the Pacific Ocean for the first time in years . The USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Theodore Roosevelt are both patrolling in the western Pacific, while the USS Nimitz is in the east, according to US Navy press releases. China OTOH is not thrilled and views the deployment as a threat to their interests in the western Pacific.

Black Swan -
Iceland’s Grímsvötn volcano is showing strong signs that an eruption might occur in the weeks or months ahead, the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) reports. The last eruption of this volcano took place in 2011 — it was a large and powerful VEI 4 eruption. Average eruption frequency during the last 1 100 years is 1 eruption per 10 years. Icelandic volcanic eruptions have historically impacted England and western Europe thru the ash clouds produced, shutting down air ports across the region until the eruptions subside. Ash in the air can also contribute to increased respiratory problems. Disruptions are bad enough under good economic conditions, under current conditions the problems can multiply.

Widespread outages were reported by all major Cell carriers across the country, prompting so to conjecture that is was due to a DDOS attack. Others looked at other factors including maintenance etc and concluded it wasn’t due to an attack.

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