Still working on a recap for 2020 and developing categories to monitor for 2021
Wuhan Virus -
CDC issued a new guidance stating that people with underlying health conditions can receive a coronavirus vaccine.
The guidance explains that “adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19.” This new guidance is due to an unexpected number of significant reactions to those given the vaccine. However, how good is this when despite the start of distribution of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the CDC recommends that people who get vaccinated should continue to follow current coronavirus health and safety protocols, such as wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and avoiding crowds. Is the “cure” becoming worse than the disease?
Reflecting US concerns, Europeans are increasingly unlikely to accept the vaccine given the threat of unknown complications that can be a result.
Global medical community is scrambling to evaluate the new, more infectious mutation of the wuhan virus. Mutations are not uncommon among viruses - there are reportedly 1,000 mutations already identified with wuhan, it is that this one is becoming the dominant strain by its rapid spreading ability. So far medical investigators say the new strain’s lethality has not been enhanced, or that the new vaccines are ineffective - but studies move forward.
Remember, this is a China study, but an evaluation of 10 million Chinese indicates that asymptomatic spread of the wuhan virus was essentially non-existent - calls to doubt claims currently being made by the CDC and others.
When the argument is made for following the “science” for the wuhan pandemic, the man most commonly cited it Fauci. In a recent CNN interview, he admits to “moving the goal posts” on herd immunity based on POLLING - GET THAT, NO SCIENCE BUT POLLING! The numbers he cited he called a ‘guesstimate’.
Economy -
Trump signed the Porkulus bill yesterday after stating that congress will pass an amendment to increase payments from $600 to $2000 per person. We will see today if Pelosi/McConnell will honor their “promise” to bring a clean vote on th $2000 payment to the floor today. He also invoked the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. The Act provides that, “whenever the President determines that all or part of any budget authority will not be required to carry out the full objectives or scope of programs for which it is provided, or that such budget authority should be rescinded for fiscal policy or other reasons (including termination of authorized projects or activities for which budget authority has been provided), the President shall transmit to both Houses of Congress a special message” describing the amount to be reserved, the relevant accounts, the reasons for the rescission, and the economic effects of the rescission. 2 U.S.C. § 683. How far that goes to stop pork spending is uncertain - especially if biden goes into the WH.
Mortgage rates continue to fall, now at a 16th record low of the year. But with no job how can one apply. Potential boon for refinancing though.
2020 Election-
Key dates - House of Representatives officially counts electoral votes on Jan. 6. Inauguration is Jan 20.
CW2/Civil Disturbances -
We are in the calm before a potential storm.
Strategic Developments -
The Harry S. Truman CSG is in the North Arabian Sea and within the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. This deployment is the Truman Strike Group‘s second in two years. This adds serious naval force projection if Iran gets froggy. The location of the Nimitz CSG is not posted, but is involved in an exercise off the east coast of Africa, last location near the horn of Africa.
OBSERVATION - OSINT hid the deployment of the Truman until it was in the Arabian Sea. The location of the Nimitz as well. This tells me that they don’t want Iran to have early warning of the CSG’s locations. The Nimitz can quickly return to the Arabian sea/Persian gulf region in a matter of days if needed.
Terror -
The remains of 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner were identified at the blast site yesterday. Investigation continues to try to find a motive. Other than neighbors suggesting he was a bit “odd” (am observation that can apply to just about everyone), nothing really stands out other than the 5G paranoia as the leading motive. Other pieces of information have come out. He had an IT background and was employed installing security systems. A couple months ago he quit installations, installed a wooden fence around his property and transferred ownership of his property to a Californian woman (who’s link still isn’t known). These actions are common for someone contemplating suscide - getting things in some sort of order, but still leaves a lot of questions. This also predates a number of conspiracy theories out there.
Communications / Internet services continue to be disrupted in the region as repairs are in progress. This was a major node in the system.
MY OBSERVATION - Some may object, but there has been a lot of tinfoil floating around out there about massive conspiracies surrounding this event. Let me address some of these
1. The white car was the source - later security camera videos clearly show that the RV was what exploded, not the car and the blast pattern confirms
2. A missile hit and created a hypobaric bomb explosion. Commenting on the blast, Michael Yon, experienced combat reporter who’s seen dozens of VBIED results in Iraq commented today that this was “averaged-sized” VBIED. Additionally blast evidence doesn’t correlate with a rocket strike on the RV either.
3. This building was suppose to be used to examine dominion voting machines. These buildings are designed to primarily handle communications traffic, they are not configured to do much else. Because of the sensitivity of the site, the buildings are commonly reinforced to protect from such potential events as this. Older buildings, like the one in Nashville, can only be reinforces so much. There are many other, better, locations that any dominion review would be conducted at. A suicide bomber doesn’t match this scenario. IMHO.
4. NSA was the target - again, a suicide doesn’t fit the narrative or evidence for an NSA strike.
Then some nut job was arrested yesterday in Rutherford County, Tenn., on Sunday, for allegedly playing “audio similar to what was heard” before a vehicle exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day. No explosives were found in the truck.
China -
India and Vietnam sent warships to transit the South China Sea which China claims as its own.
On Monday, a Chinese court sentenced a lawyer-turned-citizen-journalist, 37-year-old Zhang Zhan, who traveled to Wuhan to report on COVID-19, to four years in jail. Authorities first detained her in May after her livestream reporting in Wuhan. The government charged her with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” for her reporting.
Israel -
Israel / Turkish negotiations hanging up. Turkey views Israel’s policy towards palestine as unacceptable. Israel says Turkey must end support for Hamas. Israeli diplomatic sources said Sunday. “I don’t really believe he’s being honest,” the source said. “We need to see actions.”
Hamas confirmed that Israel destroyed a key rocket manufacturing plant, which was of high importance to the terrorist group,” a senior Hamas official tells Israel Hayom. Israel attacked the site in response to rocket fire at southern Israel.
Iran -
Date to remember, January 3d - anniversary of the death of Soleimani.
Threats are increasing as the anniversary day approaches.
Lebanon -
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah: Sayyed Nasrallah: “The Lebanese resistance has twice as many precision missiles as it had in the past year”. Iran has been working hard to retrofit and design new rockets with GPS guidance systems, versus the older ballistic transjectory methods of unguided rockets. Israel has been very active targeting facilities in Syria and interdicting shipments trying to be brought into Lebanon from Syria to facilitate updating the rockets. It is very likely that some of the necessary materials have leaked through, so that some of Hezebollah’s arsenal is now guidable.
Nasrallah went on in his speech - “The promised retaliation for the martyrdom of our martyr Ali Mohsen (killed in an IAF airstrike in Syria a few months ago) is coming.”, hence the reference to the missiles. Nasrallah was sheltering in his bunker, amid fears that he may be next on a US-Israeli hit list. MY OBSERVATION - The day Hezbollah launches any of those rocket will be a day when Lebanon is a smoldering heap. Iran will be leveled as well. Israel has the capability to intercept the first waves but continued attacks will eventually overwhelm their defenses and Israel will be forces to more severe means of counter strikes.
I’ll post a 2020 recap tomorrow.
Wuhan Virus -
5K out of the first 215K recipients of the vaccine in the US reported some kind of “adverse health impact event”, which could be anything that seriously limits an individual’s ability to function and/or complete daily tasks. These events should be severe enough to require medical attention, but exact details are unclear.
Lawmakers in the District of Columbia (D.C.) have passed a bill allowing children to be vaccinated without parental consent or even their parents’ knowledge. The “Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act,” B23-017, was passed in D.C. last month. The bill that permits a child aged 11 years or older “to consent to receive a vaccine where the vaccination is recommended by the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. “It also establishes that if a minor is able to comprehend the need for, the nature of, and any significant risks inherent in the medical care then informed consent is established.”
In week 51 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “FluView” data monitoring system, 36 positive flu tests were documented. This marks a steep decrease from last year’s total of 7,703 cases during the same time frame. The positivity rate has sharply declined this calendar year as only 0.10% of tests taken this year came back positive. The five-year average is 15.80% positive. The big question is how much is being diagnosed as wuhan virus?
Economy -
House passed the $2000 payment bill, waiting on the senate. The overall wuhan bill is still a piece of crap that the congress won’t make any effort to strip the pork out of.
2020 Election-
Key dates - House of Representatives officially counts electoral votes on Jan. 6. Inauguration is Jan 20.
CW2/Civil Disturbances -
We are in the calm before a potential storm.
BLM/Antifa elements have gone through some Portland neighborhoods and removed/destroyed residential cameras (Ring, Nest, etc). This is part of an ongoing strategy that began with their strict control of who video’s protests to protect their identity. This is also a harbinger of the preparation to conduct riots/protests in residential areas or targeted individuals at home in the near future.
Patriots following leftists have noted articles on how to commit sabotage being passed around on the inter webs. What may be a corollary, BNSF railroad has reported 41 attempts to sabotage railways in Washington State - mostly focused in an attempt to stop shipments of coal from reaching ports in WA this year (this has been an ongoing fight with the Gov of WA for years). The ‘environmentalists’ draw from anarchist stock and I would consider them to be part of the same BLM/Antifa bloc.
Note: A significant number of events being organized between both sides from now through Jan 20th. Each has a potential for significant violence. Be alert.
China -
Beijing has gone into “emergency response mode” to contain a new Covid-19 outbreak, which has been detected near Beijing International Capital Airport.
Israel -
Hamas and other terrorist groups are conducing a ‘joint’ operation in western Gaza that includes firing rockets into the sea.
Iran -
Date to remember, January 3d - anniversary of the death of Soleimani.