Potential for wintery driving conditions today caused me to hurry up and get my out of town travel accomplished yesterday.
Globalism / Great Reset –
EPA Administrator Michael Regan told the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works that the EPA needed a $375-million budget increase and 265 new full-time employees for his agency’s “environmental justice program.”
“The funding will help to expand support for community based organizations, indigenous organizations, tribes, states, local government and other territorial governments so that they can identify and develop solutions to their environmental justice concerns through multi-partner collaborations”
The EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights was spawned in September, when it landed $3 billion in so-called environmental justice grants as part of the Democrats’ $370-billion climate alarmist bill. The expansion was part and parcel of the Biden regime’s “aggressive approach to embed environmental justice, civil rights, and equity across the government,” according to the EPA.
OBSERVATION – SMH, this telegraphs an effort to further redistribute wealth towards the woke side of the equation by likely litigating mythical environmental conspiracy talk of the left against the right. Just another mechanism for environmental tyranny to further the cause of the WEF.
BTW – don’t expect EPA ‘environmental justice’ teams to be showing up in East Palestine OH anytime soon.
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The EU sees no reason to allow the Netherlands to change course, despite a resounding rejection of EU agriculture policies during recent elections.
The Netherlands has been advised by Diederik Samsom, who works for the European Commission, to oblige some of the farmers to be bought out because of the nitrogen crisis.
The NOS and research platform Follow the Money revealed Samsom’s role after viewing documents. Caroline van der Plas (BBB), together with her colleagues from VVD and JA21, asks the minister for a response to this ‘strange interference’ by Diederik Samsom. “He’s not even an elected representative of the people,” she tweeted. PVV leader Geert Wilders is even more outspoken: ‘Unelected PvdA mastodon Diederik Samsom wants to tear the Netherlands down completely from the Brussels backrooms. How I long for a #nexit.’
The European Commission is not concerned with how a country achieves its nitrogen targets, but it can advise on this. Samsom seems to have done the same in that conversation. He pointed out, among other things, that the European Commission is ‘quite strict’ when assessing whether voluntary buyout schemes are not prohibited state aid. One is now awaiting approval in Brussels. But with a mandatory buyout, the Commission is less strict, said Samsom. As a result, the Netherlands can offer higher amounts in a mandatory scheme or more favorable conditions for farmers to stop. According to Samsom, there is little room for delay or flexibility at the European Commission.
OBSERVATION – As reported earlier, the farmers won a massive victory in parliamentary elections – effectively thwarting the govt’s desire to seize the vast majority of the nations farms. However, they are shackled by membership in the EU which claims superior authority for national policy and is demanding Dutch compliance with its edicts anyway. This is setting up a power struggle between the newly aware Dutch govt and the EU over control of internal policies – and eventually if the WEF goals are to be enforced.
Economy –
Bloomberg reported that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will convene the heads of top US financial regulators Friday morning for a previously unscheduled meeting of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.
The meeting will be closed to the public, the Treasury Department said in a statement. The Treasury didn’t say what time the meeting would begin, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether the council would issue a statement following the meeting.
OBSERVATION – I have not heard/seen any statements regarding this meeting. There are many possibilities for topics. One I’m most concerned currently is the instability of Deutches Bank, currently struggling with realigning its debt and liquidity issues. Other issues could be the ongoing drain by banks pulling emergency funds from the fed and Treasury dept. This trend threatens the continued semi-stability on the short term of the banking system. Would appreciate any tips to the outcome of the meetings.
CW2/Domestic violence –
On Friday, DeKalb County, Ga., CEO Michael Thurmond issued an executive order closing the popular 140-acre Intrenchment Creek Park after someone discovered booby traps hidden in various places in the park. The traps, which included boards with spikes sticking out of them hidden in the grass and along the trails in the park, appear to have been designed to hurt families who enjoy the park throughout the week.
Intrenchment Creek Park is near the construction site of a public training safety complex that the City of Atlanta is building. Domestic terrorists aligned with Antifa and Stacey Abrams’ New Georgia Project have disrupted activity, harassed contractors, and committed acts of violence at the site for over a year, including a shootout with police that left an Antifa thug dead and a Georgia State Trooper injured in January.
“We know that there are dangers that have been discovered in this area and we are afraid that there might be other hidden traps that will not only injure and maim, but can literally become deadly for small children and pets and others,” Thurmond said at a press conference on Friday.
OBSERVATION – Most likely Antifa et al view use of the park as a ‘white privilege’ kind of thing and sabotaging it a means of striking back against the system that is oppressing them – or some similar crap. This is an escalation of the protest of the Police academy training facility and like all Antifa related actions show little to no concern for any collateral damage or injury their protests cause.
Domestic / International Terror (modified)-
Ramadan continues to keep the potential for terror attacks higher than usual.
Strategic Activity / Deployments –
Fortieth Anniversary of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative Speech, No. 550, March 23, 2023 was remembered in virtual silence yet no other initiative post Kennedy’s push to the moon has had such significance IMHO. Scoffed as wild and unobtainable then, today the concept of missile interception is integrated into our advanced air defense and strategic missile defense systems. Patriot missiles did a fair job against Iraqi Scuds in Desert Shield/Storm, but now with upgrades are a more potent anti missile system. Seeing much the same in Ukraine today.
For those of us who have lived through this era, it is more apparent on how Reagan was a visionary in this regard.
POLITICAL FRONT –
Waiting to see if movement towards a Trump indictment next week will happen or if the Manhattan DA is going to get cold feet and back down.
China –
China threatened “serious consequences” Friday after the United States Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in a move Beijing claimed was a violation of its sovereignty and security.
On Thursday, after the U.S. sailed the USS Milius guided-missile destroyer near the Paracel Islands, China said its navy and air force had forced the American vessel away, a claim the U.S. military denied.
The U.S. on Friday sailed the ship again in the vicinity of the islands, which are occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, as part of what it called a “freedom of navigation operation” challenging requirements from all three nations requiring either advance notification or permission before a military vessel sails by.
“Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations,” U.S. 7th Fleet spokesperson Lt. j.g. Luka Bakic said in an emailed statement.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/china-threatens-consequences-us-warships-actions-98093850
OBSERVATION – China is pretty much limited to threats at this stage. Any military action against US vessels would open a pandora’s box that China isn’t ready for. Unlike the Philippine navy, the US navy is not intimidated by Chinese threats and naval aggressiveness. In the past China has chased Philippino naval vessels away from waters it claims, like those around the Paracel Islands. Also note that the Philippines and the US are approaching an agreement for joint patrols of disputed waters.
At this stage, China is limited to threats.
Russia -
WAR WATCH - into the second year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Feb 24th, 2022
CURRENT ASSESSMENT
Russian forces have initiated an offensive who’s declared goals are to reach and secure the Luhansk and Donetsk oblast borders — an objective that Russian Chief of General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov had also outlined on December 22, 2022. Troop and equipment build up is being noted
This offensive action is focused on several fronts –
1) the Svatove-Kreminna front,
2) Bahkmut region,
3) Donetsk region and
4) Zaporizhizhia Oblast around the town of Vuhledar.
Russia is rapidly losing its capability to sustain offensive operations in these fronts due to the huge resource drain Bahkmut has created. Some offensive operation will continue to be attempted, however, a lot of assessment indicates they’ve lost the capability to sustain a credible offensive to try to capture the Donbas region having frittered away resources against Bahkmut.
Russia is also capable of launching more cruise/ballistic missile attacks directed against Ukrainian infrastructure -primarily its power grid, but massively reduced inventories of such missiles means these barrages will be further apart.
While Russia has nuclear capability, the probability is low that any will be used in the near future.
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Ukraine -
WEATHER FORECAST – Temperatures with highs now reaching the 60’s with rain/snow over most of the forecast period
24 HOUR ROUND UP –
Fighting continues around Bakhmut and Avdiivka with minor gains by Russian forces. Both Russian and Ukranian sources are stating that the Russian push in Bakhmut is slowing significantly. Western analysts have been saying for a week now that the Russian push has crested and that little further gains are expected .
With the slow down at Bakhmut, it appears some resources are being switched over to the Avdiivka region to support Russian successes there.
The Zaporizhizhia and Crimean fronts were relatively quiet, with mostly scattered and sporatic Russian artillery strikes.
OUTLOOK –
No change from recent outlooks. Bahkmut and Avdiivka still appear to be the main effort now. Kreminna is a secondary threat, but Russian attacks there have not done much.
Internet rumors / propaganda continue from both sides regarding Ukraine’s impending offensive are increasing. Some Russian commentators say Russia needs to reinforce the region with 400,000 new forces to address the Ukrainian threat. Given the likelihood that the window for Ukrainian action is about a month away (end of April), raising, training and equipping that size of a force in that amount of time is highly unlikely.
Just like the impotence of Russia’s air campaign on the ‘special operation’ has been shockingly poor, Russia’s missile/drone component has been nearly equally poor IMHO. Russian targets have strayed away from those that would influence the battle on the ground and stayed within a ‘total war’ style doctrine where civilian targets are primary. Ukraine has set the bar high in striking Russian CPs, logistic and troop concentrations. Russia has done very poorly in that measure. As a result, Ukraine is still able to move, shoot and communicate effectively, while Russia suffers impared command, control and logistics.
The nature of this war shows the next generation of innovation. With Ukraine’s effective utilization of the Bayktar TB-2 drones to harass and interdict Russian logistical convoys at the start of the war, to the proliferation of modified commercial helicopter styled drones dropping grenades all the way up to mortar rounds on enemy positions. Add to it the modification of ‘racing’ drones to direct attack armor/positions; military loitering munitions and the multiple combination of drones used in operations (observation, targeting and attacking) has made life for the Russians in particular very deadly. With it comes a rapidly evolving counter drone effort - from jamming ‘guns’ to chain link fences to ward off Russian lancet attack drones and dropped grenades, to drone v drone dog fights. Now with Ukraine fielding sea drones, the whole spectrum shifts again. Drone wars are the future and if AI gets involved along with swarm technology things will get even more intense in the next war.
Iran –
See US airstrike on Iranian forces in Syria below
RUMINT- Missiles Units of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Aerospace Force in the Western Regions of Iran are claimed to have been placed on High Alert overnight.
As Ramadan moves into its 4th day, Iran is finding itself intwined in several regional, developing hot spots, from Syria to Azerbaijan.
Iraq -
Unconfirmed reports of some sort of security operation underway in the northern Green Zone, Baghdad. Security Forces high alert for rocket attacks, but nothing reported.
Syria -
Militant groups believed to be affiliated with Iran launched another round of rockets targeting US forces near oil and gas fields known as Conoco near Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria. Sources in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, told RT at dawn on Saturday that shelling originating from the west of the Euphrates River targeted Koniko field, in which the largest US base in Syria is located, with 15 missiles.
This resulted in more US airstrikes and helicopter gunships targeting Iranian militia targets.
Iranian militias on alert in the towns of Al-Mayadeen and Al-Bukamal, east of Deir ez-Zor, with the evacuation of the headquarters amid intense flights of the international coalition aircraft over the region.
So far this morning activity has calmed down but more can be expected.
OBSERVATION – If US military intelligence has been doing its work (and I have no reason not to believe so), every facility, Hq and missile site for these Iranian militia groups and IRGC have been identified with 10-foot accuracy. It appears that the US has so far been able to react rapidly to these attacks and probably used its intel preparation to hit these forces hard. The next few days will show if the Iranians want to up the ante further.
Some are believing that the initial rocket attacks were in revenge for an Israeli strike earlier in the week that took out some key IRGC commanders. This is also Ramadan, and as I noted a few days ago under domestic and international terror, Iran may choose to increase terror attacks. These attacks may well fall under that category as well.
Misc of Note –
At least 23 people have died after tornadoes tore through the US state of Mississippi on Friday night. One tornado was a particularly long-track variety which at times was as much as one mile wide.
OBSERVATION – Many would conclude that the US is in the throes of wild climatic changes never before seen. From droughts to floods, tornados, frigid temperatures, etc. the US has been seeing a lot of extreme weather the past couple of years. However, I don’t think it has reached the level that done could call biblical. For example, the Sierra Nevada snowpack – though massive – at Donner Pass is only the 8th deepest since 1957. We must not confuse the overload of information today as being historically constant. We are coming out of a La Nina cycle and the weather patterns are trying to re-adjust to a neutral influence. This doesn’t take away from the human devastation that is on-going, but puts things into context.
Globalism / Great Reset –
Noting a lot of discussions that the current banking crisis is deliberate. Hard to argue against that theory given the (deliberate) actions of banking that they knew would weaken their stability over the past several years combined with global central banks encouraging the behavior. Add to WEF underlings taking advantage of the crisis. The instability of the banking realm may help the push the roll out of CBDC in major countries this summer.
Economy –
Looking to see what the talking head are pontificating today. Deutsche Bank remains a point of concern, with stocks failing towards the end of last week on largely liquity issues from the mountain of bad loans and derivatives in its holdings.
Biden / Harris watch –
Biden marked the beginning of the month of Ramadan on Wednesday by issuing a statement in which he noted that Muslim communities “have been part of the American story since our founding.”
OBSERVATION – Well, I guess our fights against the Islamic pirates count.
CW2/Domestic violence –
The Los Angeles Police Protective League union filed a lawsuit on behalf of three LAPD officers against an anti-cop website on Friday.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Officers Adam Gross, Adrian Rodriguez, and Douglas Panameno, alleges that the website, KillerCop.com, offered a bounty on police officers.
The officers demand that their photos and identifying information be removed from the website.
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, “it is the first legal action stemming from the Los Angeles Police Department’s release of the names and photos of almost every sworn officer — more than 9,300 officers, including some who work undercover — as part of a public records request. A police watchdog group posted the images online last Friday.”
OBSERVATION – not only is this directed against the police officers, but especially at their families. This is nothing less than a death list that the leftists will use if they start to lose control or if necessary to continue the push to eliminate police and law enforcement. If rioting goes sideways this summer, it appears that Antifa affiliated elements are laying the groundwork to attack individual police and their families as a new front of their chaos.
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Antifa harassed and assaulted a pro-life march in NYC yesterday. Leftists jeered at them and created a garbage barrier to the march. Other Antifa assaulted marchers while NYPD looks on. Officers reportedly said Antifa behavior only amounts to harassment and there’s nothing for them to do.
OBSERVATON – What over the past year was generally participation by Antifa et al in these counter protests with relatively minimal violence, I’m seeing a growth of violence in these counter protests now. Currently focused on counter pro- life and counter feminist events are garnishing more violence by Antifa. Globally, Antifa based violence has skyrocketed against feminist rallies and counter groomer events.
With the 2024 campaign season getting into full swing, I expect Antifa et al to start mustering forces to try to oppose MAGA and related political rallies. If you’ve been following leftist commentary increasingly over the past year the calls for violence and even killing leftist opponents, this summer could well be very hot. Couple that with the rising antagonism from BLM/CRT proponents towards whites and the two could start to rise to the level of 2020 – needing only a catalyst event.
Let me add another important point. Antifa et al is not the same bunch of thugs that made the news during the Berkeley riots of a number of years ago. They have compartmentized over the intervening years - identifying and training for a more lethal capability. Still see many posts by patriots putting their capabilities down as just a bunch of soy boys and fat broads with daddy issues, etc. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE your opponent. If nothing else to be learned from the 2020 riots, Antifa had a very organized structure and tactics – operating well within the OODA loop of police. They’ve taken a lot of time to arm and train selected individuals. They may not be super soldiers, but they can be a force multiplier for Antifa if violence ramps up into more open combat.
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Speaking of catalyst events - Undercover police officers acting as agent provocateurs incited protesters to riot on January 6. The stunning development was uncovered during J6 defendant William Pope’s trial.
As reported by the Epoch Times’ Joseph Hanneman, a federal prosecutor “admitted in court papers that three D.C. Metropolitan Police Department undercover officers acted as provocateurs at the northwest steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”
The report cites an admission in a March 24 filing before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras that sought to keep video footage shot by the officers under court seal. (The document now appears to have been removed.)
As noted by the report, “prosecutors accused the case defendant—William Pope of Topeka, Kansas—of an ‘illegitimate’ attempt to unmask the video as part of his alleged strategy to try the case in the news media. Pope filed a motion to remove the court seal on Feb. 21.”
“This video clearly evidences undercover law enforcement officers urging the crowds to advance up the stairs and scaffolding towards the Capitol on January 6,” Pope wrote in an earlier case filing. “The government may claim that incidents like this did not happen, but the facts show they did.”
https://trendingpoliticsnews.com/j6-video-knab/?utm_source=endwoke&utm_medium=twitter
OBSERVATION - The regime has created a false flag in the J6 events. Patriot/Militia groups out there better screen and rescreen again. It is evident that the regime has a lot of snitches and agent provocateurs infiltrated into a lot of those organizations. As I’ve noted before – they are seeking an excuse to crack down on ‘domestic terrorists’, especially as the 2024 elections close in.
Advice – check your food, water, medical, comms and armory and make sure you are squared away.
Domestic / International Terror (modified)-
Situational awareness as Ramadan continues.
POLITICAL FRONT –
Trump held a very large rally in Waco TX yesterday. This in the face of the Manhattan DA regrouping on his efforts to indict him on felony charges of paying off whats her face. This week is do or die for the prosecutor.
China –
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has called a meeting of former-Soviet Central Asian countries, in an audacious power play in Russia’s backyard the week of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Xi invited the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to the first China-Central Asia summit on Wednesday, the AFP news agency reported. It remains unclear whether the reclusive state of Turkmenistan has been invited.
The states are all former members of the Soviet Union, and Moscow has long regarded them as being in its sphere of influence after the then-Russian Empire conquered them in the 19th century.
OBSERVATION - Xi is the one in charge and that the world is starting to look to for leadership. Biden and putin are now subordinate to Xi. The global shift in status has been very rapid – only a few months.
Also note – Xi may also have designs on more direct control of these eastern former Soviet Union states. I’ve said when all is said and done, Xi will own Russia.
Russia -
WAR WATCH - into the second year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Feb 24th, 2022
CURRENT ASSESSMENT
Russian forces have initiated an offensive who’s declared goals are to reach and secure the Luhansk and Donetsk oblast borders — an objective that Russian Chief of General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov had also outlined on December 22, 2022. Troop and equipment build up is being noted
This offensive action is focused on several fronts –
1) the Svatove-Kreminna front,
2) Bahkmut region,
3) Donetsk region and
4) Zaporizhizhia Oblast around the town of Vuhledar.
Analysts are noting that the Russian offensive operations are winding down. Some offensive operation will continue to be attempted, however, a lot of assessment indicates they’ve lost the capability to sustain a credible offensive to try to capture the Donbas region having frittered away resources against Bahkmut.
Russia is also capable of launching cruise/ballistic missile attacks directed against Ukrainian infrastructure - primarily its power grid, but massively reduced inventories of such missiles means these barrages will be further apart.
While Russia has nuclear capability, the probability is low that any will be used in the near future.
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NUCLEAR THREATS –
Putin has announced today that they will soon begin deploying a number of tactical-nuclear weapons into the territory of Belarus; these weapons will most likely be launched from 9K720 Iskander missile systems. Mig-31s may also be used.
Belarus will store Russian nuclear weapons. Putin said that Russia had already helped the Belarusians to re-equip planes and from April 3 they would start training crews and build a storage facility for nuclear weapons, to be completed by the 1st of July. (NOTE – most likely rehabbing older facilities as a July 1 date is too close for new facilitie).
Putin’s claims he’s merely fulfilling Lukashenka’s request for tactical nuclear weapons to be stored in Belarus.
The Russian Air Force is claimed to have already transferred at least 10 aircraft that are capable to launching tactical-nuclear weapons to Belarus; these aircraft are most likely the MiG-31K which is a jet that is able to carry Kh-47M2 nuclear capable Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
RUMINT-
Putin is trying to put a happy face on the put down by Xi.
Logistics –
Russia is running out of ammo and equipment. Destruction of logistic supplies and tanks and other armor has reached such a critical level that Russia is pulling old T-54/55 tanks out for repair and deployment to Ukraine.
Ukraine -
WEATHER FORECAST – Temperatures with highs now reaching the 60’s with rain/snow over most of the forecast period
RUMINT –
Ukraine is claiming that it is running out of ammo, affection its planned offensive later this spring. IMHO these kind of public announcements server two purposes. 1) Spur supporting western nations to up their deliveries and 2) set forth propaganda to show a false ‘weakness’ to the Russians. There have been some complaints from front line units of running short of ammo. This could be folded into the propaganda. Hoarding ammo for an offensive is not uncommon and Ukraine’s economy of force defensive operations in the east would likely see limited ammo to some extent.
24 HOUR ROUND UP –
Fighting continues around Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Though the Russian effort around Bakhmut has backed off, Russia continues to pressure Ukrainian forces in the city.
Russia increase in the support for the Adviivka effort saw four rare supporting airstrikes yesterday.
The Zaporizhizhia and Crimean fronts were relatively quiet, with mostly scattered and sporatic Russian artillery strikes.
OUTLOOK –
More of the same from past postings.
I realize that for many months now I’ve said that the trend at Bahkmut is one where Ukraine will eventually be forced to withdraw. The action of the past couple weeks were it has become more and more apparent that Russia is close to running out of effective forces to push Ukraine out along with a strategic application of Ukrainian reserves to stabilize the flanks has turned that assessment around.
Note that both Russia and Ukraine are facing ammo shortages. The strategic level of battle now is one of logistics. Ukraine has from the beginning found the Russian logistics tail to be the weak link of their army.
Whoever can sustain resupply of ammo may well be the eventual winner.
Belarus -
See putin announcement of the deployment of tactical nukes to the country above under Russia.
Israel –
Israel is having to deal with Muslim uprisings associated with Ramadan as well as internal protests by opposition parties to the parliament moving legislation on judicial reform forward.
Iran –
See Syria below on Iranian backed militias /IRGC actions against US forces in Syria.
Syria -
Fighting between US and Iranian backed militias in the Deir-ez-Zor, eastern Syria area appears to have calmed back down, though US forces remain on a high alert.
Turkey -
Erdogan may have received a gift as a second opposition candidate for president has stepped forward – splitting the opposition vote.
Central / South America General-
Honduras has officially dropped any relations with Taiwan in favor of China. Chinese investments in Central/South America will continue to drag these countries willingly or unwillingly to its sphere of influence and away from US.
Armenia/Azerbaijan –
WAR WATCH
The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have crossed the line of contact in the Shusha region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian peacekeepers are taking measures to prevent the escalation of the “crisis situation”, Russia’s Defense Ministry says - TASS
Russia’s MoD says that they have told Azerbaijan to withdraw their troops from the new positions they have captured. Azerbaijan has reportedly made advances in the area of Lisagor, and has taken control of multiple roads, including around the Lachin corridor.
Russia’s MoD also says that a ceasefire violation was recorded in the Martuni region of Nagorno-Karabakh
OBSERVATION - So far the Azeri’s have been holding back – not ready to test Russia militarily.