Globalism / Great Reset –
Germany’s APOLLO NEWS here reports that soccer club VfL Osnabrück is now “penalizing its employees with climate fines.”
“Based on an individual CO₂ footprint calculated by the club, deductions are made from their salaries as a penalty for climate-unfriendly behavior,” reports the German site
As it’s probably a dream of many people to be employed by a professional sports team, the club will probably get away with it. Unhappy employees can be easily replaced.
But in the current environment of a severe skilled workers shortage, other companies may be extremely hesitant to enact such a draconian and personally intrusive policy. It also likely violates German labor law. In any case, VfL Osnabrück does show just how loony the climate craze is getting.
According to the APOLLO site: “The soccer club calculates the amount of salary that is deducted based on things like how far its employees travel to work or how much meat they consume.”
According to the VfL Osnabrück site: “Common good clause: VfL employees compensate for professional CO₂ emissions.”
OBSERVATION - Not sure how they guesstimate how much employees eat or use, but probably a blanket amount. This is but a precursor to what the WEF and its overlords want for the general sheeple - all controlled by a programmable, digital currency powered by AI / quantum computing.
Economy –
The US economy reportedly grew 4.9% in the third quarter. Problem is nearly all sectors of the economy do not reflect such robust growth.
Price increases accelerated and Americans’ real disposable personal income (DPI) and savings rate fell, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported Thursday in its initial (“advance”) estimate.
Adjusted for inflation, “Real” GDP increased at a 4.9% annual rate in the third quarter, after rising 2.1% in the second quarter. In current dollars, GDP rose 8.5% ($560.5 billion) in the third quarter to a level of $27.62 trillion, up from the previous quarter’s 3.8% ($249.4 billion) gain.
Disposable personal income (DPI) increased only 1.9%, just a third of its 6.1% second-quarter growth.
Since prices rose faster than income, real disposable personal income actually decreased 1.0% in the third quarter, after rising 3.5% in the second quarter.
The personal saving rate - personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income - fell from 5.2% to 3.8%.
OBSERVATION - Not quite the good news biden wants you to believe.
CW2 / Domestic violence -
UC Berkeley is offering extra credit points to students for taking part in an anti-Israel protest.
OBSERVATION - Berkeley is but one of many colleges and universities beating the pro-Hamas, anti-Israel drums across America. Home base to Antifa and affiliated leftists / anarchists this is not surprising as it again affirms that these institutions are not for education but indoctrination.
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IN RELATED, I expect to see a full slate of pro-Hamas protests across the country this weekend, many anchored in / around colleges and universities. Expect that some will use the traffic blocking terror tactics - especially in those Antifa et al strongholds.
Terrorism - Level is HIGH due to increased lone wolf threats.
The Maine shooter was (as always) known to law enforcement, previously committed to a mental institution and prohibited from owning firearms. The search for him has entered the second day. Relatives reportedly texting him to surrender and turn himself in.
OBSERVATION - A lot of his background - except for the parts that fit the liberal narrative - are scarce on the interwebs.
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Yousra Fazili serves as Chief of Staff for the Pentagon Comptroller. She had also worked for a Qatari diplomat. Qatar is a state sponsor of Hamas. And Hamas is an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. From her position in the Pentagon she is promoting the propaganda of Hamas in the current conflict. Islamic penetration into all facets of our govt and military are being exposed by this war.
Military / Strategic Activity / Deployments –
The Pentagon confirms that 900 US troops have deployed or are deploying to the Middle East. These troops will not be going to Israel, but are designed “to support regional deterrence efforts…”
Pentagon adds that many of these troops are air defense related.
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Amphibious warships USS Bataan (LHD-5) and USS Carter Hall are in the Gulf of Aden approaching the Red Sea as of Thursday, Navy officials confirmed to USNI News. The other ship in the three-ship Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) has been operating in the Eastern Mediterranean since last week.
Meanwhile the USS Eisenhower CSG is approaching the Mediterranean and is still expected to travel through it to the Suez Canal to the Middle East to operate in U.S. 5th Fleet.
***
Large swaths of the National Security Agency, the agency in charge of collecting foreign signals intelligence for the Department of Defense, went from normal shifts to 24 hour watches earlier this month amid preparation for Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza, two sources told Breitbart News.
The staffing change, which occurred the first weekend after the October 7 terrorist attacks in Southern Israel by Hamas, was to support Israel as they prepared to invade Gaza, but also to monitor threats against U.S. forces in the region.
OBSERVATION - Well, no DUh. As a one time cog in the NSA collection apparatus I’m surprised that the NSA had anything OTHER than 24/7/365 operations today. “Normal shifts” LOL, what a bunch of day beggars.
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The U.S. Air Force has activated two detachments at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia dedicated to electronic warfare and its future applications.
The green light, given Oct. 25 at a ceremony inside an aviation museum, marks a step toward the realization of the 950th Spectrum Warfare Group, tasked with assessing the effectiveness of electronic warfare across dozens of aircraft while improving jamming and spoofing capabilities in large military exercises.
OBSERVATION - In an increasingly technological based world and weapons systems, counter measures become even more critical. Stealth is not enough by itself any more because the electronic signatures of those aircraft with their networking with other aircraft are extremely vulnerable to countermeasures.
Wuhan and other “new” Plandemics –
After a 7 month review by his university, Mark Skidmore, was exonerated of all charges and his new, improved paper was published in a more credible peer-reviewed journal.
Michigan State University Professor Mark Skidmore was exonerated of all ethics charges after a 7-month investigation. His paper was revised and was reinstated in the peer-reviewed literature. It revealed that over 250,000 people were killed by the COVID vaccine. Others have found similar numbers.
OBSERVATION - The truth continues to come out, and our govt/Fauci was well aware of these numbers and actively worked to suppress them.
POLITICAL FRONT –
Very disturbing reports if true that Mark Meadows worked for the FBI as an informant and wore a wire to record all conversations with President Trump, while he was the Chief of Staff to him.
OBSERVATION - This is unbelievable if true. Shows the depth of compromise and control the deep state has in DC.
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With a new Speaker of the House, committees fired up and have already put forth 5 of the 12 appropriations bills necessary to prevent govt shut down. Vast turn around from McCarthy’s muddle everything up to the last minute and pass an omnibus bill or uncontrolled extension.
Biden / Harris Watch –
The morning after a horrific mass shooting from an apparently mentally-ill man in Maine, Darth Kamala is out here using the situation to endorse a nationwide gun ban à la Australia. She says this gesturing to the Australian Prime Minister who just so happens to be visiting the White House.
In the ‘90s, Australia confiscated 650,000 guns in what they euphemistically called a “buy back” program. And that’s EXACTLY what Kamala Harris is asking for here.
Australia only has a population of 26 million people, mostly homogenous, spread out across an entire continent. If you look at mass murder sprees, the gun ban did absolutely nothing to change them because people can use anything as a weapon. Like most western countries between 2000 and 2020, the murder rate went down, but they traded in their guns for safety and now have total tyranny.
OBSERVATION - The left will press for ‘gun control’ but until they can seize both houses of congress and the WH, their schemes will be left on hold. The House will not capitulate to any form of gun control or ‘buy backs’. We have a mental health problem - not a gun problem.
Illegal Immigration –
This is not a Babylon Bee article! Sanctuary city prime, NYC is offering illegals a free ticket to anywhere, as long as he never sees their faces again.
Meanwhile, for those who turn down the free airline ticket offer, New York City officials are discussing handing out tents to newly arrived migrants and housing them in encampments in parks, according to a report. The city has already erected large tents to shelter asylum seekers but this new proposal would be more like a campsite, sources told The Wall Street Journal.
The report comes after Mayor Eric Adams yesterday said ‘everything is on the table’ when asked whether his plans to shelter migrants would extend to Manhattan’s iconic Central Park.
Adams has said the city has run out of hotel rooms and indoor sites to house the 65,000 migrants that remain in its care after 120,000 arrived in the last 18 months.
OBSERVATION - Now multiply this dilemma thousands of times over and it becomes very apparent that one of the goals of this unrestricted border invasion is to crash our very generous social welfare system and provide new foot soldiers for any leftist uprising.
China –
The death of a leader in China can usher in big changes, it did after Mao Zedong, or can lead to political upheaval, like it did when grieving for Hu Yaobang morphed into the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
For this reason, the passing of former premier Li Keqiang has already triggered various measures to ensure that stability is maintained.
A crackdown on VPN use is underway to reduce the access of Chinese citizens to the parts of the internet not controlled by the Communist Party.
The Party doesn’t want mourning for a popular, liberal, former number two leader to generate wider criticism of the current administration, led by Xi Jinping.
It is not just that Li died so suddenly, suffering a heart attack just months after stepping down, but because of what he represented: a way of potentially governing China with different priorities to those of the General Secretary Xi.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-67236049
OBSERVATION - Reflects uncertainty by Xi as to public confidence in his leadership.
North/South Korea –
SK and US forces exercised a response to a hypothetical Hamas-style attack by NK.
Russia -
WAR WATCH - into the second year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Feb 24th, 2022
CURRENT ASSESSMENT - Updated Sept 27, 2023
Russia is on a defensive footing across most of Ukraine, relying on Russian doctrinal defense in depth to blunt the Ukrainian offensive. However, Russian forces continue increasingly stretched and undermanned, with increasingly insufficient artillery support.
Ukrainian action has forced Russia to move forces laterally to meet the Ukraine advance - thinning critical portions of the line and making them vulnerable to assault.
Russia’s strategic ballistic and cruise missiles continue to show evidence of massively reduced inventories. Recent attacks indicate the Russia has started to produce its own Shahed drones with Iranian assistance. Russia capable of continued, though limited, attacks in this arena. The majority of Russian strikes are with these Iranian drones. Major targets are grain shipping facilities in the Odesa region as well as trying to hit logistical targets across the rest of the country.
Supplemental cruise missile attacks using old models will be occasionally used to supplement the drones.
The Russian Black Sea fleet is increasingly hesitant to deploy into now contested waters. Ukraine’s mixture of seaborne and airborne drones and anti-ship missiles beginning to render areas more or less off limits to Russia. The fleet is reportedly in the process of redeploying out of Crimea and moving east to Russian bases, about 600 Km further away from the front lines.
Russia is capable of launching small scale attacks in various sectors of company and small sized elements, but any large scale offensive action in the face of the heavy demands from defending against the Ukrainian offensive are essentially nil.
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The Russian army is abandoning the BTG (Battalion Task Group) concept. In February 2022 one of the surprising developments was the failure of the BTG system. Russia had expanded the use of BTGs since the 1980s because BTGs had consistently proved successful in many small wars, including the rather large operation in Afghanistan during the 1980s.
Systems like the BTG began to appear during World War II when it was found that forming temporary task forces containing tank and infantry units were more effective. The Germans did the same thing, calling them battle groups (Kampfgruppen) and the Americans adopted the practice after World War II. There was an important difference between the Western battle groups and the current BTGs. The Western battle groups were kept simple (mainly infantry and tank companies) with the addition of combat engineers or artillery as needed. American infantry officers got lots of realistic training using these battle groups. Western armies had many career NCOs to make sure the troops performed well.
Russia expanded their BTGs after 2000 and added more support units so that each BTG had most of the support capabilities usually found in a division. These support units were smaller in the BTG, often a dozen or so specialists riding in a few trucks. The BTG commander put an officer in charge of all these non-combat support troops and the dozens of trucks they traveled in. The combat element of a BTG always consisted of a few hundred infantry and ten or twenty tanks. But now there were small (platoon sized) detachments of specialists. The only ones that were always present were a dozen or so self-propelled 152mm guns and somewhat more 82mm and 120mm mortars. There was also a medical detachment. In the last decade a detachment of fire control troops was added to coordinate all that firepower with some UAVs to scout for targets. There were also a small number of self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons in addition to the portable anti-aircraft missiles carried by individual soldiers. There were several other specialist units that could be added as needed. Total strength of a BTG varied depending on how it was assembled. Official personnel strength varied from 600 to 800 personnel but was more like 300-500 in peacetime.
These new BTGs became the standard for Russian divisions, which now consisted of two or three brigades. Each of these usually had just two BTGs. The division had fewer support units because most of these troops were now assigned to BTGs or brigades. By 2021 there were 170 BTGs. The combat elements usually consisted of one tank company, two or three infantry companies and one or two batteries of artillery. While BTGs had some contract (volunteer) troops, most of the rest of the BTG personnel were conscripts. The conscripts had several shortcomings. They could not be used in a combat zone; their term of service was only one year, and they were not as well trained as the contract troops (or trained at all). By law conscripts were not allowed in a combat zone unless it was wartime, and they were defending Russia.
This massive adoption of BTGs was a mistake that became obvious when nearly half the available BTGs were sent into Ukraine in early 2022. Many newly formed BTGs were sent to the Ukrainian border in late 2021 to threaten Ukraine and if that did not work, to invade.
The flaw in the BTGs was not obvious until they encountered well-armed and motivated opponents. That happened soon after they crossed the border into Ukraine. The leadership in these BTGs simply could not handle the complex composition of BTGs. Senior Russian leaders knew this from the performance of BTG leaders during military exercises. This was not a surprise as the quality of officers had declined in the last decade and there were still not enough experienced NCOs.
More analysis at link
https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20231027.aspx
Additional note - Most Russian units are far more ad hoc as the officer corps have been decimated since Feb 2022 and most are understrength in both men and equipment.
Ukraine –
WEATHER FORECAST – Continued cool, 50’s- 60’s with scattered rain.
24 HOUR ROUND UP –
Reports that two ATACMS missiles hit at least, three S-400 air defense systems and were destroyed. Russia tried to claim they shot the missiles down by showing images of the rear third of the rocket. However, that is commonly all that remains of the cluster munitions versions after bomblet dispersion. Videos of the strikes aftermath show considerable flames and secondary explosions.
The Russia Black Sea fleet suffered apparent another loss yesterday that the anti-mine ship “Vladimir Kozitsky” was blown up in Sevastopol. According to local residents, the ship suddenly exploded in the outer roadstead of Sevastopol Bay. Smoke was reported coming from the engine room.
Russians continue to push against the Avdiivka, making gains on the northern margin. Reports that Russia has committed the local operational reserve forces to try to obtain more momentum.
Continued fighting on the Tokmok and Bakhmut fronts.
Tokmak Axis -.
Explosions were reported in Tokmak from an apparent Ukrainian strike on a Russian ammo/logistical site.
Avdiivka Front -
Russia continues to throw more reserves into the fight to try to retain terrain recently captured.
OUTLOOK -
The battle for Avdiivka is starting to overshadow Ukraines offensive actions in Tokmok and Bakhmut sectors. Reports indicate that Russia is scraping the front line to supply even more units for this fight. This fight will go on for weeks.
However, in reassigning units, Russia potentially opens itself up for breakthroughs on the Tokmok, Bakhmut or Kherson fronts.
ISRAEL –
Key overnight developments -
Major raid into Gaza
Major operation in the West Bank.
GENERAL ——————————-
A lot of propaganda / RUMINT that Israel will be using nerve agents in the Hamas tunnels - tune it out as BS.
Also numerous videos out there claiming to show US marines off loading from aircraft into Israel - again false reporting as the videos are from US Army (not marines0 and deplaning in Europe a couple years ago. This is just some of the crap that continually flows across the Gaza / Israel war feeds and makes it frustrating to sort out the legit from the BS.
GAZA FRONT ———————————-
The IDF’s 36th division conducted another large raid into Gaza and returned upon its completion. -Israeli Army Radio. The area targeted was reportedly the Shujayyah area. Shujayyah is known to host a high number of Hamas tunnels and military positions.
NOTE - This was larger than the previous raid, indicating things are building towards an eventual offensive into Gaza.
Hamas et al launched a number of rocket barrages towards central Israel overnight causing some minor damage. IAF continued to hammer Hamas related sites across Gaza, claiming to have killed several more key leaders.
LEBANON / HEZBOLLAH——————————-
More os the same, harassment fire from Hezbollah and counter fire from Israel.
SYRIA / HEZBOLLAH / IRAN———————————-
See “Syria” section below regarding attacks/counter attacks by Iranian proxy militias in eastern Syria in response to the Gaza war.
WEST BANK——————————-
A force of over 100 IDF armored vehicles including a number of Caterpillar D9 Armored-Bulldozers have reportedly entered the City of Jenin in the West Bank in what appears to be a large-scale raid for the arrest of Hamas and PIJ Members. Fierce fighting reported.
INTERNATIONAL ——————————-
Reports of a missile impact in the Egyptian town of Taba, close to the far south Israeli border, near the Israeli town of Eliat on the Gulf of Aqaba. At least five injured in the fall, according to this report.
According to the Egyptian army, the explosion in Taba was caused by an unidentified drone. In Nueva it is not yet clear exactly what happened.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari: “In the last few hours, an aerial threat was detected in the Red Sea. Fighter jets were scrambled to the threat and the issue is under investigation. To our understanding, the impact that was in Egypt originates from this threat. Israel will work together with Egypt and the US and tighten the defense against threats from the Red Sea area.”
Based on the IDF statement, it appears that the leading candidate for whatever hit the town was fired by Houthi rebels from Yemen.
Multiple local sources suggest that a second projectile impacted the Red Sea town of Nuweiba, in Sinai. This follows an impact in Taba.
OBSERVATION - Two strikes in the same region most likely affiliated with Houthi, and not a misdirected Hamas rocket. Debris from the device will shed light on if it was a drone/cruise missile or a ballistic missile. Egypt has stated it reserves the right to respond to the perpetrators.
Years ago when the Saudi/Houthi fight was hot and heavy, the Houthi made long range threats on Israeli targets in this area. It hosts an Israeli naval base, giving access to the Red Sea via the Gulf of Aqaba.
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Hamas leaders held meetings with the Russian Foreign Ministry and not with the presidency yesterday.
FORECAST ————————-
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) - These large military raids into Gaza will continue until the actual ground assault kicks off. They server multiple purposes. First is to recon and gauge Hamas positions and responses. Second, they give commanders practical experience on what will be happening when the initial assaults begin, giving them ground reality. Third, working out any bugs in command and control. Forth, these raids are large enough to keep Hamas et al on edge, with a degree of uncertainty if they are only a raid or the initiation of a full blown assault. Will can also lull them into a false sense of security thinking that the full assault is nothing but a big raid.
Depending on the tempo of the deployment of air defense assets, limited to a degree by available cargo capacity, my guess is that the invasion is now going to kick off around November 13th - during a new moon. This gives Israel an advantage with night vision capabilities over Hamas. This also gives the US two weeks to complete its military deployments of air defense as well as positioning the USS Eisenhower CSG into position in the Arabian Sea region.
Iran –
Iran announced “The start of large-scale maneuvers for all ground forces formations tomorrow. (Friday)”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian issued an abrupt warning at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, declaring that the U.S. would “not be spared from this fire” if Israel continues to retaliate against Islamic terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip
“I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome [an] expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire,” he told a meeting at the 193-member General Assembly.
OBSERVATION - Pretty well an open secret that Iran has sleeper cells, probably composed of their own IRGC or Hezbollah/Hamas affiliated individuals in the US, most likely facilitated in recent years by the biden no border policy.
Iraq -
Iranian backed militias continue to pose a threat to US forces in the nation.
Lebanon -
See Israel above.
Saudi Arabia –
After initially being very vocal, SA has quieted down considerably.
Syria -
See Israel above on latest.
US now says 19 attacks have been carried out vs US troops since October 17 - with 3 new attacks yesterday. In response, US F-16s struck a weapons storage facility & a ammunition storage facility in AbuKamal Syria used by the IRGC & Iran-linked groups, per a senior military official.
Reports IRGC backed militias have attacked coalition assets at the camp near the Koniko gas field with rockets again tonight. No reports yet on any casualties.
More reports of attacks on coalition assets in the region, another drone attack now reported tonight at the nearby Al-Omar oilfield. No reports on casualties.
RGC backed militias have reportedly launched another drone attack against U.S assets at the Harir airbase in Erbil. No details on any casualties as yet. The number of attacks in Iraq/Syria now in October is fast approaching 20, some causing minor damage and casualties.
Two explosions were heard at the international coalition base at the Conoco gas plant in northeastern Deirezzor, with alarm sirens being activated at the base.
OBSERVATION - What the US calls “restraint” so far by US forces is viewed in the moslem world as weakness and only prods them to conduct more attacks. If you’ve followed my posts, Iran for months now has been working on a plan with Russia to force US forces out of eastern Syria and western Iraq, so these militias are well prepared for an extended operation. The two airstrikes are grossly insufficient to put fear back into these militias.
Venezuela -
Venezuelan National Assembly to conduct a popular referendum on defending Venezuela’s claim of the Essequibo, Guyana. Both the OAS and CARICOM communities condemn the Venezuelan referendum and CARICOM warns the referendum result could be used to justify the annexation of the territory
“We condemn any act that constitutes a breach of peace and an attempt to encroach on a country’s sovereign borders. This is an irrefutable violation of Guyana’s territorial rights and we support CARICO Morg’s statement.”
OBSERVATION - The Essequibo region is somewhere in the neighborhood of half the total area of Guyana. Not sure the current capability of the Venezuelan army , but it is still likely more than able to invade into the region and seize it. Interesting that this movement towards annexation follows the announcement of a treaty of sorts with the US over its oil production.
That means there's a good chance the killer is NOT a conservative. If the FBI had one small item that could link him to conservatives it would have been 'leaked' to the liberal pres three minutes after it was found.
Gaza / Israel update
Israel has launched two major “raids” into n Gaza tonight. Thousands of Israeli soldiers backed by massive artillery and air power. This is as close as one comes to the initiation of a full offensive that you can get without crossing that line. Most likely Israel will maintain their positions and not totally withdraw as the previous two nights.