Darkness overtakes the world.
Wuhan Virus -
Pfizer’s and Moderna’s coronavirus vaccines are safe, according to President Trump’s COVID-19 vaccine czar, Dr. Moncef Slaoui. Only 10% to 15% of volunteers reported “significantly noticeable” side effects. Side effects of the shots can last up to a day and a half. Reported side effects include redness and pain at the injection site, fever, chills, muscle aches, and headaches, although Slaoui said most people have not experienced any noticeable side effects. (DISRN)
LA mayor Garcetti tweeted that it’s time to cancel everything. Meanwhile Austin Mayor issued an edict for citizens to stay at home and not travel - while on vacation in Mexico.
Economy -
After nixing an earlier proposal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced a new coronavirus relief spending bill, following talks with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. The new proposal would provide protection from pandemic-related lawsuits, extend unemployment benefits for a month, fund vaccine distribution, and provide another round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) small business assistance.
Private employers hired at a slower-than-expected pace in November, indicating the labor market’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis is slowing amid a resurgence in cases, according to the ADP National Employment Report released Wednesday. The report showed that companies created 307,000 new jobs last month, sharply missing the 410,000-job increase that economists had predicted.
2020 Election-
Lin Wood and Sidney Powell have cooked a half baked idea to essentially give the senate to the democrats - boycott the Georgia elections. The desire is noble - address the vote fraud in GA, but by potentially having both houses AND a democrat president that desire will never come about - period.
CW2/Civil Disturbances -
Good question raised yesterday regarding “The Base” organizing protests starting today. The Base is a neo-nazi, white supremacy organization. The name “The Base” is derived from an english interpretation of Al Qaeda. There inference is that they are trying to establish/be a similar organization, though not islamic.
In response to the upcoming March for Trump rally in Washington, D.C. on 12 December, several BLM/Antifa allied groups have agreed to cooperate for a counterdemonstration. All Out DC, Black Lives Matter DC, antifascist, socialist, and several Youth Liberation Front (YLF) groups have banded together to oppose Trump supporters and the Proud Boys. Given that the Proud Boys went back out and kicked some serious tail after their group was attacked with fireworks after the previous march, the potential for violence and serious injury is very high.
Strategic Developments -
More B52s reportedly observed flying out of Minot ND (same base B52’s recently deployed to the ME came from). Some observers wondering if they are reinforcements to the ME or an exercise.
Israel -
More election drama. The measure to dissolve the parliament past its first reading - there are something like two or three more votes it has to pass. Netanyahu and Gantz are leveling their rhetorical guns on each other.
Iran -
According to U.S. officials, the U.S. believe that the Iranians have not yet retaliated for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani - the intelligence community is closely monitoring the region. They may tie the recent death of Fakhrizadeh’s killing to the ‘promised’ retaliation strike. RUMINT - some analysts expect a possible Iranian retaliation around January 3rd. Soleimani, was killed by a U.S. airstrike on Jan. 3, 2020.
Some sources in Iran are indicating that the Coronavirus situation in Iran has gotten worse, and the situation is very bad.
Lebanon -
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah plans to move to Iran and may have already made the move, an informed source told the Kuwaiti Al-Jarida newspaper on Wednesday. Nasrallah has been lying low lately, though Iran is hardly safe from attack, as fakhrizadeh’s death indicates.
Iraq -
The Trump administration ordered a drawdown of diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq until some time in January due to risks of a potential attack, according to a new report.
Libya -
Talks in progress to tie down loose ends in the current ceasefire.
Darkness overtakes the world.
Wuhan Virus -
According to a Clinics in Dermatology review, nearly 90% of wuhan related deaths had a do not resuscitate (DNR) order in place - indicating that their pre-existing conditions were severe to begin with.
LA Mayor Garcetti’s latest edict further doubles down on stupid - “”Our city is now close to a devastating tipping point, beyond which the number of hospitalized patients would start to overwhelm our hospital system, in turn risking needless suffering and death,” Garcetti wrote in the order. “These unfortunate facts about the spread of COVID-19 in our City mean that we must resume some of the more restrictive measures we instituted in the Spring.” The order prohibits “all travel, including, without limitation, travel on foot, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, automobile, or public transit,” with limited exceptions.
Economy -
The House and Senate have until 11 December to agree on another government spending bill. If a bill is not passed by then, parts of the government will shut down until another bill is passed. A shutdown would create more economic uncertainty and damage some portions of the market.
JPMorgan and other firms have warned of a 2021 Q1 economic contraction unless more fiscal stimulus is passed by Congress. A Moody’s Analytics is now forecasting a recession next year and an unemployment rate approaching 10 percent unless additional stimulus and relief is provided.
2020 Election-
Hard evidence, like the Georgia video, are finally forcing state governments to reassess the integrity of the vote and may provide some court influence in pending cases. The Georgia video forced the Secretary of State’s office conceded that “ballots were counted unlawfully and in secret.” Gov Kemp now has reportedly called for a SIGNATURE validation, something that should have been incorporated into the recount.
MY OBSERVATIONS - Never Trumpers / RINOS are aiding and abetting the election steal by stonewalling and slow walking the investigations of fraud. In Georgia’s case, the video forced the issue, but still expect a slow walk.
However, the timer is running down to Dec 14 and certification of the Electors. This is raising the specter that President Trump may draw upon more constitutionally founded, but dangerous methods to prevent biden’s takeover.
CW2/Civil Disturbances -
The Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM) renewed calls for a week of disruption in memory of Michael Reinoehl. Several antifascist groups have announced actions this weekend in New York City, Sacramento, California; Charleston, South Carolina; Washington, D.C. and other cities. Violence is likely to erupt with clashes of Trump supporters and Proud Boys at “Stop the Steal” rallies that continue across the country.
Observers have noted that the number of armed Leftists at protests has been steadily increasing over the year, most notably this summer and fall.
Strategic Developments -
USS Nimitz battle group has entered the Persian Gulf. Associated with the passage is a large scale aerial intelligence collection/monitoring by USAF and USN aircraft.
Three more B52s from Minot ND appear to be headed to the ME. In commented earlier about their departure, and observers tracked them passing over France hours later. This could put as many as 6 B52s in place for any strike on Iran.
Terror -
According to a recent Department of Homeland Security bulletin, likely state-sponsored hackers are trying to obtain login credentials for executives and government officials involved in the distribution of COVID vaccines.
Israel -
The Israeli government on Thursday urged its citizens to avoid travel to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, citing threats of Iranian attacks. - “In light of the threats heard recently by Iranian officials and in light of the involvement in the past of Iranian officials in terror attacks in various countries, there is a concern that Iran will try to act in this way against Israeli targets,” said a statement issued by the prime minister’s National Security Council.
MY OBSERVATIONS - Such a move by Iran would avoid a direct confrontation/attack on Israel that would most likely bring a joint US/Israel direct military response on Iranian targets, like their nuclear research facilities and missile forces. But is has to be significant enough for them to count coup and save face, and any action that big will likely bring Israeli retaliation - first on Iranian facilities in Syria as well as other assets in the region. Again, a scenario that Iran would not like to be in - an escalation that has President Trump looking for a reason to hit Iran.
Iran -
Mentioned that wuhan apparently is worsening in Iran. It is reported today that Iran continues to record daily wuhan cases at 13,341 cases and 347 deaths
Lebanon -
According to Lebanese Newspaper Al-Akhbar, Hezbollah are in a state of high alert in locations that could be a target for Israel.