Category: Watching

Oil Spikes After EU Says Russian Embargo ‘Imminent’ As Germany Drops Opposition

Tyler Durden – April 28, 2022

After throughout the whole month consistently rejecting a proposed European Union ban on Russian oil, but while also walking a delicate tightrope of opposing Putin’s demand of payments in rubles for Russian energy, Germany is now ready to pull the trigger on an embargo.

It’s another major Berlin U-turn happening in tandem with the decision to send heavy weapons to Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal is citing Berlin government officials who say “Germany is now ready to stop buying Russian oil.”

The WSJ underscores that this “clears the way” for a wider EU ban on Russian oil imports, given that Germany’s resistance was the chief holdout to imposing an embargo before this point.

Further the report indicates that an embargo now seen as “imminent” but it remains that no target date has been set yet, or at least hasn’t been disclosed publicly. While events earlier in the week made clear that this was coming, preparing markets, oil began surging on the news.

Which is not good news for President Biden as gas prices at the pump are already on the rise.

Germany appears to have lifted its objection based on prior negotiations to implement a phased-in Russian oil embargo, similar to the phased approach regarding the coal ban.

Additionally, other countries particularly in eastern Europe have lately appeared willing to step up in taking the pressure off Germany supply – for example Poland says it’s ready to supply a German refinery via Gdansk which is owned by Rosneft.

https://www.zerohedge.com

Finland, Sweden could join NATO as soon as this summer: report

– April 11, 2022

Finland and Sweden are poised to join NATO as early as this summer, a move that a US official said stemmed from Russia’s “massive strategic blunder” of invading Ukraine, according to a report published Monday. ​​

Membership of the two Nordic countries in the Atlantic alliance was a “topic of conversation and multiple sessions” last week during meetings of NATO foreign ministers that were attended by representatives from Stockholm and Helsinki, the Times of London reported.

Finland is expected to submit an application in June, with Sweden following soon after, the report said.

The addition of Sweden and Finland would increase the alliance membership to 32 countries — and extend its border with Russia by hundreds of miles.

​​​“How can this be anything but a massive strategic blunder for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin?”​ a​ senior American official ​told the publication.

“Sweden and Finland would be real feathers in ​NATO’s cap as net contributors. They are real players,” a European diplomat ​told the Times, noting that adding both countries would help expand the alliance’s capabilities, including in intelligence gathering and in air power.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said it was time for her country to reconsider becoming a NATO member and urged the alliance to consider any potential application “thoroughly but quickly.”

“Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was,” ​Marin said earlier this month, adding: “I think we will have very careful discussions, but we are also not taking any more time than we have to in this process, because the situation is, of course, very severe​.”

Stockholm is following Helsinki’s timetable and is conducting a security policy review that is expected to be concluded by the end of May.

https://nypost.com

What Is The “Great Reset” And What Do The Globalists Actually Want?

Brandon Smith – April 1, 2022

I first heard the phrase “Great Reset” way back in 2014. Christine Lagarde, who was head of the IMF at the time, was suddenly becoming very vocal about global centralization. It was an agenda that was generally only whispered about in the dark corners of institutional white papers and the secretive meetings of banking elites, but now these people were becoming rather loud about it.

Lagarde was doing a Q&A at the World Economic Forum and the notion of the “Reset” was very deliberately brought up; what the project entailed was vague, but the basic root of it was a dramatic shift away from the current economic, social and political models of the world into a globally centralized and integrated system – A “New World Order,” if you will…

It’s important to remember that we had just jumped through the fires of an international credit collapse which started in 2008 and had continued to cause uncertainty in markets for years. The central banks had dumped tens of trillions of dollars worth of stimulus into the system just to keep it on life support. Some of us in the alternative media believed that these actions were not meant to save the economy, only zombify the economy through currency devaluation and inflation. Not long down the road, this zombie creation would turn on us and try to eat us alive, and only the central bankers knew exactly when this would occur.

Think of the crash of 2008 as Stage 1 of the Reset agenda; the globalists were getting cocky and were ready to unveil their plans to the public.

Lagarde’s discussion at the WEF was also held around the time that Klaus Schwab was introducing his 4th Industrial Revolution concept, which is a little more forward with what the globalists really want. He talks excitedly of a true “global society” and a world in which people turn to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a better means of governance. He even suggests that laws would eventually be dictated by AI and that courts would be run by robots.

Of course, he admits that this cannot happen without a period of economic deconstruction in which people and governments will have to choose between sacrifice for the sake of stability, or continued pain in the name of holding on to the “old ways.” Look at it this way: The Great Reset is the action or the chaos, and the 4th Industrial Revolution is the intended result or planned “order.” That is to say, it’s a new order created out of engineered chaos.

https://www.activistpost.com

Why does this influential, unelected globalist entity really exist?

Rachel Marsden – February 26, 2022

When Canadian parliamentarian, Colin Carrie, of the Conservative Party, asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government this week how many Canadian ministers were actually “on board with the World Economic Forum agenda” — before his connection “broke up” in the video conference — he and the Canadians he represents deserved an honest response rather than accusations of spreading “disinformation”, as left-leaning New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus did.

The World Economic Forum (WEF), colloquially known as “Davos”, for those familiar with the annual pilgrimage by the international elite to the eponymous town in Switzerland, has been on the tips of many tongues over the past two years — notably within the context of the Covid-19 crisis. Just before the Covid pandemic, on October 15, 2019, the organization announced that it was holding a “live simulation exercise to prepare public and private leaders for pandemic response.” If that sounds oddly coincidental, buckle up, because it only gets weirder.

Speaking at a United Nations video conference in the fall of 2020, Justin Trudeau raised eyebrows, with a hint of a potential link between the global pandemic and the Forum. “This pandemic has provided an opportunity for a reset,” Trudeau said. “This is our chance to accelerate our pre-pandemic efforts, to re-imagine economic systems that actually address global challenges like extreme poverty, inequality and climate change,” he added, evoking a “reset” concept much promoted by the WEF from the onset of the pandemic, that frames the crisis as an opportunity to fundamentally change the way that developed societies function.

Then in August 2021, Dutch MP Gideon van Meijeren asked Prime Minister Mark Rutte about a letter he wrote to WEF Founder Klaus Schwab in which he said that Schwab’s book, “Covid-19: The Great Reset,” published on July 9, 2020, within the first few months of the pandemic, “inspired him to build back better.” The phrase also happens to be the name of US President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda, which includes increased wealth transfer into the murky black hole of climate change and “social spending.”

It would be easy to chalk it all up to creepy rhetorical coincidence if there wasn’t an actual link between Schwab, Davos, and elected officials like Rutte and Trudeau.

https://www.rt.com

Texas A.G. Declares: Transgender Treatments on Minors Is Child Abuse under State Law

Michael Foust – February 23, 2022

The prescription of puberty blockers and the performance of sex-change surgery on transgender-identifying children can legally be defined as child abuse under Texas law, the state’s attorney general says in a new opinion.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, released the opinion on February 18 in response to a question from state Rep. Matt Krause about the use of common medical procedures on trans-identifying minors. Krause, a Republican, chairs the House Committee on General Investigating.

Specifically, Krause asked Paxton whether the administration of puberty blockers and the performance of such surgeries as mastectomies, vasectomies and hysterectomies on minors constitutes child abuse under Texas law. Paxton said it can.

Puberty blockers can leave a minor infertile.

“Each of the ‘sex change’ procedures and treatments enumerated above, when performed on children, can legally constitute child abuse under several provisions of chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code,” Paxton wrote. “When considering questions of child abuse, a court would likely consider the fundamental right to procreation, issues of physical and emotional harm associated with these procedures and treatments, consent laws in Texas and throughout the country, and existing child abuse standards.”

Paxton said the procedures can violate Texas law because they:

  • cause “mental or emotional injury to a child that results in an observable and material impairment in the child’s growth, development, or psychological functioning.”
  • “caus[e] or permit[] the child to be in a situation in which the child sustains a mental or emotional injury that results in an observable and material impairment in the child’s growth, development, or psychological functioning.”
  • cause a “physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child.”
  • involve a “‘failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent an action by another person that results in physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child[,]’ particularly by parents, counselors, and physicians.”

“There is no doubt that these procedures are ‘abuse’ under Texas law, and thus must be halted,” Paxton said in a statement. “The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has a responsibility to act accordingly. I’ll do everything I can to protect against those who take advantage of and harm young Texans.”

https://www.christianheadlines.com

PlatinuPlatinum Jubilee: Queen marks 70 years in power by firming up future of the monarchy for Charles and Camillam Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth marks 70 years as monarch

 

Katie Grant – February 6, 2022

The Queen has marked 70 years on the throne by renewing a promise to “always be devoted” to public service and expressing her “sincere wish” that the Duchess of Cornwall will eventually take the title Queen Consort.

In a message to the nation on Accession Day, the 95-year-old monarch conveyed her hope that when, “in the fullness of time”, her eldest son, Prince Charles, ascends the throne, the public will rally behind him and his wife Camilla.

Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI, and of her ascension to the throne, Elizabeth II reflected on the past and paved the way for the future of the monarchy, pointedly paying tribute to Camilla’s “loyal service”.

Remarking on what the anniversary means to her, the Queen said: “It is a day that, even after 70 years, I still remember as much for the death of my father, King George VI, as for the start of my reign.”

She continued: “As we mark this anniversary, it gives me pleasure to renew to you the pledge I gave in 1947 that my life will always be devoted to your service.”

The monarch, who is the first British sovereign in history to celebrate seven decades on the throne, also spoke of her “sense of hope and optimism” as the country prepares to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee this summer.

“I am reminded of how much we can be thankful for,” she said, pointing to the “extraordinary progress socially, technologically and culturally” that she has witnessed during a record-breaking reign.

She stressed how “fortunate” she felt to have enjoyed the “steadfast and loving support” of her family.

https://inews.co.uk

Texas Heartbeat Law Has Saved Over 11,000 Babies From Abortion

Michael New Ph.D. – February 3, 2022

This week, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission released abortion data for September 2021, the first full month in which the Texas Heartbeat Act was in effect. The data illustrate that the new law, which protects preborn children after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, has significantly reduced the incidence of abortion in the Lone Star State.

The statistics show that 2,197 abortions were performed in Texas in September 2021,  a 51 percent reduction from September 2020. The Heartbeat Act, in other words, is preventing approximately 75 abortions from taking place in Texas every day.

Some Texas women, to be sure, are circumventing the Heartbeat Act by obtaining abortions in other states. But a survey taken by Heartbeat International in September 2021 indicates that 41 percent of pregnancy centers in Texas and surrounding states have seen an increase in clients, so clearly more Texas women are seeking assistance in carrying pregnancies to term.  Data on births by Texas women from this spring and summer will provide even clearer data on the effect of the Heartbeat Act.

Overall, these new data adds to a significant body of research showing that pro-life laws and policies protect unborn children and save lives. Research shows, for instance, that Texas governor Greg Abbott’s March 2020 executive order postponing elective surgeries reduced the number of abortions in Texas that spring. Numerous studies show that a range of incremental pro-life laws in the United States lower abortion rates. Overseas, there is evidence that pro-life laws in Poland and Ireland reduced the incidence of abortion in those countries.

The enforcement of the Texas Heartbeat Act came at a very good time. After years of decline, abortion rates in Texas, like many other states, had slowly begun to increase. In the first eight months of 2021, there were over 39,000 abortions performed in the Lone Star State, an increase of more than 11 percent from the first eight months of 2017.  While the Heartbeat Act will continue to face legal challenges, the new statistics are encouraging, because the law has undoubtedly succeeded in protecting preborn children. Other conservative states seeking to protect preborn children would do well to follow Texas’s lead.

https://www.lifenews.com

Can the President Constitutionally Restrict His Nomination to a Black Woman?

Alan M. Dershowitz – January 28, 2022

Imagine a president announcing that since no Muslim has ever been appointed to the Supreme Court, he pledges to nominate the first Muslim justice. That would undoubtedly be unconstitutional since Article VI of the Constitution specifies that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” The spirit of that prohibition — coupled with the 14th and 19th amendments—would certainly seem to apply to race and gender as well. It is wrong, and perhaps unconstitutional, for a president to impose a racial or gender test for nomination to the Supreme Court. If a president were to announce that he intended to nominate only a white male, constitutional scholars would rightfully object. So, what is the difference?

Supporters of President Biden’s announcement will argue that there is a big difference between prohibiting a person from serving based on religion, race or gender, and affirmatively giving preference based on these criteria. That is sophistry. By limiting his choice to a Black woman, President Biden has disqualified every non-Black woman and man in America. There are a considerable number of highly qualified Black women, and I would applaud the nomination of any one of them. But that is not the issue. The issue is exclusion.

The Supreme Court has a long history of exclusion. For more than a century-and-a-quarter after the religious prohibition was incorporated into the Constitution, presidents excluded all Jewish candidates and most Catholic candidates. The Supreme Court was an institution reserved primarily for white Protestant males. That was wrong and unconstitutional. But two wrongs, even if one of them is a “good” wrong, do not make a constitutional right.

The Black woman who is eventually nominated for the job will suffer reputationally from the president’s announcement. She will not be regarded as the most qualified person to be nominated, but only as the most qualified Black woman. That is insulting, even if not intended to be.

Senator Charles Schumer compounded President Biden’s error by announcing that regardless of who the president nominated, she will be confirmed by the Democratic controlled Senate. That, too, politicizes the Supreme Court nominating process. The Senate is supposed to deliberate on the qualifications of each nominee and confirm or reject her or him on the merits, not on the basis of who nominated her.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org

Florida House Committee Passes Pro-Life Bill to Save Babies From Abortion

Micaiah Bilger – Jan 28, 2022

Despite abortion activists’ continuous disruptions, a Florida House committee advanced legislation Thursday to protect unborn babies by banning abortions after 15 weeks.

Florida Politics reports pro-abortion protesters repeatedly interrupted the meeting with shouts and chants before the state House Healthcare Appropriations Subcommittee voted 10-5 to move forward with the bill.

The Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality Act (House Bill 5) would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Exceptions would be allowed if the mother’s life is at risk or the unborn baby has a fatal disorder. It also includes measures to reduce infant mortality and a requirement that abortion facilities report suspected human trafficking cases to the state.

The legislation has a good chance of passing the Republican-controlled state legislature, and Gov. Ron DeSantis recently “welcomed” pro-life legislation. Polls consistently show strong public support for banning abortion after the first trimester as well.

On Thursday, committee members listened to more than an hour of public comment before ending public discussion to allow lawmakers time to debate before they voted, according to the report.

However, a female abortion activist interrupted their discussion, and security guards escorted her out of the room. As they did, other abortion activists began chanting “Let her speak!”, eventually prompting lawmakers to stop the meeting and clear the room, WTSP 10 Tampa Bay reports. Later, they allowed people back inside and reconvened the meeting.

Abortion activists accused lawmakers of not allowing them to speak, but Andy Shirvell, executive director for Florida Voice for the Unborn, who attended the meeting, said the abortion activists monopolized the public comment period.

“One pro-abortion activist after another testified, with only one pro-life advocate able to speak,” Shirvell said. “Many pro-lifers, including myself, were there to testify but we never got the chance.”

He speculated that the committee chair may have given more time to abortion activists in an attempt to mollify them, but the opposite occurred.

“As grateful as Florida Voice for the Unborn is for today’s victory, nonetheless what took place at the subcommittee hearing was completely unacceptable,” Shirvell said.

https://www.lifenews.com

Prominent Mystic: Next year will be the final Jubilee, year of Messiah’s arrival

– January 12, 2022

Rabbi Yekutiel Fish, a prominent mystic from Jerusalem, gave a lesson last week in which he proved through a precise mathematical equation that next year will be the final Jubilee before the arrival of the Messiah.

“We are now in the month of Shevat on the eve of the Messiah,” Rabbi Fish said at the beginning of his lesson. “If you happen to hear a shofar, don’t be alarmed or confused,” the rabbi joked. “It is only the arrival of the Messiah.”

Rabbi Fish attributed the teaching to Rabbi Oren Evron, a prominent mystic-numerologist.

“Rabbi Evron told me the following message in the most simple manner possible, like an innocent child and not like a Torah authority,” Rabbi Fish said. “But after he told me, I realized that what we have here is an atomic bomb. Rabbi Evron informed me that next year, 5783, will be a Jubilee year and will usher in the Messiah.”

It should be noted that the current year, 5782, is a shemittah (Sabbatical) year. The Shemitah is part of a larger framework of seven Shemitah (sabbatical) cycles, in which we count 49 years, and then the 50th year is the Jubilee year, as described in Leviticus.

https://www.israel365news.com