Venezuela The US will allow two European companies to ship Venezuelan oil to Europe. [Link] Russia NATO head Jens Stoltenburg says the alliance needs to prepare for a long war in Ukraine. [Link] He added that Ukraine shouldn’t stop trying to push Russia from Crimea. [Link] Finland’s head of intelligence says he is surprised by the lack of Russian reprisals after Helsinki submitted an application to join NATO. [Link] The US claims Russia isn’t serious about allowing the grain to be shipped through the Black Sea. [Link] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he had to cancel his trip...
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5/24/22 Chas Freeman on America’s Messy Taiwan Policy
Download Episode. Scott is joined by Chas Freeman to discuss the history of U.S. policy concerning Taiwan. And they talk about President Biden’s recent press conference where he misstated the official U.S. policy on Taiwan for the fourth time as president. Discussed on the show: “Not So Deft On Taiwan” (Washington Post) Chas W. Freeman was Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 1993-94 and served as U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Follow him at his website, chasfreeman.net. This episode of the Scott...
80+ Senators ‘Fully Committed’ to NATO Membership for Sweden & Finland, Demand Shortened Process
A significant majority of the US Senate has signed a letter welcoming Finland and Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the group of 82 senators urging for expedited membership for the two Nordic states.
Russia Says Its Embassy in Washington Is ‘Under Blockade’
Moscow claims Washington is making normal business at its American diplomatic offices impossible. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov says frozen bank accounts and threats restrict engagement between the world’s nuclear superpowers.
White House has ‘Almost Zero’ Ability to Track Weapons It Sends to Ukraine
A US official said the White House has “almost zero” ability to track the weapons it is sending to Ukraine. So far, President Joe Biden has approved over $3 billion in arms shipments to Kiev.
Blinken Announces New $100 Million Security Package to Ukraine
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new $100 million military aid package to Ukraine on Sunday while visiting Israel. The latest security assistance will include armored vehicles for Ukrainian police and border guards. The US labeled the donation - which also includes secure personal protection equipment, tactical and communications equipment, and medical supplies - as civilian security assistance. “With the US government’s vital assistance, Ukrainian law enforcement officers are playing a key role in rescuing victims of the Russian government’s brutal assault, leading and...
Biden Leads State of the Union with Anti-Russia Tirade
President Joe Biden opened his State of the Union address with an all-out attack on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, framing the conflict in Ukraine as a battle between “light” and “darkness.” He pledged to “save democracy” and closed his remarks with an exhortation to Ukrainian troops, saying “go get him” while shaking his fist – likely referencing Putin. The anti-Russian portion of the speech drew loud and frequent cheers from the galley of blue and yellow-clad congressmen, all as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States was prominently seated next to the first lady. Biden said...
2/18/22 Jack Matlock on the Predictable and Avoidable Crisis Over Ukraine
Scott interviews Jack Matlock, former Ambassador to the USSR, about the current situation in eastern Europe. While he can’t imagine Russia will actually invade Ukraine, Matlock points to the last three decades of unnecessary NATO expansion as the catalyst for today’s tension. Impressively, he went on record and testified all the way back in 1997 that expanding NATO would be a mistake. Scott and Matlock also point to the discrepancy between the hysterical political narrative being amplified by the media and the actual diplomatic progress as a source for rational optimism. Discussed on the...
News Roundup 1/27/2022
Covid The Navy has now removed 45 sailors for failing to take the covid vaccine. [Link] The US donates 900,000 Pfizer covid vaccine doses to Laos. [Link] The US will send two million Pfizer covid vaccine doses to Kenya and Morocco. [Link] US News In the first half of 2021, Twitter received fewer requests from governments for information on users but complied with the requests more often. When US law enforcement made informal requests for information, Twitter gave the info 68% of the time. [Link] The Pentagon wants to accelerate its development of hypersonic missiles. [Link] The Army will...
News Roundup 1/20/2022
US News The police officers who restrained Cedric Lofton at a Kansas juvenile facility until he died will not face charges. [Link] The city of Baltimore settles with two men - who police officers planted drugs on - for $200,000. The officers were members of the corrupt Gun Trace Task Force. [Link] An interim CIA report has concluded it is unlikely that ‘Havana Syndrome’ is caused by an adversary or weapon. [Link] The Pentagon will spend over $52 million in 2022 on 18 blimps to surveil the southern border. [Link] Rodolphe Jaar - wanted for his role in the assassination of Haitian...