John Bolton Raid Shows Weaponization of FBI
The Guardian wrote on August 22:
“When Kash Patel, the FBI director, faced senators during his confirmation hearings on 30 January, he bristled at suggestions that his 2023 book contained an ‘enemies list’. The appendix to Government Gangsters, which included a list of names of around 60 people, was simply documentation of those who had ‘weaponized’ the government, he insisted.
“Seven months later, that denial appears increasingly hollow. Friday’s FBI search of the former national security adviser John Bolton’s home and office, reportedly to find classified documents, marks the fifth investigation targeting people from Patel’s book. Bolton now joins a growing list of Trump critics from Patel’s roll the administration has targeted with what appear to be retaliatory federal investigations…
“Bolton’s investigation… is unprecedented in how it is calculated to target a critic…”
Deutsche Welle added on August 22:
“… his critics claim Patel lacks experience to lead the FBI, and point to his previous statements about going after Trump’s political enemies… Trump himself was… indicted by a Florida court for retaining classified documents at his private Mar-a-Lago beach club. That case was dropped in 2024 after Trump was elected. Patel had given interviews blasting the raids by federal agents on Trump’s residence related to the case.
“John Bolton served as national security adviser during the first term of Donald Trump, but has since turned into an outspoken critic of the US president, often questioning the president’s mental aptitude. Since leaving the first Trump administration, Bolton has been widely critical of Trump and his policies, especially on the second administration’s handling of the war in Ukraine. During an interview with DW in June, Bolton said he believes Vladimir Putin perceives Trump as a ‘useful idiot.’ ‘He doesn’t know history, he doesn’t read briefing papers,’ Bolton said, referring to Trump.
“In a DW interview yesterday, Bolton said Trump did not understand the situation on the ground in Ukraine, assuming that he could ‘bounce Ukraine and Russia into a peace deal in a couple of weeks and therefore get the Nobel Prize for it.’”
In this light, the FBI’s action clearly looks like political retribution and persecution of a popular Trump critic. The FBI’s action most certainly reminds us of the FBI raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate to locate “classified” information.
More to Come?
The Hill wrote on August 23:
“Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official, signaled Saturday that he could be the next target of President Trump’s FBI… ‘Yeah, we expect it… we can… be so certain of the president’s revenge campaign to know potentially who that next target might be or one of those next targets.’
“The former DHS aide added, ‘I mean when my wife and I woke up and saw the news, she basically said to me, “It’s coming.”’…
“The search of Bolton’s home and office marked an escalation in the feud between Trump and his former national security adviser, with critics seeing it as a potential act of retribution. Taylor, who previously suggested the president kept a ‘blacklist’ for persecution, said as much… ‘Folks don’t have to play the violin for John Bolton or Miles Taylor. Maybe they don’t like either of us. That’s fine, because it’s not about us… It’s about the criminal justice system that all Americans expect to be able to treat them fairly… It’s a president of the U.S. weaponizing the tools of his office to reshape our society. And he’s doing that. He’s making sure the scales of justice tip in his favor… There’s no telling where this could go next.’
“Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that he was not told ahead of time about the raid… Vice President J.D. Vance defended the raid…, pushing back on allegations that the raid is related to retribution.”
In fact, Trump declared that he “didn’t want to know about it” (compare Fortune, dated August 23).
JD Vance’s Comments Very Suspicious
Raw Story wrote on August 23:
“Hours after FBI Director gave the go-ahead to his agents to raid the home and office of John Bolton, Vice President J.D. Vance was well prepared and ready to discuss it with NBC’s Kristin Welker during an extensive interview… Vance stated, ‘We are investigating Ambassador Bolton, but if they ultimately bring a case, it will be because they determine that he has broken the law. We’re going to be careful about that… You should let the law drive these determinations, and that’s what we’re doing.’
“After watching a clip of the Vance interview…, former DHS official Miles Taylor claimed Vance’s comments should set off alarms. ‘This is very, very unusual for the vice president to be this read into a criminal investigation that he should be at arm’s length from… And then… we heard that the CIA director himself might have been the one to provide the evidence to the FBI director.’
“‘You know, as more of these details come out, it’s starting to look completely unprecedented that all of these very top senior officials that work under Donald Trump, that know he wants to get revenge against John Bolton, are personally involved in the investigation of John Bolton,’ he added. ‘I mean, the vice president’s attestation that this had nothing to do with revenge was about as believable as what… the administration has said on the Epstein files, because it would be a truly extraordinary coincidence that they’ve decided to focus their investigative powers on a man that Donald Trump has wanted investigated for years.’”
It does not pass the smell test for sure. And Trump did not know anything about this, while Vance knew all about it?
Right-Wing Media Skeptical of FBI Raid
The Independent wrote on August 24:
“The investigation has sparked criticism from usually reliably supportive right-wing media outlets. On Friday, panelists appearing on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom said they were ‘skeptical’ of the FBI’s decision to execute the raid.
“Chris Swecker, former assistant FBI director from 2004 to 2006, said that he had consulted with former agency colleagues about the raid. ‘We’re looking at this a little bit skeptically because we were very heavily critical of the Mar-a-Lago raid. Just because you have the authority and discretion to do something like this, doesn’t mean you should,’ he told Fox News…
“Attorney and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley alluded to the ‘longstanding disagreement’ between Trump and Bolton. ‘There is a great concern about whether this is retaliation against a political opponent,’ he said…
“Other conservative media warned that the raid could signal Trump is using the FBI to exact political retribution.
“The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board said the raid reeks of political vengeance… Trump may hope that the raid leads Bolton to stop criticizing him publicly, the board suggested, adding that ‘the real offender here is a president who seems to think he can use the powers of his office to run vendettas’… the board… [characterized] the recent FBI raid… a ‘vendetta campaign.’ The newspaper’s editorial board described [it] as ‘hard to see … as anything other than vindictive’… the board asserted that ‘it is increasingly clear that vengeance is a large part, maybe the largest part of how [Trump] will define success in his second term.’… The editorial board also noted the immediate termination of Bolton’s protective security detail upon Trump’s return to the White House, despite threats to his life connected to actions against Iran. ‘This is the kind of gratuitous viciousness that has increasingly defined Mr. Trump’s return to office,’ the board wrote…
“The WSJ’s editorial board had previously warned about Trump and his allies pursuing political revenge, including in December 2024, weeks before his inauguration. ‘We said this was one of the risks of a second Trump term, and it’s turning out to be worse than we imagined,’ the board wrote.”
The whole matter is also suspicious for the simple reason that a highly publicized blowup occurred between Attorney General Pam Bondi (supported by Trump) and FBI Director Kath Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, in the screwed-up Epstein matter, with Bongino threatening to quit. Is the FBI perhaps trying to regain Trump’s favor?
Maxwell’s Fairy Tales
The Independent wrote on August 23:
“Skepticism abounds following the release of transcripts and recordings of Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case. Four years after her conviction and sentencing on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and other crimes, how credible is her testimony?
“Ranking House Oversight Committee Democrat Rep. Robert Garcia was especially damning in the hours after the interview transcripts were released Friday, writing on X: ‘Ghislaine Maxwell is a convicted sex trafficker and known liar. Her interview with Trump’s DOJ lawyer shows she’s desperate for a pardon. She claims no involvement in wrongdoing, which is insulting to the girls and young women she victimized and trafficked. She cannot be trusted.’…
“Having been convicted of federal crimes, her only likely hope for getting out of prison early is either a pardon or a commutation from the president… In addition to her flattering portrayal of Trump, Maxwell also denied the existence of the infamous Epstein client list…. On Fox News, prime time host Jesse Watters… reminded viewers of the existence of a trove of… potential evidence: ‘The list doesn’t exist? So, flight manifests don’t exist? The surveillance tapes don’t exist? The bank records don’t exist?’
“Attorney and legal scholar Jonathan Turley joined Watters to share his thoughts… ‘She clearly also does want something from Trump; she wants a commutation… she is clearly angling for it.’…”
Maxwell also said that the famous picture with Prince Andrew and the underaged girl Virginia Giuffre was a fake, and that even though she does not believe that Epstein killed himself, he was not murdered because of fear that he could produce some discriminatory evidence against famous people, or blackmail them.
So, now we are also to believe that elephants can fly?
Virginia Giuffre’s Family Outraged
NBC News wrote on August 23:
“The family members of a prominent survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse said they were ‘outraged’ by the Justice Department’s decision to release transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony last month to a federal prosecutor, arguing it provided Maxwell a ‘platform to rewrite history.’ ‘The content of these transcripts is in direct contradiction with felon Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction for child sex trafficking,’ the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre said in a statement. The family added, ‘This travesty of justice entirely invalidates the experiences of the many brave survivors who put their safety, security, and lives on the line to ensure her conviction, including our sister.’
“During the interview last month…, Maxwell said Giuffre’s allegation against Andrew ‘doesn’t hold water,’ and disputed key facts in the case, including an alleged photo of Giuffre with Andrew… Giuffre’s family accused the deputy attorney general of not sufficiently challenging Maxwell’s assertions during her testimony, suggesting that by publicly releasing the interview, the Justice Department provided Maxwell the opportunity to dispute her case in the court of public opinion…
“Giuffre’s family also condemned the Justice Department’s decision to transfer Maxwell to a minimum-security prison following her meeting with Blanche. ‘By moving convicted felon Maxwell to a minimum-security, country club prison, the DOJ sends a disturbing message that child sex trafficking is acceptable and will be rewarded,’ the family said Saturday in a statement.”
It was also reported by the Miami Herald, dated August 23, that only 3% of the Jeffrey Epstein files turned over so far to a House committee this week, in response to a congressional subpoena, contained new information, and less than 1% of all the files, estimated to be around 100,000 pages, not in the public domain, have been released to the public.
The Justice Department’s conduct in this entire matter is more than questionable. Trump’s statements are not helpful either, calling “the whole Epstein thing… a Democratic hoax.” Really? Tell that to the family of Virginia Giuffre and the many hundreds, if not thousands, of underaged victims.
To Send or Not to Send?
Deutsche Welle wrote on August 23:
“Politicians have been arguing about whether Germany might send soldiers [to Ukraine] for a possible peacekeeping force… Many have said Germany could hardly be absent from such a force… in Germany, it seems clear that it will not be easy for Merz to obtain approval for such a force… 51%… were opposed to a German participation in a peace mission in Ukraine. Only 36% said they thought it would be the right thing to do…
“… politicians from all political parties have been speaking out daily on the idea of deploying troops to Ukraine. Most of them are skeptical or flat-out opposed. Almost all of them point out that any decision on this matter is still a long way off. Politicians from eastern Germany are especially opposed to the plan… AfD leader Alice Weidel warned that Germany could itself become a target and demanded: ‘Germany needs reconciliation with Russia instead of constant confrontation.’
“Meanwhile, Wolfgang Ischinger, the long-standing head of the Munich Security Conference, wrote on X: ‘There is not a single indication that President Putin is prepared to end this war at the moment.’ Many observers in Germany agree.”
The German government’s two coalition parties are hopelessly divided on about EVERY major issue. As Bild Online commented on August 23:
“The CDU/CSU and SPD are emerging from the summer recess even more divided than when they entered it… There’s hardly a significant issue on which the coalition partners agree… Moreover, a deep mutual distrust has eaten into the coalition… After the three disastrous years of the traffic light coalition, Germany cannot afford another phase of standstill… this autumn will decide the future of the government—and of Germany.”
Trump Very Angry With Ukraine
Newsweek wrote on August 22:
“President Donald Trump has expressed his anger at recent Ukrainian attacks that disabled the Russian oil pipeline Druzhba, which supplies Hungary and Slovakia, both NATO allies… ongoing attacks by both sides have frustrated the self-styled peacemaker Trump as he seeks to bring about an end to a war that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and destroyed parts of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban shared a handwritten note from his political ally, Trump, in a private Facebook group for his supporters… Hungary has sought to stay out of the Russia-Ukraine war and maintain relations with the Russian government… It opposes Ukraine’s ambition to join the EU. The country has accused Brussels and Kyiv of seeking to drag it into the war.
“Orban had written to Trump to complain about the attacks on Druzhba and the impact on Hungarian energy. Ukraine said the pipeline also supplies the invading Russian armed forces, which is why it was targeted. ‘Viktor—I do not like hearing this,’ Trump… wrote in the note. ‘I am very angry about it. Tell Slovakia. You are my great friend.’…
“In the statement to which Trump had replied, Orban noted that Ukrainian strikes on Druzhba had happened days before the ‘historic meeting’ in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has since struck the pipeline again. ‘This pipeline supplies Hungary and Slovakia, two countries that have no other means of importing crude oil,’ Orban had said. ‘Hungary supports Ukraine with electricity and petrol, in return they bomb [a] pipeline that [supplies] us…’”
Two More Weeks?
The Sun wrote on August 23:
“Donald Trump has announced that he will give Vladimir Putin a couple of weeks to set up a peace meeting with rival Volodymyr Zelensky… Trump said that there’s a ‘tremendous amount of hatred’ that he’s trying to navigate through as he fights for a ceasefire…
“Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, warned on Friday that Putin is laying a trap for the West by demanding to keep hold of Ukrainian land…. Trump has backed the need for ‘swapping of territories’ in peace negotiations – raising fears he could be strolling straight into this trap.”
The Hill added on August 22:
“One aspect of the deal that remains a sticking point is security guarantees. A possibility would be that Ukraine joins the European Union instead of joining NATO. On the recommendations of European leaders, Trump called Orban on Monday to attempt to sway his vote in order to let Ukraine join the EU’s 27 member states.
“Orbán posted on Facebook that Ukraine’s accession to the EU ‘does not provide any security guarantees,’ therefore, ‘linking membership with security guarantees is unnecessary and dangerous.’”
No Meeting Anytime Soon
The New York Post wrote on August 24:
“Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov threw up yet another roadblock Sunday to direct talks between his leader, Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — suggesting that a summit is still far off… Lavrov said Sunday that Russia has an ‘agenda’ in mind that must to be agreed before the two sides can sit down together. ‘There is no meeting planned,’ Lavrov told [NBC].
“The summit to end the war will only happen if it has a ‘presidential agenda’ that pleases Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said — but that agenda is ‘not ready at all.’”
So why wait two more weeks?
Ceasefire an Easy Fix?
The Ron Paul Institute wrote on August 25:
“Clearly no one in the world with a heart would like to see the fighting go on. So at first glance a ceasefire seems like a quick fix… Earlier in Ukraine hostilities both Germany and France achieved Putin’s agreement to a ceasefire while a negotiated peace agreement was underway. The efforts were called the Minsk Accords…
“Certainly [Friedrich] Merz [Germany’s Chancellor] must know the background of this. He would be remiss not to understand that a ceasefire without a peace agreement might be as unattainable as the end of a rainbow.”
Russia Threatens to March on Paris
Express wrote on August 26:
“Russia has issued a terrifying warning to France as tensions between the two countries threaten to explode. The French President is the latest Western leader to be singled out for rough treatment by Kremlin propagandists and to become ‘public enemy number one’… During an interview with the French TV news network LCI, Emmanuel Macron called Putin ‘a predator and an ogre at our doorstep.’ The remarks seemingly went down like a lead balloon with the sensitive Kremlin tyrant, who unleashed his propaganda hounds on the unfortunate Macron. Vladimir Solovyov has relished his role as the Putin regime’s top attack dog…
“Once again referencing deep Russian grievances about Nato expansion, the Kremlin stooge said [on his TV show]: ‘Originally, back in December 2021, we stated that NATO moving closer to our borders was unacceptable… And now they’re saying: “We’ll be at your borders, we’ll send Nato troops there. That’s why we’ll be on Champs-Elysées. And Macron will be polishing the boots of a Russian officer.’… The last time Russian soldiers graced Paris with their presence was in the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars in the 19th century. Russian forces, along with other Coalition allies, reached and entered the French capital on March 31, 1814.”
Russian Children Taught to Murder
The New York Post wrote on August 27:
“Baby-faced Russian children as young as 8 have been taught how to throw hand grenades and carry rifles at a bizarre summer camp designed to train up the next generation of Putin’s military. The twisted exercises, supervised by soldiers who have fought in Russia’s war in Ukraine, saw young children given real rifles or convincing replicas at a camp in the Rostov region, close to the Ukrainian border…
“Some 83 children — ages 8-17 — took part in last week’s activities, including a ‘route march’ along the River Don involving running and crawling on their bellies across sand and shallow water while holding weapons. The camp is part of President Putin’s attempts to indoctrinate even young children to be prepared for eventual military service.”
This world is indeed ruled by demons.
Putin’s Spirits
Express wrote on August 20:
“Vladimir Putin allegedly consulted Mongolian shamans regarding the potential deployment of nuclear weapons, according to Russian sources. The Russian leader has long been recognised for his ‘special attitude to mysticism’ throughout the years, with speculation emerging in 2018 that he bathed in Siberian red deer blood to enhance his vitality. Nevertheless, during his trip to Mongolia in early September this year, it’s alleged that Putin advanced his mystical convictions even further, reports the Daily Star… Mikhail Zygar, founder of the prohibited opposition channel TV Dozhd, indicated that Putin possesses a strong fascination with ‘pagan traditions.’
“In a piece for the German news website Der Spiegel, Zygar penned: ‘Mongolia and Tuva are considered the home of the most powerful shamans in the world. Vladimir Putin has long been known for his special attitude towards mysticism. And he apparently combines his interest in Orthodox mysticism with pagan traditions.’
“Mongolia maintains membership of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin last year following his deportation of Ukrainian children. Despite the warrant, Mongolian authorities failed to apprehend Putin during his visit, citing their substantial dependence on Russia as justification for their inaction.
“Zygar proposed that Putin was prepared to risk detention to seek counsel from the spirits. The Kremlin has rejected recent claims put forward by an opposition figure, declaring: ‘The mentioned circumstances related to the Russian President’s visit to Mongolia in September 2024 have no connection to reality.’ This marks not Putin’s initial venture into mysticism – he allegedly consulted spiritual advisers before his 2012 invasion of Ukraine.
“According to a report last year, Russian state media asserted that the nation’s ‘supreme shaman’ Kara-ool Dopchun-ool had called upon ‘the sun, the moon and the stars’ to safeguard Kremlin forces in Ukraine, all at Putin’s request.”
This would explain Putin’s insane and demonic conduct towards Ukraine.
Deportation of Garcia Paused
The New York Post wrote on August 25:
“A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s effort to deport alleged MS-13 gangbanger Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda. US District Judge Paula Xinis, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, paused the deportation plan until the Trump administration allows Abrego Garcia the opportunity to contest his removal…
“‘Today, ICE law enforcement arrested Kilmar Abrego Garcia and are processing him for deportation,’ Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. ‘President Trump is not going to allow this illegal alien, who is an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator to terrorize American citizens any longer.’”
By way of background, Garcia (29), a Salvadorian citizen and Maryland resident, is married to an American citizen. They have 3 children together, who are all American citizens. He entered the USA illegally in 2011. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him withholding of removal status due to the danger he would face from gang violence if he returned to El Salvador. This status allowed him to live and work legally in the US. He was illegally transported to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The United States Supreme Court found that he needed to be returned to the USA.
He was returned, but was charged immediately with human smuggling following a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding. He had nine passengers in the car and officers allegedly discussed their suspicions of smuggling before allowing him to go with just a warning. He was detained by ICE this week when he showed up in immigration court for an scheduled interview. No charges were ever filed against him for being a child predator or a MS-13 gang member. The allegation that he lives illegally in the USA is at least questionable. So is the allegation that he is a “serial domestic abuser.” His wife filed for protective orders against him in 2020 and 2021, though she has since made conflicting public statements regarding the allegations. He was never convicted of any crime.
Politifact wrote on August 25, in fact-checking the U.S. government’s allegations: “Some of these statements are exaggerated, and others are based on information from dubious informants.”
EU Postal Services Suspends Shipment of Packages to the USA
Breitbart wrote on August 23:
“Multiple postal services around Europe announced Saturday that they are suspending the shipment of many packages to the United States amid a lack of clarity over new import duties. Postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy said they will stop shipping most merchandise to the U.S. effective immediately. France and Austria will follow Monday, and the United Kingdom Tuesday.
“Under a decree signed by President Donald Trump last month, international goods that were previously exempt from U.S. tariffs – those valued under $800 – will be subject to import duties from Aug. 29. Letters, books, gifts and small parcels worth less than $100 will continue to be exempt.
“A trade framework agreed by the U.S. and the European Union last month set a 15% tariff on the vast majority of products shipped from the EU. Many European postal services say they are pausing deliveries now because they cannot guarantee the goods will enter the U.S. before Aug. 29. They cite ambiguity about what kind of goods are covered by the new rules, and the lack of time to process their implications.
“Starting Saturday, Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany said they ‘will no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the US.’ Postnord, the Nordic logistics company, and Italy’s postal service announced similar suspensions effective Saturday… In the Netherlands, PostNL spokesperson Wout Witteveen said the Trump administration is pressing ahead with the new duties despite U.S. authorities lacking a system to collect them…
“Austrian Post, Austria’s leading logistics and postal service provider, stated that the last acceptance of commercial shipments to the U.S., including Puerto Rico, will take place Tuesday. France’s national postal service, La Poste, said the U.S. did not provide full details or allow enough time for the French postal service to prepare for new customs procedures… The UK’s Royal Mail said it would halt U.S. shipments on Tuesday ‘to allow time for those packages to arrive before duties kick in.’ Items originating in the U.K. will require a 10% duty for items over $100, it said. PostEurop, an association of 51 European public postal operators, said that if no solution can be found by Aug. 29 all its members will likely follow suit.”
Money Watch added on August 23:
“India’s government also said the country will temporarily suspend postal deliveries to the United States starting Monday, except letters, documents and gift items of up to $100 in value… India’s communications ministry said in a statement that the executive order issued last month requires transport carriers or other ‘qualified parties’ approved by US authorities to collect and remit the tariff duties, but ‘several critical processes relating to the designation of “qualified parties” and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance remain undefined.’”
This is the kind of damage and uproar Trump’s ridiculous tariff policy creates.
US-India Relationship Sours
Express wrote on August 26:
“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rejected four phone calls from US President Donald Trump as the countries’ relations sour, a German newspaper reported. The report in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.) claimed that Modi remained frustrated and cautious about engaging in dialogue due to mounting pressure over tariffs. The US threatened India with a 25% tariff on exports to the US due to its purchases of Russian oil, on top of a 25% tariff due to a trade imbalance, meaning the country is facing a steep 50% duty in total on major industries like textiles, gems and jewellery, auto parts, and seafood.
“Modi is reportedly maintaining his stance on continuing to buy Russian oil, which has been claimed to be financing ‘Putin’s war machine’, and resisting Trump’s pressure to open India’s markets to US agribusiness. The new rate [came into effect on] August 27, according to the executive order. A response from India’s foreign ministry on Wednesday August 6 said Delhi had already made clear its stance on imports from Russia, and deemed the tariff ‘unfair, unjustified and unreasonable’.
“Analyst Mark Frazier said the American concept of an Indo-Pacific alignment—in which India plays a central role in containing China—’is falling apart’, according to the F.A.Z. report.”
Of course it does. India will become part of the prophesied kings of the East under Russian-Chinese leadership.
Coming… A Universal Vaccine?
npr wrote on August 5:
“The Department of Health and Human Services will cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines that are being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a statement Tuesday that 22 projects, totaling $500 million, to develop vaccines using mRNA technology will be halted.
“Kennedy’s decision to terminate the projects is the latest in a string of decisions that have put the longtime vaccine critic’s doubts about shots into full effect at the nation’s health department. Kennedy has pulled back recommendations around the COVID-19 shots, fired the panel that makes vaccine recommendations, and refused to offer a vigorous endorsement of vaccinations as a measles outbreak worsened.
“The health secretary criticized mRNA vaccines in a video on his social media accounts, explaining the decision to cancel projects being led by the nation’s leading pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, that offer protection against viruses like the flu, COVID-19 and H5N1. ‘To replace the troubled mRNA programs, we’re prioritizing the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies, like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms that don’t collapse when viruses mutate,’ Kennedy said in the video… Kennedy said work is underway on an alternative.
He said a ‘universal vaccine’ that mimics ‘natural immunity’ is the administration’s focus. ‘It could be effective — we believe it’s going to be effective — against not only coronaviruses, but also flu,’ he said.”
So, replacing certain vaccines with another “universal vaccine” is the solution?
“Army Base Used for WWII Japanese Internment Will Be Nation’s Largest ICE Detention Center”
USA Today wrote on August 24:
“Americans of Japanese heritage say they hear echoes of their families’ forced internment in the Trump administration’s newest immigrant detention site… erecting the nation’s largest immigrant detention site on Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
“Eighty years ago, Fort Bliss housed dozens of [American] people [of Japanese heritage] labeled ‘alien enemies’ by the government in a detention camp that included two compounds surrounded by double barbed wire fences… Smaller numbers of immigrants from Germany and Italy were also sent there after the United States joined European Allies and declared war against those countries. At least 113 first-generation Japanese Americans were shipped to the base before being sent to other holding areas across the country…
“The people detained at Bliss… [were] the first in the eventual internment of over 125,000 Japanese Americans across the country, most of them U.S. citizens. For the vast majority, there were no accounts of wrongdoing other than being seen as ‘enemy aliens’ …. After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the American government viewed Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans as potential traitors… President Franklin Delano Roosevelt immediately invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to detain people and confiscate their property.”
Terrible. And it’s all repeating itself.
Coming… Mass Deportations in the UK?
Newsmax wrote on August 23:
“Former Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage set out plans on Saturday for ‘mass deportations’ of migrants who have crossed the English Channel on small boats if his Reform UK party forms Britain’s next government… Farage said he would withdraw Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights and sign deals with Afghanistan, Eritrea, and other top countries of origin to repatriate illegal migrants…
“Asked if he was concerned that asylum seekers would be killed or tortured if they were sent to countries with poor human rights records, Farage said he was more worried about the threat he believed asylum seekers posed to Britons. ‘I can’t be responsible for despotic regimes all over the world. But I can be responsible for the safety of women and girls on our streets,’ he said…
“Broader opinion polls show that immigration and asylum are the public’s greatest concern, just ahead of the economy…
“Last year 37,000 people — mostly from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Vietnam, and Eritrea — arrived in Britain from France by crossing the English Channel in small boats. The total was up by a quarter from 2023 and accounted for 9% of net migration. About two-thirds of people who arrive via small boats and claim asylum are successful and only 3% have been deported…
“Farage told The Times he would end the right to claim asylum or to challenge deportation for those who arrived by small boats by replacing existing human rights legislation and opting Britain out of refugee treaties, citing a national emergency… The Times said Farage wanted to create holding facilities for 24,000 migrants on air bases at a cost of $3.4 billion and operate five deportation flights a day with total deportations reaching the hundreds of thousands. If that failed, asylum seekers could be held on Ascension Island, a British territory in the South Atlantic, to send a symbolic message, Farage said.”
Politico added on August 23:
“… the far-right politician, whose party currently leads consistently in the polls, said migrants coming to Britain by small boats should be arrested on arrival, detained in Royal Air Force bases, denied the right to asylum, and deported within 30 days…”
Sky News added on August 23:
“Only last autumn the Reform leader repeatedly shied away from the concept of ‘mass deportations’, describing the idea as ‘a political impossibility.’ But now he’s embraced Trump-style immigration rhetoric.
“It’s not surprising that Reform want to capitalise on the outpouring of public anger over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers. The policy was started by the previous Conservative government, in response to housing shortages – and Labour has failed to make significant progress on its promise to stop it. But all the major parties have shifted firmly to the right on this issue.
“There’s been very little political criticism of the aggressiveness of Farage’s policy suggestions, and the premise that the UK should no longer offer sanctuary to anyone who arrives here illegally…. current efforts to end the use of asylum hotels by 2029 are clearly not working. That’s a credibility gap Farage is more than ready to exploit.”
Adopting Trump’s controversial approach to immigration is most certainly not an act to follow.
UK Economy Heading for Collapse
Express wrote on August 25:
“They’re under the misapprehension that they can keep raising taxes without consequences – and have another £50 billion in store for us in autumn. Everyone else in the country knows the reality that if you push taxes too high some businesses go bust, others go abroad, and some move to the black market where they operate a cash-in-hand system to bypass handing over their hard-earned money to the Treasury…
“It is so apparent those in government have never run anything commercially… What a bunch of clueless [politicians] we have in charge – they are not so much running the country as running the country into the ground…”
Mystery of Bermuda Triangle Solved?
Daily Mail wrote on August 25:
“Dr Simon Boxall, an oceanographer from the University of Southampton,… says that the Bermuda Triangle’s record of disappearances is due to ‘rogue waves’… Towering up to 100 feet (30 metres) in the air, rogue waves are abnormally steep and can hit unexpectedly from directions other than the prevailing wind. According to Dr Boxall, a large ship trapped by one of these killer swells could ‘sink in a matter of two or three minutes’…
“Theories surrounding the deadly pull of the Bermuda Triangle have spread widely ever since the disappearance of the USS Cyclops in 1918… Despite an extensive search, no trace of the 542-foot (165-metre) vessel or its 306 crew members has ever been found…”
From all the “explanations,” this one seems to be one of the least convincing. It does not even address the disappearance of airplanes. At least 50 ships disappeared, as well as at least 20 airplanes, which never left any trace of a wreckage or survivors. But “scientists” who deny the existence of the “supernatural,” do not even consider that Satan and his demons might be behind many of these occurrences. However, the Church of God has been considering this possibility for over 60 years.
No Two-State Solution
Israel 365 News wrote on August 22:
“US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has firmly stated that establishing a Palestinian state is not a priority for the Trump administration, suggesting that Israel’s Arab neighbors could instead provide territory for such a state… effectively ruling out the establishment of such a state in the occupied West Bank… Huckabee went further, suggesting that no Palestinian state is likely ‘in our lifetime’, marking a significant departure from decades of US policy supporting a two-state solution…
“‘One of the reasons we’re seeing the more aggressive decision [by Israel] to move into some of these areas is because it’s in reaction to what the Europeans have done — in concert with the Palestinian Authority — pushing for a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,’ Huckabee said. He added that these actions have had ‘a totally disastrous effect’ on stability in Judea and Samaria and on efforts to resolve the situation in Gaza…. ‘Pushing for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state without the cooperation and participation of Israel is a violation of Oslo,’ Huckabee said…
“Huckabee has long been a vocal supporter of Israeli settlement expansion in what he refers to as Judea and Samaria, the biblical names for the West Bank. The former Arkansas governor has previously argued that ‘there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian’ and has stated there is ‘no such place as the West Bank’…
“The push for Palestinian recognition has gained momentum globally, particularly following Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The State of Palestine is recognised by 146 countries around the world… In the spring of 2024, more European and Caribbean nations recognized a Palestinian state, including Barbados, Ireland, Jamaica, Norway and Spain, while Slovenia also joined this group. Looking ahead, France, Malta, and Australia have announced plans to recognize Palestine as a state in September 2025 at the 2025 United Nations General Assembly, with Canada and the United Kingdom stating they will as well subject to certain conditions. In 2014, Sweden became the first country in Western Europe to recognise Palestine, setting a precedent that others have followed…”
Australia Expels Iran’s Ambassador Over Antisemitism
JTA wrote on August 26:
“Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador on Tuesday, accusing Tehran of orchestrating antisemitic arson attacks on Jewish institutions, as police in Melbourne announced a series of arrests tied to synagogue fires and vandalism that have rattled the country’s Jewish community.
“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Iranian-directed attacks were ‘extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression’ designed to destabilize Australia. The government will also designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and suspend operations at its embassy in Tehran. It has already moved Australian diplomats to a third country…
“The Australian response appears to be the most extensive. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the expulsion of Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three other Iranian officials was the first time Australia has taken such a step since World War II.”
Increasing Antisemitism in France
ntv wrote on August 25:
“France has summoned US Ambassador Charles Kushner for today following a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron regarding antisemitic incidents. In the letter, Kushner expressed his ‘concern about the increase in antisemitic acts in France and pointed to an alleged failure of the French authorities to combat these acts,’ the French Foreign Ministry said. ‘The allegations are unacceptable,’ it added. It regrets the increase in antisemitic incidents in France since October 7, 2023, which are a reality. The French authorities will take all necessary measures to combat them, the ministry said…
“The US ambassador to France has joined Israel’s criticism and accused French President Emmanuel Macron of ‘inadequate’ efforts to combat anti-Semitism. In a letter to Macron, he expressed his ‘deep concern about the dramatic rise in anti-Semitism in France and your government’s inadequate response to it.’ In France, not a day goes by ‘without Jews being attacked in the streets, synagogues or schools vandalized, or Jewish businesses vandalized,’ Kushner wrote.
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the French president last week of promoting anti-Semitism with the planned recognition of a Palestinian state. Nearly 500,000 Jews live in France, making it the largest Jewish community in Europe. Since the major attack by the radical Islamist Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the resulting war in Gaza Strip, the number of anti-Semitic acts in France and other countries has risen sharply.”
Major Step Towards Compulsory Military Service
The Washington Post wrote on August 27:
“Germany took a major step Wednesday toward a controversial return to compulsory military service… On Wednesday… Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet approved a plan that would reinstate a form of conscription, which has not existed in Germany since being suspended in 2011.
“The measure — subject to parliamentary approval this fall — would not subject Germans to draft cards and lotteries. Instead, starting next year, it would require 18-year-old German men to fill out a questionnaire about their physical fitness and willingness to serve. For women, the form would be voluntary. The bill also allows compulsory military service to be reinstated in the future, with parliamentary consent. Beginning in 2027, the bill would require all 18-year-old men to undergo a physical fitness exam. These measures would save time ‘if mandatory conscription for basic military service has to be activated, because conscription data will then already be available and will not have to be collected in this situation,’ according to the draft legislation…
“‘The Bundeswehr must grow,’ Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said… ‘The international security situation, especially Russia’s aggressive behavior, demands this.’ If compulsory conscription is reinstated, conscientious objectors would be able to avoid the military, as was permitted previously, by performing civil service such as hospital work or disaster relief, the bill states…
“‘There will be no way around conscription,’ Markus Söder, minister-president of the state of Bavaria and head of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party to Merz’s CDU, said on German TV ahead of the cabinet vote. Merz said Wednesday that the goal was to ‘make military service more attractive and bring in more young people to serve in the Bundeswehr.’ But, he added, ‘if we determine that we need to make adjustments, we will do so.’ Even Pistorius, a Social Democrat, conceded that voluntary measures might fall short. ‘There is no guarantee that voluntary participation will be sufficient.’”
Of International Interest?
Nius wrote on August 25:
“AfD politician Joachim Paul addressed high-ranking US politicians (Marco Rubio and JD Vance) and entrepreneur Elon Musk in a video on the X platform. In the English-language message, he reports having been excluded from the upcoming mayoral election in Ludwigshafen. Paul calls it a ‘case of international interest’ and asks for support…
“‘The pretext is that I met with the wrong people, I spoke to the wrong people. The real reason is: They want to stay in power at all costs, and they don’t want to change the migration policy – which has led to a major crisis in Germany and especially in Ludwigshafen.’
“Elon Musk already commented on the video: ‘Excluded from the election without having committed any crime?'”
No Longer a Democracy?
Focus wrote on August 25:
“Germany calls itself a democracy, but the reality is sobering: Parties have hijacked the political system… At the same time, citizens’ trust is plummeting. According to studies by the Allensbach Institute and the Research Group on Elections, trust in parties is at historic lows. More and more people are turning away or seeking salvation in protest votes. This is no coincidence. It is the direct result of a politics that has lost touch with the people…
“Parties control every access to power…. In the Bundestag, voting is based on party discipline, not individual conviction… We must not fool ourselves: Hardly anyone will develop the perfect solution from within… It is naive to believe that change comes from within. Anyone who reaches the executive board or even the top of a party is living proof that the system works for them. Why should someone change a system that made them great? That is the paradox: We expect reform from party leadership that costs them power… Germany doesn’t need a steward of the old, but an Innovator of the future…”
Grenell: “Germans Sick and Tired of Weak Woke Response.”
Brussels Signal wrote on August 25:
“Richard Grenell, the US Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, has criticised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Germany’s lax response to a rise in immigrant crime. In a post on X on August 24, Grenell – who served as the US ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020 during Donald Trump’s first presidency – wrote: ‘Friedrich Merz must understand that the German people are sick and tired of this weak and woke response.’
“Grenell’s remarks came as a reaction to the stabbing of a US student on a German tram that was allegedly committed by a Syrian asylum seeker. The US student himself had posted a video from hospital shortly after the attack that showed him with a bandaged face. ‘If [allegedly criminal asylum seekers] can do this to the people of Germany and then just get released 12 hours later, where’s the law?’ he said.
“The 21-year-old student said he had witnessed two men accosting a group of young women on a tram in Dresden (Saxony) late on the night of August 23. According to German police the US citizen intervened to help the harassed women. In reaction the two then allegedly started hitting him. A short while later one of them pulled out a knife and allegedly stabbed him in the face several times. The student was seriously… injured and rushed to the hospital with several slash wounds to his face. Photos in German newspapers showed the blood-spattered interior of the tram.
“The alleged attackers fled but one was later apprehended. According to German newspaper Bild on August 24, he… reportedly has a police record including alleged bodily harm, robbery and illegal immigration to Germany. The suspect was taken into custody but released a couple of hours later by decision of the public prosecutor’s office. Public prosecutor Jürgen Schmidt told Bild: ‘According to the assessment of the duty prosecutor, there were insufficient grounds for detention. He cannot be held responsible for the knife attack.’… Germany only allows pretrial detention as a rare exception. Reportedly, the prosecutors saw no chance of obtaining an arrest warrant from the investigating judge in this case as there was no risk of Majd A fleeing, concealing evidence or reoffending as he has a permanent place of residence…”
Due to national and international pressure, the Dresden prosecutors seem to have awakened from their sleep. Note the next article.
Deutsche Welle added on August 26:
“Dresden police and prosecutors said on Tuesday that they had arrested a 21-year-old Syrian… and was put in investigative custody on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, among other offenses.
“The man in question had already been detained once before and was released soon after the incident… Police said… that after further investigation there was now reasonable grounds to suspect that he was ‘involved in the knife attack against the 20-year-old American and also himself injured the victim with a dangerous object.’ Tuesday’s statement made no direct mention of the second suspect [who is still at large].
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.