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Israel's UN ambassador says IDF is 'most moral military in the world'
www.pbs.org

Those who embrace ethnonationalism align themselves with some of history's darkest forces.
Israel was founded with hopes a hefty chunk of its people - much like our own MAGAts - abandoned in favor of ignoramic hate.
Justified, of course, by lunatic religious zealotry.
Mirroring that which is supposedly the enemy.
Go figure.


Republican and Democratic Senators proudly pose with ICC-indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, something NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), Ukraine President Volodomir Zelensky, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum, or Canada PM Mark Carney would never do.

ICC Indictment

ICJ Rules Israel is Apartheid State

@#16 ... Another private 747 perhaps? ...

The grift seems to go well beyond the planes.

How much money has the UAE contributed to Mr Kushner's private equity Affinity fund? (March 2026)

The money behind the new Iran War
popular.info

... In private calls over the last several weeks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) reportedly urged President Trump to attack Iran. Iran is a top regional rival of Saudi Arabia, and MBS had become concerned about Iran's growing military capabilities.

The lobbying campaign achieved success on Saturday, when Trump announced he had begun "major combat operations in Iran." Trump launched a war even though U.S. intelligence assessed that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States. In June 2025, Trump publicly declared that more limited strikes "completely obliterated Iran's nuclear capability."

MBS's influence with Trump has grown as the Saudi government has invested billions in projects that personally enrich Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Despite the glaring conflicts-of-interest, Trump installed Kushner as a top negotiator with Iranian officials. Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff participated in a mediation session with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva on Thursday, billed as a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the largest investor in Jared Kushner's private equity fund, Affinity Partners. PIF invested $2 billion in Affinity Partners in 2021, even though the PIF committee that screens investments recommended rejecting Kushner's proposal, citing "inexperience" and "excessive" fees. The committee's recommendation was overruled by MBS, who heads PIF's Board of Directors.

PIF pays Kushner 1.25% of its investment, or $25 million, annually. The Senate Finance Committee estimates that Kushner will be paid $137 million in management fees from PIF by August 2026. Further, in September 2025, PIF, Affinity Partners, and others jointly acquired Electronic Arts, the publisher of iconic video games like The Sims and Madden NFL, for $55 billion. The deal, which is the largest leveraged buyout in history, will likely be very lucrative for Kushner.

After raising billions for the Saudis and other foreign governments, Kushner dismissed concerns about conflicts of interest, pledging he would not be involved in Trump's second term. In February 2024, Axios' Dan Primack asked Kushner whether his business relationship with foreign governments would make it "very difficult ... to do any sort of foreign policy work" moving forward. "I'm an investor now," Kushner replied. "I served in government, and I think my track record is pretty impeccable. Now I'm a private investor." ...


@#3

Mount Everest's highest camp is littered with tons of garbage. Cleanup will likely take years (2024)
www.pbs.org

... The highest camp on the world's tallest mountain is littered with garbage that is going to take years to clean up, according to a Sherpa who led a team that worked to clear trash and dig up dead bodies frozen for years near Mount Everest's peak.

The Nepal government-funded team of soldiers and Sherpas removed 11 tons (24,000 pounds) of garbage, four dead bodies and a skeleton from Everest during this year's climbing season. ...


Then there's this ...

NSA using Anthropic's Mythos despite blacklist
www.axios.com

... The National Security Agency is using Anthropic's most powerful model yet, Mythos Preview, despite top officials at the Department of Defense " which oversees the NSA " insisting the company is a "supply chain risk," two sources tell Axios. ...

A "supply chain risk?"

Yeah, Mythos has raised many concerns. And rightly so.

Then there's this ...

White House and Anthropic hold 'productive' meeting amid fears over Mythos model
www.bbc.com

... The White House has said it has had a "productive and constructive" meeting with the head of artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, which is suing the US Department of Defense.

The meeting comes a week after the firm released its Claude Mythos preview, an AI tool that the company claims can outperform humans at some hacking and cyber-security tasks.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei spoke to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Friday, Axios reports.

A representative of Anthropic did not comment on the meeting, which comes two months after the White House derided the firm as a "radical left, woke company". ...



@#9

Also ...

Closing Time: Assessing the Iranian Threat to the Strait of Hormuz (2008)
www.belfercenter.org

... How might Iran retaliate in the aftermath of a limited Israeli or U.S. strike? The most economically devastating of Iran's potential responses would be closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to open-source order of battle data, as well as relevant analogies from military history and GIS maps, Iran does possess significant littoral warfare capabilities, including mines, antiship cruise missiles, and land-based air defense.

If Iran were able to properly link these capabilities, it could halt or impede traffic in the Strait of Hormuz for a month or more.

U.S. attempts to reopen the waterway likely would escalate rapidly into sustained, large-scale air and naval operations during which Iran could impose significant economic and military costs on the United States"even if Iranian operations were not successful in truly closing the strait.

The aftermath of limited strikes on Iran would be complicated and costly, suggesting needed changes in U.S. force posture and energy policy. ...


@#9 ... They just chose not to close it so long as no one started a war with them. ...

OK I asked a search engine about the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, with a date restriction that ended in 2024.

This article appeared ...

Trump: If Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, it's not going to be closed for long' (June 2019)
www.cnbc.com

... President Donald Trump said Friday that if Iran were to block the Strait of Hormuz, "it's not going to be closed for long," but he did not elaborate on whether the United States had an obligation to keep open the international shipping gateway, which is critical to the oil industry.

"They're not going to be closing [the strait]," Trump said in response to a hypothetical question during a telephone interview on "Fox and Friends."

"They know it, and they've been told in very strong terms. We want to get them back at the table, if they want to go back," he said, referring to the administration's ongoing efforts to start bilateral negotiations on a new nuclear deal with Iran.

"I'm ready when they are, but whenever they're ready, it's OK. And in the meantime, I'm in no rush. I'm in no rush," he added. ...


@#86 ... Since 2016 the SPLC has not designated a single Muslim, Marxist or any left center group as a "hate group". ...

... and your current trolling alias' point is?

From the About page ...
www.splcenter.org

... The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. ...

So, the main focus seems to be on white supremacy.

No wonder the GOP seems to have issues with the SPLC.

Speaking of Pres Trump bailing out entities ...

There's this ...

Trump Considers Bailing Out His Family's Major Business Partner
newrepublic.com

... The Trump administration is considering a bailout for the United Arab Emirates over economic losses sustained as a result of the U.S. war with Iran.

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that UAE officials are speaking with the White House about providing financial relief, such as a currency swap, if their economy takes an even bigger hit during the war. Khaled Mohamed Balama, governor of the UAE's central bank, raised the issue in meetings with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week. UAE officials reportedly have said their finances are OK for now, but they could need help in the future.

In an interview with CNBC Monday morning, Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said that while he hadn't spoken directly with Bessent about it, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and continues to hurt the UAE's economy, the Trump administration would be willing to provide help.

"The UAE has been an incredibly valuable ally throughout this effort, and I am sure that the treasury secretary will make every effort to help them out should that be necessary," Hassett said. ...



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