Biden administration unveils new $988m US military aid package for Ukraine Russia-Ukraine war News &Canada
Biden administration unveils new $988m US military aid package for Ukraine Russia-Ukraine war News &Canada
Syrian government forces withdraw from Homs in potential blow to Assad
I Love Donald TrumpWhy I Am NO LONGER Black Pilled
Notre Dame reopens to world leaders in rare symbol of unity
Today, the Real Mr.Trumpet dances to an all american classic that fits to his values what
Return Of THE SWAMP! Why These Cabinet Picks Are DANGEROUS For Trump...
Kathedrale Notre Dame in Frankreich nach Restaurierung wiedererffnet
Strong contender for Most Cringeworthy Headline of the Year
Jill Biden, Trump, Selenskyj: Die Pariser Kathedrale Notre-Dame ist mit einer groen Feier wiedererffnet worden. Prsident Macron betonte in seiner Rede die Bedeutung des Bauwerks und dankte einer ganz besonderen Gruppe.Deutschland wehrloser als zu Kriegsbeginn
The telegraph having an orgasm as two tax dodgers touch each other.
Trump in Paris for reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, meets with Macron and Zelenskyy
The meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris lasted 35 minutes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and US President-elect Donald Trump as productive, saying they all want to end the war in Ukraine fairly and as soon as possible.
Lazy Caturday Reads
Good Afternoon!!
By Katrina Pallon
The assassination of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson has set off a spirited public discussion of the U.S. health insurance system. That is the top news story today.
The shooter wrote the words Delay, Deny, and Depose on bullets left at the scene, suggesting that his action was triggered by denial of coverage by the health insurance giant. That has set off angry discussions on social media and probably in homes and workplaces around the country.
People are also wondering how the shooter managed to evade police, disappear in Central Park and escape New York City for an unknown destination. Police are examining security footage to try to find out where he went. They have also found images of the shooters face, which should help the effort to locate him.
Heres whats happening:
Holly Yan at CNN: .
He killed a high-profile CEO on a sidewalk in Americas largest city, where thousands of surveillance cameras monitor millions of people every day.
But the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a busy hotel keeps evading capture. Now, authorities say he might have slipped out of New York meaning the elusive gunman could be anywhere.
Police believe the suspect arrived in New York City 10 days before the killing on November 24, a law enforcement official told CNN. Throughout his stay, the suspect appeared on camera numerous times but always kept his hood over his head and wore a mask in public places.
He knows hes on camera its New York, said John Miller, CNNs chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst.
Police are searching for and scouring countless hours of video footage in hopes of finding more clues, such as whether the suspect met with anyone while in the city.
It will take them weeks. They will build out every step of his trip thats on video, Miller said. They will create a movie of his every move.
While the gunman meticulously planned many parts of his crime and getaway, he might be surprised by how far the NYPD is going to go in collecting video, said former NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth Corey.
And theyre not just going to take it from the crime scene to his escape route, Corey said. Theyre actually going to rewind now, and theyre going to try to account for all 10 days that he spent in New York City. And I dont think that he anticipates that.
Read the answers to other questions at the link.
Maria Cramer at The New York Times:
The police on Friday offered a nearly minute-by-minute timeline of a gunmans movements before and after he fatally shot Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, in Midtown Manhattan two days earlier.
The police have made no arrests in the shooting, and do not have a name for a suspect, but investigators have begun to piece together the movements of a man they believe killed Mr. Thompson on a city sidewalk early Wednesday morning.
Joseph Kenny, the Police Departments chief of detectives, said at a news briefing on Friday that the suspect arrived in the city at 10:11 p.m. on Nov. 24 on a bus that originated out of Atlanta. Detectives have looked at the route the bus took and plan to reach out to the police department of each of the six or seven towns the bus stopped in, he said.
Upon arrival in New York, the man took a cab to the New York Hilton Midtown where he would later fatally shoot Mr. Thompson and spent about half an hour walking in the area of the hotel before checking in to a hostel on the Upper West Side, the chief said.
By Katrina Pallon
At the hostel, he stayed under fake identification, always using cash, avoiding conversation and hiding his face with his mask even during meals, the chief said. He never spoke with anyone and lowered his mask once to speak, smiling, to the hostel clerk when he first checked in, the chief said.
On Wednesday, the day of the shooting, the gunman left the hostel at 5:30 a.m. and likely rode a bicycle toward Midtown, Chief Kenny said. Though investigators do not have video of him taking the bike to the scene of the shooting, they are speculating that he did because it took him only 10 minutes to get from the hostel on 103rd Street to West 54th Street. The police are still looking into the possibility that he could have stolen the bike, he said.
At 5:41 a.m., he arrived at the Hilton and began wandering the area near the hotel, walking back and forth on West 54th Street, before entering a Starbucks, where he bought a bottle of water and a snack bar.
He fatally shot Mr. Thompson at 6:44 a.m. He then got back on the bike and made it into Central Park four minutes later. He left the park at 6:56 a.m., still on the bicycle.
Surveillance cameras captured footage of him, still on the bicycle, two minutes later at 86th Street and Columbus Avenue. By 7 a.m. he was still on 86th street, but no longer on the bicycle. He then took a cab northbound, to a bus station near the George Washington Bridge that is used by interstate buses.
By 7:30 a.m. he had made it to the station, where video surveillance showed him going in but not coming out, Chief Kenny said.
Op-Ed by Zeynep Tufekci at The New York Times:
It started barely minutes after the horrifying news broke that the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, had been fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan. Even before any details were available, the internet was awash in speculation that the company had refused to cover the alleged killers medical bills and in debates about whether murder would be a reasonable response.
Soon there was a video of a man in a hoodie, face not visible, walking up behind Thompson and shooting him multiple times, ignoring a woman standing nearby before walking away. Could he be a hit man
Then came the reports that bullet casings bearing the words delay, deny and deposewere found at the scene. Delay and deny clearly echo tactics insurers use to avoid paying claims. Depose Well, thats the sudden, forceful removal from a high position. Ah.
After that, it was an avalanche.
The shooter was compared to John Q, the desperate fictional father who takes an entire emergency room hostage after a health insurance company refuses to cover his sons lifesaving transplant in a 2002 film of the same name. Some posted prior authorization needed before thoughts and prayers. Others wryly pointed out that the reward for information connected to the murder, $10,000, was less than their annual deductibles. One observer recommended that Thompson be scheduled to see a specialist in a few months, maybe.
Many others went further. They urged people with information about the killing not to share it with the authorities. Names and photos of other health insurance executives floated around. Some of the posts that went most viral, racking up millions of views by celebrating the killing, I cant repeat here.
The rage that people felt at the health insurance industry, and the elation that they expressed at seeing it injured, was widespread and organic. It was shocking to many, but it crossed communities all along the political spectrum and took hold in countless divergent cultural clusters.
Even on Facebook, a platform where people do not commonly hide behind pseudonyms, the somber announcement by UnitedHealth Group that it was deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague was met with, as of this writing, 80,000 reactions 75,000 of them were the haha emoji.
Its worth reading the whole thing. .
The Washington Post:
Before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan this week, he was steering his company through court battles and legislative threats at a time of public frustration over health insurance industry tactics.
By Katrina Pallon
Thompson, 50, was well liked internally at UnitedHealth, where he had risen in the ranks over 17 years before being named CEO of the insurance giant in 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile and company statements. He had previously run the Medicare business within UnitedHealthcare.
Legal scrutiny around UnitedHealthcares Medicare business regarding potentially overbilling the government affected Thompson personally during that time, said a former colleague, who spoke on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of Thompsons death.
He called me and said, Im from Iowa, my parents have difficulty explaining what I do, let alone being sued for a billion dollars, he said.
Colleagues described him as smart and affable, with an Iowa farm background that allowed him to explain complexities of health care in relatable terms. Known affectionately as BT, with the build of a former high school athlete, Thompson had the presence to give major speeches and lead corporate events and a self-effacing manner that drew staff to him in more intimate settings, remembering personal details about hundreds of UnitedHealth employees, colleagues said.Thompson was known within the company for his focus on keeping premiums low, said one UnitedHealthcare staffer who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their job.
More information on Thompson at the WaPo link.
In other news, Trump is in Paris today acting as if he is already president as Macron sucks up to him.
ABC News:
President-elect Donald Trump kicked off his first foreign trip since his reelection with a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.
Ahead of the meeting, Macron welcomed Trump, saying, Its a great honor for the French people to welcome you five years later.
Macron thanked Trump for his solidarity and immediate action during his first presidency: You were at the time the president, the first time, and I remember the solidarity and your immediate action. Welcome back again. Thank you. We are very happy to have you here.
Trump in return celebrated the great success the United States and France had together on defense and offense during his first term and said they will talk about how the world is going a little crazy right now. .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined Macron and Trump at about 11:34 a.m. Eastern time. However, he did not offer remarks ahead of the meeting.
Trump is in France to partake in the reopening ceremonies for Notre Dame more than five years after a fire severely damaged the cathedral. First lady Jill Biden is also among the representatives from around the world attending the ceremonies.
The meeting comes at a time when Macrons government is undergoing a political crisis after his prime minister, Michel Barnier, resigned after facing a no-confidence vote. Macron, who became president in 2017, has vowed he will serve until the end of his term in 2027 despite facing calls from some to resign.
AP via NPR: .
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris on Saturday with a full a dose of presidential pomp as the two men resumed the relationship they established during Trumps first term after a four-year hiatus.
By Katrina Pallon
As Trump arrived at the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president, Macron went out of his way to project an image of close ties, posing for multiple handshakes interspersed with plenty of back-patting. Trump said it was a great honor and talked about the great relationship they have had.
Trump said the two would be discussing a world thats gone a little crazy as they met one-on-one ahead of a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire.
At the palace, a grand red carpet was rolled in the same way the French welcome sitting American presidents.
Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made a point of cultivating a relationship since the Republican defeated Democrat Kamala Harris last month. But Macrons office nonetheless played down the significance of the invitation, saying other politicians not now in office had been invited as well.
Trump was invited as president-elect of a friendly nation, Macrons office said, adding, This is in no way exceptional, weve done it before.
The red carpet treatment was yet another sign of how eager both Macron and other European leaders are to win Trumps favor and placate him even before he takes office.
Macron is hoping to convince Trump to continue supporting Ukraines fight to remain and independent democracy.
Trumps visit to France comes as Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trumps favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russias invasion. Macrons office said Macron and Trump would discuss that as well as wars in the Middle East.
That meeting will take place before the Notre Dame event, as will the get-together with Prince William, whos also scheduled to meet with Jill Biden, according to the British royal palace.
Macron also planned to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Its not clear whether Trump will meet Zelenskyy, too. Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine swiftly but has not specified how, raising concerns in Kyiv about what terms may be laid out for any future negotiations.
In an effort to build trust with the incoming U.S. administration, Zelenskyys top aide Andriy Yermak met key members of Trumps team on a two-day trip earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly, described the meetings as productive, but declined to disclose details.
Meanwhile, Syrian insurgents continue to threaten Bashar al-Assads control of the Syrian government.
AP:
Insurgents stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country.
The rebels moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters.
The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. As they have advanced, the insurgents, led by the group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army.
The U.N.s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an orderly political transition. Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute.
In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands rushed the Syria border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country.
Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those that remained open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some shops were selling items at three times the normal price.
Once again, the government is denying that al-Assad has fled the country.
Amid the developments, Syrias state media denied rumors flooding social media that Assad has left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus.
By Katrina Pallon
Assads chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanons powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes.
Pedersen said a date for the talks in Geneva on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 2254 would be announced later. The resolution, adopted in 2015, called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections.
I wonder how Tulsi Gabbard is taking this news
The New York Times:
Iran began to evacuate its military commanders and personnel from Syria on Friday, according to regional officials and three Iranian officials, in a sign of Irans inability to help keep President Bashar al-Assad in power as he faces a resurgent rebel offensive.
Among those evacuated to neighboring Iraq and Lebanon were top commanders of Irans powerful Quds Forces, the external branch of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, the officials said.
The move signaled a remarkable turn for Mr. al-Assad, whose government Iran has backed throughout Syrias 13-year civil war, and for Iran, which has used Syria as a key route to supply weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Guards personnel, some Iranian diplomatic staff, their families, and Iranian civilians were also being evacuated, according to the Iranian officials, two of them members of the Guards, and regional officials. Iranians began to leave Syria on Friday morning, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue.
Evacuations were ordered at the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, and at bases of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian and regional officials said. At least some of the embassy staff has departed.
Some are leaving by plane to Tehran, while others are leaving via land routes to Lebanon, Iraq and the Syrian port of Latakia, the officials said.
Iran is starting to evacuate its forces and military personnel because we cannot fight as an advisory and support force if Syrias army itself does not want to fight, Mehdi Rahmati, a prominent Iranian analyst who advises officials on regional strategy, said in a telephone interview.
for more on the Syrian conflict, check out this article at The New York Times (gift link)
The latest stories on Trumps crazy personnel decisions:
The Washington Post: .
NBC News: .
Marc Caputo at The Bulwark:
Politico:
NBC News: .
Those are my offerings for today. Have a relaxing weekend, everyone!
#BrianThompson #DonaldTrump #iran #israel #MiddleEast #news #Syria #UnitedHealthCare
Lest we forget.. The greatest crime against Jesus ever he was born under a Christmas tree for your sins
Macron, Trump i Zelenski es troben a l'Elisi amb motiu de la reobertura de Notre-Dame El president electe dels Estats Units i el president ucrans mantenen una trobada a Pars amb la intermediaci del lder francs
Zelenskyy and Trump hold first post-reelection meeting with Macron in Paris POLITICO
Cryptos winning week capped by David Sackss ascension to Trump White House
Top Dem warns Trump has plot to 'steal' from federal programs
Det blev en dragkamp i tre ronder...
Eigentlich wollte der franzsische Prsident Macron seinen designierten US-Kollegen Trump und den ukrainischen Prsidenten Selenskyj einzeln treffen. Im lyse-Palast haben nun doch alle drei miteinander gesprochen. Gerchten zufolge knnte Trump das Treffen eingefdelt haben.
Der syrische Staatschef Baschar al-Assad gert immer weiter unter Druck. Whrend Oppositionskrfte bereits Orte im Umland der Hauptstadt umstellt haben sollen, meldet sich der designierte US-Prsident zu Wort. Er macht deutlich: Die USA sehen sich in Syrien nicht in der Verantwortung.
Das Treffen zwischen Selenskyj, Trump und Macron dauerte 35 Minuten, und es wurden keine Erklrungen abgegeben
Trump receives a Paris welcome full of presidential pomp from Frances Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with presidential pomp as the two men resumed the relationship established during Trump's first term.
At least 11 killed as Russia strikes Ukraines Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih
US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said that the world was "a little crazy" as he met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris ahead of the re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral on his first international trip since his re-election.
Trump said because Russia, an Assad ally, is tied up fighting a war with Ukraine it "seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years." Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, Trump wrote, before switching to all uppercase letters for emphasis. THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!
Characteristics of fascism vis--vis .
I come across a comment of user:dangus on hackernews () which refers to Characteristics of () article and compare them to Donald Trump. I just copy paste it in easy to read format.
Trumps policies should be turning off farmers why did so many vote for him
Stjrnspckat nr Notre-Dame ppnar portarna fr frsta gngen sedan branden 2019.
Stjrnspckat nr Notre-Dame ppnar portarna fr frsta gngen sedan branden 2019. ver 50 stats- och regeringschefer samlas i Paris under lrdagen. Invigningen
Trumps policies should be turning off farmers why did so many vote for him
Trump receives a Paris welcome full of presidential pomp from Frances Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with presidential pomp as the two men resumed the relationship established during Trump's first term.
Trump receives a Paris welcome full of presidential pomp from Frances Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with presidential pomp as the two men resumed the relationship established during Trump's first term.
Guess who called another "Palestinian".