Steve Thomas

https://www.nga.mil/assets/files/A_Guide_to_Resrources_for_Geospatial_Academic_Research.pdf NGA is the lead federal agency for GEOINT and manages a global consortium of more than 400 commercial and government relationships. NGA: Delivers the strategic intelligence that allows the president and national policymakers to make crucial decisions on counterterrorism, weapons of mass destruction, global political crises and more;Enables the warfighter to plan missions, gain battlefield superiority, precisely target the adversary,and protect our military forces; Provides timely warnings to the warfighter and national decision-makers by monitoring, analyzing,and reporting imminent threats—often, NGA has the only “eyes” focused on global hot spots and can give unique insight into these critical areas; Protects the homeland by supporting counterterrorism, counternarcotics, and border and transportation security Supports security planning for special events, such as presidential inaugurations, state visits by foreign leaders, international conferences, and major public events (Olympics, Super Bowl, satellite launches, etc.); Ensures safety of navigation in the air and on the seas by maintaining the most current information and highest quality services for U.S. military forces and global transport networks’ Defends the nation against cyber threats by supporting other intelligence agencies with in-depth analysis of cyber networks; Creates and maintains the geospatial foundation data, knowledge, and analysis that enable all other missions; and Assists humanitarian and disaster relief efforts by working directly with the lead federal agencies responding to fires, floods, earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, or other natural or manmade disasters Steve Thomas

On her show last night, Rachel Maddow interviewed Robert Cardillo, former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. When Rachel asked him the NGA is, Carfillo responded, "We map the planet." From their website, https://www.nga.mil/ their mission is: "The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has a responsibility to provide the products and services that decision makers, military service members, and first responders need, when they need it most. As a member of the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense, NGA supports a unique mission set. We are committed to acquiring, developing and maintaining the proper technology, people and processes that will enable overall mission success. Geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT is the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. GEOINT consists of imagery, imagery intelligence and geospatial information." "We maintain detailed, foundational physical characterizations of the Earth from seabed to space and provide products our forces require to navigate and operate safely every day, everywhere around the globe. We build a wide array of GEOINT products providing unique context and insights to answer questions from a broad range of customers — from White House policymakers, to Pentagon decision-makers, to deployed warfighters, to first responders, to non-government organizations. Our customers rely on us to “show the way”… to literally get them from point A to point B, help illuminate options and inform decisions, and carry out actions with precision. We must, and will, meet our nation’s needs." 'I can be silent no longer': former intel official denounces Trump “Perhaps the most under-appreciated element of the 2020 race: the staggering number of people who've worked directly with Trump and now want to see him lose.” By Steve Benen September 26, 2020 https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/i-can-be-silent-no-longer-former-intel-official-denounces-n1241131 Steve Thomas

Steve Thomas

David, Thank you. The Reigio Arce link you provided is a November 25, 1962 Memo for the Record. I don't know this, but I don't think that Arce was a member of the sixteen member, LPN (Los Pinos Nuevos) group who were on board the Violin III on the night of March 31, 1963. I did learn through you this bit of information: Another FBI report describes the Violin III as "an Owens cruiser". FBI - HSCA Subject Files, C - D/ FBI - HSCA Subject File: Church Committee/ NARA Record Number: 124-10286-10438 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=84468&search=105-1742#relPageId=30&tab=page Page 30 Memorandum from Robert Dwyer, Miami to Director, FBI dated June 14, 1963. The identity of MM-T3 is redacted. Steve Thomas

Greg, Thank you, and thanks for the pictures of Jerry Buchanan. It's always nice to put a face with a name. I was also interested in Buchanan's connection to Craig Sheldon and Fairhope. Alabama. Fairhope's significance seems to revolve around the claims by a Jerry Buchanan that he was in a fight with members of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in the Bay Front Park section of Miami, FL. in October, 1962. Police broke up the fight. Buchanan said Oswald was there. and that Oswald was distributing FPCC literature in Miami in March, 1963. At the time, Buchanan was living with a Craig Sheldon, who Frank Sturgis said was the Southeastern Director of the International Anti-Communist Brigade. Craig Sheldon lived in Fairhope, AL. Fairhope was one of the headquarters of Alpha-66. See FBI Report of SA Allison A. Catlin dated June 25, 1964. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=75614&search=Fairhope#relPageId=3&tab=page Interview of Craig Sheldon. In December, 1962, Sheldon traveled to Puerto Rico, where he met with Bay of Pigs veterans and was raising money for Alpha 66. Sheldon says he is in “regular correspondence” with Antonio Veciana. http://cuban-exile.com/doc_326-350/doc0326.html#CHRONOLOGY Alpha-66: FAIRHOPE, ALA: By Apr 63 Alpha-66 office in. [R-759-2- 161] “SHELDON, Craig of Fairhope, Alabama was recruiting for A-66 on Jan 2, 1963. He says he is a member, an ex-marine. [R-759-1-841851” Buchanan said he got his information from a Cuban exile named Sanchez. I think this may be Fernando Sacnhez. https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/180-10144-10153.pdf RIF# 180-10144-10153 “11/16/62 Indicates rift in Alpha-66. Only Jeronimo Estevez, Salomon Bender, Fernando Sanchez, and Israel Gonzalez still allied with Veciana.” In CD 1020, Acosta said that no one named Sanchez was aboard that boat. Fernando Sanchez might not have been aboard the boat, but still could be the person who told James Buchanan that Jerry had been in a fight with someone who called himself Oswald on the docks of the Miami River. Remember too that the group associated with the house on Harlandale in Dallas was Alpha-66. (Just my own thoughts, It's possible that Oswald was trying to infiltrate this group the same way he tried in New Orleans with the DRE and Carlos Bringuer.) Another tidbit to add to the boat flotilla: (the boats are not named unfortunately) http://cuban-exile.com/doc_326-350/doc0326.html ALPHA-66 (Alfa 66) Chronology & Background May 1962 to Nov 1964 http://cuban-exile.com/doc_326-350/doc0326.html#CHRONOLOGY 1963 MAR -- A SNFE food supply boat from Miami is stopped in the Miami River by U.S. Customs, and ammunition seized. [R-759-2-21] 1963 MAR 10 A Sigma boat of SNFE was stopped by Customs and 1445 rounds of ammunition was confiscated. This was a civil seizure [see federal dockets for case number] [R-759-2-39] 1963 MAR 17/18 A raid at Isabel de Sagua firing at a Russian Technical Camp located on shore and a Russian ship which was at sea. Two 20-foot boats with two movable 20 mm cannons were used along with BAR's and M-1's. Each boat held 12-15 men. [R-759-1-115/125] One boat was a wooden 25-foot speedboat, fiberglass covered, with a 95 horsepower Mercury inboard engine, and the other was a 21 foot boat with two inboard engines capable of doing bet. 30 and 40 mph. [R-759-2-24C Six Russians were wounded. Damage on the island was slight. [R-759-1-125] An informant confirms the Miami Herald account printed on Mar 19. [R-759-2-20] The Herald reports some Russians killed. [R-759-2-24C] The New York Standard reports that the raiding party entered the harbor, stopped a Russian freighter and exchanged gunfire. Two raiders were wounded. [R-759-2-65] Steve Thomas

David, Yes, I had. In an FBI interview, (CD 1020) James Buchanan said he got this information from a Cuban exile named Sanchez five days after the assassination. This is from page 12 of CD 1020 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11416#relPageId=14&tab=page This is right around the same time that the DRE was spreading around information that Oswald was FPCC and had been to Cuba. (Wasn't his around the same time that the Alverado story started circulating that Oswald had been paid $6,500 by somebody in the Cuban Embassy)? I considered the possibility that this Miami story was part of the whole subterfuge. At the same time however, there is documented evidence that Oswald was trying to infiltrate the anti-Castro Cuban exile community. The Miami story is based a lot on hearsay, and I'm treading lightly. Steve Thomas

Ron, After I had posted this, my wife explained to me that wearing a mask was conditional for Trump entering the Supreme Court building. He had been told that he wouldn't be allowed to come in without one. I've watched this clip several times. The TV and print commentators said that Trump was booed when he came out at the head of those stairs. I didn't hear boos. I heard a collective howl of pain and anguish. I've never heard anything like it. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Steve Thomas

Could somebody explain this to me? Trump won't wear a mask when he's surrounded by hundreds of living people, but puts one on when he's close to a dead person. Steve Thomas

Massive movement of former top military, State Dept, and national security officials – many Republicans – endorse Joe Biden By David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement https://www.rawstory.com/2020/09/massive-movement-of-former-top-military-state-dept-and-national-security-officials-many-republicans-endorse-joe-biden/ "Hundreds of former top U.S. military, State Dept., and national security officials, including many Republicans, are signing letters endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden for President. Each letter includes direct or implicit rebukes of President Donald Trump, his policies, actions, and remarks. The endorsements include 75 former Republican national security officials; more than 200 retired generals and admirals; and nearly 500 retired Generals, Admirals, Senior Noncommissioned Officers, Ambassadors and Senior Civilian National Security Officials. “We are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. We love our country. Unfortunately, we also fear for it,” reads the letter from 489 generals, admirals, senior noncommissioned officers, ambassadors, and senior civilian national security leaders. “The current President has demonstrated he is not equal to the enormous responsibilities of his office,” their letter says, “he cannot rise to meet challenges large or small. Thanks to his disdainful attitude and his failures, our allies no longer trust or respect us, and our enemies no longer fear us. Another letter, signed by more than 200 retired generals and admirals, “includes 22 retired four-star military officers, among them Navy Adm. Samuel Locklear, who oversaw all U.S. forces in the Pacific from 2012 to 2015, and Adm. Harry Ulrich, who commanded U.S. naval forces in Europe during President George W. Bush’s administration,” NBC News reports. 75 former Republican national security officials, including those who “served during the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and/or Donald Trump, or as Republican Members of Congress,” signed the most scathing letter, rebuking Trump while fully-endorsing Biden." Steve Thomas

I have longed been intrigued by the idea that a person who called himself Oswald appeared in Miami, Florida in late March, 1963 and attempted to board a ship bound for a raid on Cuba. I give this account as much and as little credibility, as reports that a person named Oswald showed up in Alice, Texas in October, 1963 trying to get a job at a radio station. Along with this account, I have also been interested in the ships that were involved in the various raiding parties. Was this person who called himself, Oswald simply interested in a single raiding party, or was he trying to ingratiate himself in order to work his way up the chain of command? The ship Oswald was trying to board was a 35 foot Owens cruiser called the Violin III. It was owned by Alexander Rorke. The Violin III was supposed to rendezvous with a larger 40 foot yacht called the Alisan, but was seized by British authorities on the evening of Sunday, March 31, 1963 in Norman Kay in the Bahamas. That same evening, the Alisan was seized in North Miami Beach, Florida. Kingsport Times from Kingsport, Tennessee · April 2, 1963 Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/78783432/ U.S. CONFISCATES EXILE BOAT British Halt Cuba-Bound Raiders MIAMI, Fla. (AP)-U.S. customs agents confiscated a Cuban exile boat, British police captured a band of 17 sea raiders and a companion group of commandos continued toward Cuba in a series of lightning-like developments. The exile boat, captured in Miami, was "outfitted for aggression," supervising customs agent Joseph Fortier announced Monday night. He said the 40-foot yacht Alisan was seized Sunday night at North Miami Beach with two homemade bombs and a 20-millimeter cannon on board. The boat's owner, Dr. Santiago Alvarez, said he did not know who had been using the boat or where it was used. No charges were filed. Fortier said the boat was empty when agents boarded it. A group of commandos was refitted (refitting?) nearing Cuba by boat on a mission to fight any Communist boats encountered and to contact rebels inside Cuba. A companion boat with 17 men aboard was halted at Norman's Key, a tiny island in the Exurna chain 200 miles north of the Cuban coast and 350 miles south of Miami. British police took the men into custody, including an American. Ex-Kingsport Resident Leader Of Sea Raiders. EDITOR'S NOTE-The leader of the Cuba-bound "sea raiders" halted by the British yesterday was Jerry Buchanan, who was reared in Kingsport. His family lived at 1853 Buckles Drive until 1956, and he attended Long Island Elementary. The Alisan was owned by Dr. Santiago Juan Antonio Alvarez Rodriguez. His son was named Santiago Alvarez Fernandez. Santiago Alvarez Fernadez was a Private stationed at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2018/docid-32276635.pdf Memo from FBI No To 6 pages Some of the other ship I have run across include: The Harbell The Silvia The Angelina The Baku December, 1963: 104-10075-10433: CABLE: SCHEME OF COMMANDOS TO GAIN THE CONFIDENCE OF US AUTHORITIES BEFORE FURTHER OPERATIONS 12/03/63, Cable from JMWAVE to Director: "SUPDATA: AMDECK-1. RID: Index....SOURCE: Cuban exile with good access to activities of the Comandos L. Despite the fact that source has had a relatively short reporting history, his reporting on raider activities has been generally reliable." Page 3: "1. Antonio Cuesta del Valle, leader of the Cuban exile action group Comandos L, believes that before moving out any weapons, the vessel Harbell should make several bona fide fishing trips in order to gain the confidence of Coast Guard and Customs officials. 2. On 25 November the Harbell left on her second fishing trip. As of 29 November she was still fishing near Key Largo and was expected to return to Miami on about 2 or 3 December. 3. Robert Cao is the skipper of the Harbell." February, 1964: 104-10162-10418: DISPATCH: RYBAT/TYPIC/OPERATIONAL/AMWORLD-ALVAREZ, SANTIAGO, SR 02/20/64, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, Special Affairs Staff: "1. AMDECK/1 reports that on 17 and 18 February he spoke to the son of Santiago ALVAREZ concerning plans to join AMWORLD. According to ALVAREZ, Jr., AMBIDDY/1 offered the subject a boat and said that he could name his own crew. In addition, according to Santiago ALVAREZ, Jr., his father could have his own plans, and would be able to operate without interference from AMBIDDY/1. 2. ALVAREZ, Jr., stated that as soon as ODYOKE releases their boat, 'Silvia' they would take it down to AMBIDDY/1's base in South America (sic). While ALVAREZ would prefer to work with AMBIDDY/1 rather than with CIA because because he is easier to handle, if AMBIDDY/1 did not live up to his promises the ALVAREZ' and their crew would return to the WAVE area and start working with CIA." November, 1965: 104-10192-10013: INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION CABLE: RE: SUBJ - IDENTIFICATION OF SOME INDIVIDUALS AND VESSELS WHICH MAY HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE EARLY MORNING 14 NOVEMBER EMIGRE RAID ON HAVANA CITY 11/16/65, Cable from JMWAVE to IW: "SUPDATA: Paras 3 and 4 AMDECK-1 on 15 and 16 Nov..." Page 2 of Information Intelligence Cable:..."2. Source for paras 3 and 4: A Cuban exile with good access to activities of emigre activists groups. His reporting on raider activities has been generally reliable since 1962. 3. During the evening of 14 November 1965 Antonio Cuesta del Valle, military leader of Comandos L, visited an individual who had previously given him financial assistance and stated that Comandos L had been responsible for carrying out the raid on the residence of Osvaldo Dorticos Torrada in the Miramar section of Havana City during the early morning hours of 14 November. (Field Comment: There have been previous reports from this same source, as well as others, that Comandos L was planning a raid against a target in Cuba. Comandos L was going to utilize the 'Angelina' as a mother vessel. According to Cuesta the purpose of this raid was to disrupt the movement of refugees from Cuba to the United States through Camarioca, Matanzas Province, as this, to him, was an indication that the United States was moving toward a policy of coexistence with Fidel Castro). 4. As of 16 November it had been determined that the 'Angelina' was not involved in the 14 November raid, but that possibly three vessels had participated in this raid. One of these vessels which was back in the Miami area on 16 November was the 'Baku' a 23 to 25-foot long vessel powered by twin Crysler v-8 engines with power in excess of 200 horsepower." Steve Thomas

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Why the Trump Campaign Is Returning Donations to These Superfans By Daniel Newhauser Sep. 24, 2020 https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-the-trump-campaign-is-returning-donations-to-these-superfans?ref=home “President Donald Trump won’t be able to count on his most loyal donors, just when he needs them the most. Hundreds of supporters who have consistently emptied their pockets for the Trump campaign have already reached the maximum legally allowable donation as of the end of July, and hundreds more are dangerously close to the limit, according to Federal Election Commission records. In a letter to Trump’s campaign last month, the FEC flagged more than 35,000 donations totaling $4.56 million from 1,045 donors—including one of Trump’s own ambassadors, a Chinese philanthropist and, apparently, a used car dealership in Memphis. Though the campaign has raised some $1.1 billion, it has already spent more than $800 million, blowing through cash on fundraising operations, highly paid staff and facilities, and even magnetic phone pouches to keep donors from recording and leaking private meetings, according to a recent New York Times report. Brett Kappel, a campaign finance expert and lawyer at the D.C. firm Harmon Curran, said the letter, including 855 pages of donations deemed excessive by the FEC, is unprecedented in scale at this point in a campaign and is likely a result of Trump’s unprecedented decision to start his re-election campaign the same day he was sworn into office. “One of the problems with starting your re-election campaign on Inauguration Day is that your most loyal small donors—the ones who have signed up to give $50 or $100 every week—will hit the $5,600 limit long before the next election,” Kappel said.” Steve Thomas

In apparent play for QAnon supporters, GOP attack ads claim Democrat lawmakers are defending 'sex offenders' https://news.yahoo.com/in-apparent-play-for-q-anon-supporters-gop-attack-ads-claim-democrat-lawmakers-defending-sex-offenders-221037264.html "But to some, the harsh attack ad is part of a nationwide “QAnon strategy” that the Republican campaign committee appears to be deploying to exploit the fears and paranoia fueled by the bizarre conspiracy cult convinced that the Democrats are working with “deep state” sex traffickers and pedophiles to sabotage Donald Trump’s presidency. “That’s a clear bid for QAnon support,” said Kathryn Olmsted, a professor of history at the University of California, Davis, who has written a book about antigovernment conspiracy theories. “This is a play for anybody who believes the Democrats are a den of pedophiles and child sex traffickers. It’s completely untethered from reality.” The attack ad targeting Malinowski is not an isolated case. In districts around the country, the NRCC — the campaign arm of House Republicans — has been hitting similar themes, depicting Democratic candidates as secret supporters of sexual abusers of young children." Steve Thomas

Can you say, “Political Commisar”? Chaos at Trump White House as impending staff shake-ups revealed ahead of election https://www.rawstory.com/2020/09/chaos-at-trump-white-house-as-impending-staff-shake-ups-revealed-ahead-of-election/ “White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows sent out an email to administration officials on Monday. According to Axios, Meadows explained the impending changes.” “The alarming email has garnered attention in the news because it raises several red flags about the course ahead and the lack of transparency that will likely follow. Liaisons are typically the people who witness and hear critical information within government agencies. In the past, liaisons worked in conjunction with White House’s Office of Presidential Personnel and the separate government agencies they’re employed to. Now, incoming liaisons will bypass the heads of their government agencies and report directly to the White House.” “McEntee, who now runs government hiring, will also play an intricate role in this transition. Trump faced heightened backlash when McEntee was hired because he fails to meet the qualifications for the position he holds. Prior to his current role, the 30-year-old served as the president’s body man. Now, he has made a name for himself within the Trump administration with his continued efforts to purge the government and reassign officials who are are not fiercely loyal to the president.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_commissar “An early kind of political commissars arose already during the February Revolution 1917 as the Ispolkom issued the controversial Order no 1.[2] As the Bolsheviks came to power through the October Revolution 1917, and as the Russian Civil War began, Trotsky who then gradually established the Red Army, imposed the formal political officers. These were almost invariably tasked to make sure the communist party of the respective country could count on the loyalty of the Army.” Steve Thomas

Joe, Trump says the Covid 19 virus only effects old people. I say we just cut right to the chase and kill off anybody over the age of 40. We could kill three birds with one stone. We could eliminate all those old blood suckers who are draining the public coffers with their snowflake demands for Medicare and Social Security, By reducing the demand for social services we could give more tax breaks to the wealthy; and, Since the virus only affects the elderly, we could eliminate the pandemic. It's simple. Steve Thomas

No news here. Only Deep Fake News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyo7zeLNPJg&feature=youtu.be Steve Thomas

‘Colossal backdoor bailout’: Outrage as Pentagon funnels hundreds of millions meant for COVID supplies to private defense contractors Published on September 22, 2020 By Jake Johnson, Common Dreams https://www.rawstory.com/2020/09/colossal-backdoor-bailout-outrage-as-pentagon-funnels-hundreds-of-millions-meant-for-supplies-to-private-defense-contractors/ “Instead of adhering to congressional intent by building up the nation’s inadequate supply of N95 masks and other equipment to combat the Covid-19 crisis, the Pentagon has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars in appropriated taxpayer funds to private defense contractors for drone technology, jet engine parts, Army uniform material, body armor, and other purposes not directly related to the pandemic. As the Washington Post reported Tuesday morning, the Department of Defense—headed by former Raytheon lobbyist Mark Esper—”began reshaping how it would award the money” just weeks after Congress in March approved a $1 billion fund under the Defense Production Act to help the nation “prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” “The Trump administration has done little to limit the defense firms from accessing multiple bailout funds at once and is not requiring the companies to refrain from layoffs as a condition of receiving the awards,” the Post noted. “Some defense contractors were given the Pentagon money even though they had already dipped into another pot of bailout funds, the Paycheck Protection Program.” As the U.S. still faces major shortages of testing supplies and N95 masks six months into the pandemic, the Post reported that the Pentagon has used congressionally approved funds to dish out $183 million to luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce and other companies to help “maintain the shipbuilding industry,” tens of millions for “drone and space surveillance technology,” and $80 million to “a Kansas aircraft parts business.” A subsidiary of Rolls-Royce also received $22 million from the Pentagon “to upgrade a Mississippi plant,” according to the Post.” Steve Thomas

To me, this is very, very scary stuff. None of the scientists or epidemiologists in the government have signed off on any vaccines. Millions of doses of a vaccine have already been made up Vaccination may be mandatory We will be required to sign liability waivers HHS secretary says all ‘Warp Speed’ vaccines will have ‘liability protection’ from lawsuits By David Edwards on September 21, 2020 https://www.rawstory.com/2020/09/hhs-secretary-says-all-warp-speed-vaccines-will-have-liability-protection-from-lawsuits/ “We believe by the end of the year that it’s highly credible that we will have in the tens of millions of doses of FDA gold standard vaccine,” he continued. “We literally have made millions of doses of vaccine already thanks to Warp Speed.” According to Azar, it will be up to states to decide whether vaccines are mandatory. “Those would be local determinations,” he pointed out. “Under the PREP Act, which is a provision in Congress, any treatment or vaccine for purposes of a national emergency pandemic like this actually comes with liability protection,” Azar explained. “Both the product as well as those who administer it or provide it.” Steve Thomas

Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan lead drop in financial shares amid report the banks moved suspicious funds Published Mon, Sep 21 2020 by Yun Li https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/21/deutsche-bank-jpmorgan-lead-drop-in-financial-shares-amid-report-the-banks-moved-suspicious-funds.html “Financial stocks sold off on Monday, led by Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan, after a report that several global banks moved allegedly illicit funds over the past two decades. A new investigation by BuzzFeed and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists found banks’ internal compliance officers flagged a total of more than $2 trillion in transactions between 1999 and 2017 as possible money laundering or other criminal activity. The report cited confidential documents submitted by banks to the U.S. government. These leaked suspicious activity reports do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing, and they were just a tiny fraction of the reports filed with U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the news report said. Deutsche Bank appears to have facilitated $1.3 trillion of suspicious money in the files, while JPMorgan disclosed $514 billion, the report found. Other banks mentioned in the investigation include HSBC Holdings, Standard Chartered and Bank of New York Mellon. HSBC fell more than 6%, touching a 25-year low.” Steve Thomas

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Justice Dept. brands NYC an ‘anarchist jurisdiction,’ targets federal funds By Steven Nelson September 21, 2020 https://nypost.com/2020/09/21/nyc-branded-an-anarchist-jurisdiction-targeted-for-defunding-doj/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons “New York City was among three cities labeled “anarchist jurisdictions” by the Justice Department on Sunday and targeted to lose federal money for failing to control protesters and defunding cops, The Post has learned. Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Wash., were the other two cities on the list, which was approved by US Attorney General William Barr. “When state and local leaders impede their own law enforcement officers and agencies from doing their jobs, it endangers innocent citizens who deserve to be protected, including those who are trying to peacefully assemble and protest,” Barr said in a statement set to be released Monday. “We cannot allow federal tax dollars to be wasted when the safety of the citizenry hangs in the balance,’’ the AG added.” It is not yet clear what funds are likely to be cut, but the amount of money siphoned from New York City could be massive, given the Big Apple gets about $7 billion in annual federal aid. White House budget director Russ Vought is set to issue guidance to federal agencies on withdrawing funds from the cities in less than two weeks. The list of cities eligible for defunding will be updated periodically, the feds have said.” Steve Thomas

Meet People of Praise: Here’s why this far-right cult shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the Supreme Court Published on September 21, 2020 By Alex Henderson, AlterNet https://www.rawstory.com/2020/09/meet-people-of-praise-heres-why-this-far-right-cult-shouldnt-be-allowed-anywhere-near-the-supreme-court/ “This week, President Donald Trump is scheduled to announce his nominee to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court—and one of the possible nominees is 48-year-old Amy Coney Barrett, a federal appellate judge. Trump has made it clear that he plans to nominate someone who is not only fiscally conservative, but a severe social conservative who would have no problem overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling of 1973. Barrett fits the bill, especially in light of her reported association with an extremist, predominantly Catholic group called People of Praise.” “People of Praise are quite controversial within Catholicism. Founded in 1971, the group incorporates elements of fundamentalist Pentecostal Protestantism (such as speaking in tongues) and is considered a cult in mainstream Catholicism. Its practices include requiring members to swear an oath of loyalty to the group and teaching that wives must be submissive to their husbands, and in the past, People of Praise called its female leaders “handmaidens”—which is downright chilling if one is familiar with Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” and the 1990 film and 2017/2018 television series it has inspired. People of Praise embrace a highly patriarchal ideology, believing that while women can have some leadership positions, they ultimately must submit to male authority.” Steve Thomas

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-wants-courts-to-declare-election-day-winner_n_5f67731cc5b6de79b676be27 By Nina Golgowski “The (Trump) campaign also recently filed a motion against members of the Navajo Nation in Arizona after they sued the state to extend the state’s mail-in-ballot deadline. A federal judge last week rejected the Trump campaign’s request to join Arizona in its arguments against the tribal members’ lawsuit.” https://apnews.com/a1e158771989ea4ac49a7ff3b5651453 PHOENIX (AP) — “A federal judge on Wednesday denied a request by President Donald Trump’s campaign to argue against a lawsuit seeking to ensure mail ballots from the Navajo Nation are counted even if they arrive late. The Trump campaign and various local and national Republican Party entities argued that they can’t count on Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs to represent their interests in the case. But Judge Murray Snow ruled that Trump, the GOP and Hobbs have all taken the same position against allowing more time to count ballots from the Navajo Nation.” The lawsuit was filed by several members of the Navajo Nation challenging Arizona’s current law, which says election officials cannot count mail ballots that are received after election night. The argue that mail service is much slower and far less accessible on reservations and that the existing deadline will disenfranchise voters. They’re asking Snow to require Arizona officials to count ballots that are delivered up to 10 days after election day, as long as those ballots come from tribal members living on reservations and are postmarked by Election Day.” So, let me get this straight. Donald Trump tried to sue the Navajo Indians? And lost? A white man suing the red man? And losng? I can’t shake the irony. Steve Thomas

Jim, Thanks for this. I read through your article in K&K, and a question came to me. How did Westbrook get from the Depository to 10th and Patton? WC testimony of Calvin Bud Owens http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/owens_c.htm Mr. OWENS. No. I told Inspector Sawyer that I was assigned to Oak Cliff and an officer was involved in the shooting, and I was taking off, so I proceeded--I got in my car, and Captain Westbrook and Bill Alexander, an assistant district attorney, also was in the car with me. I did not find an after-action report from Owens in the Portal to Texas History. However, Westbrook said that he rode over to Oak Cliff with Sgt. Stringer and a patrolman, whose name he did not know. I'm inclined to go with Westbrook on this. WC testimony of William Westbrook http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/westbrook.htm “Well, then, of course, I ran to my radio because I am the personnel officer and that then became, of course, my greatest interest right at that time, and so, Sergeant Stringer and I and some patrolman---I don't recall his name---then drove to the immediate vicinity of where Officer Tippit had been shot and killed.” Stringer went with him from the Personnel Bureau to the Depository. For some reason, Westbrook had Stringer's first and middle name wrong. In his WC testimony, Westbrook said, “ “Mr. WESTBROOK. After we reached the building, or after I reached the building, I contacted my sergeant Sgt. R. D. Stringer, and he was standing in front and so then I went into the building to help start the search...” H.H. Stringer was a Sergeant in the Personnel Bureau. His after-action report only relates to Oswald’s arrest starts with his arrival at the Texas Theater. He did not testify before the Warren Commission. In Batchelor’s Exhibit (CE 5002), there is no R.D. Stringer, only H.H. Stringer). https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh19/pdf/WH19_Batchelor_Ex_5002.pdf Westbrook's after-action report states: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth337135/m1/1/?q=Westbrook Where the hell did Calvin Owens get the idea that he took Westbrook and Bill Alexander to 10th and Patton? Do you remember ever reading anything from Bill Alexander on how he got to 10th and Patton? I know he was there when the search warrant for 1026 N. Beckley was finally driven over. Steve Thomas

Pelosi Won’t Rule Out Impeachment to Block Trump SCOTUS Pick By Justin Baragona, Contributing Editor Sep. 20, 2020 https://www.thedailybeast.com/nancy-pelosi-wont-rule-out-impeachment-to-block-trump-scotus-pick?ref=home “You want people to get out and vote, and even that's no guarantee that the White House and Senate Republicans won't try to push through a Supreme Court nomination in a lame-duck session,” ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos said. “So what can you do then?” “Some have mentioned the possibility if they try to push through a nominee in a lame-duck session that you and the House can move to impeach President Trump or Attorney General Barr as a way of stalling and preventing the Senate from acting on this nomination,” he added. “We have our options,” Pelosi noted. “We have arrows in our quiver that I’m not about to discuss right now but the fact is we have a big challenge in our country. This president has threatened to not even accept the results of the election. Our main goal would be to protect the integrity of the election as we protect the people from the coronavirus.” Steve Thomas