White House News (白宮消息) | Sep. 11, 2020

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Treasury Sanctions Russia-Linked Election Interference Actors

Sep. 11 - Washington – Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated four Russia-linked individuals for attempting to influence the U.S. electoral process. Russia uses a variety of proxies to attempt to sow discord between political parties and drive internal divisions to influence voters as part of Moscow’s broader efforts to undermine democratic countries and institutions. In the United States, Russia has used a wide range of influence methods and actors to target our electoral process, including targeting U.S. presidential candidates....

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1118

Treasury Sanctions 'Active Russian Agent' Working To Damage Biden

Sep. 10 - The Treasury Department imposed sanctions today on Andrii Derkach, a Ukrainian legislator accused of working as an “active Russian agent” and spreading misinformation about Joe Biden in an attempt to influence the 2020 presidential election.

Key Background
Derkach began spreading allegations about Biden’s conduct shortly after Trump was accused of lobbying the Ukrainian government to investigate Biden, an action for which Trump was later impeached. Earlier this year, pro-Trump media outlets like One America News continued to promote misleading stories about Biden that were initially spread by Derkach.     more

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Treasury Sanctions Russia-Linked Election Interference Actors

Sep. 11 - Washington – Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated four Russia-linked individuals for attempting to influence the U.S. electoral process. Russia uses a variety of proxies to attempt to sow discord between political parties and drive internal divisions to influence voters as part of Moscow’s broader efforts to undermine democratic countries and institutions. In the United States, Russia has used a wide range of influence methods and actors to target our electoral process, including targeting U.S. presidential candidates.

Treasury designated Andrii Derkach (Derkach) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848 for his efforts to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Derkach, a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, has been an active Russian agent for over a decade, maintaining close connections with the Russian Intelligence Services. Derkach has directly or indirectly engaged in, sponsored, concealed, or otherwise been complicit in foreign interference in an attempt to undermine the upcoming 2020 U.S. presidential election. Today’s designation of Derkach is focused on exposing Russian malign influence campaigns and protecting our upcoming elections from foreign interference. This action is a clear signal to Moscow and its proxies that this activity will not be tolerated. The Administration is working across the U.S. Government, and with state, local, and private sector partners, to make the 2020 election secure.

“Andrii Derkach and other Russian agents employ manipulation and deceit to attempt to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere around the world,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to counter these Russian disinformation campaigns and uphold the integrity of our election system.”...   more

White House News (白宮消息) | Sep. 10, 2020

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Trump acknowledges he intentionally downplayed deadly coronavirus, says effort was to reduce panic

Sep. 10 - ...“He knew and purposely played it down. Worse, he lied to the American people. He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months,” Biden said in front of the United Auto Workers training facility in Warren, Mich., where he delivered a speech on a “Made in America” plan for the economy.

Biden called Trump’s actions “a life and death betrayal of the American people.”

Trump said publicly that he did nothing wrong.

“So the fact is, I’m a cheerleader for this country. I love our country. And I don’t want people to be frightened,” Trump told reporters at the White House after announcing his potential Supreme Court nominees if he wins reelection. “I don’t want to create panic, as you say. And certainly, I’m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence. We want to show strength.”...     source

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September 9, 2020
House Hearing on Amtrak's Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
William Flynn, Amtrak president and CEO, said because of the coronavirus pandemic, the nation’s rail service will need more than $4B in additional federal funding for fiscal year 2021 in order to stay afloat, keep employees and continue public services. HIs comments came during a House Transportation subcommittee hearing examining Amtrak’s response to COVID-19. Others testifying included stakeholders and union officials.

Trump admitted to Woodward he downplayed coronavirus threat in early days of outbreak

Sep. 10 - "This is deadly stuff," Mr. Trump said. Three days later, the president said during an event with the nation's governors that "a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat, as the heat comes in," adding the U.S. is in "great shape."

In another interview with Woodward on March 19, the president conceded that he was downplaying the threat of the virus in public.

"I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic," Mr. Trump told Woodward. The Trump administration was slow to encourage wearing a mask in public, and the president himself repeatedly pushed states to reopen their economies in the spring, repeating as late as April that he believed the virus will "go away"...     more

White House Responds To Bob Woodward Tape Of Trump Speaking About Coronavirus | NBC News
Sep 9, 2020

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White House News (白宮消息) | Sep. 9, 2020

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This photo was taken September 5 in the Norwegian Sea as the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) conducts a refueling at sea with the British RFA Tidespring (A136) replenishment tanker, and Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland (F81). Photo: Christine Montgomery / U.S. Navy

In a controversial move, Norway sails frigate into Russian economic zone together with U.K. and U.S. navy ships

This is the first time since the 90ties NATO surface warships are conducting maritime security operations inside the Russian exclusive economic zone in the Barents Sea without participating Northern Fleet ships.

Sep. 18 - ...The Royal Navy said in a statement this week the operation is aimed “to maintain peace in the region” …and… “The UK, US, Denmark and Norway are working together to boost readiness to operate in the High North and increase resilience in an area which is vital to UK interests.”

A U.S. 6th Fleet statement of September 7 underlined the importance of conducting sustained operations in vital waterways in the Arctic.

“Our maritime advantage continues to be out strong, cohesive partnership,” said Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander of the 6th Fleet.

“Our forces are able to conduct sustained operations in the vital waterways in the Arctic because of the support and cooperation of our international partners, allowing us to be present together where and when it matters,” he said.

The waters east of the Varanger fjord is not totally new for the Norwegian Navy. Spokesperson Ivar Moen with the Joint Head Quarters says both frigates and Coast Guard ships have exercised outside the Kola Peninsula previously, but then in joint training with Russian Northern Fleet ships, and prior to 2014.

Russian navy ships have by several occations after 2017 exercised in Norway’s exclusive economic zone, both in the Barents Sea north of Finnmark and in the Norwegian Sea, west of Helgeland and Andøya, last year as a surprise part of exercise Ocean Shield.      source

White House News (白宮消息) | Sep. 8, 2020

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New York Times' 1619 Project

Sep. 8 - In August 2019 the New York Times Magazine published the 1619 project, a collection of essays, photo essays, short fiction pieces and poems aimed to 'reframe' American history based on the impact of slaves brought to the US.

It was published to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in the English colonies.

It argues that the nation's birth was not 1776 with independence from the British crown, but in August 1619 with the arrival of a cargo ship of 20 to 30 enslaved Africans at Point Comfort in the colony of Virginia, which inaugurated the system of slavery.

The project argues that slavery was the country’s origin and out of it 'grew nearly everything that has truly made America exceptional.'

That includes economic might, industry, the electoral system, music, public health and education inequities, violence, income inequality, slang, and racial hatred...     more

Donald Trump claimed on Monday that he opposes schools teaching the New York Times' 1619 Project because it seeks to 'change our history' and slammed protesters for tearing down Confederate monuments across the US. During a press conference Trump was asked about instructors using the project to teach slavery in America and whether he wanted the subject to be taught. In response, the president said: 'I want everybody to know everything they can about our history. I am not a believer in cancel culture, the good or the bad, if you don't study the bad it could happen again. So I do want that subject studied very carefully and accurately.' Trump then claimed: 'But, we grew up with a certain history and now they're trying to change our history. Revisionist history, That's why they want to take down our monuments, take down our statues.' The president was referring to the removal of several Confederate monuments amid the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

'I don't believe in cancel culture': Trump says he opposes schools teaching The 1619 Project because people are trying to 'change our history' and slams protesters for tearing down Confederate monuments

White House News (白宮消息) | Sep. 7, 2020

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Escalating tensions lead to fears of US/China conflict over Taiwan

Numerous Chinese and US military exercises, Taiwan missiles tracking Chinese fighters and worsening China-US ties have all sounded alarm bells. Stock photo

Sep. 6 - Mounting tensions between the US and China have led to fears of a confrontation over Taiwan.
Numerous Chinese and US military exercises, Taiwan missiles tracking Chinese fighters and worsening China-US ties have all sounded alarm bells.

In the last three weeks, China has announced four separate exercises along its coast, from the Bohai Gulf in the north to the East and Yellow Seas and South China Sea, along with other exercises it said were aimed at "the current security situation across the Taiwan Strait".

Meanwhile, Taiwan, claimed by China as its "sacred" territory, said its surface-to-air missiles had tracked approaching Chinese fighters - details Taiwan does not normally give - as US Health Secretary Alex Azar was visiting the island this month.
Addressing the Chinese exercises, Taiwan's defence ministry said on Tuesday the closer Chinese jets get to the island the "more actively" Taipei would respond, though it would "not escalate conflict" nor "trigger an incident".

The United States sent another warship through the Taiwan Strait this month, a few days after a US carrier group conducted an exercise in the disputed South China Sea. This week China complained a US spy plane had observed Chinese live-fire exercises.

Chinese military expert Ni Lexiong, a retired professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, said it could be the first time multiple Chinese exercises were taking place at the same time.

"By simultaneously conducting drills in the three seas, it means China is testing its ability to fight enemies coming from three directions at the same time - for example from Taiwan, from Japan and from the US from the south," he said.

"Historically, frequent drills are a clear predictor of war."

Taiwan-based security and diplomatic sources say the chances of "firing off a shot while polishing the gun" - a Chinese saying for an accidental encounter setting off a broader conflict - are rising mainly because of increased US and Chinese military activity in the region.

"Neither side wants to start a conflict," said a Western diplomat looking into military activities across the Taiwan Strait. "But the frequent activities do increase the chances of an accidental conflict."

China's defence ministry and Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to requests for comment; neither did the Pentagon nor US State Department.     source

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