Saturday, May 22, 2021

White House News (白宮消息) | May 22, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Some Democratic lawmakers are criticizing Israel’s actions against Hamas, while others are following President Biden in saying it has a right to defend itself.
Eight minutes with the president: Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the lone Palestinian American in Congress, gains relevance in Israel debate

May 22 - When Rep. Rashida Tlaib delivered a fiery condemnation last week on the House floor of what she called Israel’s “apartheid” and “racist” policies, she invoked arguments that have long made her a pariah among some Israel advocates, led Republicans to call her anti-Semitic and alienated some of her Democratic colleagues.

So it was a remarkable moment this week, just five days later, when the lone Palestinian American member of Congress stood face to face with the president of the United States on an airport tarmac and, for eight minutes, engaged in an animated conversation about the U.S. response to the latest outbreak of violence between Israel and Palestinians. Equally notable was the decision by President Biden later that day to praise Tlaib during an appearance in her hometown of Detroit.

“I admire your intellect, I admire your passion, and I admire your concern for so many other people,” Biden said Tuesday. “And God, thank you for being a fighter”...     more

Picture

Rashida Harbi Tlaib (/təˈliːb/;[1] born July 24, 1976) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 13th congressional district since 2019.[2] The district includes the western half of Detroit, along with several of its western suburbs and much of the Downriver area. A member of the Democratic Party, Tlaib represented the 6th and 12th districts of the Michigan House of Representatives before her election to Congress.[3]

In 2018, Tlaib won the Democratic nomination for the United States House of Representatives seat from Michigan's 13th congressional district. She ran unopposed in the general election and became the first woman of Palestinian descent in Congress, the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan legislature, and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, along with Ilhan Omar (D-MN).[4][5][6] Tlaib is a member of The Squad, an informal group of six (four until the 2020 elections) U.S. Representatives on the left wing of the Democratic Party.[7]


Tlaib is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). She and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are the first female DSA members to serve in Congress.[8][9] Tlaib has argued in favor of abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the police. She was a vocal critic of the Trump administration and advocated Trump's impeachment. On foreign affairs, she has sharply criticized the Israeli government, called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, supports a one-state solution, and expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.     quote from Wikipedia

Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American member of Congress, has a frank discussion with Joe Biden on the Tarmac of the airport in Detroit.
Cracks open in Democratic support for Israel as old guard is challenged


The bloody bombing of Gaza has put Joe Biden at odds with progressive leaders in a generational and political divide

May 22 - With a giant Stars and Stripes and two gleaming cars at his back, Joe Biden turned to focus his remarks on one member of the audience. “From my heart, I pray that your grandmom and family are well,” he told Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress. “I promise you, I’m going to do everything to see that they are, on the West Bank. You’re a fighter.”
It was a characteristic peace offering by the US president, even as protesters rallied outside the Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, and Tlaib herself challenged Biden over his unyielding support for Israel. But Tuesday’s gesture, and even a Middle East ceasefire declared on Thursday, may not be enough to heal a growing rift in the Democratic party...     more

Russia has tested the Peresvet secret laser weapon in Syria

May 22, MOSCOW, (BM) – Russia has tested the Perevest secret laser weapon in Syria and hundreds of other new weapons, according to an interview with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu.


Minister Shoigu said that many new weapons have never seen the next stage of their development – their serial production. “Where else can you test weapons – in war. As much as we don’t want to, but state tests, military tests, army tests are, of course, good,” Shoygu said.

Minister Shoygu revealed that over the years, more than 70 specialists, engineers, and designers from Russian arms companies have been present at the Russian airbase in Syria – Khmeimim to conduct the tests and assist in the timely elimination of problems. He confirmed that a large production workshop has also been set up, which eliminates discrepancies.

“What did Syria give us? I will tell you frankly that we encountered a huge number of unpleasant surprises. Dozens of new weapons and prototypes were simply removed and stopped production,” the minister said.

Laser weapon Peresvet
Russia’s Peresvet laser complex has successfully passed all state and combat tests in Syria, Shoygu said. The minister stressed that Peresvet is already in service with the Russian army and continues developing and renewing, as Moscow continues to use it in Syria...     more

美“秘密军队”被曝光 美对俄酝酿新战术?20210521 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
May 22, 2021

Friday, May 21, 2021

White House News (白宮消息) | May 21, 2021

2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

New York AG criminally investigating Trump organization CFO
May 21, 2021
New York AG criminally investigating Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg

The investigation of Weisselberg's personal finances stems in part from documents shared by his former daughter-in-law.

May 21 - New York Attorney General Letitia James' office is criminally investigating the personal taxes of Allen Weisselberg, the longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, an official close to the investigation said.

The investigation of Weisselberg's personal finances stems in part from documents shared by Jennifer Weisselberg, his former daughter-in-law.


Alan Garten, the Trump Organization's general counsel, did not respond to a request for comment. Mary Mulligan, an attorney for Allen Weisselberg, said she had "no comment" when asked about the criminal investigation. Jennifer Weisselberg's attorney, Duncan Levin, acknowledged that she was cooperating with the attorney general's office in a statement Thursday obtained by NBC News.

"Ms. Weisselberg has been in touch with prosecutors from the criminal division of the New York attorney general's office since at least March," Levin said. "She has provided information to them as part of their criminal investigation and will continue to cooperate in any way she can be helpful."


Levin has previously said Jennifer Weisselberg met with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance's office multiple times. Jennifer Weisselberg, who was subpoenaed for documents, has previously told NBC News that she has shared information with that team, which is investigating Allen Weisselberg's time with the Trump Organization and benefits given to his son Barry and his family.

Barry Weisselberg was also a longtime employee of the Trump Organization. There is no indication that he is under investigation, and neither he nor his father has been accused of wrongdoing. An attorney for Barry Weisselberg didn't respond to questions.

News of the criminal investigation of Allen Weisselberg was first reported by The New York Times.
Allen Weisselberg, whose relationship with former President Donald Trump spans decades, might be one of the few people outside the family with the most knowledge of the Trump Organization's inner financial workings.     source from
Donald Trump Claims He’s Worth $2.4 Billion. What’s the Truth?

May 20 - Here's What You Need to Remember: Trump’s true net worth is likely only known to Trump himself, his accountants and financial advisers, and perhaps a prosecutor or two who has access to years of his tax returns.

It’s generally known that former President Donald Trump is wealthier than most people who have been elected president. He made his wealth, after all, a central tenet of his public identity, even before he entered politics.

But less is known about exactly how much net worth the former president actually has. Trump, famously, never released his tax returns, although bits and pieces of the returns have made their way into the press over the years. And prosecutors, including the Manhattan district attorney, have obtained the former president’s tax records, following a years-long battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

There exist various measurements of the net worth of well-known individuals, but such estimates are known to be just that, estimates.

Forbes currently lists 
Trump’s “real time net worth” at $2.4 billion, which would make him the only billionaire ever to be president.


“The bulk of his fortune remains tied up in New York City real estate,” Forbes said of Trump’s money. The magazine also listed Trump’s net worth at over $3 billion, as of the Forbes 400 in October of 2019, and said he was worth $3.7 billion in October of 2016, shortly before he was elected president.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, meanwhile, last listed Trump’s fortune at $2.3 billion, also stating that his net worth was over $3 billion at the time of his election. That represents a drop of about $700 million, in just over four years.

“His financial disclosures and loan documents, interviews with former executives and industry analysts, and a host of legal fights and investigations reveal just how much trouble Trump and his company could face,” Bloomberg said. “Covid has been hard on office buildings key to his wealth and hotels and resorts that bear his name. The fallout from the Capitol assault has hurt his relationships with brokers and lenders. At least $590 million in loans come due in the next four years, more than half personally guaranteed by Trump, and his scrapyard of failed enterprises has only gotten more crowded.”

CelebrityNetWorth.com, meanwhile, listed Trump’s fortune at $2 billion. The same site, by contrast, lists the net worth of Trump’s successor as president, Joseph Biden, at about $9 million. Following decades spent as an elected official, Biden made millions in the private sector, from speeches and book royalties, in the years between his tenures and vice president and president. Biden and his wife made $11 million in 2017 and $4.6 million in 2018, the site said, citing public tax documents.

Trump’s true net worth is likely only known to Trump himself, his accountants and financial advisers, and perhaps a prosecutor or two who has access to years of his tax returns.     source from
巴以最早21日达成停火协议?以总理:继续军事打击20210520 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
May 21, 2021
A Palestinian man inspects the damage after a six-storey building was destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is changed forever by this war

May 21 - ...Yet to many analysts and close observers of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there may be no going back to the way things once were. The intensity of this latest round of violence took both the Israeli government and the Biden administration by surprise. It should not have.

The coals were stoked far from Gaza, by the provocations of Israeli police and emboldened Jewish far-right vigilantes marching through Jerusalem. Palestinian protests against planned evictions in the contested holy city and the clashes that ensued all came to a head when Israeli security forces decided to storm al-Aqsa Mosque. Hamas then saw an opportunity to don the mantle of the defender of the third-holiest site in Islam, as well as broader Palestinian claims to Jerusalem, and launched its attacks. The resulting war sprawled across the land between the river and the sea, with clashes in the West Bank as well as between Arab and Jewish Israelis in cities inside Israel’s 1967 borders.

The explosion of tensions exposed the internal dysfunctions among both the Israeli and Palestinian political camps. For the former, two years of ceaseless electioneering and the failure to form a stable ruling coalition either with or without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weakened governance and has brought far-right groups once considered too extremist into the political mainstream. For the latter, a crisis of legitimacy facing the beleaguered Palestinian Authority and its ageing President Mahmoud Abbas has only intensified. Hamas’s renewed militancy followed a decision by Abbas to scrap the first planned Palestinian elections after more than a decade and a half.
Israeli and US officials may tout the return of calm after a ceasefire, but experts fear the opposite. ...

...But, Munayyer added, the unrest and mass protests have confronted Israelis with a new reality: “Palestine is not ‘over there’ but is everywhere around them.”    quoted from

Thursday, May 20, 2021

White House News (白宮消息) | May 20, 2021

 New tab (weebly.com)

John Michael Katko (/ˈkætkoʊ/; born November 9, 1962) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 24th congressional district, based in Syracuse, since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was an Assistant United States Attorney who led the organized crime division at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Syracuse. In that role, he helped to prosecute gang members under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.[1] In the 116th Congress, he is a co-chair of the House moderate Republican faction, the Tuesday Group.[2] He is the sole chair of the renamed Republican Governance Group for the 117th Congress.[3]

Katko was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump during Trump's second impeachment.     from Wikipedia
In this Jan. 6. 2021, file photo, a violent mob storms the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. as members of Congress vote to certify Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election.
House passes bill brokered by John Katko to investigate US Capitol attack

May 20 -...In the end, the vote exposed an internal divide among Republicans loyal to Trump and those who say Americans need to know the root causes of the Jan. 6 attack.

Katko is among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection” by encouraging his supporters before the attack. A violent mob stormed the Capitol as members of Congress met to certify the presidential election vote for Joe Biden.

Katko said that Americans deserve answers about the Capitol attack and that he wants to “ensure an attack on the heart of our democracy never happens again.”

Minutes before the vote, Katko spoke on the House floor and told his colleagues that the 9/11 Commission helped make the U.S. more secure. He suggested the Jan. 6 Commission would have similar success.


“I can tell you that our country is infinitely safer because of what the 9/11 Commission did,” Katko said. He added, “I ask my colleagues to consider the fact that this commission is built to work, and it will be depoliticized.”

In a final plea to Democrats and Republicans, an emotional Katko said, “I urge all of you in this body, all of you on both sides…to set aside politics just this once. Just this once. I beg you. And pass this bill.”

Thompson and other Democratic leaders praised Katko before the vote for his willingness “to put country ahead of party” and negotiate the bipartisan agreement...     quoted from
President Joe Biden walks to board Air Force One at Quonset Point Air National Guard in North Kingstown, R.I., Wednesday, May 19, 2021, to travel back to Washington after attending the commencement for the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. 

Biden and Netanyahu face rough early test of relationship


May 20 - President Joe Biden's efforts to persuade Benjamin Netanyahu to halt military strikes against Hamas in Gaza are plunging the two leaders into a difficult early test of the U.S.-Israeli relationship.

The two have had other moments of tension over the years, and their current differences over the war in Gaza create a challenge that Biden was trying mightily to avoid.

Biden told Netanyahu in a telephone call Wednesday that he expected “significant de-escalation” of the fighting by day's end, according to the White House. But the prime minister came right back with a public declaration that he was “determined to continue" the Gaza operation “until its objective is achieved.”

Netanyahu did allow that he “greatly appreciates the support of the American president,” but said nonetheless that Israel would push ahead.

This is not where Biden had hoped to expend his time and energy...     more

May 19, 2021
Commencement Speeches
President Biden Commencement Address at U.S. Coast Guard Academy
President Biden delivered a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. The president spoke about the importance and duty of the Coast Guard and his hopes for this generation of service people.

Remarks by President Biden at United States Coast Guard Academy’s 140th Commencement Exercises
MAY 19, 2021

THE PRESIDENT:  Mr. Secretary, thank you.  Hello, Coast Guard Academy.  I tell you what — we’re going to speak for about four hours to see if those white uniforms last longer to keep the heat away than these poor guys in their graduation gowns here.  God, love you.  I thought I was hot in a blue suit.  (Laughter.)

Governor Lamont, it’s good to see you, man.  You’ve been a good friend a long time. 

And I understand the senior senator from this state for a long time, Chris Dodd, is here.  I don’t know where you’re — I don’t — I don’t think you’re in the class, Chris.  But you’re one of the — where is he?  Chris, welcome, pal — one of the finest men I’ve ever served with in my whole career. 

And Mayor — Mayor Passero, I — I want to thank you for being here.  Thanks for the passport into town.

And I want to thank, again, the Secretary Mayorkas for joining me today as well.  He understands — he understands well how vital the Coast Guard is to our economic, our environmental, and national security, and how central you are to our Homeland Security mission.

Admiral Schultz, congratulations on a — an outstanding new corps of officers.

This past year, there can be no doubt the Class of ‘21 is ready for whatever its mission may be. 

I know this day is doubly important to the Admiral because he’s not only the Commandant of the Coast Guard — well, let me say it another way: In 2013, I think, I gave the commencement here, and I was pointing out how the Coast Guard was adapting so rapidly to changing conditions.  And I said, “This is not your father’s Coast Guard.”  I take that back.  (Laughter.)  First-Class Eric Schultz, this is your father’s Coast Guard.  (Laughter and applause)...     more

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

White House News (白宮消息) | May 19, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)

Exile Tibetans use the Olympic Rings as a prop as they hold a street protest against the holding of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing
2022 Beijing Winter Olympics a minefield for Australia

May 19 - The Australian government, Olympic Committee and business sponsors face a tense 10 months grappling with the public and political backlash to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as calls grow for a diplomatic and commercial boycott of the Games.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the United States’ most powerful politicians, on Wednesday became the highest-profile politician to call for a diplomatic and commercial boycott, following a rising outcry from human rights groups and a global push by members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

“We cannot proceed as if nothing is wrong about the Olympics going to China,” Pelosi told a House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday following years of reports of human rights abuse in Xinjiang and the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong...    more


美售以精确制导武器 火上浇油冲突会否失控?20210518 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
May 19, 2021
Fresh rocket fire over several military bases in Israel

May 19 - ...Fifth airstrike
Yesterday, the Israeli Defense Forces launched a fifth airstrike on Hamas-related targets in Gaza. As we reported, about 60 Israeli planes dropped just over 100 bombs on approximately 65 targets in Gaza. Israel says the targets are related to Hamas’ underground tunnels in Gaza, known as the “Hamas subway.”

Also, on the border with Lebanon, Tel Aviv allowed artillery shelling on areas in Lebanon believed to belong to Hamas. The reason was an early attack by pro-Palestinian troops from Lebanon on Israel.


USA, UN, and EgyptAttempts at a ceasefire between Palestinians and Israelis at the international level continue. The international community’s attitude and the desire for a ceasefire cannot be unanimous and is a reflection of the conflict in the Middle East.


France wants a ceasefire, offering Jordan’s and Egypt’s assistance as mediators in the process. Israeli political scientists say that if the “French resolution” is voted on, it will force the United States to block such a resolution and impose a veto.
Joe Biden’s silence on the situation in the Middle East was broken on Tuesday when he proposed a “ceasefire” in a conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s expected Biden to make the same statement again today, as there is a lot of pressure from his Democratic Party.

Analysts and sources in Israel say the involvement of Egypt and Jordan as mediators in the ceasefire process could be a significant success. According to some, progress expects this Thursday, and the fire will cease.
What is happening in the area?    more

Related Articles:
 That’s why the Iron Dome missile system is so effective
 Top 5 best anti-aircraft missile systems in the World

The USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) (US Navy photo)
US Navy warship transits Taiwan Strait for 5th time under Biden

May 19 - A US Navy destroyer transited through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday. This is the fifth time a US Navy ship has passed through the Taiwan Strait since Joe Biden became president in January. 

The US Navy’s press release said, “The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit May 18 (local time) in accordance with international law. The ship's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows.”

The last warship the US sent through the Taiwan Strait was the USS John McCain. The John McCain made its transit on April 7, the same day China sent 15 military planes into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone. China has been sending an unprecedented number of warplanes near Taiwan since August last year.

In an interview with Radio Taiwan International, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, Hsiao Bi-khim, said that these transits show the US’ support of both Taiwan and of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Hsiao said, “The United States’ rock-solid support of Taiwan is demonstrated through US leadership in continuing freedom of navigation operations in the region as a strong deterrent against any consideration of unilateral military action that would upset the status quo.”


China, on the other hand, has spoken out in opposition to the ship’s movements. A spokesman for China's Eastern Theatre Command on Wednesday condemned the move. He said, “The US actions send the wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces, deliberately disrupting the regional situation and endangering peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

Meanwhile, the US Pacific Fleet also posted a message on Facebook on Wednesday saying that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force guided-missile destroyer JS Maya sailed together during a recent training exercise in the Philippine Sea.

The post, with several photos attached, had the hashtag #NavyPartnerships followed by Japan and US flags.     source from

Featured Post

Mischief Reef |Mar. 25

  WH keeping public in dark on what Biden demanded of China’s Xi over arming Putin​ Mar. 18 - The White House was tight-lipped Friday about ...