Podcasts about global engagement center

From the newly launched White House “Wire” to the recently dismantled Global Engagement Center, Courtenay Turner and Dr. Lee Merritt will dissect how government agencies are shaping, steering, and sometimes distorting the media narrative. The Dames will expose examples of propaganda and influence operations, not just from official channels, but from all sides engaged in 5th generation warfare-where information, perception, and psychological tactics are the new battlegrounds. Expect fearless analysis, headline-grabbing revelations, and a deep dive into the mechanics of modern propaganda. Whether you're concerned about transparency, censorship, or the erosion of public trust, this episode will challenge the narratives and empower you to question what you're told. Tune in for unfiltered conversation and insights you won't find anywhere else-because the truth is more dangerous than ever__________________________________________________________This Show Is Only Possible With Support Of Our Dangerous Audience!----------------------------------------------▶Support our show by supporting your health & wealth! ▶The Medical Rebel Shop: Promo Code: DANGEROUS* Healthy Foundation Pak 2.5 * Rebel Immunity * Greska's Carbon-60 ▶Richardson Nutrition Center:Use Promo Code: DANGEROUS for a 10% Discount! ▶ Defy The Grid - GoldbacksUse Promo Code: DANGEROUS ▶ RedLife: Red-Light TherapyUse Promo Code: DANGEROUS------------------------------------- ▶Follow & Connect with Courtenay:https://linktr.ee/courtenayturner ▶Follow & Connect with Dr. Merritt:https://drleemerritt.com/ ©2025 All Rights Reserved Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Ruddy, founder of Newsmax, discusses the media company's growth, including its IPO success and expansion into various platforms. Newsmax is now the fourth-ranked cable news channel in the U.S. and has a streaming channel, podcasts, and a mobile app. Ruddy criticizes the biased legacy media and highlighted Newsmax's factual reporting. He also discusses Trump's economic strategy, emphasizing tariffs, deregulation, and lower taxes as key elements. Ruddy predicts a significant economic boost if Trump's trade deals and tax cuts are implemented. Victoria Coates, former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Trump, and current leader of foreign policy and security thinking at the Heritage Foundation, discusses the ongoing wildfires in Israel, describing them as a terror tactic by Palestinians. She expresses skepticism about Iran's negotiation sincerity, noting the regime's continued hostility and ongoing missile defense and uranium enrichment activities. Mike Benz, founder of the Foundation for Freedom Online, talks recent wins against censorship. Benz highlights the global rise of censorship and the weaponization of political systems against conservatives and populists. Benz discusses recent U.S. victories, including the dismantling of the Global Engagement Center and the National Science Foundation's cuts to censorship grants. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a bold declaration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. has officially ended government-sponsored censorship through the State Department. In this episode, Robert Ian of ConquerChange.com breaks down Rubio's April 17th, 2025 interview where he claims the Global Engagement Center—the controversial censorship arm of the State Department—was shut down in late 2024. Rubio reveals how this censorship infrastructure, originally created to counter radical extremism after 9/11, was quietly weaponized to silence American voices, especially during the 2020 election and early pandemic. NGOs were used as proxy hitmen, tagging U.S. citizens as "foreign agents" to justify de-platforming. Now, Rubio promises transparency, a deep investigation into who ordered the censorship, and a commitment to free speech as the antidote to disinformation. But questions remain: Will this effort truly dismantle the censorship machine? Can the U.S. push back against European Union censorship laws targeting American speech abroad? Or is this just another PR move? We explore it all—with hard questions, historical context, and a close look at what this means for freedom of expression in the digital age. Visit Robert @ https://ConquerChange.com for more insights. Find Kerry here: http://financialsurvivalnetwork.com/ and here: https://inflation.cafe

The Rod and Greg Show Daily Rundown – Monday, April 21, 2025 4:20 pm: Jonathan Tobin, Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish News Syndicate joins the program for a conversation about how Harvard's resistance to President Trump is about the continuation of policies that enable and encourage antisemitism, not about academic freedom.4:38 pm: Representative Candice Pierucci joins Rod and Greg to give us her reaction to Friday's ruling by a Third District Judge that Utah's school voucher program violates the state's constitution.6:05 pm: Luke Rosiak, Investigative Reporter for The Daily Wire joins Rod and Greg for a conversation about the Trump administration's shuttering of the Global Engagement Center, which was responsible for funding groups working to censor media and social media outlets.

[WEEKEND RECAP 04-19-25] The Secret Service plans to fire DEI-hired agents, but an Obama-appointed judge rules it illegal. Trump then assigns them to protect Clinton, Obama, and Biden, who reject them and demand merit-based male agents.  The agency that silenced many of us here on

Democrats and the media defend a deportee with past criminal history, the Global Engagement Center is no more, and the UK Supreme Court defines the word “woman.” Get the facts first with Morning Wire.Good Ranchers: Visit https://goodranchers.com and subscribe to any box using code WIRE to claim $40 off + free meat for life!NetSuite: Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for FREE at https://NetSuite.com/MORNINGWIRE

-Satirical takedown of Sen. Van Hollen's visit to MS-13-affiliated Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, including a parody musical interlude. - Rob dives into allegations against NY AG Letitia James, suggesting legal trouble over falsified property information. - Interview with journalist Luke Rosiak about the now-defunded State Department's Global Engagement Center and government censorship efforts. -Rob reports on a sweeping executive order by Trump to secure elections—possibly historic in scope. Today's podcast is sponsored by : BIRCH GOLD - Protect and grow your retirement savings with gold. Text ROB to 98 98 98 for your FREE information kit! EXPRESS VPN – It's not worth the risk. Protect your online identity and sensitive information from cyber hackers. Get FOUR MONTHS FREE now by going to http://ExpressVPN.com/NEWSMAX   To call in and speak with Rob Carson live on the show, dial 1-800-922-6680 between the hours of 12 Noon and 3:00 pm Eastern Time Monday through Friday…E-mail Rob Carson at : RobCarsonShow@gmail.com Musical parodies provided by Jim Gossett (www.patreon.com/JimGossettComedy) Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at http://Newsmax.com/Listen Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at http://NewsmaxPlus.com Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : http://nws.mx/shop Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:             • Facebook: http://nws.mx/FB             • X/Twitter: http://nws.mx/twitter            • Instagram: http://nws.mx/IG            • YouTube: https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV             • Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV             • TRUTH Social: https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX            • GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/newsmax            • Threads: http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX             • Telegram: http://t.me/newsmax              • BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com            • Parler: http://app.parler.com/newsmax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[EP 25-158] I heard that President Trump did this, and if he did it's GENIUS.The Secret Service plans to fire DEI-hired agents, but an Obama-appointed judge rules it illegal. Trump then assigns them to protect Clinton, Obama, and Biden, who reject them and demand merit-based male agents.  The agency that silenced many of us here on

In this explosive episode of Devolution Power Hour, Jon Herold and Ghost unpack a tidal wave of stories pointing to major power shifts both at home and abroad. They kick off with the Pentagon's silent housecleaning, three top officials removed in a leak investigation tied to high-level Signal chats, Ukraine intelligence suspensions, and potential treasonous behavior. Is this the dismantling of entrenched resistance within Trump's DOD? The duo then turns to the foreign front, where sovereign leaders across Europe are defying EU orders and aligning with Trump's America First diplomacy. Serbia and Slovakia stand strong against globalist threats, and the State Department's censorship engine, the Global Engagement Center, is officially dismantled thanks to Marco Rubio and Darren Beattie, signaling a massive win for free speech and anti-NGO sovereignty. Herold and Ghost also dig deep into Trump's quietly reassembled foreign policy team, from Adam Boehler's rogue diplomacy with Hamas to Steve Witkoff's direct talks with Putin and Iran. They examine the neocon panic, Trump's controlled inflection points, and why this slow-motion purge of legacy actors might be the plan all along. To top it off, they revisit the mysterious 2021 transfer of 175 million Pentagon IP addresses and the recent resignation of the Defense Digital Service, raising new questions about continuity of government, classified comms, and who's really in control. Buckle up. This episode connects dots across continents and administrations.

CannCon and Alpha Warrior team up for a jam-packed episode of Badlands Daily, tackling the deep state disinformation machine, the weaponized judiciary, and the illegal immigration narrative from every angle. They break down the dismantling of the Global Engagement Center and expose how Rubio's replacement plan may simply rebrand government propaganda under the guise of “pro-American speech.” The duo doesn't hold back as they question if replacing tyranny with "friendly tyranny" is any improvement at all. The discussion shifts to the ongoing MS-13 deportation saga, where liberal media and activist judges continue to prop up Kilmar Garcia, an illegal immigrant tied to gang violence and domestic abuse, as a victim. CannCon and Alpha dismantle the narrative, revealing disturbing court documents and political hypocrisy from Senator Chris Van Hollen. The pair also dive into the weaponization of academia, revealing Harvard's long history of CIA entanglement, Chinese funding, and exploitation of illegal labor under the guise of DEI. With Trump now threatening their tax-exempt status, the gloves are off. Other highlights include the potential voter roll cleanup hidden inside a Social Security Executive Order, a breakdown of a Pentagon leak purge, and a growing theory that the U.S. population may be vastly overstated. It's a strategic, spicy, and occasionally tinfoil-hatted episode that connects the dots, and drops some hammers.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, JD Maddox discusses new influence opportunities borne out of necessity. JD suggests that listeners consider radical-sounding concepts for, such as letters of marque, indemnification, task-based organization, public-private operations, and new authorities as viable influence pathways for today's strategic landscape. Recording Date: 31 Mar 2025 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned or Related #110 Sean McFate on The New Rules of War #220 Tom Kent on US International Broadcasting and Soft Power Lord's Resistance Army (Central Africa) The Kherson Ruse: Ukraine and the Art of Military Deception Letters of Marque US Agency for Global Media Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: J.D. Maddox is an expert in political warfare, and an academic, writer and former political candidate. He has served as a Central Intelligence Agency branch chief, deputy coordinator of the U.S. Global Engagement Center, advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and as a U.S. Army Psychological Operations team leader. He is the founder of Inventive Insights LLC, and the Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Deft9 Solutions, and currently consults on Operations in the Information Environment to government organizations, and consults to commercial and political organizations on strategic communications. He's an adjunct professor of national security studies at George Mason University's Schar School, teaching Disinformation and Policy Responses, and he's an adjunct professor at Tulane University, where he teaches Open Source Information Analysis. He also recently initiated "Tab D," a biweekly report highlighting U.S. adversaries' narrative vulnerabilities. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

TALK TO ME, TEXT ITCensorship, political maneuvering, and surprising revelations dominated yesterday's news cycle – but how much did you actually hear about? In this eye-opening episode of An Americanist, we pull back the curtain on a critical censorship hearing that received minimal mainstream coverage.Matt Taibbi's Capitol Hill testimony revealed how the State Department's Global Engagement Center, originally created to combat foreign disinformation, pivoted under the Biden administration to monitoring everyday American social media users with no foreign connections. This confrontation between Taibbi and former "Disinformation Czar" Nina Jankowicz exposes troubling questions about government overreach and free speech limitations that deserve your immediate attention.We also explore Wisconsin's seemingly contradictory electoral outcomes, where voters overwhelmingly supported voter ID requirements while simultaneously electing a liberal judge. The explanation? Redistricting's powerful impact on our democratic process. Plus, bombshell revelations from a new book claiming former President Obama worked behind the scenes against Kamala Harris' potential 2024 candidacy, the Trump administration's unexplained suspension of university grants, and newly released JFK files suggesting CIA officials lied about their awareness of Lee Harvey Oswald.The episode wraps with a lighter audience question about your dream celebrity date, proving that even in times of serious political discourse, we can still find moments of connection and levity. Visit anamericanist.com for daily writings, follow on X for updates, and join our community of engaged citizens who believe transparent information is the foundation of a functioning democracy. What news stories do you think deserve more attention? Share your thoughts and become part of the conversation.Exit bumper Not A Democracy Podcast Network made by @FuryanEnergySupport the showTip Jar for coffee $ - Thanks Blog - Carol ReMarksX - Carol ReMarks Instagram - Carol.ReMarksFacebook Page - Carol ReMarks Blog

Weekly Update --- D.O.G.E.: End The Global Engagement Center! by Ron Paul Liberty Report

Find my Dilbert 2025 Calendar at: https://dilbert.com/ God's Debris: The Complete Works, Amazon https://tinyurl.com/GodsDebrisCompleteWorks Find my "extra" content on Locals: https://ScottAdams.Locals.com Content: Politics, Quantum Computing, Drinking Bleach Hoax, AmericanDebunk, NJ Mystery Drones, Carjacking Waymo, Conclave Movie, Alcohol Is Poison, Birth Control Pill Depression, Global Engagement Center, President Trump, Train Your Replacement, Digital Son, Hateful Democrat Politics, Kamala Election Certification, Vegas Cybertruck Terrorist, Matthew Livelsberger, X Negativity Deboost, President Bukele, Iran Economy, Hurricane Science, Hypersonic Weapon defense, Scott Adams ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topics to build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

[00:30] Media: Carter Was Nice, but Trump's People Are Mean (36 minutes) The media is dogpiling Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, for his strong views about illegal immigration. At the same time, many media sources are casually admitting that coronavirus “conspiracy theories” are actually true—contrary to years of their own reporting. Will there be a reckoning for the deadly lies about COVID? [36:40] Gerald Flurry Was Right About Donald Trump's Return (6 minutes) [42:40] Obama's Censorship Office Goes Bankrupt (7 minutes) Barack Obama's censorship office, the Global Engagement Center, has finally closed down. The “dear leader” no longer has a stranglehold on the media narrative. [50:00] Feedback (5 minutes)

Could Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th president of the United States be blocked? A roadmap for this roadblock was laid out in a recent op-ed in The Hill.In other news, the State Department's Global Engagement Center lost its funding in the recent spending bill. House Republicans pushed to have the center's funding pulled over concerns that it was engaging in unconstitutional censorship.Also, a former Chinese official has revealed the existence of human organ markets being run by the Chinese communist regime.

Once tasked with spotting foreign disinformation, it instead tracked and censored Americans' opinions on COVID and more.

Patrick Gunnels delivers today's episode of The Brief with a deep dive into the hottest topics post-Christmas. Highlights include Trump's growing influence as the de facto leader while Biden fades into the background, Tesla's groundbreaking advancements in manufacturing, and the shutdown of the U.S. State Department's Global Engagement Center. Plus, insights on Rumble's massive Tether investment and international intrigue from Israel to Guatemala. Stay informed with Badlands Media!

CALL IN: 508-637-5596GUEST: Science blogger Michael D. ShawMICHAEL SHAW SUBSTACK: https://mdspov.substack.comCharles Moscowitz LIVEWebsite: https://charlesmoscowitz.comMoscowitz Author Page:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Charles-Moscowitz/author/B00BFLX7S0Buy Me a Coffee, Join me for Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moscowitz

Description: You did it! Just like November 5th, once again you rose up and you defeated the powers that be, you crushed the swamp! We're going to see what REALLY happened yesterday in the HUMILIATING defeat of that pork-filled omnibus spending bill and why it signals a new era that will forever change politics going forward! – Go to https://ground.news/steve to see through media bias and become a smarter news consumer. Subscribe through my link for 50% off unlimited access. *The content presented by our partners may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, Turley Talks may receive a small commission.*  Join my new Courageous Conservative Club and get equipped to fight back and restore foundational values.  Learn more at http://fight.turleytalks.com/join Highlights: “The so-called “continuing resolution” was nothing more than a collection of waste, with your tax dollars going towards giving pay raises for every member of Congress, money for American music tourism, consumer safety standards for certain types of batteries, a one-year extension of the State Department's Global Engagement Center that's been guilty of censoring speech online.” “The assumption is that we're actually dealing with two distinct parties when in point of fact that monstrosity of a bill PROVED that we actually only have ONE party, a uniparty, an establishment duopoly that's ultimately answerable only to donors and lobbyists!” "Elon Musk brought to the fore the significance of a new and rising phenomenon known as techno-populism” Timestamps: [03:58] Congressional leaders released their 1,500-page monstrosity of a spending bill [06:30] Speaker Mike Johnson did his best to sell the monstrosity bill [09:11] What changed is obviously NOT the swamp; what changed and changed so dramatically is the world around them – Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. FOLLOW me on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalks Sign up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts to get lots of articles on conservative trends: https://turleytalks.com/subscribe-to-our-newsletter **The use of any copyrighted material in this video is done so for educational and informational purposes only including parody, commentary, and criticism. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015). It is believed that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

The controversial continuing resolution bill, the political maneuvers behind it, and the influence of Elon Musk, who stirred the Republican waters and advocated for government reform. The episode wraps up with a look at other legislative actions, such as the Social Security Fairness Act and a rundown of relevant tweets and reactions from political figures. The hosts don't shy away from the potential impacts of political decisions on the holiday season, making for both a festive and thought-provoking episode. (00:30) Christmas Movie Marathon (04:23) Elon Musk and the Spending Bill (05:28) Government Shutdown and Spending Bill Breakdown (14:48) Global Engagement Center and Online Censorship (18:37) Ad Break: Factor Meals (19:25) Save Money with Factor Meals (19:54) Government Censorship and Lawsuits (20:54) Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (24:12) Social Security Fairness Act (26:52) Elon Musk and Government Control (29:16) Debt Ceiling and Government Spending (39:59) Closing Remarks and Call to Action   Links:   https://gml.bio.link/   Watch GML  on Youtube:   https://bit.ly/3UwsRiv   Check out Martens Minute!   https://martensminute.podbean.com/   Follow Josh Martens on X:   https://twitter.com/joshmartens13   Join the private discord & chat during the show!   joingml.com   Get FACTOR Today! FACTORMEALS.com/gml50   Good Morning Liberty is sponsored by BetterHelp! Rediscover your curiosity today by visiting Betterhelp.com/GML (Get 10% off your first month)    Protect your privacy and unlock the full potential of your streaming services with ExpressVPN. Get 3 more months absolutely FREE by using our link EXPRESSVPN.com/GML

  On today's episode of MG Show, hosts Jeffrey and Shannon bring you the latest in political developments and analysis. Biden finally addresses the mysterious drone sightings, downplaying them as non-threatening. In other major news, the assassination of a Russian Biolab General raises serious questions about global security and biowarfare.   In a special first-hour segment, the MG Show team surprises Shannon with live call-ins celebrating his birthday, featuring heartwarming well-wishes from the audience. After the festivities, the show continues with General Keith Kellogg's insights on the growing momentum of the incoming Trump administration and how it's shaking up both Washington and Canada. Jeffrey and Shannon also discuss Liz Cheney's potential legal trouble and Steve Sund's explanation of the January 6th response timeline.   We also address the controversial CR bill moving through the House, which could bring back vaccine and mask mandates, redefine national emergencies, and shift billions away from Social Security. With provisions for gain-of-function research funding and concerns about free speech suppression via the Global Engagement Center, the bill has far-reaching implications. Tune in for this critical analysis and much more.   *Biden drone statement, Russian Biolab General assassination, General Keith Kellogg, Trump administration momentum, Liz Cheney in trouble, Steve Sund January 6th, CR bill vaccine mandates, national emergency redefinition, gain-of-function research, Social Security cuts, Global Engagement Center, censorship, Bill Gates mosquito funding, Shannon's birthday celebration, MG Show conservative podcast, America First* -----------------

On this episode of Badlands Daily, hosted by CannCon and Ashe in America, the team discusses the ongoing debate in Congress about the continuing resolution (CR) bill and the massive spending agenda it includes. They dive into the details of the bill, such as the $100 billion for disaster relief, the extension of the Global Engagement Center, and its implications on the future of U.S. foreign policy. The hosts also take a critical look at the increasing influence of outside forces like the Global Disinformation Index, and the ongoing political drama surrounding Speaker Johnson. With insights on the potential fallout and a mix of humor and critique, tune in for an episode filled with deep dives and sharp commentary.

Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan and Carl Cannon talk about TIME magazine's new cover article on Donald Trump and a new report on the FBI's involvement in the events of January 6th, and media coverage of the report's revelations. They also discuss how Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin has changed her mind about the danger of the national debt, and drone sightings have spread beyond New Jersey to neighboring states. What does the government know? And finally, Andrew Walworth talks to RCP contributor Charlie Tidmarsh, author of the “This Week in Censorship” column, about the State Department's closing of the Global Engagement Center, and Jay Bhatacharya's nomination to head the National Institutes of Health.

n this action-packed episode of Devolution Power Hour, hosted by Burning Bright and Jon Herold, we explore the latest developments in the fight for truth and justice in the political landscape. The hosts break down the new OIG report exposing the FBI's surveillance of key individuals, including Kash Patel and Congress staffers, as well as the wider implications for the government's oversight. They also discuss the significance of the FBI shake-up and Christopher Wray's potential resignation, while diving into high-profile narratives shaping the upcoming election cycle. From election interference to the controversial Global Engagement Center, tune in for a deep dive into how corruption is being exposed and the strategic moves behind the scenes.

As U.S. officials warn that disinformation from Russia, China and Iran is reaching unprecedented levels, a key office in the State Department designed to counter these operations may shut its doors this year. WSJ's national security correspondent, Michael Gordon, joins host James Rundle to talk about why the Global Engagement Center, which works with U.S. intelligence agencies to counter propaganda, is facing a difficult road to reauthorization. Plus, companies looking to make lithium-ion batteries safer are facing headwinds. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.racket.newsThe House Committee on Small Business prints a blistering report on the Global Engagement Center, a State Department "counter-messaging" entity at the center of the Twitter FilesNarrated by Jared Moorewww.Racket.news

Aughie scares Nia with the mission of the Global Engagement Center, located in the State Department. 

US adversaries are on a propaganda offensive around the world. Earlier this month, the Council on Foreign Relations in DC convened a discussion about the changing landscape of disinformation campaigns with James Rubin, special envoy at the Global Engagement Center at the State Department, Jon Bateman from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Anne Applebaum, a staff writer at the Atlantic. CLICK HERE moderated the conversation, and here are some highlights.

* Bragg's team failed to prove Trump's guilt in New York case, legal experts say - TheBlaze.com * World Waits on Trump Trial Results! * WHO Pandemic Treaty Fails! * Mike Adams - AKA The Health Ranger and Brighteon Media sues Google, Facebook, Twitter, NewsGuard, Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Global Engagement Center, ISD and others for globally-coordinated government-funded censorship collusion against Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, Natural News and Brighteon. * Trump: 'This is a dark day in America' - WND.com * Shame! Libertarians Skip Over Trump and RFK Jr. for Chase Oliver - In his acceptance speech, Mr. Oliver, 38 — who has described himself as "armed and gay" — Pledged to unify the party along its common principles and to expand its reach. * Measles Outbreak in Chicago Migrant Shelter Reveals at Least 28% Were Vaccinated - National Vaccine Information Center, NVIC.org * Fluoridated Water and Pregnancy - New research suggests a link between prenatal fluoride levels and behavioral issues in children. Experts are divided on the study's significance - NYT. It is the first to examine links between prenatal fluoride exposure and child development among families living in the United States, where fluoride is often added to community water supplies to prevent dental cavities. * The study's authors and some outside researchers said that the findings should prompt policymakers to evaluate the safety of fluoride consumption during pregnancy. 'I think it's a warning sign,' said Dr. Beate Ritz, an environmental epidemiologist at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. * Many communities in the United States have added fluoride to their water for this reason since the 1940s, a practice widely celebrated as a major public health achievement.

* Big Time CSPOA Man - Sheriff Larry Kendrick's victory in Owyhee County, Idaho! * Guest: Chris Burgard, Chris is Director, and Nick Searcy, is Producer, of the brand new groundbreaking documentary The War on Truth! - TheWarOnTruthMovie.com * You've been told that J6 was a violent insurrection against the United States by a group of angry, fringe, MAGA supporters... What if it wasn't? What if the reason the J6 footage was withheld for years and the topic has been so censored is that there is more to the story? What if there really was a War on Truth? * Was J6 an insurrection or is there something to the so called "conspiracy theories" that J6 was instigated? What really happened that day? Everyone from both sides of the political spectrum owe it to themselves to look at the evidence and ask: was J6 a violent insurrection, or was this whole thing part of the War on Truth? * For three years the federal government has waged a war on truth. Now the truth fights back! * The War on Truth will finally pull back the curtain on J6 with actual evidence. In this documentary we talk to actual witnesses, provide video evidence, and ask the tough questions. Regardless of how you feel about Donald Trump or the political environment we live in, we owe it to ourselves to understand what truly happened on that day. * Mike Adams - AKA The Health Ranger and Brighteon Media sues Google, Facebook, Twitter, NewsGuard, Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Global Engagement Center, ISD and others for globally-coordinated government-funded censorship collusion against Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, Natural News and Brighteon.

Cyber expert and free speech advocate, Mike Benz (@mikebenzcyber) says in 2016, AI censorship didn't exist so it had to be flagged manually on the internet. Development was supercharged after the 2016 election and AI now allows them to censor tens of millions of comments. Now they have their hands on AI weapons of mass deletion. A whole of society censorship network was set up. They needed the govt. to be the quarterback. Gov. agencies, private institutions such as tech and publishing companies, civil society institutions like universities and activist groups, along with media and fact checking organizations. Together they were blasting millions of posts off the internet. The Pentagon was at war with Donald Trump. He reversed the foreign policy of Obama, Bush, Romney and McCain. The Pentagon is the largest employer in the country, larger than any private company with 2 million employees and it gets the most federal money of any federal agency. Benz says tucked within the State Dept. is the Global Engagement Center initially set up to censor ISIS propaganda, the same exact thing they would do to critics of mail-in ballots or Covid. GUEST: MIKE BENZ, FOUNDATION FOR FREEDOM ONLINESee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A year after its censorship programs were exposed, the Global Engagement Center still insists the public has no right to know how it's spending taxpayer moneywww.Racket.news This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.racket.news/subscribe

Cyber expert and free speech advocate, Mike Benz (@mikebenzcyber) says in 2016, AI censorship didn't exist so it had to be flagged manually on the internet. Development was supercharged after the 2016 election and AI now allows them to censor tens of millions of comments. Now they have their hands on AI weapons of mass deletion. A whole of society censorship network was set up. They needed the govt. to be the quarterback. Gov. agencies, private institutions such as tech and publishing companies, civil society institutions like universities and activist groups, along with media and fact checking organizations. Together they were blasting millions of posts off the internet. The Pentagon was at war with Donald Trump. He reversed the foreign policy of Obama, Bush, Romney and McCain. The Pentagon is the largest employer in the country, larger than any private company with 2 million employees and it gets the most federal money of any federal agency. Benz says tucked within the State Dept. is the Global Engagement Center initially set up to censor ISIS propaganda, the same exact thing they would do to critics of mail-in ballots or Covid. The guy who founded the censorship center within the State Department, Rick Stengel, was Obama's propagandist-in-Chief. After social media cost the Dems the 2016 election, he wrote a book calling for the end of the First Amendment because it allows people to be elected who might undermine Democracy. It went from exporting the First Amendment to ending it, all because they lost an election to Donald Trump.GUEST: MIKE BENZ, FOUNDATION FOR FREEDOM ONLINESee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Microsoft takes down the Storm-1152 cybercrime operation. “GambleForce” is a newly discovered threat actor.  The SVR exploits a JetBrains TeamCity vulnerability. US Postal Service impersonation. Malicious ads associated with Zoom. An update on the cyberattack against Kyivstar. Apache issues a Struts 2 security advisory. The FCC adopts new data breach rules.  In our latest Threat Vector segment, David Mouton and Palo Alto Networks Madeline Sedgwick discuss the skills and methods necessary for understanding threat actor intent and behaviors. And the State Department's Global Engagement Center is under fire. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest On the Threat Vector segment with Palo Alto Networks Unit 42's David Moulton, hear about decoding cyber adversaries. David discusses unveiling intent and behavior in the world of threat hunting with Madeline Sedgwick. Selected Reading Microsoft disrupts cybercrime operation selling fraudulent accounts to notorious hacking gang (TechCrunch+) New hacker group GambleForce targets government and gambling sites in Asia Pacific using SQL injections (Group-IB) Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Exploiting JetBrains TeamCity CVE Globally (Joint Advisory) Malvertisers zoom in on cryptocurrencies and initial access (MalwareBytes) Russian hacker group claims responsibility for Kyivstar cyberattack (The Kyiv Independent)  New Critical RCE Vulnerability Discovered in Apache Struts 2 - Patch Now (The Hacker News) FCC Adopts Updates to Data Breach Rules, Sets Up Privacy Battle (Bloomberg Law) State Dept.'s Fight Against Disinformation Comes Under Attack (The New York Times) Threat Vector. In this Threat Vector segment, David Mouton and Palo Alto Networks Madeline Sedgwick discuss the skills and methods necessary for understanding threat actor intent and behaviors. Madeline, a Senior Cyber Research Engineer and Threat Analyst for the Cortex Xpanse team at Palo Alto Networks, shares insights into how analyzing adversary behavior helps in anticipating threats and avoiding guesswork. They discuss the value of understanding both system dynamics and human behavior in cybersecurity, emphasizing that cyber adversaries are limited by the same laws of internet physics. Please share your thoughts with us for future Threat Vector segments by taking our brief survey. To learn what is top of mind each month from the experts at Unit 42 sign up for their Threat Intel Bulletin.  Share your feedback. We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show.  Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © 2023 N2K Networks, Inc.

Bookending the historic Consortium News suit, conservative news outlets take on the Global Engagement Center for funding "censorship enterprises" and blacklistingwww.racket.news This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.racket.news/subscribe

#boycottdisney begins on X! We also talk Biden's EPA EV mandates and the house voting on a bill to stop it, as well as Penn's issues regarding anti-semitism and palestine gaza hamas stuff. Then, for our main event: we talk the lawsuits starting by Texas, The Federalist and The Daily Wire, and their suing of the US government, state department and the Global Engagement Center. Here we go....

This Day in Legal History: The Attack on Pearl HarborOn this day, December 7, in legal history, the focus often turns to a pivotal event in United States history: the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. This surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii led to the United States' formal entry into World War II. While primarily a military event, the attack had significant legal and political repercussions that reshaped the global legal landscape.The aftermath of Pearl Harbor saw a swift response from the U.S. government. On December 8, 1941, the United States Congress declared war on Japan, marking the nation's official entry into World War II. This decision not only changed the course of the war but also had far-reaching legal implications for international relations and the conduct of war.One of the most controversial legal outcomes of Pearl Harbor was the internment of Japanese Americans. In February 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forcible relocation and internment of about 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens. This order, rooted in wartime fear and prejudice, is now widely viewed as one of the most egregious violations of American civil liberties in the 20th century.The repercussions of Pearl Harbor extended to the international legal arena as well. The attack prompted a reevaluation of international laws concerning warfare, leading to the development of new standards and practices. After the war, the Tokyo Trials, formally known as the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, were convened to prosecute Japanese leaders for war crimes, including those committed during the Pearl Harbor attack.In recent years, Pearl Harbor Day has been a time not only of remembrance for those who lost their lives but also a moment to reflect on the legal and moral challenges faced during times of crisis. It serves as a reminder of the impact that pivotal events can have on the law, civil liberties, and international relations.Murray Fisher, a former employee of Airgas USA LLC who was diagnosed with liver cancer, is challenging his termination over a positive cannabis test result in the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Fisher, who used legal hemp to manage his cancer-related pain, alleges that the positive test was false and that his firing constituted disability discrimination. The case centers around the "honest belief rule," which protects employers from liability for employment actions based on incorrect information they reasonably trusted at the time. The lower court dismissed Fisher's discrimination claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act, citing insufficient evidence to prove that Airgas knew the test was incorrect or unreasonably relied on the results.Fisher's case raises questions about the application of the honest belief rule and whether judges are encroaching on factual determinations that should be left to juries. He argues that Airgas was indifferent to the accuracy of its drug testing and that there's evidence of "purposeful ignorance" on the company's part. Airgas, on the other hand, maintains that it made a reasonably informed decision to terminate Fisher and that he has failed to demonstrate his disability was a factor in his firing or to discredit the company's rationale for his termination.The case, which is being heard by a panel including Judges Karen Nelson Moore, David McKeague, and Raymond Kethledge, will provide the Sixth Circuit an opportunity to clarify the scope and application of the honest belief rule in employment discrimination cases. Fisher's argument hinges on the assertion that the evidence of his positive test result for THCA, not illegal THC, and the company's alleged indifference to test accuracy, should preclude summary judgment in favor of Airgas.Airgas to Defend Firing Worker With Cancer Over Cannabis TestTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with conservative media companies The Daily Wire and The Federalist, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State. The lawsuit alleges that the State Department funded technology through grants to the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) and NewsGuard, which the plaintiffs claim censors conservative news outlets. The lawsuit accuses these organizations of rendering "disfavored press outlets unprofitable" by using technologies that categorize them as high-risk for disinformation, thereby impacting their revenue and social media visibility.The lawsuit challenges the State Department's statutory authority to fund such tools and argues that this funding infringes upon the media outlets' First Amendment rights. Paxton, who has filed numerous lawsuits against the Biden administration, claims the State Department is illegally attempting to silence dissenting voices. The case, assigned to Judge Jeremy Kernodle, a Trump appointee, reflects ongoing tensions between Republican state attorneys general and the Biden administration regarding the alleged censorship of conservative viewpoints online.NewsGuard responded by stating that their work with the department's Global Engagement Center, which accounted for less than 1% of its revenue, was limited to tracking false claims in state-sponsored media in Russia, China, and Venezuela and unrelated to the plaintiffs. They also emphasized that their website reliability ratings are developed through an apolitical process. The case adds to a broader debate about the role of government in regulating online disinformation and the impact on free speech and media revenues.Texas claims US State Department funds tech that censors conservative news | ReutersIn my column this week, I discuss the IRS's recent decision to revert the 1099-K reporting threshold from $600 to $20,000 for the current tax year, with a plan to lower it to $5,000 in 2024. I argue that this approach, aimed at reducing taxpayer confusion and administrative backlog, merely postpones the problem. The central issue lies in a widespread public misconception about taxable income, particularly the belief that income is only taxable if the IRS is aware of it.By way of very brief background, Form 1099-K is a tax document used to report payments received through payment card transactions and third-party network transactions. This form is particularly relevant for businesses and individuals who receive payments through platforms like PayPal and Venmo. When payments for goods or services are received through these platforms, the platform is required to report the transactions to the IRS if they exceed a certain threshold. The 1099-K form provides a detailed summary of these transactions, helping taxpayers accurately report their income. It's an essential tool for ensuring compliance with tax laws, especially for those who engage in significant e-commerce or provide services where payments are frequently processed through these digital platforms. Importantly, receiving it does not impact whether taxes are owed – it is merely informational. Income tax is owed on all income, from whatever source derived. I highlight the importance of educating the public on what constitutes taxable income, especially with the growth of the gig economy and online marketplaces. The 1099-K form, introduced in 2012, is designed as a reminder of existing tax obligations, not as an indication of new liabilities. The form's thresholds, such as the initial 200 transactions and $20,000 limit, are informational and do not determine when tax is due.To improve tax literacy, I suggest the IRS should adopt more proactive educational methods, such as creating informative videos, social media campaigns, and advertisements explaining taxable income. Additionally, introducing tax-related curricula in schools could inform young people about tax revenue uses and personal tax obligations. These measures could help address the knowledge gap, particularly among younger taxpayers and those in the gig economy.I also emphasize the need for the IRS to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring high-income earners pay their fair share of taxes, as public perception of tax fairness is crucial. The IRS should focus on promoting an understanding of tax obligations, fairness in the tax system, and the shared responsibility of tax compliance. I critique the pattern of policy changes followed by public backlash and retraction as inefficient and ineffective in informing the public about tax policy updates. Properly addressing tax compliance and effectively communicating with taxpayers is vital for maintaining public trust and compliance in the tax system.Better Education Will Help Taxpayers Understand Telltale 1099-Ks Get full access to Minimum Competence - Daily Legal News Podcast at www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Daniel Kliman to discuss the new special report released by the State Department's Global Engagement Center, titled How the People's Republic of China Seeks to Reshape the Global Information Environment. Dr. Kliman underscored PRC ambitions for controlling the global information landscape and what that means for the U.S. and its allies. Dr. Kliman also shines light on specific PRC tactics, including five different ways China engages in information manipulation. Finally, he highlights how the United States is working with key allies and partners.  Dr. Daniel Kliman is the director of the Global Engagement Center's China Division. Previously, he worked in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, where he served as Senior Advisor for Asia Integration. He was the former Program Director and Senior Fellow for the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. He has also worked at the German Marshall Fund as a Senior Advisor with the Asia Program. Dan is an expert in Asia-Pacific strategy, with a particular focus on U.S. competition with China.   

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Todd Leventhal recaps his many years of experience countering disinformation with the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Department of State–including AIDS disinformation, child organ trafficking rumors, exaggerated fears about depleted uranium, and Iraqi propaganda and disinformation during the 1991 Gulf War. Todd recently worked with the Global Engagement Center and he suggests ways for the Department of State to improve public diplomacy in the 21st Century. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #49 Matt Armstrong on the Smith-Mundt Act #105 Tom Kent on Persuasion in the Developing World #128 Matt Armstrong and Chris Paul on the U.S. Information Agency and Foreign Policy #106 Mike Taylor on the Global Engagement Center The need to up our game in countering disinformation by Todd Leventhal Soviet Active Measures in the "Post-Cold War" Era 1988-1991: A Report Prepared at the Request of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations by the United States Information Agency June 1992 Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-154 Guest Bio: Todd Leventhal has some 25 years of experience in countering Russian, Soviet, Iraqi, and other disinformation, conspiracy theories, and false stories, mainly for the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Department of State, starting in 1987.  He was the sole or main U.S. government official countering disinformation from 1989 to 1996, 2002 to 2010, and in 2015. He received an “Exceptional Performance Award” from the Director for Central Intelligence for his contributions to the 2003 White House report Apparatus of Lies: Saddam's Disinformation and Propaganda 1990-2003. After retiring from 33 years of U.S. government service in May 2018, Mr. Leventhal served as a Senior Counter-Disinformation Advisor in the Russia Division of the State Department's Global Engagement Center (GEC) from late 2018 to April 2022, where he wrote 14 GEC Counter-Disinformation Dispatches, which summarize lessons learned about disinformation and how to counter it based on the experiences of frontline counter-disinformation practitioners. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Voter and ballot fraud may just be a small part of the problem that conservatives face in the upcoming 2024 elections compared to the power of Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube.   Using its “total data collection” systems it can sway the opinions of millions of people and influence how they vote. We've known about this issue since at least 2016 and it has not gone away. If anything, with the emergence of AI, the threat has grown even more ominous. Executives at Google have stated that “investments in machine learning and AI” are a big opportunity to address the “misinformation” shared by “low-information voters.” Shining a bright light on Alphabet's power is the comprehensive research done by my returning guest, research psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein, a California Democrat with a Harvard Ph.D, who has spent the last decade monitoring Google's manipulation of newsfeeds, search results and YouTube suggestions.  Joining me to co-host is Jenny Beth Martin, founder of the Tea Party Patriots, who also has an extensive information technology background. “96% of Alphabet's employee's political donations go to Democrats and its homogeneous culture leans extremely left and the two founders are utopians,” explains Dr. Epstein. “In their mind, they know what's best for the world. These are extremely arrogant people who think they have the power of gods.”  An eight‑minute video leaked from Google called "The Selfish Ledger," starkly reveals Google's aspirations to re‑engineer humanity according to its utopian “company values."  Another leaked video after the 2016 election shows Google's co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and its CEO Sundar Pichai dismayed by Trump's win and essentially saying “never again.” In it, they  talk about Trump supporters as “extremists” and say the election outcome “conflicts with many of Google's core values.”  Epstein estimates that Google shifted about 6 million votes to Joe Biden in the 2020 election by manipulating voters with things like biased algorithms, “get out the vote” messages and videos. (Over 70% of the videos that people watch every day on YouTube come from liberal sources suggested by its “up next” algorithm.) Does anyone doubt that Google will be all-in on making sure the “correct” candidates win 2024 elections? One source of its power is that Google knows with precision practically every voter's political preferences. They know who's going to vote, who's not going to vote, and how they're going to vote.  “If you've been using the internet for 20 years, Google has the equivalent of more than three million pages of information about you,” according to Dr. Epstein. “They're doing surveillance at a massive level that J. Edgar Hoover couldn't even possibly have imagined. It's 24 hours a day, and it's over many, many, many different kinds of platforms that most people haven't even heard of.” Google has also partnered in the “Global Disinformation Index” and the release of the Twitter Files have shown how extensively the Executive Branch communicated and coordinated with technology companies for taking in moderation “requests” from the White House, the FBI, DHS, HHS, DOD, the Global Engagement Center at State, and even the CIA. If Google is manipulating search results or YouTube suggestions it's impossible to trace because they are “ephemeral.” They disappear once you click off the links provided, and can never be recovered.  However, there is hope, a potential counter-measure that Dr Epstein has developed to capture that ephemeral data by effectively “looking over the shoulders” of real users. He now has almost 8,000 registered voters in 50 states, who have given him permission to monitor and record their every Google interaction. Of course, challenging a $1 trillion tech colossus requires resources and it will take up to $50 million to fully build out his system. It's a big lift and we talk about what it will take to get it done. It's a critical project. “With companies like Google, we're talking about control that's completely invisible to people,” Epstein says. “We're talking about control by mainly one and to a lesser extent a couple of other private companies … the more I've learned about it over the years, the more concerned I've become.” We unpack a lot in this episode, including which email and browser you should be using to protect your privacy. 

The First Amendment prohibits the U.S. government from censoring speech. In this episode, drawing from internal Twitter documents known as “the Twitter files” and Congressional testimony from tech executives, former Twitter employees, and journalists, we examine the shocking formal system of censorship in which government employees are using their influence over private companies to indirectly censor speech in a way that they are clearly prohibited from doing directly. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the shownotes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd270-the-twitter-files Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD224: Social Media Censorship CD141: Terrorist Gifts & The Ministry of Propaganda (2017 NDAA) CD113: CISA is Law The Twitter Files "Capsule Summaries of all Twitter Files Threads to Date, With Links and a Glossary.” Matt Taibbi. Jan 4, 2023. Racket News. Matt Taibbi “The Democrats' Disastrous Miscalculation on Civil Liberties.” Matt Taibbi. Mar 12, 2023. Racket News. “#1940 - Matt Taibbi.” Feb 13, 2023. The Joe Rogan Experience. Hunter Biden Laptop Story “Smoking-gun email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian businessman to VP dad.” “13. They did the same to Facebook, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. ‘The FBI basically came to us [and] was like, “Hey... you should be on high alert. We thought that there was a lot of Russian propaganda in 2016 election. There's about to be some kind of dump similar to that”'” [tweet]. Michael Shellenberger [@ShellenbergerMD]. Dec 19, 2022. Twitter. Influence, Propaganda, and Censorship “From the Twitter Files: Pfizer board member Scott Gottlieb secretly pressed Twitter to hide posts challenging his company's massively profitable Covid jabs.” Alex Berenson. Jan 9, 2023. Unreported Truths. “Twitter Aided the Pentagon in Its Covert Online Propaganda Campaign.” Lee Fang. December 20, 2022. The Intercept. “Facebook, Twitter dismantle a U.S. influence campaign about Ukraine.” Aug 24, 2022. The Washington Post. Angus King Takedown Request Spreadsheet Audio Sources Hearing on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, the Twitter Files March 9, 2023 House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government Witnesses: Matt Taibbi, Journalist Michael Shellenberger, Author, Co-founder of the Breakthrough Institute and the California Peace Coalition Clips 17:20 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): In the run up to the 2020 Presidential election, FBI Special Agent Elvis Chan, in his deposition in Missouri versus Biden, said that he repeatedly, repeatedly, informed Twitter and other social media platforms of the likelihood of a hack and leak operation in the run up to that Presidential election. He did it even though there was no evidence. In fact, he said in his deposition that we hadn't seen anything, no intrusions, no hack, yet he repeatedly told them something was common. Yoel Ross, Head of Trust and Safety at Twitter, testified that he had had regular meetings with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and other folks regarding election security. During these weekly meetings, federal law enforcement agencies communicated that they expected a hack and leak operation. The expectations of a hack and leak operation were discussed throughout 2020. And he was told they would occur in a period shortly before the 2020 Presidential election, likely in October. And finally, he said "I also learned in these meetings, that there were rumors that a hack and leak operation would involve Hunter Biden." So what did the government tell him? A hack and leak operation was coming. How often did the government tell him this? Repeatedly for a year. When did the government say it was going to happen? October of 2020. And who did the government say it would involve? Hunter Biden. 19:35 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): How did they know? Maybe it's because they had the laptop and they had had it for a year. 21:50 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): Finally, as if on cue, five days later on October 19, 51 former intel[ligence] officials signed a letter with a now famous sentence "the Biden laptop story has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation." Something that was absolutely false. 25:25 Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): And the Republicans have brought in two of Elon Musk's public scribes to release cherry-picked, out-of-context emails and screenshots designed to promote his chosen narrative, Elon Musk's chosen narrative, that is now being paroted by the Republicans, because the Republicans think that these witnesses will tell a story that's going to help them out politically. 25:50 Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): On Tuesday, the majority released an 18 page report claiming to show that the FTC is quote, "harassing" Twitter -- oh my poor Twitter -- including by seeking information about its interactions with individuals before us today. How did the report reach this conclusion? By showing two single paragraphs from a single demand letter, even though the report itself makes clear that there were numerous demand letters with numerous requests, none of which we've been able to see, that are more demand letters and more requests of Twitter. 28:05 Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): Mr. Chairman, Americans can see through this. Musk is helping you out politically and you're going out of your way to promote and protect him and to praise him for his work. 28:15 Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): This isn't just a matter of what data was given to these so-called journalists before us now. 31:35 Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): Mr. Chairman, I'm not exaggerating when I say that you have called before you two witnesses who pose a direct threat to people who oppose them. 32:30 Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): We know this is because at the first hearing, the Chairman claimed that big government and big tech colluded to shape and mold the narrative and suppress information and censor Americans. This is a false narrative. We're engaging in false narratives here and we are going to tell the truth. 37:35 Michael Shellenberger: I recognize that the law allows Facebook, Twitter, and other private companies to moderate content on their platforms and I support the right of governments to communicate with the public, including to dispute inaccurate information, but government officials have been caught repeatedly pushing social media platforms to censor disfavored users and content. Often these acts of censorship threaten the legal protection social media companies need to exist, Section 230. If government officials are directing or facilitating such censorship, and as one law professor, it raises serious First Amendment questions. It is axiomatic that the government cannot do indirectly what it is prohibited from doing directly. 41:50 Matt Taibbi: My name is Matt Taibbi, I've been a reporter for 30 years and a staunch advocate of the First Amendment. Much of that time was spent at Rolling Stone magazine. Ranking Member Plaskett, I'm not a "so-called" journalist. I've won the National Magazine Award, the I.F Stone Award for Independent Journalism, and I've written 10 books, including four New York Times bestsellers. 45:35 Matt Taibbi: Ordinary Americans are not just being reported to Twitter for deamplification or deplatforming, but to firm's like Pay Pal, digital advertisers like Xandr, and crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe. These companies can and do refuse service to law abiding people and businesses whose only crime is falling afoul of a distant, faceless, unaccountable, algorithmic judge. 44:00 Matt Taibbi: Again, Ranking Member Plaskett, I would note that the evidence of Twitter-government relationship includes lists of tens of thousands of names on both the left and right. The people affected include Trump supporters, but also left leaning sites like Consortium and Truthout, the leftist South American channel TeleSUR, the Yellow Vest movement. That, in fact, is a key point of the Twitter files, that it's neither a left nor right issue. 44:40 Matt Taibbi: We learned Twitter, Facebook, Google and other companies developed a formal system for taking in moderation requests from every corner of government from the FBI, the DHS, the HHS, DOD, the Global Engagement Center at [the Department of] State, even the CIA. For every government agency scanning Twitter, there were perhaps 20 quasi private entities doing the same thing, including Stanford's Election Integrity Partnership, Newsguard, the Global Disinformation Index, and many others, many taxpayer funded. A focus of this fast growing network, as Mike noted, is making lists of people whose opinions beliefs, associations, or sympathies are deemed misinformation, disinformation or malinformation. That last term is just a euphemism for true but inconvenient. Undeniably, the making of such lists is a form of digital McCarthyism. 1:01:00 Matt Taibbi: So, a great example of this is a report that the Global Engagement Center sent to Twitter and to members of the media and other platforms about what they called "the Pillars of Russian Disinformation." Now, part of this report is what you would call, I think you would call, traditional hardcore intelligence gathering where they made a reasoned, evidence baseed case that certain sites were linked to Russian influence or linked to the Russian government. In addition to that, however, they also said that sites that quote, "generate their own momentum," and have opinions that are in line with those accounts are part of a propaganda ecosystem. Now, this is just another word for guilt by association. And this is the problem with the whole idea of trying to identify which accounts are actually the Internet Research Agency and which ones are just people who follow those accounts or retweeted them. Twitter initially did not find more than a handful of IRA accounts. It wasn't until they got into an argument with the Senate Select Intelligence Committee that they came back with a different answer. 1:06:00 Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL): Before you became Elon Musk's handpicked journalists, and pardon the oxymoron, you stated this on Joe Rogan's podcast about being spoon fed information. And I quote, "I think that's true of any kind of journalism," and you'll see it behind me here. "I think that's true of any kind of journalism. Once you start getting handed things, then you've lost. They have you at that point and you got to get out of that habit. You just can't cross that line." Do you still believe what you told Mr. Rogan? Yes or no? Yes or no? Matt Taibbi: Yes. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL): Good. Now, you crossed that line with the Twitter files. Matt Taibbi: No. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL): Elon Musk -- It's my time, please do not interrupt me. Crowd: [laughter] Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL): Elon Musk spoon fed you his cherry-picked information, which you must have suspected promotes a slanted viewpoint, or at the very least generates another right wing conspiracy theory. 1:11:20 Matt Taibbi: That moment on the Joe Rogan show, I was actually recounting a section from Seymour Hersh's book, Reporter, where he described a scene where the CIA gave him a story and he was very uncomfortable. He said that "I, who had always gotten the secrets, was being handed the secrets." Again, I've done lots of whistleblower stories. There's always a balancing test that you make when you're given material, and you're always balancing newsworthiness versus the motives of your sources. In this case, the newsworthiness clearly outweighed any other considerations. I think everybody else who worked on the project agrees. 1:14:45 Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC): Richard Stengel, you know who that is? Matt Taibbi: Yes, he's the former, the first head of the Global Engagement Center. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC): I want the American people to hear from him for 30 seconds. Richard Stengel: Basically, every country creates their own narrative story. And, you know, my old job at the State Department was what people used to joke as the "chief propagandist" job. We haven't talked about propaganda. Propaganda. I'm not against propaganda. Every country does it, and they have to do it to their own population. 1:24:20 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): December 13, the very first letter that the FTC sends to Twitter after the Twitter files, 11 days after the first Twitter file, there have been five of them come out, the FTC's first demand in that first letter after the Twitter files come out is identify all journalists. I'm quoting "identify all journalists and other members of the media" to whom Twitter worked with. You find that scary, Mr. Taibbi, that you got a federal government agency asking a private company who in the press are you talking with? Matt Taibbi: I do find it scary. I think it's none of the government's business which journalists a private company talks to and why. I think every journalist should be concerned about that. And the absence of interest in that issue by my fellow colleagues in the mainstream media is an indication of how low the business has sunk. There was once a real esprit de corps and camaraderie within Media. Whenever one of us was gone after, we all kind of rose to the challenge and supported -- Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): It used to be, used to be the case. Matt Taibbi: Yeah, that is gone now. 1:28:50 Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): How many emails did Mr. Musk give you access to? Michael Shellenberger: I mean, we went through thousands of emails. Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): Did he give you access to all of the emails for the time period in which? Michael Shellenberger: We never had a single, I never had a single request denied. And not only that, but the amount of files that we were given were so voluminous that there was no way that anybody could have gone through them beforehand. And we never found an instance where there was any evidence that anything had been taken out. Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): Okay. So you would believe that you have probably millions of emails and documents, right? That's correct, would you say? Michael Shellenberger: I don't know if -- I think the number is less than that. Matt Taibbi: Millions sounds too high. Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): Okay. 100,000? Matt Taibbi: That's probably closer. Michael Shellenberger: Probably, yeah. Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI): So 100,000 that both of you were seeing. 1:37:10 Matt Taibbi: There were a couple of very telling emails that wepublished. One was by a lawyer named [Sasha Cardiel???], where the company was being so overwhelmed by requests from the FBI and in fact they, they gave each other a sort of digital High Five after one batch, saying "that was a monumental undertaking to clear all of these," but she noted that she believed that the FBI was essentially doing word searches keyed to Twitter's Terms of Service, looking for violations of the Terms of Service, specifically so that they could make recommendations along those lines, which we found interesting. 1:48:15 Michael Shellenberger: And we haven't talked about Facebook, but we now know that we have the White House demanding that Facebook take down factual information and Facebook doing that. 1:48:25 Michael Shellenberger: And with Matt [Taibbi]'s thread this morning we saw the government contractors demanding the same thing of Twitter: accurate information, they said, that needed to be taken down in order to advance a narrative. 1:49:55 Matt Taibbi: You know, in conjunction with our own research, there's a foundation, the Foundation for Freedom Online, which, you know, there's a very telling video that they uncovered where the Director of Stanford's Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) talks about how CISA, the DHS agency, didn't have the capability to do election monitoring, and so that they kind of stepped in to "fill the gaps" legally before that capability could be amped up. And what we see in the Twitter files is that Twitter executives did not distinguish between DHS or CISA and this group EIP, for instance, we would see a communication that said, from CISA, escalated by EIP. So they were essentially identical in the eyes of the company. EIP is, by its own data, and this is in reference to what you brought up, Mr. Congressman, according to their own data, they significantly targeted more what they call disinformation on the right than on the left, by a factor I think of about ten to one. And I say that as not a Republican at all, it's just the fact of what we're looking at. So yes, we have come to the realization that this bright line that we imagine that exists between, say the FBI or the DHS, or the GEC and these private companies is illusory and that what's more important is this constellation of kind of quasi private organizations that do this work. 1:52:10 Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): What was the first time that Mr. Musk approached you about writing the Twitter files? Matt Taibbi: Again, Congresswoman that would — Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): I just need a date, sir. Matt Taibbi: But I can't give it to you, unfortunately, because this this is a question of sourcing, and I don't give up... I'm a journalist, I don't reveal my sources. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): It's a question of chronology. Matt Taibbi: No, that's a question of sourcing — Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Earlier you said that someone had sent you, through the internet, some message about whether or not you would be interested in some information. Matt Taibbi: Yes. And I refer to that person as a source. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): So you're not going to tell us when Musk first approached you? Matt Taibbi: Again, Congresswoman, you're asking me, you're asking a journalist to reveal a source. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): You consider Mr. Musk to be the direct source of all this? Matt Taibbi: No, now you're trying to get me to say that he is the source. I just can't answer — Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Either he is or he isn't. If you're telling me you can't answer because it's your source, well, then the only logical conclusion is that he is in fact, your source. Matt Taibbi: Well, you're free to conclude that. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Well, sir, I just don't understand. You can't have it both ways. But let's move on because -- Unknown Representative 1: No, he can. He's a journalist. Unknown Representative 2: He can't, because either Musk is the source and he can't talk about it, or Musk is not the source. And if Musk is not the source, then he can discuss [unintelligible] Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): No one has yielded, the gentlelady is out of order, you don't get to speak — Multiple speakers: [Crosstalk] Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): The gentlelady is not recognized...[crosstalk]...he has not said that, what he has said is he's not going to reveal his source. And the fact that Democrats are pressuring him to do so is such a violation of the First Amendment. Multiple speakers: [Crosstalk] Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): I have not yielded time to anybody. I want to reclaim my time. And I would ask the chairman to give me back some of the time because of the interruption. Mr. Chairman, I am asking you, if you will give me the seconds that I lost. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): We will give you that 10 seconds. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Thank you. Now let's talk about another item. When you responded to the ranking member, you said that you had free license to look at everything but yet you yourself posted on your...I guess it's kind of like a web page...I don't quite understand what Substack is, but what I can say is that "in exchange for the opportunity to cover a unique and explosive story, I had to agree to certain conditions." What were those conditions? She asked you that question and you said you had none. But you yourself posted that you had conditions? Matt Taibbi: The conditions, as I've explained multiple times -- Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): No sir, you have not explained, you told her in response to her question that you had no conditions. In fact, you used the word licensed, that you were free to look at all of them. All 100,000 emails. Matt Taibbi: The question was posed, was I free to to write about — Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Sir, did you have any conditions? Matt Taibbi: The condition was that we publish — Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Sir, did you have any conditions? Yes or no? A simple question. Matt Taibbi: Yes. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): All right. Could you tell us what conditions those were? Matt Taibbi: The conditions were an attribution of sources at Twitter and that we break any news on Twitter. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): But you didn't break it on Twitter. Did you send the file that you released today to Twitter first? Matt Taibbi: Did I send the...actually I did, yes. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Did you send it to Twitter first? Matt Taibbi: The Twitter files thread? Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): That was one of the conditions? Yes or no, sir. Matt Taibbi: The Twitter files thread actually did come out first. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): But sir, you said earlier that you had to attribute all the sources to Twitter first. What you released today, did you send that to Twitter first? Matt Taibbi: No, no, no, I post I posted it on Twitter Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): First. First, sir, or did you give it to the Chairman of the Committee or the staff of the Committee first? Matt Taibbi: Well, that's not breaking the story, that's giving...I did give — Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): So you gave all the information that you did not give to the Democrats, you gave it to the Republicans first, then you put it on Twitter? Matt Taibbi: Actually, no, the chronology is a little bit confused. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Well then tell us what the chronology was. Matt Taibbi: I believe the thread came out first. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Where? Matt Taibbi: On Twitter Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): On Twitter. So then you afterwards gave it to the Republicans, and not the Democrats? Matt Taibbi: Yes, because I'm submitting it for the record as my statement. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Did you give it to him in advance? Matt Taibbi: I gave it to them today. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): You gave it to them today, but you still have not given anything to the Democrats. Well, I'll move on. 1:57:20 Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Now in your discussion, in your answer, you also said that you were invited by a friend, Bari Weiss? Michael Shellenberger: My friend, Bari Weiss. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): So this friend works for Twitter, or what is her....? Matt Taibbi: She's a journalist. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Sir, I didn't ask you a question. I'm now asking Mr. Shellenberger a question. Michael Shellenberger: Yes, ma'am, Bari Weiss is a journalist. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): I'm sorry, sir? Michael Shellenberger: She's a journalist. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): She's a journalist. So you work in concert with her? Michael Shellenberger: Yeah. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): Do you know when she first was contacted by Mr. Musk? Michael Shellenberger: I don't know. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX): You don't know. So you're in this as a threesome? 2:00:10 Michael Shellenberger: Reading through the whole sweep of events, I do not know the extent to which the influence operation aimed at "pre-bunking" the Hunter Biden laptop was coordinated. I don't know who all was involved. But what we saw was, you saw Aspen and Stanford, many months before then, saying don't cover the material in the hack and leak without emphasizing the fact that it could be disinformation. Okay, so they're priming journalists to not cover a future hack and leak in a way that journalists have long been trained to in the tradition of the Pentagon Papers, made famous by the Steven Spielberg movie. They were saying [to] cover the fact that it probably came from the Russians. Then you have the former General Counsel to the FBI, Jim Baker, and the former Deputy Chief of Staff to the FBI, both arriving at Twitter in the summer of 2020, which I find, what an interesting coincidence. Then, when the New York Post publishes its first article on October 14, it's Jim Baker who makes the most strenuous argument within Twitter, multiple emails, multiple messages saying this doesn't look real. There's people, there's intelligence experts, saying that this could be Russian disinformation. He is the most strenuous person inside Twitter arguing that it's probably Russian disinformation. The internal evaluation by Yoel Roth, who testified in front of this committee, was that it was what it looked to be, which was that it was not a result of a hack and leak operation. And why did he think that? Because the New York Post had published the FBI subpoena taking the laptop in December of 2019. And they published the agreement that the computer store owner had with Hunter Biden that gave him permission, after he abandoned the laptop, to use it however he wanted. So there really wasn't much doubt about the provenance of that laptop. But you had Jim Baker making a strenuous argument. And then, of course, you get to a few days after the October 14 release, you have the president of the United States echoing what these former intelligence community officials were saying, which is that it looked like a Russian influence operation. So they were claiming that the laptop was made public by the conspiracy theory that somehow the Russians got it. And basically, they convinced Yoel Roth of this wild hack and leak story that somehow the Russians stole it, got the information, gave us the computer, it was bizarre. So you read that chain of events, and it appears as though there is an organized influence operation to pre-bunk.... Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): Why do you think they could predict the time, the method, and the person? Why could the FBI predict it? Not only did they predict this, they predicted it, so did the Aspen Institute, seemed like everyone was in the know saying, here's what's gonna happen, we can read the future. Why do you think, how do you think they were able to do that? Michael Shellenberger: I think the most important fact to know is that the FBI had that laptop in December 2019. They were also spying on Rudy Giuliani when he got the laptop and when he gave it to the New York Post. Now, maybe the FBI agents who are going to Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook and Twitter executives and warning of a hack and leak, potentially involving Hunter Biden, maybe those guys didn't have anything to do with the guys that had the top. We don't know that. I have to say, as a newcomer to this, as somebody that thought it was Russian disinformation in 2020, everybody I knew thought it was Russian disinformation, I was shocked to see that series of events going on. It looks to me like a deliberate influence operation. I don't have the proof of it, but the circumstantial evidence is pretty disturbing. 2:14:30 Matt Taibbi: We found, just yesterday, a Tweet from the Virality Project at Stanford, which was partnered with a number of government agencies, and Twitter, where they talked explicitly about censoring stories of true vaccine side effects and other true stories that they felt encouraged hesitancy. Now the imp— Unknown Representative: So these were true. Matt Taibbi: Yes. So they use the word truth three times in this email, and what's notable about this is that it reflects the fundamental misunderstanding of this whole disinformation complex, anti-disinformation complex. They believe that ordinary people can't handle difficult truths. And so they think that they need minders to separate out things that are controversial or difficult for them, and that's again, that's totally contrary to what America is all about, I think. 2:17:30 Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY): Of course we all believe in the First Amendment, but the First Amendment applies to government prohibition of speech, not to private companies. 2:33:00 Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY): And even with, Twitter you cannot find actual evidence of any direct government censorship of any lawful speech. 2:33:20 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): I'd ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the following email from Clarke Humphrey, Executive Office of the Presidency, White House Office, January 23, 2021. That's the Biden Administration. 4:39am: "Hey folks," this goes to Twitter, "Hey folks, wanted..." they used the term Mr. Goldman just used, "wanted to flag the below Tweet, and I'm wondering if we can get moving on the process for having it removed ASAP." 2:35:40 Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA): He said the First Amendment applies to government censorship of speech and not private companies, but what we're talking about and what the Chairman just illustrated is that what we have here and what your Twitter files show is the Federal government has partnered with private companies to censor and silence the speech of American citizens. 2:29:20 Matt Taibbi: In the first Twitter files, we saw an exchange between Representative Ro Khanna and Vijaya Gadde, where he's trying to explain the basics of speech law in America and she's completely, she seems completely unaware of what, for instance, New York Times v. Sullivan is. There are other cases like Bartnicki v. Vopper, which legalized the publication of stolen material, that's very important for any journalists to know. I think most of these people are tech executives, and they don't know what the law is around speech and around reporting. And in this case, and in 2016, you are dealing with true material. There is no basis to restrict the publication of true material no matter who the sources and how you get it. And journalists have always understood that and this has never been an issue or a controversial issue until very recently. 2:44:40 Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL): Would you agree that there was a black list created in 2021? Michael Shellenberger: Sorry, yes, Jay Bhattacharya, the Stanford Professor, who I don't think anybody considers a fringe epidemiologist, was indeed -- I'm sorry, I couldn't, I didn't piece it together -- he was indeed visibility filtered. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL): Correct. And so this blacklist that was created, that really was used to de-platform, reduce visibility, create lists internally, where people couldn't even see their profiles, that was used against doctors and scientists who produced information that was contrary to what the CDC was putting out, despite the fact that we now know that what they were publishing had scientific basis and in fact was valid. Michael Shellenberger: Absolutely. And not only that, but these are secret blacklists, so Professor Bhattacharya had no idea he was on it. 43:05 Matt Taibbi: The original promise of the internet was that it might democratize the exchange of information globally. A free internet would overwhelm all attempts to control information flow, its very existence a threat to anti-democratic forms of government everywhere. What we found in the Files was a sweeping effort to reverse that promise and use machine learning and other tools to turn the Internet into an instrument of censorship and social control. Unfortunately, our own government appears to be playing a lead role. We saw the first hints and communications between Twitter executives before the 2020 election, when we read things like "flagged by DHS," or "please see attached report from FBI for potential misinformation." This would be attached to an Excel spreadsheet with a long list of names, whose accounts were often suspended shortly after. #1940 - Matt Taibbi February 13, 2023 The Joe Rogan Experience Clips Matt Taibbi: So this is another topic that is fascinating because it hasn't gotten a ton of press. But if you go back all the way to the early 70s, the CIA and the FBI got in a lot of trouble for various things, the CIA for assassination schemes involving people like Castro, the FBI for, you know, COINTELPRO and other programs, domestic surveillance, and they made changes after Congressional hearings, the Church Committee, that basically said the FBI, from now on, you have to have some kind of reason to be following somebody or investigating somebody, you have to have some kind of criminal predicate and we want you mainly to be investigating cases. But after 9/11 they peeled all this back. There was a series of Attorney General memos that essentially re-fashioned what the FBI does, and now they don't have to be doing crimefighting all the time. Now they can be doing basically 100% intelligence gathering all the time. They can be infiltrating groups for no reason at all, not to build cases, but just to get information. And so that's why they're there. They're in these groups, they're posted up outside of the homes of people they find suspicious, but they're not building cases and they're not investigating crimes. It's sort of like Minority Report there, right? It's pre-crime. Matt Taibbi: We see reports in these files of government agencies sending lists of accounts that are accusing the United States of vaccine corruption. Now, what they're really talking about is pressuring foreign countries to not use generic vaccines. Right. And, you know, that's a liberal issue, that's a progressive issue. The progressives want generic vaccines to be available to poor countries, okay? But, you know, you can use this tool to eliminate speech about that if you want too, right? I think that's what they don't get is that the significance is not who [it's used against], the significance is the tool. What is it capable of doing, right? How easily is it employed, and you know, how often is it used? And they don't focus on that. Joe Rogan: Has anything been surprising to you? Matt Taibbi: A little bit. I think going into it, I thought that the relationship between the security agencies like the FBI and the DHS and companies like Twitter and Facebook, I thought it was a little bit less formal. I thought maybe they had kind of an advisory role. And what we find is that it's not that, it's very formalized. They have a really intense structure that they've worked out over a period of years where they have regular meetings. They have a system where the DHS handles censorship requests that come up from the States and the FBI handles international ones, and they all float all these companies and it's a big bureaucracy. I don't think we expected to see that. Matt Taibbi: I was especially shocked by an email from a staffer for Adam Schiff, the Congressperson, the California Congressman. And they're just outright saying we would like you to suspend the accounts of this journalist and anybody who retweets information about this Committee. You know, I mean, this is a member of Congress. Joe Rogan: Yeah. Matt Taibbi: Right? Most of these people have legal backgrounds. They've got lawyers in the office for sure. And this is the House Intelligence Committee. Protecting Speech from Government Interference and Social Media Bias, Part 1: Twitter's Role in Suppressing the Biden Laptop Story February 8, 2023 House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Witnesses: Vijaya Gadde, Former Chief Legal Officer, Twitter James Baker, Former Deputy General Counsel, Twitter Yoel Roth, Former Global Head of Trust & Safety, Twitter Annika Collier Navaroli, Former Policy Expert for Content Moderation, Twitter Clips 14:50 Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD): What's more, Twitter's editorial decision has been analyzed and debated ad nauseam. Some people think it was the right decision. Some people think it was the wrong decision. But the key point here is that it was Twitter's decision. Twitter is a private media company. In America, private media companies can decide what to publish or how to curate content however they want. If Twitter wants to have nothing but Tweets commenting on New York Post articles run all day, it can do that. If it makes such tweets mentioning New York Post never see the light of day they can do that too. That's what the First Amendment means. 16:05 Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD): Officially Twitter happens to think they got it wrong about that day or two period. In hindsight, Twitter's former CEO Jack Dorsey called it a mistake. This apology might be a statement of regret about the company being overly cautious about the risks of publishing contents and potentially hacked or stolen materials, or it may reflect craven surrender to a right wing pressure campaign. But however you interpreted the apology just makes the premise of this hearing all the more absurd. The professional conspiracy theorists who are heckling and haranguing this private company have already gotten exactly what they want: an apology. What more do they want? And why does the US Congress have to be involved in this nonsense when we have serious work to do for the American people? 26:20 James Baker: The law permits the government to have complex, multifaceted, and long term relationships with the private sector. Law enforcement agencies and companies can engage with each other regarding, for example, compulsory legal process served on companies, criminal activity that companies, the government, or the public identify, such as crimes against children, cybersecurity threats, and terrorism, and instances where companies themselves are victims of crime. When done properly, these interactions can be beneficial to both sides and in the interest of the public. As you Mr. Chairman, Mr. Jordan, and others have proposed, a potential workable way to legislate in this area may be to focus on the actions of federal government agencies and officials with respect to their engagement with the private sector. Congress may be able to limit the nature and scope of those interactions in certain ways, require enhanced transparency and reporting by the executive branch about its engagements, and require higher level approvals within the executive branch prior to such engagements on certain topics, so that you can hold Senate confirmed officials, for example, accountable for those decisions. In any event, if you want to legislate, my recommendation is to focus first on reasonable and effective limitations on government actors. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 31:05 Vijaya Gadde: On October 14, 2020, The New York Post tweeted articles about Hunter Biden's laptop with embedded images that looked like they may have been obtained through hacking. In 2018, we had developed a policy intended to prevent Twitter from becoming a dumping ground for hacked materials. We applied this policy to the New York Post tweets and blocked links to the articles embedding those sorts of materials. At no point to Twitter otherwise prevent tweeting, reporting, discussing or describing the contents of Mr. Biden's laptop. People could and did talk about the contents of the laptop on Twitter or anywhere else, including other much larger platforms, but they were prevented from sharing the primary documents on Twitter. Still, over the course of that day, it became clear that Twitter had not fully appreciated the impact of that policy on free press and others. As Mr. Dorsey testified before Congress on multiple occasions, Twitter changed its policy within 24 hours and admitted its initial action was wrong. This policy revision immediately allowed people to tweet the original articles with the embedded source materials, relying on its long standing practice not to retroactively apply new policies. Twitter informed the New York Post that it could immediately begin tweeting when it deleted the original tweets, which would have freed them to retweet the same content again. The New York Post chose not to delete its original tweets, so Twitter made an exception after two weeks to retroactively apply the new policy to the Post's tweets. In hindsight, Twitter should have reinstated the Post account immediately. 35:35 Yoel Roth: In 2020, Twitter noticed activity related to the laptop that at first glance bore a lot of similarities to the 2016 Russian hack and leak operation targeting the DNC, and we had to decide what to do. And in that moment with limited information, Twitter made a mistake. 36:20 Yoel Roth: It isn't obvious what the right response is to a suspected, but not confirmed, cyber attack by another government on a Presidential Election. I believe Twitter erred in this case because we wanted to avoid repeating the mistakes of 2016. 38:41 Annika Collier Navaroli: I joined Twitter in 2019 and by 2020 I was the most senior expert on Twitter's U.S. Safety Policy Team. My team's mission was to protect free speech and public safety by writing and enforcing content moderation policies around the world. These policies include things like abuse, harassment, hate speech, violence and privacy. 41:20 Annika Collier Navaroli: With January 6 and many other decisions, content moderators like me did the very best that we could. But far too often there are far too few of us and we are being asked to do the impossible. For example, in January 2020 after the US assassinated an Iranian General and the US president decided to justify it on Twitter, management literally instructed me and my team to make sure that World War III did not start on the platform. 1:08:20 Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC): Did the US government ever contact you or anyone at Twitter to censor or moderate certain Tweets, yes or no? Vijaya Gadde: We receive legal demands to remove content from the platform from the US government and governments all around the world. Those are published on a third party website. 1:12:00 Yoel Roth: The number one most influential part of the Russian active measures campaign in 2016 was the hack and leak targeting John Podesta. It would have been foolish not to consider the possibility that they would run that play again. 1:44:45 Yoel Roth: I think one of the key failures that we identified after 2016 was that there was very little information coming from the government and from intelligence services to the private sector. The private sector had the power to remove bots and to take down foreign disinformation campaigns, but we didn't always know where to look without leads supplied by the intelligence community. That was one of the failures highlighted in the Senate Intelligence Committee's report and in the Mueller investigation, and that was one of the things we set out to fix in 2017. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA): On September 8 2019, at 11:11pm, Donald Trump heckled two celebrities on Twitter -- John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen -- and referred to them as "the musician John Legend and his filthy mouth wife." Ms. Teigen responded to that email [Tweet] at 12:17am. And according to notes from a conversation with you, Ms. Navaroli's, counsel, your counsel, the White House almost immediately thereafter contacted Twitter to demand the tweet be taken down. Is that accurate? Annika Collier Navaroli: Thank you for the question. In my role, I was not responsible for receiving any sort of request from the government. However, what I was privy to was my supervisors letting us know that we had received something along those lines or something of a request. And in that particular instance, I do remember hearing that we had received a request from the White House to make sure that we evaluated this tweet, and that they wanted it to come down because it was a derogatory statement towards the President. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA): They wanted it to come down. They made that request. Annika Collier Navaroli: To my recollection, yes. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA): I thought that was an inappropriate action by a government official, let alone the White House. But it wasn't Joe Biden, about his son's laptop. It was Donald Trump because he didn't like what Chrissy Teigen had to say about him, is that correct? Annika Collier Navaroli: Yes, that is correct. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA): My, my, my. 1:45:15 Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH): Mr. Roth, were those communication channels useful to Twitter as they work to combat foreign influence operations? Yoel Roth: Absolutely, I would say they were one of the most essential pieces of how Twitter prepared for future elections. 2:42:35 Rep. Becca Balint (D-VA): Ms. Gadde, did anyone from the Biden campaign or the Democratic National Committee direct Twitter to remove or take action against the New York Post story? Vijaya Gadde: No. 4:15:45 Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): And now we forward to 2020. And earlier you had testified that you were having regular interactions with National Intelligence, Homeland Security and the FBI. Yoel Roth: Yes, I did. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): And primarily to deal with foreign interference? Yoel Roth: Primarily, but I would say -- Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): But you had said earlier your contact with Agent Chang was primarily with foreign interference? Yoel Roth: Yes, that's right. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): And these were emails....were there meetings? Yoel Roth: Yes, Twitter met quarterly with the FBI Foreign Interference Task Force and we had those meetings running for a number of years to share information about malign foreign interference. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): Agents from Homeland Security or Intelligence, or just primarily the FBI? Yoel Roth: Our primary contacts were with the FBI and in those quarterly meetings, they were, I believe, exclusively with FBI personnel. 4:18:05 Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): Earlier today you testified that you were following national security experts on Twitter as a reason to take down the New York Post story on Hunter Biden's laptop. Yoel Roth: Yes, sir, I did. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): So after 2016, you set up all these teams to deal with Russian interference, foreign interference, you're having regular meetings with the FBI, you have connections with all of these different government agencies, and you didn't reach out to them once? Yoel Roth: Is that question in reference to the day of the New York Post article? Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): Yeah. Yoel Roth: That's right. We generally did not reach out to the FBI to consult on content moderation decisions, especially where they related to domestic activity. It's not that we wouldn't have liked that information, we certainly would have. It's that I don't believe it would have been appropriate for us to consult with the FBI. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): In December of 2020, you did a declaration to the Federal Election Commission that the intelligence community expected a leak and a hack operation involving Hunter Biden. Recently, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that the FBI warned Meta that there was a high effort of Russian propaganda including language specific enough to fit the Hunter Biden laptop security story. You're talking to these people for weeks and months, years prior to this leaking. They have specifically told you in October, that there's going to be a leak potentially involving Hunter Biden's laptop. They legitimately and literally prophesized what happened. And you didn't contact any of them? Yoel Roth: No, sir, I did not. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): Did they reach out to you? Yoel Roth: On and around that day, to the best of my recollection, no, they did not. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): After the story was taken down and you guys did it, and you personally disagreed with it Ms. Gadde, did you contact them and say is "Hey, is this what you were talking about?" Yoel Roth: If that question was directed to me. No, I did not. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): Ms. Gadde, did you talk to anybody from the FBI? Vijaya Gadde: Not to the best of my recollection. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): So I guess my question is, what is the point of this program? You have constant communication, they're set up for foreign interference. They've legitimately warned you about this very specific thing. And then all of a sudden, everybody just walks away? 5:18:55 Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM): We are devoting an entire day to this conspiracy theory involving Twitter. Now, the mission of this committee is to root out waste, fraud and abuse and to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people. And if you need any evidence of waste, fraud and abuse, how about the use of this committee's precious time, space and resources to commit to this hearing? 5:58:25 Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO): Back to Mr. Roth, is it true that Twitter whitelisted accounts for the Department of Defense to spread propaganda about its efforts in the Middle East? Did they give you a list of accounts that were fake accounts and asked you to whitelist those accounts? Yoel Roth: That request was made of Twitter. To be clear, when I found out about that activity, I was appalled by it. I undid the action and my team exposed activity originating from the Department of Defense's campaign publicly. We've shared that data with the world and research about it has been published. 6:07:20 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): Mr. Roth, I want to go back to your statement in your declaration to the FEC "I learned that a hack and leak operation would involve Hunter Biden," who did you learn that from? Yoel Roth: My recollection is it was mentioned by another technology company in one of our joint meetings, but I don't recall specifically whom. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): You don't know the person's name? Yoel Roth: I don't even recall what company they worked at. No, this was a long time ago. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): And you're confident that it was from a tech company, not from someone from the government? Yoel Roth: To the best of my recollection, yes. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): Did anyone from the government, in these periodic meetings you had, did they ever tell you that a hack and leak operation involving Hunter Biden was coming? Yoel Roth: No. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): Did Hunter Biden's name come up at all these meetings? Yoel Roth: Yes, his name was raised in those meetings, but not by the government to the best of my recollection. 6:09:30 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): Mr. Roth, why were you reluctant, based on what I read in the Twitter files, why were you reluctant to work with the GEC? Yoel Roth: It was my understanding that the GEC, or the Global Engagement Center of the State Department, had previously engaged in at least what some would consider offensive influence operations. Not that they were offensive as in bad, but offensive as in they targeted entities outside of the United States. And on that basis, I felt that it would be inappropriate for Twitter to engage with a part of the State Department that was engaged in active statecraft. We were dedicated to rooting out malign foreign interference no matter who it came from. And if we found that the American government was engaged in malign foreign interference, we'd be addressing that as well. 6:13:50 Rep. James Comer (R-KY): Twitter is a private company, but they enjoy special liability protections, Section 230. They also, according to the Twitter files, receive millions of dollars from the FBI, which is tax dollars, I would assume. And that makes it a concern of the Oversight Committee. Does Section 230's Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior? October 28, 2020 Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Witnesses: Jack Dorsey, [Former] CEO, Twitter Sundar Pichai, CEO, Alphabet and Google Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook [Meta] Clips 2:20:40 Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): The issue is not that the companies before us today are taking too many posts down. The issue is that they're leaving too many dangerous posts up. In fact, they're amplifying harmful content so that it spreads like wildfire and torches our democracy. 3:15:40 Mark Zuckerberg: Senator, as I testified before, we relied heavily on the FBI, his intelligence and alert status both through their public testimony and private briefings. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Did the FBI contact you, sir, than your co star? It was false. Mark Zuckerberg: Senator not about that story specifically. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Why did you throttle it back? Mark Zuckerberg: They alerted us to be on heightened alert around a risk of hack and leak operations around a release and probe of information. Emerging Trends in Online Foreign Influence Operations: Social Media, COVID-19, and Election Security June 18, 2020 Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Nathaniel Gleicher, Head of Security Policy at Facebook Nick Pickles, Director of Global Public Policy Strategy and Development at Twitter Richard Salgado, Director for Law Enforcement and Information Security at Google 1:40:10 Nathaniel Gleicher: Congressman, the collaboration within industry and with government is much, much better than it was in 2016. I think we have found the FBI, for example, to be forward leaning and ready to share information with us when they see it. We share information with them whenever we see indications of foreign interference targeting our election. The best case study for this was the 2018 midterms, where you saw industry, government and civil society all come together, sharing information to tackle these threats. We had a case on literally the eve of the vote, where the FBI gave us a tip about a network of accounts where they identified subtle links to Russian actors. Were able to investigate those and take action on them within a matter of hours. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

The Twitter hearings in Congress prove the state of cold war that exists between America and the Deep State. If you watched the hearings, it is inescapably clear: The United States government is so fearful that people will discuss what they are doing, they have built a massive censorship infrastructure to prevent us from ever arming all the Nation with these facts. Yes, pockets of us know the DHS is purposefully allowing a border invasion; pockets of the Country actually believe the border is secure; that division is the fuel of the Deep State. What they do is so perverse and evil that they the Deep State admits to censoring information that know is true and they know hiding it will get people killed. Please don't believe it's only social media controlled by the Deep State; ABC, CBS and NBC News flagships all ignored the hearings at the same time they gave 44 minutes to prompting the Oscars; it's not possible that a free media in America isn't interested in a story of journalists being pressured by congress to give up their sources, in my opinion, that can only be an issue of reporters being told to keep quiet. It's not possible that fact checkers think these are facts. LIke I said: the United States government has a censorship apparatus, to believe it only applies to social media is sophistry. What does God say? God values words as witnessed by The Word:John 1The Word Became Flesh1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.The Word is Truth and we are to speak truthJohn 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”The Fact Checkers on Jacob Chansley, LOL Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) accuses @mtaibbi and @ShellenbergerMD of trying to kill the people who work at Twitter that they reported on in the Twitter files.BREAKING: Matt Taibbi refuses to reveal his sources after Democrats try to intimidate him over the Twitter Files.Matt Taibbi's opening statement on the Twitter Files and the censorship industrial complex: "Twitter, Facebook, Google, and other companies developed a formal system for taking in moderation requests from every corner of government, from the FBI, DHS, HHS, DOD, the Global Engagement Center at State, even the CIA. For every government agency scanning Twitter, there were perhaps twenty quasi-private entities doing the same thing."Twitter and Stanford accused of running a disinformation campaign to hide the truth about vaccinesDemocrats attack independent journalists and try to get them to reveal sources at Twitter Files hearing; Democrats described them as "so-called journalists" and questioned the credibility of their reporting.WATCH @StaceyPlaskett just falsely claimed she did not ask @mtaibbi to reveal his sources for the #TwitterFiles. She did. ROLL THE TAPE.4Patriotshttps://4patriots.comNever be in the dark with the Patriot Power Solar Generator. Use code TODD to save 10% on your first order.Alan's Soapshttps://alanssoaps.com/TODDUse coupon code ‘TODD' to save an additional 10% off the bundle price. Bonefroghttps://bonefrog.usEnter promo code TODD at checkout to receive 5% off your subscription. Bulwark Capitalhttps://knowyourriskradio.comGet your free copy of “Common Cents Investing” Call 866-779-RISK or visit the website. Healthycellhttps://healthycell.com/toddJourney to better health and save 20% off your first order with promo code TODD.My Pillowhttps://mypillow.comUse code TODD for BOGO free on the new MyPillow 2.0RuffGreenshttps://ruffgreens/toddGet your FREE Jumpstart Trial Bag of Ruff Greens, simply cover shipping. SOTA Weight Losshttps://sotaweightloss.comSOTA Weight Loss is, say it with me now, STATE OF THE ART!GreenHaven Interactivehttps://greenhaveninteractive.comGet more business from Google and your website!Texas Superfoodshttps://texassuperfoods.comTexas Super Foods is whole food nutrition at its best.

Today's show opens with some of the questions and testimony raised during day one of the House Judiciary Committee investigation into The Twitter Files. Two of the first New Media investigative journalists who began to report on the censorship and banning of Americans were Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger. Democrats on the panel, resorted to doing what they usually do when they cannot win in the marketplace of ideas – they mocked them, derided them, accused them of being on Elon Musk's payroll, didn't consider them "real" journalists and even tried to get them to reveal their sources. In other words, conducting themselves in a vile and despicable manner. Ranking member Representative Stacey Plaskett (D-NY) opened with disgusting and degrading comments, while Representee Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) could not have been more vapid and intellectually disabled. Yet, their petulant behavior and idiotic attacks failed to do anything more than to steal the resolve of the two journalists. By the way, both Taibbi and Shellenber would not call themselves Republicans by any stretch. Yet, because they would dare to expose how deep and infested the Censorship-Industrial Complex is, they have to be destroyed. The same goes for Elon Musk and anyone else who gets in the way of State approved narratives. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) made some good points about the Great Barrington Declaration. She reminded the audience of the email from Dr. Collins, then head of NIH, to Dr. Fauci to take down the "fringe" rantings of the scientists behind the Declaration. As Shellenberger admits, not only were they right, but also, even they weren't, Freedom of Speech demands you consider more options, not less and hear from more scientists not less. Representative Dan Bishop (R-NC) reminded the panel that Richard Stengel, from the State Department, founded the Global Engagement Center and he believed not only in state sponsored propaganda, but also it should be used against your own people. Bishop then added the same sentiment I have been demanding for months – getting to the root and the funding of this Censorship-Industrial Complex and eliminate it as fast as possible. Note the pattern of what we are seeing here and in so many of the big news items of the day over the last several years. There is an orchestrated effort among a fusion of the public and private sector, along with academia and the Legacy/mainstream media, to shape the state narrative and make sure they are all in lock-step to promote it, while crushing any opposing possibilities or truth. The very model behind the Censorship-Industrial Complex is why these stories all follow the same pattern. The Steele Dossier, Russian-Collusion hoax, origins of Covid, effectiveness of masks, ignoring natural immunity, the Hunter Biden laptop, the Biden Crime Family, the events of January 6 and more. All of them share a focused Psychological Operation in conjunction with organized censorship and media dismissal of anything that could damage the State narrative. It's why they got so mad at Tucker Carlson. It's why they try so hard to silence the truth. If reporters did their jobs, we wouldn't be here. But, because they are part of that Complex, it falls on the New Media to expose them, and it takes a long time to chip away at all of those entities. Which is why I remind all of you again to reach out to your representatives. We need to put an end to this immediately. I am being negative. I have an optimistic view that as more of us are made aware and catch up to what the Left has been doing, the better chance we have of fixing it and returning the First Amendment to it's rightful standing. Take a moment to rate and review the show and then share the episode on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, GETTR and TRUTH Social by searching for The Alan Sanders Show. You can also support the show by visiting my Patreon page!

Scott is joined by Jim Bovard to discuss two articles he recently published. The first marked the 30-year anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing of 1993. Scott and Bovard talk about what the FBI knew before the attack. Next they discuss Bovard's article on the Global Engagement Center, an Obama-era internet censorship mission center operating out of the State Department.  Discussed on the show: “30th Anniversary of the FBI's Biggest ‘Bomb'” (Libertarian Institute) “Tapes Depict Proposal to Thwart Bomb Used in Trade Center Blast” (New York Times) “Why did this cop turn up dead?” (CNN) 1000 Years for Revenge by Peter Lance “How the feds spend $74M a year to try to censor Americans” (New York Post) “Twitter Files: GEC, New Knowledge, and State-Sponsored Blacklists” (Racket News [formerly TK News]) Jim Bovard is a columnist for USA Today and the author of Public Policy Hooligan: Rollicking and Wrangling from Helltown to Washington. Find all of his books and read his work on his website and follow him on Twitter @JimBovard. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Download Episode. Scott is joined by Jim Bovard to discuss two articles he recently published. The first marked the 30-year anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing of 1993. Scott and Bovard talk about what the FBI knew before the attack. Next they discuss Bovard's article on the Global Engagement Center, an Obama-era internet censorship mission center operating out of the State Department.  Discussed on the show: “30th Anniversary of the FBI's Biggest ‘Bomb'” (Libertarian Institute) “Tapes Depict Proposal to Thwart Bomb Used in Trade Center Blast” (New York Times) “Why did this cop turn up dead?” (CNN) 1000 Years for Revenge by Peter Lance “How the feds spend $74M a year to try to censor Americans” (New York Post) “Twitter Files: GEC, New Knowledge, and State-Sponsored Blacklists” (Racket News [formerly TK News]) Jim Bovard is a columnist for USA Today and the author of Public Policy Hooligan: Rollicking and Wrangling from Helltown to Washington. Find all of his books and read his work on his website and follow him on Twitter @JimBovard. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY

The World Health Organization issues a new proposal on developing a new "accord" or treaty to establish rules for the next Pandemic. Republicans warn Biden about adopting any agreements without Senate confirmation and Senators draft a Resolution. Members of the Parliament in the UK ask to debate the treaty.#WHO #Pandemic #TreatyTwitter Files 17 by Matt Taibbi provides a deep dive into the Global Engagement Center, a group created by Obama to combat misinformation. We hear from the Special Envoy in Charge James P. Rubin and review Taibbi's thread.#TwitterFiles #GEC #Censorship

Response to Biden's SOTU from Trump and Americans; A Win Against the DOJ, Lights Go Out at Twitter Hearing, Global Engagement Center Live with Joe, Apollo, and Ashe Covering the Latest News and Getting in the Gap. If you want to support the show, you can donate here: http://bit.ly/cd-donate This episode of Conservative Daily is brought to you by DCF Guns. We all see what is happening in America right now. It has never been more important for you to arm yourself, and most importantly, learn how to use your arms safely and effectively. Check out DCF Guns at: https://dcfguns.com/ Become a Conservative Daily member right now for massive savings on Faxblasts, discounts at Joe's Depot, and more perks like backstage time with the hosts of Conservative Daily! Use the link and sign up today! https://conservative-daily.com/forms/Step1b Make sure you Like, Comment, and Share! Text FREEDOM to 89517 to get added to our text list to receive notifications when we go Live! Privacy Policy: https://conservative-daily.com/Legal/Privacy Terms: https://conservative-daily.com/Legal/Terms Reply STOP to stop further text messages from Conservative Daily. Message and Data Rates may apply. Need help? (855) 954-6644 or reply HELP. Please make sure you join our newsletter to receive our action alerts: https://bit.ly/joinconservativedaily Get you and your family prepared at the Brighteon Store right now and stock up on high quality storable food, survival gear, and the cleanest supplements on the planet! https://bit.ly/3PezXDd If you want to support Mike Lindell and our show, use promo code CD21 to get up to 66% off at https://www.mypillow.com/radiospecials or by placing your order over the phone at 800-872-0627. When you use promo code CD21, a Queen Sized MyPillow is just $29, the cheapest it has ever been! Conservative Daily is on Rumble! https://rumble.com/user/ConservativeDaily We are now also going to be streaming on dlive! Check us out here: https://dlive.tv/ConservativeDaily Click here to donate: http://bit.ly/cd-donate Subscribe to our daily podcast at Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/ConservativeDailyPodcast on Google Podcasts (for Android users): https://bit.ly/CDPodcastGoogle We are also available on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/2wD8YleiBM8bu0l3ahBLDN And on Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/conservative-daily-podcast/PC:37034 And on iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-conservative-daily-podcast-53710765/ on TuneIn: https://tunein.com/radio/Conservative-Daily-Podcast-p1350272/ And on Podbean: https://conservative.podbean.com/ And now also on Audible! https://www.audible.com/pd/Conservative-Daily-Podcast-Podcast/B08JJQQ4M Support Joe Oltmann in his legal battle against Eric Coomer: https://givesendgo.com/defendjoeoltmann

Twitter bows to pressure from the Global Engagement Center & a host of agencies violate the Constitution. China gives Russia a propaganda wish list. Happy New Year!Links: https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1610394197730725889https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/gec/index.htmhttps://www.dailywire.com/news/hacked-material-shows-russias-propaganda-agreement-with-china-report

Today's show opens with my thoughts on Kevin McCarthy and the vote for Speaker of the House. I remind everyone where I was after the midterms of 2022, that we should not reward failure. Whether we like the people or not, several in GOP leadership continue to want to be rewarded for failing to keep up with the Democrats over the last few election cycles. Lauren Boebert was questioned about why her and over two dozen GOP members are not interested in unity and getting behind Kevin McCarthy. She reveals they have been pushing hard for just that very thing. However, when she said he was given a proposal for certain expectations, he scoffed and rejected them. Boebert claimed all of the opposition would have supported McCarthy on the first vote if he would have agreed to three specific terms. The first, put forth legislation for border the security. The second, put forth legislation for term limits in the Congress. Third, put for legislation to get to a balanced budget in the Federal government. These are not "conservative" ideas; these are CONSTITUTIONAL ideas. The fact that McCarthy rejected those terms seems befuddling to me. Now, maybe Boebert is leaving out more or maybe she is embellishing. I can only take her at her word, but if those are the three sticking points for McCarthy, then maybe we really don't need him as the next Speaker of the House. Jim Jordan was nominated as well, but said he did not want to serve as Speaker. However, when he took to the floor to suggest three initiatives the 118th Congress needs to address. When you listen, you hear what true leadership sounds like – true Constitutional leadership. Whomever is going to be Speaker, Jim Jordan's objectives should be at the very top of their list of To-Do's, especially in getting answer to all who have been trampling on our First Amendment rights. This leads me into the next Twitter Files drop from Matt Taibbi entitled, "Twitter and the FBI Belly Button." According to the latest drop, an entity within the US State Department called the Global Engagement Center decided it's mission was to also worm it's way into Twitter to have accounts banned and censored. The group used a fabricated notion that people who questioned the narrative about Covid were actually Russian actors or sympathizers. Any accounts calling Coronavirus an "engineered bioweapon," blaming it on "research conducted at the Wuhan Institute," and attributing the arrival of the virus "on the CIA," were considered guilty of being part of a Russian disinformation campaign. New media news entities like ZeroHedge were banned for sharing such truthful information and even Democrat Adam Schiff, head of the Congressional Intelligence Committee, wrote a letter to Twitter demanding a journalist be banned and his content removed. This has been going on since at least 2017, slowly building steam and eroding Twitter's ability to resist calls for censorship. As we enter 2023 and await the convening of the 118th Congress, we must demand to know what our elected officials are going to do about those people, elected or not, who willfully trampled over the First Amendment? We cannot allow them to remain in their positions and must do all we can to never let this happen again. Take a moment to rate and review the show and then share the episode on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, GETTR and TRUTH Social by searching for The Alan Sanders Show. You can also support the show by visiting my Patreon page!

During this episode, COL Mike Taylor discusses the US State Department's Global Engagement Center's (GEC) hub & spoke model for directing, leading, synchronizing, integrating, and coordinating the efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, its allies, and partner nations. Our wide ranging conversation covers the major components of the GEC, its data-driven approaches, and the importance of coordination within the US government and with allies and partners. Links: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #99 Roger Carstens on Hostage Negotiations & Diplomacy Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare by Thomas Rid The Fortunes of Africa: A 5000-Year History of Wealth, Greed, and Endeavor by Martin Meredith Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by Gen. Stanley McChrystal Al-Mawla Tactical Interrogation Reports: Report A Report B Report C Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-106 Guest Bio:  Colonel Mike Taylor, U.S. Army, is the Director for Counter-terrorism at the Global Engagement Center (GEC), U.S. Department of State, in Washington, D.C.  He serves as the principal advisor to the GEC's Special Envoy and Coordinator on countering foreign Violent Extremist Organization's (VEO) propaganda and disinformation (CPD) activities.  In this role he is responsible for overseeing GEC CT operations and planning to include interagency and international coordination such as with the Communications Working Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.  Prior to the assumption of this assignment, Mike served as the Director, CJ39 Information Operations (IO), Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Operation Resolute Support (RS) and US Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). In previous assignments, Taylor served as the U.S. Army's Integrated Joint Special Technical Operations (IJSTO) Force Modernization Proponent Chief and as the U.S. Army Service IJSTO Chief, Operations and Technology Division, Operations, Readiness, and Mobilization Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, Washington, D.C.; Branch Chief, Deputy Director for Global Operations (DDGO), J-39, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.; Information Operations Field Support Team Chief, 1st Battalion, 1st IO Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and J39 IO Chief, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula (CJSOTF-AP), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Balad, Iraq.   Earlier in his career, Taylor served in multiple tactical command and staff assignments to include as military advisor to the G-3, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, OIF, Tikrit, Iraq; Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 24th Infantry Division and the United States Army Garrison, Fort Riley, Kansas; Commander, HHC, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor, 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) “Devil Brigade,” 1st Infantry Division (ID), Fort Riley, Kansas and OIF, Khalidiyah, Iraq; Commander, Cobra Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor, 1st BCT, 1st ID, OIF, Iraq; Plans Chief, 1st BCT, 1st ID, Ft. Riley, Kansas; Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (HHT), 3d Squadron, 16th Cavalry (CAV) Regiment, Fort Knox, Kentucky; and Executive Officer and Tank Platoon Leader with 2d Battalion, 72d Armor, Camp Casey, Korea.  Taylor enlisted in the United States Army Reserve and served as Wheeled Heavy Equipment Operator, 892d Transportation Company, Belleville, Illinois and Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Saudi Arabia.  Taylor's awards include the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Combat Action Badge, Basic Parachutist Badge, and was also awarded the U.S. Armor Association's Bronze Medallion of the Order of St. George.    Colonel Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Operations Management from Eastern Illinois University, a Master's in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Washington D.C., and is a graduate of the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff Officer's Course and the U.S. Army Information Operations Qualification Course.  Colonel Taylor was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and is the eldest of three children of a retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant.  Taylor resides in Lake Ridge, VA, married to the former Constance (Connie) Lorraine Bremer, has two daughters Madison (Maddie) and Elizabeth (Ella), and enjoys cheering on the Green Bay Packers. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Army Mad Scientist interviewed the following world-class SMEs to address what we’ve learned about How Russia Fights 2.0: Ian Sullivan serves as the Senior Advisor for Analysis and ISR to the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC G-2). This is a Tier One Defense Intelligence Senior Level (DISL) position. He is responsible for the analysis that defines and the narrative that explains the Army’s Operational Environment, which supports integration across doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy. Mr. Sullivan is a career civilian intelligence officer who has served with the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI); Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2 (USAREUR G-2); and as an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) cadre member at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). Prior to assuming his position at the TRADOC G-2, Mr. Sullivan led a joint NCTC Directorate of Intelligence /Central Intelligence Agency Counterterrorism Mission Center unit responsible for Weapons of Mass Destruction terrorism issues, where he provided direct intelligence support to the White House, senior policymakers, Congress, and other senior customers throughout the Government. He was promoted into the Senior Executive ranks in June 2013 as a member of the ODNI’s Senior National Intelligence Service, and transferred to the Army as a Defense Intelligence Senior Level employee in January 2017. Mr. Sullivan is also a frequent and valued contributor to the Mad Scientist Laboratory. Sam Bendett is an Adviser with CNA‘s Strategy, Policy, Plans and Programs Center (SP3), where he is a member of the Russia Studies Program. He is also an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. His work involves research on Russian defense and technology developments, unmanned and autonomous military systems and artificial intelligence, as well as Russian military capabilities and decision-making during crises. He is a Member of CNA’s Center for Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence, and a proclaimed Mad Scientist, having contributed multiple insightful blog posts to the Mad Scientist Laboratory addressing Russian autonomous weapons and presented informative topics during a number of Army Mad Scientist webinars and conferences. He is also a Russian military autonomy and AI SME for the DoD’s Defense Systems Information Analysis Center. Katerina Sedova currently serves at the Global Engagement Center in the U.S. Department of State. Formerly a Research Fellow at the Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Ms. Sedova helps coordinate efforts at the GEC’s Russia Division to analyze, expose, and counter Russia&rsq

The CEO and co-founder of Blackbird.AI., Wasim Khaled, describes how disinformation and information manipulation impact people. In reference to the analysis of disinformation and manipulation using artificial intelligence, Khaled discusses the motivations of the actors serving disinformation as well as the security risks posed by disinformation. *The CEO and co-founder of Blackbird.AI., Wasim Khaled, is an expert on disinformation analysis and open-source intelligence (OSINT) and has studied AI methodologies and a wide array of defence applications. Wasim is a member of the Social Intelligence Lab and the U.S. Department of State's Global Engagement Center's Disinfo Cloud. In 2011, he was named one of the "Inc. 500's Asian Entrepreneur of the Year." BLACKBIRD.AI CEO'su ve kurucu ortağı Wasim Khaled, dezenformasyonun ve bilgi manipülasyonun insanlara etkisini açıklıyor. Yapay zekâ yardımı ile dezenformasyon ve manipülasyon analizine değinen Khaled, dezenformasyona hizmet eden aktörlerin motivasyonundan ve dezenformasyonun yarattığı güvenlik risklerinden bahsediyor. *Wasim Khaled, Blackbird.AI'nin CEO'su ve kurucu ortağı. Dezenformasyon analizi ve açık kaynak istihbaratı (OSINT) konularında uzman. Yapay zekâ metodolojisi ve çok çeşitli savunma uygulamaları üzerinde çalıştı. Sosyal İstihbarat Laboratuvarı ve ABD Dışişleri Bakanlığı-Küresel Katılım Merkezi-Disinfo Bulutu'nun üyesi. 2011 yılında “Inc 500 - En iyi 10 Asyalı Girişimci” arasında yer aldı.

Since the beginning of December, news outlets around the world have been covering a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, get the full back story on the civil war that has been raging in Ukraine since 2014, learn what role our government has played in the conflict, and hear Victoria Nuland - one of the highest ranking officials in the Biden administration's State Department - testify to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee about the Biden administration's plans if Russia decides to use its military to invade Ukraine. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD231: Lights Out: What Happened in Texas? CD229: Target Belarus CD206: Impeachment: The Evidence CD186: National Endowment for Democracy CD167: Combating Russia (NDAA 2018) LIVE CD156: Sanctions – Russia, North Korea & Iran CD068: Ukraine Aid Bill CD067: What Do We Want In Ukraine? CD024: Let's Gut the STOCK Act Articles, Documents, and Websites Conflicted Congress. Insider. TurkStream. “Project: The Turkstream Pipeline.” Western Balkans Investment Framework. “Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP) Project Financing.” Amber Infrastructure Group. “About Us: Our People.” Three Seas. “Three Seas Story.” Three Seas. “Priority Projects.” State Property Fund of Ukraine. “Large Privatization.” State Property Fund of Ukraine. “How to buy.” State Property Fund of Ukraine. “Ukrainian Government Assets for Sale.” Stephanie. December 14, 2021. “Kiev mayor Klitschko warns of Russian invasion.” News in 24. Kenny Stancil. December 13, 2021. “Groups Move to Uncover Why Biden Held Huge Drilling Sale That DOJ Said Was Not Required.” Common Dreams. The Kremlin. December 7, 2021. “Meeting with US President Joseph Biden.” Maxine Joselow and Alexandra Ellerbeck. December 6, 2021. “Biden is approving more oil and gas drilling permits on public lands than Trump, analysis finds.” The Washington Post. Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies. November 23, 2021. “The US-Russia Confrontation Over Ukraine.” Consortium News. International Monetary Fund (IMF). November 22, 2021. “IMF Executive Board Completes First Review Under Stand-By Arrangement for Ukraine, Approves Extension of the Arrangement, Press Release No. 21/342.” Nathan Rott. November 17, 2021. “The Biden administration sold oil and gas leases days after the climate summit.” NPR. Anatol Lieven. November 15, 2021. “Ukraine: The Most Dangerous Problem in the World.” The Nation. John Vandiver and Alison Bath. November 12, 2021. “US Actions in Ukraine Backfiring as Risk of Russian Invasion Grows, Analysts Say.” Military.com Andrew E. Kramer. November 3, 2021. “Weapons Tracing Study Implicates Russia in Ukraine Conflict.” The New York Times. Anton Troianovski and Julian E. Barnes. November 2, 2021. “U.S.-Russia Engagement Deepens as C.I.A. Head Travels to Moscow.” The New York Times. Anton Troianovski and David E. Sanger. October 31, 2021. “Rivals on World Stage, Russia and U.S. Quietly Seek Areas of Accord.” The New York Times. David E. Sanger. October 25, 2021. “Ignoring Sanctions, Russia Renews Broad Cybersurveillance Operation.” The New York Times. Artin DerSimonian. October 19, 2021. “Ice breaking? Russia waives ban on Victoria Nuland.” Responsible Statecraft. Andrew E. Kramer. October 18, 2021. “Russia Breaks Diplomatic Ties With NATO.” The New York Times. Mark Episkopos. October 16, 2021. “Victoria Nuland's Mission to Moscow.” The National Interest. Reuters. September 10, 2021. “Russia and Belarus launch 'hot phase' of huge war games.” Antony Blinken. August 20, 2021. “Imposition of Sanctions in Connection with Nord Stream 2.” U.S. Department of State.](https://www.state.gov/imposition-of-sanctions-in-connection-with-nord-stream-2/) Paul Belkin and Hibbah Kaileh. July 1, 2021. “In Focus: The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview, IF10946.” Congressional Research Service. Henrik B. L. Larsen. June 8, 2021. “Why NATO Should Not Offer Ukraine and Georgia Membership Action Plans. War on the Rocks. NATO. April 26, 2021. “Boosting NATO's presence in the east and southeast.” David E. Sanger and Andrew E. Kramer. April 15, 2021. “U.S. Imposes Stiff Sanctions on Russia, Blaming It for Major Hacking Operation.” The New York Times. The White House. April 15, 2021. “FACT SHEET: Imposing Costs for Harmful Foreign Activities by the Russian Government.” The White House. April 15, 2021. “Executive Order on Blocking Property with Respect to Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation.” Reutuers. April 13, 2021. “NATO, not Russia, will decide if Ukraine joins, Stoltenberg says.” Vladimir Isachenkov. April 9, 2021. “Kremlin says it fears full-scale fighting in Ukraine's east.” AP News. Civil.ge. January 20, 2021. “Secretary-designate Blinken Says NATO Door Shall Remain Open to Georgia.” Hans M. Kristensen and Matt Korda. January 12, 2021. “Nuclear Notebook: United States nuclear weapons, 2021.” The Bulletin. Andrew Feinberg. January 9, 2021. “Two years after his infamous phone call with Trump, Zelensky comes to Washington.” The Independent. David E. Sanger, Nicole Perlroth and Julian E. Barnes. January 2, 2021. “As Understanding of Russian Hacking Grows, So Does Alarm.” The New York Times. David E. Sanger, Nicole Perlroth and Eric Schmitt. December 14, 2020. “Scope of Russian Hacking Becomes Clear: Multiple U.S. Agencies Were Hit”. The New York Times. Mark Episkopos. November 11, 2020. “Ukraine's Power Play on Minsk.” The National Interest. Government Accountability Office. October 21, 2020. “Crude Oil Markets: Effects of the Repeal of the Crude Oil Export Ban, GAO-21-118.” Anthony B. Cavender, Thomas A. Campbell, Dan LeFort, Paul S. Marston. December 23, 2015. “U.S. Repeals Longstanding Ban on Export of Crude Oil.” Pillsbury Law. Robert Parry. July 15, 2015. “The Ukraine Mess That Nuland Made.” Truthout. Robert Parry. March 19, 2015. “Ukraine's Poison Pill for Peace Talks.” Consortium News. “Full text of the Minsk agreement” February 12, 2015. Financial Times. NATO. May 8, 2014. “Article 23.” Bucharest Summit Declaration Seumas Milne. April 30, 2014. “It's not Russia that's pushed Ukraine to the brink of war.” The Guardian. David Morrison. Updated May 9, 2014. “How William Hague Deceived the House of Commons on Ukraine.” HuffPost. US Energy Information Administration. March 15, 2014. “16% of Natural Gas Consumed in Europe Flows Through Ukraine.” Energy Central. Robert Parry. February 27, 2014. “Cheering a ‘Democratic' Coup in Ukraine.” Common Dreams. “Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call.” February 7, 2014. BBC News. Adam Taylor. December 16, 2013. “John McCain Went To Ukraine And Stood On Stage With A Man Accused Of Being An Anti-Semitic Neo-Nazi.” Insider. Brian Whelan. December 16, 2013. “Far-right group at heart of Ukraine protests meet US senator.” Channel 4 News. Guardian staff and agencies. December 15, 2013. “John McCain tells Ukraine protesters: 'We are here to support your just cause.'” The Guardian. International Monetary Fund (IMF). October 31, 2013. “Statement by IMF Mission to Ukraine, Press Release No. 13/419.” Carl Gershman. September 26, 2013. “Former Soviet States Stand Up to Russia. Will the U.S.?” The Washington Post. Amanda Winkler. November 14, 2011. “'60 Minutes' Exposes Congressional Insider Trading.” The Christian Post. Images USAID and Ukraine Privatization Fund Bills S.1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] Audio Sources President Biden White House Departure December 8, 2021 President Biden briefly stopped and spoke with reporters as he departed the White House for an event in Kansas City, Missouri. He began by addressing the Omicron variant, saying that the Pfizer vaccine is showing encouraging results against the COVID-19 variant. When asked about Russian President Putin and Ukraine, President Biden said if Putin were to invade Ukraine, there “will be severe consequences.” He went on to say that putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine is currently “not in the cards.” close Report Video Issue Clips Biden: We hope by Friday, we're going to be able to say and announce to you that we're having meetings at a higher level, not just with us, but with at least four of our major NATO allies and Russia to discuss the future of Russia's concerns relative to NATO writ large. And whether or not we can work out any accommodations as it relates to bringing down the temperature along the eastern front. Biden: We have a moral obligation and a legal obligation to our NATO allies if they were to attack under Article Five, it's a sacred obligation. That obligation does not extend to NATO, I mean to Ukraine, but it would depend upon what the rest of the NATO countries were willing to do as well. But the idea of the United States is going to unilaterally use force to confront Russia invading Ukraine is not in the cards right now. Biden: Meeting with Putin. I was very straightforward. There were no minced words. It was polite, but I made it very clear, if in fact, he invades Ukraine, there will be severe consequences, severe consequences. Economic consequences, like none he's ever seen or ever had been seen in terms of ease and flows. He knows his immediate response was he understood that and I indicated I knew he would respond. But beyond that, if in fact, we would probably also be required to reinforce our presence in NATO countries to reassure particularly those on the Eastern Front. In addition to that, I made it clear that we would provide the defensive capability to the Ukrainians as well. Hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Russia Senate Committee on Foreign Relations December 7, 2021 Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, testified at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy toward Russia. She addressed President Biden's earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that Russia would suffer severe consequences if it attacked Ukraine. Other topics included the use of sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, the cooperation of NATO and U.S. allies, Russia's use of energy during conflict, and the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline 00:20 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): As we meet here today Russia is engaged in one of the most significant troop buildups that we have seen along Ukraine's border. To nyone paying attention, this looks like more than posturing, more than attention seeking. The Kremlin's actions clearly pose a real threat of war. 00:40 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I want to be crystal clear to those listening to this hearing in Moscow, Kiev and other capitals around the world. A Russian invasion will trigger devastating economic sanctions the likes of which we have never seen before. 00:59 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I proposed a suite of options last month in an amendment to the NDA. The Russian banking sector would be wiped out, sovereign debt would be blocked, Russia would be removed from the Swift payment system, sectoral sanctions would cripple the Russian economy. Putin himself as well as his inner circle would lose access to bank accounts in the West. Russia would effectively be cut off and isolated from the international economic system. Let me be clear, these are not run of the mill sanctions. What is being discussed is at the maximum end of the spectrum, or as I have called it the mother of all sanctions, and I hope that we can come together in a bipartisan way to find a legislative path forward soon, so that we can achieve that. 1:51 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): If Putin invades Ukraine the implications will be devastating for the Russian economy but also for the Russian people. 2:24 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): But is the Kremlin really ready to face a bloody, persistent and drawn out insurgency? How many body bags is Putin willing to accept? 6:03 Sen James Risch (R-ID): This is a clearly clearly bipartisan matter. 7:40 Victoria Nuland: First, let me review what we are seeing. Over the past six weeks, Russia has stepped up planning for potential further military action in Ukraine, positioning close to 100,000 troops around Ukraine's eastern and northern borders and from the south via the Crimean peninsula. Russian plans and positioning of assets also include the means to destabilize Ukraine from within, and an aggressive information operation and an attempt to undermine Ukrainian stability and social cohesion and to pin the blame for any potential escalation on Kiev, and on NATO nations including the United States. Russia's military and intelligence services are continuing to develop the capability to act decisively in Ukraine when ordered to do so, potentially in early 2022. The intended force, if fully mobilized, would be twice the size of what we saw last spring, including approximately 100 battalion tactical groups, or nearly all of Russia's ready ground forces based west of the Urals. We don't know whether President Putin has made a decision to attack Ukraine or to overthrow its government. But we do know he's building the capacity to do so. 10:42 Victoria Nuland: Since 2014 The United States has provided Ukraine with $2.4 billion in security assistance including $450 million this year alone 12:00 Victoria Nuland: Diplomacy remains the best route to settle the conflict in Donbas and address any other problems or grievances. The Minsk agreements offer the best basis for negotiations and the US is prepared to support a revived effort if the parties welcome that. 15:16 Victoria Nuland: You might have seen a press conference today that commission Chairwoman van der Laan gave in Brussels in which she made absolutely clear that the EU would also join in very consequential economic measures of the kind that they have not employed before. 23:26 Victoria Nuland: It's also important, I think, for President Putin to understand as the President conveyed to him today, that this will be different than it was in 2014. If he goes in you will recall then that our sanctions escalated somewhat gradually as he didn't stop moving. This time the intent is to make clear that the initial sanctions in response to any further aggressive moves in Ukraine will be extremely significant and isolating for Russia and for Russian business and for the Russian people. 24:51 Victoria Nuland: As you know, energy is the cash cow that enables these kinds of military deployments. So Putin needs the energy to flow as as much as the consumers need it. But more broadly, we have been counseling Europe for almost a decade now to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, including our opposition to Nord Stream 2 and our opposition to Nord Stream 1 and our opposition to to TurkStream and TurkStream 2 and to have come to find alternative sources of hydrocarbons but also to continue their efforts to go green and end their dependencies. 30:55 Sen. Todd Young (R-IN): President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov have repeatedly indicated that they seek to deny any potential path to NATO membership for Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. Does the administration view this demand is a valid issue for negotiation? Victoria Nuland: No we do not and President Biden made that point crystal clear to President Putin today that the issue of who joins NATO is an issue for NATO to decide it's an issue for applicant countries to decide that no other outside power will or may have a veto or a vote in those decisions. 32:22 Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): Senator Portman and I offered an amendment to this year's NDAA in that vein to increase military assistance and raise the amount of assistance that could go to lethal weapons. 33:21 Victoria Nuland: But we will not be shy about coming to you as we as we need support and the bipartisan spirit here is really gratifying. 34:08 Victoria Nuland: At the NATO ministerial last week, there was a commitment among allies that we needed more advice and more options from our NATO military authorities with regard to the consequences of any move by Russia deeper into Ukraine and what that would mean for the eastern edge of the alliance and what it would mean about our need to be more forward deployed in the east. 34:44 Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): Belarus now that it is seems to be totally within Russia's control also presents another front for the potential for Russia to invade Ukraine. Can you speak to whether we view what's happening in Belarus in that way? I know that Ukrainians view it that way because we heard that when we were in Halifax for the international security forum and met with some Ukrainian officials. Victoria Nuland: Well, as as you know, Senator, the situation in Belarus is just tragic and really concerning in many, many ways, which is why the administration along with the European Union in a multilateral way increased sanctions just last week, including blocking the sale to us or to Europe of one of the great sources of Lukashenko has money potash, etc, and sanction some dozens more Belarusians responsible for the violence and intimidation there and particularly now for the weaponization of migrants pushing you know, accepting them from third countries and then pushing them against the EU's border in a very cynical and dangerous way. But I think you're talking about the potential as Lukashenko becomes more and more dependent on the Kremlin and gives up more and more of Belarus is sovereignty, something that he told his people he would never do that Russia could actually use Belarusian territory to march on Ukraine and or mask, its forces as Belarusian forces. All of those -- Those are both things that that we are watching, and it was particularly concerning to see President Lukashenko would make a change in his own posture with regard to Crimea. He had long declined to recognize Russia Russia's claim on Crimea, but he changed tack a week ago which is concerning. 39:08 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): If there's one thing that Vladimir Putin aught to understand is how unified we are. I mean, there are many things that divide us politically in this country. But when it comes to pushing back on Russian aggression, supporting countries like Ukraine that are trying to develop their freedom, free themselves from their legacy of corruption from their former involvement with the Soviet Union, we are very strongly united. 39:56 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): What we impose on them and how and how harmful it would be to Russia, you know, unfortunately to Russian people. 40:36 Victoria Nuland: What we're talking about would amount to essentially isolating Russia completely from the global financial system with all of the fallout that that would entail for Russian business, for the Russian people, for their ability to, to work and travel and trade. 41:41 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): I can't think of a more powerful way to punish Russian aggression than by rolling back what progress has been made, and if at all possible, prevent the Nord Stream 2 from ever being completed. Is that something that is being discussed with allies is that something's being contemplated? Victoria Nuland: Absolutely. And as if, as you recall from the July U.S.-German statement that was very much in that statement that if that any moves, Russian aggression against Ukraine would have a direct impact on the pipeline, and that is our expectation and the conversation that we're having. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So again, direct impact is one thing, but I'm literally talking about rolling back the pipeline. Loosely define that but I mean, taking action that will prevent it from ever becoming operational. Victoria Nuland: I think if President Putin moves on Ukraine, our expectation is that the pipeline will be suspended. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Well, I certainly hope that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would take up legislation to go beyond just suspending it but from ending it permanently. 44:28 Victoria Nuland: I think we can, and I know this is close to your heart as well, need to do better in our Global Engagement Center and in the way we speak to audiences around the world and particularly on these kinds of subjects. 55:04 Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): But something different has happened in that country since what has been referred to as the Revolution of Dignity. I got the chance to be there on the Maidan during the midst of that revolution with you and Senator McCain. 58:56 Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): The Three Seas Initiative is a really important initiative linking essentially the ring of countries that are either former republics or satellite states of the Soviet Union together. They're begging for US participation in their projects necessary to make them more energy independent of Russia. Isn't this an opportunity for the United States to step up and take some of these customers away from Russia's gas station? Victoria Nuland: Absolutely, as we have been doing with our support for more LNG terminals around Europe for many years, as we are doing now in our support for, you know, green alternatives, not just in the United States, but in Europe as well. And many, many US companies are involved with that. But that particular belt of three C's countries is absolutely crucial, as you've said. 1:11:19 Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH): I visited to Maidan in 2014. The tires were still smoldering and the Revolution of Dignity changed everything. You know, Ukraine decided to turn to us and to the West, and to freedom and democracy. And it was a momentous decision. They chose to stand with us. And now it's our turn to stand with them. And we've done that over the years. I mean, if you look at what happened with regard to the Ukraine security assistance initiative, which I co authored. Over the past six years, the United States has transferred defense articles, conducted training with Ukrainian military. We have been very engaged. 1:12:05 Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH): This week we have the NDAA likely to be voted on and likely it will include an increase in that lethal defensive funding. 1:12:14 Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH): What defensive weapons has Ukraine ask for and what is the State Department willing to provide them under an expedited process? 1:18:44 Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): My concern is this: if the United States and the West's response to a military invasion is sanctions, but no military response, obviously, we're providing military aid to Ukraine. And we've been generous in that way. But if we are not willing to help a Ukrainian military, that's 50,000 people matched up against Russia, I would think that China would conclude, boy, the West sure, I'm going to come to the aid of Taiwan, if we were to do something on Taiwan. Because China would conclude, we're much more militarily powerful than Russia is. And the status questions about Taiwan and sovereignty are a little bit murkier than those about Ukraine. And there's no NATO in the Indo Pacific, we have allies in the Indo Pacific but we don't have a NATO with a charter, with a self defense article. I think China would determine, if the West responds to a military invasion went as far as sanctions but no further, that the United States and other nations would be extremely unlikely to use military force to counter a military invasion of Taiwan. And I think Taiwan would likely conclude the same thing. So I'm very concerned about that. And I wonder, is that a fair concern that I have about how the Chinese and the Taiwanese would view the West's unwillingness to provide more significant military support to stop an invasion by Russia? Is my concern a fair one? Or is my concern overwrought? Victoria Nuland: Senator, in this setting, I would simply say that this is a moment of testing. And I believe that both autocrats around the world and our friends around the world will watch extremely carefully what we do, and it will have implications for generations. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): And those and those implications could go far beyond Ukraine. Victoria Nuland: They could go well beyond Europe. Yes. 1:22:00 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): Then I would imagine that he's already been publicly messaging what his asks are. The first is that we would pull back NATO forces from anywhere near their western border. The second is to completely rule out the admission probably not just of Ukraine, but Georgia as a member of NATO. And the third is to stop arming Ukraine. Of those three conditions that he's publicly messaged already, would the United States agreed to any of those three? Victoria Nuland: All of those would be unacceptable. 1:41:11 Victoria Nuland: And in fact you could argue that in the Donbas he did take control of some 40% of Ukraine's coal reserves which were a major energy input 1:42:04 Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): I hope the one thing that anyone in the world who is watching this hearing today takes away is that even on some of the most contentious issues of the day, on this one, there is overwhelming, broad, bipartisan support for Ukraine there is overwhelming bipartisan support for its territorial integrity, there is overwhelming bipartisan support for swift and robust action. And after conversations with some of the members of the committee, I look to galvanize that in some tangible way legislatively as we wait for the days ahead as to what may or may not happen. Ukrainian President Zelensky Meeting with Secretary Austin at the Pentagon August 31, 2021 Secretary Lloyd Austin: As you know sir, President Biden has approved a new $60 million security assistance package including Javelin anti-armor systems and more to enable Ukraine to better defend itself against Russian aggression. Secretary Lloyd Austin: Now this department is committed to strengthening our Strategic Defense Partnership. The US Ukraine strategic defense framework that Minister Tehran and I will sign today enhances our cooperation and advances our shared priorities, such as ensuring that our bilateral security cooperation continues to help Ukraine countering Russian aggression and implementing defense and defense industry reforms in support of Ukraine's NATO membership aspirations, and deepening our cooperation in such areas as Black Sea security, cyber defense and intel sharing. Russian President Putin Annual Call-In Program June 30, 2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual call-in question and answer session with citizens from around the country. During this 70-minute portion, he answered questions on relations with Ukraine, the European Union, and the United States, reiterating that whatever sanctions are imposed against Russia, his country's economy will prevail. Clips Putin: I have already said that it is impossible and it makes no sense to try to restore the Soviet Union by a number of reasons and looking at the demographic processes in a number of former Soviet republic, so it's unreasonable effort to do because we can face a lot of social problems that will be possible to resolve and some issues like the ethnic groups, in various regions, but what should we do about Russia itself without the geopolitical realities and about our internal development? Putin: Why is Ukraine not on the list of countries who are Russia's adversaries? Another question: are you going to meet with Zelensky? Well, why Ukriane is not on the list of adversaries? That's because I do not think that the Ukrainian people are our adversaries. I said it many times and I will say it again. The Ukrainians and Russians, that's one people, one nation. Putin: What I'm worried about is a fundamental thing. They are trying to open up military bases near or inside Ukraine. Making the territory of Ukraine, the territory that's close on the border with Russia a military platform for other countries is a threat to the security of Russia. And this is what worries us. This is what we have to think about. Discussion: Foreign Affairs Issue Launch with Former Vice President Joe Biden Council on Foreign Affairs January 23, 2018 Clips 00:06:15 Joe Biden: They cannot compete against a unified West. I think that is Putin's judgment. And so everything he can do to dismantle the post-World War II liberal world order, including NATO and the EU, I think, is viewed as in their immediate self-interest. 00:24:15 Haass: In the piece, the two of you say that there's no truth that the United States—unlike what Putin seems to believe or say, that the U.S. is seeking regime change in Russia. So the question I have is, should we be? And if not, if we shouldn't be seeking regime change, what should we be seeking in the way of political change inside Russia? What's an appropriate agenda for the United States vis-à-vis Russia, internally? 00:24:30 Biden: I'll give you one concrete example. I was—not I, but it just happened to be that was the assignment I got. I got all the good ones. And so I got Ukraine. And I remember going over, convincing our team, our leaders to—convincing that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn't. So they said they had—they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I'm not going to—or, we're not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You're not the president. The president said—I said, call him. (Laughter.) I said, I'm telling you, you're not getting the billion dollars. I said, you're not getting the billion. I'm going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. (Laughter.) He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time. Confirmation Hearing: Defense Secretary Confirmation Hearing Senate Armed Services Committee January 12, 2017 00:20:15 Sen. McCain: For seven decades, the United States has played a unique role in the world. We've not only put America first, but we've done so by maintaining and advancing a world order that has expanded security, prosperity, and freedom. This has required our alliances, our trade, our diplomacy, our values, but most of all, our military for when would-be aggressors aspire to threaten world order. It's the global striking power of America's armed forces that must deter or thwart their ambitions. Too many Americans, too many Americans seem to have forgotten this in recent years. Too many have forgotten that our world order is not self-sustaining. Too many have forgotten that while the threats we face may not have purely military solutions, they all have military dimensions. In short, too many have forgotten that hard power matters—having it, threatening it, leveraging it for diplomacy, and, at times, using it. Fairly or not, there is a perception around the world that America is weak and distracted, and that has only emboldened our adversaries to challenge the current world order. Daily Briefing: Nuland Tape Press Conference February 6, 2014. Jen Psaki, State Department Spokesperson 0:19 Reporter: Can you say whether you—if this call is a recording of an authentic conversation between Assistant Secretary Nuland and Ambassador Pyatt? Jen Psaki: Well, I'm not going to confirm or outline details. I understand there are a lot of reports out there, and there's a recording out there, but I'm not going to confirm a private diplomatic conversation. Reporter: So you are not saying that you believe this is a—you think this is not authentic? You think this is a— Psaki: It's not an accusation I'm making. I'm just not going to confirm the specifics of it. Reporter: Well, you can't even say whether there was a—that this call—you believe that this call, you believe that this recording is a recording of a real telephone call? Psaki: I didn't say it was inauthentic. I think we can leave it at that. Reporter: Okay, so, you're allowing the fact that it is authentic. Psaki: Yes. Reporter: “Yes,” okay. Psaki: Do you have a question about it? Phone Conversation: Nuland-Pyatt Leaked Phone Conversation February 4, 2014 Nuland: Good. So I don't think Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] should go into the government. I don't think it's necessary, I don't think it's a good idea. Pyatt: Yeah, I mean I guess, in terms of him not going into the government, just sort of letting him stay out and do his political homework and stuff. I'm just thinking in terms of, sort of, the process moving ahead, we want to keep the moderate Democrats together. The problem is going to be Tyahnybok and his guys and I'm sure that's part of what Yanukovych is calculating on all this. Nuland: I think Yatz [Arseniy Yatsenyuk] is the guy with the economic experience, the governing experience. He's the guy. What he needs is Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] And Tyahnybok On the outside, he needs to be talking to them four times a week. You know, I just think Klitsch [Vitali Klitschko] Going in he's going to be at that level working for Yatsenyuk it's just not gonna work. Pyatt: We want to get someone out here with and international personality to come out here and help to midwife this thing. And then the other issue is some kind of outreach to Yanukovych. We'll probably regroup on that tomorrow as we see how things fall into place. Nuland: So on that piece, Jeff, I wrote the note, Sullivan's come back to me saying “you need Biden,” and I said probably tomorrow for an attaboy and get the deeds to stick, Biden's willing. Pyatt Great. Press Conference: Senator John McCain on Ukraine at the Atlantic Council C-SPAN December 19, 2013. 00:16:45 McCain: If Ukraine's political crisis persists or deepens, which is a real possibility, we must support creative Ukrainian efforts to resolve it. Senator Murphy and I heard a few such ideas last weekend—from holding early elections, as the opposition is now demanding, to the institution of a technocratic government with a mandate to make the difficult reforms required for Ukraine's long-term economic health and sustainable development. Decisions such as these are for Ukrainians to make—no one else—and if they request our assistance, we should provide it where possible. Finally, we must encourage the European Union and the IMF to keep their doors open to Ukraine. Ultimately, the support of both institutions is indispensable for Ukraine's future. And eventually, a Ukrainian President, either this one or a future one, will be prepared to accept the fundamental choice facing the country, which is this: While there are real short-term costs to the political and economic reforms required for IMF assistance and EU integration, and while President Putin will likely add to these costs by retaliating against Ukraine's economy, the long-term benefits for Ukraine in taking these tough steps are far greater and almost limitless. This decision cannot be borne by one person alone in Ukraine. Nor should it be. It must be shared—both the risks and the rewards—by all Ukrainians, especially the opposition and business elite. It must also be shared by the EU, the IMF and the United States. All of us in the West should be prepared to help Ukraine, financially and otherwise, to overcome the short-term pain that reforms will require and Russia may inflict. Discussion: Beyond NAFTA and GATT C-SPAN April 20, 1994 Arthur Dunkel, Director General of the UN 26:00:00 Dunkel: If I look back at the last 25 years, what did we have? We had two worlds: The so-called Market Economy world and the centrally planned world; the centrally planned world disappeared. One of the main challenges of the Uruguay round has been to create a world wide system. I think we have to think of that. Secondly, why a world wide system? Because, basically, I consider that if governments cooperate in trade policy field, you reduce the risks of tension – political tension and even worse than that.” Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Host Jon Olson talks with Lea Gabrielle, a former US Special Envoy who led the State Department's Global Engagement Center, about US government efforts to defeat foreign propaganda by nation states and non-state actors alike. This originally aired on March 31st 2021

“The key between somebody who builds confidence through adversity and through failure and somebody who doesn't is all in the decision they make in their mind when [failure] happens.” – Lea GabrielleLea Gabrielle is committed to the kind of personal and professional growth that is born from the courage of taking on the unknown, leading through adversity, and being intentional about how we expand our experiences to push our limits. The former US Special Envoy and Director of the Global Engagement Center honed her “listen and be decisive” leadership mindset from taking on diverse roles such as a Navy F/A-18C Fighter Pilot, a CIA-trained intelligence operative, and eventually a National Television news correspondent and anchor. Join us to hear practical insight for how to lead people forward in environments prone to conflict and wrought with polarizing opinions. Lea offers ideas for handling people that seek to undermine the overall success of the mission, discusses how to lead without designated authority, and shares questions we can ourselves when we're fearful or anxious about pushing our limits and taking the next step. Resources Relevant to this Conversation: Follow Lea on LinkedInFollow Joe on LinkedInListen here, or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Host Jon Olson talks with Lea Gabrielle, a former US Special Envoy who led the State Department's Global Engagement Center, about US government efforts to defeat foreign propaganda by nation states and non-state actors alike.

An official at the State Department's Global Engagement Center has identified Russian intelligence service influence on US vaccine news stories. We cover these vaccine concerns in an Auburn Medical Group video. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/covidupdates/message

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? We live in the most connected time in our history. With mobile devices, search, mainstream and alternative media, social media, streaming, and gaming – people's access to information, content, and news is unprecedented. In addition, the barrier to entry to create and publish content is perhaps the lowest it has ever been. However, it has become increasingly difficult for consumers of content (all of us) to distinguish trustworthy information from misinformation or disinformation. Bob Pearson helps us to understand what misinformation and disinformation is, how to identify it, techniques for thinking critically, and where to find reliable information. GUEST BIO Bob Pearson is an expert in the areas of communication, marketing, social and digital media, as well as current and future trends in all of those areas. He is the author of four books, including his latest, “Crafting Persuasion”. He currently serves as Senior Technology Advisor to the State Dept's Global Engagement Center – whose mission is to help the Federal Government recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, and its allies. In this interview 00:59 What’s in it for me? / Why this interview? Why now? (Purpose of the interview)01:56 About Bob Pearson03:58 The definition of Disinformation04:24 The major players in the disinformation space04:58 The definition of Misinformation05:30 Examples of Misinformation and Disinformation07:07 The goals of Disinformation campaigns08:35 Disinformation tactics10:45 The 1, 9, 90 Model of Influence12:14 The Disinformation landscape, and how “Disinformers” work14:12 Is there Disinformation in the mainstream media?15:19 How do we find reliable information?17:08 How to architect an influence campaign19:31 What Bob considers reliable information21:41 How can we identify Disinformation?23:19 What are deep fakes?25:22 What social media platforms (Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Youtube) are doing to shut down Disinformation27:46 How do we think critically about information?31:27 A really sensitive question…freedom and censorship33:23 Current and future trends playing out — we can actually fight Disinformation, here's how…34:53 The advice Bob gives to the U.S. Government about Disinformation36:01 What we can actually do day-to-day to “Turn down the volume” Disinformation37:00 One secret of Bob's success38:23 Bob's greatest lesson in life and business – do good…today!40:06 Bob's one piece of advice to the world – we're ALL the same…41:27 What Bob wants most for his life – impacting as many lives as possible42:50 Final thoughts – Influence, analytics, and continual learning45:14 Where to find Bob Pearson online45:53 A beautiful story To connect with Bob Website(s): nextpracticegroup.comhttps://www.craftingpersuasion.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobpearson/Twitter: @bobpearson1845 To connect with Mark https://markabotros.comInstagram: @markabotrosTwitter: @markbotrosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: mark@markabotros.comThe LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936 Podcast Music Credit Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQYFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories Photo Credit Adnan Khan --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/markbotros/message

Coronavirus/COVID-19 death toll surpasses 300,000, cases pass 4.4 million, per Johns Hopkins University. US State Dept.’s Global Engagement Center on Russian – Chinese coordination of anti-USA coronavirus pandemic propaganda. The Trump Administration’s repeated glaring displays of historical ignorance…. Xi Jinping on the youth generation and Sino-US “friendship” – coming attractions. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s pursuit of power. Death Penalty option in Pittsburgh, PA Synagogue mass-murder despite defense lawyer Judy Clarke. Black gang-bangers and “unintended” murders… in SC, PA, and FL. South Carolina Supreme Court’s creative, unanimous outrage. Victims – Martha Childress, Sinsir Parker, Keairra Attison.

Le Département d’État américain, par biais du «Global Engagement Center», est parti à la chasse à la «désinformation» sur la crise sanitaire du coronavirus. Qu’entend-il par là? Analyse de François-Bernard Huyghe, responsable de l’Observatoire géostratégique de l’information, pour le Désordre mondial.

"Redistributing Poverty" Hosts: Darren Weeks, Vicky Davis Show webiste: https://governamerica.com Vicky's Websites: http://thetechnocratictyranny.com and http://channelingreality.com COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AND CREDITS AT: https://governamerica.com/radio/radio-archives/22340-govern-america-february-1-2020-redistributing-poverty World Health Organization and U.S. government both declare health emergencies due to Chinese coronavirus. Should we worry yet? What agendas may be afoot in promoting a global pandemic? Now that Britain has officially exited the European Union, we'll tell you why we believe they are not really going anywhere. Even as Britain attempts to free itself from the mire and bondage of a regional bureaucracy, Donald Trump signs the U.S. into one through the USMCA "free trade" agreement. As attention is drawn to more well-known agreements, the African Union and Middle East Free Trade Agreement (MEFTA) are still being built. Is China in a strategic competition with the United States? What about their social scoring system and human rights record? Follow-up on propaganda: The State Department's Global Engagement Center has a propaganda platform called Disinfo Cloud. Facebook works with The Atlantic Council to Censor the web. Why are we training Saudi soldiers?

We are six days out from the 2018 mid-term elections. What are the significant issues on the minds of most voters, and what happened, as Aaron Mate has written, after months of fearmongering about a sweeping Russian interference effort and a compromised, complicit president? By November 6, Americans will decide on all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the Senate's 100 seats and who governs 39 different states. Six in 10 Americans say it is the federal government's responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, including 31 percent who support a “single-payer” approach to health insurance, according to a new national survey by Pew Research Center. The share of US adults saying drug addiction is a “very big” problem in the country has increased 12 percentage points since a survey conducted shortly before the November 2016 election, from 56 percent then to 68 percent today. Increasing shares of Americans cite the affordability of a college education (up 11 percentage points) and sexism (also up 11 points) as “very big” problems in the country. The share who say racism is a very big problem has risen seven points, while the share citing gun violence is up five points.The US has called for a swift cessation of hostilities in Yemen, where three years of civil war have caused the world's worst man-made humanitarian crisis. Can this be done, and why now? Defense Secretary James Mattis said all parties needed to take part in UN-led peace talks within the next 30 days. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, urged the Saudi-led coalition battling the rebel Houthi movement to end its air strikes on populated areas.The United States has allocated $40 million to the Global Engagement Center in an attempt to fight what they called the Russian and Chinese propaganda machine. "At the end of September, the Global Engagement Center obligated $40 million to support initiatives that counter disinformation propaganda spread by foreign countries," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino told reporters. "This funding will support a variety of efforts to counter Russian, Iranian and Chinese disinformation and propaganda." Really? Is that what's really going on here? Washington has repeatedly accused Russia, as well as China, of trying to influence the elections held in the US. They have created the Global Engagement Center under the State Department to counter such supposed foreign influence. Is this is a sensible use of resources?GUESTS: Jackie Luqman — co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation.Elisabeth Myers — Editor-in-chief of Inside Arabia.William Binney — Former highly placed intelligence official with the United States National Security Agency turned whistle-blower who resigned on October 31, 2001, after more than 30 years with the agency.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.The hosts continue the weekly series looking at the economic issues of the day, including the orientation of Trump’s new Federal Reserve Chairperson, Jerome Powell. We also look at the rivalry between Comcast and the Murdoch-owned 21st Century Fox in their effort to further their media domination. “The End of Policing”: a featured interview with author Dr. Alex Vitale. Recent years have seen an explosion of protest against police brutality and repression. Among activists, journalists, and politicians, the conversation about how to respond and improve policing has focused on accountability, diversity, training, and community relations. Unfortunately, these reforms will not produce results, either alone or in combination. The core of the problem must be addressed: the nature of modern policing itself. Dr. Alex Vitale, an associate professor of sociology at Brooklyn College, coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project, and member of the New York State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights, joins the show. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, threatened to take unilateral action against Iran after Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Iran for supposedly interfering in Yemen. Haley never mentioned US, Saudi, and Emirati involvement in the Yemen war or the humanitarian disaster that has taken place since the Saudi invasion. Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. The Supreme Court today will take up a battle between the government and Microsoft over the privacy of its customers’ data. The issue is actually very simple: Can the company be compelled to turn over to the government customer emails stored on overseas servers? Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, joins the show. Shelling and airstrikes continued in Ghouta, Syria yesterday, despite the ceasefire. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that the United Nations has an unreleased report saying that North Korea is delivering chemical weapons to the Syrian government. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins Brian and John. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans are still without power five months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island’s infrastructure. But that hasn’t stopped FEMA from sending repair crews home after being paid for doing almost nothing. And the rapper Akon said today that his offer of philanthropic aid to restore power was rejected by Washington. Greg Cruz, an activist who recently returned from Puerto Rico where he was delivering aid and doing relief work, joins the show.The Departments of State and Defense have reached a deal to spend $40 million to fight foreign government-sponsored propaganda with help from the private sector. The State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which was set up to counter Islamist propaganda, will now turn its attention to Russia. Brian and John speak with Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.

The outgoing President Obama, who used the Espionage Law more times than all other presidents combined to go after whistleblowers and the media, hurled a final blow at political dissent when he signed the newest version of the National Defense Authorization Act into law (on the Friday before Christmas when people weren't paying attention). Within the new NDAA is a provision to create and fund a "Global Engagement Center" to counter so-called propaganda. Chris Hedges, who sued President Obama over a previous version of the NDAA and has reported in countries that experienced similar silencing of dissent, and Rick Sterling, an independent journalist, who has been investigating the new NDAA, will explain what is going on, what we can expect and what we can do about it. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act grants permission for next year's wars. In this episode, we look at how the new law, in partnership with a reckless Executive Order, will provide weapons to terrorists and legalize American wars fought with foreign humans. Also in this episode, learn about the new Ministry of Propaganda (the "Global Engagement Center") that the United States will open in July. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: Congressional Dish 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Bill Highlighted in This Episode National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 Explanatory Statement Title III—Operation and Maintenance Subtitle B—Energy and Environment   Sec. 312. Waiver authority for alternative fuel procurement requirement. The Secretary of Defense can waive the requirement that Federal agencies only purchase alternative fuels if the greenhouse gas emissions are equal or lower to the conventional fuel typically used, as long as he notifies Congress. Sec. 316. Sense of Congress on funding decisions relating to climate change. “It is the sense of Congress that... "decisions relating to the funding of the Dept. of Defense … should prioritize the support and enhancement of the combat capabilities of the Dept" funds should be allocated among the programs of the Dept in the manner that best serves the national security interests of the US decisions relating to energy efficiency, energy use, and climate change should adhere to the principles described above Title VI—Compensation and Other Personnel Benefits Subtitle A—Pay and Allowances     Sec. 601. Fiscal year 2017 increase in military basic pay. Effective January 1, 2017, the rates of monthly basic pay for military members is 2.1 percent Sec. 604. Reports on a new single-salary pay system for members of the Armed Forces. Gives the Defense Dept one year to report to Congress on a new pay structure: A “single salary system,” which will take effect on January 1, 2018.   Subtitle E—Commissary and Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentality Benefits and Operations     Sec. 661. Protection and enhancement of access to and savings at commissaries and exchanges. They are going to test a "variable pricing program” which would price commissary goods “in response to market conditions and customer demand" Sec. 662. Acceptance of Military Star Card at commissaries.       Subtitle F—Other Matters     Sec. 671. Recovery of amounts owed to the United States by members of the uniformed services. Allows the Secretary of Defense is allowed to waive collections of overpayments to military service members if the collection starts over 10 years after the overpayment occurred. The Defense Department will conduct a review of the bonuses paid to California National Guard members from 2004 - 2015, determine how many bonuses were awarded improperly, and determine which ones will be granted a repayment waiver. Waivers will be denied only if the board can make an affirmative determination that the member “knew or reasonably should have known that the member was ineligible for the bonus pay”   Title VII—Health Care Provisions Subtitle A—Reform of TRICARE and military health system     Sec. 701. TRICARE Select and other TRICARE reform. Creates TRICARE Select: “Eligible beneficiaries will not have restrictions on the freedom of choice of the beneficiary with respect to health care providers.” Cost sharing table   Title VIII—Acquisition Policy, Acquisition Management, and Related Matters Subtitle F—Provisions Relating to Commercial Items     Sec. 874. Inapplicability of certain laws and regulations to the acquisition of commercial items and commercially available off-the-shelf items. Exempts the purchase of “commercial items” from a bunch of procurement laws Sec. 876. Preference for commercial services. Prohibits defense agencies from entering into contracts for services that are NOT commercial services, unless it’s determined in writing that there are no commercial services available. Subtitle G—Industrial Base Matters Sec. 881. Greater integration of the national technology and industrial base. Orders a written plan to be completed by the end of 2017 to” reduce the barriers to the seamless integration between the persons and organizations that comprise the national technology and industrial base" Entities to be “integrated” include government entities, universities, nonprofits, and private contractors (including weapons manufacturers) operating in the United States, Canada and (added) the UK, Northern Ireland, and Australia. Title IX—Department of Defense Organization and Management Subtitle B—Organization and Management of the Department of Defense Generally   Sec. 915. Repeal of requirements relating to efficiencies plan for the civilian personnel workforce and service contractor workforce of the Department of Defense. Repeals the requirement that the Secretary of Defense have policies and procedures to determine the most appropriate cost efficient mix of military, civilians, and contractor personnel to perform the mission of the Dept. of Defense.   Title X—General Provisions Subtitle B—Counterdrug Activities   Sec. 1011. Codification and modification of authority to provide support for counterdrug activities and activities to counter transnational organized crime of civilian law enforcement agencies. "The Secretary of Defense may provide support for the counter drug activities… of any department or agency of the Federal Government or of any State, local, tribal, or foreign law enforcement agency for…: "Training of law enforcement personnel of the Federal Government, of State, local, and tribal governments…" “Intelligence analysis services" “Aerial and ground reconnaissance” Sec. 1013. Extension of authority to support unified counterdrug and counterterrorism campaign in Colombia. Extended through 2019   Subtitle D—Counterterrorism   Sec. 1032. Prohibition on use of funds for transfer or release of individuals detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cub, to the United States.   Sec. 1033. Prohibition on use of funds to construct or modify facilities in the United States to house detainees transferred from United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.   Sec. 1034. Prohibition on use of funds for transfer or release to certain countries of individuals detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Specifically prohibits transferring anyone to Libya, Somalia, Syria, or Yemen. Sec. 1035. Prohibition on use of funds for realignment of forces at or closure of United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.     Subtitle G—Other Matters     Sec. 1090. Cost of Wars. Secretary of Defense needs to post the costs of each the Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria wars onto a public website. No due date or web address.   Title XII—Matters relating to foreign nations Subtitle A—Assistance and training   Sec. 1201. One-year extension of logistical support for coalition forces supporting certain United States military operations.   Sec. 1202. Special Defense Acquisition Fund matters. Authorizes the amount of money appropriated to the fund to more than double, from $1.07 billion to $2.5 billion. $500 million must be to purchase precision guided munitions for partner and allied forces   Sec. 1203. Codification of authority for support of special operations to combat terrorism. The Defense Secretary is allowed to spend $100 million per year to “support foreign forces, irregular forces, groups, or individuals engaged in supporting or facilitating ongoing military operations by United States special operations forces to combat terrorism" The money will come from the money appropriated for operations and maintenance  Repeals a provision from the 2005 NDAA that provided $25 million a year for this purpose   Subtitle B—Matters relating to Afghanistan and Pakistan   Sec. 1218. Extension and modification of authority for reimbursement of certain coalition nations for support provided to United States military operations. The United States can use $1.1 billion to pay any country that helps our military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, and the United States can pay Pakistan for “activities meant to enhance the security situation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and for counterterrorism"   Subtitle C—Matters relating to Syria, Iraq, and Iran   Sec. 1221. Modification and extension of authority to provide assistance to the vetted Syrian opposition. Extends the authority to “provide assistance to the vetted Syrian opposition” until December 31, 2018. Sec. 1224. Limitation on provision of man-portable air defense systems to the vetted Syrian opposition during fiscal year 2017. State Dept: “Countering the proliferation of Man-Portable Air Defense Systems is a top U.S. national security priority. In the hands of terrorists, criminals, or other non-state actors, MANPADS - also known as shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles - pose a serious threat to passenger air travel, the commercial aviation industry, and military aircraft around the world. The United States is working closely with numerous countries and international organizations to keep the skies safe for all." The 2015 NDAA authorized the transfer of “man-portable air defense system” or “MANPADs” to the “vetted Syrian opposition”. They are allowed to continue to do so after a 30-day waiting period if a report is submitted to Congress   Subtitle D—Matters relating to the Russian Federation     Sec. 1233. Extension and modification of authority on training for Eastern European national military forces in the course of multilateral exercises. Amends Section 1251 of the 2016 NDAA to extend the authority to pay to train “national security forces” in “multilateral exercises” through 2018. Adds the European Reassurance Initiative to the list of authorized activities, although it has been renamed the “European Deterrence Initiative” This training is allowed to go to NATO countries and “countries that are a signatory to the Partnership for Peace Framework Documents, but not a member of NATO” Sec. 1237. Extension and enhancement of Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Increases the amount allowed to be spent on “security assistance” to Ukraine by $50 million, up to $350 million A minimum of $50 million MUST be spent on “Lethal assistance” including anti-armor weapon systems, mortars, grenade launchers,  small arms, and ammunition This NDAA adds equipment and technical assistance for a border surveillance network for Ukraine to the list of authorized uses of funding $175 million will be withheld until the Secretary of State certifies that Ukraine has taken steps towards reforms including civilian control of their military and “potential opportunities for privatization in the defense industrial sector”   Subtitle E—Reform of Department of Defense Security Cooperation     Sec. 1241. Enactment of new chapter for defense security cooperation. Repeals the authorization from the 2012 NDAA that allowed civilian employees of the DoD to be “advisors” to foreign defense ministries Inserts a new chapter into law outlining procedures for training and equipping foreign militaries The training can be for the following purposes: Counterterrorism Counter weapons of mass destruction Counter-drug trafficking operations Repeals a law limited the support that can be provided to Columbia & Peru Counter organized crime Border security Intelligence “Operations or activities that contribute to an international coalition operation that is determined by the Secretary to be in the national interest of the United States” Repeals the law that authorizes programs only for counter-terrorism, support of on-going military operations, and border security. The Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State will develop and plan train and equip programs together Repeals the law saying that the Secretary of State will be responsible for coordinating development activities The Secretary of Defense is allowed to change the definition of “developing country” “from time to time” The Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency will be responsible for “all security cooperation programs" The train and equip programs are authorized to provide “defense articles”, training, “defense services”, supplies, and construction valued under $750,000 per project. The “support” programs are limited to five years unless a written justification for extending it is provided or if funding is shifted to another part of the government or another country. 2017 Funding: Will come from: The Operations and Maintenance account, the “defense-wide” section and “Defense Security Cooperation” section = $6.6 billion + $621 million = $7.2 billion Funds for “Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense-Wide” = $720 million Funds for “Operations and Maintenance, Defense-wide, for overseas contingency operations” and money for the “Defense Security Cooperation Agency” = $7.1 billion Money appropriated for the “Counter-ISIL fund" in Iraq and Syria can be spent in countries other than Iraq and Syria as long as Congress is told = $1.1 billion Funds for “Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense-Wide for overseas contingency operations” = $191 million + $24 million = $215 million Money made available in previous years = unknown Total = At least $16.3 billion   Subtitle H—Other matters     Sec. 1281. Enhancement of interagency support during contingency operations and transition periods. The Secretaries of Defense and State can enter an agreement to swap “support” to each other’s departments during and up to two years after any “contingency operation" “Support” = food, transportation, petroleum, oils, communication services, medical services, ammunition, base operations support, use of facilities, spare parts, and maintenance services. Sec. 1285. Limitation on availability of funds to implement the Arms Trade Treaty. Prohibits any funds being used to implement the Arms Trade Treaty, which is a 2013 UN treaty designed to regulate and limit the international weapons trade. We signed it in September. Sec. 1287. Global Engagement Center By mid-June 2017, the Department of State will create a Global Engagement Center Purpose: “To lead, synchronize, and coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests” Functions Track and evaluate stories abroad that threaten the interests of the US and the US allies and partner nations. Support the creation and distribution of “fact-based narratives” to counter propaganda and disinformation directed at the United States, our allies, and partner nations. Promote “fact-based narratives” to audiences outside the United States The head of the Global Engagement Center will be appointed by the President Any Federal Government employee may be assigned to the Global Engagement Center for a maximum of three years. The State Department can hire domestic and foreign contractors to work for the Global Engagement Center for a maximum of four years each, with a maximum of 50 employees The Global Engagement Center can pay (“provide grants”) to “civil society groups, media content providers, nongovernmental organizations, federally funded research and development centers, private companies, or academic institutions” to: Collect and store examples in print, online, and on social media of disinformation and propaganda directed at the US, its allies, and partners. To “counter efforts” to use information to influence the policies and stability of the United States, it’s allies and partner nations. The Global Engagement Center will end in December 2024 (8 years after enactment) Sec. 1288. Modification of United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994.   The Broadcasting Board of Governors is a global media agency tasked with “informing” other countries in a way that pursues US national interests (aka: our propaganda networks). BBG networks include: Voice of America Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty Office of Cuba Broadcasting Radio Free Asia Middle East Broadcasting Networks Changes made by NDAA The head of the Broadcasting Board of Governors will be a Chief Executive Officer, appointed by the President, instead of a Director who has been appointed by the Board. Extends immunity from civil liability to all board members at Radio Free Liberty/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, or “any organization that consolidates such entities” Sec. 1294. Extension and expansion of authority to support border security operations of certain foreign countries. The 2016 NDAA authorized $150 million per year for each Jordan and Lebanon for border security “support" This provision adds Egypt and Tunisia to the list of counties eligible for “support” funding The money is authorized until the end of 2019 Title LIV—Court-Martial Jurisdiction Detailed procedures for court martial cases Title LX—Punitive Articles A list of all the offenses eligible for a court martial Executive Order Executive Order: Presidential Determination and Waiver - Pursuant to Section 2249a of Title 10, United States Code, and Sections 40 and 40A of the Arms Export Control Act to Support U.S. Special Operations to Combat Terrorism in Syria, The White House Office of the Press Secretary, December 8, 2016 Sound Clip Sources Hearing: U.S. Strategy and Policy in the Middle East, Senate Armed Services Committee, January 20, 2016. - Available on C-SPAN Witness General Jack Keane Chairman, Institute for the Study of War Former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army during the key Bush years, 1999-2003. Board of Directors at General Dynamics Timestamps & Transcripts 27:30 General Jack Keane: Partnering for training and military education is essential to raise the level of operational competence. There is no substitute for an effective ground force supported by air power. Air power is an enabler; it is not a defeat mechanism. This is about alliance members providing the predominant military response. It’s not the United States military. The United States military would provide a certain level of support. Hearing: U.S. Policy and Russian Involvement in Syria, House Foreign Affairs Committee, November 4, 2015, Witness Anne W. Patterson Assistant Secretary Department of State->Near Eastern Affairs Ambassador to Columbia during Bush years Ran the drug war for Bush in 2005 Ambassador to Pakistan Bush/Obama Ambassador to Egypt right after the “uprising” Timestamps & Transcripts 16:40 Anne Patterson: We are pursuing four interlinked goals: (1) to defeat ISIS militarily in both Syria and Iraq, (2) to develop a political transition that gives Syria a future without Bashar al-Assad, (3) to ease the suffering of the Syrian people, and (4) to stabilize our allies as they cope with massive refugee outflows. 36:44 Anne Patterson: Patterson: The idea is to have a transitional government, to work on a time table for Assad’s departure—and let me be clear that that’s a critical element of this policy—and then to work on constitutional review, and, ultimately, an election in Syria. That’s the basic outlines of Secretary Kerry’s strategy. Rep. Karen Bass: So, at this point, if there were to be a transitional government, who do you see composing that? Anne Patterson: Well, a number of opposition figures and people already on the ground. It would be key—and this was in the communiqué—that Syria’s institutions—the military, intelligence, police, civil service—would remain intact, so you wouldn’t have a total collapse of state authority. The idea is just to remove Bashar Assad… Rep. Bass: Like that happened in Iraq? Patterson: …and his cronies from power. 1:30:50 Anne Patterson: The president and certainly the secretary has said many times that Assad’s departure is absolutely critical to any future in Syria. 1:32:45 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: Those allies, do they see Assad’s removal from power as imperative to deal with this situation? Anne Patterson: Currently, our European allies, our Gulf allies, and Turkey do see that. They’re absolutely determined that he will not remain in power. 1:47:30 Anne Patterson: There’s broad consensus in the international community that these institutions in Syria would remain intact—the intelligence; the military; the police; the civil service; the ministerial structures, like health structures; and that the goal is to remove Bashar al-Assad and his closest advisors and have this political process that would lead to a new government. 1:56:10 Anne Patterson: Let me stress that that is our goal, to get Assad out. Press Conference: Arms Trade Treaty, US State Department, September 25, 2013 Transcript Secretary of State John Kerry: What this treaty does is simple: It helps lift other countries up to the highest standards. It requires other countries to create and enforce the kind of strict national export controls that the United States already has in place. Additional Reading Article: Rex Tillerson's Company Exxon, Has Billions at Stake Over Sanctions on Russia by Andrew Kramer and Clifford Krauss, New York Times, December 12, 2016. Article: Adding 200 more troops to Syria, U.S. deepens involvement by Robert Burns, Associated Press, December 10, 2016. Press Release: Senate Passes Major Portman-Murphy Counter-Propaganda Bill as Part of NDAA, Senator Rob Portman, December 8, 2016. See S. 3274: Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act See H.R. 5181: Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act Article: Pentagon buries evidence of $125 billion in bureaucratic waste by Craig Whitlock and Bob Woodward, The Washington Post, December 5, 2016. Article: Congress authorizes Trump to arm Syrian rebels with anti-aircraft missiles by Julian Pecquet, Al-Monitor, December 2, 2016. Article: U.S. arms export boom under Obama seen continuing with Trump by Mike Stone and patricia Zengerie, Reuters, November 9, 2016. Report: Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response by Carla E. Humud, Christopher Blanchard, and Mary Beth Nikitin, Congressional Research Service, September 28, 2016. Article: How Many Guns Did the U.S. Lose Track of in Iraq and Afghanistan? Hundreds of Thousands. by C.J. Chivers, New York Times Magazine, August 24, 2016. Blog Post: Resurrecting the Special Defense Acquistition Fund (SDAF) and Why It Matters to You by Todd Dudley, LinkedIn, February 23, 2016. State Department Cable: "The best way to help Israel with Iran's growing nuclear capability is to help the people of Syria overthrow the regime of Bashar Assad", author unknown, November 30, 2015. Also available in the Wikileaks directory Report: The Defense Business Board's 2015 study on how the Pentagon could save $125 billion, January 22, 2015. Article: Syria intervention plan fueled by oil interests, not chemical weapon concern by Nafeez Ahmed, The Guardian, August 30, 2013. Article: U.S. Repeals Propaganda Ban, Spreads Government-Made News to Americans by John Hudson, The Cable, July 14, 2013. Bill provision: Section 1078: Dissemination abroad of information about the United States, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Article: Iraq, Iran, Syria Sign $10 Billion Gas-Pipeline Dead by Hassan Hafidh and Beniot Faucon, The Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2011. Article: The Redirection: Is the Administration's new policy benefitting our enemies in the war on terrorism? by Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker, March 5, 2007. Webpage: Arms Trade Treaty, US Department of State Webpage: Federal Spending: Where Does the Money Go, National Priorities Project Document: S. 2943: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 summary, House Armed Services Committee, December 2017. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

We hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving. Here at VA, we are all thankful for our Veterans, their families and our staff that are committed to serve them. Episode six brings us Michael Lumpkin. Michael served in the Navy and went on to work in three federal departments. He is currently the Special Envoy and Coordinator of the Global Engagement Center at the U.S. Department of State. In this role, Mr. Lumpkin leads efforts to coordinate, integrate, and synchronize Government-wide communications activities directed at foreign audiences abroad for the purpose of countering violent extremism and terrorism. Mr. Lumpkin has more than 20 years of active duty military service as a Navy SEAL where he held every leadership position from platoon commander to Team commanding officer. Mr. Lumpkin has participated in numerous campaigns and contingencies throughout the world to include both Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Covered in Episode Six: Thoughts from Ralph Burns, a Native American Veteran. Interview with Navy Veteran Michael Lumpkin   Michael's decision to join the military. Transitioning to government work. Michael's bout with cancer. His decision to use VA health care.. Applying for health care #VeteranOfTheDay Marine Veteran Sean Riordan