A strange metallic monolith has been spotted in Romania just days after a similar structure was discovered in a remote Utah desert – before being removed by an unknown party.
The cryptic 13-foot (4m) object was found near an ancient fortress and archaeological site in the city of Piatra Neamt.
Photographs and videos show that the structure has a startling resemblance to a similar monolith that was discovered, but then hauled away by an unidentified group, in Utah last week. However, the Romanian monolith is decorated with a loop-like script that appears to be etched into the object’s metallic veneer.
Wait... so the mysterious monolith disappears in Utah, next day comes up in ROMANIA?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/gQ09twTJDk
Footage of someone tapping on the monolith, resulting in a low din, suggests that the object is hollow.
Romanian authorities are investigating how the monolith got there, the Daily Mail reported. According to one official, the structure was installed in a protected area on an archaeological site and lacked necessary approval from the Ministry of Culture.
The discovery of the strange structure comes just days after Utah’s Bureau of Land Management reported that a similar monolith had been taken away by an “unknown person or group,” after wildlife officials stumbled upon it last week. The structure, found in a remote part of the Utah desert, was also hollow and metallic. Officials tried to keep its location a secret, but internet sleuths were able to determine its coordinates, leading to a flood of pilgrims coming to the site. The discovery of the object in Utah sparked creative alien-related theories and triggered an avalanche of Stanley Kubrick memes.
It’s still not clear if there is any connection between the two mysterious structures. Despite some internet rumors, it’s unlikely the Utah monolith was transported all the way to Romania. A photographer on Facebook claims that he witnessed a group of four men toppling the object in Utah, and then hauling away pieces of the structure using wheelbarrows.
“This is why you don’t leave trash in the desert,” one of the men reportedly said, according to the eyewitness, who provided photographs which appear to corroborate his story.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has come to Australia’s defense after a Chinese diplomat shared an illustration showing an Aussie soldier with an Afghan child at knifepoint, saying the government has chided Beijing for the post.
Calling the tweet “unfactual,” Ardern told reporters on Tuesday that her administration had contacted Beijing “directly” to raise objections over the controversial image, shared on Sunday by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijan.
“There is an exchange that’s happening between Australia and China, it will of course tap into spaces where, as a general principle, we may have concerns and will raise those,” the PM said.
In this case, an image has been used that is not factually correct, that is not a genuine image. So we have raised that directly with Chinese authorities.
New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said her government has raised concerns with China about its using an image of an Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of an Afghan child https://t.co/e13c1LPUaEpic.twitter.com/U7cEHgopHI
Zhao’s tweet featured an illustration of an Australian soldier clad in combat fatigues holding a knife to the throat of a young child. “Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, & call for holding them accountable,” the diplomat wrote.
The post came on the heels of a bombshell war crimes report issued by Australian authorities in mid-November, which found that the country’s special forces executed dozens of civilians and non-combatants in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2014.
While military officials in Canberra have deemed the report “deeply disturbing” – with the chief of the Australian Defence Force calling its findings “damaging to our moral authority” – Prime Minister Scott Morrison has denounced Zhao’s tweet as “utterly outrageous,” demanding an apology from Beijing for the “terrible slur on our great defence forces.”
China has so far refused to recant, with another Foreign Ministry representative instead calling on Morrison to bring those responsible for war crimes to “justice” and to “offer an official apology to the Afghan people.”
It is Australian soldiers who committed such cruel crimes. Shouldn’t the Australian government feel ashamed? Shouldn’t they feel ashamed for their soldiers killing innocent Afghan civilians?
Though Ardern voiced support for Canberra in her latest remarks, the small Pacific island nation has generally steered clear of growing divides between Australia and China, long maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with both countries. China continues to be New Zealand’s largest trading partner, seeing annual two-way trade exceeding $23.2 billion, while the country keeps close links with Australia, both belonging to the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, along with the US, UK and Canada.
Dr. Scott Atlas, one the main advisers on President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, has ended his stint at the White House after more than four months on the job.
Atlas, formerly the chief of neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center in California, announced his departure from the Trump administration on Monday, posting his resignation letter to Twitter.
Throughout his term as adviser, Atlas said he “worked hard with a singular focus – to save lives and help Americans through this pandemic,” touting his collaboration with “several selfless colleagues in designing specific policies to heighten protection of the vulnerable while safely reopening schools and society.”
The former Stanford professor became one of the more controversial figures on the president’s pandemic task force after taking his post in August, particularly over his vocal opposition to sweeping lockdown policies imposed across the US at the state and local level. In his resignation notice, he said he and fellow researchers had “identified and illuminated… the harms of prolonged lockdowns, including that they create massive physical health losses and psychological distress, destroy families and damage our children.”
Perhaps more than anything, my advice was always focused on minimizing all the harms from both the pandemic and the structural policies themselves, especially to the working class and the poor.
Atlas – whose 130-day detail at the White House was set to expire later this week – has at times clashed with other health officials, with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield claiming in September that “everything [Atlas] says is false,” after the two dispensed conflicting advice on the importance of face coverings amid the viral outbreak.
Though he has maintained a less fraught relationship with the president than other members of the task force – such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads up the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – Atlas wished success for presumptive president-elect Joe Biden and the incoming administration.
“I sincerely wish the new team all the best as they guide the nation through these trying, polarized times,” he wrote. “With the emerging treatments and vaccines, I remain highly optimistic that America will thrive once again and overcome the adversity of the pandemic and all that it has entailed.”
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has called for starting confirmation hearings for Joe Biden's Cabinet appointees even before the presumptive president-elect is inaugurated.
Senate hearings on the Cabinet nominees should begin immediately after the Georgia run-off elections on January 5, allowing for confirmations to be completed on Biden's January 20 inauguration day and soon thereafter, Schumer said Monday on Capitol Hill. He argued Senate committees began hearings on Cabinet nominees for past presidents-elect, including Barack Obama and Donald Trump, in early January, and the Covid-19 pandemic adds to the urgency to help Biden's administration hit the ground running.
BREAKING: Sen. Schumer says Senate should begin confirmation hearings for Biden's Cabinet BEFORE inauguration:
"In the midst of this once-in-a-century crisis, it's imperative the next administration can count on the Senate to confirm its cabinet without delay" pic.twitter.com/ZcFJXbwKSa
“In the midst of this once-in-a-century crisis, it's imperative the next administration can count on the Senate to confirm its Cabinet without delay,” Schumer said.
However, Schumer overlooked the fact that this year's presidential election is still unsettled, with Trump mounting legal challenges of Biden's media-declared victory based on allegations of fraud.
The senator said Trump's early nominees were either unqualified, plagued by ethical complaints and conflicts of interest – or all three. “At the time, Republicans in the Senate lined up to confirm President Trump's appointments, arguing that a president deserves his Cabinet and broad deference on his nominees,” Schumer said. “I would hope the same deference will be extended to President-elect Biden's nominees, especially considering the obvious gulf in quality, experience, ethics.”
The Senate confirmed just two of Trump's Cabinet secretaries on inauguration day 2017, compared with six for Obama in 2009 and seven for George W. Bush in 2001. Three weeks after taking office, only half of Trump's 14 Cabinet picks had been confirmed. Obama had 12 confirmations at that point, while Bush had all 14.
Congress was evenly divided when Bush took office, so his vice president became the tie-breaking vote on January 20. Democrats controlled the Senate in 2009, including the weeks prior to Obama's inauguration.
Wisconsin has confirmed Joe Biden's election victory after a recount requested by President Donald Trump netted the Democrat challenger a few more votes, setting the stage for a legal challenge that must be filed within five days.
Ann Jacobs, the Democrat chairwoman of the Wisconsin Election Commission, confirmed results of the recount on Monday after the process was completed a day earlier. The recount, which cost the Trump campaign $3 million, netted Biden 87 more votes, adding to the 20,600-vote margin that he held after the initial tally.
Media outlets declared Biden the winner of the November 3 election on November 7, but Trump has alleged that fraudulent votes were used to push the Democrat over the top in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and other swing states. Trump's Wisconsin case is based not on the claims of faulty counting, but on the allegations of illegal votes. With the recount step now completed, the window has opened for a legal challenge for Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes.
“We have found many illegal votes,” Trump said on Saturday. “Stay tuned.”
The Wisconsin recount is not about finding mistakes in the count, it is about finding people who have voted illegally, and that case will be brought after the recount is over, on Monday or Tuesday. We have found many illegal votes. Stay tuned!
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said the Trump campaign was challenging ballots only in the two counties with the largest black populations, which he called a “disgraceful Jim Crow strategy for mass disenfranchisement of voters.” With the recount now over, he said, “there remains no question that, as usual, Wisconsin's general election was conducted professionally and securely. There's no basis at all for any assertion that there was widespread fraud that would have affected the results.”
With the recount of the presidential election complete, there remains no question that, as usual, Wisconsin's general election was conducted professionally & securely. There’s no basis at all for any assertion that there was widespread fraud that would have affected the results.
The Wisconsin confirmation came on the same day that Arizona certified Biden as winner of its 11 electoral votes. As in Wisconsin, the formalization of results opened a five-day window for legal challenges. Biden had a margin of about 10,500 votes in Arizona. Nationwide, Biden leads Trump by 306-232 in electoral votes.
A New York district showed a 28,000-vote lead for the Republican challenger on Election Day, until a judge got involved. Ballots ‘found’ since have shown the Democrat winning by 13 votes, but now the GOP candidate leads by 12.
New York state’s 22nd congressional district, stretching from Utica to Binghamton, is considered Republican by six percentage points by the Cook Political Report. It elected Democrat Anthony Brindisi in 2018 by a margin of just 4,500 votes.
Claudia Tenney, who held the seat before that, came back as a challenger this year, and seemed ahead until a county judge blocked certification and said he would personally review all the rejected mail-in ballots.
The judge miraculously "found" enough ballots that he felt were okay and the incumbent now "leads" by 13 votes.https://t.co/miAlX6bZpD
The review put Brindisi ahead by just thirteen votes, and last week he triumphantly declared he would be “sworn in and continue to work with both parties” come January.
That declaration may have been premature, however, as on Monday officials in Herkimer County revised their tally to show a lead of 12 votes – for Tenney.
“Legal fight far from over,” declared Cook Political Report editor Dave Wasserman.
Whiplash: now it's Claudia Tenney (R) back ahead of Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D) by 12 votes in #NY22 after Herkimer Co. revises its count. Legal fight far from over. https://t.co/kxgFrbRGjI
Tenney led Brindisi by some 28,000 votes on election night, but mail-in ballots reduced that gap to just 200 or so over the following days. Then Owego County state Supreme Court Justice Scott DelConte issued an injunction to block certification of the results, until all the rejected ballots could be reviewed.
Brindisi’s “premature” declaration of victory was slammed by Tenney’s campaign as evidence that the Democrats had “no interest in ensuring a fair process that preserves the integrity of the election,” with the Republican candidate insisting that “all and only legal counts are counted.”
The battle in New York’s 22nd has mirrored the national dispute between President Donald Trump and his challenger Joe Biden, whom the media have anointed as president-elect. Despite being behind on election night, Biden surged to claim victory in the key states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia due to a flood of mail-in ballots in a handful of areas.
Mainstream media and social networks have dismissed Trump’s allegations of fraud and irregularities with the vote, but the issue is ultimately down to the courts and the state legislatures to decide.
The price of Bitcoin has hit a record high, inching toward the $20,000 mark in a dramatic recovery for the world’s most popular digital currency, which has rallied more than 200 percent since March.
The cryptocurrency capped out at just over $19,850 on Monday before retreating to around $19,668, according to the CoinDesk index, surging past its previous peak of $19,666, hit in late 2017. The spike follows a week of volatility, seeing the price dip to as low as $16,200 last Thursday.
Bitcoin took a serious hit in March with the onset of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, sinking below $4,000 for a time, but has steadily climbed out of the slump, gaining some 240 percent in the time since. Demand for the digital asset has also surged, helping it bounce back to its new height.
Other major cryptos, which typically follow bitcoin’s trends, also rallied on Monday, with Ethereum and XRP gaining by some six percent, while Litecoin climbed by more than 11 percent, according to CoinMarketCap. Among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap, only Tether was down over the last 24 hours, shedding just shy of one point.
The US Department of Labor is underpaying unemployment recipients and both over- and undercounting benefit recipients as they prepare to phase out Covid-19 aid programs, the General Accountability Office has claimed.
Americans receiving expanded unemployment benefits under March’s CARES Act Covid-19 bailout are being systematically underpaid, the GAO alleged in its report published Monday. While benefits are supposed to be calculated based on how much an individual made at their most recent job, many claimants – especially those who wouldn’t qualify for unemployment benefits under pre-pandemic circumstances – have received only the bare minimum in their weekly checks.
The report highlighted the urgency of passing a second stimulus bill, noting that the expanded unemployment payments are set to expire at the end of December, leaving millions of Americans dangling from a financial cliff. Many US states have no intention of returning to pre-coronavirus “normal” any time soon, meaning those who were laid off or furloughed due to the economic shutdowns are still unable to resume work.
The Department of Labor also stands accused of both undercounting and overcounting the unemployed. The GAO pointed out that backlogs in evaluating individual cases have led to artificially low unemployment numbers being reported, while repeat claims by the same person are incorrectly recorded as multiple newly-unemployed individuals. While acknowledging that the bureau’s data collection methods haven’t changed, the report points to “the atypical unemployment environment during the pandemic” throwing standard methods out of whack.
A recommendation to include a disclaimer in the Department of Labor’s weekly reports acknowledging that “In the current unemployment environment, the numbers it reports for weeks of unemployment claimed do not accurately estimate the number of unique individuals claiming benefits” was reportedly agreed to by the department. It also “partially agreed” to use state-level data in its calculations to increase accuracy.
While the unemployment extension that doled out $600 in benefits per week to qualified individuals expired in July, Trump cushioned the cutoff with an executive order allotting $300 per week while Congress negotiated a new aid package. However, talks over a second stimulus remain deadlocked, with both parties refusing to budge as their constituents go hungry.
A study released earlier this month found 12 million people will lose their unemployment benefits at the end of December if the unemployment provisions in the CARES Act go unrenewed. A national moratorium on evictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control is also due to run out at the end of the year, potentially spelling catastrophe for the millions of Americans who haven’t been able to keep up with rent and other expenses as sweeping economic shutdowns keep entire industries on ice.
The official US unemployment rate was 6.9 percent as of October – 11.1 million Americans – a figure that does not include the underemployed (anyone working more than an hour a week), those who have given up looking for work, or those who have never held a job. A more accurate measure known as the “real unemployment rate” stood at 12.1 percent that same month. The labor force participation rate sits at 61.7 percent, excluding individuals who haven’t looked for a job in the last month. By June, some 43 million Americans had filed for unemployment since the start of the pandemic, a number not seen since the Great Depression.
The Russian city of Ekaterinburg is preparing to host the SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit. The major event brings together international sports federations and organizations, and leaders of the global sports community.
SportAccord’s managing director, Nis Hatt, visited the city over the weekend to evaluate its readiness to welcome sports officials from across the Olympic Movement.
At a meeting with the region's Governor Yevgeny Kuyvashev, which was held in the historic mansion Sevastyanov's House, Hatt hailed the local officials for the work they have done, stressing he was impressed with what he saw in the region.
“From what we have seen here over the past few days, I can say that everything is being carried out at a very, very high level. I am happy with what we have seen, you've advanced in many areas,” Hatt said.
Along with discussing the city’s intense preparations for the summit, Kuyvashev and Hatt talked about the event’s participants and possible agenda that will be considered during the six-day meeting.
They also touched upon the burning topic of the Covid-19 pandemic that has impacted global sport, saying close cooperation is needed to battle modern challenges.
“The dialogue between representatives of the international sports community and the exchange of best practices for the recovery of sports following the pandemic should be continuous. Cooperation to meet modern challenges must continue even after the forum events,” Kuyvashev said.
More than 2000 delegates representing sports federations and organizations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), are expected to attend the summit which will be held at the end of May in Ekaterinburg.
Most Russians think the world’s environmental situation has worsened over the last two or three years, with 48 percent now believing that protecting their country’s ecology is one of the state’s most urgent tasks.
That’s according to a survey taken by pollster WCIOM in July and October, published on Monday, in which 54 percent of respondents expressed concern over the degradation of the environment.
Against the backdrop of a year of freak weather, and an abnormally warm 2019 winter, it is becoming a more serious issue for the average Russian.
The findings revealed that just four percent of surveyed citizens think the environmental situation in the world and in Russia is “very good,” with a majority believing the planet’s ecology has worsened in recent years. Around a third (34 percent) of those asked in October reported that the situation has worsened in their local area.
When it comes to the government’s role, 48 percent of respondents believe environmental protection is one of the most important tasks of the state, with a majority (56 percent) of those over 65 supporting this statement. The age group least likely to agree is people aged between 25 and 34, at just 38 percent.
For those questioned, the most pressing environmental problems are the pollution of bodies of water and their banks, as well as deforestation and unauthorized garbage dumps.
2020 has seen Russia experience freak weather incidents on both ends of the scale. In June, the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk recorded a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius, the highest ever seen within the Arctic Circle. That month, the same region also saw forest fires. A few months later, in mid-November, the far-eastern city of Vladivostok saw strong winds and freezing rain, leading to a state of emergency as thousands of residents went without power for days.
In October, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Valdai Club policy advisory that climate tensions have “reached a critical point,” noting that Russia is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of global warming, as 65 percent of the country’s territory is made up of permafrost.
“It affects pipeline systems, residential districts built on permafrost, and so on,” Putin explained. “If as much as 25 percent of the near-surface layers of permafrost, which is about three or four meters, melt by 2100, we will feel the effect very strongly.”
A new report by BloombergNEF (BNEF) has attributed the Covid-19 pandemic to a record decline in carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.
The report estimates that 2020 emissions will be 9.2 percent lower than in 2019, reaching a level last seen in 1983.
Although US carbon dioxide emissions have been declining for a dozen years, BNEF estimates that this year’s decline will be the largest on record. Without the impact of Covid-19, the report estimates that emissions would have still fallen by about one percent. Thus, the pandemic alone was responsible for about an 8 percent decrease in emissions.
The report breaks down emissions by sector, and also includes the impacts of this year’s forest fires. On the sector-by-sector impact, BNEF Chief Content Officer Nathaniel Bullard wrote:
“Transport, now the biggest contributor to US greenhouse gas emissions, has taken its biggest year-on-year hit ever. Emissions from transportation will probably be down more than twice as much as during the early days of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Power emissions are likely to drop by a record proportion too, but industrial emissions won’t.”
Forest fires were a significant contributor to US emissions this year. Although the transport and power sectors are experiencing estimated declines of 4.0 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively, forest fires are estimated to have added 2.8 percent to US emissions this year. That would offset the decline from the power sector. However, the report also notes that the impact from forest fires is usually temporary, as atmospheric carbon dioxide is removed as the forests regrow.
The flip side of the historic emission decrease this year is that BNEF expects a significant rebound in emissions after the pandemic. However, the report highlights that the silver lining in this year’s pandemic is that it puts the US back on track to meeting our commitments from the Paris Accord prior to leaving the agreement:
“The downtick in emissions we expect to see for 2020 would bring the US back on track to meet its original Paris pledge of reducing emissions 26-28 percent on 2005 levels by 2025. Prior to that, the US was well off track. The pandemic inadvertently gives the US a second chance to make good on its commitment.”
Dalma Maradona – daughter of late Argentine football icon Diego – was overcome with emotion as Boca Juniors players paid tribute to her father during their game against Newell’s Old Boys on Sunday.
Sitting in her father’s box at the famous Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, a venue her father graced during two spells at either end of his career, the 33-year-old Dalma broke down in tears when Boca players went to the touchline in front of her and laid down a Maradona shirt while applauding her after Edwin Cardona had struck a free-kick to open the scoring in their 2-0 win.
The raw emotion of Dalma Maradona, Diego’s daughter, upon receiving an ovation from Boca Juniors after scoring the game’s opening goal.
Sunday’s Primera Division match in the Argentine capital featured two of World Cup winner Maradona’s former clubs, and both paid tribute to the national icon before the game by wearing shirts emblazoned with his image. Once the action started, all the players had ‘Maradona’ written on the back of their shirts in place of where their own names would normally be.
The heartfelt scenes were reflected around the world as football paid tribute over the weekend to Maradona, who died of heart failure at the age of 60 at his home just outside Buenos Aires on November 25.
In Spain, Lionel Messi celebrated scoring in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Osasuna by taking off his shirt to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys jersey with number 10 on underneath, while pointing upwards to the sky.
At Napoli, the club where Maradona won two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup to ascend to god-like status, players wore a specially commissioned Argentina-style kit for their game against Roma on Sunday, which they won 4-0. The club has also signaled it will change the name of its stadium to honor Maradona.
Away from the tributes, there were concerning scenes on Sunday when the home and clinic of Maradona’s personal physician, Leopoldo Luque, were raided as investigators look into possible negligence in the football icon’s death.
Maradona was recovering at home from brain surgery when he suffered a heart attack.
Dalma, one of the late star's three daughters, is said to have raised concerns alongside her sibling Giannina over her father's treatment at the time of his passing.
When asked if the government will have to rely on Labour to get its new Covid plan through Parliament, Environment Secretary George Eustice said 100 Tory MPs have ‘concerns’ over PM Johnson’s tier restrictions and could oppose it.
Speaking to Sky News, Eustice acknowledged “There is great frustration with the emergency measures that we have had to take to deal with this pandemic…There could be 100 or so people who have got concerns but the Prime Minister and other ministers will be working very hard to reassure them.”
The scale of the unrest on the Conservative benches could spell trouble ahead of Tuesday’s vote in the House of Commons on the new Covid-19 restrictions for England. With a majority of 80, the government will need the opposing Labour Party’s backing if only 40 Conservative MPs rebel against Johnson’s proposal.
In order to quell the rebellion, the environment secretary said the prime minister will need to show concerned MPs and people across England that there is a clear route out of the cycle of lockdowns and tiered restrictions.
In the same interview, Eustice refused to rule out the possibility of a third national lockdown next year, after families have gathered for Christmas, warning that the ongoing pandemic is a rapidly developing situation.
However, he suggested that, providing that the country maintain the tiered approach for “as long as necessary,” the government can see a way out of this situation by early next summer, following the rollout of the vaccine.
The comments from the environment secretary come as new research shows that coronavirus infections dropped by almost a third in England during the second national lockdown. The report from Imperial College London’s React study saw a 30 percent drop in Covid-19 cases over a fortnight, with high-risk areas, such as the North East and North West, seeing infections fall by more than half.
Professor Paul Elliott, director of Imperial’s programme, suggested these figures will bolster the government’s argument that lockdowns and tiered systems help lower cases.
Russian Disinformation. Russian Disinformation. Russian Disinformation. How many times have you heard that over the past four years? But what about British disinformation? This phenomenon seems to completely escape scrutiny.
Much of the current Russia paranoia began with claims that Donald Trump was recruited by Russian intelligence years ago as a sleeper agent, and then given a leg-up into the presidency of the United States with the help of the GRU. The claims of ‘collusion’ were repeated over and over, and yet at the end of the day none of them could be substantiated. And where did it all start? In the now-notorious dossier assembled by former British spook Christopher Steele.
Steele, it has now been revealed, got his information from a guy called Igor Danchenko. He, in turn, got a lot of it from a former classmate, Olga Galkina, described as an alcoholic “disgruntled PR executive living in Cyprus,” and as such obviously a well-informed source with intimate knowledge of the Kremlin’s innermost secrets.
In short, the Steele dossier was a load of hokum, commissioned by a British Black PR operative and then fabricated by some random Russian emigres with no access to anything of value. And yet, millions believed it.
And then, we have the story of Brexit. Ever since the 2016 referendum which resulted in Britain leaving the European Union, we have been repeatedly told that the victory of the Leave campaign was made possible by ‘Russian interference’. Most significantly, it was claimed that the Russian government illicitly funded the Leave campaign by funnelling money through the campaign’s most significant financial backer, businessman Arron Banks.
Leading the charge against Russia and Banks was journalist Carole Cadwalladr of the Observer (as the Sunday version of the Guardian is known). “We know that the Russian government offered money to Arron Banks,” she said. “I am not even going to go into the lies that Arron Banks has told about his covert relationship with the Russian government,” she added, “I say he lied about his contact with the Russian government. Because he did.”
But it turns out that it was Cadwalladr who had a tricky relationship with the truth. Angered by her assertions, Arron Banks sued her for libel. Three weeks ago, she publicly backed down from one of her accusations. “On 22 Oct 2020,” she said, “I tweeted that Arron had been found to have broken the law. I accept he has not. I regret making this false statement, which I have deleted. I undertake not to repeat it. I apologise to Arron for the upset and distress caused.”
This week, Cadwalladr went further. The judge in the libel trial ruled that the meaning of her statement that Banks had lied about his relationship with the Russians was that he had lied about taking money from Russia, and that she had intended this as a statement of fact, not a call for further investigation. In the face of this judgement, Cadwalladr withdrew her ‘truth’ defence and has been ordered to pay Banks’ costs relating to this aspect of the case. In doing so, she effectively conceded that she was not willing to defend as fact the proposition that Russia financed Leave via Banks. While Cadwalladr continues to fight the case using a ‘public interest’ defence, the withdrawal of the truth argument is a dramatic concession.
The Banks story is not the only problematic aspect of Cadwalladr’s reporting. The journalist earned international plaudits and a prestigious Orwell prize for her report on how the British firm Cambridge Analytica supposedly used big data dredged up out of Facebook to help both the Leave campaign and Donald Trump win victories in 2016. This too had a Russian connection. In a 2018 article for the Observer, Cadwalladr described how “Aleksandr Kogan, the Cambridge University academic who orchestrated the harvesting of Facebook data, had previously unreported ties a Russian university … Cambridge Analytica, the data firm he worked with … also attracted interest from a key Russian firm with links to the Kremlin.”
Others jumped on the Russia-Cambridge connection. “The Facebook data farmed by Cambridge Analytica was accessed from Russia,” claimed British MP Damian Collins, head of the House of Commons Select Committee for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport. In this capacity, he then published a report outlining allegations of Russian propaganda and meddling in British affairs, including unsubstantiated insinuations that Russian money had influenced the Brexit campaign via Mr Banks.
And yet, all this was false too. The United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) spent over two years investigating Cambridge Analytica, including its alleged role in the Brexit referendum, the 2016 US presidential election, and its supposed ties to Russian government influence operations. Having completed its investigation, the ICO reported that, apart from a single Russian IP address in data connected to Cambridge Analytica, it had found no evidence of Russian involvement with the company. Moreover, it concluded that claims of the company’s enormous influence were “hype,” unjustified by the facts.
In other words, just like the Steele dossier, the whole story about Russia influencing the outcome of the Brexit referendum was made-up nonsense.
And yet, it has had an enormous influence. The allegations that Russia ‘interfered’ in Brexit have been repeated again and again – in parliamentary reports, newspaper articles, scholarly journals, books, social media, and so on. Despite their falsehood, they have enjoyed a spread and influence that Russian ‘meddlers’ could only dream of.
Will the peddlers of British disinformation repent? Will they now pen scores of articles admitting that they were wrong? Will they give evidence to Parliament denouncing the scourge of false stories about Russia emanating from the British media and MPs?
Of course not. Ms Cadwalladr’s humiliation will get a few lines buried somewhere deep in some newspapers’ inner pages, and will then be forgotten. Meanwhile, the original claims will remain uncorrected in the many documents that repeat them, and the myth of Russian interference in Brexit will trundle on as a basis for denouncing the threat emanating from the East. The damage has been done. Ms Cadwalladr has been discredited, but someone else will soon be found to pick up the torch.
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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
Mike Tyson has said he continued his daily ritual of enjoying marijuana before his draw with Roy Jones Jr on Saturday and has even smoked during fights, adding that there is "no explanation" for an addiction that has "no end."
The former heavyweight champion returned in an exhibition event that did not test the veterans for marijuana beforehand, and Tyson has confirmed that he "absolutely" smoked ahead of his first fight in 15 years at the age of 54.
Both fighters were tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association ahead of the bout in Los Angeles, but Tyson's fondness for marijuana - he has his own ranch and strain which has been sampled by the likes of ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor - did not come under scrutiny in the checks.
“I can’t stop smoking,” confessed "Iron Mike" after returning for the lucrative scrap that attracted a huge pay-per-view audience.
“Ismoked during fights. I just have to smoke. I’m sorry. I smoke every day. I never stopped smoking.
“It’s just who I am. It has no effect on me from a negative standpoint. It’s just what I do and how I am and how I’m going to die.
"There’s no explanation. There’s no beginning. There’s no end. It just numbs me. It doesn’t numb the pain.”
Speaking in the build-up to the much-anticipated fight, Tyson told broadcaster Joe Rogan that he had "pretty much stopped" smoking cannabis, explaining that his return was "all about change".
His post-match revelations contradict that claim, although he said he had stopped using cocaine around two-and-a-half years ago.
Tyson and Jones Jr did not disgrace themselves in a competitive encounter that many had feared would be dangerous for two fighters in their 50s, and Tyson repeated his pledge to raise money for good causes while continuing to suggest that he could face some of the sport's elite current names.
“My ego is taking the money, buying some planes, some nice houses, picking up a bunch of chicks and having some orgies and stuff," he said.
“This is not who I am right now. That guy was just somebody that had to be. Eventually, he was a platform to become me. In a perfect world, I’m a missionary.
“Maybe we [can] do something [else] in the south of France. Monaco or in Saint-Tropez.
"We can do something out there, one of the European fighters out there or something. Anything is possible. The sky is the limit.”
Beijing has rejected calls for an apology after a Chinese official shared a doctored poster of an Australian soldier attacking an Afghan girl, urging Canberra to instead seek forgiveness for its alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an official apology from Beijing after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian posted a tweet calling for justice over a recent war-crimes report released in Australia – with an illustration of an Aussie soldier holding a knife to a child’s throat.
Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts, &call for holding them accountable. pic.twitter.com/GYOaucoL5D
But Beijing appears to be standing by Lijian. Hua Chunying, who also serves as a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, insisted that the Chinese government had nothing to apologize for.
“The Australian government should bring the culprits to justice and offer an official apology to the Afghan people and make the solemn pledge that they will never repeat such crimes. They said that the Chinese government should feel ashamed. It is Australian soldiers who committed such cruel crimes. Shouldn’t the Australian government feel ashamed? Shouldn’t they feel ashamed for their soldiers killing innocent Afghan civilians?” she said during a press briefing on Monday.
The ministry spokesperson also accused the Australian government of reacting “strongly” to Lijan’s tweet, while not showing similar anger over evidence of a string of unlawful killings in Afghanistan revealed by the recently released report.
Does that mean that they think the cold blood murder of Afghan innocent civilians is justified while other people’s condemnation of such crimes are not justified? Afghan lives matter.
Morrison described the post as a “false image, and a terrible slur on our great defense forces,” and urged Twitter to delete the message. The social media platform instead opted to “hide” the image for some users, adding a warning that the post contains “potentially sensitive content.”
An official four-year investigation that ended earlier this month found “credible evidence” of war crimes committed by elite Australian troops in Afghanistan. The report identified evidence of 39 unlawful killings carried out by Aussie forces in the country. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne wrote to her Afghan counterpart and “extended apologies for the misconduct identified by the inquiry, by some Australian military personnel.” Morrison also discussed the report with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have identified a new species of ctenophore using only HD footage from a deep sea drone for the first time in history.
The gelatinous marine invertebrate or ‘deep sea blob’ Duobrachium sparksae was spotted by the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer off the coast of Puerto Rico in 2015 at a depth of 3,900 meters (roughly 2.5 miles down).
The deep sea drone beamed back eerie footage of the strange blob-like creature, which measures less than a millimeter long, to scientists at the surface.
Though the dive took place in 2015, the scientists wanted to be absolutely sure before claiming the discovery of a new species and took their time painstakingly sifting through footage from the expedition.
Typically, new species classification requires extensive laboratory testing and examinations, something which is extraordinarily difficult with deep sea blobs like D. Sparksae as they do not last long outside the crushing depths of the ocean.
“We don't have the same microscopes as we would in a lab, but the video can give us enough information to understand the morphology in detail, such as the location of their reproductive parts and other aspects,” explained NOAA marine biologist Allen Collins.
D. Sparksae boasts a balloon-like body from which extend two long tentacles that were observed, in at least one instance, anchoring the animal to the seabed, maintaining a constant depth, which may facilitate feeding in the murky underwater trench known as the Guajataca Canyon.
“It moved like a hot air balloon attached to the seafloor on two lines, maintaining a specific altitude above the seafloor. Whether it's attached to the seabed, we're not sure. We did not observe direct attachment during the dive, but it seems like the organism touches the seafloor,” says oceanographer Mike Ford.
There are between 100 and 150 known species of ctenophores, aka comb jellies, sea gooseberries, sea walnuts, or Venus's girdles. Despite their uncanny resemblance, ctenophores are not related to jellyfish, though they are carnivorous, feeding on small arthropods and larvae found in the deep.
Given the extreme environment which this particular sea blob inhabits, researchers are unsure when they might next be able to catch a glimpse of this extraordinary creature.
Khamzat Chimaev’s camp have refuted claims that the Russian-born UFC fighter’s main event contest with Leon Edwards scheduled for December 19 is in danger after reports that Chimaev tested positive for coronavirus.
Reports emerged in Sweden on Sunday that Chimaev had tested positive for Covid-19 and that his headline bout with Edwards at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas could be scrapped.
However, sources in the Chimaev camp have dismissed those rumors, telling RT Sport they are “not true” – but without elaborating on whether they were referring to the supposed positive Covid-19 test, or that the fight was in danger of being pulled.
The fight between the pair – should it go ahead as planned – could shift the 170lbs landscape significantly.
Edwards, 29, will be returning to the octagon for the first time since July 2019.
The Brit is on an eight-fight unbeaten run and will aim to derail the Chimaev hype train, at the same time burnishing his own claims for a shot at the title currently held by Kamaru Usman.
A win for Chechen-born Swede Chimaev, 26, would establish him as a legitimate contender in the welterweight ranks and would continue his rise as one of the most exciting fighters to emerge in 2020.
Chimaev stormed onto the UFC scene this year with three wins in the space of 66 days, and has been praised by the likes of UFC boss Dana White as the real deal.
The weapon used in the killing of Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, on Friday was made in Israel, Iranian state media claims. Tehran had previously accused Israel of being behind the assassination.
The “remains of the weapon” from the site of the attack outside Tehran bear “the logo and specifications of the Israeli military industry,” an informed source told Iranian English-language broadcaster, Press-TV.
On Sunday, Iran’s Defense Ministry said that it “had a lead” on the identity of the perpetrators and promised an official announcement with details “soon.”
Top Iranian officials blamed Israel for masterminding Fakhrizadeh’s killing and promised “hard revenge.”
Tel-Aviv has denied any involvement, with Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen saying that he didn’t know who was behind the attack. However, Cohen confessed that he hadn’t shed a tear over Fakhrizadeh’s death, which, according to him, made the world a safer place. “Anyone who takes an active part in creating a nuclear weapon is a dead man walking,” he told Army Radio.
Israel has been blaming Tehran for years of working towards creating a nuclear weapon, while also labeling Fakhrizadeh as the head of the program. Iran insists that its nuclear developments are solely of a peaceful nature.
Press-TV didn’t specify the type of weapons used to target the scientist, only saying that the attack involved “at least one explosion and machinegun fire.”
Several different accounts of the assassination have been circulating in Iranian media. According to one scenario, the operation was carried out by a 12-man commando team, while another claimed that Fakhrizadeh’s motorcade was attacked with a remote-controlled machine gun from some 150 meters away.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that gaps in access to life-saving tools are undermining efforts to curb malaria, as deaths from the disease will far exceed those killed by Covid-19 in sub-Saharan Africa.
In its latest World Malaria Report', the WHO says progress against malaria continues to plateau. In some African states, the fight against the mosquito-borne disease has been set back due to gaps in access to life-saving tools, with disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic only aggravating the situation.
Last year, more than 409,000 people were killed by malaria globally, and most of them were children in the impoverished parts of Africa.
The toll may be higher this year. “Our estimates are that depending on the level of service disruption … there could be an excess of malaria deaths of somewhere between 20,000 and 100,000 in sub-Saharan Africa, most of them in young children,” said Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO’s malaria program.
It’s very likely that excess malaria mortality is larger than the direct Covid mortality.
Even moderate disruptions in access to treatment could lead to a considerable loss of life, the WHO said. A 10 percent disruption in access to effective antimalarial treatment in sub-Saharan Africa could lead to 19 000 additional deaths, while disruptions of 25 and 50 percent could result in an additional 46,000 and 100,000 deaths respectively.
Despite recent achievements, progress in fighting the disease in the region has stalled, Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, warned.
Covid-19 threatens to further derail our efforts to overcome malaria.
The official called on international partners and countries to do more to ensure that the resources are there to expand malaria programs, even despite the “devastating impact” Covid-19 has had on African economies.
Since 2000, the WHO has reported that 1.5 billion malaria cases and 7.6 million deaths have been averted globally.
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British telecommunications firms must not install new Huawei 5G kit after September 2021, the government said on Monday. The move is part of a plan to purge the Chinese firm’s equipment from high speed mobile networks.
The announcement comes ahead of a debate on new telecoms legislation in parliament.
“I am setting out a clear path for the complete removal of high-risk vendors from our 5G networks,” digital minister Oliver Dowden said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters. “This will be done through new and unprecedented powers to identify and ban telecoms equipment which poses a threat to our national security.”
London has also announced a new strategy to diversify the 5G supply chain, consisting of an initial £250 million ($333.5 million) investment, trials in collaboration with Japanese firm NEC, and the establishment of new research facilities.
The UK has already banned the purchase of new Huawei 5G kit after the end of the year. It initially allowed and then banned the use of equipment made by the Chinese tech giant in 5G mobile phone networks from the end of 2027, citing concerns that sanctions by the United States meant the Chinese company would not be a reliable supplier.
Beijing has criticized those decisions, while Huawei said last week that it was disappointed by the fact Britain was looking to exclude it from the 5G rollout after the publication of new laws that could see firms fined £100,000 ($133,140) if they break the ban.
The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has gone on the offensive after a participant in its coronavirus vaccine trial sued the firm, alleging he suffered serious side effects from the jab.
In a countersuit, SII has demanded Rs 100 crore ($13.5 million USD) from the volunteer for his “malicious and misconceived” allegation that Covishield, a version of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University Covid-19 jab, led to a medical episode.
In a statement, the company said it was “sympathetic with the volunteer's medical condition” but that there is “absolutely no correlation with the vaccine trial and the medical condition of the volunteer.” The Pune-based drug manufacturer stressed that the volunteer was “specifically informed by the medical team that the complications he suffered were independent of the vaccine trial he underwent,” but the individual “still chose to go public and malign the reputation” of SII.
The volunteer, a 40-year-old man from Chennai, claims he suffered severe neurological damage after taking part in the phase three trial of Covishield. He sued SII for Rs 5 crore ($676,000 USD) and demanded SII, AstraZeneca and the Oxford Vaccine Group immediately halt vaccine trials, involving some 1,600 volunteers.
The man reportedly suffered from headaches and vomiting ten days after receiving the jab. He was taken to the hospital after displaying abnormal behavior.
The trial participant was later discharged at his own request. Hospital documents stated he was recovering from “acute encephalopathy,” was suffering from vitamin deficiencies and was suspected of having a “connective tissue disorder.”
A medical official cited by local media said that the man was “now alright” and did not incur any expenses for his time in the emergency ward. The man’s wife claims he has not fully recovered.
In September, SII halted its clinical trials of Covishield after a recipient of the AstraZeneca jab experienced adverse symptoms.
The lawsuit and countersuit come as SII prepares to apply for emergency authorization to distribute and administer Covishield around India.
Formula One driver Romain Grosjean could be set for a swift return as he praised the ‘Halo’ safety device for helping him emerge from his horrific crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix during which his Haas car burst into flames.
The Frenchman slammed into a steel barrier at an estimated speed of 140mph (225kph) while exiting turn three on lap one of Sunday’s race, causing his car to split into two and the driver to remain stuck in the cockpit.
The impact immediately sent the vehicle up in flames as Grosjean somehow managed to scramble clear of the inferno almost 20 seconds later.
Dramatic scenes showed the 34-year-old leaping over a barrier and away from the burning wreckage of his car, aided by marshals and medical staff who were quick to arrive at the scene.
His Haas team later confirmed Grosjean had survived the incident relatively unscathed, only suffering minor burns.
Later speaking from his bed at Bahrain’s BDF military hospital, the driver hailed the ‘Halo’ safety device as helping him escape a far worse fate.
"Hello everyone, I just wanted to say I am OK, well, sort of OK," Grosjean said in a video posted on Instagram, showing his bandaged hands.
"Thank you very much for all the messages. I wasn't for the Halo some years ago, but I think it's the greatest thing that we've brought to Formula 1, and without it I wouldn't be able to speak with you today.
"So thanks to all the medical staff at the circuit, at the hospital, and hopefully I can write you quite soon some messages and tell you how it's going."
The Halo runs around the top of the cockpit of F1 cars and was a controversial addition when introduced for the 2018 season, but in Grosjean’s case it appears to have borne much of the impact when he slammed into the barrier.
After the terrifying crash Sunday’s race was delayed by 90 minutes as workers tried to repair the barrier which had been decimated by the impact from Grosjean’s car, which is registered to have been at 53G.
Immediate concern had spread around the paddock and on social media, before fears were allayed when the news filtered out that the Frenchman had emerged mostly unharmed.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who went on to win the restarted race, used the break in action to tweet his relief that Grosjean had survived, and after the checkered flag shared further thoughts on the frightening scenes.
"What a crazy day. I’m so glad that both Romain and Lance [Stroll] were able to walk away from their accidents today. I’m wishing you both a speedy recovery," the Mercedes driver wrote on social media.
"That was a tough race overall, I’m sure the other drivers felt it too. It’s a reminder to us and hopefully to the people who are watching that this is a dangerous sport, whilst we’re out there pushing the limits. We have to respect it.
"So grateful to the marshals and medical teams for the work they’ve done to put safety first today."
Starting from 19th on the grid, Grosjean had crashed when he steered right across the track coming out of turn three, clipping the wheel of Russian driver Daniil Kvyat’s AlphaTauri car and then spearing straight into the barrier.
Kvyat was involved in another scary-looking crash later in the race when he made contact with Racing Point driver Lance Stroll, causing the Canadian's car to flip over and land upside down. Thankfully, Stroll also walked away from the crash.
Discussing a potential return date for Grosjean, Haas team boss Guenther Steiner said it could come as soon as next weekend at the Sakhir Grand Prix, also in Bahrain.
“I will go there tomorrow [Monday] morning, speak with him and see what the doctors have to say tomorrow and go from there,” Steiner said.
“We’ve always got a plan in place but at the moment my plan is if he’s OK to get back in there to race in Bahrain next week [he can]. But we have to wait...
“It will be only in the next few days when we get from the doctors the verdict of how bad the injuries are then we decide what we’re doing.
China’s official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) has expanded for the ninth straight month to 52.1 in November. A reading above 50 on the index indicates expansion.
The PMI, a key indicator of the health of a country’s manufacturing sector based on a survey of sentiment among factory owners, rose by 0.7 points compared to last month, according to data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. The reading continued to beat market expectations, with analysts polled by Reuters forecasting November’s reading to stand at 51.5.
Meanwhile, China’s non-manufacturing PMI, which reflects sentiment in the services and construction sectors, also finished higher than expected, increasing to 56.4 this month versus 56.2 recorded in October.
The composite PMI that covers both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors also showed growth. “The composite PMI was 55.7 in November, up 0.4 from previous month, showing that corporate production and operation activities continued to accelerate in China and the stable recovery trend was further consolidated,” senior NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said, as quoted by media.
The statistics agency said that the strong performance of the manufacturing sector was driven by sub-gauges of production and new export orders and import, which hit the best levels of the year. The strong performance of those spheres compensated for weaker growth in the textile and clothing sector, which was still in the contraction territory this month, according the NBS.
An increase in exports and imports came despite the rising number of coronavirus infections across the globe. While some economies started to reopen, the resurgence of the virus may eventually push demand for China’s exports down, some analysts warned.
China, which was the first country to suffer from the coronavirus outbreak which forced a strict lockdown in the affected regions, is set to see the weakest economic growth in three decades this year, with its gross domestic product (GDP) expected to expand around two percent. The modest growth would still be much better than in most parts of the world, with all major economies except China expected to see contraction this year.
An Obamacare architect, former Hillary Clinton adviser and career Russiagater, Neera Tanden, has been tapped as potential budget office director under Biden, setting Twitter on fire with recollections of her toxic track record.
Tanden was a healthcare adviser under the Barack Obama administration and helped draft his brainchild the Affordable Care Act. A close ally of Hillary Clinton during her unsuccessful 2016 presidential run, she currently heads the pro-Clinton think tank Center for American Progress. Although born and raised in the United States, Tanden’s parents are immigrants from India.
The mainstream media have praised her potentially becoming “the first woman of color and the first South Asian American to lead the Office of Management and Budget.”
Known for her combative tweeting, Tanden seems to have a habit of clashing with anyone who questions the wisdom of the Democratic Party’s political machine.
Journalist Vincent Bevins joked that her potential nomination should be seen as an inspiration which “shows that a lifetime of posting cringe is not a barrier to higher office.”
Grayzone writer and assistant editor Ben Norton labelled Tanden a “neoliberal troll” who “hates the left with a burning passion and spends all her time on here attacking leftists.” In fact, Tanden was openly hostile towards supporters of Vermont senator and two-time presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. The left-leaning lawmaker accused Tanden last year of “maligning my staff & supporters and belittling progressive ideas.”
Her hostility towards those critical of Clinton reportedly even led to physical scuffles. In 2008, Tanden is said to have assaulted a staffer after he asked Clinton a critical question about the Iraq war.
Conservative pundit Mike Cernovich described Tanden as a “garden variety resistance troll,” although this description arguably doesn’t do justice to her impressive output of Russiagate-related outbursts.
She was a militant disciple of the debunked theory that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was in cahoots with Moscow, floating countless bizarre allegations, including, but certainly not limited to, the proposition that Russian hackers had infiltrated Florida’s voting system with Trump’s full knowledge during the 2016 election.
Tanden provocatively alleged that WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange engaged in “fascist behavior” by publishing leaked State Department emails and other US documents.
Her foreign policy views have also raised eyebrows. She (in)famously suggested Libya should provide compensation, in the form of oil, to the US as a means of repayment for its “liberation.” A US-led NATO intervention in 2011 turned the North African nation into a safe haven for warlords, terrorists and human traffickers.
“Given tonight's news, I hope oil-rich countries around the world are increasing the security on their rigs and drilling sites,” journalist Glenn Greenwald quipped, citing an email of Tanden’s that was leaked to the Intercept.
“We have a giant deficit. They have a lot of oil. Most Americans would choose not to engage in the world because of that deficit. If we want to continue to engage in the world, gestures like having oil rich countries partially pay us back doesn’t seem crazy to me,” she wrote in the message.
Tanden’s positions on budgetary issues have been similarly controversial, and could signal what she would advocate for if she takes the reins at the Office of Management and Budget. In 2012, she urged the Obama administration to cut Social Security.
“If we’re going to have a deal to address long-term deficit reduction, we need to put both entitlements on the table as well as taxes,” she said at the time.
However, Tanden’s appointment would need to be confirmed by the Senate, which appears to be a tall order given her less-than-diplomatic approach to politics.
“Neera Tanden, who has an endless stream of disparaging comments about the Republican Senators whose votes she’ll need, stands zero chance of being confirmed,” Republican Sen. John Cornyn’s communications director, Drew Brandewie, wrote on Twitter.
Reporter Matt Zeitlin noted that senators would likely “have Neera Tanden’s tweets blown up on a posterboard and then ask her to explain them under oath,” a scenario which he described as a “nightmare.”
