http://www.districtofcolumbia.tech/

This website is about Manchester and Dublin. There are concerns about the labor unions and military academies in Germany's eastern provinces. East Germany traded in East German mark. There are likely radio signals sent between Lubeck and Manchester pertaining to organized labor. Lubeck is a German port near the Gulf of Danzig. Warsaw is inland. There seem to be labor leaders in Warsaw who manage trade through Irish ports.
Archive 1, Archive 2, Archive 3, Archive 4, Archive 5, Archive 6, Archive 7, Archive 8, Notes about the Virginians, Archive 9, Archive 10, Archive 11,
Archive 12, Archive 13, Archive 14, Archive 15, Archive 16, Archive 17, Archive 18, Archive 19, Archive 20, Archive 21, Archive 22, Archive 23, Archive 24, Archive 25, Archive 26, Archive 27, Archive 28, Archive 29, Archive 30, Archive 31

This is me talking more about Irish language examples. 3-9-25

Probably Dmitri studied computer engineering at the institute in Saint Petersburg.
Вероятно, Дмитрий изучал компьютерную технику в институте в Санкт-Петербурге.

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Il y a un agresseur : la Russie. Il y a un peuple agressé : l'Ukraine. Nous avons tous eu raison d'aider l'Ukraine et de sanctionner la Russie il y a trois ans et de continuer à le faire. Nous, c’est les Américains, les Européens, Canadiens, Japonais et plusieurs autres. Merci à tous ceux qui ont aidé et continuent. Et respect à ceux qui, depuis le début, se battent. Parce qu'ils se battent pour leur dignité, leur indépendance, pour leurs enfants et pour la sécurité de l'Europe.

1) My translation
Russia is the belligerent nation, instead of Ukraine. Our reasons for the sanctions and war efforts are sound. America, Europe, Canada, and Japan are all the same country. It's one big earth continent. This is an important issue in Europe about Ukrainian independence.

2) The French translation
There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a victim: Ukraine. We were right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago—and to keep doing so. By “we,” I mean the Americans, the Europeans, the Canadians, the Japanese, and many others. Thank you to all who have helped and continue to do so. And respect to those who have been fighting since the beginning—because they are fighting for their dignity, their independence, their children, and the security of Europe.

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Дмитрий Медведев @MedvedevRussia May 9, 2024 С Днём Великой Победы!

Дмитрий Медведев @MedvedevRussia Mar 17, 2024 Поздравляю всех врагов России с блестящей победой Владимира Путина на выборах Президента Российской Федерации! Друзьям – спасибо за поддержку

Теперь Х? Отлично, там, где Х, там V и Z!

1) How Bulgaria and New York harbor are strategic lands for navies.
2) And if there is corruption, it's hard to defend those places against illegal migration.

A private higher education institution in Bulgaria has been exposed as a front for illegal migration rather than an actual university. The European Polytechnic University (EPU) in Pernik, which is owned by the Italian educational group Pegaso International, has not been conducting any real educational activities for several years, according to Education Minister Krasimir Valchev. Instead, it has allegedly functioned as a channel for migrant trafficking.

A drunk-driving FDNY firefighter who fatally struck a 23-year-old BMW driver in Queens was also high on both cocaine and marijuana when he ran a red light speeding nearly 60 miles per hour over the limit, prosecutors revealed on Thursday. Firefighter Michael Pena, 28, refused to take a breath test at the scene of the devastating, early-morning Wednesday crash. But after a warrant was issued for a blood draw, investigators discovered the drugs in his system, prosecutors said at his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court Thursday night. Victim Justin Diaz had just left his family’s home when the Mercedes-Benz driver barreled through an East Elmhurst intersection around 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, T-boning Diaz’s BMW, shocking footage obtained by the Daily News shows. Pena was driving 83 mph in a 25 mph zone following a night of drinking at a bar on Bell Blvd. in Bayside, Queens, prosecutors charged. Surveillance footage from the bar showed him having his first drink around 6 p.m. — nearly 11 hours before the crash, they added. Diaz was headed to his job at LaGuardia Airport just before the crash, where he worked handling luggage for an airline, his devastated brother said after Pena’s arraignment.

Not long after a Nassau detective staged a fake raid at a mob-run gambling den in the back of a shoe repair shop on behalf of the Bonnano crime family, the owner spotted the cop in an unlikely place — a seedy Long Island bar run by a Bonanno associate, the shoemaker testified.

A Bronx-based immigration attorney who committed expansive fraud and stole $16 million from his clients was sentenced Wednesday to nearly six years in prison. Kofi Amankwaa, 70, was also ordered to pay the $16 million in restitution and $13 million in penalties, the Justice Department announced in a press release.

A 28-year-old straphanger was slashed across his stomach in Queens early Thursday when he refused to hand over money to two men looking to rob him, police said. The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center in stable condition. The attackers, one of whom stole $300 from the victim after his accomplice slashed him, fled the scene and are being sought. The incident happened at about 5 a.m. on the Manhattan-bound platform at the 90th St.-Elmhurst Ave. station.

This is me talking more about the NYFD budget. 2-27-25

This is me talking about New York City. 2-21-25

A Bulgarian police report. Also, the Russian security firms in Africa.

Cocaine worth over BGN 400,000 was seized during a specialized police operation in Blagoevgrad, Ivaylo Filipov, supervising prosecutor on the case and spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office, said on Thursday. Stanislava Arabadzhieva, head of the Blagoevgrad District Prosecutor's Office, said that the operation was conducted by officers from the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime who busted a crime ring operating in the Blagoevgrad Region. The organized criminal group is linked to the distribution, possession, production, and smuggling of drugs. Several individuals were detained, and large quantities of high-risk narcotics were seized, Arabadzhieva explained. Filipov added that 34 searches and seizures were carried out across the region. Various doses of cocaine and other drugs were discovered, with approximately five kilogrammes of cocaine confiscated and valued at over BGN 400,000. Nine people were detained for 24 hours, and seven have been charged with participating in the criminal ring. The pre-trial investigation began on February 18. Ivan Stoilov from the General Directorate of Drug Enforcement Administration said that the operation started in 2023 after authorities received intelligence about a group engaged in organized criminal activities related to the production, distribution, and possession of high-risk narcotics. "As of February 18, we obtained information indicating that some members of this group, comprising approximately 10 people, were planning to acquire a large quantity of narcotics for distribution. We took all necessary actions to detain these individuals," Stoilov emphasized, adding that some of the suspects are well-known figures in Bulgaria's criminal underworld and even abroad.

CAR with Russia's support succeeds in combating gangs — Russian UN mission Anna Yevstigneyeva emphasized the importance of supporting CAR in its endeavors to secure its borders and to curb the cross-border movement of militants and arms trafficking

Security guarantees for Ukraine crucial to deal with US on minerals — Waltz "There can be, in my view, nothing better for Ukraine's future and for their security than to have the United States invested in their prosperity long term," the US national security adviser said

Police reports about New York City.

Manhattan cop charged with whipping her young son, 10, with belt: DA An off-duty NYPD police officer has been arrested for slapping and whipping her 10-year-old son with a belt and a cell phone phone charging cable, officials said Thursday. Cops from the 43rd Precinct in the Bronx arrested Police Officer Angelica Torres on Monday, charging her with assault and endangering the welfare of a child. She’s accused of assaulting her child inside their home on Feb. 13 when she allegedly whipped the boy in the face, arms, legs and back with a belt and its buckle. The child suffered minor injuries, cops said. The attacks continued four days later when she allegedly slapped the boy, knocking him into a table, then struck him in the back with a phone charging cable, according to a complaint filed with the Bronx district attorney’s office.

Brooklyn man sentenced to 20 years to life for fatal stabbing of social justice advocate Ryan Carson The 20-year-old Brooklyn man who fatally stabbed social justice advocate Ryan Carson near a bus stop in 2023 could spend the rest of his life in prison for the unprovoked killing. A court ordered Brian Dowling to serve at least 20 years behind bars in connection with the fatal stabbing of Carson as he and his girlfriend waited for a bus shortly before 4 a.m. in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

This is me talking about Beyonce. 2-20-25

These are police reports about Belgrade.

Big arrest in Prijepolje: Five policemen behind bars On the order of the Special Anti-Corruption Department of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Kraljevo, five police officers were arrested today in Prijepolje.

Who is the arrested Nemanja Stajić? Nemanja Stajić, who was arrested today as part of a major fight against corruption, according to the media, was under investigation back in 2022 on suspicion of abuses related to the legalization of land in public ownership.

How Jay-Z and Judge Ho are kind of out there. Jay-Z is strange about his wife and daughter. Judge Ho seems out of line in terms of telling the US Attorneys what to do.

Jay-Z claims now-dismissed rape lawsuit cost him $20 million The blockbuster, now-dropped lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of raping a 13-year-old girl cost the Brooklyn-born artist $20 million, he claims in court filings. Jay-Z, 55, detailed his arguments as part of a defamation lawsuit against the woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, accusing him of deliberately timing the suit to inflict maximum harm. “This 1-800 lawyer gets to file a suit hiding behind Jane Doe, and when they quickly realize the money grab is going to fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions,” he said in a Feb. 14 social media statement. Buzbee has not publicly responded to Jay-Z’s newest claims. He dropped the original lawsuit on Feb. 14 with prejudice, meaning it cannot be simply refiled. A Houston resident, Buzbee is representing dozens of women accusing Combs of sexual assault. He previously represented more than 20 massage therapists who accused NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual harassment, and defended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at his impeachment trial in 2023.

Can Judge Ho force Trump’s Justice Department to keep the corruption case against Mayor Adams alive? Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho has ordered lawyers for Mayor Eric Adams and the Justice Department to appear before him Wednesday to root out the motivations behind an effort to get Adams off the hook in his criminal corruption case — though whether the judge can actually keep the case alive is uncertain, according to legal experts who spoke to the Daily News. The parties are appearing in court this afternoon to explain the strings attached to the DOJ’s unusual motion to dismiss the case — which left it open to being revived — and how Ho should put it into action. In a Tuesday order, the judge signaled the hearing would likely be the first in a multi-step process. The mayor walked into the courthouse at around 1:50 p.m. The dismissal motion, filed Friday by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove and two Washington D.C. prosecutors who risked being fired if they didn’t sign on to it, reasoned that the case interfered with Adams’ mayoral campaign, that Adams needed to assist the Trump administration’s hardline deportation agenda unimpeded, and lobbed accusations of improper conduct at former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. If Ho disagrees with the DOJ’s reasons for dropping the historic prosecution, experts said his options for pushing back appear limited, with virtually no playbook for insisting a case move forward the prosecution does not wish to pursue.

I don't know if Judge Ho is allowed to insist on this kind of stuff.

A$AP Rocky is the stage name of Rakim Athelaston Mayers, an American rapper, actor, model, entrepreneur, and member of the hip hop collective A$AP Mob. His music is known for its experimental style and references to fashion and psychedelic drugs.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Step Out for Date Night amid His Assault Trial

N.Y. judge orders Trump DOJ prosecutors to appear in court to explain Mayor Adams case dismissal The judge presiding over the sweeping public corruption case against Mayor Adams on Tuesday ordered prosecutors for the Department of Justice to appear in court to explain their reasons for seeking to drop it amid a fast-developing legal and political firestorm. Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho told prosecutors to appear before him at 2 p.m. Wednesday to address “the scope and effect” of the mayor’s consent to the unusual arrangement and how they believe it should be resolved procedurally. Ho ordered Adams, facing growing calls to resign, to file his written consent by 5 p.m. Tuesday, which he did through his lawyers. The judge has come under pressure from critics of the motion, including former U.S. attorneys and legal advocacy groups, to probe the reasons for the dismissal request and concerns it resulted from an unethical backdoor deal between the mayor and the Trump administration. The DOJ’s move to dismiss the historic prosecution came Friday after several prosecutors quit, starting with interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, rather than obey the order in an internal memo last Monday to drop it from Trump’s new senior law enforcement officials. Before resigning, Sassoon, a veteran prosecutor and registered Republican, wrote to Trump’s newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying she couldn’t support the effort that resulted from an effective “quid pro quo” — one that would see Adams dodge the charges in exchange for giving the Trump administration free rein to carry out his hard-line deportation agenda in the country’s largest sanctuary city.

This is me talking about Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho. 2-19-25

This is me talking about Russian foreign policy. 2-18-25

How the Russians are, (1) awkward about foreign policy and, (2) they seem to no longer investigate violent crime.

In commemoration of the 36th anniversary of the Soviet Army’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, a celebratory event was held at the National Cinema Palace. As part of the program, the film “Opalyonnye Kandagarom” was re-screened. The event brought together the film’s creators, veterans and their families, as well as young students.

RIYADH, February 18. /TASS/. High-level Russian-US talks have kicked off in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, a TASS correspondent reported. The meeting started without preliminaries and handshakes in the presence of the press. The members of the delegations are seated around a large rectangular table. The Russian side is seated on the right and the American side on the left. From the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov are at the negotiating table. Opposite them are three US negotiators: President Donald Trump's national security advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the US leader's special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron, who was found dead in her home Sunday afternoon, died by suicide, authorities said Monday. Kim, 24, was a child star in South Korea and appeared in several films and TV dramas, including a Netflix series titled “Bloodhounds.” On Sunday evening, a friend who was supposed to meet Kim found her dead in her Seoul apartment. Initial investigators said there were no signs of foul play at the scene. “We believe she made an extreme choice and plan to handle it as a suicide,” a police official told Korea’s Yonhap News Agency on Monday.

This is me talking more about Jannik Sinner. 2-17-25

1) How 10 Downing Street wants to talk about rural areas in Ukraine.
2) And these reports about New York City seem tied to chemical issues with the ports and birth defects.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that he is prepared to send British troops to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping mission. According to the Daily Telegraph, Starmer emphasized the importance of securing a lasting peace, warning that any resolution to the war must prevent further aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin. He asserted that the UK stands ready to contribute to Ukraine’s security guarantees, including deploying troops if necessary. Starmer acknowledged the gravity of such a decision, stressing that he does not take lightly the responsibility of putting British servicemen at risk.

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If she could do it all over again, Claire Nemorin would find a way to make her mother leave her Harlem home and move in with her on Long Island. Her mother, Marie Nemorin, 74, had an independent streak and wasn’t ready to live under someone else’s roof. But she was also too trusting, which may have helped lead to her violent unsolved murder, the distraught daughter said. Marie, a retired nursing assistant, was found dead on her apartment’s bathroom floor on Bradhurst Ave. near W. 149th St. at about 1:05 p.m. on Feb. 23, 2024, by two worried members of her church, officials said.

A 19-year-old woman and a 2-year-old boy were fatally stabbed Saturday night in an apartment in West Haven, Conn., authorities said. A suspect in the case, an unidentified male, was arrested, the Connecticut Post reported. The victims have not yet been publicly identified. Officers responded to an apartment complex in the New Haven suburb just before 9 p.m. Saturday after several residents reported a woman screaming, according to News 12 Connecticut.

A former Suffolk County corrections officer shot and wounded a woman, barricaded himself inside his home and died by suicide Saturday, authorities said. Gerard Senatore, 66, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 3:30 p.m. when officers stormed the residence in Ridge, Newsday reported. Officers had first responded to the home around 1 p.m. following reports of a shooting, according to News 12 Long Island. A 68-year-old woman who had been shot twice was airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries. While police did not identify the woman, neighbors and witnesses told News 12 she was Senatore’s wife. The house is about 55 miles east of Manhattan’s Central Park.

Woman, 90, and her two adult children killed in Queens house fire An elderly woman and her two adult children were killed by a fire that ripped through their Queens house early Sunday, officials said. The blaze broke out in their home on 208th St. near 33rd Ave. in Bayside at about 2:40 a.m. A resident on neighboring 34th Ave. called to report smoke in the area.

A 31-year-old man was fatally shot during a clash in a Brooklyn nightclub early Sunday, police said. Jordan Amador was shot once in the chest inside Socialites Lounge, an Afro-Caribbean bar/restaurant, on Atlantic Ave. near Washington Ave. in Clinton Hill about 3:10 a.m., cops said. An argument had broken out inside, police sources said. Medics rushed Amador to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Brooklyn Methodist, but he could not be saved, cops said.

This is me talking about Luigi Mangione. 2-16-25

1) How the New Yorkers get financial gain from prosecuting Italians.
2) Luigi is completely innocent.

The statement was featured on the homepage of a new website created by the murder suspect’s legal defense team to combat misinformation and offer updates on the multiple cases levied against him for the high-profile Dec. 4 assassination in the Big Apple.

He was later given the nickname "The Teflon Don" after three high-profile trials in the 1980s resulted in acquittals, though it was later revealed that the trials had been tainted by jury tampering, juror misconduct and witness intimidation.

A 17-year-old girl was shot in the head and killed in Queens on Saturday evening, according to the NYPD. Officers were called to a Holliswood, Queens, home at 5:13 p.m. where they found the teenage girl unconscious and bleeding from the head. The victim was taken by EMS to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center but could not be saved.

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Neither Mangione nor anyone in his family were insured by UnitedHealthcare, police have said.

Lawyers for the University of Pennsylvania alum—who pled not guilty to murder and terrorism charges in New York, per the BBC—went on to share why the website was launched.

However, according to Mangione's lawyer Thomas Dickey, "I haven't seen any evidence that he's the shooter." "Remember, and this is not just a small thing: A fundamental concert of American justice is a presumption of innocence until you're proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," the attorney told reporters Dec. 10. "And I've seen zero evidence at this point."

This is me talking about Romania. 2-15-25

These are Ceaușescu mines in Ukraine. Because they have kids for economic growth reasons.

Thirty-five years after the horrors of the Ceaușescu dictatorship were discovered in Romania, our reporters investigated one of the darkest episodes in the country's history – the squalid, state-run institutions where thousands of children were locked away and abused. An estimated 15,000 children died, mostly in so-called hospitals for those often misdiagnosed as severely disabled. While part of society is nostalgic for the Communist era, the work of collective memory and justice is far from complete.

Vance-Zelenskyy talks end without deal on critical minerals The discussions between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Munich on Friday ended without a deal on critical minerals, a key part of Kyiv’s efforts to secure Trump’s support. Kyiv came back to the U.S. earlier with a revised draft agreement of the deal that could open up its vast resources of key minerals to U.S. investment, amid concerns in Kyiv over a U.S. version that was presented to Ukraine on Wednesday.

Fourteen Palestinian children, many battling cancer, arrived in Italy for urgent medical treatment on Thursday, marking the latest group to be brought from Gaza as part of ongoing humanitarian efforts following the Israeli attacks on the enclave. Along with their families, a total of 45 individuals crossed the Rafah border into Egypt on Wednesday before undergoing medical checks at the Italian hospital in Cairo.

This is me talking about Danielle R. Sassoon. 2-14-25

Both Danielle and Jessica have out of state law degrees.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Danielle R. Sassoon resigned after she defied acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove's order to dismiss the corruption charges against Adams. According to her bio, Sassoon was the highest-ranking federal law enforcement officer who oversaw cases in Manhattan, the Bronx and its surrounding counties. She led a staff of about 450 legal experts and managed criminal investigations and civil lawsuits in the name of the U.S. government. Sassoon graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and obtained her Juris Doctor at Yale Law School. Before her most recent role with SDNY, she served as a law clerk to the Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. She became an assistant U.S. attorney at the SDNY in 2016 and prosecuted high-profile cases, including those that involved racketeering, sex trafficking and the case against FTX founder Samuel Bankman-Fried on charges of fraud.

This is me talking about Maxim Gorky. 2-14-25

How the Russians are still firing at Odessa. And the Kremlin is behaving like Marxist novelists.

I follow the Moskva
Down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change
An August summer night
Soldiers passing by
Listening to the wind of change
The world is closing in
And did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers?
The future's in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change
Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away (Dream away)
In the wind of change
Walking down the street
And distant memories
Are buried in the past forever
I follow the Moskva
And down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change

THE BIRTH OF A MAN The year was the year '92—the year of leanness—the scene a spot between Sukhum and Otchenchiri, on the river Kodor, a spot so near to the sea that amid the joyous babble of a sparkling rivulet the ocean's deep-voiced thunder was plainly distinguishable. Also, the season being autumn, leaves of wild laurel were glistening and gyrating on the white foam of the Kodor like a quantity of mercurial salmon fry. And as I sat on some rocks overlooking the river there occurred to me the thought that, as likely as not, the cause of the gulls' and cormorants' fretful cries where the surf lay moaning behind a belt of trees to the right was that, like myself, they kept mistaking the leaves for fish, and as often finding themselves disappointed.

Odesa Under Drone Attack, Mayor Urges Residents to Take Cover Odesa is currently under attack by four drones, Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov and local Telegram channels reported on Thursday. "Residents from all areas of Odesa should take cover as the city is under drone attack," Trukhanov wrote in a message on the Telegram app. Air raid sirens were activated at 22:31. Odesa Region is home to the third-largest community of expatriate Bulgarians, with more than 150,000 people, according to Ukraine’s 2001 population census. Between 50,000 and 60,000 Bulgarians live in the regional capital, Odesa, while others are concentrated in the districts of Bolhrad, Izmail, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi.

Scholz calls on Bundestag to ensure additional spending for Ukraine outside budget "This means that our support for Ukraine, which is now more important than ever, will no longer be carried out at the expense of other tasks that our state must fulfill in relation to its citizens," the German Chancellor said

Flight drama: Trump's first man could not land in Europe The plane on which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was supposed to arrive in Munich had to return to Washington due to mechanical problems. As reported by the Reuters agency, Rubio will have to travel to Germany, and then to the Middle East on another plane, the spokesperson of the State Department announced today. Rubio was scheduled to attend the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC), which begins today and runs through February 16 in the Bavarian capital. At the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, world leaders, policymakers and experts will gather to discuss pressing security issues, such as Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, the Gaza crisis and the changing dynamics of international alliances.

This is me talking about the Kremlin. 2-13-25

1) That would be hard to be sure about these different criminal charges in Serbia.
2) Can Medvedev talk to Vance?

"Members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Criminal Police Directorate, Anti-Corruption Department, on the order of the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, arrested the former acting CEO of the national power company (EPS) M. G. (1970) and 14 other persons due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that by committing various criminal acts to the detriment of the aforementioned public company, they obtained financial benefits for themselves and others, which they then inserted into legal cash flows, by which they obtained an illegal property benefit in the amount of 122,867,300 dinars," it is stated in the statement of the MIA.

This is a list of all those arrested in the operation of combating corruption The Serbian state's extensive crackdown on all those involved in corruption began early this morning and will continue in the following days, and 15 people have been arrested so far.

NATO chief praises Putin-Trump phone call as 'successful' Mark Rutte reiterated that it was necessary to ensure that Ukraine was in the best possible negotiating position

US hopes Trump-Putin talks to lead to lasting peace in Ukraine — top defense official In a telephone conversation on February 12, Putin and Trump discussed, among other things, the prospects for a settlement in Ukraine

3) This is a trial in England. Maybe this isn't illegal. Kind of a strange prosecutor office in London.

In the ongoing trial at the Central Criminal Court in London, the prosecutor, Alison Morgan, emphasized that the Bulgarians accused of spying for Russia—Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanchev—were personally selected by Russian agents and fully aware of the operations they were involved in. While the defendants claim to have been misled or manipulated, Morgan pointed out that, despite their amateur status, they were fully cognizant of the high stakes involved in the espionage activities. The prosecutor added that the alleged leaders of the group would not have chosen random or unreliable individuals for such operations. The case has shed light on the group's attempts to infiltrate sensitive military and political spaces, including a mission targeting the US military base in Stuttgart. There were efforts to gain access to the phones of Ukrainian soldiers, as well as surveillance on investigative journalist Christo Grozev and Russian dissident Kirill Kachur. Furthermore, the group was involved in covert travel to locations such as Austria, Spain, and Montenegro, carrying advanced surveillance equipment. During the trial, additional details emerged about the group's activities. One of the defendants, Vanya Gaberova, instructed her best friend, Tsveti, to place far-right Ukrainian stickers on buildings in Vienna, including the Jewish Museum. This was part of an apparent attempt to sway public opinion against Ukraine. Gaberova claimed that the task was simply a favor to her lover, Biser Dzhambazov, who allegedly owed someone a debt. Gaberova maintained that she was unaware of the meaning behind the stickers or their symbolism. Text messages exchanged between Orlin Rusev, the head of the spy cell, and Jan Marsalek, the Russian agent directing the operation from Moscow, revealed instructions for carefully positioning the stickers to make it appear as though real Ukrainian supporters were responsible. Gaberova denied having any knowledge of these communications at the time. The trial also highlighted the discovery of a vast amount of high-tech surveillance equipment in Rusev's apartment in Great Yarmouth, along with numerous false identity documents. Both Rusev and Dzhambazov pleaded guilty early in the trial, acknowledging their involvement in the espionage activities.

This is me talking about Kosovo. 2-12-25

How Belgrade is caught up with the Russian army.

Šolak sold SBB, Total TV, NET TV and Sportclub; United Media: Agreement reached An agreement was reached on the sale of SBB, as well as broadband Internet and fixed telephone services in Serbia e& PPF Telecom Group B.V. ("e& PPF Telecom")

The Mayor of Belgrade suburb Obrenovac Milorad Grcic was arrested on Wednesday in an operation to combat corruption. Grčić was arrested under a warrant issued by the Higher Public Prosecution in Belgrade on suspicion of corruption as acting CEO of the national power company (EPS).

Trump wrote to Vučić, congratulating the National Day: "I look forward to enhancing our partnership" US President Donald Trump congratulated President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the citizens of Serbia on their National Day, and we are transmitting his congratulations in full.

Donbass’ primary lithium and titanium deposits under control of Russia — head of DPR Denis Pushilin revealed that the development of these deposits in the region had not started yet as the priority task at present was to clear these territories of mines

But the Kosovars are into refugee scams.

FEMA employees fired over ‘egregious’ $59M payment for NYC migrants Four Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees, including a top-level executive, have been fired after sending millions of dollars to New York City to house and care for illegal migrants, according to the Department of Homeland Security. “Effective immediately, FEMA is terminating the employment of four individuals for circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants,” DHS officials said in a statement obtained by The Post. The firings, first reported by Fox News, include FEMA’s chief financial officer, two program analysts and a grant specialist. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS will not sit idly and allow deep state activists to undermine the will and safety of the American people,” the statement added. On Monday, Elon Musk, who runs the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted on X that his team had discovered that FEMA has recently paid out $59 million meant for disaster relief to the Big Apple for “luxury hotels” to house illegal migrants.

President Trump called Tuesday for the “termination” of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and said disaster relief should be handled by states. Repeating false claims about the relief effort for Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, Trump said FEMA is riddled with corruption and partisan bias and must be abolished. “FEMA should be terminated. It has been slow and totally ineffective. Individual states should handle storms, etc., as they come,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Big savings, far more efficient.”

This is me talking about New York City. 2-11-25

These are reports about the Bulgarian economy.

Anton Zlatanov, the head of the Border Police, spoke to BNT about the need for anti-drone systems at all strategic locations in Bulgaria, including airports, the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, and the borders. He emphasized that drones pose a serious threat, and it is essential for these areas to be equipped with protective systems. The Ministry of Interior has already prepared a project for anti-drone protection along the border, but it is awaiting funding. This project is part of Bulgaria's obligations under Schengen and is expected to cost less than 70 million leva for the Bulgarian-Turkish border. Zlatanov confidently stated that the border would become fully "smart," but acknowledged that current measures rely on analog methods to combat a digital threat.

Over the past two decades, more than 800,000 family-owned stores have vanished from Bulgaria, according to former Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev. Vatev, speaking on Nova TV, emphasized that any manufacturer not partnering with large retail chains risks going bankrupt. He also suggested that regulations should be put in place to manage the agri-food supply chain more effectively.

A Bulgarian man, 39-year-old Mariyan Grudev, has been sentenced to life in prison in England for rape and attempted rape. A court in Liverpool ruled that he would be eligible to request a review of his sentence no earlier than 14 years, as he is considered a significant threat to society.

The White House is going to end the tolls.

In 2023, the federal DOT gave a crucial signoff to the MTA’s exhaustive environmental study, which modeled tolls between $9 and $23 for their expected impact on the environment, traffic and revenue. The feds’ finding of “no significant [environmental] impact” from the plan paved the way for the state to move ahead with the details of the toll. President Trump has floated a supposed a game plan for ending congestion pricing, saying he “will be able to kill it off in Washington through the Department of Transportation” — but said he was nonetheless discussing the plans with Gov. Hochul “out of respect.” In a weekend interview in the N.Y. Post, Trump claimed he has “a lot of power” to end the toll, and referenced holding federal funding hostage. It remains unclear, however, what legal power if any the current president has to unilaterally upend either of the two approvals given by the federal Department of Transportation in the past two years. Congestion pricing, approved by state lawmakers in 2019, is meant to reduce traffic congestion in Midtown and lower Manhattan while also raising a revenue stream that would allow the MTA to borrow $15 billion to fund its 2019-2024 capital program. The law charged the MTA with developing and running the tolling program, in concert with the city and state departments of transportation.

This is me talking about Taylor Swift. 2-10-25

How the Bulgarian economic minister is very handsome.

Chengelova also pointed out significant issues with financial discipline in the economy, with certain sectors reporting only 30% to 40% of actual sales. When compared to other developed countries, Bulgaria's share of the shadow economy is notably high. For instance, in Germany, it stands between 7% and 11%, and in the United States, it is between 5.6% and 6%. In contrast, Bulgaria’s shadow economy has remained consistently around 30% to 33% in recent years, although it was higher—up to 40% to 50%—in 2010. The sociologist assured MPs by noting that Bulgaria fared better than some neighboring countries, like North Macedonia, where the shadow economy reaches 45%.

In the last quarter of 2024, the proportion of properties purchased with mortgage loans in Bulgaria grew to 27%, or roughly every third property. This marks an increase from 22% during the same period the previous year, according to data from the Registry Agency. The rise is attributed to the ongoing increase in property prices, which has pushed more potential buyers to seek financing from banks, explained Tihomir Toshev, a credit consultant from "Credit Center."

Minister Stankov is expected to meet with the leadership of the American company Westinghouse and The Export-Import Bank of the United States, the press release further said. The Energy Ministry considers its cooperation with the American company Westinghouse to be strategically important for the development of Bulgaria's nuclear energy sector. On December 20, 2024, the then acting caretaker Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov said that "the strategy in nuclear energy is to have alternatives," commenting on the contract signed in his presence between the representatives of the Kozloduy NPP and Westinghouse Electric Company for the development of safety analyses for licensing and implementation of alternative nuclear fuel type at Unit 6 of the Bulgarian nuclear power plant.

How labor unions or whatever let their coworkers leave early.

The Aviation Training Center at Sofia Airport has received accreditation from the Airports Council International (ACI) and joins the elite group of 21 training hubs, including those at leading European airports such as Munich, Istanbul and Athens. The training center of the Sofia Airport operator becomes the only place in Bulgaria where aviation specialists from all over the world will be trained under ACI programs. Together with the Airports Council International and its lecturers, the center will organize and conduct all training courses from the ACI portfolio, as well as develop programs to enhance the competencies of experts in the aviation sector.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has warned that officers who continue to flout department procedure and the law when conducting certain stop and frisks, including intentionally leaving body cameras off, will face disciplinary action. In a memo dated Feb. 5 and sent to all major commanders, including those in transit and housing, Tisch said some officers have been unlawfully carrying out stops without facing any department discipline. The commissioner told commanders in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by Newsday, that problems with so-called "Level 3 stops" were her main concern. Those stops are considered investigative in nature and are conducted only when an officer believes a person has, is in the process of, or about to commit a crime. On Level 3 stops, an officer can detain the subject for questioning.

Hochul has called for several reforms including more funding for body cameras and independent reviews of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision as a result of the incident. The reforms also seek to improve short staffing at prisons and safety for correctional officers who also face assaults in prisons.

This is me talking about James Matthews. 2-8-25

This is an example of a not sustainable economy. Because the laws aren't written down, so to speak.

Crossing from Thailand takes just a few minutes, but requires careful planning to avoid Thai police and army patrols. She Zhijiang's colleagues took us on a tour, highlighting the newly paved streets, the luxury villas, the trees – "Mr She believes in making a green city," they told us. Our guide was Wang Fugui, who said he was a former police officer from Guangxi in southern China. He ended up in prison in Thailand, on what he insists were trumped-up fraud charges. There he got to know She Zhijiang and became one of his most trusted lieutenants. At first glance, Shwe Kokko has the appearance of a provincial Chinese city. The signs on the buildings are written in Chinese characters, and there is a constant procession of Chinese-made construction vehicles going to and from building sites. Yatai is vague about the tenants of all its buildings, as it is about many things.

These are reports about Europe that remind us of the Cold War.

Baltic states cut ties to Russian power grid in historic switch away from Moscow Europe Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania disconnected their electricity systems from Russia's power grid on Saturday, the region's operators said, part of a plan designed to integrate the countries more closely with the EU and boost security. The Baltic states on Saturday began cutting ties with Russia's power grid in order to integrate with Europe's system, a years-long process that gained urgency with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- all former Soviet republics now in the European Union and NATO -- are leaving Russia's grid to prevent Moscow from weaponising it against them. "We are now removing Russia's ability to use the electricity system as a tool of geopolitical blackmail," Lithuania's Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas told AFP. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas -- Estonia's former prime minister -- hailed the move on X as "a victory for freedom and European unity".

Sarkozy has been going to a Paris court three afternoons a week for the past month as part of a separate trial in which he is charged with accepting illegal campaign financing before his 2007 election. That trial is to run until April 10. In the case for which he is to wear the tag, a court found that Sarkozy and his former lawyer, Thierry Herzog, had formed a "corruption pact" with judge Gilbert Azibert to obtain and share information about an investigating judge. The deal was done in return for the promise of a plum retirement job for the judge. The trial came after investigators looking into a separate case of alleged illegal campaign financing wiretapped Sarkozy's two official phone lines, and discovered that he also had a third, unofficial one. It had been taken out in 2014 under the name "Paul Bismuth", and only used for him to communicate with Herzog. The contents of these phone calls led to the 2021 corruption verdict. Before Sarkozy, the only French leader to be convicted in a criminal trial was his predecessor Jacques Chirac, who received a two-year suspended sentence in 2011 for corruption over a fake jobs scandal. But Sarkozy is France's first post-war president to have been sentenced to serve time.

The Kremlin puts Baltic leaders on ‘wanted’ list for challenging its worldview 'Insult to history'? Europe The Kremlin placed Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and other Baltic officials on a list of wanted criminals on Monday in a move aimed at preserving Russia’s view of its glorious past from present-day challenges. The Kremlin said Kallas was put on the list for her efforts to remove WWII-era monuments to Soviet soldiers, moves seen by Moscow as unlawful and “an insult to history”.

North Korean soldiers back on Russia's front line, says Zelensky Europe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that North Korean soldiers "have been brought in again" to Russia's Kursk region after reports that the troops had been pulled from the front due to high casualties. Zelensky added that a "significant number" of opposing troops had been "destroyed".

This is me talking about Washington, DC. 2-7-25

This is me talking about Kathy Hochul. 2-6-25

How this culture in New York is hard on the defense budget.

Just 1 in 3 New York voters say they would vote to reelect Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), a new survey found. According to the survey, released Monday by Siena College’s Research Institute, 31 percent of New York voters say they would reelect Hochul while 57 percent say they want to vote for “someone else.”

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The death of Robert Brooks, an incarcerated man beaten at Marcy Correctional Facility, has been ruled a homicide, according to the family’s attorney. Now, Governor Kathy Hochul is calling for charges to be filed, and arrests made. The attorney told News 8 on Wednesday morning that the cause of death was compression of the neck and multiple blunt impact injuries. “The murder of Robert Brooks was horrific, shocking all New Yorkers to our very core. Now that the Onondaga County Medical Examiner has ruled Mr. Brooks’ death was a homicide, I believe the legal process must quickly move forward with criminal charges being filed and arrests being made. Those responsible for Mr. Brooks’ death must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and I recognize the need to build an airtight prosecution to ensure those individuals are brought to justice. This reprehensible act of violence demands the full force of our justice system — the family of Mr. Brooks deserves no further delays,” Hochul announced Wednesday afternoon.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has reported a significant rise in the number of individuals interested in joining the military. After a 30% salary increase, the number of applicants has surged by 3 to 5 times. Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov highlighted that salary adjustments have varied across ranks, with generals receiving a 30% raise, sergeants seeing up to a 33% increase, and soldiers benefiting from the highest percentage boost due to a greater shortage in this group.

The Defence Committee has approved the purchase of Link 22 communication systems for new Bulgarian military ships. The deal totalling over 1.35 million euros is being submitted for approval in parliament, as the 2025 budget is not yet adopted. The Minister of Defence said that there is money for existing projects. Link 22 will allow the new Bulgarian frigates to securely exchange data with NATO aircraft and systems. Speaking about a clause that in extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances, the US reserves the right to terminate the implementation of the agreement, Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov told MPs: "There has been no case in which the US refused delivery. There are no such extraordinary circumstances of war due to which they would refuse to deliver equipment to an ally." The first new ship "Hrabri" will be in service at the end of the year. The second one "Smeli" should be in service by early 2026.

This is me talking more about Totonto. 2-5-25

The Canadians and Keir and the disorder.

Adams, a Trump-friendly Democrat, to testify before House GOP on ‘sanctuary cities’ The New York City mayor will join other Democrats on March 5. Adams has criticized policies protecting undocumented immigrants.

Once again, a Canadian fan base broke out in boos during the U.S. national anthem amid the ongoing tariff dispute between the countries. And this time, the Knicks had a front-row seat. Fans at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena booed during the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Tuesday night’s game between the Knicks and Raptors. It was the latest instance in a trend that’s also seen Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames fans boo before home games in recent days.

1) How the Russians are complaining about the USAID building.
2) The Governor of New York seems radically in favor of the abortion pill.

USAID evolves into criminal network operating in over 100 countries — Duma speaker As Vyacheslav Volodin argued, the agency has played a role in preparing coups worldwide, and its so-called "democracy promotion" programs have harmed Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, and a number of other countries

Trump to put nearly all USAID staff in Washington on leave — Politico According to the report, some 1,400 people will be notified about their leave Tuesday, while about 600 were placed on leave starting Sunday night

After being sidelined by an unspecified illness last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ reemergence will continue Tuesday, with an appearance at the state Capitol for “Tin Cup Day” – an event that will put him face-to-face with several of his reelection challengers.

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Recent tragic incidents involving individuals with severe mental health conditions have once again highlighted the challenges Bulgaria faces in ensuring timely psychiatric care before such cases escalate into violence. One of the most shocking cases involved Ksenia Plachkova, who took the lives of her children. Another incident occurred when a mentally ill woman attacked three people with a knife.

ROME/NAPLES, Aug 6 (Reuters) - With Giorgia Meloni, Italy has probably the most openly anti-abortion prime minister in western Europe, but terminating pregnancies in the majority-Catholic country that hosts the Vatican has never been easy.

ALBANY, New York -- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday signed a bill to shield the identities of doctors who prescribe abortion medications, days after a physician in the state was charged with prescribing abortion pills to a pregnant minor in Louisiana.

A bill Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Monday aims to make it harder for authorities in other states to prosecute New York doctors who prescribe abortion medication online. The new law allows doctors to keep their names off of prescription labels for mifepristone and misoprostol, drugs commonly used to terminate early pregnancies. Instead, they’ll be allowed to list their practices or — once lawmakers approve an agreed-upon tweak in the coming days — the addresses of the practices instead, according to Hochul’s approval message.

This is me talking more about Albany. 2-5-25

How the New York state legislature is radically in favor of trade.

Mayor Adams urged state lawmakers Tuesday to provide his administration with more migrant crisis funding this year — but his plea didn’t move the needle with Gov. Hochul, who has already declared she’s not looking to earmark more such resources for New York City. Adams delivered the request for more migrant crisis assistance before members of the state Senate Finance and state Assembly Ways and Means Committees. The annual hearing features mayors from across the state who trek to Albany to lay out their fiscal needs before legislators and the governor begin talks in earnest on the state budget due in the spring. In prepared testimony, Adams said the city has spent about $6.9 billion on caring for tens of thousands of mostly Latin American migrants since spring 2022 and that his team anticipates that price tag will keep swelling in coming years.

This is me talking about Albany. 2-5-25

This is me talking about Uzbekistan. 2-4-25

How the NYPD was caught stealing federal funds. And now here's another case of that.

Uzbekistan’s poverty rate drops to 8.9% By the end of 2024, Uzbekistan’s poverty rate decreased from 11 percent to 8.9 percent, reducing the number of people living in poverty by 3.3 million. This figure was determined based on international standards through research conducted in collaboration with the World Bank. The regions with the most significant reductions in poverty rates were: - Bukhara: from 11.8 percent to 8.7 percent - Samarkand: from 10.5 percent to 7.5 percent - Namangan: from 10.4 percent to 7.6 percent - The Republic of Karakalpakstan: from 13.6 percent to 10.8 percent

Detectives leaving the NYPD raise concerns of brain drain Law enforcement and police union officials said they fear that the NYPD is undergoing a brain drain as experienced detectives are retiring in large numbers, partly out of concern over looming overtime reductions they say will hurt their pensions. The department saw an exodus in 2024 of more than 450 detectives, according to data from the NYPD and the Detectives Endowment Association. While the NYPD said that only 24 detectives have retired since Jan. 1, Scott Munro, president of the union, said that 280 of his members have filed for retirement.

High-ranking NYPD lieutenant busted for allegedly stealing $64K in city funds through bogus overtime slips: DA A high-ranking NYPD lieutenant was busted Wednesday for allegedly stealing more than $64,000 in city funds by logging bogus overtime hours, Manhattan prosecutors said. Thomas Fabrizi, a lieutenant detective commander in the NYPD’s Major Case Squad, allegedly submitted falsified OT slips from July 2023 to February of last year — even raking in more than $10,000 in some months, according to an indictment unsealed in Manhattan Supreme Court. During some of the periods he allegedly claimed he was working, Fabrizi, 43, was instead driving home to Rockland County in an unmarked SUV assigned to the major case squad, according to the court documents. He also put in for OT for hours spent at home after returning from work — and for time periods where he never even traveled to New York City, and was just hanging out in Rockland County, prosecutors charged. Fabrizi — a 19-year veteran of the NYPD — is also accused of submitting overtime slips for time he spent working freelance for McCann Protective Services, a New York-based security firm, according to the court papers. Fabrizi allegedly never obtained the required NYPD authorization to work for that company, where he provided security for corporate clients and upscale events and VIP escorts, prosecutors said. The lieutenant resigned from the Major Case Squad last March, according to the indictment. The NYPD confirmed Wednesday that he was suspended without pay. Public records show Fabrizi made about $310,000 in compensation last year, racking up more than 1,090 hours in overtime for which he was paid $130,000. Fabrizi faces charges of grand larceny, falsifying business records and defrauding the government, according to the indictment.

Embattled Mayor Eric Adams refused Monday to speak out against the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs in his latest break with Democrats – instead turning questions about local impacts toward border security. Adams’s statements on announced tariffs on Mexico and Canada come days after Hizzoner’s attorneys met with US Department of Justice officials as they try to get prosecutors to drop federal corruption charges against him. “We cannot have porous borders, we have to make sure that our borders are secure, it’s a public safety issue,” Adams said during an unrelated press briefing on Monday kick starting “Jobs Week” in the city.

How maybe the protesters in Novi Sad are Russian allies. Also, then they get drivers licenses.

Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov recently responded to an inquiry from MP Martin Dimitrov regarding the number of highly skilled workers who have been granted permission to work in Bulgaria under the "Blue Card" system. Dimitrov noted that the process for obtaining residence and access to the labor market in Bulgaria has been significantly simplified and improved. According to the Migration Directorate, between June and December 2024, 492 third-country nationals were granted the right to long-term residence and work in Bulgaria under the EU Blue Card scheme. These individuals primarily come from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, India, Cuba, Belarus, Egypt, and Israel.

Angel Popov from the European Center for Transport Policy also supported the price increase, stating that 2,000 leva is not excessive for obtaining a driver’s license. He argued that if all regulations are strictly followed and driving schools operate within the legal framework, the price could even be considered low. He emphasized that driving instructors bear a greater responsibility than schoolteachers, as mistakes on the road can have serious consequences.

A 9-year-old girl has died at a school in Veliko Tarnovo, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of death. The Veliko Tarnovo District Prosecutor's Office is leading the investigation, which aims to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident. At 2:30 p.m. today, the city's district administration received a report about the child's sudden death. According to initial findings, the girl collapsed during an afternoon class and passed away shortly after.

A tragic road accident in Bulgaria has claimed the lives of three women in the Silistra region. The collision occurred on the road between the villages of Poroyno and Chernolik, and was reported to authorities shortly after noon. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, two vehicles crashed head-on, resulting in the immediate deaths of three women.

The blockade of three bridges in Novi Sad started at 3 p.m.; One will be blocked for 24 hours Students are blocking three bridges today, starting 3 p.m., despite all the demands being met.

MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. Air defense means destroyed and intercepted 70 Ukrainian drones above Russian regions over the past night, the Defense Ministry said

US to halt all funding to South Africa due to human rights violations, Trump says US President believes South Africa is confiscating land and mistreating certain classes of people

This is me talking about Belgrade. 2-3-25

This is me talking about Justin Baldoni. 2-2-25

Maybe there will be three trials. The search was done by a cybersecurity firm.

Talk about a major adjustment. A New York appeals court has overturned the conviction of a woman accused of fatally poisoning her chiropractor boss — who was also the mother of her ex-boyfriend — nearly a decade ago. On Friday, the Supreme Court of the New York State Appellate Division ruled that some evidence used against Kaitlyn Conley in court had been improperly obtained. Conley, 31, was sentenced to 23 years in prison after she was convicted of manslaughter for the July 2015 poisoning death of Dr. Mary Louise Yoder. Conley, who worked as a receptionist in Yoder’s office in the Village of Whitesboro, is accused of poisoning her then-boss with an anti-inflammatory drug called colchicine. She went on trial twice for second-degree murder, but her first trial ended with a hung jury. At a retrial in 2019, she was acquitted of murder but found guilty of second-degree manslaughter. In May 2024 a Rochester State Appellate Court granted Conley the chance to appeal. On Friday, a five-judge panel of the appeals court found that a search warrant obtained by investigators didn’t allow them to search Conley’s cellphone. The search, conducted by a cybersecurity firm, led to the words “poison” and “colchicine,” according to the court. It also showed an email account used to acquire the substance. “A person’s cellphone now contains at least as much personal and private information as their home and, thus, indiscriminate searches of cellphones cannot be permitted,” the decision reads, in part. Conley, who would have been eligible for parole in 2037, can now be set free — unless the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office decides to re-indict her. As of Saturday afternoon, she was still listed as an inmate at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. Conley’s story was portrayed in the ABC News true crime docuseries “Little Miss Innocent: Passion. Poison. Prison.,” which began streaming on Hulu in September 2024.

This is me talking about Philadelphia. 2-1-25

Because they don't investigate incidents like this as criminal acts. It's as though they had an illegal medical procedure.

Trump administration forces out multiple senior FBI officials Trump said he was not aware of the removals. They came hours after FBI director nominee Kash Patel testified that he was “not aware of” plans to remove officials who investigated Trump.

The girl was a patient of Shriners Children’s Philadelphia, the hospital confirmed to NBC 10, and was heading back home to Mexico after receiving “life-saving treatment,” Gold said. It remains unclear what led to the crash that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called an “awful aviation disaster.” The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident.

The Philadelphia resident also saw parts of the plane and luggage strewn about the sidewalk. Anatolii Borisov, 29, who lives about two miles from the crash site, was taking a shower when the medevac plane went down. “It sounded like a bomb went off,” Borisov said. “It’s crazy. I have never heard an explosion so loud.” The fiery wreck also ignited multiple cars along Cottman Avenue, the charred remains of which could still be seen hours later. The Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, was heading to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri when it plummeted to the ground about a minute after taking off at 6:06 p.m., according to data on FlightRadar24. The plane was carrying a young girl, her mother, a doctor, paramedic, pilot and a copilot, Shai Gold, spokesman for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, told The Post.

James Tisch worked for a financial company. Jessica Tisch wants to, (1) everything is open all night, and (2) the repeat offenders need to stay in jail. I think that's too expensive for the budget.

The speech came at a critical moment for both Tisch and Adams. She, who has climbed the ranks of municipal service and hails from a famed billionaire family, is trying to restore order in a department whose upper ranks were marred by chaos when she took the job. And Adams, a retired NYPD captain, must convince voters he is their best hope of managing disorder and crime even as they remain dissatisfied three years into his tenure.

In her speech, Tisch again lamented the rise in the number of repeat offenders who she says are too often released without bail. She emphasized the need to work with prosecutors and legislators to tweak the 2020 discovery laws, so that more time is allowed for police and prosecutors to gather the evidence that must be turned over to defense lawyers.

Tisch said she is working with Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Chauncey Parker and all five of the city’s District Attorneys to change the discovery law to keep repeat offenders locked up. She also urged the DAs to continue prosecuting and advocate for the maximum bail against those with prior histories of criminal behavior.

Loews Corporation is a diversified company with a mix of public and private subsidiaries: CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA), Boardwalk Pipelines, Loews Hotels & Co. and Altium Packaging.

This follows a series of high-profile subway crimes, as well as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pledge to install a pair of police officers on every train overnight.

If foreigners can travel a lot on American domestic flights.

Her family expressed deep grief and requested privacy as they mourn her loss. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also extended condolences, confirming that two Chinese citizens were among the victims. The government has pledged support to their families. Concerns over air safety at Reagan National Airport have been raised following reports that multiple near-misses involving helicopters had occurred in the past three years. At least two pilots previously reported incidents where they had to take evasive action to avoid collisions, including one in April 2024 and another in October 2022. In a separate incident from September 2022, two military helicopters reportedly flew dangerously close to each other.

Three victims of US plane crash held Russian passports, diplomat confirms "There is confirmation regarding another, a fourth person who could hold a Russian passport, this information is currently being verified," Maria Zakharova added

This is me talking about Jessica Tisch. 1-31-25

That the Telegraph knows what happened because of the British aviation industry.

"Ritardando" is an Italian musical term that indicates a gradual slowing down of tempo. It is often abbreviated as "rit." or "ritard." The term is derived from the Italian verb "ritardare", which means "to delay" or "to slow down".

Trump blames Washington plane crash on diversity hiring

The University of Plymouth is a public research university based predominantly in Plymouth, England, where the main campus is located, but the university has campuses and affiliated colleges across South West England.

In the three years before the deadly collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport, at least two other pilots reported near-misses with helicopters while landing at the airport, a CNN review of federal incident reports found. On two occasions, passenger planes had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with a helicopter when trying to land at the airport, according to reports filed by pilots. In a third incident, two military helicopters got too close together, an air traffic controller reported. Those previous scares are sure to gain more attention after the disaster over the Potomac River on Wednesday night, which is presumed to have killed 64 people aboard the plane and three Army servicemembers on a helicopter training flight. As a search and recovery operation continues in and around the Potomac, authorities are trying to figure out exactly what went wrong in the air above the nation’s capital. At the time of the collision, one air traffic controller at Reagan was overseeing both helicopters and planes, an air traffic control source told CNN. Though the jobs are typically handled by two people, the source said having one person handle both isn’t uncommon. Still, a preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report found that staffing at the airport’s traffic control tower was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the New York Times reported Thursday. That corresponds with an issue highlighted in one of the previous near-miss reports from 2022, in which a controller said that there wasn’t enough staffing at the airport tower.

This is me talking about Plymouth University. 1-30-25

HNLMS Tromp (F803) (Dutch: "Zr. Ms. Tromp") is the second De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

How the Cold War saw somehow anti-American rhetoric. Because Tromp is a Dutch name. The President is speaking in Dutch pirate tale.

"The plane was on a perfect and routine approach to the airport. The helicopter headed straight for the plane for a long time. It was a clear NIGHT, the lights were on, why didn't the helicopter go down or turn around why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if this was a bad situation that should have been prevented?" Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social.

Former Russian world champion figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were reportedly among the passengers on the American Airlines regional jet that crashed into the Potomac River after a midair collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. The Russian state news agency TASS and sports media website Sports.ru cited sources confirming their presence on the flight. The couple, who won the pairs gold medal at the 1994 World Championships and the 1995-96 Champions Series final, had lived in the United States since the late 1990s, working as coaches. Their 23-year-old son, Maxim Naumov, who represents the United States in international competitions and won the U.S. national junior championship in 2020, was also feared to be on board. Reports indicated that the pair were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, and were traveling with a group of young skaters. Russia’s Mash news outlet published a list of 13 skaters, many of whom were the children of Russian emigrants, who were believed to have been on the flight. Another former Soviet figure skater, Inna Volyanskaya, who worked as a coach at a Washington-based skating club, was also reportedly among the passengers.

A midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet resulted in both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. The incident involved American Eagle Flight 5342, a regional jet operated by PSA Airlines, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter with three soldiers on board. The crash occurred around 8:47 p.m. and was captured on a livestream camera at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The footage, later verified, showed a bright explosion over the river. As of late Wednesday night, at least 18 bodies had been recovered, but no survivors had been found. The search and rescue operation continued overnight, with police boats and divers combing three debris fields in the frigid waters. Officials described the conditions as extremely challenging, with strong winds and cold temperatures complicating recovery efforts. District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly emphasized the difficulty of the operation, noting that responders were dealing with "highly complex" circumstances. The American Eagle jet had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was on approach to land at Reagan National Airport when it collided with the military helicopter, which was on a training mission. The Sikorsky H-60 belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Air traffic control recordings indicate that the helicopter crew was aware of the jet’s trajectory before impact. The collision has prompted immediate reactions from political figures. President Donald Trump issued an official statement expressing condolences and gratitude to first responders but later questioned the circumstances of the crash on his Truth Social platform. He speculated about possible errors in air traffic control and the helicopter’s movements, writing that the incident "should have been prevented." He pointed out that it was a clear night with good visibility and questioned why the helicopter did not take evasive action.

This is me talking about Herman Melville. 1-30-25

This is me talking about Albany. 1-27-25

The New Yorkers don't want to comply with the executive orders.

Gov. Kathy Hochul finds herself in a curious position as the top Democrat in New York who must work with the Trump administration on behalf of New Yorkers, but also hold a hard line on issues like birthright citizenship and congestion pricing. “There’s a lot of hostile threats coming out of Washington, but we have to be prepared to do what’s right,” Hochul said during an interview on NY1’s “Inside City Hall.” She opposes Trump’s plan to upend the nation’s guarantee of birthright citizenship and remove temporary protected status for some undocumented immigrants. “How do you withdraw something that was legal when they came, then all the sudden say you have no status?” Hochul told NY1.

NY Rep. Ritchie Torres rips Gov. Hochul for running country’s ‘worst early intervention program’ for disabled toddlers in scathing letter Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres has accused Gov. Kathy Hochul of bungling oversight of New York’s early intervention program for toddlers with developmental disabilities such as autism and Down syndrome. “New York has the single worst early intervention program in the nation, ranking 50 out of 50,” Torres said in a letter sent Sunday to Hochul. “The time has come for you to end your dubious distinction of presiding over America’s worst early intervention program.” His criticism of the early childhood program is just his latest broadside against Hochul, who Torres is considering challenging in the 2026 Democratic primary for governor.

Jessica Tisch seems holistically opposed to gun rights.

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has removed more than 20,000 illegal firearms from New York City streets since the beginning of the administration — which is approximately 3,000 more guns off our streets than the previous three-year period from 2019 to 2021. Because of the Adams administration’s steadfast focus on eradicating gun violence, homicides and shootings have consistently declined over the last three years — with homicides decreasing a total of 22.7 percent and shootings decreasing 42.2 percent since Mayor Adams was sworn in on January 1, 2022. Additionally, 2024 was the fourth lowest year for shooting incidents citywide since the NYPD CompStat management system began tracking crime statistics over 30 years ago, in 1993.

This is me talking about polygamy in England. 1-24-25

I'm falling even more in love with you. I'm standing here until you make me move. I'm hanging by a moment here with you.

You are refusing to do what we're asking you to do. We're asking you to talk about 10 Downing Street.

Keir and the disorder. The White House thinks it's a criminal matter about immigration. Jessica Tisch is saying it's a civil matter. This is an example of the British refusing to assist the Americans. The British refuse to discuss British politics with the Americans. They retaliate and start making false questions claims.

You guys decide it's out of bounds about Vic. But I studied Polish in college. The Americans are trying to audit the Polish neighborhoods near Camden Town and the British people don't want to do it. Because they don't want to talk about British politics.

NYPD Memo Reminds Officers of Laws Blocking Them from Helping ICE Jan. 22, 2025 “The fact that a person is present in the United States without lawful authorization is a civil matter, not a crime,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch wrote in a memo ahead of possible mass deportations. In anticipation of President Trump’s promises to issue mass deportations immediately after taking office, the NYPD issued an internal memo reminding cops of existing laws blocking them from lending a hand to federal immigration authorities. While the mayor has publicly declined to answer whether he will cooperate with federal immigration raids on New York, the NYPD memo is the latest in a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity to remind city staff of laws blocking cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The internal operations order, issued by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Saturday, reminded cops they can’t engage or assist with immigration enforcement or allow NYPD resources to be used for that purpose, either. “The fact that a person is present in the United States without lawful authorization is a civil matter, not a crime,” Tisch wrote. The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection could make arrests at or near “sensitive” locations like churches and schools. That announcement and the slew of executive orders targeted at immigration have sparked fear among immigrants and advocates. Those included an executive order seeking to end Constitutional right to birthright citizenship.

This is me talking about Dallas. 1-23-25

That they want federal contracts but they don't want to live under federal laws.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch calls for laws to be changed to prevent repeat offenders from walking the streets NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch blasted laws during a press conference Wednesday that allow dangerous criminals to remain on the street while also criticizing a “decline in prosecution rates.” The comments came at during a press conference in Harlem with Mayor Eric Adams on Jan. 22 after she was asked what laws she would like to see altered. Tisch didn’t hold back, charging that she wants to see a change in Albany and more initiative taken by judges overseeing cases. “We need some laws to change up in Albany. Top of mind right now for sure is the discovery law, which allows too many people out on technicalities that have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the case. And we are looking forward to continuing conversations we’re having with lawmakers specifically on that law,” Tisch said. “We need our judges to step up and do the right thing, especially in cases where bail is eligible and bail is called for, to keep dangerous criminals off the streets.” Tisch stood at a podium inside of the 25th Precinct and gave an example of what she dubbed a “broken system.” According to the commissioner, an individual she identified as George Owens was arrested for carrying a loaded firearm in the transit system in 2023 while on parole, adding that he was then again arrested for attempted murder and is still walking the streets. Without going into numbers, she also remarked that she is “concerned” by a decline in prosecution rates against criminals. Tisch was also quizzed on the Raise the Age law, a law that currently prevents juveniles who commit serious crimes from being charged as an adult. NYPD Chief Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri told amNewYork Metro in November that he attributed this law to an increase in youth shootings. Tisch pointed out that when a teen pulls the trigger, the target is often another teen. It is with this in mind that she says the NYPD is looking into the effects of the law. “Overwhelmingly when we see shooting incidents involving juveniles, often the victims are also juveniles. So, that’s an important thing to keep in mind,” Tisch said. “I have requested that the department pull together a lot of data on what the impacts of that change in the law have been. This is something we want to be thoughtful about and study carefully before we make recommendations and we’re in the process of doing that.”

NYPD to Cops: Your Job Is Not to Help ICE The New York Police Department issued an internal memo to officers reminding them they are not allowed to assist federal immigration authorities, the New York Daily News reported. The memo was issued Saturday ahead of President Donald Trump's inauguration by NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the Daily News said. "The fact that a person is present in the United States without lawful authorization is a civil matter, not a crime," Tisch wrote. Police officers are not permitted to contact federal authorities to tell them where an individual is located and cannot detain them and cannot use police department facilities to help Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Tisch said. Any officer who encounters ICE conducting an immigration raid must inform the Operations Division of the NYPD, Tisch said. Officers cannot release anyone from police custody without authorization from the city lawyers and the officers’ operations command, even if ICE has a warrant, Tisch said. The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs issued a memo before Trump took office, reminding all city agencies of sanctuary city laws, Rebecca Engel, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs at the office said at a City Council oversight hearing last week, the Daily News said. The city's law department also held a briefing to give city attorneys a refresher on city laws in advance of Trump’s plans for mass deportations, the Daily News reported. New York City's public schools held a training session on city laws for principals and administrators in case federal authorities request access to school grounds, the Daily News said.

I wonder if in England they do traffic stops in unmarked cars.

Agent David Maland was killed Monday afternoon following a traffic stop, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in a statement. A German national in the country on what the FBI called a current visa was killed and an injured suspect was taken into custody and is being treated at a local hospital.
The agent was driving an unmarked white pickup truck with a cab on it and red and blue flashing lights, he said. The stopped vehicle appeared be a small, blue car, he said. The agent was speaking with someone standing in front of his truck, behind the car, he said.

This is me talking about Eric Adams. 1-21-25

Reports about the Balkans.

Azerbaijan has resumed natural gas supplies to Bulgaria under its long-term contract with Bulgargaz, the Bulgarian company announced. The interruption began on January 7 due to technical issues, as Bulgargaz was notified the day prior about the temporary suspension of deliveries. During the disruption, Bulgargaz ensured uninterrupted service to its customers by utilizing alternative sources. These included gas stored in the Chiren underground facility, liquefied natural gas (LNG) reserves in Turkey from previous imports, and LNG sourced through the Alexandroupolis terminal in Greece. On January 11, the cause of the suspension was clarified as a technical problem with an underwater pipeline transporting gas from the Caspian Sea to the Sangachal terminal near Baku. This was confirmed by BP, which operates Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas field as part of a consortium, in a statement to local media outlet Trend.az.

The Ministry of Tourism hosted a meeting between representatives of Sofia Municipality that included Sofia Municipality Deputy Mayor Vanya Tagareva, Sofia Municipality Deputy Mayor Nikola Barbutov, Municipal Councillor Anna Stoykova, and a delegation representing the Government of Montenegro

On Backdrop of Student Protests, EU Urges Dialogue in Serbia

Are Russian mercs in charge of the hostage releases?

Hamas counts on Russia’s support for Israeli compliance with Gaza ceasefire — spokesman "We have always considered Russia’s role as positive, effective and supportive in the Palestinian issue that can help in efforts toward the realization of Palestinian rights," Al Qadoumi emphasized TUNIS, January 21. /TAS/. The Palestinian radical movement Hamas counts on Russia’s support for Israeli compliance with the Gaza ceasefire agreement and restoration of the enclave, Hamas spokesman in Iran, Khalid Al Qadoumi, told TASS in a phone interview.

CAIRO, January 20. /TASS/. Hamas has reiterated that it will release another group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, January 25. "Hamas reiterates that the second round of the prisoner swap under the agreement with Israel will take place as scheduled - on Saturday, January 25," it said in a statement on its Telegram channel. It did not say however how many hostages will be freed.

If Mayor Adams will be pardoned by the White House.

The mayor, who was scheduled to attend the Brooklyn event as of Sunday night, left town around 3 a.m. to head to Trump’s inauguration in what his staff described as a last-minute decision following a last-minute invitation from Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy and a New York real estate developer.

Adams, who met privately with Trump and Witkoff just this past Friday, then hit the road before dawn in order to get to Washington in time for Trump’s noon inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, the spokeswoman said.

This is me talking about Tottenham. 1-20-25

If Russian mercs are involved in the ceasefire in Gaza.

Ukraine and Russia’s 2025 Prisoner Exchange: Ethnic Bulgarian Among First Released On January 15, Ukraine and Russia completed their first prisoner exchange of 2025, which saw 25 seriously ill and injured individuals returned to Ukraine. Among those freed was an ethnic Bulgarian. The men, ranging from 24 to 60 years old, were in a dire state, many suffering from amputations, severe burns, tuberculosis, gangrene, and cancer, highlighting the harsh conditions endured in captivity. Under the Geneva Convention, severely ill or injured prisoners are prioritized for exchange.

Israel and Hamas Begin Prisoner Swap as Ceasefire Takes Effect Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners early on Monday as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, just hours after three Israeli hostages were returned to Israel. The ceasefire, which began at 11:15 a.m. local time on Sunday, has led to the first exchange of hostages, marking a significant moment in the fragile agreement between the two sides. The three Israeli hostages were handed over on Sunday, in what was seen as a test of the ceasefire's durability. In return, Israel freed approximately 90 Palestinian prisoners.

If Germany is safe for foreign workers.

DW: Germans invite Uzbeks to work – It is easy now The EU, particularly Germany, is one of the most attractive destinations for Uzbek labor migrants. Last year, an intergovernmental agreement on “Comprehensive Partnership in the Field of Migration and Mobility” was signed between Germany and Uzbekistan, creating opportunities for legal migration. German companies are eager to train and employ Uzbeks, providing new professional opportunities for young people. DW has published engaging reports on this topic, highlighting the activities of Uzbeks in Germany.

Analysts added that Pyongyang's losses are likely to include more soldiers wounded than killed, which they say is "typical of armed conflicts." "It is unclear if and when injured North Korean soldiers will re-enter combat," the analysis stated. South Korean lawmaker Lee Sung Kwon said Monday that Seoul's intelligence service estimated that about 300 North Korean soldiers were killed in Kursk, while another 2,700 were wounded. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in early January that North Korea's losses in Kursk had reached up to 3,800 wounded or killed. "12,000 soldiers came. Today there are 3,800 wounded or killed," Zelensky told Lex Friedman's podcast.

This is me talking about the ceasefire. 1-19-25

1) 94 more hostages since the 10-7-23 attack
2) We don't know where they're being held
3) They were supposed to release three people today and they didn't
4) Last time they sent a video of the hostages
5) Even though the ceasefire didn't start, the Gazans are outside celebrating
6) It's like the Russian mercs with the videos and prisoner swaps

What happens on Sunday? Hamas is expected to release three hostages on the first day of the ceasefire. A number of Palestinian prisoners will also be freed in return. The first three hostages are thought to be Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Arbel Yehoud, who are three women who are not part of the Israeli army. However at 6.30am GMT on Sunday, Hamas had still not submitted the names of the three hostages, despite the agreement demanding it does so 24 hours ahead of time. The last time hostages were released, in November 2023, Hamas published a video of them being led to cars by fighters dressed in body armour and green headbands. The switch of vehicles is thought to be an attempt to minimise contact between Hamas fighters and Israeli troops. The IDF will not be given the location where the hostages have been kept in captivity since October 7, 2023. Once in Egypt, the hostages will have medical examinations before being taken home to Israel. Other hostages have been rescued by the Israeli military from tunnels under Gaza, where Hamas has established a vast, subterranean network of storage areas and command centres.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume its war against Hamas “with full force” if the terror group breaks the ceasefire. In a speech as Israel awaited the release of the first hostages, Mr Netanyahu said both President Biden and President Donald Trump promised him Israel had the right to resume the fighting “in new ways and with very great power” if Hamas violates the deal. He also said his government would get the necessary weaponry from America to continue the war on Hamas. By Saturday night, Israel was still waiting for Hamas to deliver a list with the names of the first three hostages set to be released on Sunday at 14:00 GMT. The terror group was expected to send Israel a list with names of hostages 24 hours before their release as per the ceasefire agreement.

More than 70 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after clashes with police in London Scuffles caught on camera after demonstrators broke through police lines resulting in highest number of arrests over more than 20 marches

Police chief overseeing Gaza protests under investigation Inquiry into national head of counter-terrorism operation in response to Oct 7 attacks may spell a ‘crisis in police leadership’

Israel bombed Gaza on Sunday after Hamas failed to provide names of hostages due for release today. A ceasefire was due to begin at 6.30am GMT this morning, followed by Hamas handing over three hostages in exchange for prisoners held in Israel. Hamas said “technical field reasons” were to blame for not providing a list of names for the swap in time. The Israeli military said it was continuing to carry out attacks in Gaza while it was waiting for the names. “According to the prime minister’s directives, the ceasefire will not come into effect until Hamas fulfils its commitments,” a military spokesman said. Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least eight people and wounded more than 25. Thousands of Gazans were seen in the streets celebrating and heading back to their homes despite the ceasefire failing to come into effect.

The first hostages to be freed under the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will be released on Sunday. Hamas seized 251 hostages during the October 7 attack in 2023 and, after 15 months of war, still holds 94. How does the ceasefire deal work? The deal struck by Israel and Hamas is a multi-stage agreement, which means that all the hostages and all the prisoners will only be released if its conditions are met. The first stage is what President Joe Biden called a “full and complete ceasefire” for six weeks. If the ceasefire holds, negotiations on the second and third phase of the deal will begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire.

This is me talking about Brooklyn, NY. 1-17-25

This is me talking about Queens, NY. 1-17-25

1) Maybe the police are morally culpable in this crime. Because they won't do the patrols in these areas. It's twelve miles or so from the Manhattan building. They just camp out by the park and they don't do the patrols in other parts of the city.
2) Also, maybe the Mayor is embezzling these kinds of funds about the health plan.

A female tenant has been charged in the murder of a building superintendent whose body was found stabbed, battered and wrapped in garbage bags inside a Queens apartment this week – following a dispute over $24,000 she and her husband owed in back rent, cops said. Sandra Coto Navarro, 48, was charged with second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and weapon possession in connection to the death of Jose Portillo, who was discovered around 5 p.m. Tuesday hidden under a bed with bags covering his body inside the Kew Gardens Hills apartment, according to police. She later waited outside the 107th Precinct in tears, ahead of Coto Navarro’s expected perp walk. Portillo had gone inside the 70th Avenue unit where Coto-Navarro lived with a man – to talk about collecting back rent – when a fight ensued, the sources said. He was found to have suffered blunt force trauma to the head, a stab wound to the neck and cuts behind his knees, the sources said.

Mayor Eric Adams has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid legal fees battling his historic federal indictment — as donations to his legal defense fund have all but dried up. Hizzoner’s trust raised just $2,200 from just two donors over the last three months, according to a disclosure report filed late Wednesday. At the same time, Adams racked up more $866,000 in expenses, the majority of them attorney fees to Wilmer Cutler and Vito Pitta, who manage the trust.

NEW YORK -- Mayor Eric Adams announced a new plan Wednesday to help address the issue of homeless people with mental illness. He revealed details of a $650 million plan that he first previewed during his State of the City address last week.

This is me talking about Tashkent. 1-16-25

Economics reports about Tashkent.

Business jets to be served at Tashkent-east airport

Abu Dhabi sustainability week highlights Uzbekistan's green energy future

Uzbekistan and UAE strengthen strategic partnership in AI

SEOUL, January 16. /TASS/. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has refused to participate in the second day of interrogation for health reasons, his attorney Yun Gap-geun said.

How New York City has so many buildings that need to be heated in the winter.

In 2024, Bulgaria’s electricity sector faced significant challenges, with a sharp decline in exports and a rise in domestic consumption. The country’s energy production decreased by 5% compared to the previous year, largely due to reduced output from coal-fired thermal power plants. However, renewable energy sources, particularly solar power, saw notable growth. Despite producing record amounts of solar electricity, Bulgaria struggled to maintain its competitiveness in the regional energy market, where electricity prices were often higher than in Western Europe.

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday proposed a $1 billion middle-class tax cut and $3 billion in tax rebate checks, free community-college tuition for high-demand jobs such as nursing and technology, and free meals for all public school students as part of a plan to make New York more affordable and safer. In addition to supporting more measures to combat climate change, Hochul in her fourth State of the State address said the state will take steps that could lead to its first expansion of nuclear power in decades. She also called for more uniformed police on subway platforms, including officers on night trains, after some high-profile, violent attacks in December.

Here’s why NYPD cops have been ordered not to chase some drivers who flee The rule change — first reported by Streetsblog — came after a staggering rise in NYPD car chases, many of which led to devastating crashes that left innocent New Yorkers injured or dead. Police pursuits jumped nearly 600% during the first three months of 2023, and led to a record-breaking more than one crash per day last year, The City reported. The chases left a tragic trail of carnage, such as an October hit-and-run crash by a burglary suspect trying to shake NYPD cops on his tail in Queens. The speeding suspect struck and killed avid bicyclist Amanda Servedio, 36, as she pedaled down a quiet Astoria block.

This is me talking about energy exports in the Balkans. 1-16-25

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch orders review of NYPD auto leasing program amid concern over abuse Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has ordered a review of a little-known vehicle unit amid concerns that some NYPD executives may be using cars that are earmarked for investigators, the Daily News has learned. CRALO, or Confidential Rental and Leasing Office, was formed under former Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and is designed to give investigators, such as detectives and undercovers, use of various types of vehicles — everything from a Honda to a Jeep — that criminals don’t typically associate with unmarked NYPD vehicles. Most CRALO vehicles are leased — which is cheaper than renting — and are paid with federal money, sources said. But over the years, according to sources, a number of CRALO vehicles have been assigned to cops not involved with investigations. There is concern in the department that commanders or executives asked for such a vehicle and use them to travel to and from work and during work hours. Sources said that could hamper a criminal probe if a cop assigned the vehicle is forced instead to use a standard unmarked car, which could potentially be more easily spotted by drug dealers and other criminals. About $1.2 million is spent each month on the 1,000 or so CRALO vehicles. “It’s really not right because the program does have its merits,” a source said. Tisch, in a memo released to top brass Tuesday and obtained by the Daily News, has ordered a CRALO review that “is intended to assess current unmarked vehicle allocation on a bureau by bureau basis and to determine the department’s appropriate allocation.” The memo mandates Tisch get a full inventory of CRALO vehicles and a justification for the use of each one — and notes that no CRALO vehicle should be designated “Category 1,” meaning a vehicle that can be taken to and from home. “No executive may be assigned a CRALO vehicle for use in performing their duties,” the memo reads. “No staff who support an executive may have a CRALO vehicle assigned for the sole or secondary purpose of driving an executive.” In a statement, Tisch said she wants CRALO vehicles to be used for their original intent. “The NYPD,” she said, “is ensuring departmental guidelines are followed to improve efficiency, ensure proper oversight, and eliminate any potential for misuse.”

NYPD Commissioner Tisch calls for review of car leasing program allegedly abused by top brass: sources Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has ordered a bureau-wide review of an NYPD car-leasing program that costs the department over $1 million a month over concerns top brass are missing the under-the-radar program, according to sources. CRALO — Confidential Rental and Leasing Office — is a program that provides undercover vehicles for NYPD officers and detectives engaged in investigations. The program has ballooned to cost the Finest over $1 million per month for just over 1,000 vehicles, sources told The Post, and has allegedly been abused by the department’s highest-ranking members. Tisch’s office suspects that the program provides cops who have no need for an undercover vehicle with multiple leased SUVs at their disposal. Several well-known higher-ups in the department are among those who are believed to have abused the program, sources said. The honchos, and others, allegedly use FEMA codes to access the federally funded vehicles — and the feds are also looking into how some cars were paid for, according to the sources. Tisch’s office is calling on all units to conduct a full inventory of all CRALO vehicles and is also requiring reapproval of all leases — stressing that the resources are meant for investigators, not executives or top NYPD brass. The commissioner said the program’s sole purpose is to supply confidential and at times non-standard, vehicles to members of the service performing investigatory duties or select specialized work. She explicitly called out executives and support staff — stating they have no business using vehicles to chauffeur top-brass. As part of the review, department bureaus will have to inventory each of their CRALO registered vehicles and include “justifications on the continued need of any CRALO vehicles” the sources said. The program must be brought up to compliance by June 30, 2025, according to the sources.

This is me talking about Jessica Tisch. 1-15-25

Reports about Europe and the Pacific.

The Baltic Sea allies, including Finland, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, pledged to develop innovative surveillance and tracking technologies and enhance partnerships with private-sector companies, particularly infrastructure operators and tech firms. They also vowed to explore new legal measures to counter threats. In a joint statement, the allies condemned Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, highlighting its role in threatening maritime and environmental security and funding Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.

The charges against Yoon could lead to severe consequences, including the death penalty or life imprisonment, under South Korean law. Yoon had evaded arrest for weeks, with the Presidential Security Service guarding his residence during the standoff, CNN reported. A previous attempt to detain him earlier this month was thwarted when members of the presidential security detail and soldiers blocked investigators and police from entering the compound.

Hochul had previously expanded the presence of the National Guard at subway stations — a deployment meant to provide peace of mind. Voters in New York have consistently ranked public safety a key concern, and Hochul has tried to encourage New Yorkers to use mass transit after a controversial toll plan for Manhattan was put in effect this month.

New attack on Serbs: The so-called Kosovo police raided all municipal buildings and post offices south of Ibar Today, the so-called Kosovo police raided the facilities of PO Priština and the Post Office in Gračanica, as well as in Kosovo Polje, Lipljan and other places south of the Ibar.

How Eric Adams wants federal contracts but then what about oversight?

I’ll be interested in whether Hochul discusses tweaking or overhauling New York’s ethics law. Last week, the state Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s lawsuit seeking to disband the state ethics agency, the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. Cuomo previously prevailed in state supreme court, then in a 5–0 decision in mid-level appellate court. Now all eyes are on the Court of Appeals. It’s unclear when the state’s top court will issue a ruling, but Hochul could get ahead of its decision by proposing tweaks to the parts of the law governing the agency that lower courts ruled were illegal. Hochul could also opt for the more politically difficult road of proposing a constitutional amendment creating a new agency. Or she could propose nothing and wait for the ruling. In a statement last week, commission leaders said they were confident that if the court finds shortcomings in the law creating the body, they would “be quickly rectified by the governor and legislature.” One twist: As of May, the ethics commission was investigating Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and their friends over luxury Buffalo Bills tickets. If the court abolishes the agency, its fate will be in the hands of the same politicians it has probed.

ALBANY, N.Y. — Governor Kathy Hochul proposed new investments in education and youth mental health on Monday. Governor Hochul's proposal includes expanded access to youth mental health services, launching a college-in-high school opportunity fund and providing funding for new apprenticeship programs in high-demand jobs.

It’s Groundhog Day in Albany. At least, that’s what it feels like if you follow state criminal justice policy. In the state budgets passed in 2022 and 2023, Governor Hochul rammed through rollbacks to the state’s 2019 bail reform law, responding to a media storm that falsely connected the reforms to Covid-era upticks in violent crime. After two rounds of rollbacks, she promised that she was leaving bail alone. But her allies won’t let up. Enter Eric Adams, Hochul’s tough-on-crime political ally. The embattled, indicted New York City mayor said this week that he’s pushing Albany to pass even more rollbacks to bail reform. He also wants to revise reforms made to New York’s discovery statute, which outlines the parameters by which prosecutors must share evidence with the defense in a criminal case. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who launched a failed 11th-hour discovery reform rollback campaign in 2023, said he’s also been “pushing vigorously” to change the law this session.

This is me talking about Albany. 1-14-25

The Turks are reporting on the trial. Again, maybe the case shouldn't have been brought to trial.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday said Türkiye would launch an offensive in Syria against the PKK/YPG terrorist group “if it becomes necessary.” Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul, Fidan said the new Syrian administration should be given an opportunity to address the presence of the YPG in the country, but reiterated that Ankara would act against them otherwise. "We have said it repeatedly. We cannot live with such a threat (from PKK/YPG). Either someone else will take action, or we will," he said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye has broken and dismantled the terrorist corridor that was being formed in northern Syria from four different points, as he warned the PKK/YPG to lay down their arms or face elimination. "Through our cross-border operations, We have broken and dismantled the terrorist corridor that was being formed in northern Syria from four different points," Erdoğan told a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Aydın province on Friday. He noted that Türkiye has destroyed the terrorists at home and successfully established a wall to protect itself against attacks from the PKK terrorist group's headquarters in Mount Qandil in northern Iraq across the border.

"I am totally innocent. I did nothing wrong," said Trump, who is still under a gag order in the case. "This has been a political witch hunt," he continued. "It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election," he added, referring to last fall's presidential election, which he won. Technically, Trump could have been sentenced to up to four years in prison, but Judge Juan Merchan handed down a sentence of an unconditional discharge for the 34 counts Trump was convicted of falsifying business records in May to cover up $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The payments were made to keep Daniels' story of an alleged 2006 affair with Trump from coming out during the 2016 presidential election.

This is me talking about New York City. 1-11-25

1) If there was a guilty verdict and then the judge didn't impose a sentence then the prosecutor shouldn't have brought the case to trial. And they're saying it was a felony trial.
2) Maybe the New Yorkers are writing into law strange stigmas for people who have been arrested. These mentions of an unconditional discharge or being unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.
3) The judge is a Democrat. They are openly talking in New York City about the election results from four and eight years ago.
4) The judge is thinking as though the defendant was like any other defendant. They're supposed to be considering community leader issues.
5) Also, this was prolonged forever. Other investigations stalled before the trial. The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was involved.

Trump sentenced in hush money case but avoids jail time or fines US President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced on Friday for his criminal conviction for hush money paid to a porn star but the judge declined to impose any punishment. Trump received the mildest criminal sanction available, an unconditional discharge, allowing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine. President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment, an outcome that cements his conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine. The punishment-free judgment marks a quiet end to an extraordinary case that for the first time put a former president and major presidential candidate in a courtroom as a criminal defendant. The case was the only one of four criminal indictments that has gone to trial and possibly the only one that ever will. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence that sidestepped thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case but assured that Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency. Yet, the legal detour — and sordid details aired in court of a plot to bury affair allegations — didn’t hurt him with voters, who elected him to a second term. Merchan said that like when facing any other defendant, he must consider any aggravating factors before imposing a sentence, but the legal protection that Trump will have as president “is a factor that overrides all others.” “Despite the extraordinary breadth of those legal protections, one power they do not provide is that they do not erase a jury verdict," Merchan said. One group held a banner that read, “Trump is guilty.” The other held one that said, “Stop partisan conspiracy” and “Stop political witch hunt.” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the charges, is a Democrat. He was president when the reimbursements to Cohen were made and recorded the following year. Merchan, a Democrat, repeatedly postponed the sentencing, initially set for July. But last week, he set Friday's date, citing a need for “finality.” Trump's lawyers then launched a flurry of last-minute efforts to block the sentencing. Their last hope vanished Thursday night with a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that declined to delay the sentencing. Meanwhile, the other criminal cases that once loomed over Trump have ended or stalled ahead of trial. After Trump's election, special counsel Jack Smith closed out the federal prosecutions over Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. A state-level Georgia election interference case is locked in uncertainty after prosecutor FaniWillis was removed from it.

This is me talking about recidivism. 1-10-25

1) Recidivism is high in New York City because of a 2019 law
2) The police spend too much on task forces and they don't enough invest in parole offices

re·cid·i·vism
/rəˈsidəˌviz(ə)m/
noun: recidivism
the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.
"the prison has succeeded in reducing recidivism"

Adams and Tisch seem to get this. The mayor has been critical of bail reform in the past, and the commissioner wrote a column in The Post this week to plead with Albany for a change in the laws that have fueled the rise in crime. Recidivism is up because the state legislature’s bail reform laws of 2019 don’t allow judges to remand dangerous defendants — and even when they can set bail, the crop of judges appointed by Bill de Blasio often refuse to do so. The commissioner should continue publicizing the harm these laws have caused our city — and she has the tools to do it. The NYPD’s weekly CompStat reports should compare today’s crime numbers with the same period in 2019, before the bail reforms, so that the people, the press and the governor can see how crime has increased since these laws took effect.

As reported, during his announcement of Donlon as interim police commissioner, the mayor said Donlon had served as New York’s director of the Office of Homeland Security, ran the FBI National Threat Center and the FBI NYPD Joint Terrorist Task Force, and worked as the cold case agent investigating the 1993 Twin Towers bombing, as well as the attacks in U.S. embassy in Africa and the USS Cole in Yemen by al-Qaeda. When questioned about the raid on Donlon’s homes during a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 24, the mayor referred to the case as “a private matter.”

Meanwhile, according to the NYPD, during Chell’s time as chief of patrol, New York City saw an overall reduction in crime and shooting violence. They said he led the crackdown on illegal ghost cars, mopeds, and smoke shops, and added that before becoming chief of patrol, Chell served as the commanding officer of the 61st, 75th, and 79th precincts, as well as Detective Borough Brooklyn North and Detective Borough Brooklyn South. They said in recognition of his courage and leadership, Chell was awarded the Medal for Valor in 2000.

Separately, on Dec. 21, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams released a statement on the investigations by NYC Department of Investigations and the FBI into the allegations of “sexual abuses and overtime corruption in the NYPD,” saying, “These allegations are repulsive, and we are glad that the City’s Department of Investigation and FBI appear to be investigating them and potential overtime corruption. This should also probe any historical, systemic patterns of an abusive climate towards women in the NYPD.”

This is me talking about the DOJ. 1-9-25

This maybe was too expensive in terms of federal police funds.

Canadian National Sentenced to 40 Months for Multimillion-Dollar Export Control Scheme Wednesday, January 8, 2025

NEW YORK, January 9. /TASS/. A court in the Eastern District of New York State has sentenced Canadian citizen Nikolay Goltsev to three years and four months in prison for allegedly illegally exporting electronic equipment to Russia, the US Justice Department reported. According to the agency, Goltsev "masterminded a global procurement scheme on behalf of sanctioned Russian companies, including Russian military companies." The technology, exported through front companies in India, Turkey, China and the United Arab Emirates, was allegedly used to produce Russian missiles and drones used in the Ukrainian conflict, among other things. Earlier, charges in the case were also brought against Goltsev's wife, Kristina Puzyreva, and Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, who holds Russian and Tajik citizenship. In July 2024, Puzyreva was sentenced to two years in prison for laundering funds obtained by sending drone components to sanctioned Russian companies; Nasriddinov's sentence has not yet been handed down.

“Instead, they got jail time.” “Simply put, Russia cannot effectively manufacture advanced weapons without U.S. technology,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s sentence goes a long way in preventing Russia’s access to U.S. electronics for use in the unlawful war against Ukraine. Today’s sentencing makes clear that the United States Attorney’s Office is committed to stopping Russia’s illicit acquisition of U.S. technology.” Goltsev used two Brooklyn companies, SH Brothers Inc. and SN Electronics Inc., to unlawfully source, purchase and ship millions of dollars in dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers to sanctioned end users in Russia.

On July 24, co-defendant Kristina Puzyreva was sentenced to 24 months in prison for conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the export scheme. Co-defendant Salimdzhon Nasriddinov is awaiting sentencing. The BIS, HSI, and FBI are investigating the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell, Ellen H. Sise, and Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christopher M. Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

This is me talking about the NYC economy. 1-8-25

This is me talking about the local economy. 1-8-25

IRS Form W-2, also known as a “Wage and Tax Statement,” reports an employee's income from the prior year and how much tax the employer withheld.

A Form 1099-MISC is used to report payments made in the course of a trade or business to another person or business who is not an employee. The form is required among other things, when payments of $10 or more in gross royalties or $600 or more in rents or compensation are paid.

This is an example of a questionable police contract.

Bulgarian MEP Elena Yoncheva has won her case against Bulgaria at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, which ruled that the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office violated her presumption of innocence when it publicly announced charges against her. The court found that the prosecutor's office violated her rights and ordered Bulgaria to pay her compensation. The case dates back to 2019, when the now-dissolved specialized prosecutor’s office accused Yoncheva of money laundering involving funds allegedly siphoned from the Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB), which collapsed in 2014. Yoncheva, however, challenged these accusations, arguing that the prosecutor's actions were politically motivated, aimed at discrediting her political career rather than serving justice. The European Parliament had previously refused to lift her immunity, suggesting that the charges were linked to her political activities. The Strasbourg court emphasized that the prosecutor’s office had disclosed the charges against Yoncheva in a way that undermined her presumption of innocence, violating both her right to an effective defense and her right to a fair trial. The prosecutor’s office had provided a detailed statement to the media at the time, presenting the charges in a manner that lacked discretion, violating European human rights standards.

How the internet has a bias.

The announcement comes at a pivotal time, with Meta signaling a shift towards aligning with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The company recently appointed UFC CEO and Trump ally Dana White to its board of directors and elevated Joel Kaplan, a prominent conservative figure, to its top policy role. Kaplan, a former deputy chief of staff under President George W. Bush, has a history of advocating for conservative causes, both within and outside Meta. His influence is evident in the company’s decision to discontinue its fact-checking initiative, which he announced in a blog post emphasizing the need to address perceived biases against conservatives.

Notice the Chinese said it was a different magnitude.

The Bulgarian Embassy in Beijing said that there are currently no reports of Bulgarian citizens injured in the earthquake in Tibet, China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BTA. The number of victims of the powerful earthquake in Tibet has gone up to at least 53 people on Tuesday, DPA reported. The 7.1-magnitude earthquake had its epicentre in Tibet at a depth of about 10 kilometres, the US Geological Survey reported. The Chinese news agency Xinhua reported, citing local authorities, that at least 53 people were killed and 62 were injured. Many houses near the epicentre collapsed. The earthquake was registered about 400 kilometres west of the Tibetan capital Lhasa. The Chinese military has sent an unmanned aircraft to survey the epicentre, Xinhua also reported. Rescue operations are underway, and residents are being evacuated to avoid possible aftershocks. The China Earthquake Networks Centre reported the quake's magnitude at 6.8. Tibet, as well as the entire southwestern part of China, Nepal and northern India, is often hit by earthquakes.

Healthy lifestyle stuff in the Balkans.

A Bulgarian woman recently shared her experience on Facebook after paying 840 leva (430 euros) for parking at Sofia Airport. She explained that she had parked her car in the paid parking lot at the airport for 10 days during her vacation. Upon her return, she was shocked to find that the cost had increased from the previous 110 leva to a staggering 840 leva. According to the woman, the prices for parking changed starting December 1, with national television stations broadcasting this information. However, she claimed that the parking lot, particularly the so-called "luxury" parking area, was disproportionately expensive, charging 420 leva for a seven-day stay.

Acting Minister of Internal Affairs Atanas Ilkov announced that there is no evidence of violence by border police officers against migrants, following investigations into the deaths of three men found in the Stranzdha mountain area served by the Border Police Department in Sredets. According to Ilkov, forensic examinations revealed the men died from overwork, frostbite, and possibly complications linked to excessive consumption of energy drinks during their crossing. He emphasized that no reports of police violence had been filed and affirmed that border officers are experienced and trained to operate within legal parameters.

Acting Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov has expressed optimism about the prospects for Bulgaria’s armed forces in 2025, emphasizing that significant advancements have been made in the army's development. Speaking to journalists, Zapryanov highlighted that the upcoming year holds promise, particularly with expectations surrounding the country’s acquisition of its first F-16 combat aircraft.

The Russian calendar is Christmas when we celebrate the Epiphany and then they celebrate the Epiphany when we have MLK Day.

Orthodox Epiphany around the world in 2025 In the Orthodox church, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19th.

Belgian police have detained a man armed with a knife who tried to break into the Belgian federal government building in Brussels, local media reported. The attacker was radicalized and had earlier been placed under psychiatric care. He is reported to have shouted "Allah is great" and claimed that there was a plot against him when he was arrested. It is stated that a psychiatric monitoring measure was taken against him some time ago after he made threats against the US embassy. It is not yet known what the actual motives were for his attempt to break into the government complex. Television footage from the scene shows that the detained is a man in his 30s, with dark hair and a long beard. Negotiations on the formation of a new government, involving prominent political figures were taking place in the building. The area was cordoned off by police, reports said. A government spokesperson said the man had been taken for questioning and no law enforcement officers were injured. Outgoing Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said he was safe but shaken by the incident.

Vučić's interview for the most important newspaper in the UAE: Real and true friends of Serbia VIDEO President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, gave an interview to the largest and most important media house in the United Arab Emirates - "Aletihad".

This is me talking about the Russian church calendar. 1-7-25

This is a report about the ports on the Med.

Second day of mourning for the massacre; Montenegro ranks sixth in the world in the number of illegal weapons Today is the second day of mourning in Montenegro after the tragic event when the murderer Aco Martinović killed 12 people in Cetinje, including two boys aged 10 and 13, and seriously injured four others.

These are reports from Serbia, Russia, and France.

Prise d'otages en cours à la prison d'Arles (sud de la France) Cinq personnes sont retenues en otage, vendredi 3 janvier, à la prison d'Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône), ont indiqué à l'AFP des sources policière et pénitentiaire, confirmant une information de «La Provence». Un détenu muni d'une arme blanche retient quatre personnels infirmiers et un surveillant pénitentiaire, a précisé la source pénitentiaire, précisant que l'homme avait un «profil psychiatrique».

Staff held hostage at Arles prison in France - the police on alert PHOTO/VIDEO A convict serving a sentence in Arles prison has captured and is holding hostage several members of the prison staff, French media reported today, stating that police intervention units are ready to intervene.

MOSCOW, January 4. /TASS/. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock should better talk about the future of US bases in her country than speculate about Russian bases in Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"Europe" published a map: Kosovo is part of Serbia VIDEO President of the European Commission, Ursula von Der Leyen, published on her official profile on the social network "X" a picture of a map of Europe, on which Kosovo is shown as part of Serbia.

This is me talking about toll roads in Mahattan. 1-6-25

Maybe there are foreign and substandard defense firms in New York City because the hush money trial is so strange.

Trump to be sentenced in hush money trial but will not face jail time The New York judge in US President-elect Donald Trump's hush money case ruled on Friday that the president-elect must be sentenced on January 10, days before his inauguration. However, Justice Juan Merchan indicated he will not impose a jail sentence.

French, German foreign ministers meet Syria's new leader in Damascus French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock said they wanted to forge a new relationship with Syria and called for a peaceful political transition as they met Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Friday.

New Syrian FM on first official visit to Saudi Arabia aims for regional reset On his first official visit to Saudi Arabia since Bashar al-Assad's ouster, Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shibani said he hoped to open a "new, bright page" in bilateral relations. Syria's new leaders are focused on rebuilding their war-shattered country amid Saudi concerns over the trafficking of captagon, a narcotic produced under the Assad regime in large quantities.

'Butcher of Hama': Assad's uncle Rifaat fled to Dubai, Lebanese officials say An uncle of the recently ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has fled, via Lebanon, to the United Arab Emirates, according to Lebanese officials. Rifaat al-Assad, known as the “Butcher of Hama” for overseeing the violent suppression of a rebellion in the 1980s, has been accused of war crimes by Swiss prosecutors.

Shoppers in China are getting rare discounts on iPhones as Apple faces growing competition from local brands. The four-day promotion, which starts this Saturday (4 January), includes discounts of as much as 500 yuan ($68.50, £55.30) on some of the US technology giant's newest handsets. Chinese phone maker Huawei has also cut prices of its high-end mobile devices by as much as 20%.

This is me talking about the hush money trial. 1-4-25

This is me talking about Jeffery Maddrey. 1-3-25

How these aren't accurate interpretations of federal laws.

The special attention Mangione’s case is receiving from law enforcement officials, however, is part of what some lawyers are scrutinizing about the handling of the shooting. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Salon that he sees the terrorism charge as a “stretch” and says that he thinks the decision to charge Mangione with an act of terror moves the focus of the case from Thompson’s killing onto the health insurance industry in America. “Terrorism requires either the intent to intimidate the public or to influence the government,” Rahmani said. “Now all of a sudden, the health insurance industry and his motivation all come into evidence in what would otherwise be a pretty clear murder case.” Unlike other New York cases where terrorism has been alleged, like the white supremacist shooting at a Tops supermarket in 2022, there is widespread public support for Mangione and the unusual treatment that his case is receiving, Rahmani said, might only make it harder for prosecutors to win in court “It’s atypical—the way the whole case has been handled. You have Eric Adams, who is under indictment himself, at the perp walk,” Rahmani said. “I see a very real risk of jury nullification in the case. I haven't seen something like this since OJ, where there is so much sympathy for the accused.”

What the money is supposed to be used for.

Albany, NY — Under a law that took effect Wednesday, Pregnant New Yorkers will be entitled to at least 20 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the policy makes New York the first state in the country to offer paid leave for prenatal care. All pregnant workers in the private sector are eligible for paid time off. Workers can schedule paid leave for pregnancy-related medical appointments such as physical examinations, end-of-pregnancy care, and fertility treatments, among other things. Hochul pushed for the measure in the state's last legislative session as a way to help reduce maternal and infant deaths in New York.

Maybe the federal offices themselves are misusing federal funds.

Feds, NYPD raid home of ex-top cop Jeffrey Maddrey in latest probe of NYC Mayor Adams’ admin Ex-NYPD honcho Jeffrey Maddrey’s Queens home was raided by the feds Thursday as investigators probe salacious accusations he traded sexual favors with an underling for obscene overtime. The probe by the Southern District of New York is centered on whether federal funds were misused to pay for the subordinate’s alleged stolen overtime, sources told The Post. Maddrey — who resigned late last month as the NYPD’s chief of department — was suspended Thursday morning, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement revealing the investigation and the raids on Maddrey’s home and other locations. “Maddrey was suspended from the department this morning, as law enforcement agents executed search warrants at several locations, including his residence,” she said, without specifying which other places were raided. The NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is working with law enforcement authorities on the probe, Tisch added, directing questions to SDNY. The Post also reached out to Maddrey’s lawyer, Lambros Lambrou, Thursday after the raids, but didn’t hear back. NYPD cops are required to give 30 days notice before leaving the force for retirement, giving the agency time to wrap up loose ends, including pending internal investigations. The NYPD’s internal affairs bureau is tasked with making referrals to outside prosecutors, including the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office. The same federal office was behind a spate of stunning raids on top officials in City Hall in September, and Mayor Eric Adams’ historic bribery and corruption indictment, to which he has pleaded not-guilty. The raids Thursday were only the latest to hit an ally of Adams, who last week tried to distance himself from Maddrey – even as he defended the former police official’s checkered record. The relationship between Maddrey and Adams goes back years, insiders said.

How the pandemic makes people vulnerable to health stuff and their clothes.

The prefix "hypo-" means "under, beneath, down, or below normal". For example, "hypodermic" means a needle used to inject medication below the skin, and "hypoglycemia" is the medical term for low blood sugar.

The prefix hyper- means "excessive", "above normal", or "beyond".

DUBAI, January 2. /TASS/. Eight Palestinians died of hypothermia in refugee camps in the Gaza Strtip in the past two days, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV channel reported, citing Gazan health officials. The seventh baby has died from hypothermia in Gaza, bringing the total death toll to eight. Meanwhile, heavy rains and flooding are making life for displaced Palestinians living in makeshift tents even more dire.

Dec 20, 2024 — Health commissioner encourages Bills fans to bundle up for Sunday's game · Dressing warm · Preventing frostbite and hypothermia

These are reports about the Balkans.

At a closed session, the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) approved an average increase of 8.42% in electricity prices for household consumers, effective from January 1, 2025. The changes vary slightly among electricity providers, with Electrohold customers seeing an increase of 8.36%, EVN customers 8.39%, and Energo Pro customers 8.55%. These figures include the costs for network services, as stated by the regulator.

As of today, new fees for various Bulgarian documents have been introduced. For instance, the cost of obtaining an ID card has increased significantly. A regular ID card now costs 30 leva, up from the previous 18 leva. The fast service fee has also risen, going from 36 to 60 leva, while the express service has seen the steepest rise, climbing from 90 to 150 leva.

As of January 1, Poland has assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union for the next six months. With a focus on collective security and defense, Poland has emphasized the importance of strengthening Europe's defense industry, with particular attention to modernizing its technological capabilities. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański remarked that a robust European defense industry is crucial, and further efforts to increase production capacity are a priority.

This is me talking about Latin prefixes. 1-2-25

How it seems scary about these Serbian construction projects.

Vučić visited the works on the construction of Tiršova 2: "Incredible progress. Waiting lists are shrinking" "We are building the most modern children's clinic and we believe that it will be important not only for children from Belgrade, but from the whole of Serbia and the region," the president pointed out. "I had no idea how far it had progressed, but if you remember, the last time we were there, it was all dirt. So now this, the first floors, the first slabs, above the ground, we have five floors below the ground, six floors above, 11 floor in total, 62,000 square meters of total space. We are here 40 days ahead of schedule," Vučić said during a tour of the Tiršova 2 construction site.

Maybe it's the reds and the whites fighting for Brighton Beach.

The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Service reported that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed by R-73 SeeDragon missiles during the Black Sea battle near Cape Tarkhankut in occupied Crimea. The operation was carried out by members of the special unit Group 13. "Another similar Russian helicopter was shot down, but managed to reach its home airport," the Ukrainians added. Explosions rang out across Crimea last night, and the Russians announced that the peninsula had been attacked by drones.

What about the strange cybersecurity firms they hire?

WASHINGTON, December 31. /TASS/. The US Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions against the Russian non-profit foundation Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) and two Russian citizens, the department said in a statement.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a subordinate organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and a Moscow-based affiliate organization of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and its director pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848, the U.S. election interference authority. As affiliates of the IRGC and GRU, these actors aimed to stoke socio-political tensions and influence the U.S. electorate during the 2024 U.S. election. Today’s actions build on sanctions previously imposed on the IRGC, the GRU, and their numerous subordinate and proxy organizations, pursuant to several authorities targeting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and malicious cyber-enabled activities.

American cities and how the coastline is changing.

The 1900 Galveston hurricane, also known as the Great Galveston hurricane and the Galveston Flood, and known regionally as the Great Storm of 1900 or the 1900 Storm, is the deadliest natural disaster in United States history. The strongest storm of the 1900 Atlantic hurricane season, it left between 6,000 and 12,000 fatalities in the United States; the number most cited in official reports is 8,000. Most of these deaths occurred in and near Galveston, Texas, after the storm surge inundated the coastline and the island city with 8 to 12 ft (2.4 to 3.7 m) of water.

This is me talking about New York City. 1-1-25

If this is a questionable security contract.

At the top of the fifth inning with the Yankees up 5-0 and trying to claw back from a 3-1 deficit in the series, Judge moved under a routine fly ball from Tommy Edman in center field that should have been an easy out. But Judge dropped the ball to allow the Los Angeles Dodgers to get two runners on with no outs.

NEW YORK, December 31. /TASS/. The US Treasury Department said hackers linked to China breached its electronic systems, the New York Times reported, citing the department’s letter to Congress. According to the letter, BeyondTrust, a software service company hired by the Treasury, notified the agency that a hacker had obtained a security key that allowed it to remotely gain access to certain Treasury workstations and documents on them. Following the incident the compromised service was taken offline, and there is no evidence that the hacker still has access to Treasury information, the department said. The Treasury Department said it is working with the FBI to investigate the breach.

This is me talking about the Treasury Department. 12-31-24

1) It's possible Bugayev was one of the convicts who was deployed to Ukraine and he died fighting.
2) Also, the NYPD and the Russian areas in Brooklyn.

Former Russian footballer who played against Ronaldo killed in Ukraine Alexei Bugayev, 43, joined army to avoid serving sentence for drug trafficking

This is me talking about Brighton Beach. 12-30-24

Где ты живешь? Ты студент? Где? В каком городе?
Where do you live? Are you a student? Where? Which city is that in?
Я изучала русский язык в университете Техаском.
I studied Russian at UT-Austin.

1) Jessica Tisch has an out of state law degree. Maybe they should hire someone with an MBA or an MS. Also, if her background is counterterrorism do we have to budget more of that?
2) The rest of the state needs the money.

Tisch began her career at the NYPD as a counterterrorism analyst in 2008 under Kelly, the longest serving police commissioner in the department’s history. She eventually became the deputy commissioner of information technology and oversaw the NYPD’s 911 operations before running the city Departments of Information Technology and Telecommunications and Sanitation.

Hochul ‘outraged’ over correctional officers’ killing of inmate

Hochul signs bill that will charge oil and gas firms $75B, but critics say customers will really foot the tab

Exclusive | NY education big urges Hochul, pols to lift cap on charters: 'Focus more on kids, not politics'

This is me talking about the Justice Department. 12-30-24

This is me talking more about Brooklyn. 12-29-24

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch ousts dozens of NYPD bosses in shocking purge — one week after sex scandal that rocked department Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch ousted dozens of NYPD bosses in a shocking Saturday purge, beginning with the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau, a week after The Post revealed that top cop Jeffrey Maddrey was allegedly trading overtime for sex at police headquarters. Deputy Chief Chris Morello, the No. 2 boss at the famed watchdog bureau whose mission is to weed out bad cops, was removed from his post, paperwork obtained by The Post shows. This comes a week after IAB’s top boss, Chief of Internal Affairs Miguel Iglesias, was ejected the day of the Dec. 21 expose in The Post. Inspector Joseph Profeta, who was head of IAB’s Group 1, was booted Saturday to Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, the documents show. The group investigates allegations regarding NYPD brass with the rank of captain or above. “Tisch means business,” a high-ranking source said. “She’s cleaning up the mess and putting the department back on track.” The moves were made because of a “lack of oversight” by IAB, the source said. Inspector Michael Ricciardi of IAB Special Ops was also ousted and sent to Patrol Borough Manhattan North, the orders show. Another dozen IAB bosses, ranging from lieutenants to sergeants, were sent packing to far-flung precincts across the city, the documents show. Six members of Maddrey’s office — five detectives and one police officer — were also booted in the bloodletting, most of them sent to walk the beat in public housing, the documents show. The sweeping changes come after The Post revealed in a Sunday front-page story that Chief of Department Maddrey was allegedly granting overtime for sex to Lt. Quathisha Epps, who raked in a total of more than $400,000 in 2024. “If you want to show that you are genuinely trying to change the face of the department and get rid of all of Maddrey’s cronies, this is the best way to do it,” a police officer with more than 20 years on the job said. Earlier this month, Tisch ordered 500 officers who had been “improperly transferred” to go back to their regular assignments, an internal police memo obtained by The Post shows. The practice was known as “telephone message transfers” and led to a lack of boots on the ground in some areas and therefore slower response times, the Dec. 9 memo stated. Epps claimed in graphic detail in an exclusive interview with The Post that Maddrey, the highest ranking uniformed officer in the NYPD, coerced her to have sex in his office between eight and 10 times, in exchange for the massive overtime. Her lawyer, Eric Sanders, filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, a precursor to a lawsuit. Maddrey abruptly retired the day of The Post report. He claimed through his lawyer on Friday that he had a “consensual, adult relationship” with Epps, but denied her accusation of “coercion.” The lawyer, Lambros Lambrou, said Maddrey had no authority to sign off on overtime pay. In response, Epps’ attorney told The Post, “This clown is a f–king disgrace. We have a treasure trove of digital data that will hopefully bring this degenerate to justice.”

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch ousts dozens of NYPD bosses in shocking purge — one week after sex scandal that rocked department Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch ousted dozens of NYPD bosses in a shocking Saturday purge, beginning with the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau, a week after The Post revealed that top cop Jeffrey Maddrey was allegedly trading overtime for sex at police headquarters. Deputy Chief Chris Morello, the No. 2 boss at the famed watchdog bureau whose mission is to weed out bad cops, was removed from his post, paperwork obtained by The Post shows. This comes a week after IAB’s top boss, Chief of Internal Affairs Miguel Iglesias, was ejected the day of the Dec. 21 expose in The Post. Inspector Joseph Profeta, who was head of IAB’s Group 1, was booted Saturday to Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, the documents show. The group investigates allegations regarding NYPD brass with the rank of captain or above. “Tisch means business,” a high-ranking source said. “She’s cleaning up the mess and putting the department back on track.” The moves were made because of a “lack of oversight” by IAB, the source said. Inspector Michael Ricciardi of IAB Special Ops was also ousted and sent to Patrol Borough Manhattan North, the orders show. Another dozen IAB bosses, ranging from lieutenants to sergeants, were sent packing to far-flung precincts across the city, the documents show. Six members of Maddrey’s office — five detectives and one police officer — were also booted in the bloodletting, most of them sent to walk the beat in public housing, the documents show. The sweeping changes come after The Post revealed in a Sunday front-page story that Chief of Department Maddrey was allegedly granting overtime for sex to Lt. Quathisha Epps, who raked in a total of more than $400,000 in 2024. “If you want to show that you are genuinely trying to change the face of the department and get rid of all of Maddrey’s cronies, this is the best way to do it,” a police officer with more than 20 years on the job said. Earlier this month, Tisch ordered 500 officers who had been “improperly transferred” to go back to their regular assignments, an internal police memo obtained by The Post shows. The practice was known as “telephone message transfers” and led to a lack of boots on the ground in some areas and therefore slower response times, the Dec. 9 memo stated. Epps claimed in graphic detail in an exclusive interview with The Post that Maddrey, the highest ranking uniformed officer in the NYPD, coerced her to have sex in his office between eight and 10 times, in exchange for the massive overtime. Her lawyer, Eric Sanders, filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, a precursor to a lawsuit. Maddrey abruptly retired the day of The Post report. He claimed through his lawyer on Friday that he had a “consensual, adult relationship” with Epps, but denied her accusation of “coercion.” The lawyer, Lambros Lambrou, said Maddrey had no authority to sign off on overtime pay. In response, Epps’ attorney told The Post, “This clown is a f–king disgrace. We have a treasure trove of digital data that will hopefully bring this degenerate to justice.”

This is me talking about Brooklyn. 12-29-24

Thailand to impose minimum 15% corporate tax from Jan 1 Finance ministry confirms rate will apply to big multinationals in line with global standard championed by OECD

Thailand accepts Russia's invitation to join BRICS

9:00 AM Sunday, in Seoul, South Korea is 7:00 PM Saturday, in Washington, DC

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A passenger plane burst into flames Sunday after it skidded off a runway at a South Korean airport and slammed into a concrete fence when its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy, killing at least 124 people, officials said, in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. The National Fire Agency said rescuers raced to pull people from the Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 people at the airport in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. The Transport Ministry said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that was returning from Bangkok and that the crash happened at 9:03 a.m. local time.

Initial reports suggested the crash was linked to a faulty landing gear and a bird strike which occurred during the flight from Bangkok, Thailand.

This is me talking about Seoul. 12-29-24

The newspaper is doing math that makes Albany look dumb.

Gov. Hochul rushed to squelch outrage over the MTA’s extra surge-pricing squeeze on Manhattan drivers after The Post broke the news that the $9 congestion-pricing toll would soar to $11.25 — a whopping 25% — on “gridlock alert” days next month. But notice that she only promised she wouldn’t allow the added toll hikes; the agency’s legal power to do it remains. And she’s certainly not retreating on the central outrage: The $9 toll itself remains her “gift that keeps on taking.”

This is me talking about Albany. 12-28-24

Opinion>Judiciary The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill Will the jury let Luigi Mangione get away with murder? by Joel Cohen, opinion contributor - 12/27/24 8:00 AM ET

Luigi Mangione Trial With Hung Jury a 'Real Potential Threat'—Attorney Published Dec 27, 2024

Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds

From 1992 to 1999, Mr. Cohen served as Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, supervising the Business/Securities Fraud Unit, where he received numerous awards from the Department of Justice and law enforcement agencies. Mr. Cohen received his bachelor's degree from Middlebury College, his master's degree in History from Duke University and his Juris Doctor from Duke University Law School, where he was a moot court champion. He is a member of the bars of New York and Massachusetts.

In 1988, Tyler socialite and millionaire Bette Lucas passed away suddenly in her home from a massive head wound and severe brain damage.

Steven Baker Lucas Lucas, 49, was convicted in the beating death of his 66-year-old mother, Bette Baker Lucas, at her home in Tyler on June 6, 1988.

This is me talking about Betty Lucas. 12-28-24

We're watching the Russian retreat from Syria.

'Butcher of Hama': Assad's uncle Rifaat fled to Dubai, Lebanese officials say An uncle of the recently ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has fled, via Lebanon, to the United Arab Emirates, according to Lebanese officials. Rifaat al-Assad, known as the “Butcher of Hama” for overseeing the violent suppression of a rebellion in the 1980s, has been accused of war crimes by Swiss prosecutors. Rifaat al-Assad, an uncle of the ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad charged in Switzerland with war crimes over the bloody suppression of a revolt in 1982, has flown from Beirut to Dubai in recent days, two Lebanese security officials said on Friday. The officials said that "many members" of the Assad family had travelled to Dubai from Beirut and others had stayed in Lebanon since Assad was toppled on Dec. 8. Lebanese authorities had not received Interpol requests to arrest them, including Rifaat, the officials said. The UAE foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The Lebanese officials said they did not know if Rifaat or the other Assad family members intended to stay in Dubai or travel elsewhere. Rifaat, in his late 80s, was brother to Assad's father, the late president Hafez al-Assad, and led elite forces that crushed a 1982 Muslim Brotherhood uprising in the city of Hama, killing more than 10,000 people. In 2022, the independent Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) monitoring group alleged that between 30,000 to 40,000 civilians had been killed in Hama. In 2021 he returned to Syria. The Lebanese officials said the wife of his son Duraid and their daughter had been held for trying to travel from Beirut airport on Friday using expired passports that had been tampered with. Earlier this month, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said top Assad advisor Bouthaina Shaaban had flown out of Beirut after entering Lebanon legally. In an interview with Al Arabiya, Mawlawi said other Syrian officials had entered Lebanon illegally and were being pursued. Caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati said on Monday Lebanon would cooperate with an Interpol request to arrest former Syrian intelligence officer Jamil Hassan, accused by US authorities of war crimes under Assad.

NATO to enhance presence in Baltic Sea after suspected undersea cable sabotage NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday that NATO will "enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea" as Estonia's navy began patrolling an undersea cable supplying energy from Finland. A different cable was disconnected from the power grid on Christmas Day in what Finnish authorities suspect is a case of deliberate sabotage. NATO will bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia this week, the Western military alliance's chief Mark Rutte said on Friday. On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 submarine cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic. Finnish authorities on Thursday said they were investigating the oil tanker, Eagle S, that sailed from a Russian port, as part of a probe for "aggravated sabotage". Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Friday: "We've got the situation under control, and we have to continue to work together vigilantly to make sure that our critical infrastructure is not damaged by outsiders." Officials suspect the tanker is part of the Russian "shadow fleet", which refers to ships that transport Russian crude and oil products embargoed due to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Eagle S vessel, which flies under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, was en route to Port Said in Egypt. Police suspect that the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the power cable. Rutte said he spoke to President Stubb about Finland's probe, adding in a post on X: "I expressed my full solidarity and support. NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea." Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur earlier on Friday said on X that the country began naval patrols to protect the undersea cable supplying electricity from Finland. In a separate statement he said Tallinn wanted to send a clear message it was ready to protect its power connections with Finland with military and non-military means. Rutte on Thursday promised NATO support to Estonia and Finland, and condemned attacks on critical infrastructure after speaking to Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.

This is me talking about the Navy football team. 12-28-24

The BAE Systems Tennis Tournament Bowl was played yesterday in Fort Worth, Texas. Navy won 21-20 against Oklahoma.

This is me talking about Eric Adams. 12-27-24

1) The mayor tells everyone he himself is tough on crime
2) and so the police get overtime
3) and he's quick to ask for federal indictments.

The tough-on-crime mayor heads into his reelection year with a trail of chaos and corruption through the upper ranks of the NYPD — most recently the abrupt resignation of Adams’ handpicked chief of department over sexual assault allegations. Another high-ranking cop was canned in the process.

Under the suggestion, Zapeta would be prosecuted both by the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office and the U.S. Attorneys Office Eastern District, where a conviction under federal law for arson resulting in death could result in a 25-year-to-life sentence. Federal arson charges for property used in interstate commerce resulting in injury could carry a maximum of 40 years. It is not unprecedented. In Manhattan, Luigi Mangione is currently facing dual prosecutions by both the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorneys Office Southern District.

Adams wrote in the memo that the four departments “represent a disproportionate share of overtime spending,” and that it’s their “ongoing responsibility of management of each of the Agencies to ensure that overtime is used responsibly and in accordance with the City’s guidelines.”

“The oversight offices shall work with their Agencies to develop, and thereafter monitor detailed overtime reduction plans, including targets for year-over-year overtime reductions for each fiscal year,” Adams wrote.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams is suggesting federal prosecutors also take the case of accused subway arsonist Sebastian Zapeta, who police say set a fire that claimed a woman on the subway last week. The mayor directed the NYPD to partner with federal ICE Homeland Security Investigations "to explore criminal charges ... under the federal arson statute." The move indicates the mayor's increasing willingness to work with federal law officials to remove migrants charged with crimes from the city.

That's kind of crazy because of Putin's age him getting reports about the army.

Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia fail to agree on moving Geneva talks — Russian MFA Since 2008, international discussions on security and stability in the South Caucasus have been held in Geneva, with the participation of Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the United States, and South Ossetia, mediated by special representatives from the UN, the EU, and the OSCE

Putin says he receives information about frontline situation round the clock There is always something new at certain sections of the front, the head of state emphasized

This is me talking about Yemen. 12-26-24

Russian navy stuff in Yemen.

Israel only starting to retaliate to Yemen’s Houthis — Netanyahu "We will beat them to the bone until they understand, too," the minister said

Yemeni ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa put out of service by Israeli strikes — source Damage also came from sweeping fires that were set off by strikes on oil tanks in both ports

This is me talking about Kansas City. 12-26-24

I wonder if Patrick wants six kids.

In 2010, Freeman married Joanna, who he had dated since college. The couple have six children: Vinny, Siena, Gino, Nicolo, Capri and Rocco.

Mahomes with his wife Brittany at the Chiefs Super Bowl Parade at Magic Kingdom in 2020. In July 2024, the couple announced they were expecting their third child.

This is me talking about the NYPD. 12-26-24

Where is this airplane from?
Woher kommt dieses Flugzeug?

Cessna C208B Grand Caravan
Embraer 190

Buenos Aires-Bound Air France B787-9 Declares Emergency and Returns to Paris

Chelsea ready to offer 3 players including Mykhailo Mudryk in attempt to sign 27-year-old Argentina star in swap deal: Reports

Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk to 'disconnect' amid drug probe - Maresca

Meldonium is now considered a doping agent due to its capacity to decrease lactate production during and after exercise.

This is me talking about Latakia. 12-26-24

The Germans might be using high tech devices to scan to see if the Russians are keeping Assad's valuable items. (1) Remember the Germans and the Russian frozen assets debate.
(2) Notice the people in Latakia are accustomed to staying out all night.

The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of four-abreast, narrow-body, short- to medium-range, twin-engined jet airliners designed and produced by Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer.

An Azerbaijani plane on a flight from Baku to Grozny was previously diverted to a Kazakh airport due to dense fog in Grozny, but apparently collided with a flock of birds during the flight, causing engine failure and the plane to crash.

This was also confirmed by the Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport "Rosaviation", which issued an official announcement regarding the crash of the "AZAL" plane.

"Search and rescue operations are carried out by the operational services of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Russian Air Force maintains communication with the carrier AZAL, as well as with the aviation authorities of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan," the statement said.

Russia expects from Abkhazia to honor obligations on Russian investments

Syrian authorities introduce curfew in Latakia, Homs after Alawite protests Previously, a curfew was imposed in another large Syrian city, Homs, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. local time

An Azerbaijani passenger plane "Embraer 190" with 67 people on board crashed on December 25 during an attempt to make an emergency landing near the Kazakh port of Aktau on the Caspian Sea. On board were 16 citizens of Russia, 37 - of Azerbaijan, 6 of Kazakhstan and three of Kyrgyzstan. Over 30 people died, BTA reports.

This is me talking about Los Angeles. 12-25-24

The legal rights of Russian ships leaving Syria.

The Russians have been exposed: A major action has begun; Satellite images revealed everything PHOTO The Russians have begun transferring equipment and technology from the Khmeimim air base in Syria to Libya's Al Jufra airport, which could mean that Libya will become the new focus of foreign operations for Russian forces.

The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank off the Spanish coast on December 23, following an explosion onboard. The ship, traveling from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok, was in the Mediterranean Sea between the Spanish city of Águilas and Algeria’s Oran when the incident occurred. The explosion caused the ship to list, prompting a hazardous area to be marked for shipping. A total of 14 crew members were rescued, though two remain missing. The Spanish maritime rescue service responded to the emergency, assisted by local fishing vessels and later joined by Spanish rescue specialists. Officially, the Ursa Major was reported to be carrying empty containers when the explosion occurred, according to the ship’s captain. However, sources from the Russian media, including Mediazona, revealed that the vessel was among several Russian cargo ships recently deployed to the Mediterranean. These ships were involved in the "Syrian Express," a supply route for Russian forces in Syria. Analysts speculated that the vessels were being used to evacuate Russian military bases in Syria, particularly from Tartus and Khmeimim. Despite the claims of transporting cranes and other equipment for Vladivostok, the ship’s true mission remains unclear. Meanwhile, the military presence in Syria continues to be a point of concern. On December 23, Ukrainian Defence Intelligence reported that another Russian vessel, Sparta, involved in evacuating military supplies from Syria, had broken down near Portugal. The European Union has been vocal about addressing Russia’s military involvement in Syria in discussions with the new leadership of the country.

This is me talking about the Catholic calendar. 12-25-24

These are reports about the court system in New York State.

Hochul slammed for saying she's made subways safer on same day woman burned alive on train Former Cuomo official said Hochul couldn't 'bother to read a newspaper'

Trump’s border czar slams Gov. Hochul for bragging about better subway safety after illegal migrant allegedly set a passenger on fire

Gov. Hochul vetoes bill to restore jury rights for people convicted of felonies

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul calls for dismissal of 14 corrections employees after inmate death

This is me talking about Kathy Hochul. 12-24-24

Luigi is handsome.
He went to Penn.
Penn has the business school.

--

Adams' press secretary, Kayla Mamelak Altus, told Newsweek via email Monday that the mayor's presence at Mangioni's perp walk was "showing up to support our law enforcement as they extradited a brutal killer and sending the message to New Yorkers that violence and vitriol have no place in our city is who Mayor Eric Adams is to his core." "Luigi Mangione infused terror on the streets of New York City for days as our NYPD detectives hunted him down. His cold-blooded assassination of Brian Thompson – a father of two – has since been sickeningly glorified, shining a spotlight on the darkest corners of the internet. Mayor Adams' priority is – and always has been – public safety, and he has repeatedly spoken about how social media is fueling the radicalization of our youth," Mamelak Altus told Newsweek.

Press Office
About Kayla Mamelak Altus
Kayla Mamelak Altus joined the Adams administration in the summer of 2022 as deputy press secretary, acting as a spokesperson for City Hall on key issues, including the migrant crisis and public safety. In March 2024, she was promoted to deputy press secretary and communications advisor, taking on additional responsibilities, such as developing media strategies for press conferences and other administration announcements. Before her tenure at City Hall, Mamelak Altus served as a lead reporter and fill-in anchor for FOX5 New York, where she reported extensively on crime and politics in New York City and the tri-state area. Earlier in her career, she was a multimedia journalist for FiOS1 News, covering New York’s Lower Hudson Valley, and she also worked with Worcester News Tonight, focusing on crime and court coverage in Worcester, Massachusetts. Mamelak Altus holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Boston University.

Born Eric Leroy Adams
September 1, 1960 (age 64)
New York City, U.S.
Political party Democratic (before 1995, 2002–present)
Domestic partner Tracey Collins
Children 1

This is me talking about Eric Adams. 12-24-24

How maybe Bakhmut is similar to Verdun.

Russia vs. Ukraine: The unrelenting fight to hold Bakhmut Russia had "actually destroyed Bakhmut" and "turned it into burnt ruins," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the end of 2022.

Mercenary meatgrinder: The price of Bakhmut Host Alia Brahimi is joined by the Russian photographer and journalist, David Frenkel, to consider the staggering toll of the “Bakhmut meatgrinder.”

Surrounded on three sides, Kurakhove is Ukraine's new 'Bakhmut'

Russia says it captured Ukrainian frontline village west of Bakhmut

Ukraine faces a growing risk of encirclement in these salients, which have been developing for weeks. While past crises were averted through luck, continued reliance on this could be dangerous. The situation is also tense on otn the Lyman front, Russia intensified efforts, carrying out 36 assaults across a wide range of settlements, including Zelenyi Hai and Toretsk. Further south, on the Vremivka front, Ukrainian forces destroyed a tank and two infantry fighting vehicles while repelling 44 Russian attacks. The ongoing battles across these multiple fronts underline the intensity of the conflict as Russian forces continue to face significant resistance. Meanwhile, the Slovakian Prime Minister, Robert Fico, held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 22 December, largely in response to Ukraine’s stance on halting Russian gas transit through its territory.

This is me talking about Bakhmut. 12-24-24

This is me talking about the White House. 12-23-24

It's Christmas.
Almost. (After she thought about what day it was)

I think the White House has a sense of foreign laws in our justice system. Commute the death sentence seems like a French language phrase. I wish they would take the word terrorism out of American laws.

Biden refuses to commute Boston Marathon terrorist's death sentence — media Earlier, the head of the US administration commuted the sentence for 37 out of 40 people to life imprisonment without the possibility of release

This is me talking about Georgetown Law. 12-23-24

We're looking at bad defense contracts in New York. If they use an army plane and the defendant said he didn't do it. Maybe if there isn't due process how can we know if he's guilty?

1) The plane
2) The not guilty pleas

Mangione, clad in an orange jumpsuit, was then led to the courthouse surrounded by city and federal agents with long guns — and even Mayor Adams — in a scene out of a Hollywood movie.

Mangione was then taken by helicopter to Manhattan.

The NYPD obtained the modified Cessna C208B Grand Caravan through a Preparedness Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2017.

This is me talking about the NYPD. 12-23-24

How Iowa and Kansas are terra incognita.

Capote learned of the quadruple murder before the killers were captured, and he traveled to Kansas to write about the crime.

Truman Capote was born on 30 September 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

This is me talking about Iowa. 12-23-24

Robert Fico is kowtowing because he is pretending he doesn't speak Russian.

Slovak PM thanks Putin in Russian for meeting with him This was Putin’s first personal meeting with Fico since 2016

A kowtow is a gesture of deep respect, reverence, or worship that involves kneeling and bowing so low that one's head touches the ground. It was a common practice in China in the past, and is considered the highest sign of reverence in Sinospheric culture. The word "kowtow" comes from the Chinese word k'o-t'ou, which literally means "knock the head".

These are army and energy reports.

China has issued a strong warning to the United States, labeling Taiwan as the "first red line that cannot be crossed" in their bilateral relations. The warning follows the White House's announcement of a significant arms package and military assistance to Taiwan, totaling 1.3 million in weapons and training. Additionally, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported a separate 5 million sale of modernization equipment for Taiwan's command, control, communications, and computers (C4) systems.

Hungarian oil and gas company MOL has officially expressed interest in acquiring Lukoil's refinery in Bulgaria. This was confirmed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who stated during a briefing in Budapest that MOL had submitted a bid for the refinery in Burgas and was among seven potential buyers. Orban's remarks followed his visit to Bulgaria, where he met with President Rumen Radev and GERB leader Boyko Borissov.

The Russians tighten the hoop: Key cities occupied In recent days, Russian units continue to advance almost along the entire front line in Ukraine. They conquered territories near Kharkiv and Kupyansk and almost completely occupied Toreck, which opens the way for them to attack Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.

This is me talking about Robert Fico. 12-23-24

Location: Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Khao Lak, Banda Aceh, Tamil Nadu
Number of deaths: 227,898
Date: December 26, 2004
Areas affected: Indian Ocean coastline areas
Casualties: 227,898 dead
Depth: 30 km (19 mi)

167 feet
In Indonesia's Aceh province in Northern Sumatra, waves reached 167 feet (51 meters) and caused flooding up to three miles (five kilometers) inland.

This is me talking about the Indonesian tsunami. 12-22-24

Sir, nobody could listen to Dominic after having heard Francis say that.
I'm an English immigrant.
It's an effort here about Cambridge and holiday everything.
Sir.
Sir.

Francis went to Cambridge. He said on Friday that it was the last episode this year where he and Dominic would both be on the show. That means on Monday and Tuesday there will either be no podcast or they will alternate days.

This is me talking about Francis Dearnley. 12-22-24

This is me talking about Clemson. 12-21-24

Привет, мы Американцы. Очень приятно. Мы милиции. Вы понимаете?
Hi, we're Americans. It's nice to meet you. We are the police. Do you understand?

This is me talking about Morgan McSweeney. 12-21-24

Notice this is in the London and Washington, DC newspapers.

70 year old tactics Many have expressed surprise at the ostensible naivety of the North Korean troops under live fire for the first time. Unverified footage posted on Ukrainian social media shows soldiers of apparent Korean origin (although Russia’s Asian minorities also serve in its armed forces) attempting to hide behind trees in open, snowy fields while being mercilessly hunted by drones. A Facebook post by the 8th Special Forces regiment boasted of their “warm welcome for North Korean troops”. “They don’t understand what’s happening,” one Ukrainian drone commander told The Washington Post. “We were very surprised, we had never seen anything like it – forty to fifty people running across a field. That’s a perfect target for artillery and Mavic [drone] operators. Russians never ran like that.”

How the New Yorkers want so much money to arrest people.

Asenior U.S. diplomat informed Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, on Friday that Washington was withdrawing its reward for his arrest, praising "positive messages" from their discussions, including a commitment to combating terrorism.

Federal agents nabbed a migrant Tren de Aragua gang crew holed up in a Bronx apartment — after tracking one of their ankle monitors to the hideout, sources told The Post. The Dec. 5 raid at an apartment building on the edge of Crotona Park, conducted by a federal task force made up of Homeland Security Investigations and the NYPD, landed seven alleged gangbangers in handcuffs, including a troublesome 28-year-old Venezuelan national who was wearing a court-ordered monitoring device that led the feds to the crew. Federal agents raided an apartment on Prospect Avenue in the Bronx on Dec. 5 and busted more than a half-dozen members of the migrant gang Tren de Aragua. Among them was Jhonaiker Alexander Gil Cardozo, 24, who had amassed at least four busts in two states after crossing the border in El Paso in September 2022. Another notorious TdA member, 30-year-old Jesus Manuel Quintero Granado, crossed the border in El Paso in September 2022 with his Peruvian wife and child, then headed into Canada, the sources said. But Canadian authorities denied the family’s asylum request in September 2023 and shipped them back to the US, where northern border agents released them pending an immigration hearing, the sources added.

Paty, 47, was murdered in October 2020 by an 18-year-old Islamist radical of Chechen origin after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in class. His killer, Abdoullakh Anzorov, died in a shootout with police. Two friends of Anzorov, Naim Boudaoud, 22, and Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, were on Friday convicted of complicity in the killing and jailed for 16 years.

The foreign fighters in the HTS alliance come from a variety of backgrounds: Chechens, Uighurs, Uzbeks, Afghans, Albanians – and even French nationals. These non-Syrian militants operate either within their own groups, which are aligned with HTS, or are embedded directly within its ranks. HTS itself has been designated as a terrorist organisation by both the US and EU.

This is me talking more about Eric Adams. 12-21-24

This seems out there that the mayor can say that kind of stuff to a defendant in a trial.

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Mayor Eric Adams said he “wanted to send a strong message” when he met accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione in New York City on Thursday. Mangione was flown back to New York Thursday to face federal charges of murder and stalking in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mayor Adams was photographed among police escorting Mangione before his court appearance in Manhattan. “I wanted to send a strong message with the police commissioner that we are leading from the front,” Mayor Adams said during an interview on PIX on Politics. “I’m not going to just allow him to come into our city. I wanted to look him in the eye and state that, ‘You carried out this terrorist act in my city, the city that the people of New York love.’ And I wanted to be there to show the symbolism of that.”

The neighborhood takes its name from the Civil War fort located at the top of the hill. It was built in 1861 and completed in 1863 to provide protection to the capital during the civil war. The fort is named for Joseph Gilbert Totten, a general in the War of 1812.

This is me talking about Eric Adams. 12-20-24

How in Europe sometimes there is a public figure and you follow that person in the news.

Orban suggests deciding on anti-Russian sanctions after Trump's inauguration — news agency Toward the end of the EU summit, the Hungarian prime minister "surprised his colleagues" by saying he was not ready to extend the sanctions, the sources said

Bulgarian Head of State Rumen Radev will meet today at the presidency building in Sofia with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The Hungarian guest is visiting Bulgaria at the invitation of the Bulgarian president. Among the topics discussed will be the deepening of friendly relations between Bulgaria and Hungary, topics from the agenda of the European Union and the security environment in the region, the presidency has reported.

Jessica Tisch is both shocked and appalled.
The federal agent is respectfully submitting stuff.
Not everyone journals or reads journal entries.

Suspected UnitedHealthcare assassin Luigi Mangione's plan to 'wack' CEO revealed in journal entries: affidavit Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old former Ivy Leaguer who allegedly abandoned a career in computer science to assassinate UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is facing increasing legal troubles as state and federal prosecutors continue to up the charges against him and reveal new evidence. A new federal criminal complaint alleging charges of stalking, murder through use of a firearm and federal firearms offenses accuses Mangione of keeping a journal in which he outlined the deadly plot, mused about choosing a victim and patted himself on the back for continuing to research the target. The new federal case brings the potential for the death penalty back into the equation, should Mangione be convicted.

"I respectfully submit that MANGIONE is the Shooter who shot and killed the Victim on December 4, 2024," an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. "Additionally, the Notebook entries, the Feds Letter, the Shooter’s apparent surveillance of the Midtown Hotel on November 24, 2024 and December 4, 2024, and the Shooter’s use of countersurveillance techniques and escape from New York City all suggest that the Shooter undertook extensive efforts to identify the Victim, place the Victim under surveillance, and track the Victim’s whereabouts in the time period leading up to the murder."

"Luigi Mangione is now formally charged and indicted for murder, and let me be perfectly clear, in the nearly two weeks since Mr. Thompson's killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters Wednesday. "Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack."

This is me talking about defense contracts in New York. 12-20-24