Domestic Terrorists Knock Out Power in NC, Twitter May Have Thrown 2020 Election, What the GA Runoff Says About 2024 (The Five for 12/07/22)
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I’m changing the format ever so slighty of the news edition to keep things fresh (see story #5).
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With that being said…let’s dive into the news.
[one]
A shooting that damaged two power substations in a North Carolina county, leaving thousands of homes without power, has been deemed a "targeted" attack, as officials warn of threats to the nationwide infrastructure.
Days before the attack, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin through its National Terrorism Advisory System warning that the “United States remains in a heightened threat environment” and “lone offenders and small groups” may commit acts of violence on various targets, including critical infrastructure in the country.
The bulletin follows a report made in January, in which the DHS warned that domestic extremists have been developing “credible, specific plans” to attack electricity infrastructure since at least 2020.
Extremists “adhering to a range of ideologies will likely continue to plot and encourage physical attacks against electrical infrastructure,” the report warned.
There were rumors the attack was over a local drag show for children, but investigators have not released any motive so far, and seems unlikely if this domestic terrorist attack has been in the works for two years.
Whatever the motivation, this is a serious occurrence. Let us pray it does not inspire copycat attacks around the country, especially with winter coming on when the cold can kill in many parts of the US.
[two]
Twitter CEO Elon Musk fired the in-house attorney allegedly responsible for suppressing the Hunter Biden Laptop story just before the 2020 election.
Twitter ignited upon the news Tuesday that CEO Elon Musk booted former FBI general counsel James Baker from the company for "suppression" of information.
Journalist Matt Taibbi, who revealed the "Twitter Files" on Friday, shared an article about the now-ousted Twitter deputy general counsel Baker's connections to FBI controversies involving the Trump-Russia probe.
The article, from New York Post opinion writer Jonathan Turley, said that Baker was "at the center of the Twitter suppression scandal." Turley also observed, "Baker has been featured repeatedly in the Russian investigations launched by the Justice Department, including the hoax involving the Russian Alfa Bank."
The scandal in question involved Twitter and Facebook blocking an investigative story from the New York Post, which looked into an alleged laptop belonging to Joe Biden’s son Hunter, which may have held evidence the Biden’s were profiting form Joe’s position of power by collecting cash from foreign businesses in Ukraine and China, among other places.
Twitter blocked users from Tweeting out the link, and even blocked sending the story other users via DM.
There have been obvious questions as to the role this had in the final outcome of hte 2020 election.
[three]
Iran continues to hover on the brink of civil war/revolution as hundreds of protestors have died at the hands of the Iranian special forces, as thousands continue to mob the streets in protest of a young woman who died in police custody after refusing to wear a hijab in public.
Now, the sister of Iran’s supreme leader has come out in support of the protestors.
In a stunning admission of the heinous nature of Iran’s despotic, tyrannical government, a sister of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly condemned the government and urged their terrifying Revolutionary Guards to lay down their arms.
Writing in a letter that was shared on her son’s Twitter account, Badri Hosseini Khamenei, who lives in Iran, took on the Islamic Republic’s leaders dating back to the inception of the regime by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979.
“I think it is appropriate now to declare that I oppose my brother’s actions and I express my sympathy with all mothers mourning the crimes of the Islamic Republic regime, from the time of Khomeini to the current era of the despotic caliphate of Ali Khamenei,” she wrote in the letter shared on Wednesday.
“Ali Khamenei’s Revolutionary Guards and mercenaries should lay down their weapons as soon as possible and join the people before it is too late,” she added.
On Tuesday, the Revolutionary Guards urged the judiciary to “not show mercy to rioters, thugs and terrorists” in response to the protests that have surged against the government since the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in police custody on September 16.
I can’t imagine this woman will live to see the end of the week.
Meanwhile, the plight of the Iranian citizens is mainly ignored by Americans who only seem interested in Supporting the Current Thing (TM) that the mainstream media tells them is important—which, in this case, is Ukraine.
Brown people being slaughtered standing up for women’s rights doesn’t matter too much to the corporate press, from what I can tell.
[four]
The run-off in Georgia yesterday resulted in the defeat of Republican candidate, and former football star Hershel Walker to Raphael Warnock, the sitting Democrat who loves using his church to evict poor people and make them homeless.
Walker, a Trump pick, rounded out a losing card for the former POTUS’ midterm endorsements.
Warnock is deeply unpopular in Georgia, but Walker proved to be worse, saying a few days ago “this erection is about the people.” (uhhh…wut?)
Meanwhile, Walker finally turned into a good candidate, immediately after losing.
What the heck?
Much has been made about the GOP’s lack of victories in the midterms when inflation has devastated the reputation of the Democratic Party…but candidates like Walker just aren’t built to win.
And considering that Walker actually got good at campaigning the minute he lost…you have to wonder if he actually wanted the job.
Zooming out, this certainly doesn’t help Trump’s chances to secure the primary against assumed Republican rival Ron DeSantis.
[five]
So much news and important ideas are happening via audio these days, I’m switching the format of the News Edition of the Five just a bit…the fifth story will always be highlighting audio and video going foward (just as the fifth story of the Culture & Commentary issue always features movies, TV and music).
First up, the NY Times podcast on how poverty and instability keep some high school students from earning a diploma is as heartbreaking as it is necessary to hear.
Also this week, Alex Jones reacts to Kanye West’s bizarre appearance on his show, in which rapper/mogul claimed to love Hitler and the Nazis.
There’s a lot of valid criticism that can be leveled at Jones…but he sounds quite reasonable and level headed here.
Until the next one,
-sth