Copyright © 2016 - 2021, The Troy Press
Copyright © 2016 - 2021, The Troy Press

News Summaries For 20161224

 


Stephanie: I wanted to stop by to wish everyone well & to have a wonderful Holiday.

Contributed by: Stephanie

Source

Though I know a good lot here is not down with religion of any sort. I think it is a good study of human nature. I do cherry-pick the bible and here is a human trait that I hope will win the day.

---1 Corinthians 13:4-7New International Version (NIV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.---

Love & Peace <3

Editor's Note

Given the date, and the next item to be on this list, we figured this would be a better entry to start today's News Summary with!


TITLE_V-MATTERS_RELATING_TO_FOREIGN_COUNTRIES

Contributed by: Stephanie

Source

This was pushed through a week ago, when the House approved by a 390-30 margin and sent to the Senate the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal 2017, Schiff praised "important provisions aimed at countering Russia's destabilizing efforts - including those targeting our elections." One of those "important provisions," Section 501, sets up in the executive branch "an interagency committee to counter active measures by the Russian Federation to exert covert influence."

While lacking public accountability, the committee is mandated to ferret out such ambiguous phenomena as Russian "media manipulation" and "disinformation." Along the way, the committee could target an array of activists, political opponents or irksome journalists. In any event, its power to fulfill "such other duties as the president may designate" would be ready-made for abuse.

Here's that "important provision:" (The link above goes to the whole text on a government web site.)

SEC. 501. COMMITTEE TO COUNTER ACTIVE MEASURES BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION TO EXERT COVERT INFLUENCE OVER PEOPLES AND GOVERNMENTS.

(a) Definitions.-In this section:

(1) ACTIVE MEASURES BY RUSSIA TO EXERT COVERT INFLUENCE.-The term "active measures by Russia to exert covert influence" means activities intended to influence a person or government that are carried out in coordination with, or at the behest of, political leaders or the security services of the Russian Federation and the role of the Russian Federation has been hidden or not acknowledged publicly, including the following:

(A) Establishment or funding of a front group.

(B) Covert broadcasting.

(C) Media manipulation.

(D) Disinformation and forgeries.

(E) Funding agents of influence.

(F) Incitement and offensive counterintelligence.

(G) Assassinations.

(H) Terrorist acts.

(2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.-The term "appropriate committees of Congress" means-

(A) the congressional intelligence committees;

(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and

(C) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

(b) Establishment.-There is established within the executive branch an interagency committee to counter active measures by the Russian Federation to exert covert influence.

(c) Membership.-

(1) IN GENERAL.-

(A) APPOINTMENT.-Each head of an agency or department of the United States Government set out under subparagraph (B) shall appoint one member of the committee established by subsection (b) from among officials of such agency or department who occupy a position that is required to be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(B) HEAD OF AN AGENCY OR DEPARTMENT.-The head of an agency or department of the United States Government set out under this subparagraph are the following:

(i) The Director of National Intelligence.

(ii) The Secretary of State.

(iii) The Secretary of Defense.

(iv) The Secretary of the Treasury.

(v) The Attorney General.

(vi) The Secretary of Energy.

(vii) The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(viii) The head of any other agency or department of the United States Government designated by the President for purposes of this section.

(d) Meetings.-The committee shall meet on a regular basis.

(e) Duties.-The duties of the committee established by subsection (b) shall be as follows:

(1) To counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence, including by exposing falsehoods, agents of influence, corruption, human rights abuses, terrorism, and assassinations carried out by the security services or political elites of the Russian Federation or their proxies.

(2) Such other duties as the President may designate for purposes of this section.

(f) Staff.-The committee established by subsection (b) may employ such staff as the members of such committee consider appropriate.

(g) Budget Request.-A request for funds required for the functioning of the committee established by subsection (b) may be included in each budget for a fiscal year submitted by the President pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code.

(h) Annual Report.-

(1) REQUIREMENT.-Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, and consistent with the protection of intelligence sources and methods, the committee established by subsection (b) shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing steps being taken by the committee to counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence.

(2) MATTERS INCLUDED.-Each report under paragraph (1) shall include a summary of the following:

(A) Active measures by Russia to exert covert influence during the previous year, including significant incidents and notable trends.

(B) Key initiatives of the committee.

(C) Implementation of the committee's initiatives by the heads of the agencies and departments of the United States Government specified in subsection (c)(1)(B).

(D) Analysis of the success of such initiatives.

(E) Changes to such initiatives from the previous year.

(3) SEPARATE REPORTING REQUIREMENT.-The requirement to submit an annual report under paragraph (1) is in addition to any other reporting requirements with respect to Russia.


RTIII: Don't let the bastards create a new "McCarthy Era" by trying to ban or limit Alternative News Sources

Contributed by: RTIII

Source

In response to the Military Industrail (Legislative) Complex trying to take down alternative media in the afore mentioned act with "important provisions aimed at countering Russia's destabilizing efforts - including those targeting our elections:"

I say we don't let the bastards create a new "McCarthy era."

I for one will be proclaiming my guilt!

I'm GUILTY of:

* Understanding that the Main Stream Media of the USA is a propaganda arm of the enemy within, the ultra-rich, and the Military Industrial (Legislative) Complex Ike warned us about.

* Seeking out alternative news sources, good and bad alike, from organizations to individuals, to find the hidden gems of truth that CANNOT be gleaned from the MSM, and that the MILC wants to discredit for these sources expose the enemy within!

* SPREADING those gems obtained from alternative news sources to as many that will listen!

Not only will I never adhere to this unconstitutional shit, I'll be protesting in the streets on every occasion I possibly can!


British Govt-Funded Outlet Offered Journalist $17,000 a Month to Produce Propaganda for Syrian Rebels

Contributed by: smkngman3

Source

The Revolutionary Forces of Syria (RFS) media office, a major Syrian opposition media outfit and frequent source of information for Western media, is funded by the British government and is managed by Westerners operating out of Turkey, according to emails provided to AlterNet by a Middle East reporter RFS tried to recruit.

The outlet stirred controversy this November when it released a video at the height of the Mannequin Challenge, a pop culture craze in which people compete for how long they can freeze in place on video. The RFS video depicted a staged rescue by the White Helmets, the Western-funded rescue group that operates exclusively in rebel-held territory. RFS quickly removed the video and issued an apology out of apparent concern that the staged rescue could raise questions about the authenticity of other videos by the White Helmets.

Over the summer, the Middle East reporter, who asked not to be named, was contacted by an American acquaintance and former colleague about working for RFS.

"I'm currently in Istanbul, working on a media project for the HMG [the British government]," wrote the acquaintance in an email time-stamped June 23. "We're working on media surrounding the Syrian conflict, as one of their three partners." The email included links to RFS Media's English website and SMO Media, an Arabic website that covers the Southern Front, a Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) group.


From 538: The election in TWO sentences...............

Contributed by: smkngman3

Source

"But the percentage of Americans who found Clinton to be honest or trustworthy stayed at around 30 percent in polling throughout October and into November.

The evidence that Wikileaks had an impact, therefore, is circumstantial. Trump, for instance, won among voters who decided who to vote for in October 51 percent to 37 percent, according to national exit polls."


Image: What I want for Christmas! ... Being REALISTIC!

Contributed by: smkngman3

Source

Frame 1: Little Girl, "For Christmas I want a Dragon!"

Frame 2: Santa, "Be relistic."

Frame 3: Little Girl, "OK I WANT Hillary going to prison."

Frame 4: Santa, "What color do you want your Dragon?" Little girl, crying, "Red".


Image: Santa, NSA employee of the month!

Contributed by: smkngman3

Source

Sees you when you're sleeping
Knows when you're awake

NSA Employee of the Month



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