February 18, 2024

Sunday, February 18, 2024. Annette’s News Roundup.

I think the Roundup makes people feel not so alone.

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Joe is always busy.

Answering the former guy . . .

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Kamala is always busy.

A major address by the Vice President in Munich.

52 minutes.

Click to read the Vice President’s words.

Transcript of the Vice President’s speech.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Good afternoon.  Good afternoon.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you.

Thank you, Christoph.  Thank you.  Thank you for your leadership.

Before I begin today, we’ve all just received reports that Aleksey Navalny has died in Russia.  This is, of course, terrible news, which we are working to confirm. 

My prayers are with his family, including his wife, Yulia, who is with us today. 

And if confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin’s brutality.  Whatever story they tell, let us be clear: Russia is responsible. 

And we will have more to say on this later.

As Christoph said, this is my third time here, and I’m honored to be with so many friends.

This year, we gather amid an increased instability and conflict in the Middle East.  We gather amid Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, China’s efforts to reshape the international order, transformative technological change, and, of course, the existential threat of the climate crisis.

In this context, I know that there are questions here in Europe and around the world about the future of America’s role of global leadership. 

These are questions the American people must also ask ourselves: Whether it is in America’s interest to continue to engage with the world or to turn inward.  Whether it is in our interest to defend longstanding rules and norms that have provided for unprecedented peace and prosperity or to allow them to be trampled.  Whether it is in America’s interest to fight for democracy or to accept the rise of dictators.  And whether it is in America’s interest to continue to work in lockstep with our allies and partners or go it alone.

Today, I will explain how President Biden and I answer these questions, with full knowledge that how America responds will affect the American people, the people of Europe, and people around the world.

I believe it is in the fundamental interest of the American people for the United States to fulfill our longstanding role of global leadership.

As President Biden and I have made clear over the past three years, we are committed to pursue global engagement, to uphold international rules and norms, to defend democratic values at home and abroad, and to work with our allies and partners in pursuit of shared goals.

As I travel throughout my country and the world, it is clear to me: This approach makes America strong, and it keeps Americans safe.

However, there are some in the United States who disagree.  They suggest it is in the best interest of the American people to isolate ourselves from the world, to flout common understandings among nations, to embrace dictators and adopt their repressive tactics, and abandon commitments to our allies in favor of unilateral action.

Let me be clear: That worldview is dangerous, destabilizing, and indeed short-sighted.  That view would weaken America and would undermine global stability and undermine global prosperity.

President Biden and I, therefore, reject that view.

And please do understand, our approach is not based on the virtues of charity.  We pursue our approach because it is in our strategic interest. 

I strongly believe America’s role of global leadership is to the direct benefit of the American people.  Our leadership keeps our homeland safe, supports American jobs, secures supply chains, and opens new markets for American goods.

And I firmly believe our commitment to build and sustain alliances has helped America become the most powerful and prosperous country in the world — alliances that have prevented wars, defended freedom, and maintained stability from Europe to the Indo-Pacific.  To put all of that at risk would be foolish.

President Biden and I have demonstrated there is a smarter way. 

When it comes to America’s national security, our approach starts with our historic, direct investment in the working people of America, an investment which has helped build a resilient and innovative economy.

We are clear: We cannot be strong abroad if we are not strong at home.

We have made a once-in-a-generation investment to rebuild our roads and bridges and ports and highways with more than 40,000 infrastructure projects across all of our 50 states.  We’re bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to America, which will secure our supply chains and enable the future of technology.  And we have invested $1 trillion to address the climate crisis and build a new clean energy economy, reduce emissions, and meet our global climate commitments.

Our economic vision has ensured America’s economy remains the strongest in the world, with historic job creation, historic creation of small businesses, and broad-based economic growth. 

And over the past three years, backed by this strong track record at home, we have implemented our National Security Strategy.

In the Indo-Pacific, we have invested heavily in our alliances and partnerships and created new ones to ensure peace and security and, of course, the free flow of commerce.

We have responsibly managed competition with China, standing up to Beijing when necessary and also working together when it serves our interest.

In the Middle East, we are working to end the conflict that Hamas triggered on October 7th as soon as possible and ensure it ends in a way where Israel is secure, hostages are released, the humanitarian crisis is resolved, Hamas does not control Gaza, and Palestinians can enjoy their right to security, dignity, freedom, and self-determination.  (Applause.) 

This work — while we also work to counter aggression from Iran and its proxies, prevent regional escalation, and promote regional integration.

In addition, we have strengthened our partnerships on the continent of Africa, understanding that the innovation happening on the continent will shape the future of our world.  We have also worked with partners in the Caribbean and throughout Latin America to increase private sector investment, address the climate crisis, and address the root causes of migration.

And the Biden-Harris administration has led the world to respond to the climate crisis and ensure AI is developed in service of the public interest. 

We have also worked to advance and uphold rules and norms for outer space and to empower women around the globe.

And here in Europe, we have joined forces with our friends and allies to stand up for freedom and democracy.

Christoph, I reflect on two years ago, when I first stood on this stage on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Many of — of us will recall that time when many thought Kyiv would fall within days. 

Yet, the skill and the bravery of the people of Ukraine, along with the leadership of President Zelenskyy and the 50-nation coalition the United States has led, has allowed Ukraine to achieve what so many thought was impossible.

Today, Kyiv stands free and strong.  (Applause.)

This also happened yesterday in Munich.

Touch to activate. 👇

To read the rest of the Vice President’s words, click here.

Prediction - Congress will deliver more aid to Ukraine.

This happened following the news of Navalny’s murder.

Expect more of the same. Our President is a persistent man.

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The History of Opposition Against Putin.

Before there was Navalny, there was Boris Nemtsov, opposition leader murdered by Putin in 2015.

My family lore has it that Nemtsov is a relative of mine, the grandson of my grandfather’s brother who stayed in Russia when my grandfather came to America. Who knows.

In Russia, he is just another political victim of Putin.

Moscow, Russia and the rest of the world have been through this before.

The man who dared to criticize Putin – DW – 02/27/2020

Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was killed not far from the Kremlin in February 2015. Five years later, the motive for his murder remains a mystery.

Late on February 27, 2015, Boris Nemtsov was walking across a bridge in Moscow after dinner with his Ukrainian girlfriend when an unknown assailant shot him several times in the back. Nemtsov died almost instantly, but his girlfriend escaped unhurt.

Russia was shocked by this high-profile assassination of a well-known politician in such a symbolic location. At the time, Nemtsov was one of the country's most prominent opposition figures and one of President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics.

Read more: Russian opposition 'in a great depression' after Nemtsov murder

Political star of the 1990s

Nemtsov's political career underwent many transformations. He made a name for himself in the 1990s as one of the "young reformers" without a communist background. In 1991, President Boris Yeltsin appointed Nemtsov, then 32, governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, making him the youngest governor in post-Soviet Russia.

In a region that had been isolated because of its military production sites, Nemtsov introduced liberal reforms that were later considered exemplary by the central government. At 36, he became deputy prime minister, and many believed he would succeed Yeltsin as president.

But instead, Vladimir Putin became president in 2000. At first, Nemtsov sought to cooperate with Putin, but soon he and his party, the Union of Right Forces, entered the opposition. In 2004, he supported Ukraine's Orange Revolution and became adviser to the liberal Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, much to the anger of the Russian leadership who had backed Putin protege Viktor Yanukovych — who would eventually take power in 2010. Nemtsov was also a vociferous critic of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine and the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Who gave the orders to kill?

The investigation into Nemtsov's murder quickly led to the semi-autonomous Russian republic of Chechnya, with five Chechen men being found guilty of carrying out the contract killing in exchange for 15 million rubles (some €210,000). Zaur Dadaev, 35, a Chechen officer, admitted he had fired the shots and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017. His four accomplices were sentenced to between 11 years and 19 years in prison.

The identity of the person who gave the orders to kill Nemtsov, and the motive, remains unknown, but there is speculation it could be somebody high up in the Chechen leadership. Nemtsov's daughter Zhanna Nemtsova, who worked for DW from 2015 to January 2020, has criticized the investigation, saying it was "not a full-fledged investigation, but an imitation." The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe have called on Russian authorities to conduct a new and transparent investigation, but authorities have rebuffed the request.

Calls to erect a monument to Nemtsov, or rename the bridge on which he was shot in his memory, have been rejected by the Kremlin. Flowers which are laid almost every day in the spot where he was killed are regularly removed, and there are frequent violent altercations between police and activists. After plenty of wrangling, a private initiative received permission to install commemorative plaques on the buildings in which he lived.

Memorial march in Moscow

Various cities around the world, including Washington, Vilnius and Kyiv, have already renamed squares to commemorate Nemtsov.

Inside Europe: Prague's plans to honour slain Kremlin critic

The latest to join this group was Prague, which renamed a square — home to the Russian Embassy — in his memory. Zhanna Nemtsova has welcomed the decision, telling DW that the international initiative had had an "impact on the Russian authorities, particularly the municipal ones."

"While political persecution is on the rise in Russia, the authorities are beginning to understand that you can't just physically annihilate an opposition leader.

"They did not expect such a wave of discontent and outrage to be unleashed."

On February 29 [2020], a memorial march for Boris Nemtsov will take place in Moscow. Authorities in St. Petersburg have rejected a request for a similar commemoration.

Moscow bids farewell to Boris Nemtsov [2015]

Thousands gathered for a march in memory of Boris Nemtsov, the Russian opposition politician shot dead in central Moscow late on Friday. Protesters said that they wanted to show that they were not afraid.

Powerful demonstration.
The start of the protest march on the banks of the River Moskva resembled the tip of a spear. Police estimated that a total of 21,400 people joined the procession, organizers put the figure cloer to the 50,000 limit agreed upon by Moscow's city authorities.

Echoes of Ukraine

Russia's leadership fears little more than a kind of "orange" revolution in Moscow, akin to events in Ukraine in 2004 and 2013/4. Many of the flags on display on Sunday [again in 2015] showed that protesters also had Kyiv on their minds.

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One more video to watch from the Fani Willis hearing.

One more reason the DA won’t be removed from her case against Trump.

If the Fulton County DA was planning a scheme to enrich herself, why would she have offered the prosecutor job to someone else first?

Former GA Governor Roy Barnes testified that he turned Fani Willis down when she asked him to serve as Special Prosecutor because he knew he would get death threats from Trump supporters for the rest of his life. He also explained that taking Fani’s offer would give him a serious pay cut.

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Trump Fraud by the numbers.

New York AG Letitia James calculated the total with interest - “Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, and his former executives must pay $463.9 million for their staggering financial fraud.”

New York Times - “They have to either come up with the money or secure a bond within 30 days.

The company providing the bond essentially assures the state that Mr. Trump has the money to pay the judgment, and prevents it from collecting while appeals are heard. The bond company will require Mr. Trump to pledge collateral and pay a premium.

His lawyers are already contacting companies that might post the bond, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, though it is unclear if and when they will reach a deal.”

Trump fraud by a story.

In case you wonder who the victims of Trump fraud were, here is a tale to tell.

@7Veritas4 wrote on X:

A bedtime story for your kids and MAGA

relatives…

Once upon a time, there were two businessmen, Don and Bob.

Both had roughly the same amount of stuff. They both wanted loans to get more stuff and grow their businesses.

Bob went to the bank for a loan. He told them how much stuff he had. The bank said they couldn’t loan Bob all the money he wanted coz he didn’t have enough stuff as collateral. Bob was sad and had to give up his dream of growing his business.

Don, on the other hand, went to the bank and exaggerated how much stuff he had. By a lot. Don was a slick talker and had false paperwork to show he had a lot more stuff than he really did. The bank felt more comfortable giving Don the loan, coz they believed he had enough stuff to offer as collateral. Don ended up getting more stuff and living large.

Who is the victim?

Not the bank. One could argue should’ve done their homework on slick-talking Don.

It’s Bob.

It’s the thousands of Bobs who follow the rules and don’t lie and cheat their way into a better life.

Who protects people like Bob?

Who makes sure the rules are fair for all?

The Southern District of New fucking York, that’s who.

The End.

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How many people like Bob couldn’t get loans because of Don’s lies! Who couldn’t get money to grow their business? How many families couldn’t get mortgages? Did that affect you? Or a member of your family? Did your loan have a higher interest rate because of Don?

Fraud is not a victimless crime.

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More American homegrown Nazis.

Scary. Fight back.

Touch to watch Justin Jones in Nashville.👇

Touch to watch the Nashville Nazis in full bloom.👇

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Women in sports rising.

Touch to activate.👇

In the NBA’s All Star Weekend, Steph vs. Sabrina - NBA vs. WNBA 3 Point Competition was a new entrant in a weekend of fun competitions.

How it came about.

Steph 29. Sabrina 26. He used the NBA Ball. She used the WNBA ball. They both used the NBA 3 point line.

She set a high bar, but he surpassed her.

Each of their charities got $25,000. The NBA Foundation got $55,000.

“If you can shoot, you can shoot.”

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Happy birthday, Audre Lorde and Toni Morrison.

#BlackHistoryMonth.

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