Hello Dante? What Level Is This?

[ti-amie]

Can't see it where I am (ship has YT blocked). A brief description, please

Palestinians leaving tunnels to enter a sparkling golden wonderland of belly dancers, high rises and the Orange menace and Netanyahu shirtless on a beach.

[ponchi101]

I'll take your word for it, because if it were somebody else, I would not believe it.

[skatingfan]

Can't see it where I am (ship has YT blocked). A brief description, please

The video includes multiple scenes of people walking through a cave from ruble to a bustling city full of commerce, and luxury. It includes multiple shots of Elon Musk enjoying himself at some sort of resort, Trump dancing with a belly dancer, and a child walking down a street carrying a gold balloon in the shape of Trump's head. It concludes with a shot of Trump, and Netanyahu (expletive) on beach chairs topless with drinks toasting to their war crimes.

[ti-amie]

Here are some of the visuals

[ti-amie]

First measles death reported in Texas as Kennedy downplays the outbreak
At least 124 people have been infected in the fast-spreading outbreak. Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, “we have measles outbreaks every year.”

Feb. 26, 2025, 10:22 AM EST / Updated Feb. 26, 2025, 5:42 PM EST

By Erika Edwards

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday appeared to downplay the seriousness of the West Texas measles outbreak that has killed a school-age child.

The child’s death, the first from the disease in a decade in the United States, was confirmed by Katherine Wells, director of public health at the health department in Lubbock, Texas. The child had not been vaccinated against the measles.

The outbreak has so far infected at least 124 people — mostly children — in rural West Texas.

“We are following the measles epidemic every day,” Kennedy said during a meeting with President Donald Trump’s cabinet at the White House. “Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year. In this country last year there were 16. So, it’s not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year.”

Kennedy also said that two people had died in the outbreak and that the people hospitalized were done so “mainly for quarantine.”

Wells, of the Lubbock health department, and another spokesperson for the city said that there has been just one measles death in Texas so far. They said they confirmed it with state health authorities after Kennedy’s comments on Wednesday.

If a second death did exist, the city’s spokesperson said, “we’d know about it.”

Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for HHS spokesperson, did not directly dispute the secretary’s comments but said in an email that the CDC was aware of the death of one child.

Dr. Lara Johnson, a pediatrician and the chief medical officer at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon that the patients who were hospitalized were admitted because they were having trouble breathing and needed supportive care such as supplemental oxygen.

"We don’t hospitalize patients for for quarantine purposes," Johnson said.

She added that her team has cared for “around 20” kids with measles so far. Several of those patients required intensive care. None of the hospitalized had been vaccinated against measles.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 18 hospitalizations so far, but number appears to be lagging, she said.

The outbreak has been limited to parts of Texas bordering New Mexico, which has reported nine measles cases. Health officials in Texas are working to see if the cases are connected.

It's unclear how the outbreak originated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Texas Department of State Health Services told NBC News that genotype testing had linked the outbreak to a strain of the measles virus called D8 currently circulating in Europe and the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean region, which includes countries in North Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia.

None of the samples has been linked to the vaccine.

The death in Texas is the first measles death to be reported in the U.S. since 2015, when a Washington woman died after an exposure at a health clinic. The last time a child died of measles in the U.S. was 22 years ago, in 2003, according to the CDC.

Measles was considered eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, the CDC said, because of widespread use of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR).

Two doses of the shot are 97% effective in preventing the disease, and the vast majority of U.S. kids get them as the CDC recommends: one dose around age 1, and another around age 5.

But as vaccine hesitancy has increased over time, fewer kids are getting their shots. The number of children with vaccine exemptions reached an all-time high in 2023, the CDC said, of 3% of children entering kindergarten.

In Gaines County, Texas, the epicenter of the current outbreak, the vaccine exemption rate was nearly 18% for the 2023-2024 school year, according to health department data.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-n ... rcna193812

[Owendonovan]

Child abuse. Manslaughter minimally.

[ponchi101]

Serious here.
I don't think this would classify as child abuse; you are not actively doing anything to the child. But NEGLECT is tacit in these cases.
In other countries, this would not happen because, as you imply, the parents' responsibility to have their children vaccinated is clear. You could have unvaccinated children due to no programs reaching them, but, in Bogota as an example, this would bring up some charges. Public vaccination in major cities is easily accessible (you will routinely see Red Cross station in shopping malls offering vaccines for free).

[ti-amie]

Judd Legum‬ ‪@juddlegum.bsky.social‬
·
1m



BREAKING

The SEC has just halted its fraud prosecution of Justin Sun, a Chinese national who has put more than $50 million in Trump's pocket since November through the purchase of crypto tokens from a Trump-backed company, World Liberty Financial.

https://popular.info/p/breaking-sec-hal ... rosecution

[texasniteowl]

I literally don't even know what can be said about today.

[ponchi101]

I literally don't even know what can be said about today February.

As we used to do here, corrected that for you

[texasniteowl]

I literally don't even know what can be said about today February the last 6 weeks.

As we used to do here, corrected that for you

Corrected your correction since the last 2 weeks of January sucked too.

But today was a whole new low.

[ti-amie]

Here's the full video.

[ti-amie]

I remember people asking for receipts about Tiny's relationship with Vlad.

Martin Matishak
February 28th, 2025
News
Nation-state
Government

Exclusive: Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Hegseth gave the instruction to Cyber Command chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, who then informed the organization's outgoing director of operations, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Ryan Heritage, of the new guidance, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.

The order does not apply to the National Security Agency, which Haugh also leads, or its signals intelligence work targeting Russia, the sources said.

While the full scope of Hegseth’s directive to the command remains unclear, it is more evidence of the White House’s efforts to normalize ties with Moscow after the U.S. and international allies worked to isolate the Kremlin over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

President Donald Trump has made a series of false statements and demands that align him with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including blaming Ukraine for the war and calling the country’s leader a dictator.

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Washington on Friday to sign a deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. However, the deal did not happen following an Oval Office shouting match between the two leaders.

The exact duration of Hegseth’s order is unknown, though the command has been told the guidance will last for the foreseeable future, according to sources.

Heritage, who is expected to retire soon, knows all of the command’s mission packages and whether they are in a planning or execution stage. He would be responsible for contacting the relevant entities and telling them to hold off. That task likely extends to the 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), the outfit responsible for planning and conducting digital operations across U.S. European Command.

The sources said Cyber Command itself has begun compiling a “risk assessment” for Hegseth, a report that acknowledges the organization received his order, lists what ongoing actions or missions were halted as a result of the decision and details what potential threats still emanate from Russia.

The implications of Hegesth’s guidance on the command’s personnel is uncertain. If it applies to its digital warriors focused on Russia, the decision would only affect hundreds of people, including members of the roughly 2,000 strong Cyber National Mission Force and the Cyber Mission Force. That is collectively made up of 5,800 personnel taken from the armed services and divided into teams that conduct offensive and defensive operations in cyberspace. It is believed a quarter of the offensive units are focused on Russia.

However, if the guidance extends to areas like intelligence and analysis or capabilities development, the number of those impacted by the edict grows significantly. The command boasts around 2,000 to 3,000 employees, not counting service components and NSA personnel working there. The organizations share a campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Hegseth’s instruction comes at a time when Cyber Command is struggling to staff up to target Mexican drug cartels, eight of which the administration formally labeled as terrorist groups. Trump officials have advocated for military action against cartel figures and infrastructure to stem the flow of drugs across the border.

A command spokesperson deferred a request for comment to the Pentagon.

In a statement, a senior Defense official said, “Due to operational security concerns, we do not comment nor discuss cyber intelligence, plans, or operations. There is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations, to include the cyber domain.”

Effects on Ukraine?
Outside of internal challenges, the order could derail some of the command’s most high-profile missions involving a top U.S. digital adversary, including in Ukraine.

The command sent “hunt forward” teams to Kyiv in the run-up to the Kremlin’s assault to harden its digital defenses. It has since paid close attention to how Moscow uses its digital capabilities, especially for intelligence purposes.

Russia is also a bastion for cybercrime, with state-linked and criminal ransomware actors striking targets around the globe. The command has become a key player in countering the malicious activity.

In addition, the stand-down order could expose private sector entities in the U.S. and around the world to greater risk if the command is not keeping Moscow’s intelligence and military services, which both feature notorious hacker groups, at bay.

Late last year Microsoft found Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) had targeted government employees and others in dozens of countries to gain access to their devices and systems.

Updated 5:27pm EST with a comment from a senior Defense official.

https://therecord.media/hegseth-orders- ... a-planning

[ti-amie]

Canada looks to shift intelligence sharing from U.S. as Washington diverges on foreign affairs

'Because of the U.S. changing positions on engagement in the world -- and particularly when it comes to Ukraine -- it is impacting the relationship lots of countries have with the U.S.'

Author of the article:
The Canadian Press

Dylan Robertson
Published Feb 25, 2025 • Last updated 2 days ago • 4 minute read

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Ottawa wants to deepen intelligence sharing with European partners, as longtime ally Washington diverges from Canada on issues like Ukraine.

“We’re now living in a much more dangerous and complicated world,” Joly told reporters Monday. “It’s in full display.”

Joly was speaking at a virtual news conference from London after talking to U.K. National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.
Article content

In recent weeks, experts have expressed concern about some of the intelligence officials appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump. National intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard has been accused of spreading false information, and FBI chief Kash Patel has talked about retribution for intelligence agencies that don’t align with Trump.

Observers have also raised concerns about Trump issuing security clearances to White House staff who haven’t completed the usual vetting process.

Joly would not specify whether she shares these concerns when asked Monday. But she said she seeks deeper intelligence collaboration with Australia, Britain and others.

“In order to protect our interests and protect our people, we need to be able to understand what is going on in the world, and more than ever we need to have a strong security partnership with the U.K. and other European allies,” Joly said.

She said Ottawa is particularly concerned by the U.S. voting against Canada and its allies Monday on a United Nations resolution that blamed Russia for invading Ukraine and voiced concern for Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Steve Hewitt, an intelligence researcher who teaches Canadian studies at the University of Birmingham in Britain, said the UN vote is exceptional, and so is Trump appointing partisans into intelligence positions that for decades had been apolitical posts.

“All bets are off,” he said. “We’re in a completely different environment than what has existed in the past.”

Vastly different countries that make up the G20 said at a summit in South Africa last week that they are trying to navigate these global shifts, Joly said.

“Because of the U.S. changing positions on engagement in the world — and particularly when it comes to Ukraine — it is impacting the relationship that lots of countries have with the U.S., but also (the relations) lots of countries have between themselves and the world.”

She added it’s important that Canada “be able to rally some countries that are not typically allies, but that could have the same interests, in ultimately creating new coalitions.”

Joly said Ottawa must have “a working relationship” with countries with which it has disagreements, such as South Africa, India and Saudi Arabia.

Wesley Wark, a senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, said Ottawa needs to respond to the “politicization of intelligence” under Trump, including political appointments like Gabbard and Patel that could pose a danger for Canada.

He said Canada deliberately chose a “position of dependency” that relied on American intelligence to inform everything from domestic criminal investigations to foreign policy, with Canada providing the Five Eyes specific “niche missions” based on geography or the access held by Canadian agencies.

“The entire foundational philosophy of the Canadian intelligence system, in terms of its capabilities, in terms of its focus, is based on reliable, ongoing, massive access to Five Eyes intelligence, primarily these days from the United States,” he said.

“The old great bargain is no more. We’re going to have to do more of the intelligence heavy-lifting ourselves.”

On Tuesday, a media report claimed that Trump’s trade counsellor Peter Navarro had suggested Canada be removed from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance if trade issues persist — a report Navarro dismissed as “nonsense” that same day.

“That was just crazy stuff,” he told reporters. “We would never, ever jeopardize our national security, ever, with allies like Canada.”

The alliance also includes Australia, New Zealand and the U.K.

Hewitt noted that despite Navarro’s denial of the report, Trump and his associates seem to frequently raise outlandish ideas and see how people react.

“He likes to float trial balloons, through these means of trolling,” he said. “They’re obviously potentially looking at weak points, in terms of Canada.”

Wark said the ideas attributed to Navarro can now be used as leverage against Canada.

“It doesn’t matter whether Navarro said this or not — the idea is out there now in Trumpland, and it can be weaponized if the Trump administration decides.”

Wark said Ottawa should watch for whether Washington blocks intelligence from being shared with Canada, and that it should be particularly concerned about whether the U.S. shares closely protected sources and methods with Moscow.
Article content

Wark said Canada should also be deploying intelligence attaches to foreign capitals who can speak on behalf of multiple agencies and not solely be affiliated with the RCMP or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. He suggested this would start with Nordic and Baltic countries that understand Russia, and expand to countries like Japan and South Korea.

“Canada is going to have to be able to put skin in the game and say we have these intelligence capabilities and analytical capabilities and technological tools that we’re willing to share with you.”


https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/ca ... ing-europe

[ti-amie]

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