Beltway Insider: Biden/G20, GOP/House, Russia/Ukraine, COVID/Vaccine Totals, Musk/Trump, Elizabeth Holmes

President Biden announced successes from the climate summit aligning nations to the 1.5 Celsius goal and from the G20 promoting universal human rights, and standing for the international order, and working in lockstep with our allies and partners.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending November 20, 2022 increased by 0.5% to 42.0% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by .01% at 53.2% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.


Beltway Insider: Biden/2024, Midterm Election Results, Abortion, COVID/Vaccine Totals, G20, Ukraine/Russia


GOP Gains House Control

The Republican party scored a minor victory by securing the exact total of seats necessary, 218, to hold a majority in the House of Representative. The victory, which can not be considered decisive, does not provide the power to push through any wide sweeping or policy altering changes.

As the midterm election dust has settled and the country remains deeply divided, the 2024 presidential election nominees have essentially been determined by the announcement of former president Donald Trump's to seek the GOP party nomination.

"Biden aides and allies all say he intends to run — and his team has begun quiet preparations for a campaign — but it has often been the president himself who has sounded the most equivocal. "My intention is that I run again," he said at a news conference this month. "But I'm a great respecter of fate," reported The Associated Press.

President Biden, 80, has not yet announced his decision to seek a second term, although his recent comments provide a strong indication of intent. There are two issues, at this juncture which make his second term run inevitable: keeping Trump from the office and narrowing the public's choice to the known or the unknown, which essentially could allow for a Republican candidate to secure the Presidency.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi Steps Down

Speaker of the House of Representative Nancy Pelosi, 82, announced this week she would not seek the nomination for the chamber's democratic representatives.

'"For me, the hour's come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect," Pelosi said in a speech on the House floor Thursday afternoon. She will continue to serve as a member of the House," reported The Washington Post.

Her decision comes on the heels of the brutal attack on her husband, who was savagely beaten with a hammer, after the intruder broke into the home looking for Ms. Pelosi.

Russia/Ukraine War

The Russia Ukraine war took a dark turn this week. As the war, which has raged for nine months, and killed more than 40,295 people, injured more than 53,616, displaced upwards of 14million, decimated cities, towns, and altered the topography, destroyed more than 140,000 structures and caused approximately $350billion in damages, as well as caused a global grain shortage, contributed to food scarcity, and spiked the world's grain prices, spilled over into Poland.

Russia Edges Toward NATO Borders

Two schools of thought have emerged over the course of the past week as both U.S. military strategists, and NATO officials and Polish military generals have examined the missile attacks launched by Russia, produced projectile shrapnel that landed inside NATO and European Union member Poland, killing two civilians.

According to Polish General Rajmund Andrzejczak "The conclusion [is] that Russia is escalating," Andrzejczak said. "It is going closer and closer to the NATO borders. I would say winter is coming, not necessarily only in the season, but in much wider meaning: winter is coming to the borders," reported DefenseOne.com

The United States, Polish President Andrzej Duda and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have all tried to quiet the growing European fear the Russian Forces, led by ailing Russian President Vladimir Putin, are advancing into Poland.

Explaining that the "evidence" proves the intent of Russian forces were not to cross the borders of EU member nation Poland as the missiles did not strike within the nation's boundary but the shrapnel and debris from the attack created velocity, such as a F5 tornado would, that drove the projectile into neighboring Poland.

Drawing NATO into the Ukraine Russian War will inevitably cause a quick cessation of all hostilities as the United States, also a NATO member, will as President Biden has said in the past, rise to the defense the NATO allies and partners.

"NATO and Duda blamed Russia for the incident regardless. Zelensky joined them, saying that "Russian aggression took the lives of two Polish citizens." The missile strike shows "the seriousness of Russian aggression and that its consequences go beyond Ukraine," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in an email to The Post," The Washington Post reported.

It would not be outside of Russia's playbook to inch forward, crossing national boundaries, such as the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Nord Pipeline Sabotage

Results of an investigation into four holes on the Nord Pipeline 1 and 2, an underwater gas pipeline supplying Russian fuel with Germany, has indicated both pipelines were grossly sabotaged.

"Both pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has pummeled major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies since Russia invaded Ukraine in February," CNN reported.

After full sanctions took effect against Russia, and Sweden opted to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, falling under the protection of NATO, Russian Forces moved to send a clear message to European nations who depended heavily on the foreign oil and gasoline provided by the Kremlin, much like the United States depending of foreign Saudi oil, which resulted in a weakened European economy and contributed to the an escalating tension between France and Germany.


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Hints at Prisoner Swap

Both Russian and U.S. officials have hinted that a prisoner swap deal may be in the works for convicted American Basketball star Brittany Griner for the notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner, who was transferred this week to a notoriously tough prison.

"Since June, the Biden administration has proposed trading Viktor Bout, the arms dealer, for Ms. Griner, who has been jailed for nine months, and Paul N. Whelan, an American held for almost four years and convicted of espionage, according to U.S. officials and numerous news media reports," reported The Washington Post.

While the pieces of a potential swap are on the table, neither side will commit to a time table or even add optimism that the deal can be reached.

Vaccine Totals

As of November 20, 2022, in the United States, 911,216,095 vaccines have been distributed, with a 7-day increase of 20,457,160 and 650,810,290 have been administered with a 7-day increase weekly increase of 4,285,996 doses. More than 90% of the population have received the two-dose vaccine. (Date from the CDC).

Coronavirus Totals

Mandates have been altered or lifted in most urban areas with limited exceptions, and the population is encouraged to maintain personal protective practices. Masks are optional and tolerated. Vaccines and boosters are still considered the most effective agents against contracting the Coronavirus.

For the two-week period ending November 20, 2022, the total of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reached 633,601,048 people, with a 7-day increase of 2,768,917 with a total worldwide death toll of 6,596,542 deaths, and a 7-day death rate increase of 12.438. (Data from The World Health Organization).

COVID U.S. Totals

Infections rates in the United States are also on the rise. For the 7-day period ending November 20, 2022, the total confirmed cases rose to 98,174,364 people with new confirmed cases increasing by 284,712 with a 7-day average of 40,673 cases per day. The coronavirus has claimed 1,073,115 total deaths, adding 2,168 more deaths over the 7-day period. (Data from the CDC).

Pentagon's Diary Gets Personal

Protecting for gain of function knowledge only aides those who initiated the constitutional violations. It does nothing to combat the homegrown terrorism or the narcissistic above the law belief. The best obtainable version of the truth.

Musk Welcome Trump Back

Elon Musk, who recently purchased Twitter, the micro messaging social media platform, has been generating controversy since the takeover was announced, yesterday again sent shockwaves through the known media world by reinstating former president Donald Trump's twitter account which had been suspended, by the previous owner, over his involvement with the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

Musk, who has stated he allowed the communities 290million users to vote on reinstating the former president account, and more than 15million users responded. A 52% majority responded and agreed that Trump should be allowed to rejoin the social media platform.

"The people have spoken," Mr. Musk said on Twitter. "Trump will be reinstated." He added the Latin phrase "Vox Populi, Vox Dei," which roughly means that the voice of the people is the voice of God," reported The New York Times.


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Trump Announces 2024 White House Bid

As expected, former President Donald trump announced his bid for reelection for President, which was met with political pundits providing foundational arguments why support for his candidacy will only further erode the legitimacy of the party.

"On Tuesday night, Donald Trump launched his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. In front of Mar-a-Lago's fawning faithful, he attacked Joe Biden and lamented the state of the US in his own absence. "Embarrassed", "humiliated" and "glory" emerged as the evening's buzzwords," reported TheGuardian.com.

For the Democrats, Trump can be considered the MVP of the upcoming election. It is difficult to believe that democrats would want Trump to continue to exhibit his egotistical, "it's all about me" brand and concentrate only on himself and not the good of the party.

As leaders within the Republican Governors convention explained they are tired of losing and blame Trump for the political albatross that he places on the party and moving past Trump may be the only avenue to future success.

This messaging falls on deaf ears for Trump and his family who will look at the White House though the same hostile takeover lens, and should he lose the GOP nomination, he like Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders before him, will declare himself an independent candidate, place himself on the ballot and as history has proven drive a deep and irreparable wedge through the voting public.

Like many elections in the past including the 1992 election where independent candidate Ross Perot, secured 18.9% of the vote, the highest for any person outside of the two major parties, Donald Trump may become the second independent candidate to gather a significant share of the vote, pulling from the GOP nominee, and will be forever blamed for allowing the democrats to retake the 2024 white house.

Elizabeth Holmes Sentenced

Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes was sentenced this week to 11 years in prison, after being found guilty to four counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and misleading investors. Her former lover, President, and COO, Sunny Balwani, 57, was convicted of 20 counts of defrauding investors will be sentenced soon and is facing 20 years in prison.

Holmes "was convicted in January of misleading investors that her technology could run hundreds of tests from just a few drops of blood. In reality, the company was relying on technology from other companies to run the tests," The Washington Post reported.


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Buffalo New York Region Crippled by Early Snowstorm; Killing Two

A lake effect snowstorm has buried the western New York region killing two and disrupting travel, closing highways, and stranding millions along Buffalo, New York's east-west Interstate 90 and the north-south Interstate 190.

"County officials said two people had died as a result of the storm. There were 280 people rescued in the area, and some 1,600 without power. Whiteout conditions returned Saturday night, with fierce winds blowing snow through streets deserted by closures for the weather," reported The New York Times.

Snowfall was recorded at the storm's height at six inches per hour and coupled with the whipping winds, snowdrifts as high as 70inches were reported throughout the affected area.

Even as Buffalo is accustomed to harsh winter conditions, the early season snowfall has left many, including New York Governor Kathleen Hochel, a Buffalo native, amazed at the extreme conditions, and ferocity of the storm.

At the storm's end the total single day record stood at six feet 72inches, a shocking amount and one that will top the record books easily surpassing the total single day snowfall or 47.5inches set in 2014.

Stalwart Buffalo residents will, as always, dig out and settle in for a long, possibly record setting winter season especially after this harsh reminder of extreme weather activated by climate change.

For more information on President Joe Biden www.whitehouse.gov.

Sources: Various © Articles covered by Copyright protection.

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