Russian wannabe-tsar Vladimir Putin continues to insist that the massacre at Crocus City Hall which killed at least 137 (up to 143 depending on the news source) concert-goers is linked to Ukraine. He has instructed Russian and Russia-funded media to play up possible “traces” of “Ukrainian involvement” in the shootings. Four men have been arrested in connection with the mass killing‚ all of them are from Tajikistan‚ Novaya Gazeta Europe reported. The men have made their first appearance in a Russian court‚ with two of them entering guilty pleas. The court named the men as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev‚ Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda‚ Muhammadsobir Fayzov and Shamsidin Fariduni. All four are citizens of Tajikistan. Further‚ by Friday evening‚ ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack‚ countering Putin’s claims it was related to Ukraine. On Saturday‚ ISIS provided video of the massacre‚ which seemingly could not have been posted unless ISIS obtained video directly from one of the gunmen. U.S. intelligence officials‚ according to the New York Times‚ informed their Russian counterparts in early March that some kind of attack was brewing. The United States collected intelligence in March that Islamic State-Khorasan‚ known as ISIS-K‚ the branch of the group based in Afghanistan‚ had been planning an attack on Moscow‚ according to officials. ISIS members have been active in Russia‚ one U.S. official said. Since 2015 and before‚ ISIS has been active in Tajikistan. One of their senior commanders was previously a member of Tajik special forces and police‚ was trained inside the United States in counterterrorism techniques. He defected to ISIS‚ and had been issuing threats to Russia ever since. I predict that Putin might use this link to try to rope the U.S. into the ISIS conspiracy‚ which has been given little press in Russia–that ISIS-K is an American creation–but is held by many Russians. The Ukraine “traces” arguments will inevitably fall flat‚ regardless of the forced confessions or fake news in the Russian press. That won’t stop Putin from ordering retaliatory strikes against civilian targets in Ukraine‚ as if the links were there‚ even though they’re not. And in response to those attacks‚ Europe will move ever closer to a larger war. On Sunday‚ Poland detected a Russian cruise missile inside its airspace‚ and has demanded an explanation from Russia. These incursions‚ which have happened from time to time during the Ukraine war as Russia launches wave after wave of missile and drone attacks‚ are dangerous since Poland is a NATO country. Even inadvertent escalation of the war into NATO-protected territory can potentially draw all of NATO‚ which now includes Finland and Sweden‚ in addition to (of course) the United States‚ Great Britain‚ and Germany. America’s response to ISIS has been to do whatever is necessary to destroy the group where it is found to operate‚ when those places are within the U.S. military’s area of operations. U.S. forces leveled Mosul to destroy ISIS there; it has become the model for how to deal with “dense urban environment” controlled by a terrorist organization. Israel is using the same strategy dealing with Hamas in Gaza. Russia is not afraid to level cities. But its army is occupied trying to hold and expand its territory in Ukraine‚ at least until Ukraine exhausts its supply of military-age men fit to fight (that could be a few more years)‚ or until western powers stop funneling military aid to Ukraine. Russia has little military capacity to begin leveling cities in Tajikistan‚ which sits between Afghanistan‚ Pakistan‚ Turkmenistan‚ Uzbekistan‚ Kyrgyzstan‚ Tibet and India. From a political angle‚ I suppose we could say if in 2021 the U.S. had not so disastrously left Afghanistan and allowed the Taliban to take complete control‚ maybe ISIS would not have found so easy a path to Moscow. I think that argument is as tenuous as the ISIS conspiracy theories in Russia‚ or the “traces” of Ukrainian involvement. However‚ watch: someone here will make that claim‚ because when fake news gets loose‚ its hard to put back in its cage. The biggest takeaway here is that Putin failed to stop ISIS from striking at a city near Moscow‚ obtaining automatic weapons‚ and slaughtering 137 or more Russian citizens. This happened right after Putin “won” his election to be president of Russia for (as many years as he lives) another six years. It shows that Putin isn’t as “bad” (in the sense of being tough) as he wants everyone to believe. Follow Steve on Twitter @stevengberman. The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue‚ create conversation‚ and debate ideas. See something you like or don’t like? Reach out to the author or to us at ideas@thefirsttv.com. 

This Week in Historyby Dianne Hermann “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliteratetheir own understanding of their history.” George Orwell Mar. 25-31‚ 2024 March 25 1851 – Yosemite Valley is discovered in California. Yosemite became a national park in 1890. Naturalist John Muir helped drew its boundaries in 1889 and […] The post This Week in History: Mar. 25-31‚ 2024 appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Former President Donald Trump’s legal battles are piling up on Monday‚ with the former president appearing in court for the hush money case involving porn actress Stormy Daniels on the same day as the bond deadline in his $454 million New York civil business fraud judgment. Trump is expected to appear in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday and request another delay in the case against him‚ where he is charged with falsifying business records while covering up an affair with Daniels‚ The New York Times reported. In March‚ the judge overseeing the hush money case — which would’ve begun on Monday — moved the trial start date to April 15 after Trump’s attorneys argued that they needed more time to review a new dump of 100‚000 pages of material that could be used as evidence in the case. The hush money case‚ brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and widely viewed as the weakest case against the former president‚ was the first in a slew of criminal charges against Trump and made Trump the first ex-president to be charged with a crime. The former president pleaded not guilty last year to all 34 charges of falsifying business records leveled against him by Bragg. Meanwhile‚ if Trump and his legal team are going to stop New York Attorney General Letitia James from potentially seizing Trump’s assets‚ they must also post bond Monday in the New York civil business fraud judgment leveled against him by Judge Arthur Engoron. The judge ruled in agreement with James last month after the attorney general brought civil charges against Trump‚ alleging the former president inflated his net worth and misled investors. In his judgment‚ Engoron ordered Trump to pay $350 million‚ which increased to $454 million‚ including interest‚ and also ordered Trump’s co-defendants to pay $10 million. James had been abiding by a 30-day grace period following the judgment in the case‚ but as of Monday‚ the Democratic attorney general can seek to collect on Trump‚ The Wall Street Journal reported. Trump blasted the cases brought against him‚ posting on Truth Social on Monday morning‚ “These are Rigged cases‚ all coordinated by the White House and DOJ for purposes of Election Interference.” “THE NUMBER ENGORON SET IS FRAUDULENT. It should be ZERO‚ I DID NOTHING WRONG!” the former president added. “The D.A. Case‚ that I am going to today‚ should be dismissed. No crime. Our Country is CORRUPT!” In a follow-up post‚ the leading 2024 presidential candidate added‚ “Crooked Pols!!! There should be no FINE. Did nothing wrong! Why should I be forced to sell my ‘babies’ because a CORRUPT NEW YORK JUDGE &; A.G. SET A FAKE AND RIDICULOUS NUMBER[?] ‘TAKE HIS CASH SO THAT HE CAN’T USE IT TO DEFEAT HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT‚ CROOKED JOE BIDEN.’ ELECTION INTERFERENCE‚ ALL HEADED UP BY THE WHITE HOUSE – THIS INCLUDES FANI AND THE CORRUPT MANHATTAN D.A. BRAGG ADMITTED THERE WAS NO CRIME‚ WAS MORTIFIED BY WHAT MARK POMERANCE DID – AND HE SHOULD BE. WITCH HUNT!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Last week‚ Trump’s lawyers requested a stay on the civil fraud judgment‚ which they said securing the bond for would be “a practical impossibility‚” but a New York appeals court rejected the request. Later in the week‚ Trump posted on Truth Social‚ saying that “through hard work‚ talent‚ and luck‚” he had nearly $500 million cash on hand and “intended to use” the money for his 2024 presidential campaign.

In a shocking and baseless statement‚ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has accused former President Donald Trump of personally ordering the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6th. The controversial Congresswoman claims that this alone should be enough for people to reject any future bids for presidency by Trump. However‚ as a conservative‚ I argue that her extreme accusation and the moral implications of it should not overshadow the important ethical considerations at play in the upcoming 2024 election. Firstly‚ it is important to note that AOC's claim is completely unsubstantiated and lacks any credible evidence. This type of reckless and divisive rhetoric is not only damaging to the political discourse‚ but also sets a dangerous precedent for falsely accusing political opponents without proof. As conservatives‚ we value the rule of law and due process‚ and therefore cannot condone such baseless accusations that only serve to further polarize our nation. AOC claims Trump "ordered…a terrorist attack on the Capitol of the United States to retain power" pic.twitter.com/ipHPCQSUFj — Julia (@Jules31415) March 25‚ 2024 Furthermore‚ the fact that AOC has used this false accusation to push her own political agenda and to discourage people from supporting Trump's potential 2024 run is deeply concerning. As a conservative‚ I firmly believe in the right of all individuals to run for office‚ regardless of their political views. To suggest that someone should be disqualified from running based on unproven accusations goes against the very principles of our democracy. Moreover‚ the timing of AOC's statement is suspect‚ as it comes at a crucial moment in the political landscape. With the 2024 election on the horizon‚ it is clear that this is a calculated attempt to discredit and undermine Trump's potential candidacy. As conservatives‚ we cannot let ourselves be swayed by such manipulative tactics and must instead focus on the key issues and policies that truly matter. .@AOC hates Israel but doesn't know why pic.twitter.com/sSOcbsEXfe — Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) March 25‚ 2024 While AOC's sensational claims may grab headlines‚ it is crucial to remember the ethical dilemma that lies at the heart of this controversy. As a conservative‚ I believe that individuals should be judged based on their own actions and policies‚ not by the actions of others. To suggest that Trump should not be allowed to run for office because of the actions of a few individuals goes against the principles of fairness and personal accountability. Furthermore‚ AOC's statement raises questions about the role of the media in perpetuating such inflammatory and unsubstantiated claims. The mainstream media's constant vilification of Trump has only added fuel to the fire‚ creating a toxic political environment where false accusations are given a platform without any scrutiny. As conservatives‚ we must demand that the media uphold their responsibility to present fair and unbiased reporting. Ultimately‚ as we approach the 2024 election‚ we must focus on the important ethical considerations at play. It is not about one individual or their alleged actions‚ but rather about the values and policies that we want to see in our leaders. As conservatives‚ we must stand firm in our beliefs and not let ourselves be swayed by baseless accusations or manipulative tactics. In conclusion‚ AOC's outrageous claim that Trump ordered the attack on the Capitol and her attempt to use it to dissuade people from supporting him in the future is nothing more than a desperate political ploy. As conservatives‚ we must not let ourselves be distracted by such divisive rhetoric and instead focus on the important ethical considerations at stake in the upcoming 2024 election. Let us not be swayed by baseless accusations and instead demand a fair and just political landscape for all. The post Unhinged Accusations: AOC’s Outrageous Claim that Trump Orchestrated Capitol Attack appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

In a post shared on X (Twitter)‚ user “dj dantẻ” stated‚ “Some kid stole a plant from my parent’s house but felt bad so they came back and left this cute note with $5”. The post was shared on October 5‚ 2021‚ but it is gaining momentum after being shared by Upworthy on TikTok. The handwritten note was apologetic and explained the circumstances behind the theft. Some kid stole a plant from my parent’s house but felt bad so they came back and left this cute little note with $5 pic.twitter.com/u3nGUgfTLM— dj danté (@narttnecniv) October 6‚ 2021 The letter‚ addressed “Dear family‚” begins with an apology. The note continues to explain that he wasn’t “thinking how bad that was” when he took the plant. The words are earnest and heartfelt. The kid offers to pay them back for the plant and included a five dollar bill in the note. If you’re wondering why the kid didn’t return the plant‚ that was also explained in the note. The kid stole the plant to feed it to his pet tortoise. But‚ as luck would have it‚ the tortoise wanted no part of the “forbidden” plant and wouldn’t eat it. You can read the entire note below. Image from X (Twitter). The writer of the note wanted to know what type of plant it was. And here is where things get a little funny. In a comment under the post‚ dj dantẻ added‚ “My mom doesn’t even know which plant they took lmaoo. I should drop off some food for their tortoise for being so honest”. Some might consider this episode a parenting failure‚ but it isn’t. Even if the young thief wrote the letter under duress‚ he stated his purpose honestly. He admitted that stealing was bad and offered to make amends. The young writer seems to have learned his lesson. He even owned up to not having the guts to deliver the apology in person. As a parent‚ I would call that a win. So‚ kudos to this kid’s parents for using this as a teaching moment. If you enjoyed this‚ please share it with others. It truly does take a village to raise our children well. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here. The post Kid Leaves Hilarious Note After Stealing Plant From Family’s Home appeared first on InspireMore.

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Around 2010‚ it seemed like the only thing being discussed in the prepping community was the risk of an EMP. Compared to zombies‚ gamma-ray bursts‚ a 2nd Civil War‚ and all the other mega-doomsday disasters‚ a powerful EMP created by nuclear weapons or solar activity seemed far and away the most likely thing that could happen. sun close-up showing solar flares And people were right to be worried! However‚ with time dragging on and nothing of the kind having occurred‚ some folks are claiming that the threat of an EMP was‚ or is‚ actually overexaggerated. But is it really? No‚ I don’t think the threat of a major EMP is overexaggerated. Considering the two most likely causes‚ nuclear weapons are hardly rare‚ and solar activity is constant and unpredictable. Such an event would be nothing short of a catastrophe. The trick with so-called doomsday events is that they are incredibly serious but mercifully very unlikely to occur. That being said‚ there are numerous ways that a powerful EMP‚ one bad enough to completely capsize our electrical grid‚ might happen and there is really nothing we can do about several of them. Accordingly‚ the threat of them will be present from here on out‚ and I personally believe it’s only a matter of time until one does occur. Keep reading and I’ll tell you more… How Common are EMPs? If you want to get down to brass tacks‚ EMPs are actually shockingly common. They can be caused by high-power transmission lines‚ lightning strikes‚ and everyday natural solar phenomena in the form of coronal mass ejections or solar storms. If you look at it that way‚ they really do happen all the time‚ and we even have a precedent for a wide area‚ damaging and persistent EMP in the form of the 1859 Carrington Event. But to be a little more realistic‚ massively destructive EMPs very rarely happen‚ and practically speaking have not happened in the current era. This does not mean that they won’t‚ though. We are Only Really Worried About Major EMPs Talk to anyone who has ever had a lightning strike anywhere near their car‚ and they will probably tell you that the threat posed by EMPs is indeed quite real! Lightning strikes are powerful enough to generate a pretty substantial EMP that can fry all of the electronics in a car‚ even if not directly struck. That’s terrible if it happens to you‚ but hardly anything of note when it comes to prepping. After all‚ we aren’t worried about incidental damage that is only an insurance claim at the end of the day‚ however scary and inconvenient it might be. The kinds of EMP events that preppers are talking about‚ and that some preppers are now calling overexaggerated‚ are those that can affect a very wide area‚ meaning regionally‚ nationally‚ potentially even globally. The kind that can completely disable or totally destroy electrical grids and anything reliant on electronic components. The Big Three EMP Threats The three major EMP threats‚ of the magnitude we have good cause to be very afraid of‚ are nuclear EMPs‚ caused by the detonation of a nuclear warhead‚ non-nuclear EMPs‚ a type of weapon system which generates a massively potent pulse‚ and natural EMPs‚ the aforementioned solar storms and coronal mass ejections. Nuclear EMP: Likelihood Low‚ Severity High If we think this through rationally‚ we know that there’s sadly no shortage of nukes in the world. The detonation of a nuclear bomb at ground level will be bad enough‚ but will also produce a powerful EMP that can knock out electrical systems far beyond the actual blast and flash radius of the bomb itself. Arguably a worse outcome is a high-altitude nuclear detonation‚ which will intensify the electromagnetic pulse due to its interaction with the Earth’s ionosphere. Any place with line-of-sight to such a detonation could potentially be affected‚ meaning entire swaths of the United States might be in danger! Non-Nuclear EMP: Likelihood Moderate‚ Severity High to Very High EMP generator weapons leave out the Earth-cracking kaboom of a nuclear warhead but still emit a powerful‚ even continuous‚ wave of electromagnetic energy that can overload grids‚ start fires‚ and completely fry unprotected electronics. To our knowledge‚ these systems have not been deployed in open warfare‚ at least not publicly‚ but we know they exist and are certain to be a tool in the arsenals of major powers and‚ potentially‚ minor ones. Natural EMP: Likelihood High‚ Severity Moderate And lastly‚ we must consider the known and previously experienced effects of solar activity. Let’s get real‚ there’s not one thing we can do about the sun‚ and though coronal mass ejections of substantial power rarely strike the earth‚ they do happen often enough to have occurred within recent history. Electricity and communications systems were in their relative infancy all the way back when the Carrington Event happened; I shudder to think what might occur if a similar instance‚ or something even more powerful‚ were to occur today. Mercifully‚ humanity has kept the nuclear genie in the bottle since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki‚ outside of testing of course‚ but between increasing global tensions and the fact we can’t do anything about solar activity‚ it seems it’s only a matter of time until we are on the receiving end of an extremely powerful EMP. An EMP Attack is Likely an Attractive Option to Hostile Powers Something else that preppers should keep in mind is that a deliberate EMP attack‚ being either the less-spectacular detonation of a nuclear weapon at high altitude or the deployment of a specialized EMP generator weapon‚ might be an attractive means of asymmetric attack or defense for a hostile power. It’s obvious‚ of course‚ but if you nuke someone you’re going to get nuked back in this day and age‚ and nobody wants or can afford that. But is there a precedent for using an EMP strategically in such a way? If it doesn’t directly cause death‚ so might that forestall deadly retaliation of some kind? These questions will get answered at some point‚ but it’s highly likely that any opponent who has access to them and is getting involved in a proper‚ large-scale war will look to deploy an EMP one way or another in order to degrade the ability of the US to wage war or just to cause total havoc here on the homefront. The Aftermath of an EMP Could Be Apocalyptic I must also remind readers that the consequences of a powerful EMP will likely be absolutely cataclysmic considering how badly maintained and degraded America’s electrical grid is. For decades now‚ human error‚ serious wind events‚ and localized storms have caused massive‚ regional blackouts that have lasted for days or weeks. If an EMP affects multiple regional grids simultaneously‚ you can expect cascading failures‚ widespread fires‚ gravely disrupted or even halted commerce‚ and total societal chaos. And this isn’t theory‚ or some sci-fi story: we know that will happen. Accordingly‚ when the severity of the event is so high‚ the threat must be taken seriously. The post Is the Threat of an EMP Overexaggerated? appeared first on Survival Sullivan.