#AceNewsReport – Jan.18: A Texas man has been charged in the Eastern District of Texas with allegedly filing bank loan applications fraudulently seeking more than $5 million dollars in forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act:

#Coronavirus Cares Act Report: Man Charged with $5 Million #COVID19 – Relief Fraud

Individual Copied List of Names off the Internet and Claimed Them as Employees

Samuel Yates, 32, of Maud, was charged in an indictment with two counts of wire fraud: The indictment alleges that Yates sought millions of dollars in forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA from two different banks by claiming to have over 400 employees earning wages when, in fact, no employees worked for his purported business:

According to court documents unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Texarkana, Yates allegedly made two fraudulent applications to two different lenders for loans guaranteed by the SBA for COVID-19 relief through the PPP.In the application submitted to the first lender, Yates allegedly sought $5 million in PPP loan proceeds by fraudulently claiming to have over 400 employees with an average monthly payroll of more than $2 million. In the second application, Yates claimed to employ over 100 individuals and was able to obtain a loan over $500,000. With each application, Yates submitted a list of purported employees that he obtained from a publicly available random name generator on the internet. He also submitted forged tax documents with each application:

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding:

The PPP allows qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent: PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within eight weeks of receipt and use at least 75 percent of the forgiven amount for payroll:

Trial Attorney Louis Manzo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Criminal Chief Frank Coan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case: The Justice Department acknowledges and thanks the SBA Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their efforts investigating this mater.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

David P. Burns, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Stephen J. Cox, U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Texas; Dale Forrester, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s Cybercrime Investigations Division; Donald Abram, Special Agent in Charge of the SBA Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Central Region; and Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas made the announcement.

#AceNewsDesk report ……………Published: Jan.18: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.18: He was returning to the country five months after he was almost killed in a nerve-agent attack he blamed on Russian authorities. Moscow denied any role: Russia’s foreign minister has dismissed the international condemnation: Sergei Lavrov said Western politicians were using it as a way to “divert attention” from domestic problems.

Alexei Navalny: EU and US demand release of poisoned Putin critic

1 hour ago

Alexei Navalny – The basics

• Mr Navalny is an anti-corruption campaigner and the most prominent face of Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin, whose party he says is full of “crooks and thieves”
• He attempted to stand in the 2018 presidential race, but was barred because of an embezzlement conviction that he says was politically motivated
• An outspoken blogger, he has millions of Russian followers on social media and managed to get some supporters elected to local councils in Siberia in 2020

Russia’s prison service on Sunday said the Kremlin critic had violated the terms of his suspended sentence for embezzlement. Officials said he would remain in custody until a court ruling. 

Lawyers for Mr Navalny say they have not been granted access to him.

What has the international reaction been?

The US and European Union have led calls for Mr Navalny to be freed, but have stopped short of threatening any punitive action.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Russian authorities were trying to silence their critics. He called for Mr Navalny’s “immediate and unconditional release”.

“Confident political leaders do not fear competing voices, nor commit violence against or wrongfully detain political opponents,” Mr Pompeo said.

US President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming national security adviser stuck a similar tone: “The Kremlin’s attacks on Mr Navalny are not just a violation of human rights, but an affront to the Russian people who want their voices heard,” Jake Sullivan said.

• Alexei Navalny: Russia’s vociferous Putin critic
• Two hours that saved Alexei Navalny’s life

The response from the EU was equally strong, with France, Italy and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, among those issuing demands for his release.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas described the arrest as “totally incomprehensible”.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Mr Navalny’s arrest was “appalling” and called for his immediate release.

“Rather than persecuting Mr Navalny, Russia should explain how a chemical weapon came to be used on Russian soil,” he said. 

What happened in the lead-up to the arrest?

When Mr Navalny was poisoned last August and collapsed on an internal flight in Siberia, he was flown to Germany for emergency medical treatment. As he recovered, he said he intended to return to Russia. 

On Sunday, he made good on that pledge, boarding a Pobeda Airlines flight in Berlin despite warnings he would face arrest on landing. 

The plane was packed with journalists, including Andrey Kozenko of the BBC Russian Service. Shortly before landing, the pilot announced that for “technical reasons”, the plane was being diverted from Vnukovo airport, where thousands of Navalny supporters had gathered, to Sheremetyevo airport, causing a stir among the passengers.

“I know that I’m right. I fear nothing,” Mr Navalny said upon landing, just minutes before he was detained. “Have you been waiting for me long?” he asked border guards.

ReutersA number of Navalny supporters were detained at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport

He kissed his wife Yulia – who had flown with him from Germany – after police officers warned they would use physical force if he disobeyed their orders to come with them. Despite pleas, Mr Navalny’s lawyer was not allowed to accompany him.

The activist was later taken to a police station in Moscow, where he spent the night.

In a statement late on Sunday, Russia’s prison service said the opposition leader “had been wanted since 29 December 2020 for repeated violations of the probation period”. It added that he would remain in custody until a court decision.

The authorities accuse him of violating conditions imposed after a conviction for embezzlement, for which he received a suspended sentence. He has always said the case was politically motivated.

Separately, Russian prosecutors have launched a new criminal case against Mr Navalny on fraud charges related to transfers of money to various charities, including his Anti-Corruption Foundation.

The activist accuses Mr Putin of targeting him with spurious cases.

The Russian authorities often make out that Alexei Navalny isn’t popular with the Russian people, that he’s no threat to President Putin. 

But his return home five months after being poisoned sparked a major police operation on Sunday.

In chaotic scenes, riot police pushed Mr Navalny’s supporters out of the arrivals hall of Vnukovo airport, before the flight was rerouted.

Last summer, Russia’s most prominent opposition figure was attacked in Siberia allegedly by an undercover hit squad of Russian security agents.

His decision to return home is a direct challenge to Vladimir Putin – and creates a dilemma for the Kremlin.

It risks turning him into a political martyr, a Nelson Mandela-like figure, and sparking more Western sanctions. 

Do nothing and the Kremlin’s fiercest critic will almost certainly be a thorn in its side in an important election year.

What happened to Navalny last year?

In August, he collapsed on a plane flying from Tomsk in Siberia to Moscow. The pilot diverted the flight to the city of Omsk, where Mr Navalny was admitted to hospital. Two days later, Russian officials allowed him to be airlifted to Germany in an induced coma.

European experts later said he had been poisoned with the extremely toxic chemical weapon Novichok, developed by Soviet scientists in the Cold War.

He was released from a hospital in Berlin in September to continue his recuperation. 

• Report names ‘Russian agents’ in Navalny poisoning

Last month, investigative reporters named three agents of Russia’s FSB security service who had travelled to Tomsk at the time Mr Navalny was there, and said the specialist unit had tailed him for years.

ReutersAlexei Navalny posed as a security official in the phone call with an FSB agent

Mr Navalny then duped an FSB agent named Konstantin Kudryavtsev into revealing details of the operation against him in a phone conversation which he recorded and posted online. The agent told him that the Novichok used to poison him had been placed in his underpants. 

President Putin has dismissed investigations by the Bellingcat website and other groups that have blamed Russian intelligence agents for the attack as “a trick”. He has alleged his rival is backed by US intelligence services.

#AceNewsDesk report …………….Published: Jan.18: 2021:

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#AceFinanceReport – Jan.18: Strict virus containment measures and emergency relief for businesses helped the economy recover”Growth in the final three months of the year picked up to 6.5%.

#Covid19 Virus But China’s economy picks up, bucking global trend with growth of 2.3% last year and on target for 6.5%

7 hours ago

• Chinese economy ‘to overtake US by 2028’
• ‘China is a hard rock. It won’t be beaten by virus’
• China continues to bounce back from virus slump

“The GDP data shows the economy has almost normalised. This momentum will continue, although the current Covid-19 outbreak in a couple of provinces in northern China might temporarily cause fluctuation,” said Yue Su, principal economist for the Economist Intelligence Unit.

China’s mainland share markets as well as Hong Kong’s Hang Seng posted modest gains on the latest figures, which exceeded economists’ expectations, according to a Reuters poll. 

However, Covid-19 was still a major drain on growth in 2020, with nationwide shutdowns of factories and manufacturing plants forcing economic growth down to its slowest rate for four decades. 

China’s manufacturing sector appears to have recovered, with Monday’s data showing a 7.3% increase in industrial output. 

Exports have also led the way. Data last week showed Chinese exports grew by more than expected in December, as coronavirus disruptions around the world fuelled demand for Chinese goods. 

That is despite a stronger yuan, which makes Chinese exports more expensive for overseas buyers.

Chan’s economy has seen a strong rebound, while the rest of the world struggles with anaemic demand, millions of job losses, and businesses shutting down.

China’s economic engine roared back to life after a brutal lockdown that saw the Chinese economy contract by a historic 6.8% in the first quarter of 2020. 

We should always be circumspect about Chinese data – with the usual caveat that the trajectory of the data rather than the figures themselves are a useful guide to how China’s economy is growing.

What these numbers show is that China’s strategy of locking down cities hard and quickly has worked. 

A combination of government-led investment and global demand for Chinese goods also helped to power a rapid recovery, and boost exports. 

Still – this is the lowest rate of annual growth in more than 40 years for the economic giant. Worries over a resurgence of the virus are also clouding China’s growth outlook, with consumer demand still weak. 

And Beijing is trying to navigate a prickly trade relationship with the US, with the incoming administration unlikely to be softer on China than President Donald Trump. 

All of these challenges will no doubt weigh on Chinese growth in 2021 – but they seem to be in a better place than the rest of the world’s major economies.

It was not all good news from the latest figures.

Li Wei, a senior economist at Standard Chartered Bank, said pandemic-related exports and credit-fuelled car and housing sales accounted for much of the growth, while domestic demand lagged behind. 

“Domestic household consumption of food, clothing, furniture and utilities remains below pre-pandemic levels, while the hospitality and transportation sectors continue to face capacity and travel restrictions,” he told Reuters. Why does China’s economy matter to you?

Although retail sales grew by 4.6% in the fourth quarter of 2020, they fell by 3.9% for the year. 

Many analysts are tipping growth to accelerate in 2021, but the China Bureau of Statistics has warned of a “grave and complex environment both at home and abroad”, with the pandemic having a “huge impact”.

China still faces many challenges, including continuing trade tensions with the US and how they might play out under the administration of President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office later this week: 

#AceFinanceDesk report ……….Published: Jan.18: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.18: An estimated 7,000 migrants, mostly from Honduras, have entered in recent days, fleeing poverty and violence: They hope to travel on to Mexico, and then the US border: Every year, tens of thousands of Central American migrants attempt this perilous journey to try and reach the US, often on foot, in groups known as “caravans”.

Migrant caravan: Guatemala blocks thousands bound for US

1 hour agoSecurity forces block the migrants’ path, beating them back with truncheons and tear gas

President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, has vowed to end the strict immigration policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump, a Republican.

But the Biden administration, which will take office on Wednesday, has warned migrants not to make the journey, as immigration policies will not change overnight.

What happened when the group entered Guatemala?

As the migrants trekked across Guatemala towards its border with Mexico, they were slowed down by security forces near the south-eastern village of Vado Hondo.

A group of soldiers and police officers blockaded a road, stopping many of them from advancing. Some people still attempted to force their way through, prompting security forces to push them back. Several people were injured.

EPAAbout 7,000 migrants, mostly from Honduras, are estimated to have arrived in Guatemala since Friday

Many migrants retreated, with some waiting nearby to make a new attempt later. Others fled into nearby mountains.

“Fortunately the security forces established a contingency plan… and contained this battle,” said Guillermo Díaz, head of Guatemala’s migration agency.

A statement from the Guatemalan president’s office said: “Guatemala’s message is loud and clear: These types of illegal mass movements will not be accepted, that’s why we are working together with the neighbouring nations to address this as a regional issue.”

The government later said 21 migrants who had sought medical assistance tested positive for Covid-19.

Why are so many people coming now?

The migrants say persecution, violence and poverty are a daily reality in their home countries. Conditions have been made worse by the devastation wrought by two huge hurricanes that battered Central America last November.

“There is still mud everywhere there, everything got knocked down, we lost everything,” Ismael Eliazar told the Associated Press news agency.

ReutersThe migrants are fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries

So, in search of a better life, they want to reach the US in the hope of finding work and safety.

Dania Hinestrosa, a 23-year-old travelling with her daughter, told the AFP news agency: “We have no work, nor food, so I decided to go to the United States.”

The promise of new immigration policies under Mr Biden’s administration is also thought to have spurred some migrants to make an attempt to reach the US border.

What is the incoming US administration saying?

Members of Mr Biden’s team have warned Central American migrants not to make dangerous journeys to the border.

Speaking to NBC News, an unnamed senior Biden administration official said migrants attempting to claim asylum in the US “need to understand they’re not going to be able to come into the United States immediately”.

The Biden administration will prioritise undocumented immigrants already living in the US, not those heading to the country now, the official said.

“Processing capacity at the border is not like a light that you can just switch on and off,” Susan Rice, one of Mr Biden’s policy advisers, told the Spanish language news agency Efe in December.

“Migrants and asylum seekers should absolutely not believe those in the region selling the idea that the border will suddenly be fully open to process everyone on day one. It will not.”

Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, last week urged would-be migrants at the southern border not to “waste your time and money”.

The US commitment to the “rule of law and public health” is not affected by the change in administration, he said in a statement.Isaac’s journey from Honduras to the US is made even harder by his disability (November 2018 report)

More than a dozen of similar groups, some with thousands of migrants, have set off from Central America in recent years. One of the largest came from Honduras in October 2018, provoking President Trump to brand it “an invasion”.

But all have run up against resistance under Mr Trump, who put pressure on Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to crack down on illegal north-bound migration.

#AceNewsDesk report ……………Published: Jan.18: 2021:

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#AceHealthReport – Jan.18: As of Thursday 14 January 2021, 35 genomically confirmed and 12 genomically probable cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant which originated in South Africa (called VOC202012/02 in the UK, also named B1.351 and 501Y.V2 internationally) have been identified in the UK:

#Coronavirus Report: Confirmed cases of #COVID19 variants identified in UK by PHE

Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in UK.

Public Health England

Latest update:

Two variants of interest have also been identified in Brazil: The first variant is variant under investigation (VUI) 202101/01 – this variant has a small number of mutations. The spread and significance of this variant remains under investigation. In partnership with COG-UK, 8 genomically confirmed cases of this variant have now been identified in the UK. All necessary public health action is being taken to follow-up the cases: The second variant has been designated a Variant of Concern by NERVTAG, now termed VOC202101/02, and this variant has more mutations. We have NOT detected this second Brazil originated strain in the UK– this has been detected in Manaus and travellers arriving in Japan: Laboratory work has begun on the VOC 202012/02 in the UK and is routinely undertaken on all variants under investigation or of concern once samples are available.

Dr Susan Hopkins, COVID Strategic Response Director at Public Health England, said:

We are continuing efforts to understand the effect of the variants on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy.

For now, our advice remains the same following detection of a Brazilian variant in the UK, even though this is not the variant detected in Manaus with more mutations: the best way to stop the spread of the virus is to wash your hands, wear a face covering and keep your distance from others. Whilst in lockdown, it is important that we also stay at home unless it is absolutely essential to go out.

Through COG-UK, the UK is a global leader in SARS-CoV-2 genomics, providing around 48% of the genomic data supplied to GISAID, the scientific initiative which allows global, real-time surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WGS is vital to the global response to the pandemic, allowing us to monitor and understand the evolution of new COVID-19 variants and respond with timely public health interventions.

In addition to the travel ban imposed on South Africa on 23 December 2020, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced new restrictions for everyone arriving into the country from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola, Mauritius and Seychelles: The restrictions follow new data on the steep rise in incidence of the B1.351 variant, which has vastly increased the risk of community transmission between these 9 southern African countries, as well as the Seychelles and Mauritius which have strong travel links with South Africa.

From 15 January 2021: DfT has also imposed a subsequent travel ban to the UK from several South American countries and countries with strong travel links to Brazil. Passengers who have been in or transited through Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Panama, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela in the last 10 days will no longer be granted access to the UK:

British and Irish Nationals (and or third country nationals with residence rights in the UK) who have travelled from or transited through these countries must self-isolate for 10 days, as must members of their household. Contact tracing and testing of close contacts of confirmed cases will be used to identify and manage potential transmission. The decision to impose these restrictions has been taken to prevent the spread of the variant of coronavirus, known as VOC202101/02, into the UK:

The Isolation Assurance Service (IAS) will be contacting all returnees from all southern African countries, Mauritius and Seychelles to reinforce the advice to self-isolate, to encourage testing even if asymptomatic and to inform anyone treating/testing them of their recent travel.

Regular updates of confirmed variant cases will be provided on this page.

Previous

Wednesday 23 December

The 2 cases were identified in the UK on 22 December 2020 and both have been in contact with someone who has travelled from South Africa. PHE’s Health Protection Teams have followed up with both cases and contact tracing is underway.

The new variant named B1.351 (also referred to as 501Y.V2) was first detected in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa, in samples at the beginning of October. Molecular dating suggests that it could have been in circulation from the end of August.

The rapid spread of the variant in South Africa could be an indication of increased transmissibility but this is not yet confirmed. PHE is investigating this variant and will share its findings in due course. There is currently no evidence to suggest that the variant has any impact on disease severity, antibody response or vaccine efficacy. Epidemiological and virological investigations are also ongoing in South Africa.

It is not uncommon for viruses to undergo mutations; seasonal influenza mutates every year. More than 4,000 variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been identified in the UK and variants have been observed in many other countries.

Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser on COVID-19 to PHE & Test and Trace, said:

We are investigating this new variant of SARS-CoV-2 which originated in South Africa. Viruses often evolve and this is not unusual. We are carrying out work as a priority to understand the potential risk this variant may cause. It is important to say that there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness, or that the regulated vaccine would not protect against it.

The best way to stop infection is to stick to the rules – wash our hands, wear a face covering and keep our distance from others.

The recommended control measures to limit the spread of the new variant continue to be testing, following the existing public health guidance and abiding by the restrictions, including ‘Hands, Face, Space’ and limiting your number of contacts. DfT have announced new restrictions for everyone arriving in the country from South Africa.

#AceHealthDesk report ………….Published: Jan.18: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.18: Police were called to a home in Tenambit, in Maitland, around 7.20pm and discovered a man suffering two stab wounds to his upper torso:

Daughter charged with father’s murder after fatal stabbing in NSW Hunter region

updated 5h ago

His 23-year-old daughter, Maddison Hickson, was arrested at the scene and taken to Maitland Police station where she was later charged with murder.

Carroll was no stranger to police.

He served at least two years and one month in jail after a 2014 assault in which he stomped on a man’s head, bashed him with a baseball bat and used a pair of pliers on his fingers, toes and testicles.

Detective Inspector and Crime Manager for Port Stephens-Hunter Police District Ranald Urquhart confirmed Carroll was known to police.

He said police believed the incident occurred inside the home and Ms Hickson was not at the scene when officers arrived.

“As far as I’m aware, she arrived at the location a short time after police were there,” he said.

“She’s provided assistance to police.”

Detective Inspector Urquhart said a number of other people were at the home at the time of the incident and had been assisting police. 

He said police were treating the incident as “a domestic violence murder”.

“At this stage, we don’t know what has led to the incident and that is currently subject to ongoing investigation.”

He said a weapon was yet to be found.

“We’ll be conducting canvassing, ongoing canvassing in the area looking for any information that people might be able to provide in terms of what they’ve seen. Any CCTV footage or mobile phone footage that anybody might have.”

Police remain at the Ronald Street home, which is being forensically examined.

Ms Hickson didn’t appear when her case was mentioned at Newcastle Bail Court today.

Her lawyer made no application for bail and bail was formally refused.

The case was adjourned to Maitland Local Court on January 20.

Jean Cannon, whose grandmother lives across the road, said she went to check on the older woman last night.

“My Nan said that she’d heard someone go past and was screaming out, a couple of women, that’s all she knows.

“They came back with a child.

“Apart from that, all I could see was the ambos working on someone over there and they seemed to be working on them for a really long time.”

Ms Cannon said it was a quiet street where “nothing really happens”.

“A lot of the neighbours know each other. I’m a little bit shaky from what’s happened.” 

#AceNewsDesk report ………Published: Jan.18: 2021: 

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#AceNewsReport – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Chicago recently intercepted two shipments, arriving from Lithuania, which contained various steroids:

CBP Officers seized more than 4,000 Pills of Various Steroids in Chicago on Jan.11: 2021:

On January 11, CBP officers inspected the two shipments to determine the admissibility of its contents in accordance with CBP regulations: The shipments were manifested as 1 Cosmetic, but when officers opened the shipments they found an assortment of steroids: Officers seized 500 pills of Methandienone, Stanozolol, Tamoxifen Citrate and Anastrozole, 1,000 pills of Oxandrolone, 300 pills of Clomiphene, 250 pills of Liothyromine and various other steroids: The shipments were headed to Albuquerque, New Mexico:

“ The experience and skills of our CBP officers to be able to target and seize this parcel is possibly life-saving,” said Shane Campbell, Area Port Director-Chicago. “These pills were destined for a residence and that person may be selling them. The buyer would not know how the pill was processed, which could be life threatening. It’s a dangerous game to play with life-threatening consequences.”

Medications that have been purchased over the internet are subject to approval by the FDA, and shippers must be registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Shipments that fail to be approved can be seized without reimbursement to the consumer. The consumer and exporter may also be subject to further penalties. For more information on prescription drugs and other internet purchases, visit the www.cbp.govwebsite….

CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international flights and intercepts narcotics, weapons, currency, prohibited agriculture products, counterfeit goods, and other illicit items at our nation’s 328 international ports of entry:

#AceNewsDesk report …………..Published: Jan.18: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport: Jan.18: Former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launched ‘The Peace and Justice Project’ in a virtual event on Sunday, hosting key guest speakers such as academic Noam Chomsky and former the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis: The Unite the Union trade union general secretary, Len McCluskey, and Labour MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana also spoke at the project’s launch, outlining a four-point plan which would continue the policies pursued by the party during Corbyn’s tenure as leader – economic security, international justice, democratic society and climate justice:

‘For The Many, Not The Few’: Jeremy Corbyn Outlines Vision For the Future With New Project Launch on Sunday CALLED ‘ Peace & Justice Project ‘

Launch of Project for Peace and Justice https://t.co/CF3vl4KXS7

— Peace and Justice Project (@corbyn_project) January 17, 2021

​Ronnie Kasrils, who served under Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s Intelligence Minister, cited the struggle against apartheid and against the Vietnam War as an example of the “anti-imperialist” positions the project will be carrying forward.

“If we wish to talk about courage, under fire, we note the women, the men, and children of Palestine, facing the bombs and bullets of Israel, refusing to submit”, he said.

Kasrils criticised the “new leader of the Labour party that ousted Jeremy in an atrocious coup”, in reference to Keir Starmer’s seizure of the parliamentary whip position from Jeremy Corbyn in November 2020.

Corbyn’s new work has also pledged to oppose Rupert Murdoch’s plans for a TV news channel and “unaccountable” media companies amid approvals for News UK TV by Ofcom and Andrew Neil’s new GB News.

“The waves of protest are signalling a new dawn. In India alone over 250 million people took part in protests and strikes.” – Ronnie Kasrils, minister in Nelson Mandela’s government, bringing a message of hope and unity at #PeaceAndJustice launch pic.twitter.com/9yLuGmnADX

— Peace and Justice Project (@corbyn_project) January 17, 2021

​Len McClusky praised Corbyn for shifting the discussion on the policy of austerity, which built a cross-party consensus over cuts to public services in a purported attempt to pay off the national deficit.

The Unite leader said the Labour MPs would deny supporting the strategy and that “you couldn’t even find many Tory MPs or Lib Dem MPs who would indicate” that they supported austerity once Corbyn came to power.

“Trade unions are needed now more than ever. They must have the courage to stand up, and challenge the economic orthodoxy that’s dominated the world for over 40 years.”

Fantastic to be joined at #PeaceAndJustice launch by lifelong fighter for workers’ rights @LenMcCluskey pic.twitter.com/viENgPTruE

— Peace and Justice Project (@corbyn_project) January 17, 2021

​Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana narrated her entry into politics during the austerity years of the Conservative-Liberal coalition before going on to slam the response by the Boris Johnson government to the coronavirus pandemic.

​”We know that before the pandemic hit, the NHS had been underfunded, privatised, while staff were underpaid”, she said.

She blamed the PM Johnson government’s initial pursuit of a “herd immunity strategy” for the widespread cases of coronavirus in the UK when compared to other countries and accused Conservatives of being more concerned with business profit than science.

“In short: public health needs to be the priority, nor profit”, she said.

“There is no time to despair – we have a world to win.”

Inspiring call to action from @zarahsultana, our penultimate #PeaceAndJustice launch speaker. Sign up to our campaigns now at https://t.co/wjXVwdIwcZ pic.twitter.com/w0mFO48Khy

— Peace and Justice Project (@corbyn_project) January 17, 2021

© Sputnik

Noam Chomsky

​​Celebrated cultural critic Noam Chomsky told the panel that they were “living in a remarkable moment in human history”.

Chomsky described current global crises as “existential”, adding that, “if we do not confront and overcome them, then soon the game is over. The human experiment will have come to an inglorious end, bringing down much of the world with it”.

Chomsky outlined the two most important challenges to humanity as “encroaching environmental catastrophe and the ominously increasing threat of nuclear war”.

The 92-year old outlined examples of reasons for cautious optimism.

“In a few days, the most powerful country in world history will be free of a malevolent force that for four dreaded years has been dedicated to destroying the environment that sustains life and to dismantling the arms control regime laboriously constructed over 60 years which has offered some protection from indescribable tragedy”, Chomsky said, referring to the ousting of US President Donald Trump.

Chomsky noted that humans have the technological and material means to meet the IPCC target of net zero emissions, and pointed to the signing of the UN treaty on the prohibition on nuclear weapons, approved by 122 nations, that will soon come into effect,

Chomsky ended his talk by honouring Corbyn, “a man whose dedication to these values is an inspiration to all of us” and called on others to carry forward the efforts that the former Labour leader has devoted his life to with “impressive integrity and fortitude”.

“There have been needless suffering and deaths in the pandemic, and will be in the climate crisis too – unless we can stop it. All of these crises require international solidarity.”

Vital message from special guest Noam Chomsky. an inspiration to justice movements for decades pic.twitter.com/6rHIqdh2Ij

— Peace and Justice Project (@corbyn_project) January 17, 2021

​Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, a champion of socialist economics, described the “state of paradox” that defines the modern economic arrangement.

“Never before in the history of capitalism has there been a need for a radical socioeconomic change […] in the direction of peace and justice and transcending capitalism”, he said.

Varoufakis noted that “while at the same time, never has the political system been so successful in stemming radical political change”.

“There is no guarantee that things are going to get better, it is not an iron law of history”, he stated to the panel. “This is why we need the project that Jeremy Corbyn is launching today and why we need a multitude of projects and organisations”.

Varoufakis called for the progressive movement to adopt an offensive posture and “emulate the fascists and the bankers” by taking an “internationalist” to their work and policies.

He said that the Peace and Justice project was necessary due a defeat of the left internationally and that Corbyn and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell’s transformation of the Labour Party into a “clear and present danger for the oligarchy” necessitated a propaganda response in the form of Corbyn’s “demonisation” in the media.

The economist slammed how Corbyn was turned into a pariah by the media during his period as Labour leader, indicating that it smacked of a more advanced propaganda strategy, compared to the tired “McCarthyite” accusations of communism.

Varoufakis noted that capitalism has “morphed into techno-feudalism” a combination of “the worst of the state with private monopoly”. He also asserted that proposals for a Green New Deal are insufficient to deal with the climate crisis, and that the movement must now instead “challenge the foundations of capitalism”.

Varoufakis thanked Corbyn for beginning the project, and called to include the Labour right and to limit the reach of the Conservatives.

“We need to challenge the foundations of capitalism. We need to democratise – currently democracy ends at the gates of the factory. I am pleased as a friend and comrade that @JeremyCorbyn has begun this project – thank you”

Thank you to our final speaker @yanisvaroufakispic.twitter.com/v2NxvJeeRJ

— Peace and Justice Project (@corbyn_project) January 17, 2021

​Corbyn gave the final address, reiterating the “four initial big areas of work”, saying that the “project is the empowerment of people”.

“Small campaigns end up achieving things”, he added.

The former Labour leader has sat as an independent MP for Islington North since Starmer took the whip in November 2020.

Following the early successes of his leadership in 2015, Corbyn championed left-wing, anti-war, and anti-austerity politics, moving the Labour Party to the left, away from a centrist trajectory it had maintained since the Blair years.

Corbyn’s first election in 2017 gave Labour it’s biggest increase in votes since 1945 and took away the ruling Conservative Party majority. Leaked internal documents have since revealed that party officials actively worked against Corbyn to lose the election.

Since his stepping down last year, many supporters have noted that they are unimpressed with Starmer’s centrist leadership.

#AceNewsDesk report ……………..Published: Jan.18: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.18: Petty Officer Sean Tocci, a boatswain’s mate with Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team 91110, based in Cape Cod, Mass., stands bow gunner duty during a security patrol ahead of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration on the Anacostia River, Washington, Jan. 16, 2021. On Sept. 24, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security designated the Presidential Inauguration as a recurring National Special Security Event. Events may be designated NSSEs when they warrant the full protection, incident management and counterterrorism capabilities of the Federal Government.

Coast Guard conducts security operations for 2021 Presidential Inauguration

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 01/17/2021 08:51 PM EST

Photos Available: Coast Guard conducts security operations for 2021 Presidential Inauguration

(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Timothy James/Released)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Richard Albert, a machinery technician with Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team 91112, based in New Orleans, stands bow gunner duty during a security patrol with the Coast Guard Cutter Lawrence Lawson, homeported in Cape May, N.J., ahead of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration on the Potomac River, Washington, Jan. 16, 2021. On Sept. 24, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security designated the Presidential Inauguration as a recurring National Special Security Event. Events may be designated NSSEs when they warrant the full protection, incident management and counterterrorism capabilities of the Federal Government. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ens. Nick Haas/Released)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Maxwell Bradford, a machinery technician with Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team 91112, based in New Orleans, conduct boat checks prior to getting underway for a security patrol ahead of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, Washington, Jan. 16, 2021. On Sept. 24, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security designated the Presidential Inauguration as a recurring National Special Security Event. Events may be designated NSSEs when they warrant the full protection, incident management and counterterrorism capabilities of the Federal Government. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ens. Nick Haas/Released)

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team 91112, based in New Orleans, and the Coast Guard Cutter Lawrence Lawson, homeported in Cape May, N.J., conduct a patrol ahead on the Potomac River, Washington, ahead of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, Jan. 16, 2021. On Sept. 24, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security designated the Presidential Inauguration as a recurring National Special Security Event. Events may be designated NSSEs when they warrant the full protection, incident management and counterterrorism capabilities of the Federal Government. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ens. Nick Haas/Released)

-USCG-

#AceNewsDesk report ………….Published: Jan.18: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.17: The fighting in the state capital, El Geneina, began on Saturday after a row in which a man was stabbed to death: A state-wide curfew has been imposed and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has sent a delegation to investigate: A conflict in Darfur that began in 2003 forced millions to flee and, despite a peace process, tensions remain:

‘Clashes kill 48 people’ in Sudan’s Darfur region BBC.Com/

5 hours ago

Saturday’s violence comes less than three weeks after peacekeepers from the United Nations and African Union handed over security to the Khartoum authorities after 13 years there, reports the BBC’s Youssef Taha.

Similar clashes in El Geneina last year, which saw Arab pastoralists fight with non-Arab groups, caused hundreds of casualties.

The most recent fighting, which also left nearly 100 injured, was centred around a camp for people who had been displaced by the Darfur conflict. A deadly row between two men escalated into a fight involving armed militias, the AFP news agency reports.

A peace deal involving most, but not all, groups in Darfur was signed last year.

The Darfur conflict began under the presidency of Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown in 2019 and is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and genocide in the region.

Justice for the people of Darfur was a key rallying cry for civilian groups who backed the ouster of the president after nearly three decades in power.

The Sudanese Professionals’ Association, which was at the forefront of the anti-Bashir movement, called for the current transitional government to deal with the “unruly armed groups which have been freely moving and terrorising civilians since the collapse of the former regime”, Sudan’s news agency reports.

Last year Mohanad Hashim visited Kalma camp where some of the millions of people who fled flighting ended up:The BBC’s Mohanad Hashim gains rare access to a camp in Darfur

#AceNewsDesk report …………Published: Jan.17: 2021: 

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.17: He was 81.California state prison officials said he died Saturday of natural causes at a hospital.Spector was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2003 at his castle-like mansion on the edge of Los Angeles.

After a trial in 2009, he was sentenced to 19 years to life.Clarkson, star of “Barbarian Queen” and other B-movies, was found shot to death in the foyer of Spector’s mansion in the hills overlooking Alhambra, a modest suburban town on the edge of Los Angeles: Until the actress’ death, which Spector maintained was an “accidental suicide,” few residents even knew the mansion belonged to the reclusive producer, who spent his remaining years in a prison hospital east of Stockton.

Decades before, Spector had been hailed as a visionary for channeling Wagnerian ambition into the three-minute song, creating the “Wall of Sound” that merged spirited vocal harmonies with lavish orchestral arrangements to produce such pop monuments as “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Be My Baby” and “He’s a Rebel.”He was the rare self-conscious artist in rock’s early years and cultivated an image of mystery and power with his dark shades and impassive expression.Tom Wolfe declared him the “first tycoon of teen.” Bruce Springsteen and Brian Wilson openly replicated his grandiose recording techniques and wide-eyed romanticism, and John Lennon called him “the greatest record producer ever.”

“ The secret to his sound: an overdubbed onslaught of instruments, vocals and sound effects that changed the way pop records were recorded. He called the result, “Little symphonies for the kids.”

#AceNewsDesk report ………Published: Jan.17: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.17: Barry Price, 24, posed as a 17-year-old boy to befriend his victims before carrying out ‘heinous sexual offences’, a court heard: He arranged to meet his first victim, aged 16, in October 2019, driving her to a field before forcing her to turn her phone onto ‘airplane mode’ and raping her in his car: He later drove her to a property in Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, before raping and assaulting her again – then dropped her off at a nearby train station, cruelly telling her: ‘Good luck getting home’.

Siba JacksonSunday 17 Jan 2021 4:24 pm: MetroUK.Com/

Predator who used fake Facebook account to rape teen girls is jailed

The second victim, 15, was attacked at the same property in November 2019, the court was told. Price threatened her and destroyed her phone when she tried to escape.

Both girls were praised as ‘truly inspirational’ for their strength in coming forward to report their ordeals.  

Price, of no fixed address, was unanimously convicted of four counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and two counts of false imprisonment after a trial at Luton Crown Court. 

He was handed a 14-year prison sentence with an extension of four years to reflect the dangerous nature of his offending, and was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and an indefinite restraining order against his victims.   

Sentencing at the court on Friday, Recorder James Wood QC described Price as ‘callous’ and ‘showing no remorse or empathy’. Praising the victims for their courage, he told Price: ‘The memory of what you did to them will live with them forever.’

Detective Sergeant Clare Gilbert, of Bedfordshire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team, who led this investigation, said: ‘It wasn’t easy for the girls to report what he did to them, and I want to thank them again for their strength in coming forward, which has been truly inspirational: Hopefully seeing Price locked up will allow them to begin their journeys to recovery. ‘

DS Gilbert added: ‘I am satisfied to see that Price will now be incarcerated for such a significant time after committing these heinous sexual offences, by deliberately hiding his true identity on social media for the purpose of gaining access to young girls: The fact that Price has been jailed for this length of time reflects the severity of his offending and the trauma and anguish he inflicted on his victims: Seeing this length of sentence handed down drives us to do the work we do, and will continue to do, every single day to protect the public: Anyone who commits rape or sexual offences must expect to face the
considerable consequences of their actions.’

Detective Inspector Michelle Lack added: ‘Our specially trained officers work closely with highly skilled, specialist and empathetic partners to ensure anyone who has experienced rape or sexual assault can get the right help they need: If something has happened to you, please let us know. We will believe you and we will do all we can to support you and investigate so that perpetrators are brought to justice.’

#AceNewsDesk report ………….Published: Jan.17: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.17: The funerals were held in the cities of Neyshabur, Yazd, Bafgh, Birjand, Tehran, Larestan and Isfahan: Among the martyrs laid to rest, 12 were unidentified. Additionally on Sunday, the remains of 55 newly-recovered martyrs were returned to Iran from the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq.

Newly-recovered bodies of 1980s war’s martyrs laid to rest in Iran

Sunday, 17 January 2021 11:11 AM:

The ceremonies took place on Sunday, on the occasion of the martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA), the daughter of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).

They will be transferred to the southwestern city of Ahvaz and then to Tehran for identification.

Supported by major Western and regional states, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein launched a massive invasion in 1980 in a bid to seize Iran’s resource-rich Khuzestan province, less than two years after the Islamic Revolution.

With the army mostly in disarray, Iranians closed ranks under the leadership of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini as they rushed to the warfronts to push back Iraqi forces and liberate occupied territories. 

The war ended in 1988 with a ceasefire deal, with the Iraqi dictator failing to achieve any of his goals and Iran not conceding an inch of its territory.

Over the years, the Islamic Republic and Iraq have carried out numerous search operations to recover the remains of their fallen soldiers.

#AceNewsDesk report ………….Published: Jan.17: 2021: Editor says #AceNewsDesk reports by https://t.me/acenewsdaily and all our posts, also links can be found at here for Twitter and Live Feeds https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/ and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com

#AceNewsReport – Jan.17: Hundreds of people gathered at the city’s Museum Square, chanting slogans like “never vote for the [Prime Minister Mark] Rutte cabinet again, despite the city’s not giving authorisation for the rally. Law enforcement officers called on the crowd to leave the square multiple times to no avail, which then led to the use of water cannons.

Police Reportedly Deploy Water Cannons Against Unauthorised Protest in Amsterdam

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Amsterdam police on Sunday used water cannons to disperse an unauthorised protest against the Dutch government, the NOS broadcaster reported.

© AFP 2020 / REMKO DE WAALDutch Government Will Resign Over Childcare Subsidy Mismanagement, PM Rutte Says

According to the broadcaster, the participants also refrained from maintaining social distance from each other and other health-related measures.

On Friday, Mark Rutte announced offering the resignation of the entire government to King Willem-Alexander in the wake of a scandal with officials mistakenly accusing thousands of parents of childcare benefit fraud and demanding to pay the money back.

#AceNewsDesk report ………….Published: Jan.17: 2021:

#AceFinanceReport – Jan.17: Joe Biden’s relief initiative, which includes direct payments of $1,400 to most Americans, an increase in the federal per-week unemployment benefit as well as a multi-billion package to facilitate the national vaccine programme comes, as jobless claims totaled 965,000 last week. According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, total non-farm payroll employment declined by 140,000 in December due to the spike in COVID cases and efforts to curb the pandemic. Unemployment remains at 6.7%, with nearly 10 million of the 22 million Americans workers who lost their jobs remaining out of work.

Is Biden’s Plan Really Viable?

“Now you’ve got over 10% of the American workforce unemployed,” says Steve Keen, a UK-based professor of economics. “You have a complete crash in finance. If you look at what’s happening in the private sector, I’ll show you this. This is the level of private debt. It’s going north. The people are borrowing large amounts of money just so that they can pay their financial commitments. This is both companies and households. So it’s a huge increase in the amount of money they’re borrowing. But it’s like accessing your credit card to pay your mortgage – the dangerous debt.”

If the government does not step in, many people will go bankrupt, Keen says, adding that Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan is aimed at tackling the problem: “In this situation, it’s absolutely ridiculous to not do something like what Biden is doing here,” argues the economist.

The plan includes the right elements to get the US out of the credit crisis on a stronger footing, believes Gregory Daco, chief US economist at Oxford Economics USA.

“That means that we will see checks to families”, Daco says. “We will see expanded and extended unemployment benefits. We will see increased aid to small businesses, and we will see expansion of spending at the state and local government sector, which includes funding for preschool. As it currently stands, it has the right mix of short-term relief and sustainable actions to ensure a strong recovery, especially on the health front.”

The US media, Democratic congressmen as well as Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Kevin Brady of Texas have already lavished praise on Biden’s plan as one that could save the country’s economy. Nevertheless it came under criticism from a number of Republican lawmakers, with Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) alleging on Twitter that Team Biden was merely “plagiarising the last relief bill” passed in December 2020.

© REUTERS / JONATHAN ERNST

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden delivers remarks on national security and foreign policy at his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. December 28, 2020. 

“It is not really a Biden plan”, says Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, an American economist and former assistant secretary of the Treasury for economic policy under President Ronald Reagan. “It is a repeat of the previous two efforts to provide money to people whose incomes declined or ceased because of lockdowns.” 

Of course, some money is better than none, the economist says, but these are one-time payments, not weekly or monthly aid, and they are “much too small to replace the lost job or business income”. The proposed strategy does not boost the economy but just tries to keep people’s heads above the rising water for a bit longer, according to Dr. Roberts.

“It most certainly cannot save the country from the economically devastating effects of the lockdowns,” stresses the former Reagan official. “The lockdowns are destroying small businesses and the jobs of employees of small businesses. Owners of retail rental space are also being destroyed and are not able to pay their mortgages, so this causes trouble for lenders. Closed businesses don’t pay rent. The purpose of the praise for Biden is to create an image of success. A better solution would be to end the lockdowns.”

© AP Photo / Mark Lennihan

A man wearing a mask walks through Brooklyn Bridge Park, Tuesday night, April 14, 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic in New York. Known as “The City That Never Sleeps,” New York’s streets are particularly empty during the pandemic.

‘One Cannot Save the Economy by Printing Money & Issuing Debt’

The adoption of Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan will bring the total fiscal stimulus delivered to the US economy since the beginning of the crisis to $5.2 trillion. One might wonder as to where the government will take extra money from, given that the economy remains hit by the coronavirus-related recession.

“The money comes from deficit financing, so it would come from essentially increased issuance of Treasury bonds and I don’t think that’s at all a concern at this stage,” says Gregory Daco.

Steve Keen also believes that there’s no problem about the financing of Biden’s project: “The money is created by the government when it spends,” he explains. “The government running a deficit creates a surplus for the private sector. We actually gain money out of it. So there’s no problem in paying for this. The government simply has to accept that it can create money.”

Still, there is more to “creating money” than meets the eye, according to Dr. Paul Craig Roberts. He explains that the US Treasury does not have $1.9 trillion and it will have to borrow the money by selling bonds. 

“One question is whether the Treasury can sell $1.9 trillion in new debt when the rate of interest is likely negative,” the economist says. “The Federal Reserve might have to purchase the bonds by creating $1.9 trillion new dollars, which could affect the dollar’s exchange value and/or scare Wall Street by the increase in the federal deficit and national debt.”

After the Fed creates this money, investors might buy some of the bonds, but the economist can’t imagine a sale of $1.9 trillion being absorbed. He suggests that the Federal Reserve could lean on the Japanese, European and UK central banks to purchase some of the bonds. “It would be better just to dispense with issuing bonds and just issue money,” Dr. Roberts remarks.

© AP Photo / Susan Walsh

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., walks back to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020

Meanwhile, this operation is seen as a “colossal waste” of money by the critics of the relief plan. Republican Senator Pat Toomey (Pa.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, argued that “sending another $1,400 to children, the deceased, and tens of millions of workers who haven’t missed a paycheck, like federal and state employees, is senseless,” adding that the US Congress has nearly doubled the entire federal budget in less than a year.

“It took 200 years for the United States to amass 1 trillion dollars in debt,” says Michael Pento, president and founder of Pento Portfolio Strategies. “The Trump administration added $3.5 trillion to that debt in 2020. And now before Biden is even president, he’s promised to add $1.9 trillion to this debt. You cannot save an economy by printing money and issuing debt and save the economy by sound money, low inflation, no asset bubbles, savings and investments. So, no, this will only make things worse, in the long-term.”

Biden’s Plan May Meet Opposition in Congress

Biden’s COVID relief plan is just the first step of his broader spending initiative, which he will seek in the first few months of his presidency, CNBC notes, citing the president-elect’s aide. The second bill, which is due to be presented in February, will reflect Biden’s longer-term goals of reforming infrastructure and combating climate change which require new huge money injections in the country’s economy.

While the Democratic Party will have the majority in both chambers of the US Congress with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris being able to break any tie in the Senate, the US media suggests that the GOP deficit hawks may create obstacles in the path of Biden’s initiative.

#AceFianceDesk report ……….Published: Jan.17: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.17: Haile was wanted by the Baltimore City Police Department for attempted murder: Haile is the alleged trigger man in a shooting which occurred on December 3, 2020, in Baltimore: The U.S. Marshals Mountain State Fugitive Task Force and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force developed information that Haile was possibly staying in the area of Viking Way in Martinsburg, WV…………Task Force members located Haile walking on Viking Way and took him into custody without incident:

U.S. Marshals Apprehend Man Wanted Out of Baltimore for Attempted Murder

The Martinsburg Police Department assisted in the fugitive investigation and provided pertinent intel and operational support which ultimately led to Haile’s arrest: The U.S. Marshals Mountain State Fugitive Task Force consists of members from the West Virginia State Police, Martinsburg Police Department, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Charles Town Police Department, and Shepherdstown Police Department:

“ The swift development of intelligence and teamwork from all of the agencies involved in this case led to the arrest of this dangerous fugitive,” said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Terry Moore.

Haile is currently being held at the Eastern Regional Jail, as a fugitive from justice, and is awaiting extradition back to Maryland: The U.S. Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency, having served the country since 1789:

#AceNewsDesk report ……………Published: Jan.17: 2021:

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#AceNewsReport – Jan.17: Daniel Alfonso Lemus, 43, was convicted of first-degree child molestation and fugitive charges in 2015 and sentenced to a term of 41 months to life. He was later transferred to the custody of the Washington Department of Corrections (WDOC) to serve his sentence:

ICE Department of Corrections cooperation ensures safe removal of child molester from US

Dangerous sexual predator convicted of first-degree child molestation

On Oct. 15, 2015, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers encountered Alfonso-Lemus at the WDOC and lodged an immigration detainer with the jail:

On Oct. 26, 2020: Alfonso-Lemus was released from the WDOC, transferred to ICE ERO custody and subsequently housed at the Northwest ICE Processing Center. On Jan. 5, an immigration judge ordered Alfonso-Lemus removed from the United States:

“ Thanks to the coordinated efforts between the Washington DOC and ICE ERO, custody of Alfonso-Lemus was transferred directly to ICE, preventing this violent criminal alien from being released back into the community,” said ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Seattle Field Office Director Nathalie Asher.

‘ Alfonso-Lemus was removed from the United States via an ICE Air Operations charter flight and transferred to the custody of Salvadoran authorities ‘

ICE is charged with enforcing federal immigration laws enacted by Congress. ICE officers are sworn law enforcement officers who carry out the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens found to be in the United States unlawfully:

Aliens processed for removal may receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.

#AceNewsDesk report …………Published: Jan.17: 2021:

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#AceHealthReport – Jan.17: Three samples of ice cream from a Chinese company tested positive for COVID-19, and thousands of boxes of the dessert have been confiscated as a result: The contaminated ice cream caused Tianjin Daqiaodao Food Company to dump 2,089 boxes of the product, although officials believe more than double that amount — 4,836 boxes — has been contaminated, Sky News reported:

Ice cream from China contaminated with coronavirus: report

Officials believe the coronavirus was able to survive in the ice cream due to the cold temperature.

Vandana Rambaran1 day ago

More than half the total boxes had already been distributed for sale when the positive tests were discovered. Market regulation authorities in other provinces outside Tianjin where the ice cream was sent were notified of the issue, and customers who may have purchased the product are being told to report their health to community officials:

According to the report, 1,662 employees were tested at the company Thursday and were quarantining: Officials believe the coronavirus was able to survive in the ice cream due to the cold temperature and was likely transferred from a person who had the disease: 

Dr. Stephen Griffin, a virologist based at the University of Leeds,told Sky News the instance of contamination was likely a “one-off” and not indicative of a broader issue with the plant itself: ” Of course, any level of contamination is not acceptable and always a cause for concern, but the chances are that this is the result of an issue with the production plant and potentially down to hygiene at the factory,” Griffin said. 

Initial epidemiological investigations revealed Tianjin produced the batch of ice cream using raw materials including milk powder imported from New Zealand and whey powder imported from Ukraine: 

#AceNewsDesk report ………….Published: Jan.17: 2021:

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