Veterans – Patriotism – Page 83

Utah senators split on passed $95 billion defense spending bill

KTVX

Utah senators split on passed $95 billion defense spending bill

Derick Fox – February 13, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Early Tuesday morning, the U.S. Senate voted to pass a $95 billion emergency defense spending bill, which has left Utah’s senate delegation split.

The bill included $60 billion in funding for Ukraine as well as $14 billion in security assistance to Israel. The bill passed through the Democratic-controlled Senate on a 70-29 vote. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) were on opposite ends of the resolution.

Lee, alongside Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), led the opposition to the bill, saying he had done everything he possibly could do to stop it.

“This didn’t have to happen. It is unfortunate we had Senate Republicans turn on the commitment they made to each other and to their voters and to our Republican colleagues down the hall,” said Lee.

During his speech on the Senate floor, Lee said the bill in its current form only serves to empower drug cartels and dissolve the U.S. southern border – a point of contention between the Biden Administration and GOP officials across the country. Lee said the bill, instead, spends an “insane amount” of money on foreign countries without properly addressing the U.S. southern border.

Romney, however, countered by warning of the “dire consequences” that would come by not continuing support for Ukraine. He claimed that by not helping Ukraine defend itself, the door would open for Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade NATO and allow China to spread fear to Taiwan that the U.S. will not help its allies.

He further said America would “cease to be the arsenal of democracy” and a global leader.

Cox sends Utah National Guard, UHP troopers to US southern border

“What sending weapons to Ukraine does do is help discourage further Russian and Chinese invasions which could draw us in, it helps preserve NATO, it allows America to remain the leader of the free world, and it shows that we honor our word to our friends and allies,” said Romney.

Romney further criticized some of his Republican colleagues by saying if their position is cheered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is “time to reconsider your position.”

Twenty-one Republican senators joined Romney in voting to pass the bill while two Democrats voted against it, citing deep concerns for supporting Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza, per The Hill. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also voted no for the same reason.

The package now goes to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Lee has indicated Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pronounced the bill “dead on arrival.”

Sen. Mitt Romney issues dire warnings if the U.S. doesn’t continue to help Ukraine

Deseret News

Sen. Mitt Romney issues dire warnings if the U.S. doesn’t continue to help Ukraine

Suzanne Bates – February 12, 2024

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, arrives as the Senate prepares a procedural vote on an emergency spending package that would provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel, replenish U.S. weapons systems and provide food, water and other humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. | J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney took to the Senate floor Monday night and urged his colleagues to continue to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, saying that if they don’t the United States “will cease to be the leader of the free world.”

During his remarks, which lasted only five minutes, Romney issued several dire warnings over what he believes would be the consequences of lawmakers deciding not to send additional funds to Ukraine.

“If we fail to help Ukraine, America will cease to be the arsenal of democracy. It will cease to be the leader of the free world,” he said.

The Senate is debating a $95.3 billion foreign aid package that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel, and $9.5 billion in humanitarian assistance.

During his remarks, Romney said the vote to “provide military weapons for Ukraine is the most important vote we will ever take as United States senators.”

“We are not being asked to send American troops into war,” he continued, “only to help the Ukrainians defend themselves.”

Senate inches forward with $95 billion foreign aid package, despite Sen. Mike Lee’s 4-hour-long filibuster

Romney said he believes if the U.S. does not send aid to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin will “invade a NATO nation.” He said it would also signal to China the U.S. will not live up to its promises to help Taiwan, and that it would lead to the disintegration of NATO.

“If we fail to help Ukraine, we will be known not as our fathers and mothers were — the greatest generation — but as the worst generation,” he said.

Romney challenged each of the reasons other lawmakers have cited for why the U.S. should not support Ukraine, including concerns over high deficits and depleting America’s military arsenal.

“I know that the shock jocks and online instigators have effectively riled up many in the far reaches of my party. But if your position is being cheered by Vladimir Putin, it’s time to reconsider your position,” he said.

The Senate voted 66-33 Monday night to advance the bill toward a final vote.

Meanwhile, several Republican senators, including Utah Se. Mike Lee, have rejected sending additional funds to Ukraine and have also said Congress should focus on securing America’s border.

An earlier foreign aid bill that included funds for border security failed to achieve enough Republican support to pass the Senate over complaints the bill would not actually shore up the border.

House Speaker Mike Johnson released a statement Monday night casting doubt the House would vote on the foreign aid package, saying that “any so-called national security supplemental legislation must recognize that national security begins at our own border.”

Russia’s economic decline is in only in the early stages, and the country is masking significant ‘degradation,’ think tank says

Business Insider

Russia’s economic decline is in only in the early stages, and the country is masking significant ‘degradation,’ think tank says

Jennifer Sor – February 13, 2024

Russia’s economic decline is still in the early stages, according to a London-based think tank.
Talk of Russia’s resilience ignores deep-seated issues in Moscow’s finances.
The nation is losing a huge amount of human capital as war in Ukraine drags on.

Russia’s economy has significantly more degradation ahead of it, according to the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum.

The London-based think tank pointed to comments from some economists, who say Russia’s finances are holding up amid its grinding war in Ukraine and sanctions from Western countries. Economists and experts note that Russia has proved to be seemingly resilient so far, with the International Monetary Fund recently raising its growth target for the nation to 2.6% from 1.1 this year.

But talk of Russia’s economic resilience is misguided, and there are deep-rooted issues that will continue to plague its economy, the think tank said.

“Russia is masking a process of significant economic degradation that will continue well into the future and further marginalise its global footprint,” Mark Sobel, the US Chair of the OMFIF said in a note on Monday.

Russia’s robust military spending has been a key factor in propping up its economic growth so far. But a deeper look into the Kremlin’s finances shows a far bleaker picture: Russia’s global share of world purchasing power has fallen to under 2%, down from around 4% before the 2008 financial crisis, Sobel said.

Meanwhile, there’s evidence that Russia’s energy revenues – a key source of income – are plummeting. Urals crude, Russia’s flagship oil product, is now trading at a significant discount to the global benchmark. Russian oil traded around $68 a barrel on Tuesday, while Brent traded around $83 a barrel, according to data from Oilprice.com.

Countries also appear less willing to buy Russian crude since the West has resolved to enforce its trade restrictions on Russia. Over half of sanctioned Russian oil tankers are now idling at sea, Bloomberg reported this week.

That’s complicated by a swarm of other problems Russia’s economy is facing, such as roaring inflation, a weak ruble, and a record shortage of workers, which economists have warned will hinder future growth and productivity.

The country, for instance, is losing a huge amount of human capital as casualties mount on the battlefield, while younger educated Russians have fled the country, Sobel said.

“Inflation is elevated and the central bank is maintaining high interest rates in light of the outlook for prices. That will erode real incomes and crimp investment,” he added.

Over 1,000 companies have publicly said they’re withdrawing or scaling back operations in Russia, according to a list compiled by the Yale School of Management. Companies that have exited Moscow are unlikely to return anytime soon, Sobel added.

“A cursory examination of current Russian data — such as growth and inflation – might suggest the economy is ‘resilient’ in the face of the costs of Russia continuing its ruthless invasion. That view may contain elements of validity in the short term. But even that overlooks weaknesses and realities,” Sobel warned. “Significantly greater isolation and economic degradation is baked into the cake for the Russian economy and people.”

A record 56% of Russians said they believed their economy was improving last year.

But people in Russia already appear to be feeling the pain of Moscow’s ailing finances. Heating systems are now breaking down in parts of Russia, partly due to Moscow’s immense military budget that’s been unable to update Soviet-era infrastructure. Russian inflation grew 7.2% year-per-year in January, well above the nation’s 4% inflation target.

Elon Musk opposes aid to Ukraine, says Putin can’t lose – Bloomberg

Ukrayinska Pravda

Elon Musk opposes aid to Ukraine, says Putin can’t lose – Bloomberg

Ukrainska Pravda – February 13, 2024

Elon Musk believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot lose in the war. He has also opposed the approval of assistance to Ukraine.

Source: Elon Musk to US Republican senators during a discussion on X Spaces; Bloomberg

The discussion was joined by opponents of the draft law on further assistance to Ukraine to combat the full-scale Russian invasion.

Elon Musk said that “there is no way in hell” Vladimir Putin could lose the war in Ukraine. He said this in response to the words of one of the speakers, who said that people who expect victory in Ukraine are “living in a fantasy world”.

Commenting on the assistance to Ukraine from the United States, the billionaire said that it is ineffective.

“This spending does not help Ukraine. Prolonging the war does not help Ukraine,” Elon Musk said about the bill which provides further assistance to Ukraine.

Elon Musk also drew attention to the fact that he is often accused of defending the Russian president. However, in his opinion, this accusation is “absurd”. In this context, the billionaire added that his companies “have probably done more to undermine Russia than anything”. This, of course, is not true because, in addition to activating the Starlink satellite and transferring a limited number of terminals at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the contribution of Musk’s companies to the “undermining” of Russia is minimal. After all, neither Tesla, with its electric vehicles, nor SpaceX, did not cause problems for the Russian raw material economy.

The billionaire also believes that Vladimir Putin is being pressured to bring the war to an end because “if he were to back off, he would be assassinated”.

The businessman noted that his interest is to stop the death of people on both sides. However, he expressed doubt that seeking to remove Vladimir Putin is a wise decision.

“For those who want regime change in Russia, they should think about who is the person that could take out Putin, and is that person likely to be a peacenik? Probably not,” Elon Musk said.

In his opinion, such a person will likely be “even more hardcore than Putin”.

Background: Last year, a scandal broke out due to Elon Musk’s unilateral decision to not activate Starlink near Crimea. The incident occurred in 2022 and became known from an excerpt out of a biographical book about the billionaire.

Chief justice gives Jack Smith one week to respond to Trump’s bid to stave off trial

Politico

Chief justice gives Jack Smith one week to respond to Trump’s bid to stave off trial

Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney – February 13, 2024

Chief Justice John Roberts is giving prosecutors a week to respond to former President Donald Trump’s request to keep his federal criminal election-subversion trial on hold while he tries to persuade the Supreme Court to scuttle it entirely on the grounds of presidential immunity.

A brief docket entry from the court Tuesday morning said special counsel Jack Smith has until next Tuesday at 4 p.m. to address the emergency application Trump’s lawyers filed at the high court Monday.

Last week, a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court in Washington unanimously rejected Trump’s sweeping immunity claim. However, the judges agreed not to return the case to a lower court for trial until the Supreme Court acts on Trump’s request for emergency relief.

Smith has already urged the courts to resolve the immunity dispute quickly so that Trump’s Washington, D.C. trial, originally set for March 4, can begin later this year.

In December, the special counsel asked the Supreme Court to take up the immunity issue even before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed it, in order to reach an expedited conclusion, but the justices denied the attempt.

“This Court’s immediate review of that question is the only way to achieve its timely and definitive resolution,” Smith wrote in the December filing. “The Nation has a compelling interest in a decision on [Trump’s] claim of immunity from these charges — and if they are to be tried, a resolution by conviction or acquittal, without undue delay.”

Smith is expected to oppose Trump’s request to keep the proceedings in the trial court on hold while Trump pursues further relief from both the Supreme Court and the full, 11-judge bench of the D.C. Circuit. He is hoping those courts rule that former presidents are immune from prosecution on conduct arguably related to the presidency unless they have been impeached and convicted by Congress.

Smith does not have to wait until next Tuesday to respond to Trump’s latest high court filing, which was widely anticipated and largely repeats arguments his attorneys have raised previously.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misstated the time of day when the special counsel’s response is due.

‘Dropping dead like flies’ – harsh realities for Russia’s conscripted soldiers unveiled in intercepted phone calls

The New Voice of Ukraine

‘Dropping dead like flies’ – harsh realities for Russia’s conscripted soldiers unveiled in intercepted phone calls

The New Voice of Ukraine – February 13, 2024

Destroyed Russian equipment near Avdiivka

Intercepted conversations, published on Ukrainian Intelligence You-tube channel on Feb. 12, have disclosed significant casualties among Russian forces mobilized for the conflict in Ukraine. These revelations paint a grim picture of the conditions faced by Russian soldiers, many of whom reportedly die before even reaching the Ukrainian border.

Russian mobilized soldiers die before they even reach Ukraine. “People are dropping flies before even reaching Ukraine,” the girlfriend of one of the Russian soldiers said in one intercepted call.

The woman recounted a particularly disturbing incident where a soldier died during training, highlighting the dangers faced by recruits. “The main thing is not Ukraine,” she said. “They brought us [to our settlement] a dead man. He did not even reach Ukraine. He was killed during the training.”

The discussion further unveiled shocking instances of violence and abuse within the ranks, including hangings and assault. “There is a f…load of such cases,” she added. “Someone was hanged, a man was raped.” Similar incidents underscore the desperate measures the Russian military has resorted to, including the conscription of prisoners to bolster their numbers.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are effectively neutralizing Russian troops at a rate comparable to Russia’s recruitment efforts, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on Dec. 8, 2023.

The Russian offensive has resulted in over 54,000 soldier fatalities within approximately two months, with the Kremlin sacrificing about 400 soldiers for every square kilometer gained in Ukraine, Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, said on Jan. 23.

British intelligence has assessed that, given the substantial losses suffered, it could take Russia five to ten years to reconstitute its military units to their former levels of training and experience. This ongoing attrition highlights the severe impact of the conflict on Russian military capabilities and raises questions about the sustainability of their offensive efforts in Ukraine.

Russia refits old tanks after losing 3,000 in Ukraine – research centre

Reuters

Russia refits old tanks after losing 3,000 in Ukraine – research centre

Mark Trevelyan and Greg Torode – February 13, 2024

Ukrainian servicemen walk near destroyed Russian tanks in the town of Izium

LONDON (Reuters) -Russia has lost more than 3,000 tanks in Ukraine – the equivalent of its entire pre-war active inventory – but has enough lower-quality armoured vehicles in storage for years of replacements, a leading research centre said on Tuesday.

Ukraine has also suffered heavy loses since Russia invaded in February 2022, but Western military replenishments have allowed it to maintain inventories while upgrading quality, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said.

Even after the loss of so many tanks – including an estimated 1,120 in the past year – Russia still has about twice as many available for combat as Ukraine, according to the IISS’s annual Military Balance, a key research tool for defence analysts.

Henry Boyd, the institute’s senior fellow for military capability, said Russia had been roughly “breaking even” in terms of replacements. He estimated that it had put around 1,000 to 1,500 more tanks into service in the past year.

But of these, he said, 200 at most were newly built, and the large majority were refurbished older models.

“Moscow has been able to trade quality for quantity… by pulling thousands of older tanks out of storage at a rate that may, at times, have reached 90 tanks per month,” said the report.

Russia’s stored inventories meant Moscow “could potentially sustain around three more years of heavy losses and replenish tanks from stocks, even if at lower-technical standard, irrespective of its ability to produce new equipment”.

Russia’s defence ministry declined to comment.

TOUGH CHOICES FOR UKRAINE AND WEST

Nearly two years into the conflict, Ukraine and its Western partners face very difficult choices, the report said.

IISS senior land warfare analyst Ben Barry said Ukraine had tried to shield some of its younger troops – the average age of its infantry soldiers is reported to be in the early 40s – but may struggle to continue to do so.

“They have deliberately protected their youth, but the extent to which they can do that in future is doubtful if they are going to sustain their frontline strength,” he said.

Ukraine, which failed to make progress in a counter-offensive last year and has just replaced its popular commander Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, is also in urgent need of new artillery supplies and air defence systems, while awaiting a major new U.S. aid package that has been held up by Republican opposition.

“Western governments find themselves once again in a position where they must decide whether to furnish Kyiv with enough weapons to deliver a decisive blow, rather than merely enough not to lose,” IISS Director-General Bastian Giegerich said.

Russia, for its part, has placed its economy on a war footing and moved defence factories to round-the-clock production in three shifts.

“It’s an astounding figure,” said Singapore-based defence analyst Alexander Neill, referring to the estimate of 3,000 tanks lost.

“Some of those could have been older tanks, so one of the big questions is how many of its most advanced tanks does it have left for any major future offensives,” added Neill, an adjunct fellow at Hawaii’s Pacific Forum think-tank.

Given the losses sustained by both sides and the attritional character of the trench warfare, IISS experts said the current stalemate was likely to persist.

“Neither side can do a large-scale attack without incurring very heavy casualties, and that’s likely to continue for the foreseeable future,” IIIS land warfare analyst Barry said.

(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan in London and Greg Torode in Hong Kong Editing by Gareth Jones)

Former RNC Chair Comes Up With Damning New Way To Describe Trump Supporters

HuffPost

Former RNC Chair Comes Up With Damning New Way To Describe Trump Supporters

Lee Moran – February 12, 2024

Michael Steele, a former chair of the Republican National Committee, on Sunday, ripped Donald Trump supporters as “MAGA zombies” as he expressed his frustration with those who don’t appear to believe the former president will likely attempt to deliver on his increasingly wild threats if he wins back the White House.

Four-times-indicted Trump on Saturday said he’d urge Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to member countries of the NATO military alliance if said country hadn’t paid its way. It’s amid fears Trump will be unleashed in a second administration stocked with acolytes rather than serious policy appointees.

“Why don’t they see that he’s trying to build a sycophantic army of, I’m calling them zombies, MAGA zombies, to do as he’s instructing them to do?” Steele, while guest hosting on MSNBC, asked former Trump White House national security adviser John Bolton.

“What is the disconnect that people don’t seem to get?” Steele added.

“I think people really don’t believe it could be as bad as it might be,” Bolton, now a fierce critic of his former boss, Trump, replied.

“I think a Trump victory risks continuing constitutional crisis,” he continued. “I think we’ll survive it. I don’t think democracy is threatened, but I think we could suffer a lot of damage, and many others have tried in different ways to convince, especially Republicans, that this is serious. But as you say, we have not been successful so far.”

Watch the video here:

‘What A Jackass!’: Joe Scarborough Stunned By Donald Trump’s Latest Lie

HuffPost

‘What A Jackass!’: Joe Scarborough Stunned By Donald Trump’s Latest Lie

Lee Moran – February 12, 2024

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough on Monday morning went to town on Donald Trump’s latest story involving an unnamed “sir,” a verbal habit of the former president that commentators have previously noted pretty much means he’s about to lie.

“It’s not even a good lie for Donald Trump,” said the anchor.

Over the weekend, Trump railed against the NATO military alliance at a campaign rally and claimed, “One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’ I said, ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”

Watch Trump’s speech in the video here:

Trump: One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, Well, sir, if we don't pay and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us? I said.. No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. pic.twitter.com/2RPVDFZIXy
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 10, 2024

Scarborough highly doubted Trump’s version of the events.

“Nobody is saying that. What a jackass!” he said. “How stupid would you have to be in that audience to go, ‘Oh, well, did they really say that? That’s amazing. I can’t believe a big country president would say that.’ It’s just stupid.”

The “Morning Joe” cohost suggested Trump was “now so desperate to support [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and undercut America’s allies in Europe, he’s making up a ‘sir’ story?”

“It’s not even a good lie for Donald Trump. Like, this is you can tell he’s losing it,” he said, later adding it was the kind of story that even a third-grader would question.

Watch the video of Scarborough’s take:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Apologizes For Controversial $7 Million Super Bowl Ad

HuffPost

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Apologizes For Controversial $7 Million Super Bowl Ad

Ron Dicker – February 12, 2024

A $7 million Super Bowl ad touting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s run for president prompted an apology from the independent candidate. (Watch the video below.)

The ad, produced by a super PAC backing Kennedy, American Values 2024, borrowed heavily from a 1960 spot for his uncle John F. Kennedy’s winning presidential bid. It uses the same jingle and co-opts the vintage vibe.

RFK Jr. shared the ad on X but hours later added an apology to his family after his cousin, Bobby Shriver, the son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, slammed the ad. “She would be appalled by his deadly health care views,” Bobby Shriver wrote.

Notably, the ad not only remained on RFK Jr.’s account — but was pinned to the top of his profile as of Monday morning.

“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Kennedy wrote. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you.”

Kennedy’s press secretary, Stefanie Spear, sang a different tune over the big-game advertising, which American Values co-founder Tony Lyons estimated at $7 million, according to CBS News. (Watch the video below.)

“We are pleasantly surprised and grateful to the American Values PAC for running an ad during the Super Bowl where more than 100 million Americans got to see that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is running as an independent candidate for president of the United States,” Spear told CBS News.

Robert Shrum, a speechwriter for the late former Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), said the ad was “plagiarism” while adding on X: “Bobby, you’re no John Kennedy.′ Instead you are a Trump ally.”

Kennedy, whose anti-vax views align with many conservatives, was grabbing 14% of the general vote in a recent poll that imagined a five-person ballot in November. That positions him as a potential spoiler for the expected main candidates, President Joe Biden and his criminally indicted rival, former President Donald Trump.

Here’s the original JFK ad: