NEXTRUSH UNPLUGGED: WEEKEND VERSION  THERE'S MORE THAN POLITICS AND CORONAVIRUS OUT THERE

NEWSDUMP ALERT:  FRENCH PREMIER EDOUARD PHILIPPE INVOKES FRENCH CONSTITUTION TO SPEED PASSAGE OF PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON'S 'PENSION REFORM'......YELLOW VESTS WEEK 68 FRANCE NEWSDUMP ALERT  (NOTE THIS LINK HAS BEEN UPDATED LATER ON TO ACCURATELY REFLECT THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 49.3 OF THE FRENCH CONSTITUTION)

NEWSDUMP ALERT:  DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE CONGRESSWOMAN TULSI GABBARD WARNS AGAINST US INVOLVEMENT IN TURKISH-AL QAEDA WAR AGAINST RUSSIA IN SYRIA....VIDEO LINK

AT A UN SECURITY COUNCIL EMERGENCY MEETING FRIDAY NIGHT THE US REPRESENTATIVE KELLY CRAFT CALLED FOR THE GROUNDING OF RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT BEING USED TO BOMB FORCES OF THE TURKISH-TERRORIST ALLIANCE IN SYRIA SAYING....

"we call on the Russian Federation to immediately ground its warplanes"

THE RUSSIAN UN REPRESENTATIVE DEFENDED THE RIGHT OF SYRIA TO TARGET TERRORIST OPPOSITION FORCES.

More details from Russia's "Sputnik News"......LINK

Music Links:




'WORKING ON A GROOVY THING"-THE FIFTH DIMENSION

"THAT'S THE WAY I'VE ALWAYS HEARD IT SHOULD BE"-CARLY SIMON

"STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES"-MAC DAVIS

"THE HAPPENING"-THE SUPREMES

(WARNING:   THIS CONTENT MAY OFFEND SOME READERS)

Well another wild weekend here of "happening" after "happening" and "The Happening" from The Supremes a 1967 hit.     My "Happening" happened in two ways as I recall.    I was reading a book called "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) by David Reuben back in the early 1970's and the light went off in my 11-year old brain as to where babies really came from.....WIKIPEDIA DAVID REUBEN SEX BOOK

Unfortunately another "happening" back in the 1960's a year or so before the Supremes hit song when an older female introduced my six year old immature private part to her more mature private part.   I didn't know the "facts of life" then but I knew a very powerful transaction was taking place and my reaction to it in my actions very crazy like chasing the little girls around the playground in second grade.

Howard Stern wrote a new book last year with a title ("Howard Stern Comes Again") and in a radio interview with NPR  had to tell its listeners that he often uses what he called "second grade humor".   Some of his interview with Terry Gross of National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" featured as a "favorite" to end the year 2019..."FRESH AIR" PODCAST

My bottom line is that the sexual molestation experience I had froze me into a mode where I was in the "second grade" in my thinking, actions and words, humor etc. etc.  that would last decades.   I was in a fantasy world, not the real one.

"That fickle finger of fate"

A line from "The Happening" as sung by The Supremes played out on television when I was a child on the "Laugh-In" series with the:

"Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award"

"Laugh-In" was all about going over the top as far as the NBC "standards and practices" (censors) would let them.

The golden award as you will see was a hand with an extended finger that had wings attached to it to deflect from the notion of the plain old extended finger if you will.

NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY GETS FLYING FICKLE FINGER OF FATE AWARD ON 'LAUGH-IN'

NEWS ALERT:   PRESIDENT TRUMP TO HOLD A CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE AT 130 PM EASTERN US TIME.....

NEWSDUMP ALERT:  US AND TALIBAN SIGN AFGHANISTAN PEACE DEAL

Its a deal that provides for the total withdrawal of US and other foreign troops within 14 months if the Taliban upholds specific commitments.    The first phase of troop withdrawal within 135 days is for a draw down from the current 12-thousand US military to 8 thousand six hundred.    More details as published by "The Washington Post".......LINK

NEWSDUMP UPDATE:  SENIOR BRITISH CIVIL SERVANT RESIGNS AND WILL SUE THE GOVERNMENT....BBC NEWS STORY

Music Links:

"MOUNTAIN OF LOVE"-JOHNNY RIVERS

"HEY PORTER"-JOHNNY CASH



"MOCKIN' BIRD HILL"-LES PAUL AND MARY FORD



"SHE'S A LADY"-TOM JONES

BREAKING NEWS TURKEY-SYRIA-MIGRANTS SHOTS FIRED AT GEEEK TURKISH BORDER

The Turkish government in response to the killing of its soldiers in Syria two days ago and in conjunction with its demands for NATO-US intervention on its side of the conflict said it is allowing migrants to freely move towards the border with  European countries like Bulgaria and Greece.

Word from the Associated Press is that shots have been fired today in the border area with Greek police also using tear gas today to keep the migrants back....ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS STORY PUBLISHED BY CANADA'S CBC NEWS 

Now earlier in the Tulsi Gabbard video she referred to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdgoan as a:

"meglomaniac"

Well today the Turkish ruler was discussing his phone call with President Trump yesterday about the serious matters involving dead Turkish soldiers in Syria and ended up laughing its reported.    The Trump-Erdogan conversation about Vladimir Putin and oil in Syria  (THE REAL REASON SYRIA IS SO IMPORTANT TO WORLD LEADERS?)...

AHVAL NEWS STORY

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE:   THE OREGON CASE REVEALED FRIDAY EVENING

OREGON LIVE NEWS STORY ON CORONAVIRUS CASE INVOLVING SCHOOL EMPLOYEE IN CLACKAMAS COUNTY

And a quick insertion here of a  VIDEO LINK for President Trump's news conference on coronavirus today.

The upshot of the news conference is that 22 cases have been detected in the US of Covid-19 and we have one death reported in the state of Washington.

The test kits are now beginning to reach the local communities enabling a better measurement of the situation in the days to come.

The politics ahead tonight and more.....

Music Links:

"LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK"-PAUL SIMON



"BLUE SUEDE SHOES"-CARL PERKINS



"DON'T THINK TWICE, IT'S ALL RIGHT"-ANDY WILLIAMS WITH PETER, PAUL AND MARY



"THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES"-JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ (LIVE)



You can't go wrong with the great music of Johnny Rodriguez who was a big presence on the country music charts in the 1970's when I listened religiously to country music.

STOPPING BERNIE:  BIDEN PROCLAIMED THE SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY WINNER

You don't have to wait for the vote count to come in or wait long if the media can proclaim the Establishment candidate the winner.    At least it seems that way.

Plenty of happy talk from the MSNBC crew trying to I think help Biden with suggestions that "its time for Bloomberg to get out" or "time to Bloomberg to help Biden".

The talking heads of MSNBC had their say but the POTUS having his say about Bloomberg getting out via Twitter moments ago......PRESIDENT TRUMP TWITTER POST

A link below to the NPR blog and results coming in tonight with 9 percent already up there a solid lead for Joe Biden.


NPR SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS LIVE BLOG

MOVING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION ONE CHILD WILL ABLE TO SAY WHEN THEY ASK 'WHO'S YOUR DADDY?'

'MY DADDY IS ALEXANDER JOHNSON' 

WHO IS OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS BORIS JOHNSON, THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER.

JOHNSON AND HIS PARTNER CARRIE SYMONDS ANNOUNCING THE PREGNANCY AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN THIS WEEKS NEWSDUMP PERIOD.

BORIS JOHNSON AND CARRIE SYMONDS ENGAGED AND EXPECTING BABY-BBC

Israel votes for the third time in less than a year on Monday and the one certain thing is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes on trial March 17th.

One good and wonderful and beautiful thing about Israel is that third parties exist and fight for beliefs other than the big business, big banking "centrism" of the Republicans and Democrats who dominate US politics.     They can still get into parliament if they get 3.25 percent of the vote for the 120 seat Knesset.   When Israel was founded the Knesset was elected on a strict proportional representation that meant any group with around .8 percent of the vote could win a seat.

My Hebrew teacher at the university asked why I took his class.    Sitting across from him wearing his kippa I could not be honest with him.    Why was this Gentile with the Germanic name there?   I'm too tired to give a coherent answer tonight but I was probably too drunk and confused then to have clarity about my purposes.    I was living at a "second grade" level.

Is Israel a promised land for pedophiles?

That question being broached in the MSM by CBS but being commented on at one of my go to news webistes in Israel-"Ynet"......

ISRAEL, THE PROMISED LAND FOR PEDOPHILES

Russia's President Vladimir Putin with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on the phone today dicussing Syria which we will go to with a wrap up to wrap up the night in a bit.

But Russia promising to help Iran with its fight against the coronavirus....TASS NEWS STORY ON RUSSIAN AID TO IRAN FOR CORONAVIRUS

To all the bitter and angry folk out there who hate Russia now hear this:

"Thank You Vlad"

Music Links:




RUSSIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

"ONE TIN SOLDIER"-COVEN (WITH BILLY JACK MOVIE FOOTAGE)



"POWDER ROOM POLITICS"-LESLIE (SAM) PHILLIPS



"KING OF HEARTS"-RANDY STONEHILL

THE SYRIA-TURKEY STORY TODAY

The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that the Russian Aerospace Forces launched over 100 airstrikes in northwestern Syria today with a published number of 114 at mid-day Saturday.

Unofficial reports online say the Russian airstrikes ended late this afternoon in the Greater Idlib region.

Video posted online said to be showing how captured Syrian soldiers are being beaten by their Turkish captors...TWITTER POST (MUST CLICK "VIEW" TO BE ABLE TO SEE VIDEO)


Commenting on the situation is retired US Army Colonel Patrick Lang who is a former military attache in the Middle East, former intelligence official, and former Arabic instructor at West Point, among other things.


Lang warns President Trump that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is seeking to inject the US into a war with Russia in Syria.....MR PRESIDENT! POMPEO WANTS A US WAR IN SYRIA!


The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdgoan calling on Russia to get out of the way of the Turkish military operating in conjunction with Al Qaeda and other jihadist elements opposing the Syrian government.....VOICE OF AMERICA NEWS STORY


Following the killing of dozens of Turkish soldiers in a Syrian airstrike Thursday, the Turkish government announced the opening of its borders into Europe prompting thousands of migrants to move in that direction.


Today Greek police fired tear gas at the thousands now massed and attempting to enter the country from Turkey.  Greece accusing Turkey of sending an "onslaught".   Greece would not endorse NATO military assistance following the killing of the Turkish soliders in Syria...GLOBAL NEWS STORY




Hey its time to say Good Night and God Bless.  I hope you find the next right thing to do.


On into the night with music.......


Music Links:



"CLOSE TO YOU"-THE CARPENTERS



"YOU'RE MY MAN"-LYNN ANDERSON



"BOB WILLS IS STILL THE KING"-WAYLON JENNINGS



"SAN ANTONIO ROSE"-BOB WILLS AND HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS (LIVE)

FRANCE YELLOW VESTS WEEK 68:  NEWSDUMP ALERT GOVERNMENT INVOKES ARTICLE 49.3 TO MOVE PENSION REFORM

In the midst of a Newsdump Saturday with the coronavirus story dominant President Emmanuel Macron's Premier Edouard Philippe announced the invocation of the article of the French constitution that allows the government to move legislation with his personal affirmation and the only way to stop it being one vote of censure instead of numerous votes on amendments, procedure etc.

Philippe appeared in the National Assembly late this afternoon denouncing the:

"deliberate obstruction of a minority"

Opposition members of the National Assembly responding with shouts of protest at the move.

LE FIGARO VIDEO OF PREMIER EDOUARD PHILIPPE ANNOUNCEMENT

The Yellow Vests again taking to the streets and highways of France for Week 68 in an environment dominated by concerns about the coronavirus (Covid-19).      The concentration of cases in northern Italy is near France and also Switzerland which has banned public gatherings of more than a thousand people.

Video links to today's protests below:

PARIS YELLOW VESTS PROTEST WEEK 68 2/29/2020 THREE HOUR VIDEO



YELLOW VESTS WEEK 68 ROUEN 2/29/2020

And as of 6 pm local time, 12 Noon here in the Eastern US a live video stream from Toulouse and today's Yellow Vests protest and Judith Muijsers in English commenting on the latest developments including the move to force through the pension reform today.....

TOULOUSE LIVE VIDEO STREAM YELLOW VESTS WEEK 68 JUDITH MUIJSERS

Earlier in Toulouse this video shows the protest and the police launching tear gas towards the end......

TOULOUSE YELLOW VESTS WEEK 68 PROTESTERS CONFRONT POLICE WHO FIRE TEAR GAS

Yellow Vests also today in the port area of Marseille....YELLOW VESTS WEEK 68 MARSEILLE 2/29/2020


The protests in Nantes today less Yellow Vests than black uniformed environmentalist protesters who ended up in confrontations with police using water cannon and tear gas.....YELLOW VESTS NANTES WEEK 68 2/29/2020

Getting back to the invoking of Article 49.3 it has been anticipated that the government would make its move to force a "first reading" but not final passage of "pension reform"ahead of the first round of municipal elections on March 15th.

Opposition lawmakers from the "Left" and "Right" issuing separate censure motions against Macron's government tonight.    A censure vote by a majority in the National Assembly is the only way to overcome the use of Article 49.3 by the government.

And the video of the Yellow Vests protest in Lille today with a gathering that is captured in video and still pictures with captions.   One protest sign today proclaimed the "MACRONAVIRUS" at the Lille protest......YELLOW VESTS WEEK 68 LILLE 2/29/2020


And that is the Yellow Vests story in France for Week 68.

NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT FRIDAY 2/28/2020  NEWSDUMP FRIDAY ESCALATION IN SYRIA, TRUMP SUPPORTS TURKISH-AL QAEDA ALLIANCE IN SYRIA CLAIMING 'HUMANITARIAN' DANGER

(THIS NEWS SUMMARY WAS FIRST POSTED LATE THURSDAY AND  WILL BE UPDATED INTO FRIDAY)

(POSTING WHEN ABLE WITH FINAL POSTING LATE FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY)

A federal court ruling against a border control policy ordered by President Trump, 3 cases of the coronavirus in the United States and a peace deal with Afghanistan's Taliban is just hours away but first......

President Donald Trump spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today and the Turkish government says that the two agreed on:

"additional steps without delay in order to avert a big humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the Idlib region"

THE WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT SYRIA, RUSSIA AND IRAN MUST HALT THEIR 'OFFENSIVE' IN THE REGION AND SAID THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP "CONDEMNED YESTERDAYS ATTACK THAT KILLED TURKISH PERSONNEL"  FIGHTING ALONGSIDE AL QAEDA AND OTHER JIHADIST FORCES IN NORTHWESTERN SYRIA.

THE HILL NEWS STORY

Today the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley discussed the situation in Syria with his Russian counterpart, the Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov via phone......TASS NEWS REPORT

All Syrian troops are now "hostile targets" according to a spokesman for Turkey's ruling AK Party....TASS NEWS STORY.    The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 20 Syrian soldiers have been killed in Turkish attacks in recent hours.

Yesterday Turkey says that dozens of its soldiers were killed in a Syrian airstrike as they operated in support of Al Qaeda and other jihadist opposition forces in the Greater Idlib region.

Turkey says that retaliatory strikes have been launched in the aftermath of yesterday's Syrian air attack.

Syria's ally Russia which launches air strikes in support of the Syrian military says Turkish soldiers were with terrorist groups when they were hit....RUSSIA TODAY NEWS STORY

Russia says its moving warships towards Syria....MOSCOW TIMES STORY    NATO conducting an emergency meeting to discuss yesterday's Syrian air attack with Turkey calling for a 'no-fly zone' in Syria.  

NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg condemning the Syrian attack on the Al Qaeda allied Turkish troops......LIVE UPDATES FROM DEUTSCHE WELLE GERMANY ENGLISH

Stoltenberg indicating that NATO will continue to maintain measures including support for Turkey's air defenses.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today to discuss the situation......TASS NEWS STORY  Talk that the two leaders may meet in Moscow next week.

Turkey demanding an immediate "cease-fire" after their gains on the ground yesterday and a UN Security Council emergency meeting was held.

At that meeting the Russian UN representative expressed regret over Turkish and Syrian casualties and called for a thorough implementation of deconfliction measures agreed to by Russia and Turkey previously that have not been adhered to by Turkey.   He also said that Syria has a right to respond to terrorist attacks on its territory...TASS NEWS STORY

The Turks announcing in the aftermath of the escalation in Syria in recent hours that migrants will be allowed to move freely towards Europe with no attempt by Turkey to stop them....REUTERS NEWS STORY but the EU is saying that Turkey is giving assurances it will not allow migrants to cross into Europe.

Less than three months after a Saudi pilot staged a terrorist attack at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida that killed three and wounded eight,  Saudi pilots have now  resumed training at US military bases......BLOG STORY

A federal appeals court ruling against President Trump's policy of sending migrants from Mexico back to Mexico to await their immigration hearings.

The ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals applies to the entire southern border and would cancel a policy that went into effect in January 2019 that has kept almost 60-thousand people from entering the United States.

The court put implementation of its ruling on hold late tonight at the request of the federal government with officials fearing a rush on the southern border.....CNN NEWS STORY

A proposed "safe injection site" for illegal drug use in Philadelphia will not open next week as planned.   The non-profit group that won a court fight to open the facility opting not to open the facility saying it was time for "meaningful conversations" with the community instead.   Strong opposition to the planned facility  with a protest planned for Sunday.....BBC NEWS STORY

Here in the United States three coronavirus cases detected so far with test kits beginning to move out across the country.    Two cases in California and one in Oregon involving an employee of a school in Clackamas County who may have exposed students and staff to the virus.    That school being closed for deep disinfection.

The coronavirus in France with 57 cases reported there as of Friday night.    Health officials recommending that people refrain from shaking hands.

The number of  coronavirus cases reported in South Korea increased to 2,022 Friday morning  AND WAS REPORTED AT 2,931 BY SATURDAY MORNING LOCAL TIME.   There are now 16 deaths reported in the country from Covid-19.

Markets are reported in decline including oil with Brent crude now down below 50 dollars a barrel.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average down 12 percent this week, the worst decline since the financial crisis of  2008.

Updates on coronavirus via the BBC News blog........LINK

The US Navy says that a Chinese warship employed a "weapons-grade laser" on a US Navy surveillance aircraft last week.  The US calling the Chinese actions "unsafe and unprofessional"......BUSINESS INSIDER STORY

Media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested by authorities in Hong Kong acccused of illegal assembly and intimidation.   Lai accused of attending a pro-democracy march on August 31st last year and of being in an altercation with a journalist in 2017.   

Two other high profile pro-democracy actvists also arrested Friday......BBC NEWS STORY. 

In just hours a peace deal will be signed between the United States and the Taliban of Afghanistan.   President Trump says that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be witnessing the signing of the deal.   The signing of the agreement in Doha, Qatar will lead to talks between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban.    President Trump urging them to "seize this opportunity for peace".

The deal expected to lead to a reduction in US military personnel in Afghanistan from 13,000 to 8,600.....VOICE OF AMERICA NEWS STORY

The final polls allowed by law are coming out ahead of Israel's third election in less than a year Monday.   They all show a continued deadlock in Israeli politics.    The Likud and Blue and White parties lead with the "Left" and "Right" blocks unable to get 61 seats in the 120 seat parliament needed for a majority.

Holding the balance of power with a handful of seats is the Yisrael Beiteinu   (Israel Our Home) party of Avigdor Lieberman. 

The polls are all summarized at this link....2020 ISRAELI ELECTION POLLS

President Trump again nominating Congressman John Ratcliffe of Texas to be Director of National Intelligence.   Ratcliffe had pulled out when he was nominated the first time with questions being raised but following an Inspector General's probe, he is being nominated again......PRESIDENT TRUMP TWITTER

New Zealand's Prime Minister of the "Left" Jacinda Ardern hitting hard at her Australian counterpart, the Prime Minister of the "Right" Scott Morrison, during a joint public appearance today.

Speaking in Sydney, Australia Ardern said in part that Australia should stop deporting:

"your people and your problems"

Australia is expelling New Zealand citizens from the country.

More on this story from the AFP news agency as published in the "Straits-Times" of Singapore....LINK

The Anti-Defamation League says that in the decade that ended last December 435 people have been killed in the United States by "extremists" with most of them "far-right".

More on the research of the ADL from "Israel National News".......LINK

That's the way it really is Friday February 28th, 2020/

NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 2/27/2020 TURKISH, ISRAELI AIR STRIKES ON SYRIA

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE THURSDAY)

                          LATE BREAKING NEWS  

The Turkish government said late tonight that Turkey has begun to use airstrikes against Syrian forces in northwestern Syria following the deaths of Turkish soldiers supporting Al Qaeda and other jihadist opposition forces fighting the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad......TASS NEWS REPORT....The Turkish government is claiming tonight that 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in a Syrian government airstrike?????.........BBC NEWS STORY.......Opposition groups in Syria posting videos said to be related to the Syrian government airstrike....SOUTHFRONT STORY WITH EMBEDDED VIDEO

In the aftermath of these developments Turkey's Foreign Minister calling the NATO Secretary General and the Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin speaking with US National Security Adviser Robert O' Brien.      This according to the Associated Press.

The UN Secretary General calling for an immediate cease-fire in Greater Idlib.

Syrian media reporting that Israel helicopters carried attacks on Syrian army targets tonight in the south of Syria near the Golan Heights.   Three Syrian soldiers said to have been lightly wounded in the attacks with a late report from the anti-government Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claiming one dead and seven wounded.......ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS REPORT

Turkish-led forces of opposition jihadists in northwestern Syria were being repelled from repeated attacks on the town of Saraqib but there is reporting that during the day today Saraqib was retaken by the jihadists with Turkish support.

In other parts of Greater Idlib Syrian government forces were reported to be advancing earlier today.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke earlier today before the latest more serious developments of "three martyrs" in the latest fighting the implication being that there are three more dead Turkish soldiers.

Russian media reporting on Turkish use of anti-aircraft weapons against Russian and Syrian aircraft on the battlefield......REUTERS NEWS STORY

Meanwhile Syria's ally Russia holding consultations with Turkey today over the situation in the "Greater Idlib Region".   But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says there are no plans for any meeting next week between the Russian and Turkish presidents....TASS NEWS STORY

Turkey had set a Saturday deadline for Syrian forces to pull back in Greater Idlib or face a major Turkish military operation.

In Libya today the Mitga International Airport in Tripoli shut down for four hours amidst shelling from the Libyan National Army.  The LNA battling the Turkish backed Government of National Accord.

The United States designating the Secretary General of an Iraqi Popular Mobilization Unit (Kata'ib Hezbollah),  Ahmad al-Hamidawi, as a terrorist.    The US is accusing the group of involvement in attacks on US facilities in Iraq that included the killing of an American defense contractor and of shooting at civilian protesters in Iraq protesting for "reform".

In one Chinese province 14 percent of those who recover from the coronavirus contract it again.....TASS NEWS STORY

The number of coronavirus cases in South Korea stood at 1,595 Thursday morning with 13 deaths reported.    Testing for the Covid-19 virus going on among members of a religious sect believed to be at the center of the rapid spread of the disease......

An Israeli who visited Italy has tested positive for the coronavirus.   Israelis returning from Italy will go into two week quarantine.   More  from "Haaretz".....LINK

Two new cases in England from people who traveled to Italy and Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands.

The BBC News blog on the coronavirus today......LINK

One economic result from the Covid-19 situation so far appears to be a drop in crude oil prices.  Brent crude moving down below 51 dollars a barrel today.

An eight cent a gallon drop in gasoline prices observed here today in the area where this blog is posted in south-central Pennsylvania.

Also in Canada today the Toronto Stock Exchange shutting down due to what is said to be a "glitch" after it lost two percent of its value by 2 pm local time.

Dozens injured on two Greek islands in the eastern Aegean Sea near Turkey.   Angry residents protesting plans to build new camps for migrants on the islands of Lesbos and Chios.     The BBC offers its version of the story.....LINK

IN CANADA TALKS SET FOR TODAY BETWEEN HEREDITARY CHIEFS OF THE WET'SUWET'EN FIRST NATION AND FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS.   THE TALKS ABOUT THE LAND RIGHTS CONTROVERSY STIRRED UP BY CONSTRUCTION OF A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE ON SACRED TRIBAL LAND IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.....CBC NEWS STORY

Former President Barack Obama is crying foul over an ad attacking former Vice President Joe Biden ahead of the crucial primary in South Carolina Saturday.   The BBC reports on this story.....LINK   An opinion poll released today by Monmouth University in New Jersey claiming that Joe Biden has a 36-16 percent lead over Bernie Sanders in South Carolina.

That's the way it really is Thursday February 27th, 2020.    Newsdump Friday is on the way with massive developments expected and already in the pipeline including the decision to resume flight training for Saudi pilots less than three months after the terrorist attack by a Saudi pilot in Pensacola, Florida.........

NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT WEDNESDAY 2/26/2020

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY)

Julian Assange being treated roughly and being prevented from preparing for his defense in a London courtroom this week.    That's the latest from the extradition hearing for the Wikileaks founder who's wanted by the United States......USA TODAY NEWS STORY

President Trump appointing Vice-President Mike Pence to lead the US effort to deal with coronavirus.

Appearing at the White House this evening the President said regardless of the scale of the virus, the US is "ready".

Vice-President Pence spoke this evening.....VIDEO LINK

The coronavirus has the potential to impact economic conditions in the year of the President's re-election.

Saudi Arabia suspending travel to Islam's holiest sites over fears about the coronavirus.....ASSOCIATED PRESS STORY

Worldwide attention focused on Covid-19 the coronavirus today.   Iran reporting three more dead and 44 new cases today...MEHR NEWS AGENCY IRAN STORY

Russia will not issue visas for Iranians unless for business or humanitarian reasons beginning Friday....TASS NEWS STORY

The total number of cases in Italy at 374 with 12 dead.

In neighboring France three more cases and one death reported.    The total cases reported in France at 18.

A decision made not to close borders between the European countries.

The BBC coronavirus blog for today.......LINK

Military exercises involving the US and South Korea postponed because of the coronavirus.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY WILL CONTINUE CONSULTATIONS THURSDAY ON THE SITUATION IN NORTHWESTERN SYRIA......TASS NEWS REPORT

TURKEY'S DEFENSE MINISTRY ANNOUNCED THAT TWO TURKISH SOLDIERS WERE KILLED AND TWO WOUNDED IN A SYRIAN AIRSTRIKE IN THE GREATER IDLIB REGION....ANADOLU NEWS AGENCY REPORT

IN SYRIA THE PRO-OPPOSITION SYRIAN OBSERVATORY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HAD REPORTED THAT THE SYRIAN ARMY STAGED A ROCKET ATTACK ON A TURKISH MILITARY CONVOY.      ITS REPORTED THAT THE SYRIAN ARMY IS ADVANCING IN SOUTHERN IDLIB PROVINCE TAKING TOWNS AND VILLAGES FROM JIHADIST OPPOSITION FORCES........SOUTHFRONT REPORT

Five employees killed and a fired employee dead after killing himself at a brewery in Milwaukee today.     The shooting at the Molson Coors Brewery formerly Miller Brewery.

More from the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"......LINK

A third day of rioting in India's capital Delhi that began with Muslims opposing India'a new citizenship law on the occasion of President Trump's visit to India.

Hindu activists launched a counterattack on the Muslim rioters and now at least 23 people are dead.

Calm so far today in India.

The story as seen through BBC News......LINK

Russia protesting the treatment of its citizen Viktor Bout inside the US prison system.   Bout moved into an isolation unit for terrorists at the federal prison in Marion, Illinois.    A diplomatic note of protest sent by Russia to the US State Department.....TASS NEWS STORY

A new public opinion poll in Israel puts the Likud Party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 34 seats and the Blue and White Party of former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff at 32 seats.   In five days Israelis will participate in their third election in less than a year.....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY

Politics in the USA and Joe Biden getting the endorsement of South Carolina political insider Congressman James Clyburn, the House Majority Whip.     Clyburn the state's leading -African-American politician.

That's the way it really is Wednesday February 26th, 2020.

NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT TUESDAY 2/25/2020

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE TUESDAY)

A raid on fashion offices in New York part of a sex trafficking investigation involving Canadian businessman Peter Nygard said to be a friend of Britain's Prince Andrew.

Nygard under investigation for allegedly trafficking underage girls.  10 women have filed suit against Nygard claiming they were drugged and raped when they were 14 or 15 years old......RUSSIA TODAY NEWS STORY

At the extradition hearing for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange his lawyer argued that  Assange tried to warn with United States about unredacted publication of classified information about US spies....BBC NEWS STORY

More blockades in Canada today as "First Nations" native protesters acted in solidarity with a tribal group in western Canada opposing a natural gas pipeline on lands considered sacred.

Today's protest blockades follow the breakup of the blockade of a key Canadian rail link yesterday in Ontario.

More from CBC News....LINK

Syrian government forces claiming success in taking villages in southern Idlib from the control of jihadist opposition forces backed by Turkey......SOUTHFRONT STORY

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Russia has not agreed to a four nation summit he unilaterally announced last Saturday to discuss matters in Syria.

A Russian delegation is set to arrive in Turkey tomorrow for talks on the situation in northwestern Syria where Turkey is providing military support to Al Qaeda and other jihadist opposition forces fighting the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad......ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS STORY

A common theme of government and mainstream media in Western nations is that of a "humanitarian crisis" in the "Greater Idlib area" caused by Russian and Syrian military action against the jihadists.

A theme echoed by nations backing the jihadists more directly like financially powerful Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The Turkish President announced today that two Turkish soldiers have died in the conflict in Libya. Turkey supporting the Tripoli based Government of National Accord in its fight against the Libyan National Army......AL JAZEERA QATAR NEWS STORY

More anti-Iran sanctions from the United States today aimed at 13 individuals and entities in China, Iraq, Russia and Turkey.    All alleged by the United States to have helped support Iran's missile program......VOICE OF AMERICA STORY

US health officials believe it is now more likely that an outbreak of the coronavirus will reach the United States in light of its spread to nations in various corners of the world.

South Korea says its taking "maximum steps" to contain the coronavirus in the city of Daegu and the surrounding region.

For now the government says those measures do not include a lockdown in the region.

12 deaths now reported in South Korea with 1146 total cases....YONHAP NEWS AGENCY LATEST WEDNESDAY AM STORY

Also a member of the US military in South Korea testing positive for the coronavirus.

Italy now reports 322 cases of the coronavirus and 11 deaths.

Countries neighboring Italy opting not to close their borders for now with new cases reported in France (two) and the first case reported in Switzerland.

Iran is saying that it will soon contain the coronavirus even as an official of a Tehran hospital admits some 104 cases have been treated in that hospital alone so far.   Officially Iran saying 95 cases nationwide and 16 deaths.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warning against erroneous information being peddled by anti-Iran media official and unofficial.

But Iran's Deputy Health Minister in charge of combating Covid-19 has contracted the virus himself...PRESS TV IRAN NEWS STORY

The BBC is running a coronavirus blog today.......LINK

A Chinese court sentencing a naturalized Swedish citizen, Gui Minhai, to 10 years in prison.  Gui sold books in Hong Kong and was believed to have been abducted by Chinese agents from his home in Thailand in 2015.......TIME NEWS STORY

The Democrat presidential candidates took to the stage for a debate in South Carolina tonight.  Attacks on Bernie Sanders came from all sides ahead of it as reported by the Associated Press and published by "The Times of Israel".....LINK

The debate itself very intense and CBS News posted these video highlights....VIDEO LINK

MSNBC host Chris Matthews said used a "bad one" when it came to historical analogies to describe Bernie Sanders win in last Saturday's Nevada Caucus.    Matthews offering up an apology on Monday for his Saturday comment comparing the Sanders win to a "Nazi invasion"....NEW YORK POST STORY

More from the "Burning Bernie" front with talk show host Glenn Beck noting comments about police by Sanders who praised some because they are trade union members and want to reform the way policing is done and then said that other police forces are dominated by "fascists".

You could say that racism is close to fascism and here's a story from Oregon about what happened in one police department there something that Glenn Beck and all of us could read....."OREGON LIVE" STORY

In India at least 13 reported dead in rioting in the capital city of Delhi.   Muslims rioting to protest the country's new citizenship law on the occasion of President Trump's visit to the country to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.   Clashes in the streets between Hindus and Muslims.......EMBEDDED VIDEO LINK BBC

Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president, dead at the age of 91.   Overthrown by the extremist Muslim Brotherhood in the 2011 "Arab Spring", he was the last of the line of a Egyptian leaders that began with Abdel Gamal Nasser in the 1950's.

That's the way it really is Tuesday February 25th, 2020.

NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT MONDAY 2/24/2020 POLITICAL COMMENT DESTROYING BERNIE SANDERS

With the United States on the verge of signing a peace agreement with the Taliban of Afghanistan, perhaps this Saturday, to bring an end to a conflict that began in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks questions about other overtures to extremist groups being raised.

But they're being raised by Russia's Foreign Minister wondering asking why the United States would talk to the terrorist movement that inspired the 9/11 attacks.

 During a visit to Tadjikistan Monday Sergei Lavrov said it would be unacceptable for the US to be talking to Al Qaeda movement groups Jabhat al Nusra and Hayat Tahrir al Sham as suggested by US Representative for Syria James Jeffrey and other top officials.....TASS NEWS STORY

In Canada new protests and blockades emerging after police moved in to stop the blockade of a key rail line in Ontario today.    Ontario Provincial Police made ten arrests when they moved in to stop the Mohawk blockade in solidarity with a western Canadian "First Nation" group opposing the building of a natural gas pipeline on land considered sacred.....CBC NEWS STORY

Movie mogul and longtime Democrat Party donor Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape and sexual assault charges in New York today.   The jury did not convict Weinstein of the most serious charge against him but he could face from five to 25 years in prison based on his convictions.

He was ordered jailed upon his conviction and was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs.  His legal team appealing including an appeal to get him out of jail pending sentencing citing medical issues.

Weinstein is facing sexual assault charges in Los Angeles.   He will be sentenced in New York on March 11th.

Some 30 people hurt when a car drove into the crowd at a carnival parade in Volkmarsen, Germany.  Police say the act was deliberate but are not talking about a motive.   Authorities in Germany and Europe sometimes go mum when an attacker claims an Islam related motive.

More than 800 cases of the coronavirus are reported in South Korea with the center of the outbreak in the country the city of Daegu........YONHAP NEWS AGENCY SOUTH KOREA   US Forces Korea says that a family member in the US military stationed there is among those infected......YONHAP NEWS AGENCY SOUTH KOREA

The story of coronavirus in Iran today mixed up between information and perhaps misinformation from outside forces hostile to the Iranian government.  While an Iranian parliamentarian claimed 50 dead in the holy city of Qom today, an official spokesman for the Health Ministry says that 12 are dead and 61 infected in Iran.....REUTERS NEWS STORY

From Italy the fifth coronavirus death reported with some 219 infected.   The latest victims are people who were in their 80's.   More from Italy's ANSA News Agency.....LINK

A bus from Italy isolated by French authorities today in Lyon over concerns that someone who is ill on the bus might have the coronavirus.  BFM-TV reports that the driver was taken to the hospital and passengers were allowed to leave the bus this afternoon.    The driver tested for coronavirus and the results negative.

Protesters maintaining their blockade on a key rail link in Ontario, Canada this morning following a warning by police to leave by midnight Sunday.

The Mohawk community protest in solidarity with another "First Nations" group in western Canada opposing the building of a natural gas pipeline on sacred land.

CBC News in Canada reports......LINK

The extradition hearing for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in London today with a lawyer for the United States arguing that disclosure of spy activities of the United States justfies his extradition, ignoring violations of human rights uncovered in secret documents revealed by Wikileaks and any notion of "freedom of the press".    More from Wikileaks Twitter....LINK

The controversy over Assange and the tactics used against him by authorities again in the spotlight with ABC News in Australia presenting alleged spy footage of Assange when he was inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London meeting with his lawyers.....VIDEO LINK

A barrage of rockets fired into southern Israel at mid day today local time as the latest flareup with extremist groups in Gaza continues..........HAARETZ NEWS UPDATE     Israel staged an attack on Syria last night said to be targeting members of the Islamic Jihad group involved in yesterday's missile barrages on southern Israel.

POLITICAL NEWS ANALYSIS COMMENTARY-DESTROYING BERNIE SANDERS AT TOP OF AGENDA FOR MEDIA-POLITICAL FORCES THIS WEEK

The week ahead should see sparks and fireworks as Democratic Party insiders and friendly forces in major media outlets that support the Democrats and even some that don't focus their attack on Bernie Sanders following his resounding victory in the Nevada Caucus Saturday.

Why only 72 percent of the vote has been counted up to this point should again be raising questions as to what is going on with the vote count?  And to update that a 100 percent count finally emerged later today with Sanders at 46.8 percent, Joe Biden at 20.2 percent,  Pete Buttigieg at 14.3 percent and Elizabeth Warren at 9.7 percent to name the top four finishers.

Perhaps the remaining votes will be manipulated to lower Sanders delegate count to deny him a majority and control of Nevada's delegation to the Democratic National Convention.     Nine of the 36 delegates already "superdelegates" assumed to be supporters of the Establishment but Sanders margin of victory as it stands now with 28 percent of the vote still out appears to give him 19 or 20 of the 27 other delegates.    That math would give Sanders most of the delegates unless it can be altered.

(THE REAL CLEAR POLITICS ESTIMATION OF NEVADA DELEGATES WITH SUPERDELEGATES FACTORED IN SHOWS 24 FOR SANDERS, 9 FOR BIDEN AND 3 FOR BUTTIGIEG.)

A former Democrat presidential candidate and activist-author Marianne Williamson out with her endorsement of Sanders.

Her endorsement stands out as a description of politics in this country in general both Republican and Democrat apart from the personality of Donald J. Trump and says in part:

"corporate elites and their errand boys in government"

Yes folks like Nancy and Chuck for the Dems and Mitch and Kevin for the Republicans, yes indeed.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON SANDERS ENDORSEMENT TWITTER

That's the way it really is Monday February 24th, 2020.

NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT SUNDAY 2/23/2020 ISRAELI ATTACK ON SYRIA

(EDITORIAL NOTE:  SYSTEMS USED TO POST THIS BLOG HAVE EXPERIENCED DISRUPTION TONIGHT EASTERN US TIME))

Syria says that its defenses shot down most of the incoming Israeli missiles when an attack was launched on Damascus late tonight.    Syria says that Israeli aircraft launched the missiles from outside Syrian airspace.   Israel says that it was targeting the Islamic Jihad group ....SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY REPORT

The Israelis are linking the attack in Syria to the firing of rockets at Israel by Islamic Jihad terrorists from Gaza today.  That story later in this news summary.

"the conditions of the Sochi accords that stated that Turkey would have to ensure demarcation, withdrawal of heavy weapons and so on, which were signed by the two presidents more than a year ago, have not yet been fulfilled..."

Part of the message from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that Turkey hasn't kept its side of the bargain on bringing calm to the situation in northwestern Syria.   Peskov also saying in a Russian TV appearance today that "very dangerous samples of military equipment" have been obtained by jihadist opposition groups.   An apparent reference to advanced Turkish military equipment that has been pouring into the "Greater Idlib region".....TASS NEWS REPORT

The Kremlin spokesman also saying that a summit meeting of the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Turkey about Syeia is still lacking a date when the four leaders can synchronize their schedules.    Yesterday the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the meeting will take place March 5th in Istanbul.

In Syria today the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that Russian air strikes targeted areas around Turkish "observation posts" in northwestern Syria....SOUTHFRONT STORY

A Russian military source telling the Tass News Agency that Telegram posts online asserting a Russian air attack on a Turkish convoy in northwestern Syria are "fake news".

ROCKETS FIRED FROM GAZA AT SOUTHERN ISRAEL LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  TEN OF THE 20 ROCKETS FIRED INTERCEPTED BY ISRAELI AIR DEFENSES.....HAARETZ NEWS REPORT...MORE ATTACK ALERTS DURING SUNDAY EVENING IN ISRAEL.

ISRAELI AIRCRAFT HIT TARGETS IN GAZA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT.

THE ATTACKS COME A DAY AFTER ISRAELI POLITICAL LEADER AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN OF ISRAEL BEITEINU (ISRAEL OUR HOME), THE POLITICAL PARTY THAT HOLDS THE BALANCE OF POWER IN PARLIAMENT, REVEALED THAT THE HEAD OF ISRAEL'S SPY AGENCY (MOSSAD) YOSSI COHEN VISITED QATAR RECENTLY TO URGE CONTINUED QATARI FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR GAZA. 

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU'S GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO FLOW INTO THE GAZA TERRITORY RULED BY THE EXTREMIST GROUP HAMAS.

ISRAEL ALSO REPORTED MAKING MOVES IN THE LAST WEEK TO PROMOTE BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN GAZA THROUGH LOOSENING OF REGULATIONS.

The coronavirus forcing an early end to the Venice Carnival tonight.   Italy has reported 152 cases and three deaths with 12 towns between Venice and Milan put under quarantine.

In neighboring France some 70 hospitals (one in each department of the country) being prepared to handle coronavirus cases.

New restrictions on entry in Israel imposed amid concern over the spread of the coronavirus.    A group of South Korean tourists from a religious sect linked to the spread of the virus there visited Israel recently.  

A travel warning issued for Israelis concerning South Korea and Japan. 

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering the formation of a team of government ministers to deal with virus.  More from "Israel National News".....LINK

Late word from Israel tonight is that there are two confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country.....HAARETZ LINK MOSTLY BEHIND PAY WALL

Iran setting up a national headquarters to deal with coronavirus there.   Those are the orders from Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to the nation's health ministry.     The "National Headquarters for Coronavirus Management"  will bring together various cabinet ministers along with religious leaders, the chief of staff of the armed forces and head of the state media.   43 cases now reported in Iran with eight dead....PRESS TV NEWS STORY......MIDDLE EAST MONITOR POST

A police protest over working conditions turned violent in Haiti today with police and soldiers exchanging gunfire.   The hours long exchange began when soldiers blocked the police from approaching the national palace in Port-au Prince.

A soldier reported killed in an attack on an army headquarters with at least three police officers and another soldier reported wounded.....DEUTSCHE WELLE NEWS STORY

A woman in Saudi Arabia reported facing arrest for her music video called "Mecca Girl".   A local official in holy city of Mecca said it "insults the customs of Mecca".   The video posted last week by a singer identifying herself as Asayel Slay.

BBC News reports,,,,,,LINK

Politics and Bernie Sanders big win in Nevada's Democrat caucus.   The caucus votes still being tallied on Sunday but the results so far (72 percent as of 11 pm Eastern US time) show a more than 2-1 margin of victory for Sanders over his nearest rival, Joe Biden......NPR VOTE COUNT LINK NEVADA DEMOCRAT CAUCUS

"It was a great win for Bernie Sanders"

Some of President Trump's comments on the White House lawn this morning as he left for a trip to India.   The President twice saying regarding the Democrats and Sanders "I hope they treat him fairly".....VIDEO LINK

A closing of the elite ranks of leadership in the Democrat Party expected this week operating in conjunction with the candidates opposing him to stop the Vermont senator ahead of next Saturday's contest in South Carolina that will be quickly followed by the Super Tuesday contests that include the two largest  population states, California and Texas.

Politics in France and Marine Le Pen looking forward to a rematch with President Emmanuel Macron in 2022.  Le Pen says today she may leave her post as head of the opposition National Rally party ahead of the contest for France's presidency.

Le Pen appeared on the French media program "Le Grand Jury" today saying that she may leave her party post to demonstrate that she is "the candidate of all the French people" for the presidency in 2022.

Le Pen said that the French people are looking for an alternative to Macron whose policies involve ultra-liberal economic policies supporting the elites and international business, mass immigration, unfair competition and policies of laxity and insecurity.

The election results in the German city of Hamburg tonight more bad news for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.    The party lost it previous share of the vote and its political partners the Social Democrats also saw a decline in support with a large rise in support for the Green Party...BBC NEWS STORY.....full results in detail at the ARD German television news website....ARD TAGESSCHAU

And finally word tonight that US District Justice Amy Jackson Berman is refusing to recuse herself from the Roger Stone case.    His defense team moving after this week's sentencing saying that the judge and leader of the jury were both biased against Stone.

Judge Berman announcing her denial of the defense request Sunday afternoon.

And that's the way it really is Sunday February 23rd, 2020.......

NEXTRUSH UNPLUGGED:  WEEKEND VERSION STOPPING BERNIE: THE NEVADA CAUCUS

NEWSDUMP UPDATE:  US SIMULATES NUCLEAR ATTACK ON RUSSIA

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper participated in an exercise at the US Strategic Command in Nebraska earlier this week.

An anonymous US defense official told the media about the 'mini exercise' that involved both sides engaging in the use of nuclear weapons.

The US has begun to add "low-yield" nuclear devices to its strategic arsenal on submarines in response to what it says is Russian deployment of similar weapons.

A sharp reaction from Russia to the news.

Deputy Foreign Minister Segei Ryabkov saying in part that the exercise and other actions:

"...clearly show that Washington is determined to pursue the path of confrontation and keep lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons"

TASS NEWS STORY

Music Links:

"I WALK THE LINE"-JOHNNY CASH

"A BOY NAMED SUE"-JOHNNY CASH



'A FRONT ROW SEAT TO HEAR OLD JOHNNY SING'-SHEL SILVERSTEIN



Whoa welcome aboard with music that I heard on country music radio back in the 1970's as sung by Shel Silverstein.


Shel Silverstein did a lot of creative work in his lifetime writing the song before "A Boy Named Sue" as sung by the "Man In Black" Johnny Cash.     Other country songs also in his music writing career along with "The Unicorn" made into a hit by The Irish Rovers.

Shel was a cartoonist and his work ranged all over the place from children's work like "Where the Sidwalk Ends" to travel cartoons for "Playboy" magazine.   Shel  a presence during his lifetime at the Playboy Mansion with "Hugh and the Gang".

He wrote a biography called "A Boy Named Shel" acknowledging sexual encounters with hundreds of women .   Shel Silverstein died in Key West in 1999.


More at Wikipedia......LINK


I bring Shel Silverstein into the picture humbly identifying myself as a drunk and a man who has lusted after women in his heart and its shown some times with women offended by it.

Peter Hitchens writes for "First Things" about the controversy surrounding film director Roman Polanski who has admitted sexual misconduct with a 13-year old girl here in the USA but is unable or unwilling to face the justice that should result from it.

Should we shun his creative work because of that including his current film "An Officer and a Spy"?



EVILDOERS AND THEIR ART-PETER HITCHENS



Back to the music another song Shel Silverstein wrote sung by Loretta Lynn and a hit in 1973 on he country charts....


Music Links:




"HEY LORETTA"-LORETTA LYNN



"WHAT'S YOUR MAMA'S NAME"-TANYA TUCKER



"RIDIN' MY THUMB TO MEXICO"-JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ



'KING OF THE ROAD"-ROGER MILLER



Roger Miller singing the song of many a drunk on the street, the homeless drunk if you will.   I'm a currently sober drunk with two jobs but I see the other kind Roger Miller was singing about in 1965 ever day I work one of my jobs.

How will they "fornicate" Bernie Sanders with the process that is Nevada's caucuses today?   We'll get that picture later tonight or will we considering Iowa?  Dirty dealing you almost expect it because money and power are at stake.    That's why the Establishment leaked out the Russia's helping Bernie narrative yesterday.     OMG.   We are just the peons out here, God help us to find peace and accept our powerlessness over the dirty dealings obvious or not so obvious.

BREAKING NEWS:   ANOTHER TURKISH SOLDIER KILLED IN NORTHWESTERN SYRIA, RUSSIAN, SYRIAN AIR FORCES POUND JIHADISTS, SYRIAN WARNING

Here were are with a full plate of news today from the nation of Armageddon, Syria.   The scene of the action the "Greater Idlib Region" of the northwest.

First a Turkish soldier killed as the Turks mix in with Al Qaeda and other jihadists opposing the Syrian army there.   Turkey claims 21 strikes against "regime targets" in response....ANADOLU NEWS AGENCY TURKEY STORY

Late last night Russian and Syrian air forces pounded jihadist targets in the northwestern Syrian region.   It is reported that four Turkish M60 tanks were among the targets destroyed.....SOUTHFRONT STORY

The Turkish military is clearly in action with artillery and rockets right now in northwestern Syria but what if they escalate with their air force.    This warning from Syria's military today.....GENERAL COMMAND: ANY VIOLATION OF SYRIAN AIRSPACE WILL BE DEALT WITH.....(SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY)

And also in the mix late word that Russia's President Vladimir Putin will meet Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss "Greater Idlib" on March 5th.

For now Russia with its warning about northwestern Syria today via a Deputy Foreign Minister.   The warning is that the presence of the terrorists (Al Qaeda and others) in northwestern Syria is something Russia will never put up with....TASS NEWS STORY

All this blah blah blah  (FAKE NEWS MISTER PRESIDENT) about civilians fleeing by the million and the risk of a "massacre" in Greater Idlib flies in the face of the reality about who's fighting who right now there on the ground.

NEXTRUSH UNPLUGGED:  STOPPING BERNIE THE NEVADA CAUCUS

Here we are at about 8 pm Eastern I see only four percent of the vote up on the link I will post below from National Public Radio.

My observations about elections and voting based on my experience over the years in the media, as a participant in active fights against the GOP Establishment that wants me to kiss its backside with  $$$$$$$$ this year claiming to be Trump supporters, etc..etc...etc......

They boil down to the fact that the longer we wait the more negative the results are for the Establishment, they bury them until late in the night.

Another fact the Establishment holds back precincts and lets them out later to play catch up when the outsiders are leading.    They can "fine tune" as in find the "storage room votes" to reverse negative results later on.

NEVADA DEMOCRAT CAUCUS NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO RESULTS LINK

I see Bernie with the checkmark next to his name so I guess they are admitting he won the thing.

Music Links:

"DISCO INFERNO"-THE TRAMMPS



"MY GIRL"-THE TEMPTATIONS



'WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN"-THE CARPENTERS



"INDIAN RESERVATION"-PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS



I've had an experience with Canada since the 1970's and have learned in sanity and sobriety that Canada, once in a cog in the wheel of the British Empire is now a cog in the wheel of the empire of the United States of  America.

The US opposed energy pipelines in the days of Obama so Justin Trudeau opposed energy pipelines.
When the White House changed hands and Donald Trump changed policy like the puppy dog Trudeau followed.

That's the Honest to G-d truth about how it works in Canada.    Canada's leaders put America First, too.

Native peoples are rising up in Canada to oppose the building of a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia out West.    The Mounties pushed the local group out of the way when they set up a blockade now more blockades affecting rail lines mainly and Prime Minister Trudeau saying yesterday they have to end.


One woman is looking back to 1990 when Canada's military intervened to stop a Mohawk protest at Oka in Quebec.

I was working my last days in the MSM back then mid-day news at a local station looking for video and stories to incorporate and I put this story into my newscasts when most US media were comotose to it.    I got no video from the network feed so I recorded it direct off CBC's mid-day news at 11 am Eastern for Atlantic Canada broadcast and used it on my program.


Here is Waneek Horn-Miller's story......

'THE TERROR WAS BROUGHT TO US': MEMORIES OF OKA RESURFACE AS RAIL BLOCKADE CRISIS CONTINUES

The latest news today is that the Western hereditary chiefs have arrived in Mohawk country in eastern Canada the center of the blockade effort in support of their cause.

CBC NEWS-THE CANADIAN PRESS-INDIGENOUS LEADERS MEET AT KAHNAWAKE AFTER TRUDEAU ORDERS BLOCKADES REMOVED

Protests in France today including one aimed at the visit of President Emmanuel Macron to an agricultural fair.    The Yellow Vests Week 67 amidst the movement against pension reform legislation now in the National Assembly.......FRANCE YELLOW VESTS WEEK 67

HEADING FOR THE REAL NEWS SUMMARY DOWN THE ROAD......

Music Links:

'COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE'-DR. HOOK

"ONE TOKE OVER THE LINE"-BREWER AND SHIPLEY



"MISSISSIPPI"-JOHN PHILLIPS



"CAREFREE HIGHWAY"-GORDON LIGHTFOOT



I was thinking about a TV show I saw when I was young called:

"Bridget Loves Bernie"

For some reason it seems appropriate to bring this up tonight.   It was a show about two young people in love who married but one was different from the other when these differences mattered to people as in Bridget the Irish Catholic girl and Bernie the Jewish guy....

Here'a a video showing the opening of the show.....BRIDGET LOVES BERNIE SHOW OPEN


The couple married in real life but the marriage broke up down the road.

NEXTRUSH UNPLUGGED: STOPPING BERNIE THE NEVADA CAUCUS

The call already made that Bernie won and latest count showing Bernie has the opposition in the palm of his hand with a 2-1 lead over Joe Biden his nearest competitor.

Its a blowout and the chattering heads of "corporate media" sounding the alarm about "socialism" in their own right reminding us that both political machines put business interests first and do the Conservative or Progressive talk to distract and divert from their real agenda.

CAN YOU SAY 'FRONT RUNNER' WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BERNIE SANDERS?

The blog of NBC offers live updates tonight....NBC NEVADA CAUCUS BLOG

THE REAL NEWS SUMMARY

The coronavirus spreading in nations outside of China.

Iran ordering closure of schools, universities and hospitals with six now dead and at least 28 cases nationwide.

The outbreak centered in a city of power in Iran, the holy city of Qom.

Iran's Press TV summarizes the situation......LINK

In Israel some 60 more students ordered into quarantine.   They were in the same location as a group from South Korea that contracted the coronavirus....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordering emergency measures late Saturday with the number of cases now reaching 79 in the country.  Two Italians have died from the coronavirus (Covid-19).

A dozen towns put under quarantine by the Italian government.....BBC NEWS STORY

The latest Sunday morning statistics from China are out with 97 new deaths in the last 24 hours......TASS NEWS STORY

In Syria government reinforcements moving into the Greater Idlib region.   Speculation about a possible offensive but also about building up defenses to counter Turkish reinforcements pouring into northwestern Syria in support of opposition jihadist forces.....SOUTHFRONT STORY

Its nine days until election day in Israel and stories with political implications leaking out for spreading by the media.   One such story is a trip by Israel's spy chief to the Arab oil kingdom of Qatar earlier this month.    

There Yossi Cohen advocated for Qatari money to continue to pour into Gaza which is controlled by the militant anti-Israel Hamas group.    

The story put out by Avigdor Lieberman leader of the Yisrael Beitenu (Israel Our Home) Party.  Lieberman trying to make the point to people under attack from rockets and other devices in southern Israel that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to appease their tormentors.

The Netanyahu camp firing back with accusations regarding violation of censorship rules in Israel by Mr. Lieberman.....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY

In London today a march in support of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange ahead of his extradition hearing Monday.   The US wants to prosecute Assange for his work with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning that revealed human rights abuses by US military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Celebrities like Roger Waters of Pink Floyd and Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde in attendance supporting Asaange.....TV NEW ZEALAND NEWS STORY

And that's the way it really is on this Saturday night February 22nd, 2020.......

Good Night and God Bless.   Lets wrap it up with music.......


Music Links:



"ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL"-PINK FLOYD



"MY CITY WAS GONE"-THE PRETENDERS (LIVE)



"WAR"-EDWIN STARR



"KODACHROME"-PAUL SIMON

FRANCE YELLOW VESTS WEEK 67:  PENSION BILL IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HOW WILL IT BE PASSED?

The pension reform plan of President Emmanuel Macron has finally made it to the floor of the National Assembly with thousands of amendments proposed seeming to mean a lengthy delay in its movement.

Premier Edouard Philippe may have an option available to him in France's constitution.    Its Article 49.3 which allows him to declare a law in force unless a majority can be summoned to vote it down.

Use of Article 49, Paragraph 3 would be a messy matter and is said not to be desired even by some members of the pro-Macron majority in the assembly.

More protests on the streets against pension reform this week and now another Saturday of Yellow Vests protests.



Yellow Vests activist Eric Drouet was pushed out of an agricultural show today as he showed up with other protesters at the site to be visited by President Emmanuel Macron today.    Shouts of "Dictatorship" as the prohibition on demonstrations at the show was enforced.    Drouet ended up being arrested accused of "rebellion".


ERIC DROUET CONFRONTATION VIDEO AFP NEWS AGENCY


A closer view of what happened provided by this ground level video.as the security team for President Macron forcibly expelled him from the show and placed him under arrest.


ERIC DROUET ARREST VIDEO 2/22/2020



Video now live from the protest of the Yellow Vests in Lille with a report by activist Judith Muijsers from the Netherlands.   Her detailed robust and sometimes profane commentary in English along with the video.


LIVE VIDEO STREAM FROM YELLOW VESTS WEEK 67 LILLE 2/22/2020


Mainstream media reporting nine arrests in Lille today.....LILLE YELLOW VESTS WEEK 67 2/22/2020....another video clip from Lille today.....LILLE YELLOW VESTS WEEK 67 SECOND VIDEO 2/22/2020



The video from Toulouse of today's Yellow Vests protest......


YELLOW VESTS WEEK 67 TOULOUSE 2/22/2020



The Yellow Vests again on the streets of Montpellier today......


YELLOW VESTS WEEK 67 MONTPELLIER 2/22/2020



Getting back to pension reform the National Assembly in session today able to vote on one amendment to the legislation dealing with family caregivers.   Many more in the pipeline.   Emmanuel Macron still faced opposition questioning at the agricultural fair today.   What about pensions for farmers?

Macron said it was impossible to revalue the existing pensions of farmers to 85 percent of France's minimum wage.


Getting back to the protests video of the Yellow Vests in Marseille.....MARSEILLE WEEK 67 YELLOW VESTS 2/22/2020


And finally its been reported today that Emmanuel Macron was inviting Yellow Vests to the Elysee Palace to meet with him.    That's in this next video clip at the start which then continues to show the protest of the Yellow Vests in Bordeaux today......


MACRON INVITATION AND BORDEAUX YELLOW VESTS WEEK 67 2/22/2020



And for now the story of the Yellow Vests and related issues going on in France right now.   Again no firm national numbers but certainty base on videos that thousands took to the streets again today.

NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT FRIDAY 2/21/2020  NEWSDUMP FRIDAY

(SERVICE WHEN ABLE WITH CONCLUSION LATE FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY)

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone today with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the situation in Syria.

The Kremlin issued a news release noting that Putin expressed concern about "ongoing aggressive actions of extremist groups".....TASS NEWS STORY

Russia's defense ministry says that large numbers of Turkish armored vehicles and huge caches of ammunition entering northwestern Syria point to apparent preparation for a large scale military operation that Turkey has been threatening for weeks......IRAN.... PRESS TV NEWS STORY.....SOUTHFRONT STORY

Russia countering mainstream media reports suggesting that as many as a million people are trying to flee the Greater Idlib region of Syria......TASS NEWS STORY   This report by Qatar's Al Jazeera is typical of those stories.....AL JAZEERA SYRIA 'BLOODBATH' STORY

Also word that Turkey denied Russian aircraft the ability to fly over its territory while enroute from Russia to Syria.....SOUTHFRONT STORY

THE PENTAGON AGAIN REVISING UPWARDS  FOR THE FIFTH TIME THE NUMBER OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES RESULTING FROM THE JANUARY 8TH MISSILE ATTACK BY IRAN ON THE AL-ASAD AIR BASE IN IRAQ.     THE NUMBER NOW SAID TO BE 110 INJURIES AMONG MEMBERS OF THE US MILITARY BASED THERE.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meeting with Saudi Arabia's top leadership in Riyadh.   Here is a statement on the meeting with King Salman....STATE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT

Pompeo also met the Deputy Defense Minister of "the Kingdom" and the de-facto ruler of the country Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.....STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN MEETING

Pompeo in the nearby kingdom of Oman meeting its leaders today.

Saudi air defenses intercepting Houthi drones and missiles targeting the industrial city of Yanbu.   The Houthi rebels of Yemen saying the attack was a response to Saudi airstrikes that killed 30 civilians in Yemen.

CANADA'S PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU APPEARING BEFORE THE MEDIA LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO SAY THAT INDIGENOUS BLOCKADES OF CANADA'S RAIL NETWORK ARE 'UNACCEPTABLE AND UNTENABLE' AND THAT THEY  MUST COME DOWN.

THE BLOCKADES ARE IN SUPPORT OF A WESTERN TRIBAL GROUP WHOSE BLOCKADE OF A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION ROUTE WAS BROKEN UP BY THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE.....CBC NEWS STORY

Germany taking steps to protect mosques and other locations following the attack on Turkish tobacco bars in the city of Hanau Wednesday night that killed nine and wounded others.   Additional police being deployed to places that might be attacked by what authorities are calling "far-right extremists".

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer linking hostility to Muslims to hostility to Jews saying in part:

"The security threat from right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism and racism is very high".....BBC NEWS STORY

Iran now says that there are 18 coronavirus cases in the country with four deaths.    13 new cases announced today.    A woman in Canada who visited Iran has been diagnosed with the virus.

Two South Korean cities have been declared "special care zones" because of the spread of the coronavirus.     There are 52 new confirmed cases in the country Friday with 53 reported on Thursday.......BBC NEWS STORY

The Russians are at it again we are being told.   Russia accused of interfering in the 2020 presidential election.     The source of the information is an aide to the acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire.

That aide Shelby Pierson briefed House lawmakers with the information on Thursday February 13th.

President Trump opting this week not to make Maguire the permanent DNI chief, instead choosing US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell for the post.....FORBES.COM STORY

Speaking this evening in Las Vegas the President said that any notion that Russia is interfering in the election to help him is propaganda from the Democrat Party.

From Moscow the Kremlin spokesman speaking of what's being said inside the intelligence community in the US as "paranoid"....TASS NEWS STORY

Also Russia is being accused of staging a cyber attack on the neighboring Republic of Georgia.

Bernie Sanders with a warning to Russia to "stay out of American elections".   Sanders says that intelligence officials told him last month about Russian efforts to aid his presidential campaign.

Sanders calling Russia's President Vladimir Putin an "autocratic thug" who is spreading propaganda in the United States to sow division.

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MICHAEL BLOOMBERG IS SAYING THAT HIS COMPANY IS READY TO BACK OUT OF THREE NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS WITH FORMER FEMALE EMPLOYEES.     THE WOMEN REPORTEDLY HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHAT BLOOMBERG HAD SAID TO THEM.

Ireland's parliament found itself in deadlock when it came back into session following the recent elections.    The "mainstream" Fianna Foil and Fine Gael parties reduced while the left-wing Sinn Fein party rose in support.     The leaders of all three parties nominated to be Prime Minister and all failing to get majority support in votes last evening. 

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald getting 45 votes of support, the most of the three leading party leaders.   Some 80 votes would be needed to form a government.  

 The current Prime Minister Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar resigning to stay on in a caretaker role until a new government can be formed.

More from "RTE News" in Ireland......LINK

The "reduction in violence" period of confidence building between the US and Taliban in Afghanistan set to begin Saturday.

"This is an important step on a long road to peace" the words of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Late word is that an agreement is slated to be signed next Saturday February 29th between the US and Taliban that will lead to withdrawal of some of the US troops in Afghanistan and talks between the Taliban and US government.  

President Trump travelling to India next week putting him in close proximity to Afghanistan and to Doha, Qatar where US-Taliban talks have taken place.   Will he participate in the signing of an agreement?

Israel's election just 10 days away and the polls are coming fast and furious.     One poll for the third election in less than a year shows the Blue and White Party of former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Benny Gantz at 36 seats with Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud at 33 seats.    Neither bloc of "Left" parties or "Right" parties able to command the 61 seats needed for a majority.....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY

Israel's arch-enemy Iran holding elections today.    Many names on the ballot but only those candidates approved by the country's religious leaders.    The Shia Muslim ayatollahs hold ultimate power over the government.

The government urging Iranians to show up at the polls to show defiance of the United States led sanctions campaign against the country.

A court in Thailand ordering dissolution of the Future Forward Party because of a loan from its leader.

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit led anti-government protests in the Thai capital of Bangkok last year.  He and 15 other party executives ordered banned from politics for 10 years....UPI NEWS STORY

Wells Fargo Bank is paying a 3 billion dollar fine to resolve a civil suit and criminal prosecution by the federal government.

The case involves the establishment of fake accounts by Wells Fargo done to reach sales quotas to create new accounts.    This was done without the knowledge or consent of the people who had the accounts established in their names.

More from NBC News......LINK

There will be a fifth day of jury deliberations Monday at the Harvey Weinstein rape and sexual assault trial in New York.    Today the jurors asked for testimony from the trial leading observers to believe jury may be deadlocked over the most serious charges against the movie mogul and long time Democrat Party donor.......CBS NEWS STORY VIDEO EMBEDDED LINK

And that's the way it really is Friday February 21st, 2020/