Canada
The Trudeau Gov has added Proud boys and 3 other extreme movements to a list of 13 groups others added to terrorist list. These far right white supremacist, neo nazi movements now rank with ISIS and Al Qaeda.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-proud-boys-among-13-groups-added-to-canadas-list-of-terrorist/
Designation of a terrorist group means police can seize the property of the group or its members; banks can seize their assets. It’s a crime to knowingly provide assistance to a designated group to facilitate or carry out attacks. Group members may be denied entry to Canada.
The government also added the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi group whose members participated in the violent 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, The Base, another neo-Nazi group, and the Russian Imperial Movement. On Back Story podcast I discussed with The Soufan centre think tank in New York the possibility the U.S. Gov may do the same because the FBI complains without a terrorist designation if becomes more difficult for surveillance and monitoring of Int. connections, and tracing banking assets.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/episodes/7307512
Russian Kill Squad - more deaths?
Scenes of scores of anti-riot police in Moscow following the sentencing of Alexei Navalny for 2 1/2 years were suffocating. A police state, Russia is showing it won’t tolerate dissent of any kind even if it is in the form of peaceful protests. The poisoning, and jailing of Navalny is a human rights outrage, and has drawn criticism from every Western leader including President Biden and his new Sec. of State Antony Blinken.
Blinken called for Mr Navalny's immediate and unconditional release, and said he would work closely with allies to hold Russia accountable for "failing to uphold the rights of its citizens". Translation - sanctions are in the offing and they will target Putins inner circle, a list of about 3 dozen oligarchs who have amassed huge fortunes under Putin’s 20 year rule.
On Back Story my latest podcast interview is with Eliot Higgins one of the founders of Bellingcat. Bellingcat uses open source intelligence to identify crimes such as the identities of the FSB officers who poisoned Navalny. Breaking: Higgins told me in my interview that Bellingcat has evidence Russian authorities are linked to as many as 8 more assassinations or assassination attempts and will publish this material soon.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/7650367
Navalny faces more dubious fraud charges and The Kremlin appears to want to keep him in prison for 10 years or more. But protests in Russia this weekend will be potentially huge, with calls for Putin to resign. And of course the police will try to suppress dissent in a brutal manner as we have already seen.
This story in The Moscow Times is with Navalny’s aid urging Europe towards sanctions of Putin’s inner circle:
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/02/03/top-navalny-aide-urges-eu-to-go-after-putins-money-a72824
European Vaccinations Covid
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson bragged on TV last night Britain has now administered 10 million vaccines. He needs some good news after he has been berated for a bungled Covid response which has brought the UK over one hundred thousand deaths. The UK is now past the 2nd wave peak, but there are months ahead of pressure on hospitals. And a new study is underway mixing and matching vaccines to see if the 2nd dose can be from a different vaccine manufacturer. And what’s the best period between the first and second dose which was originally recommended to be 4 weeks, but the Gov has changed that gap to 12 weeks.
https://metro.co.uk/2021/02/02/covid-vaccine-uk-10-million-doses-in-total-have-been-given-14009662/
And studies now show Astrazeneca’s vaccine will limit severe Covid but also limits transmission, which is a huge finding to slow the pandemic;
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-02-02-oxford-coronavirus-vaccine-shows-sustained-protection-76-during-3-month-interval
Meantime European leaders are under criticism for a much slower vaccine rollout than The UK. They took 3 months longer to sign vaccine contracts. And now a new surge is threatening France with a 3rd national lockdown. Portugals surge is so overwhelming is has accepted Doctors and nurses and hospital beds from Germany.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/03/eu-leaders-begin-feel-heat-slow-covid-vaccine-rollout
Marginal Marjorie
U.S. Republican QAnon lunatic Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ridiculous statements calling into question tragic school shootings, calls to assassinate democrats, and an assertion California forest fires were started by space lasers controlled by jews, are so outlandish and offensive but did Republicans move to strip her of her committee appointments including the education committee? No which tells you a lot about how steadfast Republican support of their colleagues will be placing party loyalty over morality and decency.
Today Democrats will call a vote of the full house chamber to strip her of her committee assignments.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/us/politics/kevin-mccarthy-marjorie-taylor-greene.html
Capitol Riot Organizers
The RICO statue is normally reserved for organized crime figures who order murder and mayhem but never get their hands dirty. And in addition to going after mob bosses who order crimes, it also allows seizures of assets from crime.
The justice department is not considering RICO in the case of those who organized the Capitol riot but didn’t necessarily participate.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-capitol-rico-exclusive-idUSKBN2A32W2
That’s our news letter for today. Please subscribe and your are invited to become a 5 dollar a month paid subscriber, or not! Have a good day everyone.