THIS IS YOUR GRANPAPIES GOP

Viral montage reveals 'despicable' GOP history of rape comments: 'This is the Republican Party'

Alex Henderson, AlterNet
September 15, 2021

Rick Santorum (CNN)

When a reporter recently asked Gov. Greg Abbott to address the fact that Texas' draconian new anti-abortion law makes no exception for rape or incest victims, his bizarre response was that the law doesn't punish rape victims because Texas will "work tirelessly" to "eliminate all rapists" in his state. Abbott has drawn widespread criticism for that comment, and some of the criticism has come from the progressive group MeidasTouch — which, this week, released a scathing video showing some of the appalling things that Republicans have said about rape in the past.

Tweeting the video, MeidasTouch urged Twitter users to retweet it if they "agree the GOP are the most despicable force for evil in America" — and the comments from Republicans are, to be sure, despicable.

One of the comments is from former Rep. Todd Akin, who former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill (now an MSNBC contributor) defeated in Missouri's 2012 U.S. Senate race before losing to now-Sen. Josh Hawley in 2018. Akin, in 2012, infamously commented, "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who was voted out of office in 2006, is seen in the video urging rape victims to "make the most of a bad situation" and "accept what God is giving to you."

Former Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, in the video, says of pregnant rape victims, "Even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, it is something that God intended to happen."

The video shows former Rep. Steve King of Iowa commenting, "If not for rape and incest, would there be any population left?"

Another Republican seen in the video is former Maine State Rep. Lawrence Lockman, who said, "If a woman has the right to an abortion, why shouldn't a man be free to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman? At least the rapist's pursuit of sexual freedom doesn't, in most cases, result in anyone's death."

MeidasTouch, after showing that montage of Republicans, tells viewers, "This is the Republican Party. Never forget."

The video, according to HuffPost, has "garnered more than 700,000 views on Twitter."

Three ex-US intelligence officers admit cyberspying for Emiratis

by Reuters

15 September 2021

---

Three former US intelligence operatives who worked as cyber spies for the United Arab Emirates admitted to violating U.S. hacking laws and prohibitions on selling sensitive military technology, under a deal to avoid prosecution announced on Tuesday.

The operatives - Marc Baier, Ryan Adams and Daniel Gericke - were part of a clandestine unit named Project Raven, first reported by Reuters, that helped the UAE spy on its enemies.

At the behest of the UAE’s monarchy, the Project Raven team hacked into the accounts of human rights activists, journalists and rival governments, Reuters reported.

One of the three ex-officials, Daniel Gericke, is the CIO at ExpressVPN, one of the largest virtual private network (VPN) providers. Kape Technologies announced acquiring ExpressVPN for $936 million this Monday.

ExpressVPN released a statement claiming the company was aware of Gericke's employment past. 

"Daniel has a deep understanding of the tools and techniques used by the adversaries we aim to protect users against, and as such is a uniquely qualified expert to advise on defense against such threats," reads the statement.

Reuters report that the three men admitted to hacking into computer networks in the United States and exporting sophisticated cyber intrusions tools without gaining required permission from the U.S. government, according to court papers released in U.S. federal court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

The former operatives and their attorneys did not respond to requests for comment by Reuters. The UAE embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As part of the deal with federal authorities to avoid prosecution, the three former intelligence officials agreed to pay a combined $1.69 million and never again seek a U.S. security clearance, a requirement for jobs that entail access to national security secrets.

“Hackers-for-hire and those who otherwise support such activities in violation of U.S. law should fully expect to be prosecuted for their criminal conduct,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the Justice Department’s National Security Division said in a statement.

Revelations of Project Raven in 2019 by Reuters highlighted the growing practice of former intelligence operatives selling their spycraft overseas with little oversight or accountability.

“This is a clear message to anybody, including former U.S. government employees, who had considered using cyberspace to leverage export-controlled information for the benefit of a foreign government or a foreign commercial company,” Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division said in a statement. “There is risk, and there will be consequences.”

Lori Stroud, a former U.S. National Security Agency analyst who worked on Project Raven and then acted as a whistleblower, said she was pleased to see the charges.

“The most significant catalyst to bringing this issue to light was investigative journalism - the timely, technical information reported created the awareness and momentum to ensure justice," she said.

The Reuters investigation found that Project Raven spied on numerous human rights activists, some of whom were later tortured by UAE security forces. Former program operatives said they believed they were following the law because superiors promised them the U.S. government had approved the work.

Baier, Adams and Gericke admitted to deploying a sophisticated cyberweapon called “Karma” that allowed the UAE to hack into Apple iPhones without requiring a target to click on malicious links, according to court papers.

Karma allowed users to access tens of millions of devices and qualified as an intelligence gathering system under federal export control rules. But the operatives did not obtain the required U.S. government permission to sell the tool to the UAE, authorities said.

Project Raven used Karma to hack into thousands of targets including a Nobel Prize-winning Yemeni human rights activist and a BBC television show host, Reuters reported.

Reporting by Christopher Bing and Joel Schectman; Editing by Kieran Murray and Stephen Coates. Additional info by CyberNews.

DEADLY FLIP FLOP TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

Alberta to bring in COVID-19 passport, declares health emergency

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, facing a COVID-19 crisis that is collapsing the province's health-care system, says his government will implement a vaccine passport.

Kenney also declared Wednesday a state of public health emergency, with strict new limits on gatherings, and warned the province is at risk of exhausting intensive care beds and staff within 10 days.

Kenney said he was reluctant to approve what he called the "restriction exemption program."

"With unvaccinated patients overwhelming now our hospitals, this is now the only responsible choice that we have," he said.

Several provinces are bringing in vaccine passports, which compel people to prove they have been vaccinated before being allowed to use non-essential services such as pubs and restaurants.

Kenney had resisted such measures for health privacy reasons. But critics said he did so for political reasons to prevent a revolt by anti-restriction members of his United Conservative caucus.

Alberta lifted almost all public health restrictions more than two months ago and is facing skyrocketing COVID-19 cases that have pushed intensive care beds beyond normal capacity and forced mass cancellation of non-urgent surgeries.

Kenney apologized Wednesday and said lifting the restrictions was the wrong call.

"The government’s first obligation must be to avoid large numbers of preventable deaths. We must deal with the reality we are facing. We cannot wish it away."

Alberta has more than 18,000 active cases — the most of any province. On Wednesday, there were 877 people in hospital with the illness, including 218 in intensive care.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press

Australian species saved from extinction in 'incredible first' - with help from guard dogs


By Adam Vidler

Sep 15, 2021

Today has seen a remarkable first for Australian wildlife, with an animal species classified as extinct in the wild being saved from a complete wipeout - and even getting their own guard dogs in the process

The eastern barred bandicoot in Victoria has been the focus of a 30-year-long rescue program after its population shrank to just 150 animals in the wild in 1989, near the Victorian town of Hamilton.

The once-common species had been driven to the brink of extinction by habitat destruction and by the predations of foxes and cats - neither native to Australia.

The eastern barred bandicoot has been officially brought back from the brink of extinction. (Zoos Victoria)

Volunteers and government agencies have since managed to establish populations at feral predator-free sites at Woodlands Historic Park, Hamilton Community Parklands, Mt Rothwell, and Tilverton.

At a further two sites at Skipton and Dunkeld, bandicoot populations are protected by guardian dogs trained by Zoos Victoria.

The dogs are actually bonded to protect flocks of sheep on the same reserves, but are trained to leave the bandicoots alone and focus on driving away foxes.

READ MORE: Koala bushfire survivor spotted in wild with joey

The once-common Victorian animal had been declared extinct in the wild, but populations have now been returned from captivity to reserves. (Zoos Victoria)

"The dogs are not bonded directly to the bandicoots as they are solitary and nocturnal – so they do not flock," Zoos Victoria guardian dog coordinator David Williams said.
Bandicoots from captive breeding programs and fenced reserves have also been successfully translocated to secure, fox-free habitats on Phillip, Churchill and French Islands, where significant populations are now thriving.
These combined sites are now home to about 1500 eastern barred bandicoots, prompting the species to be reclassified from "extinct in the wild" to "endangered".

At two of the reserves, the bandicoots will be protected from foxes by guardian dogs trained by Zoos Victoria. (Zoos Victoria)

Victoria Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio announced the success of the program today, calling it an "incredible first for Australia".

"This success is due to the efforts of every member of the recovery team," she said.
"Community volunteers have played a big role at many of the reintroduction sites, helping check fences, count bandicoots and remove weeds and pests."

Hope for rare mammal thought wiped out by Australian bushfires

Australian species saved from extinction in 'incredible first' - with help from guard dogs

Guardian dogs protecting endangered bandicoots

Australia’s extinction crisis

Koalas are facing extinction

NAFTA RAILROAD

Canadian Pacific clinches $27-billion Kansas City Southern deal as rival bows out

(Reuters) -Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd inked a $27.2 billion cash-and-stock deal to buy Kansas City Southern on Wednesday after Canadian National Railway Co conceded it could not save its own $29.6-billion deal for the U.S. railway.

FILE PHOTO: A Canadian National Railway train travels westward on a track in Montreal

The combination will create the first direct railway linking Canada, the United States and Mexico, with a network spanning 20,000 miles and approximately $8.7 billion of annual revenue. It marks the end of a high-stakes bidding war.

The $300 per share cash-and-stock deal that Canadian Pacific clinched is higher than the $275 per share cash-and-stock deal that it had secured in March to buy Kansas City Southern. That deal was scrapped when Canadian National wooed Kansas City Southern in May with a $325 per share cash-and-stock offer.

Kansas City Southern shares were little changed at $281.55 in Wednesday trading in New York.

Canadian National suffered a blow when the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) rejected a temporary “voting trust” structure last month that would have allowed Kansas City Southern shareholders to receive the deal’s consideration without having to wait for full regulatory approval.

Canadian Pacific has had its proposed voting trust cleared by the STB and so Kansas City Southern shareholders will receive the $300 per share in cash and stock even if the regulator shoots down the deal. The regulatory certainty this provided convinced Kansas City Southern’s board to switch to a deal with Canadian Pacific, even though its offer was lower than Canadian National’s.

Canadian National had also faced pressure from some of its investors, including hedge fund TCI Management Ltd, to abandon its pursuit of Kansas City Southern. Canadian National shares jumped 3.7% on Wednesday to C$150.97, as its investors expressed relief the attempted deal was abandoned.

This is because a new offer would need to compensate Kansas City Southern for the regulatory risk of sticking with the Canadian National deal. This would have likely required a significantly higher price, as well a regulatory break-up fee that would be much higher than the $1 billion Canadian National offered previously.

The STB said last month that even though the overlap of Canadian National’s and Kansas City Southern’s networks was confined to 70 miles (113 km) between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the two railways operated parallel lines in the central portion of the United States and could be under less pressure to compete if the voting trust for that deal was approved.

“There have been significant changes to the U.S. regulatory landscape since Canadian National launched its initial proposal which have made completing any Class I merger much less certain, including an executive order focused on competition issued by President Biden in July,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

There is a silver lining for Canadian National. It is now entitled to a $700 million break-up fee from Kansas City Southern, in addition to the $700 million it paid the latter to pass on to Canadian Pacific as a break-up fee for terminating their March deal. Canadian Pacific had said it will cover both payments.

CANADIAN PACIFIC NOT IN THE CLEAR YET

There are still potential pitfalls for Canadian Pacific. While no major Canadian Pacific shareholder has come out against the Kansas City Southern deal, as happened with Canadian National, Canadian Pacific still needs a majority of its investors to vote for the new agreement.

It is also possible that the STB shoots down Canadian Pacific’s deal for Kansas City Southern, even though it approved the voting trust for it. More likely, however, would be for the STB to require some concessions from Canadian Pacific, such as limited divestments or commitments on how much its charges customers, to clear the deal, people familiar with the matter said. It is possible that some of the concessions could erode Canadian Pacific’s profitability.

The STB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

If the STB rejects the deal, Canadian Pacific’s voting trust would have to divest Kansas City Southern. Canadian National could then attempt to buy it, though the U.S. railroad has also attracted acquisition interest in the past from private equity firms.

Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New YorkAdditional reporting by Aishwarya Nair, Aakriti Bhalla and Abhijith Ganapavaram in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Arun Koyyur and Bernadette Baum

REMEMBER ; TRUMP DEFEATED ISIS

17 Pro-Iran Militants Killed, Injured in ISIS Attack in Central Syria

Wednesday, 15 September, 2021

Members of the Liwa Fatemiyoun during training in eastern Syria.

 (Euphrates Post file photo)
Idlib, Qamishli, Damascus – Firas Karam, Kamal Sheikho and Asharq Al-Awsat

Seventeen members of the pro-Iran Liwa Fatemiyoun militia were killed and wounded in an attack carried out by the ISIS terrorist group in the Homs countryside in central Syria.

A source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the militants, who are affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, were killed in an ISIS ambush on Monday night.

The ambush targeted a Liwa Fatemiyoun military position in the Doubayat gas field area that is a stronghold of the militia.

Eight members of the militia were killed in the attack. Nine others were wounded and they were taken to a field hospital in Palmyra for treatment.

Groups affiliated with the IRGC in Palmyra attempted to dispatch military reinforcements to the site of the attack, but it was targeted by another ISIS ambush along the road connecting Plamyra to al-Sukhna region.

This forced Russian jets to intervene. They carried out over 20 strikes against ISIS in the area.

An opposition activist in the city of Salamiyah said ISIS has increased its activity in the Syrian desert in Hama, Homs and central parts of the country in recent weeks. It has staged surprise attacks against IRGC positions and regime convoys in the desert (Badia).

Vehicles transporting pro-Iran militants, of various nationalities, cross Salamiyah on a daily basis headed towards the Hama desert to reinforce positions there, he revealed.

Several pro-Iran militants have been killed in ISIS attacks in recent days in regions in eastern Hama. Convoys transporting regime fighters, including officers, have also been targeted by the extremists. Thirteen regime forces were killed and five others were captured in one attack.

The regime and pro-Iran militias, backed by Russian air cover, have launched a large-scale operation to crackdown on ISIS remnants in the Syrian Badia in Hama and Homs, extending to the southern and eastern parts of the Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces in the east.

Despite these efforts, the operation has not curbed ISIS’ renewed activity. The group has resorted to ambushes and surprise attacks. Over 115 regime loyalists, including Iranians and Afghan mercenaries, have been killed in ISIS attacks in recent months.

A FIERCENESS OF SPIRIT

Stunning TV figures for US Open finals confirm appeal of Emma Raducanu

• Kevin Palmer
• September 15, 2021

The TV viewing figures are in for this year’s US Open and they confirm that more tuned in to watch the women’s final between Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez and for Novak Djokovic’s shot at a history-making calendar Grand Slam.

The story written by teenagers Raducanu and Fernandez at the US Open captured the attention of the sporting world, as tennis reached out beyond its traditional fan base to attract huge publicity as the Brit beat her Canadian rival.

ESPN figures confirm 3.4 million tuned in to watch the women’s US Open, with 2.7 million watching the men’s final the next day between Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.

Even though Djokovic was attempting to claim a calendar Grand Slam of titles, the lure of seeing two new stars aiming to claim their first major title proved to be irresistible for TV audiences, in what could be a key moment for the women’s game.

The superstar status of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic has given the men’s game a golden era that has ensured their viewing figures have been ahead of the women’s matches.

Yet that could all be about to change with interest in Raducanu and Fernandez certain to be high when they play their next match.

The US viewing figures for the US Open were small compared to the UK, where the Raducanu story drew an audience of 9.2million for the final on Channel 4, after rights holders Amazon Prime Sport agreed to share coverage on a network channel given the significance of the match.

“We’re delighted that Channel 4, in partnership with Amazon Prime Video, could enable more than nine million people to enjoy one of the most thrilling and historic nights of British sport in a generation,” said Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer, Channel 4.

Amazon pledged to reinvest its revenue into the UK women’s tennis scene and are now set for a big boost as they have UK rights for the ATP and WTA Tour, where both Raducanu and Fernandez will be huge attractions when they return to action.

UH OH

Ebola virus in survivors can trigger outbreaks years after infection

Guinea began a new round of Ebola vaccinations this year after an outbreak of the virus that research found stemmed from a survivor 

CAROL VALADE AFP/File

Issued on: 15/09/2021 -

Tokyo (AFP)

Ebola survivors can relapse and trigger outbreaks at least five years after infection, and long-term follow-up of former patients is needed to prevent devastating flare-ups, according to new research.

Scientists already knew Ebola could lie dormant in survivors, who test negative because the virus is in tissue rather than circulating in the blood.

But analysis of an outbreak this year in Guinea, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, found these "virus reservoirs" can awaken and cause new infections and transmission years on.

To trace the source of the Guinea outbreak, which involved 16 confirmed cases, 12 of whom died, researchers analysed the genomes of samples from several patients.

Ebola outbreaks are usually thought to result from the virus "spilling" from an animal host to a human.

But the analysis showed the Guinea strain was virtually identical to that from a 2013-16 wave.

If the virus had been circulating actively in the community since then, it would have accumulated a certain number of mutations as it spread.

Instead, the 2021 virus had just 12 changes, "far fewer than would be expected... during six years of sustained human-to-human transmission".

That strongly suggests the source was reactivated virus that had lain dormant in a survivor, said Alpha Keita, a researcher at the University of Montpellier who led the study.

"This is the longest known time between the declared end of an epidemic and a viral resurgence," he told AFP.

"It's a new paradigm: the possibility that transmission from an individual infected during a previous epidemic could be the source of a new outbreak."

How and why dormant Ebola virus suddenly awakens and sickens a person remains something of a mystery, though there are some tantalising clues.

Sometimes a spike in Ebola antibodies can be detected in survivors at a given time -- a possible sign that the body is responding to a resurgent virus.

Around two-thirds of Ebola survivors have high antibody levels even five years after infection, but "the question to pose is what happens if there's a resurgence in the people whose immunity has dropped", said Keita.

- Fears of stigma -

The study's findings have "considerable implications for public health and care of survivors of Ebola", said Robert F. Garry of Tulane University's School of Medicine.

"Humans can now be added to the list of intermediate hosts that can serve as long-term Ebola virus 'reservoirs' and trigger new outbreaks," he wrote in a review commissioned by Nature.

He sees the need to prioritise healthcare workers for vaccination and monitor Ebola survivors for signs of a flare-up.

And Keita wants a rethink of the term "Ebola survivor" to include not only those who battled through symptoms but also those who may have been infected without becoming ill.

Even asymptomatic individuals "could be the starting point" for an outbreak, he warned.

"We need a real, long-term follow-up protocol for former Ebola patients and their contacts so we can catch resurgence in previously infected people in time."

He cautions though that follow-up must be done cautiously to avoid ostracisation of survivors, a point echoed by Trudie Lang, director of Oxford University's Global Health Network.

"These people are considered heroes by some for surviving," she said.

"Yet (they) could also be stigmatised and excluded if there is a fear of these individuals presenting a risk."

Lang, who was not involved in the study, called it "important new evidence," and a reminder of the need to support research on threats other than Covid-19.

Keita said the research paves the way for various additional study, including on what causes viral resurgence and the possibility of eradicating Ebola reservoirs in survivors.

© 2021 AFP

Ebola: Profile of a dreaded killer

Detection by mutation John SAEKI AFP


Issued on: 15/09/2021 - 17:24

Paris (AFP)

Ebola, which could reappear years later in survivors according to a study published by the journal Nature on Wednesday, has killed more than 15,000 people since 1976.

Here is a factfile on the widely feared disease:

- Origins -

Ebola is a viral haemorrhagic fever that was first identified in central Africa in 1976. The disease was named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire.

Five of the virus species are known to cause disease in humans -- Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo, Reston and Tai Forest.

The first three have resulted in serious outbreaks in Africa.

- Transmission -

The virus' natural reservoir animal is suspected to be a species of fruit bat, which does not itself fall ill but can pass the disease on to primates, including humans. Humans become exposed to the virus if they kill or butcher infected bats for food.

Among humans, the virus is passed on by contact with the blood, body fluids, secretions or organs of an infected or recently deceased person. This can include touching a sick or dead person, and likely also sexual intercourse.

Those infected do not become contagious until symptoms appear. They become more and more contagious until just after their death, which poses great risks during funerals.

Death rates are high, at around 50 percent on average of those infected, and up to 90 percent for some epidemics, World Health Organization (WHO) data show.

According to the study published Wednesday, it is possible that Ebola remains dormant in survivors before reappearing several years later and potentially causing a new outbreak.

- Symptoms -

Following an incubation period of between two and 21 days, Ebola develops into a high fever, weakness, intense muscle and joint pain, headaches and a sore throat.

The initial symptoms are often followed by vomiting and diarrhoea, skin eruptions, kidney and liver failure, and sometimes internal and external bleeding.

- Treatment -

A vaccine developed by the US group Merck Sharp and Dohme was found to be very effective in a major study carried out in Guinea in 2015.

It was pre-qualified by the WHO and more than 300,000 doses have been used during a vaccination programme in the DR Congo.

A second experimental vaccine developed by the US group Johnson & Johnson was introduced preventively in October 2019 in areas that had not been affected by the virus, and more than 20,000 people were inoculated.

- Worst epidemic (2013-2016) -

The worst-ever Ebola outbreak began in December 2013 in southern Guinea before spreading to two neighbouring West African countries, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

That outbreak killed more than 11,300 people out of nearly 29,000 registered cases, according to WHO estimates.

- 10th and 11th DR Congo epidemics -

The 10th epidemic began in August 2018 in the North Kivu province of DR Congo. The WHO declared it a global health threat in July 2019.

DR Congo authorities declared it over in June the following year after around 2,280 people had died, making it Africa's second-worst Ebola outbreak.

That month in the Equateur province, an 11th Ebola epidemic began and it was declared over in November, with 55 deaths.

- DR Congo, Guinea -

The DR Congo said in February 2021 that a resurgence of the virus had been identified in an eastern part of the country.

Vaccines were rolled out and the 12th epidemic was declared over in May, at a cost of six lives.

Guinea also reported an "epidemic situation" in its southeast in February. After the rapid use of vaccines, the official end of the second epidemic was declared in June after 12 deaths.

- Ivory Coast: False alarm -

On August 14, Ivory Coast announced its first known case of the disease since 1994, in an 18-year-old Guinean woman recently arrived in Abidjan.

But after new studies by the Institut Pasteur in France, the WHO announced at the end of August that the patient had not had the disease and there was "no evidence" of Ebola in the country.

© 2021 AFP

CAPITALI$T PHILANTHROPY

Mercers discovered giving $20 million to a front group that then funded efforts to overturn the 2020 election

Sarah K. Burris
September 15, 2021

Far-right Republican mega-donors Robert and Rebekah Mercer (Screen capture)

The rich donors Robert and Rebekah Mercer reportedly used a front group called the Donors Trust to funnel nearly $20 million to a shadow group.

CNBC reported that a new 990 form filing revealed that the wealthy family funneled the hefty donation to their foundation that hasn't spent any money since Trump's first election.

"The Donors Trust takes the money it receives and funnels it to groups of their donors' choosing. It does not legally have to publicly disclose who is giving to their group or where specific financiers targeted their donations," said CNBC.

So, the Mercers gave the $20 million to Donors Trust and the Donors Trust can give funds to anyone without it being directly tied to the family.

Among the recent money given from Donors Trust include groups that pushed the "big lie" and false claims of election fraud after President Joe Biden defeated Trump in 2020. The group also gave 2019 donations to the VDARE Foundation, which the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled a hate group. Donors Trust is a 501(c)(3) organization that doesn't have to pay taxes to operate. Specifics about who Donors Trust gave the money to won't be uncovered until later this year.

"Last year, outside of the donation to Donors Trust, the new 990 form shows that the only other contribution the foundation made was $9,000 to the American Association for Aerosol Research, a nonprofit that touts sponsors such as NASA and 3M," the report also explained.

The Mercers were funders behind the new social media site Parler, which welcomes those who have been removed by leading social media sites for violating the terms of service. It's a gathering place for white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other extremist groups.

"Robert Mercer, and his three daughters, Rebekah, Jennifer and Heather, are all directors of their family foundation. In the buildup to the election, CNBC reported that the Mercers had opted to distance themselves from Trump and Republican leadership after they were scrutinized for helping to bankroll the New York real estate magnate and reality TV star's successful run for president in 2016," the report recalled.

Trump has been shouting about voter fraud since 2016 when he claimed that he actually won the national popular vote because 3 million immigrants voted illegally in California. But when Trump appointed Kris Kobach to "find" the fraud, even he couldn't uncover any false votes, much less 3 million.

When 2020 came, Trump started spreading rumors of election fraud before the election even started. After losing to Biden, Trump pressed election officials in Arizona and Georgia demanding that they overturn the election. Trump allies in Arizona made the biggest effort to do so by hiring the Cyber Ninjas firm to have an "audit" where they investigated ballots for conspiracy theories pushed on social media.

Even former Trump Attorney General William Barr made it clear that there was no voter fraud, despite Trump's claims.

Democrats have pressed universal voting protections Republicans are passing in red states to make it even harder to cast a ballot in future elections. Typically moderate Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced that they refused to support the legislation.

Collins said specifically that she didn't see why the federal government should have a role in determining a state's election laws. The 1965 Voting Rights Act, advocated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists, was a federal law aimed at helping protect the right for all American to vote without burdensome barriers.

Brazil's Bolsonaro 'threatening' democracy: rights group

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (R) has launched fiery attacks on the Supreme Court and the country's election system, prompting Human Rights Watch to warn that he is "threatening democratic rule" 

EVARISTO SA AFP

Issued on: 15/09/2021 - 

Brasília (AFP)

President Jair Bolsonaro is "threatening democratic rule" with his attacks on Brazil's Supreme Court and electoral system, the non-governmental group Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned Wednesday.

At an Independence Day rally last week the far-right leader fired off a warning at the Supreme Court, which has ordered an investigation of him, saying it would "suffer the consequences" unless it backed off.

He also renewed his attack on the country's electronic voting system ahead of elections in 2022.

"President Jair Bolsonaro is threatening democratic rule in Brazil," the rights body said in a statement released on September 15, which is observed as the International Day of Democracy.

"He is pursuing campaigns to intimidate the Supreme Court, signaling that he may attempt to cancel the 2022 election or otherwise deny Brazilians the right to elect their leaders, and violating critics' freedom of expression."

Bolsonaro's recent speeches were part of a "pattern of actions and statements that appear designed to undermine fundamental rights, democratic institutions, and the rule of law in Brazil," HRW added.

Two days after his vehement criticism of Brazil's federal institutions in front of thousands of supporters in Sao Paulo, the president sought to back off, insisting his jabs had been made "in the heat of the moment."

Yet, "he did not backtrack from his unproven claim that Brazil's electoral system is unreliable," HRW pointed out.

Bolsonaro, whose popularity is at an all-time low, is seeking to fire up his base in the face of a flagging economy, soaring unemployment and inflation, and a series of investigations targeting him and his inner circle.

The president is also under fire for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed more than 587,000 lives in Brazil.

Bolsonaro, who backed Donald Trump's claim of fraud in last year's US presidential election, warned in January that the chaos that rocked Washington as Trump refused to concede could repeat in Brazil or "even worse," as he sought once again to cast doubt on Brazil's voting system.

© 2021 AFP