'Concerning': NASA head thinks Elon Musk should be investigated after explosive report

Erik De La Garza
October 25, 2024 

Elon Musk participates in a SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 Launch Briefing in 2020. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)


Calling reports of ongoing conversations between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Russian President Vladimir Putin “concerning,” the head of NASA on Thursday called for an investigation into the bombshell accounts "if the story is true."

The comments came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk, a vocal Trump supporter, and Putin had been in regular communication for at least two years. The report also revealed that the world's richest man and the Russian leader discussed issues ranging from “personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions.”

“I don’t know that that story is true. I think it should be investigated,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Friday at a Semafor conference. “If the story is true that there have been multiple conversations between Elon Musk and the president of Russia then I think that would be concerning, particularly for NASA, for the Department of Defense, for some of the intelligence agencies.”

White House officials have said they were aware of the Journal story, but a spokesman for the National Security Council, John Kirby, said he was “not in a position to corroborate the veracity of those reports, and we would refer you to Mr. Musk to speak to his private communications,” according to the Journal

The publication notes that Musk’s security clearance gives him access to certain classified information and that he has “deep business ties with U.S. military and intelligence agencies. SpaceX, which operates the Starlink service, works on classified government programs and is also the primary rocket launcher for the Pentagon and NASA.”

“Knowledge of Musk’s Kremlin contacts appears to be a closely held secret in government. Several White House officials said they weren’t aware of them. The topic is highly sensitive, given Musk’s increasing involvement in the Trump campaign and the approaching U.S. presidential election, less than two weeks away,” the Journal reported.

Musk has enthusiastically endorsed Trump and dumped millions of dollars into GOP-aligned campaigns.

Kremlin denies WSJ report that Elon Musk holds regular talks with Putin

Billionaire Elon Musk, the world's richest man and an avid supporter of Donald Trump, was the object of new controversy on Friday after the Wall Street Journal published a report that he is in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin's spokesman rejected the report, saying "it's all untrue, absolutely false information".


Issued on: 25/10/2024 - 
By: NEWS WIRES

Elon Musk speaks at Life Center Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on October 19, 2024. © Sean Simmers, AP


Elon Musk, the world's richest man and an avid supporter of Donald Trump, was plunged into new controversy on Friday after a report that he is in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Wall Street Journal story, which has been denied by the Kremlin, comes days after the US Justice Department sent a letter to Musk's America PAC warning that its $1 million giveaways to registered voters may violate federal law.

Musk, 53, the chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla and the owner of X, formerly Twitter, has thrown his millions, time and considerable influence into sending the former Republican president back to the White House since endorsing him in July.

Musk has reportedly donated $118 million to his personal pro-Trump political action committee, an organization which collects funds for elections.

He's also appeared on stage with Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and hosted a series of town halls on his own in the battleground state seen as critical in the November election.

Musk, who supported Barack Obama but has become increasingly conservative in recent years, peppers his 202 million followers on X daily with messages championing Trump and denigrating his opponent, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Many of the X posts by the South African-born billionaire decry the number of migrants crossing into the United States from Mexico or echo discredited conspiracy theories.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has accused Musk of spending millions to help Trump "buy an election" and jokingly suggested that the billionaire -- not J.D. Vance -- is Trump's real running mate.

Trump has pledged if he wins the election to tap Musk to head a "government efficiency commission" tasked with slashing bureaucracy and waste.

Musk already holds a top secret clearance because of SpaceX, which launches rockets for NASA and the Pentagon, and the Wall Street Journal said his contacts with Putin have raised "potential national security concerns" among some members of the Biden administration although there is no evidence of any "possible security breaches."

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said Friday the report "should be investigated."

"If the story is true that there have been multiple conversations between Elon Musk and the president of Russia, then I think that would be concerning, particularly for NASA and the Department of Defense and for some of the intelligence agencies," Nelson said at an event hosted by online news outlet Semafor.
'One contact'

The Journal said the Musk-Putin conversations touched on "personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions," although at one point the Russian leader asked the US billionaire to avoid activating his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the report, saying "it's all untrue, absolutely false information."

Putin had one contact with Musk before 2022, Peskov said, when they spoke on the phone.

"It was a fact-finding conversation," he said. "They talked about more visionary technology, about technology for the future."

SpaceX's Starlink has been a vital communications tool for Ukrainian forces battling Russian troops and Musk "categorically" denied earlier this year that any terminals had been sold to Russia.

"My companies have probably done more to undermine Russia than anything," Musk said during a streamed event on X.

SpaceX has taken away two-thirds of Russia's space launch business and "Starlink has overwhelmingly helped Ukraine," he said.

While Musk's alleged conversations with Putin are drawing scrutiny, so are his daily $1 million giveaways to registered voters -- from the Justice Department and election watchdog groups.

Federal law prohibits paying people to register to vote and the department's public integrity unit reportedly warned Musk's America PAC in a letter this week that the sweepstakes may be illegal.

Adav Noti, executive director of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, denounced the giveaways as "egregious."

"It is extremely problematic that the world's richest man can throw his money around in an attempt to directly influence the outcome of this election," Noti said. "This is not how our democracy should work."

(AFP)

Maybe Americans 'don't understand what fascism is': Political expert baffled by CNN poll

Daniel Hampton
October 25, 2024

A political expert warned on CNN on Friday that America could become an "oligarchy" with "crony capitalism" — and said what's at stake in the election is, "Do we want an American [Vladimir] Putin?" (Screengrab via CNN)

A political expert warned on CNN on Friday that America could become an "oligarchy" with "crony capitalism" — and said what's at stake in the election is, "Do we want an American [Vladimir] Putin?"

Jonathan Alter, author of "American Reckoning," joined Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room" on Friday to discuss a new poll showing nearly half of Americans think former President Donald Trump is a "fascist" — with the race essentially tied in the polls.

Alter called the report "tough" and said it's why the "stakes are so high."

"Do we want to become an oligarchy full of crony capitalism? 'Do we want an American Putin?' is really what's on offer in this election," he said.

Trump is manipulated by the Russian president, and Alter warned that explosive new reporting that Elon Musk has also been having regular talks with Putin is "seriously disturbing."

He said he's "glad" fascism is being debated — and it should've been debated "quite a while ago."

"Maybe some people don't understand what fascism is," he said. "But all they have to do is read a little history about a guy named Adolf Hitler and they might get a better sense of what we have in store if we elect this entirely unfit man as president of the United States."

Alter noted that fascists and dictators have a "thirst for power" and try to accumulate as much power as possible. He also pointed out that Trump plans to use his power to go after political enemies.

"That is a violation of what we stand for in this country," he said. "Part of this election is about who we are as a people. What do we represent? Do we represent the ideals of the founders, of democracy and freedom? Or do we want to go the strongman route?"

Alter warned dictators will telegraph what they plan to do — "Mein Kampf is the most truthful thing that Adolf Hitler ever wrote," he said. Trump is doing the same.

"I'm hoping — I'm praying, actually, that people wake up and smell the coffee and understand the stakes. Concentrate less on the horse race in the media and concentrate on what's at stake for our country."

Watch the clip below or at this link.

Electing 'fascist' Trump is 'worst possible outcome': Swing state Muslims endorse Harris

Carl Gibson, AlterNet
October 25, 2024 

Kamala Harris (Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flick)

A coalition of Islamic leaders in a must-win battleground state is now urging their respective communities to get behind Vice President Kamala Harris in November.

The New Republic reported that more than 100 progressive Democratic Palestinian, Arab and Muslim leaders in Arizona have now co-signed a letter in support of Harris' candidacy. The letter, which was posted to X by Arizona-based progressive activist Kai Newkirk, acknowledges that while many Muslim voters are understandably upset about how President Joe Biden's administration has handled Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza, affected communities cannot afford to have former President Donald Trump return to power.

"In our view, it is crystal clear that allowing the fascist Donald Trump to become President again would be the worst possible outcome for the Palestinian people," the letter read. "A Trump win would be an extreme danger to Muslims in our country, all immigrants, and the American pro-Palestine movement."

In the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel — which killed approximately 1,200 people — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched an unprecedented attack on the Gaza Strip, which has been controlled by Hamas since 2006. The United Nations (UN) estimates that more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Netanyahu's retaliation campaign began last fall with 97,000 more wounded. And the UN's Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine has said that Israel's military campaign, which it has referred to as a "genocide," has killed 16,000 children while orphaning 17,000 more with the help of American-made weaponry.

"Israel continues receiving an unlimited supply of weaponry from its allies, despite the growing calls for an arms embargo, including by the General Assembly in its resolution ES-10/24 of 18 September 2024 in follow-up to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024, in which the Court determined, inter alia, that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible," the Permanent Observer to the State of Palestine wrote earlier this month.

The letter from Arizona's progressive Muslim leaders acknowledged that the 2024 election is an "awful situation where only flawed choices are available," and that they "respect those who feel they simply can’t vote for a member of the administration that sent the bombs that may have killed their loved ones." Still, the signatories insisted that "voting for Kamala Harris is the best option for the Palestinian cause and all of our communities."

Signatories cited multiple examples to make the case that Trump would be far worse for Palestinians. In May, for example, the former president told a roomful of wealthy donors that he would "set that movement back by 25 or 30 years," in reference to the pro-Palestine protests sweeping college campuses. He's also admitted to having personal calls with Netanyahu, even though the Logan Act prohibits private citizens from talking to foreign leaders without prior approval from the sitting administration.

READ MORE: 'Treason': Trump may have committed a 'massive crime' in call to foreign leader

The Washington Post further reported that Trump has vowed to deport foreign-born students who participate in anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses.

"One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country," he told donors in May. "You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave."

Additionally, Trump has sought support for his 2024 campaign from Israeli billionaire Miriam Adelson, who is the widow of the late GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier this year that Adelson insisted that Trump promise that if elected, he would allow Israel to fully annex the Palestinian-controlled West Bank in exchange for a $100 million infusion of funds to a pro-Trump super PAC.


Click here to read the New Republic's report in full, and click here to read the full letter from Arizona's progressive Muslim leaders.

WASHINGTON POST ENDORSES TRUMP

'Smash his toy': Commentator says Bezos 'capitulated' to fascism and urges WaPo boycott

Kathleen Culliton
October 25, 2024 

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. (AFP/File / Jim WATSON)

Political commentator Elie Mystal on Friday called on Washington Post readers to cancel their subscriptions after news broke that the editorial board would not endorse a presidential candidate in the upcoming election.

Mystal expressed outrage after the Post announced it would return to a 1960 policy of not issuing endorsements — and legendary former editor Marty Baron argued the reason was fear of former President Donald Trump.

"I'm getting sick of people saying 'cancelling subscriptions hurts the writers not the owners,'" Mystal wrote on X. "If we're being real ... NOTHING *hurts* billionaires. Being a billionaire literally buys you out of consequences."

Sir William Lewis, the knighted British executive who serves as publisher and CEO of the Post, argued in an editorial Friday the decision was not based on the characters of either Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, but on American values.

"We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility," wrote Lewis.

"We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects."

Baron disagreed.

"This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty," he replied. "[Trump] will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner [Bezos] (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage."

Amid this debate, Mystal called on readers to hit Bezos where he argued it might hurt him the most — despite the impact it might have on the paper's journalists.

"Cancelling a subscription to a publication is pretty much the only way to register DISPLEASURE with the publication's offerings," he wrote.

"The writers cannot be expected to resign en masse (newsflash, writers are generally poorly paid and having any kind of actually paying journalism job is something most people need to hold onto). But if the WaPo loses stature and reach, some will find better places to work."

Mystal made his callout plain in a concluding X post:

"So, yes, you should cancel your WaPo subscription based on the owner's pathetic, punk decision to capitulate to fascism," he wrote. "If Bezos is going to use the WaPo as his personal plaything, the least we can do is smash his toy."

A NON-ENDORSEMENT IS AN ENDORSEMENT

Washington Post becomes second major US newspaper not to endorse a presidential candidate


America's influential Washington Post newspaper announced Friday – less than two weeks before Election Day – that it would not endorse a candidate for US president in the tightly contested race. The Post's move comes days after the Los Angeles Times announced a similar decision, triggering the resignation of its editorial page editor.

Issued on: 25/10/2024 - 
By: NEWS WIRES

People walk by the One Franklin Square Building, home of The Washington Post newspaper, downtown Washington, DC, February 21, 2019. © Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

Less than two weeks before Election Day, The Washington Post said Friday it would not endorse a candidate for president in this year's tightly contested race and would avoid doing so in the future — a decision immediately condemned by a former executive editor and one that the current publisher insisted was “consistent with the values the Post has always stood for.”

In an article posted on the front of its website, the Post — reporting on its own inner workings — also quoted anonymous sources within the publication as saying that an endorsement of Kamala Harris over Donald Trump had been written but not published. Those sources told the Post reporters that the company's owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, made the decision.

The publisher of the Post, Will Lewis, wrote in a column that the decision was actually a return to a tradition the paper had years ago of not endorsing candidates. He said it reflected the paper's faith in “our readers' ability to make up their own minds.”

“We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable,” Lewis wrote. “We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.”

There was no immediate reaction from either campaign.

Watch moreIn Pennsylvania, local officials are fighting the spread of misinformation about the voting process

Lewis cited the Post's history in writing about the decision. According to him, the Post only started regularly endorsing candidates for president when it backed Jimmy Carter in 1976.

The Post said the decision had “roiled" many on the opinion staff, which operates independently from the Post's newsroom staff — what is known commonly in the industry as a “church-state separation" between those who report the news and those who write opinion.

The Post's move comes the same week that the Los Angeles Times announced a similar decision, which triggered the resignations of its editorial page editor and two other members of the editorial board. In that instance, the Times' owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, insisted he had not censored the editorial board, which had planned to endorse Harris.

“As an owner, I’m on the editorial board and I shared with our editors that maybe this year we have a column, a page, two pages, if we want, of all the pros and all the cons and let the readers decide,” Soon-Shiong said in an interview Thursday with Spectrum News. He said he feared endorsing a candidate would add to the country’s division.

Many American newspapers have been dropping editorial endorsements in recent years. That is in large part because at a time readership has been dwindling, they don’t want to give remaining subscribers and news consumers a reason to get mad and cancel their subscriptions.

Martin Baron, the Post's executive editor for 2012 to 2021, immediately condemned the decision on X, saying it empowers Trump to further intimidate Bezos and others. "This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty," he wrote. “Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”

The decisions come at a fraught time for American media, newspapers in particular. Local news is drying up in many places. And after being upended by the economics of the internet and drastically evolving reader habits, the top “legacy media” — including the Post, The New York Times and others — have been struggling to keep up with a changing landscape.

Nowhere is this more true, perhaps, than in the political arena. The candidates this year have been rejecting some mainstream interviews in favor of podcasts and other niche programming, and many news organizations are vigorously ramping up to combat misinformation in near-real time on Election Day, Nov. 5.

Trump, who for years called the media covering him “the enemy of the people,” has returned to such rhetoric in recent days. His vitriol in particular is aimed at CBS, whose broadcast license he has threatened to revoke.

On Thursday, at a rally in Arizona, he returned to the language explicitly once more.

“They’re the enemy of the people. They are,” Trump said to a jeering crowd. “I’ve been asked not to say that. I don’t want to say it. And some day they’re not going to be the enemy of the people, I hope.”

For the Post, the decision is certain to generate debate beyond the news cycle. It seemed to acknowledge this with a note from the paper's letters and community editor at the top of the comments section on the publisher’s column: "I know many of you will have strong feelings about this note from Mr. Lewis."

Indeed, by midafternoon, the column had elicited more than 7,000 comments, many critical. Said one, riffing off the Post's slogan, “Democracy Dies in Darkness": “Time to change your slogan to `Democracy dies in broad daylight.'”

(AP)

'Plain old cowardice': WaPo publisher facing wave of outrage over endorsement snub

Tom Boggioni

RAW STORY
October 25, 2024 

William Lewis, Washington Post’s CEO and publisher. Photo: Andy Rain/Shutterstock

A Friday decision by the top management of the Washington Post to not make a 2024 presidential endorsement resulted in a flood of complaints, criticism and outrage on the media company's website after controversial publisher William Lewis issued an official statement.

On the heels of the LA Times following a similar path and not endorsing either Vice President Kamala Harris or ex-president Donald Trump at the direction of billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong who overruled his editorial board which led to a flood of resignations, Lewis announced a parallel move.

In his letter to readers, Lewis, who has been under fire multiple times for spiking unflattering stories about himself, wrote, "The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election," and reached back to a 1960 decision to not endorse presidential candidates as a justification.

He later wrote, "We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way," before adding, "We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions — whom to vote for as the next president."

Lewis' announcement also drew a harsh rebuke from legendary former WaPo editor Marty Baron.

Subscribers to the paper that adopted "Democracy dies in darkness" as its slogan immediately flooded the comment section condemning the decision, announcing they would be canceling their subscriptions and calling out Lewis and Amazon billionaire owner Jeff Bezos for "cowardice" in the face of Donald Trump's possible wrath.

In one cutting comment, a reader wrote, "Democracy dies in kowtowing to fascists."

Wyatt Merrit wrote, "Just cancelled my subscription, like so many others. Unfortunately my renewal date is in September; I wish I could get that money back. The extra 11 months of access is certainly worthless. There is no reason to read a media source which has discredited and debased itself to this extent. Surely there’s a critical mass of journalists with integrity out there, and I hope they find a way to create a responsible news outlet soon. "

Another reader wrote, "This is plain old cowardice," while another added, "Despicable, and this gaslighting as to the 'reason' is an absolute insult. At least tell the truth. As it is, another cancelled subscription."

"I have been a subscriber to your paper for over 20 years. I am shocked by your cowardly move to not endorse Kamala Harris. You are no longer a credible news organization. I guess Democracy truly does die in the darkness. You should be embarrassed by your disgraceful management of what used to be an outstanding media outlet," law877 contributed and then announced, "I just officially canceled my subscription, and you will never get my business again."

On X, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) wrote, "The first step towards fascism is when the free press cowers in fear."

Under the "DemocracyDiesInDarkness" hashtag, former Barack Obama adviser Tommy Vietor suggested, "The WaPo endorsing Harris would move exactly zero voters her way, but still lol at this cowardly shit from the crew that brought us 'democracy dies in darkness.'"

Former editor Baron wrote, "This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty. [Trump] will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner [Bezos] (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage."

Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg warned, "What’s happening at the WaPo and LATimes is not about the editorials. It’s a warning to editors and writers to not do anything 'foolish' in the closing days. It’s a clear call for self-censorship."

‘Reprehensible’: Big names screenshot their unsubscriptions from Washington Post

Erik De La Garza
October 25, 2024 

The Washington Post (AFP)

A drumbeat of disapproval over the Washington Post’s refusal to endorse a presidential candidate took over social media Friday with numerous users posting screenshots of their canceled subscriptions to protest the publication’s decision.

“I have subscribed to the Washington Post since 1993, but I just canceled my subscription today because of the paper’s abdication of duty to endorse a candidate in the most consequential election of my lifetime. Good riddance,” author and former Clinton White House aide Keith Boykin wrote on X.

“The Washington Post editorial board is a disgrace,” actor Rob Reiner declared to his 2.3 million X followers. “For the newspaper that exposed the Pentagon Papers and the Watergate scandal to not take a position and endorse a candidate in the most consequential Presidential election in 165 years is reprehensible.”

Author Stephen King also took to social media Friday to tell his 7 million followers that he had canceled his WaPo subscription after five years, while conservative lawyer George Conway simply posted a screenshot of an email confirming that his subscription had also been canceled.

“We’re sorry to see you go,” the email read.

But not all were in favor of the move, with some like former Tommy Vietor, a former Obama staffer, pointing out potential unintended consequences by the expression of displeasure.

“I understand the anger at Jeff Bezos and the Washington Post for its endorsement decision, but cancelling your subscription means less revenue to pay all the Post's reporters. Do what you gotta do but Bezos won't feel it in his pocket while some great journalists might,” he wrote.

WaPo reporter Carol Leonning also urged her followers against canceling their subscriptions, warning: “It will only hurt the independent newsgathering my colleagues and I strive to do for you every day.”

But the controversy still continued to flare up online.

“Hey @washingtonpost, you can't make a decision, so I had to... #Unsubscribe,” musician Rich Feinstein posted to X.

“If you need a script for your letter to the editor after you unsubscribe to the Washington Post, you can use mine if you want,” X user Nicole James offered her followers above a screenshot of a letter that, in part, says the WaPo’s decision “further buoyed each and every one of Donald Trump’s lies.”

'Terrible mistake': WaPo columnists fire back at paper's leadership over nixed endorsement

Daniel Hampton
October 25, 2024

More than a dozen Washington Post columnists signed on to a scathing response to their own leadership's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate, calling the choice a "terrible mistake" and an "abandonment" of its "fundamental editorial convictions." (Photo credit: Dennis Diatel / Shutterstock)

More than a dozen Washington Post columnists signed on to a scathing response to their own leadership's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate, calling the choice a "terrible mistake" and an "abandonment" of its "fundamental editorial convictions."

For the first time in more than three decades, the Post, which is owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said it would not endorse a candidate in the presidential race. The move led to widespread backlash — and even a flurry of subscription cancelations from big names — as critics pointed to the newspaper's slogan: "Democracy dies in darkness."

The Washington Post reported, citing four people briefed on the decision, that Bezos made the decision.

Fourteen columnists signed onto a letter posted to the Post's website that called the decision "a terrible mistake."

"It represents an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love," the columnists wrote. "This is a moment for the institution to be making clear its commitment to democratic values, the rule of law and international alliances, and the threat that Donald Trump poses to them — the precise points The Post made in endorsing Trump’s opponents in 2016 and 2020."

The columnists said there is "no contradiction" between the paper's role as an independent newspaper and its political endorsements, "both as a matter of guidance to readers and as a statement of core beliefs."

"That has never been more true than in the current campaign," they said. "An independent newspaper might someday choose to back away from making presidential endorsements. But this isn’t the right moment, when one candidate is advocating positions that directly threaten freedom of the press and the values of the Constitution."

Signing onto the column: Karen Attiah, Perry Bacon Jr., Matt Bai, E.J. Dionne Jr., Lee Hockstader, David Ignatius, Heather Long, Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank, Alexandra Petri, Catherine Rampell, Eugene Robinson, Jennifer Rubin and Karen Tumulty.

Jeff Bezos just taught American businessmen a 'lesson': Bulwark editor

Erik De La Garza
October 25, 2024 

Amazon chief executive and new Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, pictured on Sept. 6, 2013. [AFP]

Billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos’ decision to scrap the Washington Post's 36-year tradition of endorsing a presidential candidate is a lesson for business leaders around the world seeing him “getting in line” with the former president, a columnist wrote Friday

The editorial referred to it as “signaling his submission” to Donald Trump,

While critics immediately pounced on the non-endorsement by the Washington Post, which is owned by Bezos and reported that he made the decision, The Bulwark's Jonathan Last wrote that the development is more a story about business than it is about journalism.

“It’s a situation analogous to what we saw in Russia in the early 2000s: We are witnessing the surrender of the American business community to Donald Trump,” Last wrote.

He noted that following Trump’s 2016 victory, Bezos found himself on the receiving end of Trump’s threats due to the paper’s aggressive reporting of the former president’s administration.

“And that’s what this story is about: It’s about the most consequential American entrepreneur of his generation signaling his submission to Trump — and the message that sends to every other corporation and business leader in the country. In the world,” according to the editorial.

Last argued that the situation is reminiscent of Vladimir Putin’s rise in Russia after jailing the country's wealthiest man – Mikhail Khodorkovsky – who “had the kind of wealth and power that made him untouchable” and floated the idea of one day running for office.

“And so the oligarchs fell in line and ceased to be a source of concern to Putin. Instead of alternative power centers, they became vassals. Which is exactly what Jeff Bezos has just taught Jamie Dimon and every other important American businessman,” the editorial said.

It added: “Just the fact that he has an even-money chance to become president was threat enough” for Bezos “to secure his compliance” to Trump.

Last concluded by warning readers that the guardrails are already collapsing “before a single state has been called.”

TRUMP RENEWS THE DREAM AT MSG

1934 -1939

Nazis in Madison Square Garden

The Third Reich on Eighth Avenue

by Alex Q. Arbuckle



May 17, 1934

A mass meeting of members of the Friends of New Germany.

Image: Bettmann/Getty Images


Shortly after Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, the Nazis consolidated control over the country. Looking to cultivate power beyond the borders of Germany, Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess charged German-American immigrant Heinz Spanknobel with forming a strong Nazi organization in the United States.

Combining two small extant groups, Spanknobel formed Friends of New Germany in July 1933. Counting both German nationals and Americans of German descent among its membership, the Friends loudly advocated for the Nazi cause, storming the offices of New York’s largest German-language paper, countering Jewish boycotts of German businesses and holding swastika-strewn rallies in black-and-white uniforms.


Spanknobel was deported in October 1933 for failing to register as a foreign agent, and two years later Hess called for the leaders of Friends to return to Germany and for all German citizens to leave the organization.



May 17, 1934



Image: Bettmann/Getty Images



May 17, 1934



Image: Hank Olen/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images



May 18, 1934



Image: Larry Froeber/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images



May 18, 1934



Image: Anthony Potter Collection/Getty Images



Oct. 6, 1935

"German Day" celebrations commemorate the arrival of the first German settlers on U.S. territory.

Image: Heinrich Hoffmann/ullstein bild via Getty Images



Oct. 5, 1936

Boys in uniform salute during a pro-Nazi rally.

Image: Anthony Potter Collection/Getty Images


After the dissolution of the Friends, a successive group, officially unconnected to the German government, was formed — the German American Bund. The Bund continued the campaigns of anti-Semitism, anti-Communism and violent rhetoric, but wrapped them in patriotic, pro-American symbolism, holding up portraits of George Washington as “the first Fascist.”


The Bund reached the height of its prominence on February 20, 1939, when some 20,000 members held a “Pro-America Rally” in Madison Square Garden.

Inside, jackbooted Nazi supporters filled the aisles while speakers ranted against President “Frank D. Rosenfeld” and his “Jew Deal.”

Outside, some 80,000 anti-Nazi demonstrators furiously protested the event, clashing with police and attempting to gain entry to the arena and shut it down.

The Bund was finally dissolved at the end of 1941 with the United States’ declaration of war against Nazi Germany.

Feb. 20, 1939

Twenty-thousand attend a meeting of the German American Bund, which included banners such as "Stop Jewish Domination of Christian Americans."

Image: FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images



Feb. 20, 1939

The principal speakers arrive to open the German American Bund "Americanization" rally.

Image: Bettmann/Getty Images



Feb. 20, 1939

Fritz Kuhn, leader of the German American Bund, addresses the Nazi rally as protesters clash with police outside.

Image: Bettmann/Getty Images



Feb. 20, 1939

Supporters salute the banner of the German American Bund.

Image: Bettmann/Getty Images



Feb. 20, 1939



Image: Larry Froeber/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images



Feb. 20, 1939

A Nazi color guard stands before a massive portrait of George Washington.

Bettmann/Getty Images


Curation:

Wolfgang Wild


Text:

Alex Q. Arbuckle

 AN OLD RIGHT WING TROPE

MAGA operative gets live fact check after saying Nazis were left-wing socialists

Brad Reed

RAW STORY
October 25, 2024 

Republican strategist Tricia McLaughlin (Screen cap via CNN)

Republican strategist Tricia McLaughlin tried to defend former President Donald Trump against charges of being a fascist by falsely claiming that fascism is a left-wing socialist political ideology.

During an interview with CNN's Sara Sidner, McLaughlin argued that it was dangerous for Democrats to echo claims made by Trump's own former White House chief of staff about Trump being a fascist because it could result in someone trying to kill him.

"The natural conclusion of calling Donald Trump a Nazi, calling Donald Trump the next Hitler, is that someone will again try to kill him," she said.

"John Kelly was the person who called him a fascist, which is his former chief of staff," replied Sidner. "And so Democrats have been repeating what his former chief of staff said."

At this point, McLaughlin tried to deflect from the issue by denying that fascism is a right-wing political ideology at all, despite the fact that it is defined as an ideology "that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition."

Additionally, when Nazis took power in the 1930s, socialists and communists were among the first people whom they targeted for political persecution.

"Fascism is rooted in socialism!" she said. "So we've got to get the definition correct because Donald Trump by no means is a socialist."

"Fascism certainly isn't socialism either," Sidney shot back.

Democratic strategist Matt Bennett also issued a fact check of his own, saying, "Socialism and fascism are very very different. Fascism is right-wing authoritarianism."

Watch the video below or at this link here.

 

Hanwha Ocean Courts U.S. Navy for Work in Korea and Philadelphia

Admiral Steve Koehler toured Hanwha Ocean's facility where the USNS vessels is undergoing maintenance (Hanwha Ocean)

Published Oct 25, 2024 4:32 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean is continuing its efforts to build its relationship with the U.S. Navy as it looks to grow the acquired Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) operation as well as its plans to buy Philly Shipyard in the United States. Leveraging its expertise in military systems and electronics was one of the strategies Hanwha outlined when it purchased the controlling interest of the shipyard group.

The latest move to expand its relationship with the commanders of the U.S. Navy came on October 24 when Admiral Steve Koehler, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, visited Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje plant. At the end of September, U.S. Navy NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command) Rear Admiral Thomas Anderson and Rear Admiral William Green also toured the R&D facilities run by Hanwha. All of this followed a tour in February 2024 for U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.

Hanwha Ocean became the first South Korean shipyard to undertake a repair and maintenance assignment under the U.S. Military Sealift Command Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul program. The shipyard was certified to bid on projects in August and quickly won the assignment for the USNS Wally Schirra, a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship, that arrived at the Geoje shipyard at the beginning of September. Hanwha Ocean reports it expects to complete the assignment in January after four months of work.

Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan highlighted to Admiral Koehler that Hanwha Ocean is increasing its understanding of the maintenance management system for U.S. Navy vessels through the Wally Schirra project. He was shown the work underway on the vessel in the Korean dry dock. The company promised to optimize its supply chain for key equipment and materials to ensure the successful performance of future U.S. Navy vessel MRO projects.

They also provided a tour of the submarine construction area, merchant ship and marine plant construction area, and digital technology-based production facilities. During the meeting, they discussed the possibility of future maintenance business for the U.S. Military Sealift Command ships deployed in the Indo-Pacific region.

Hanwha Ocean highlights that it looks to play an increasing role within the U.S. Department of Defense strategy that calls for establishing maintenance hubs in Asia including in South Korea and Japan. The U.S. Military Sealift Command has also sent ships for repairs in recent years at shipyards in India.

Last month the company provided a tour of its Siheung R&D Campus which opened in 2018 to highlight its technological capabilities. Rear Admirals Anderson and Green along with U.S. Embassy personnel were shown the R&D facilities, including the Land Based Test Site, common tank, towing tank, and model-making room as well as the tests underway for eco-friendly fuel technologies for decarbonization, such as commercial-grade fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, new-concept batteries, shaft generators, and ammonia propulsion. They reported the U.S. Navy was especially interested in Hanwha’s work with a lithium-ion energy storage system (ESS) for submarines developed by Hanwha Aerospace.

Hanwha Ocean announced in June that it agreed to acquire Philly Shipyard and the company hopes to close the deal possibly by the end of 2024 pending regulatory approval. In public statements, they have said they would look to expand the operation and target more U.S. Navy work. Currently, the yard is building ships for MARAD and commercial vessels. 

Executives for the Philly operation have said the plan would be to provide capacity to the U.S. Navy both for shipbuilding and repair operations. They have said this might begin with support and specialized ships but indicated they would have the capabilities to build warships or modules.  

Navy Secretary Del Toro has made statements supporting Hanwha Ocean’s efforts as part of the Maritime Statecraft strategy. He called Hanwha’s agreement to acquire Philly Shipyard a “game-changing milestone” and encouraged the South Korean shipyards to make investments to support the needs of the U.S. Navy.

 

World's Strangest Research Vessel Saved from Scrappers to “Flip” Again

FLIP raises up to create an underwater research platform (Scripps Institution of Oceanography photo courtesy of DEEP)

Published Oct 25, 2024 6:15 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The iconic Floating Instrument Platform, known as “FLIP” because of its unique capacity to operate in either a vertical or horizontal configuration, has been saved from scrapping and is now in France where it is being modernized to start a new phase of its research missions. The vessel/platform was developed for the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research and operated for nearly 50 years by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

UK firm DEEP, a subsea design firm seeking to develop underwater human habitats, reports it acted quickly after learning that FLIP had been decommissioned and towed to Mexico last year to be dismantled. DEEP founder and CEO Kristen Tertoole assembled a team and sent them to Mexico with the instructions, “Save her. Don't come back without her.”

 

FLIP is in a horizontal position to be moved and position for its research  (Scripps Institution of Oceanography photo courtesy of DEEP)

 

The one-of-a-kind vessel (technically a platform) which is 355 feet (108 meters) in length was commissioned in 1962 and decommissioned in 2023. It could be partially flooded to sink the stern and change the orientation of its buoyancy. Systems aboard the vessel were designed to rotate 90 degrees and operate in either configuration. By design, FLIP was minimally affected by ocean swells, and it provided scientists with an extra-stable, extra-quiet platform for sensitive experiments. 

In less than an hour, it could transition seamlessly from a horizontal barge for transit into a vertical spar platform for stationary operation. To refloat from vertical to horizontal mode, the crew would pump out the ballast tanks with compressed air, and the vessel's stern would rise back up to the surface. Using these unique capabilities, they report the vessel made amazing contributions to marine science.

 

FLIP rotates 90 degrees to become a stable research platform  (Scripps Institution of Oceanography photo courtesy of DEEP)

 

“FLIP is an iconic research platform – anyone in the maritime research or engineering communities knows about her, and many have a war story or two. We're incredibly proud to confirm FLIP's arrival in European waters,” said Tertoole.

The first challenge was getting the decommissioned vessel from Mexico to France for the refit. They used a specially designed lift and placed it on a heavy-lift vessel for the more than 6,000-mile journey. The vessel is now at MB92 in La Ciotat, France for a refit projected to last 12 to 18 months. 

“I’m delighted by DEEP's decision to revitalize and modernize FLIP, a unique research platform that has served the ONR exceptionally well for years,” said Dr. Tom Drake, ONR Ocean Sensing Battlespace Department director. “This modernization initiative will significantly expand her capabilities in ocean science, observation, and exploration, breathing new life into a vessel that has been vital to our mission.”

 

FLIP was loaded aboard a heavy-lift vessel for transport from Mexico to France (DEEP)

 

The plan calls for removing the 1960s superstructure from the vessel and replacing it with lighter-weight materials and modern technology. This will reduce weight giving the platform the capacity for more people and new scientific equipment. DEEP plans to install new sensors and add AUVs to increase the research capabilities. 

DEEP highlights that FLIP was built in a time of a time of bold engineering and optimism. They look to harness this in a new generation of research. The plan is to relaunch the vessel in early 2026.

 

 

Startup Raises $43M for Austal to Build Gigantic Sailing Cargo Trimaran

VELA looks to use Austal's experience in aluminum builds and multihull to create a fast cargo trimaran (VELA)

Published Oct 25, 2024 7:28 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

VELA, a French startup launched in November 2022, reports it has completed a significant funding round of €40 million ($43 million) which will be used for Austal to build the world’s largest sailing cargo trimaran. The company strives to provide a sustainable cargo service crossing the Atlantic for products ranging from pharmaceuticals to industrial parts, healthcare equipment, and cosmetics. 

The financing round was led by Crédit Mutuel Impact, 11th Hour Racing, and BPI - French Public Investment Bank. The company says the Franco-American partners share its ambition to make transport more sustainable. The trimaran design they believe will also offer a fast alternative, especially for companies seeking to avoid having inventory “on the water” for long periods of transit.

Using technology from offshore racing and the unique design built by Austal, VELA projects that they will be able to provide a transit of less than 15 days from loading to crossing the ocean and unloading while operating 100 percent under sail. They contend that large containerships require at least 20 days for the same service. Further the cargo holds of the trimaran will be maintained at a controlled temperature to ensure “the safety and integrity of high-value-added transported goods.”

The design calls for a vessel measuring 220 feet (67 meters) with an air draft of 200 feet (61 meters) and a width of 82 feet (25 meters). The hull will be made of aluminum using Austal’s experience in the sector. The masts with be a carbon material. 

The ship will have over 3,230 square feet of photovoltaic panels as well as two hydro-generators. Its cargo capacity will be the equivalent of 51 shipping containers.

After an international tender in which more than thirty shipyards participated, VELA reports assisted by BRS Shipbrokers, it selected Austal, which is known for its expertise in multihull and aluminum builds. The first VELA Trimaran will benefit from Austal’s expertise while drawing on the offshore racing team MerConcept for sailing systems. 

The vessel will be constructed by Austal Philippines in Balamban, Cebu, and is scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2026. In addition, VELA says that the French companies will carry out 30 percent of the construction, including rigging, sails, and hydro-generators, thus fully supporting the excellence and know-how of the national sailing industry. The vessel will be registered in France.

"Austal is excited to partner with VELA on this groundbreaking project. Our expertise in multihull design and aluminum shipbuilding, combined with VELA's innovative vision, will create a revolutionary sailing cargo trimaran,” said Austal Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg. “This vessel will set new speed, reliability, and sustainability standards for transatlantic shipping.”

The funding from the current round the company says will allow VELA to officially launch the building of its first vessel. They also plan to use the financing to strengthen its sales and operations teams in France and the United States.

VELA plans to operate between the French Atlantic coast and the U.S. East Coast. They expect to begin operations in the second half of 2026 joining a growing field of sail-powered cargo vessels being launched by French companies for the Atlantic. VELA reports it is in preparation to have at least four additional ships in service by 2027 – 2028. The goal is to increase departure frequency and reach one departure per week.

 

Two “Shunned” Cargo Ships Find Resolution to Disputes

Both ships have been held offshore for weeks "in the shadows" over controversial cargo (file photo)

Published Oct 25, 2024 1:31 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Two cargo ships have been making international headlines as they were shunned by ports and were being treated as “pariahs” endangering public welfare. Both ships, the Malta-registered general cargo ship Ruby and the Portugal-registered Kathrin, have been stuck holding offshore while they struggled to resolve issues and offload their cargo.

A spokesperson for the owners and managers of the Ruby (37,000 dwt) confirmed to The Maritime Executive that the ship “will be conducting operations at a UK port in the coming days.” Details are still being finalized but it is understood the intent is to offload her cargo which consists of 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate.

Problems for the ship began at the beginning of September in Tromsø, Norway when it was discovered that the ship’s hull had cracked during an Arctic storm or possibly grounding leaving Russia after loading its cargo. Norwegian authorities detained the ship but ordered it to leave port to a remote area as attention grew over the potentially explosive nature of the fertilizer cargo under certain circumstances. The ship has been searching for a port to offload its cargo.

Despite repeated assurances that it was normal cargo and properly loaded the authorities in Norway, Sweden, and Lithuania shunned the ship saying it could not enter port until it offloaded the cargo which had originally been destined for Brazil after the ship made an intermediary stop in the Azores. Danish officials placed restrictions on the ship’s transit into the Baltic while Malta as the flag state and DNV as its class society placed restrictions on its navigation after temporary repairs were made in Norway.

The owners have been critical of the media coverage saying it complicated what should have been a simple situation to transfer the cargo and repair the ship. Ruby has been laying off the UK as complex negotiations proceeded.

At the same time, the Portuguese-flagged Kathrin (8,000 dwt) has been hounded by activists with accusations that it was carrying explosives to Israel since it left the Far East. The ship was turned away from a port in Namibia and later in Malta and ports in the Adriatic. The well-known human rights NGO group Amnesty International got involved calling for the ship to be denied docking privileges as part of its campaign for an arms embargo to stop the war in Gaza.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese also issued a statement alleging that there were eight containers of RDX Hexogen explosives bound for Israel among the cargo aboard Kathrin. She said it was “reportedly key components in the aircraft bombs and missiles” used by Israel. Albanese called on other states to block the ship from docking at their harbors.

The ship was in an anchorage off Malta although it was being denied docking privileges. It went dark turning off its AIS transmissions and a news outlet in Albania claims to have seen the ship docked at Porto Romano, Durrës on Thursday morning, October 24. The news outlet CNA Albania says security personnel around the port told them it was illegal to take pictures of the ship while it was in the port.