badgerx16

Ukraine may have to choose which dictator it wants as overlord; https://www.lbc.co.uk/world-news/donald-trump-control-ukraine-critical-minerals-energy/ "A new draft US deal sent to Kyiv on Sunday reportedly sets out the fresh requirements, which include no security guarantees for Ukraine, The Financial Times reports. Senior Ukrainian officials told the outlet the proposal could undermine the country's sovereignty and ramp up its dependence on the US. The draft reportedly states that the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund will control Ukraine’s “critical minerals or other minerals, oil, natural gas (including liquified [sic] natural gas), fuels or other hydrocarbons and other extractable materials”. It says the US will also control infrastructure linked to natural resources “including, but not limited to, roads, rail, pipelines and other transportation assets; ports, terminals and other logistics facilities and refineries, processing facilities, natural gas liquefaction and/or regasification facilities and similar assets”. The new draft mark a huge increase on Trump's demands in an initial minerals deal accord drawn up earlier this month."

One of the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador for being a violent gang member was picked up by ICE because of his 'gang related' tattoos. He has 2 tattoos, one says "Brother" alongside his brother's name, and the other, alleged to denote gang membership, is an autism awareness ribbon.

Europe has still not weaned itself off Russian oil and gas.

Given Putin's comments this morning regarding the Ukrainian Government, maybe Zelensky should suggest that there is a democratic election in Russia, under the supervision of the UN, and then peace talks could take place with Russia's new 'legitimate' leadership.

They must have been confused because the map was the wrong way round

Maybe Trump was right about the Department of Edukayshun.

Why can't we just pay him Statutory Sick Pay ?

Gunner

MTG only cares about 3 things; guns, guns, and kissing Trump's arse.

Mike Waltz, the National Security Advisor, is the person who "accidentally" invited Jeffrey Goldberg into the SIGNAL chat. Waltz says he does not know Goldberg, yet to add him into the chat he must have had his phone number listed in his contacts on his phone. ( Goldberg says they have met several times ). And now Elon Musk has been tasked with finding out how Goldberg happened to be included. I think our 5 year old Granddaughter could manage that. Maybe one of Musk's pubescent DOGE agents could explain it to the group, perhaps using emoticons.

OK, Thom, now tell us how you really feel.

Democrats trolling Hegseth and Waltz

Heart

The National Security Advisor, Director of National Intelligence, Head of the CIA, Head of the FBI, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Middle East Special Advisor, and others, have all admitted the SIGNAL exchange happened. Even Trump has said so. Today the Atlantic has published the entire SIGNAL exchange - in response the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has called the new article a hoax. She must be living in a parallel universe.

Greenland would be my choice.

Tulsi Gabbard in front of the Congressional Committee investigating the SIGNAL group chat was asked to confirm that she was TG in the thread. "I don't want to get into specifics" was her reply, and when pressed on the question repeated this response. Other senior officers who were also involved were asked if they had participated in other SIGNAL chats potentially involving classified information, to a man they all replied "Not that I can recall". Surely they would know if they had used an unsanctioned, insecure device. The use of SIGNAL in these cases is a breach of the Espionage Act, and against Congressional rules that all communications must be retained. The use of SIGNAL in violation of these rules is to ensure that nothing is retained that might later be subjected to Freedom of Information requests.

Look at it from the other perspective, should people who are not in Government be given access to secret information ? I personally think certain individuals should, such as the leaders of the opposition parties in the HoC, but Trump has a far more simplistic, peurile and spiteful personality.

Gall or kidney ?

Our SiL used to live and work in San Francisco, and has been invited on a group visit to Las Vegas. He says he will not spend a single penny on travelling to the States whilst Trump is President.

Been going on since WW2. In the early 1940s the UK sent a lot of plans and working for advanced aerodynamics and jet engines to the US so that further testing could be carried out without the direct threat of enemy action or espionage. The US was to send back the test results and further design proposals - nothing came back.

From the BBC reporting on the SIGNAL leak, this, I think, may end up being the most damaging part of the discussions; ""Whether it's now or several weeks from now, it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes," the account associated with Waltz wrote on 14 March. The message continued, saying that at Trump's request, his team was working with the defence department and state department "to determine how to compile the cost associated and levy them on the Europeans". At one point in the thread the Vance account griped that the strikes would benefit the Europeans, because of their reliance on those shipping lanes, adding: "I just hate bailing Europe out again." The user identified as Hegseth responded three minutes later: "VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC.""

Asthma inhalers are subject to prescription charges.

Our diesel is ULEZ exempt. Makes no sense at all.

What a bunch of amateurish chancers.

Maybe you should stop including such comments as "Perhaps those who think it is appropriate to post laughing emojis on these posts....." and presenting them with such a clear opening. Just ignore them and minimize the childish glee they derive from provoking you. Nutty Nic regularly puts laughs on my posts, I just take it as proof that he is, mentally at least, 5 years old.