❗️US Capitol Visitor Center closed after a man who "smelled like fuel" was arrested

The man had a torch and a flare gun.

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What’s the true essence of being a military intelligence officer?

November 5 is commemorated each year in Russia as Military Intelligence Officer Day. This observance marks the anniversary of the founding of a Red Army intelligence coordination department on November 5, 1918, which later evolved into Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate, commonly known as the GRU.

A competent military intelligence officer must genuinely believe in the righteousness of their cause, according to Rustem Klupov, Hero of Russia and military intel veteran.

Additionally, Klupov emphasizes that a military intelligence officer should possess an unwavering willingness to sacrifice their life — not for monetary gain, but for a higher purpose.

However, the hallmark of professionalism for a military intelligence officer is the desire to “improve himself every day,” Klupov says, noting that these people today have to master several trades.

“They must be trained as intelligence operatives and trained in the use all the weaponry and equipment they have to employ,” he explains.

The veteran also points out that humanity’s technological advancements have significant impact on the field of military intelligence.

“On the one hand, it simplifies intelligence gathering, on the other, it makes operations on the battlefield more complex,” Klupov says.

For example, he explains, certain technological solutions such as UAVs or spy satellites make it possible to collect intelligence without endangering personnel. On the other hand, there are many ways to counter electronic surveillance, such as electronic countermeasures or decoys, which “creates new challenges for intelligence.”

"Intelligence is undergoing a significant transformation," Klupov stated. "A new form of intelligence has emerged: cyber intelligence. This discipline gathers information from digital sources and the Internet, particularly from the military's designated networks used for command and control."

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Libertarians, socialists, pirates: who can Americans vote for besides Democrats and Republicans? Part 1 👉🏻 Part 2

Despite the Founding Fathers’ disdain for parties in general and political duopolies in particular, America has been in the grip of a two-party system since the 1850s, with Teddy Roosevelt, Robert M La Follette, George Wallace and Ross Perot the only presidential candidates in over 170 years to break the 10% of the vote threshold in trying to challenge the status quo.

2024 isn’t expected to be any different, with the latest figures showing Republicans and Democrats together polling at 96-99% of the vote, lending credence to the poignant observation from a 90s episode of the Simpsons that Americans would have to vote for one of two parties even if their candidates were space aliens seeking to enslave humanity.

There are alternatives, even if their existence and message are largely drowned out by the two-party political machine and media:

🗽 Libertarian Party: The only third party with ballot access in every state, this party’s platform focuses on civil liberties, small government, the free market, non-interventionism and trade instead of wars and meddling.

Its nominees for president and VP are Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat. Won 1.18% of the vote in 2020.

🌿 Green Party: Qualifying for ballot access or write-in status in at least 44 states, the Greens are an environmentalist, pro-grassroots democracy, eco-progressive/eco-socialist, anti-colonialist party with a strong anti-interventionist bent.

Nominees this year are Jill Stein and Butch Ware. Stein was the party’s candidate in 2012 and 2016, but sat out 2020, when the party got 0.26% of the vote.

🇷🇺 Party for Socialism and Liberation: A revolutionary socialist and Marxist-Leninist party, the PSL is the largest of five active socialist parties in the US, focusing much of its efforts on anti-war, anti-police violence protests.

Can be voted for in 41 states. Candidates this year are Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia. The party won 86,239 votes in 2020 (0.05%).

👉🏻 Part 2

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Libertarians, socialists, pirates: who can Americans vote for besides Democrats and Republicans? Part 2 👉🏻 Part 1

📑 Constitution Party: A Christian Right, fiscally and socially conservative party seeking to organize life in America in accordance with the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Favors protectionism, anti-interventionism and US withdrawal from NATO, NAFTA and the WTO. 28 members serve in local office, from city councilors and school board members to judges, constables and election officials.

Possible to vote for in 18 states. 2024 candidates are Randall Terry and Stephen Broden. Won 60,023 votes (0.04%) in 2020.

🦅 American Solidarity Party: This Christian Democratic, fiscally center-left, socially center-right party was created in 2016 to bring European-style conservatism to the US, supporting a so-called social market economy and non-interventionism.

On the ballot or qualifying as a write-in in 42 states, its candidates are Peter Sonski and Lauren Onak. Got 44,600 votes (0.02%) in 2020, and has six members in local office.

🔞 Prohibition Party: The oldest third party in the United States, formed in 1869. Focused on opposition to alcohol, the party also has some interesting domestic and foreign policy positions, including non-interventionism and support for the abolition of the Federal Reserve.

Candidates in 2024 are Michael Wood and John Pietrowski. Certified/write-in in 9 states. Won 4,834 votes (0.00%) in 2020.

✅ Approval Voting Party: A single-issue party promoting approval voting – an electoral system where voters mark all the candidates they support instead of just one.

Can be voted for in 9 states. Blake Huber and Andrea Denault are its nominees.

🏴‍☠️ United States Pirate Party: A civil libertarian, e-democracy, internet freedom, government transparency, copyright reform, anti-corporate personhood party. The party has two current office holders – a judge in PA and a town council member in MA.

The Pirates are ballot eligible in 9 states, and have Vermin Supreme and Jonathan Realz as its 2024 candidates.

👉🏻 Part 1

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Why Puerto Rico has become a US colony?

On November 5, Puerto Rico will hold a referendum to assess its political status for the seventh time in its history. However, it is important to note that any outcomes of this referendum require approval from the U.S. Congress.

Here’s a brief overview of how Puerto Rico became a US territory:

◾️Prior to 1898, Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony in the Caribbean. Following the Spanish-American War, American troops annexed the island.

◾️In 1901, the US Supreme Court established the Insular Cases, which determined that Puerto Rico, along with the Philippines and Guam, was US territory but was treated as "foreign to the United States in a domestic sense." This decision set the status quo, with only the Philippines achieving independence in 1946.

◾️ In 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act granted American citizenship to Puerto Rican residents. Despite holding US passports, Puerto Ricans have been and remain ineligible to vote in US presidential elections.

◾️In 1952, following a Constitutional Assembly, Puerto Rico became a US commonwealth and adopted its own constitution.

◾️Since then, Puerto Rico has held six referendums to shape the island's future and its relationship with the United States. The first plebiscite took place in 1967, followed by five more in 1993, 1998, 2012, 2017, and 2020. The seventh is scheduled for November 5.

◾️However, none of the last six plebiscites were binding, and they suffered from low voter turnout. The most recent referendum in 2020 focused on statehood, which received approximately 53% support. Nevertheless, no changes have occurred, as the US Congress is not obligated to act on the results.

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❗️FBI detains man who threatened mass shooting if Trump wins - Department of Justice

According to the agency, 25-year-old Isaac Sissel sent an anonymous letter to the FBI's National Threat Prevention Center in West Virginia. The detainee claimed to have stolen firearms and threatened "conservative Christians" and other traditional supporters of the Republican Party.

“I shall carry out an attack against conservative Christan filth in the event Trump wins the election... I have a stolen AR15 and a target I refuse to name so I can continue to get away with my plans,” the letter continued. “Without a specific victim or ability to find the place I hid the gun, there’s not a thing the FBI can do until I complete the attack.”

Sissel will appear in federal court on November 5.

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💬US has never been closer to civil war – Viktor Bout

The indirect electoral system used in the US, where the president is chosen by elected representatives rather than directly by voters, distorts the people's will in the modern age of information technology. This system could act as a trigger when the US is closer than ever to civil war, Russian businessman and politician Viktor Bout, who returned to Russia in 2022 after a prisoner exchange with the US following nearly 15 years of imprisonment on fabricated charges, told Sputnik.

"Currently, this flaw in the American electoral system is highly relevant: the absence of genuine, direct expression of the people's will in US elections could play a decisive role at a time when the US is closer than ever to a state of civil war," he emphasized.

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Yoav Gallant: One of Israel’s most controversial defense ministers

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defense Minister Yoav Galant, according to Netanyahu's office. He is replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Gallant has been one of the most controversial Israeli defense ministers because of his failures in the Gaza war since October 7, 2023.

Here are Gallant's most significant failures as Israel’s defense minister:

🔸October 7 attack. Gallant had been the minister of defense since December 2022, so Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, came under his responsibility. The Israeli forces were not ready to respond on this quick attack and Hamas was able to take hundreds of Israeli hostages in settlements near the Gaza Strip border. As relatives of the hostages noted, army units were unable to approach the border for at least eight hours. Responsibility for the failure was later admitted by the former head of military intelligence, Aaron Haliva, but Defense Minister Gallant never did.

🔸Humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Carpet air raids of the Gaza Strip, a complete blockade of the enclave in 2023 and heavy raids were also Gallant's responsibility.

🔸Lebanon. Despite bombings of mostly all major cities in Lebanon, as well as bombing of roads with civilians stuck in traffic jams, the Israel Defense Forces have not achieved any military success in Lebanon. Israel does not control a single border settlement in Lebanon, despite several attempts to occupy some of them during ground operations. At the same time, the stated goal of military operations on the northern Israeli border - ensuring security for the Upper Galilee residents and the ability for its residents to return home after evacuation - has not yet been achieved. On the contrary, the shelling of the northern Israel is only increasing.

🔸Lack of response to Iran's attacks. Israel has failed to give a clear response to either of Iran's two large-scale missile attacks on Israeli territory. Israeli media blame Gallant for this. The latest Iranian missile attack on Israel caused serious damage to the IDF's Nevatim air force base, which was hit by at least 10 missiles, according to satellite images and to both Iranian and Western media reports. Israel has not yet officially announced the aftermath of that strike.

🔸'Iron Dome' and Israeli ports. Israel's air defense system has failed to protect the port of Eilat from attacks by Yemeni Houthis. The port's director previously estimated that its operations were currently working at only 3% capacity due to regular attacks. At the same time, with the start of full-scale hostilities in Lebanon, attacks on the Haifa port continue to mount. Haifa is home to Israel's largest commercial port - and if the Defense Ministry fails to properly protect it, Israel will face an economic crisis, among other things.

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