Category Archive: Defense

Halloween Safety Tips: Situational Awareness and 5 Things Police Want You to Know

Amidst corn mazes, costumes, haunted houses and trick-or-treat fun … real danger lurks. The ability to defend yourself in a life-threatening situation starts long before you even own a weapon with situational awareness. At Safe Life Defense, we want to help make your Halloween as safe as possible with a few tips for first responders (and civilians, too).

Situational Awareness Training

So what is situational awareness? It’s the improvement of one’s perception of their environment, the comprehension of the meaning and the prediction of future status. In short, it means being aware of what is happening around you and any potential threats in that space within your day-to-day life. By checking ‘your six’ you can prevent a scenario from happening, escalating or even remove yourself from it altogether. Practice may look like exploring what-if scenarios, as well as enhancing your awareness by cultivating your self-defense skills beyond basic training and pursuing realistic, repetitive hands-on training.

Meet the Methodology

There are two main assessment practices you can consider. The first is the Cooper Color Code. It was created by Jeff Cooper, a US Marine, to assess one’s mindset from one level to another and determine the condition in which we live and react.

Within this tool, we find four main color levels of awareness: white, yellow, orange, and red. Again, this isn’t a threat indicator, but rather an evaluation of your readiness to respond to a threat in terms of your mental state at any given time.

  • In condition white, you are completely unaware of what is going on around you and assuming nothing bad is going to happen to you. We’re often at this level while at home, work, or where we feel safe.
  • In condition yellow, you’re relaxed but aware of what is going on around you, taking mental notes and constantly scanning for potential threats. You may be looking for things that seem out of the ordinary, whether that be in your environment, a person or a sensory trigger.
  • In condition orange, you’ve noticed something out of the norm that is concerning. It is likely to be a potential threat and you’re watching it closely to see if anything develops so you can determine your next course of action. It’s an excellent time to get into your body armor if you haven’t already. You’re still scanning your environment and creating distance between yourself and the potential threat. This will continue until you have determined it’s either safe or you’ve found an alternative solution.
  • In condition red, the threat seems to be real and you’re either waiting for it to fully materialize or are confronted with it directly. At this point, you should be prepared with a plan and ready to defend yourself without hesitation.  If possible, you’ll seek to deescalate the situation and create distance again.

The Cooper Color Code is simple and easy to interpret. Next time you are out and about, assess which one of these levels you are at throughout your day. The end goal? You should always be living in condition yellow, even at home.

The OODA Loop is a four-step decision-making process that was created for combat by John Boyd, an Air Force fighter pilot. The OODA acronym stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. It’s used for situational awareness, decision-making and explains how our minds react to different stimuli. This one is a great tool for evaluating and avoiding a potential defensive situation. Here’s an example:

  1. You OBSERVE that you are on edge parked on a dark road while you wait for a dispatch call.
  2. You ORIENT yourself by remembering that there is a familiar local diner and well-light street a few blocks away.
  3. You DECIDE that you’ll go to the diner.
  4. You ACT by driving to the diner and parking out front under a street light.

When applied to situational awareness, observe and orient are the key stages that will be used in combination with one another. We must observe what is happening in our environment, take in any red flags we see and then orient ourselves based on what we observed in order to be able to decide on the best course of action, and carry out that decision. It’s really about understanding that situation and filtering out what doesn’t matter, so we can focus on what does.

If we take this one step further, from the above example, things you may be noticing in that environment are people walking on the street, a motion light turning on or a blocked road. You may look for an area away from pedestrians, plan possible alternate routes or choose to park close to an exit. These are all things that you can easily act on or use to your advantage should a threat arise. And as always, it’s better to be safe than sorry … get suited up in your armor, just in case.

Not Everything Is as It Seems

With lots of people out and about compared to the norm, Halloween can add to the amount of danger that officers have to encounter on duty. There is an abundance of extra stimuli to take in, costumes that can mask identity, festivities after dark where alcohol and other substances can impair decision making, change behavior and heighten the probability of an incident occurring. It’s as good of a time as any to consider another acronym JDLR, which stands for Just Doesn’t Look Right. If you plan to trick-or-treat safely and want to help your local police departments, here are 5 things police want you to know:

  1. You should AVOID wearing professional gear for your costume and carrying realistic weapons or replicas of firearms. It creates additional challenges for us to determine what’s a real threat and what’s not. Choosing to wear concealable armor underneath, is another story.
  2. Our #1 concern is keeping citizens SAFE. We want you to have fun, but pranks can be dangerous so please be respectful to officers in your area.
  3. If you approach us in full costume, we can’t see WHO you are or what you may have hidden. We have to be cautious for our own safety, too.
  4. We’re JUST like you, but as public servants on duty, we may not have time to stop and chat with you. It’s nothing personal, we have to prioritize those at risk.

Most departments post safety TIPS online to help citizens at home and on the go around the holidays. Check with your local station to see what they recommend in your area (It might even be backpack armor or FRAS™ plates for your kids.).

Tips for the Evening Events

It takes 2-5 seconds on average for someone to recognize that a dangerous situation is happening and start to react to it. That’s why bad guys are always seeking to catch their intended victims off-guard so they can have the tactical advantage.
Your ability to be aware that something is happening sooner rather than later gives you the opportunity to take control of the situation, greatly reducing your overall risk. The more aware you are, the quicker you can run, hide or fight. Below is a list of ways you can stay safe long after the streetlights turn on:

  • Be prepared with proper fitting gear that will be comfortable for 12+ hours
  • Load up on non-lethal tools like a tactical flashlight, baton or Taser
  • Don’t announce your location or absence on social media
  • Use the buddy system and rotate who’s on the primary watch to prevent fatigue
  • Change your routine up so your patterns can’t be mapped and used against you
  • Stay in condition yellow and identify objects and people around you consistently
  • Keep your ears open, your head up and your hands-free at all times
  • Identify entry and exit points in all internal and external locations you’re in
  • Expand visibility when possible and walk the perimeters of crowds rather than through them
  • Avoid entering dimly lit or dark spaces that can add to your vulnerability
  • Understand the pace of your environment, what’s normal and your unique perception
  • Practice prediction and consider any subconscious cognitive or hindsight biases
  • Watch for any red flags around you and listen to your gut when something doesn’t feel right
  • Beware of both human and electronic distractions that can prevent you from noticing a risky situation
  • Make eye contact with people you pass on the street to show them you’re aware of their presence
  • When stationary in a vehicle, stay alert, lock your doors and close your windows
  • Always check over your treats for tampering, especially those that are not securely sealed

Safety tips like these aren’t meant to be scary, they’re meant to be empowering. The more situationally aware you are, the less likely you are to become a target for criminals. Risk reduction is vital, so always put yourself in a position to observe, detect, and avoid (or react). The best fight is the one you’re NEVER in because that’s when you and the other parties involved really win. Being prepared in any way that you, like training to be more situationally aware, owning body armor and practicing your defensive skills regularly can stop bad things from happening.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

via:  safelifedefense


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Troops returning to Afghanistan

US troops returning to Afghanistan to assist with evacuation of embassy personnel. Taliban closing on capital. All Americans urged to leave immediately.


DoD: ~3000 soldiers to move to Kabul airport within 24-48 hrs. Calls security situation “rapidly deteriorating.” Add’l forces deploying to Qatar and Kuwait.


Supplemental Info:

Announcement made within the last 30 min by State Department spokesman Ned Price.
Troops are deploying to Hamid Karzai International Airport.
“Let me be very clear about this: The Embassy remains open…”

– –

Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan


August 12, 2021


Location: Throughout Afghanistan


The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options. If you cannot afford to purchase an airline ticket at this time, please contact the U.S. Embassy at [email protected] for information regarding a repatriation loan. If you are a U.S. citizen and delaying your departure while you await an immigrant visa for a spouse or minor child, please contact us immediately. Given the security conditions and reduced staffing, the Embassy’s ability to assist U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is extremely limited even within Kabul. Please review, “What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis.”


The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens that on April 27, 2021, the Department of State ordered the departure from U.S. Embassy Kabul of U.S. government employees whose functions can be performed elsewhere due to increasing violence and threat reports in Kabul. The Travel Advisory for Afghanistan remains
Level 4-Do Not Travel due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict, and COVID-19. Domestic flights and ground transportation routes outside of Kabul are severely limited and subject to cancellation or closure.
U.S. citizens should enroll in the
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates and ensure the Embassy can contact you in an emergency. In the event of a future official evacuation flight, the Embassy would notify U.S. citizens enrolled in STEP of available assistance. However, the Embassy reiterates that U.S. citizens should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible using available commercial transportation and not plan to rely on U.S. government flights.
Information about current travel restrictions world-wide can be found on the
International Air Transport Association website.


Actions to take:

Assistance:

View the Original:

https://af.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-kabul-afghanistan-08122021/


Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: threatjournal


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DHS issues new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin

DHS issues new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin warning of heightened threat of domestic attacks.

 

Supplemental Info:

 

National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin – May 14, 2021

 

Summary of Terrorism Threat to the U.S. Homeland

 

The Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin regarding the current heightened threat environment across the United States. The Homeland is facing threats that have evolved significantly and become increasingly complex and volatile in 2021. These threats include those posed by domestic terrorists, individuals and groups engaged in grievance-based violence, and those inspired or influenced by foreign terrorists and other malign foreign influences. Social media and online forums are increasingly exploited by these actors to influence and spread violent extremist narratives and activity. Such threats also are exacerbated by the impacts from the ongoing global pandemic.


Duration

 

Issued: May 14, 2021 02:00 pm
Expires: August 13, 2021 02:00 pm

 

Additional Details

  • Violent extremists may seek to exploit the easing of COVID-19-related restrictions across the United States to conduct attacks against a broader range of targets after previous public capacity limits reduced opportunities for lethal attacks.
  • Historically, mass-casualty Domestic Violent Extremist (DVE) attacks linked to racially- or ethnically-motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) have targeted houses of worship and crowded commercial facilities or gatherings. Some RMVEs advocate via social media and online platforms for a race war and have stated that civil disorder provides opportunities to engage in violence in furtherance of ideological objectives.
  • Through 2020 and into 2021, government facilities and personnel have been common targets of DVEs, and opportunistic violent criminals are likely to exploit Constitutionally-protected freedom of speech activity linked to racial justice grievances and police use of force concerns, potentially targeting protestors perceived to be ideological opponents.
  • Ideologically-motivated violent extremists fueled by perceived grievances, false narratives, and conspiracy theories continue to share information online with the intent to incite violence. Online narratives across sites known to be frequented by individuals who hold violent extremist ideologies have called for violence against elected officials, political representatives, government facilities, law enforcement, religious or commercial facilities, and perceived ideologically-opposed individuals.
  • The use of encrypted messaging by lone offenders and small violent extremist cells may obscure operational indicators that provide specific warning of a pending act of violence.
  • Messaging from foreign terrorist organizations, including al-Qa‘ida and ISIS, intended to inspire U.S.-based homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) continues to amplify narratives related to exploiting protests. HVEs, who have typically conducted attacks against soft targets, mass gatherings, and law enforcement, remain a threat to the Homeland.
  • Nation-state adversaries have increased efforts to sow discord. For example, Russian, Chinese and Iranian government-linked media outlets have repeatedly amplified conspiracy theories concerning the origins of COVID-19 and effectiveness of vaccines; in some cases, amplifying calls for violence targeting persons of Asian descent.
  • DHS encourages law enforcement and homeland security partners to be alert to these developments and prepared for any effects to public safety. Consistent with applicable law, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement organizations should maintain situational awareness of online and physical activities that may be related to an evolving threat of violence.

How We Are Responding

  • DHS and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) continue to provide guidance to SLTT partners about the current threat environment. Specifically, DHS has issued numerous intelligence assessments to SLTT officials on the evolving threat.
  • DHS is collaborating with industry partners to identify and respond to those individuals encouraging violence and attempting to radicalize others through spreading disinformation, conspiracy theories, and false narratives on social media and other online platforms.
  • DHS has prioritized combatting DVE threats within its FEMA grants as a National Priority Area.
  • DHS remains committed to identifying and preventing domestic terrorism.

How You Can Help

  • DHS asks the public to report suspicious activity and threats of violence, including online threats, to local law enforcement, FBI Field Offices, or a local Fusion Center.
  • If you know someone who is struggling with mental health issues, or may be a danger to themself or others, support is available.

Be Prepared and Stay Informed

  • Be prepared for any emergency situations and remain aware of circumstances that may place your personal safety at risk.
  • Maintain digital media literacy to recognize and build resilience to false and harmful narratives.
  • Make note of your surroundings and the nearest security personnel.
  • Business owners should consider the safety and security of customers, employees, facilities, infrastructure, and cyber networks.
  • Government agencies will provide details about emerging threats as information is identified. The public is encouraged to listen to local authorities and public safety officials.

View Original:

https://www.dhs.gov/ntas/advisory/national-terrorism-advisory-system-bulletin-may-14-2021

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: threatjournal


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National Situation Update- 2/7/2021

WEEKLY THREAT AND ALERT ROUNDUP


Security is high for Super LV in Tampa, FL - ALLOW IMAGES

Super Bowl LV Threat Assessment


February 6, 2021

 

On Feb 1st, the following related Flash SMS
message was sent to
AlertsUSA subscriber mobile devices:


2/1 – Large security operation unfolding in Tampa for Super Bowl LV on 2/7. Fencing, road closures, and heavy police presence downtown & near stadium. Expect delays.


What You Need To Know


On Monday AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a large security operation unfolding in the run-up to Super Bowl LV that will be held on Sunday, Feb 7th at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. According to a Joint Special Event Threat Assessment issued by the FBI, Dept. of Homeland Security and several other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, there is no information to indicate a specific, credible threat to or associated with Super Bowl LV or related events in the surrounding area.

However, the FBI and DHS remain concerned about potential retaliatory attacks conducted by or on behalf of the Government of Iran following the Jan 3rd 2020 US drone strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) Commander Qassem Soleimani. Additional areas of continuing concern include international terrorism and domestic violent extremists (DVEs); unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); cyber security; local critical infrastructure; criminal activity; and the potential use of crude, simple weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

Quoting directly from the threat assessment:

“We remain concerned about sustained interest by foreign terrorist organizations in targeting mass gatherings such as Super Bowl LV despite the restricted attendance of this year’s game and associated events. Al-Qa‘ida, the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), and their affiliates remain intent on attacking Western targets and continue to call on individuals to conduct independent attacks in the United States using a range of weapons, including improvised explosive or incendiary devices (IEDs/IIDs), vehicles, firearms, and edged weapons.”

“The Government of Iran could direct retaliatory attacks in the environs of the Super Bowl; Soleimani’s death could also provoke a violent extremist Iran supporter to conduct an attack to avenge the death.”

“Although security measures will be in place around Super Bowl LV and adjacent areas on the day of the game, Super Bowl LV and associated events are likely an attractive target due to the relatively high concentration of attendees, symbolism of the event, and the significant national media attention the event will receive. We assess the most vulnerable targets of opportunity for a physical attack during Super Bowl LV will be outside the security perimeter around the stadium and at associated venues where crowds will gather or where less stringent security measures are in effect.

In light of the content of this Threat Assessment, readers may find it interesting that on Wednesday of this week, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested 11 Iranian citizens after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. According to Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol agents encountered the group on a bridge near San Luis, Arizona. The group consisted of six males and 5 females. The group was arrested and taken to Yuma Station for processing.

So far in FY2021, Yuma Sector agents have apprehend 14 nationals from Iran.

Customs and Border Protection says Iran is considered a “special interest country.” This means it is a country known to harbor terrorists and terrorist organizations.

It is not yet clear why the group was attempting to get into the United States, and agents are still working to determine how they got to Mexico to cross into the U.S..



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Coronavirus Update


What You Need To Know

According to data provided by the COVID Tracking Project, this week new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all dropped. For the seven-day period running January 28 to February 3, weekly new cases were down more than 16 percent over the previous week, and dropped below one million for the first time since the week of November 5. This is still an astonishing number of new cases per week, but far better than the nearly 1.8 million cases reported on the week of January 14. Tests also declined nationally, but by less than 3 percent, nowhere near enough to explain the steep drop in cases.

As of Friday at 6:00 PM ET, there were 3,003 deaths reported for the day. In total, more than 459,000 deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to the virus.


COVID-19 Restriction Maps can be found here and here.

The Department of Homeland Security has extended the restrictions on non-essential cross-border travel with Canada and Mexico through Feb. 21st.

Effective January 26, the CDC requires all air passengers entering the United States (including U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) to present a negative COVID-19 test, taken within three calendar days of departure​, or proof of recovery from the virus within the last 90 days.

Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau announced that air travelers entering Canada will now be forced into mandatory hotel quarantine at their expense to await results of a COVID test. Trudeau says the new requirement is part of a suite of measures designed to keep Canadians at home, as the government is increasingly concerned about the risk of new COVID variants that appear to be more transmissible and more deadly

The White House also released a new Executive Order last week focused on protecting the federal workforce and requiring mask wearing.

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Important COVID-19 Headlines

World faces around 4,000 COVID-19 variants
WHO admit Wuhan mission WILL NOT reveal how COVID jumped to humans
FEMA asks the Pentagon to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine
UK finds more coronavirus cases with ‘concerning’ mutations
What we know about the South African variant of Covid
Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus
Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine has 92% efficacy in trial
The race for ‘next generation’ COVID vaccines is heating up
COVID-19: Risks and side effects of vaccination
Sinovac and Sinopharm – what do we know about the Chinese vaccines?
Coronavirus: Lack of global vaccine strategy has ‘immense costs’


SITUATION REPORTS / OFFICIAL CASE NUMBERS

The COVID Tracking Project
World Health Organization
Centers for Disease Control (U.S.)
Johns Hopkins CSSE (Interactive map updated multiple times daily)

OFFICIAL CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION PAGES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
Public Health Agency of Canada
Infection Prevention and Control Canada
World Health Organization


SMS ALERTS FROM THIS WEEK
NOT DETAILED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ISSUE


1/31 – AlertsUSA monitoring response to reports of gunfire, Fox River Mall, Appleton, WI. Heavy police presence. Add’l alerts as warranted.

1/31 – Outagamie County (WI) Sheriff’s Office asking community to stay away from the Fox River Mall area in Appleton. Active situation.

1/31 – Police report two people shot in Fox River Mall incident. Shooter remains at large. AlertsUSA monitoring..

2/1 – AlertsUSA monitoring response to reports of gunfire, University Mall, South Burlington, VT. Heavy police presence. Add’l alerts as warranted.

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* Threat Info Direct to Your Mobile Device
* Get Away Early, Give Your Family Extra Safety.
* In Wide Use By Gov, 1st Responders, Travelers.
* 24/7/365 Monitoring. No Hype. Just the Bad Stuff.
* Issued Hours and Days before the MSM.
* On your Cell Phone, Tablet or Email.
* We Give The Clear Truth, Unlike the MSM.
* 18 Years in Operation!

We are NOT part of the government.
In fact, they are our customers!



National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, MD. - ALLOW IMAGES

Research Reactor Emergency in Maryland


On Feb 3rd, the following related Flash SMS
messages were sent to
AlertsUSA subscriber mobile devices:

2/3 – NRC notified flwg radiological incident within a Nat’l Institute of Standards & Technology facility in Gaithersburg, MD. Elevated radiation levels. Monitoring..

2/3 – NIST incident involves elevated radiation levels within containment bldg of research neutron reactor. Workers undergoing decon and eval. No threat outside bldg.

What You Need To Know

On Wednesday AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a declaration of an Emergency at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research in Gaithersburg, MD. In this incident, elevated radiation levels were detected in the containment building of the 20 MW heavy water research neutron reactor during a restart.

According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, stack radiation monitors began reading 100,000 counts per minute due to the release of fission products. The reactor had been operating at 50% power (10 MW), and automatically scrammed one minute prior based on the stack monitor reaching 50,000 counts per minute. When the automatic scram occurred, the facility ventilation system automatically changed to emergency ventilation mode to limit discharge to the environment. Several workers were determined to be externally contaminated. Those workers underwent decontamination by a change of clothes and showers and are now being monitored for signs of possible uptake and internal contamination.

According to a statement by NIST, there is no evidence of radiation above regulatory limits outside the containment building, and they “continue to evaluate data from air monitors and other sensors to ensure the health and safety of our campus and local community. NIST is also working to understand the precise cause of the elevated levels of radiation.“

A follow-up release on Friday states the following:

“The research reactor on NIST’s Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus is shut down and in a safe state. It will remain in shutdown status until the cause of the elevated radiation levels is determined and corrected. The elevated levels of radiation within the NCNR’s confinement building have dropped significantly, as expected.”

Interestingly, despite the fact that the NIST campus and the Center for Neutron Research is located near Interstate 270 and is surrounded by housing communities and businesses, most local residents did not become aware of the emergency until hours later.



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Chasing the Dragon


On his first full day in office, President Joe Biden signed a massive executive order that, among other things, killed the Keystone XL pipeline project. Buried in that same order were two short sentences that will allow the Chinese government to get into the American electrical grid.

READ MORE HERE

The New Great Game at Sea


Last month, India included Australia in its annual Malabar naval exercise for the first time since 2007. The exercise was held in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea and also included the United States and Japan, which only joined as a permanent member in 2015. Australia’s newly announced inclusion represents the growing concerns about China’s maritime rise across Eurasia, from the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean to East Asia and the Arctic.

Malabar comes in juxtaposition to the annual exercise China hosts with Russia entitled Joint Sea. Since 2012, Russia and China have conducted the Joint Sea naval exercises as a way to bolster their relationship, while also gaining a greater understanding of their respective naval technologies and platforms.

Eurasia’s main continental rivals — China, Russia, and India — are leading this emerging dynamic of maritime great-power competition as they seek enhanced global prestige and great-power status. This drive for increased international prestige has resulted in growing investments in strategic instruments of national power, namely navies. This in turn has resulted in a dynamic of heightened navalism and naval competition across maritime Eurasia.

~ READ MORE HERE ~


Forging 21st-Century Strategic Deterrence


The strategic capabilities of our competitors continue to grow, and they are sobering. More than a decade ago, Russia began aggressively modernizing its nuclear forces, including its non-treaty-accountable medium- and short-range systems. The People’s Republic of China is also on a trajectory to be a strategic peer and should not be mistaken as a “lesser included” case.

~ READ MORE HERE ~


The Navarro Report


The three volumes of the Navarro Report provide a demonstration that President Trump had a good faith belief that the November 3, 2020 Presidential election results, were, indeed, the poisonous fruit of widespread fraud and election irregularities. Evidence used in the preparation of the Navarro Report includes more than 50 lawsuits and judicial rulings, thousands of affidavits and declarations, testimony in a variety of state venues, published analyses by think tanks and legal centers, videos and photos, public comments, and extensive press coverage.

~ READ MORE HERE ~



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USNI Fleet and Marine Tracker


These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Feb 1, 2021 based on Navy, public data provided by the U.S. Naval Institute, and open source reporting. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.



Soldiers conduct an airborne operation from an Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft at Frida drop zone in Pordenone, Italy, Feb. 1, 2021. - ALLOW IMAGES

World News Roundup


AMERICAS

10 pounds of Composition C-4 disappear from Twentynine Palms
11 Iranians arrested in Arizona after jumping US-Mexico border
Nat’l Guard protection of the Swamp cost taxpayers $500 MILLION
Judiciary Committee votes AGAINST saying Pledge of Allegiance
US and Russia extend nuclear treaty
CCP Virus psyops in Wuhan brought America to her knees
Biden Is Putting Migrant Kids In Cages, Crickets from AOC
Biden says he will welcome 125,000 refugees during pandemic
Hacking group also used an IE zero-day against security researchers
That Settles That: White House Is Keeping Space Force
Comparing Biden’s Proposed Amnesty to the Legalization of the 1980s
Modernizing Biometrics Collection for Immigration Vetting
For Biden, Tough Talk on Saudi Arabia Meets Reality
US sends warship through Taiwan Strait for first time under Biden
Mexico Arrests Police Officers Over Massacre
Desperation grows as Mexico runs out of vaccines
Hacking group also used an IE zero-day against security researchers
Austin Orders Military Stand Down to Address Challenge of Extremism
Biden cancels Elon Musk’s adventures in space
Lockheed Overtakes Boeing as Largest US Aerospace and Defense Firm
New Sonar Sees Underwater From The Air
National Security Council meets on Iran’s nuclear program

EUROPE

One dead and nine injured after stabbings around Croydon, south London
Biden Freezes German Pullout Plans; ‘Cradle to Grave’ Review Underway
Britain expelled three Chinese spies posing as journalists, report claims
Russia Expels European Diplomats It Says Participated In Navalny Protests
B-1 Bombers Deploying To Norway For The First Time
Trident nuclear submarine replacement delayed by another year
Joe Biden demands Russia free Alexei Navalny ‘immediately
As Moscow’s Jails Overflow, Navalny Detainees Are Held Outside the City

MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Islamic extremists planning ‘rash of attacks’ after Covid curbs lifted, says UN
Al Qaeda’s “Expansion Project” targets Côte d’Ivoire, Benin
Biden halts support for Saudi strikes on Yemen
In Iraq’s ‘Dire’ Economy, Poverty Is Rising — And So Are Fears Of Instability
Mozambican President announces night curfews, first since 1992
Saudi Arabia suspends entry from 20 countries over COVID fears
Qatar announces new restrictions amid fears of second COVID wave
Erdogan says will not let Turkish university protests swell
Liberia war crimes: Rebel commander on trial in Finland
Tunisian soldiers killed by explosive in mountains close to Algerian border
Ethiopia arrests 15 over UAE embassy attack plot

ASIA

Nimitz moves into Indo-Pacific region after 270 days in CENTCOM AOR
Myanmar coup: What is happening and why?
Xi, Putin make the case for win-win vs zero-sum
16 injured in Sibbi blast following Kashmir solidarity rally
Chinese Soldiers Get High-Tech ‘Dog Tags’ Incl Barcodes, Embedded Chips
Uyghur advocates speak out after accounts of rape and torture in China
Top Chinese official hopes US abandons its ‘zero-sum’ rivalry
China slams U.N. Security Council ‘leak’ on Myanmar
Afghanistan troop withdrawal should be tied with peace talk progress
US study group advises delay in Afghanistan withdrawal
Japan extends state of emergency amid rising COVID-19 cases
Defector says North Korea ‘popular uprising’ likely



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Travel Security Resources

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The U.S. Dept. of State Travel Website is the authoritative federal source for information on the security situation at travel destinations worldwide. With tensions rapidly increasing in most regions, readers planning international travel, even to such common destinations as Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands, are strongly encouraged to research on the security situation at your destination prior to departure.


Active USGOV Travel Notices

Worldwide Caution



Active USGOV Travel Advisories

Alphabetical Country List

Dynamic Map



Other USGOV Travel Resources

Traveler’s Checklist

Smart Traveler Enrollment Prog (STEP)

Travelers with Special Considerations

Travel to High-Risk Areas

Faith-Based Travel Information

Information for Women Travelers

Cruise Ship Passengers

Students Abroad

Your Health Abroad

Driving and Road Safety Abroad


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The Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides a variety of resources to enhance the safety and security of the U.S. private sector businesses and organizations operating abroad.


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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website is the authoritative federal source for information on current health issues related to specific destinations worldwide. These issues may arise from disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, natural disasters, or other conditions that may affect travelers’ health.


Foreign Sources of Travel Guidance

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Global Affairs Canada


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Australia Dept. of Foreign Affairs


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UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office


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Would YOU Be Considered a Domestic Terrorist Under This New Bill?

After 9/11, the entire country collectively lost its mind in the throes of fear. During that time, all civil and Constitutional rights were shredded and replaced with the pages of The USA PATRIOT Act.

Almost 20 years later, the U.S. has again lost its collective mind, this time in fear of a “virus” and it’s “super mutations” and a “riot” at the capitol. A lot of people called this and to the surprise of very few, much like after 9/11, Americans are watching what remains of their civil liberties be replaced with a new bill.

The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021

The DTPA is essentially the criminalization of speech, expression, and thought. It takes cancel culture a step further and all but outlaws unpopular opinions. This act will empower intelligence, law enforcement, and even military wings of the American ruling class to crack down on individuals adhering to certain belief systems and ideologies.

According to MI Congressman Fred Upton:


“The attack on the U.S. Capitol earlier this month was the latest example of domestic terrorism, but the threat of domestic terrorism remains very real. We cannot turn a blind eye to it,” Upton said. “The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act will equip our law enforcement leaders with the tools needed to help keep our homes, families, and communities across the country safe.

Congressman Upton’s website gives the following information on DTPA:

The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021 would strengthen the federal government’s efforts to prevent, report on, respond to, and investigate acts of domestic terrorism by authorizing offices dedicated to combating this threat; requiring these offices to regularly assess this threat; and providing training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing it.

DTPA would authorize three offices, one each within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to monitor, investigate, and prosecute cases of domestic terrorism. The bill also requires these offices to provide Congress with joint, biannual reports assessing the state of domestic terrorism threats, with a specific focus on white supremacists. Based on the data collected, DTPA requires these offices to focus their resources on the most significant threats.

DTPA also codifies the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee, which would coordinate with United States Attorneys and other public safety officials to promote information sharing and ensure an effective, responsive, and organized joint effort to combat domestic terrorism. The legislation requires DOJ, FBI, and DHS to provide training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in understanding, detecting, deterring, and investigating acts of domestic terrorism and white supremacy. Finally, DTPA directs DHS, DOJ, FBI, and the Department of Defense to establish an interagency task force to combat white supremacist infiltration of the uniformed services and federal law enforcement.

Those who read the bill aren’t so gung ho to shred the Constitution

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has some serious reservations. In a recent interview on Fox News Primetime, Gabbard stated that the bill effectively criminalizes half of the country. (Emphasis ours)

“It’s so dangerous as you guys have been talking about, this is an issue that all Democrats, Republicans, independents, Libertarians should be extremely concerned about, especially because we don’t have to guess about where this goes or how this ends,” Gabbard said.

She continued: “When you have people like former CIA Director John Brennan openly talking about how he’s spoken with or heard from appointees and nominees in the Biden administration who are already starting to look across our country for these types of movements similar to the insurgencies they’ve seen overseas, that in his words, he says make up this unholy alliance of religious extremists, racists, bigots, he lists a few others and at the end, even libertarians.”

Gabbard, stating her concern about how the government will define what qualities they are searching for in potential threats to the country, went on to ask:

“What characteristics are we looking for as we are building this profile of a potential extremist, what are we talking about? Religious extremists, are we talking about Christians, evangelical Christians, what is a religious extremist? Is it somebody who is pro-life? Where do you take this”

Tulsi said the bill would create a dangerous undermining of our civil liberties and freedoms in our Constitution. She also stated the DPTA essentially targets nearly half of the United States.

“You start looking at obviously, have to be a white person, obviously likely male, libertarians, anyone who loves freedom, liberty, maybe has an American flag outside their house, or people who, you know, attended a Trump rally,” Gabbard said.

Tulsi Gabbard is not the only one to criticize the legislation

Even the ACLU, one of the weakest organizations on civil liberties in the United States, has spoken out. While the ACLU was only concerned with how the bill would affect minorities or “brown people,” the organization stated that the legislation, while set forth under the guise of countering white supremacy, would eventually be used against non-white people.

The ACLU’s statement is true.

As with similar bills submitted under the guise of “protecting” Americans against outside threats, this bill will inevitably expand further. The stated goals of the DPTA are far-reaching and frightening enough. It would amount to an official declaration of the end to Free Speech.

Soon there will be no rights left for Americans

In the last twenty years, Americans have lost their 4th Amendment rights, and now they are losing their 1st. All that remains is the 2nd Amendment, and both the ruling class and increasing numbers of the American people know it.

Dark days are ahead.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


via : theorganicprepper, by Robert Wheeler

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The ACLU and College Professors are Encouraging Book Burnings

Are you ready for this week’s absurdity? Here’s our Friday roll-up of the most ridiculous stories from around the world that are threats to your liberty, risks to your prosperity… and on occasion, inspiring poetic justice.


ACLU and Professor Team Up to Encourage Book Burnings


Abigail Shrier has committed the ultimate sin: she has a different opinion than the woke mob. And that is an unforgivable transgression.

Shrier’s new book is called Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, and she discusses some very strong views, such as that children shouldn’t be coaxed into taking life-altering hormones.

This is a controversial topic for many people, and they can choose to support or argue against Shrier’s opinions.

But that’s not how the woke mob works. They don’t use logic and debate to engage in intellectual discourse.

Instead, they simply rage– what Isaac Asimov described as “the last resource of fools.”

So naturally Twitter is jumping all over this book and trying to cancel it.

Target– the mega retail chain with stores all over the Land of the Free, already buckled, and decided to pull the book because apparently it’s full of hate speech.

(Never mind that Target continues to sell White Fragility, which is also full of hate speech that accuses roughly half the country of being White Supremacists…)

But more surprising is that Chase Strangio, a deputy director with the ACLU, is one of the Twitter mobsters.

Strangio recently Tweeted, “We have to fight these ideas… Stopping the circulation of this book and these ideas is 100% a hill I will die on.”

Remember, Strangio is with the ACLU, where the ‘C’ and ‘L’ stand for ‘Civil Liberties’. And last time I checked, civil liberties include freedom of speech. How quaint.

Also joining the mob is a Professor of English from the University of California’s Berkely campus, who encourages people to steal and burn the book.

That’s right, our cultural overseers are now advocating literal book burnings in the Land of the Free.

Click here to read the full story.


State Universities of New York Threaten to Hold Students Hostage Over COVID


The system of New York State Universities announced a policy that all students on all campuses must test negative for COVID-19 before LEAVING campus to go home for the holidays.

If students test positive, they will be FORCED to quarantine on campus for 14 days, at the responsibility of the University.

And since campuses close just prior to Thanksgiving, that means students who test positive could be held hostage in isolation on the holiday, prevented from going home to see their families.

One question: HOW IS THIS NOT KIDNAPPING????

Click here to read the full story.


Great idea #593,291: Let’s Tax the Wind


Argentina’s government has been an endless supply of terrible ideas, from wealth taxes to full-blow asset confiscation. Their latest idea? Taxing the air– more specifically the wind.

Companies which sell wind power will have to pay 4.5% REVENUE (not profit) tax to the municipality for the privilege of using the air.

Remember when governments were talking about fossil fuel taxes to encourage energy companies to stop drilling and start investing in renewable energy?

Gee I wonder what’s going to happen with this one…

Click here to read the full story.


“Defund Police” politician calls police over dispute with Lyft driver


The City Commissioner in Portland, Oregon, Comrade Jo Ann Hardesty, has strongly voiced her support for defunding the police.

So you’d think she’d be the last person to ever call the cops.

But Hardesty was recently in a Lyft and got into an argument with her driver over some petty issue over the windows being up or down.

Apparently the argument escalated, and the driver pulled into a gas station and asked Hardesty to exit the vehicle.

Now, instead of resolving the matter like a grown adult, Hardesty– an elected official– decided to call 911 (i.e. a number reserved for EMERGENCIES).

The 911 dispatcher explained to Hardesty that no crime had been committed; if the Lyft driver wanted to cancel the ride, that was his right.

But Hardesty insisted that the dispatcher send the police, i.e. the very people she wants to defund… because apparently this petty dispute constituted an emergency.

Of course there is room for police reform. But Hardesty is absurdly hypocritical to call the police for such a trivial reason… and then demand that they be defunded.

Click here to read the full story.


Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


via:  SovereignMan


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Election results are already in: Para Bellum

I know the election is still hanging in the balance, but there’s something important you need to know and prepare for.

You see, regardless of who wins, the results coming down the pike from this election are already clear.

 

“Si vis pacem, para bellum” – If you want peace, prepare for war.

 

Here’s why:

 

If Trump wins, there will be more looting, rioting, and civil unrest.

BLM Square already erupted in violence on election night, and nothing was close to being decide.

 

And it’s clear agitators are just itching to set off the powder keg across the nation.

 

On the political side, Democrats have already promised to punish Republicans for confirming Amy Coney Barret to the Supreme Court.

 

So, you can count on endless calls for investigations, more sham impeachment attempts, and basically government gridlock.

 

If Biden wins, Joe will likely be ousted within a year of taking office due to his obvious health issues.

 

They’ll invoke the 25th Amendment, which means Harris will become President and Pelosi the VP.

 

Then you’ll see the extreme left try to push their full Socialist agenda on America.

 

Free speech will be assailed like never before in our history…

 

Gun control bills will be coming hot and heavy…

 

Industry will be slowly nationalized…

 

Taxes will soar…

 

And politicians will let the activists off the chain to run wild in the streets until they get their way.

 

So you can see, regardless of the winner, there is much more civil and political strife coming our way.

 

Our freedoms will still be in jeopardy with a Trump victory – maybe not federally, but on a local level.

 

So depending where you live, things could get crazy.

And all this would be truly scary stuff.

 

If you weren’t prepared in advance for it.

 

But you easily can be.

 

Simply cutting through the clutter and seeing what’s clearly going on is step one.

 

Then, revisit your self-defense and home defense plans.

 

Make sure everything is dialed-in and people know their role.

 

Double check your bags and gear.

 

Clean your guns. Top off your magazines

 

Stock the fridge, freezer, pantry, and survival food cache.

 

Plan your bug-out routes.

 

And decide on what would trigger you to activate any or all of your plans.

 

When would you bug out? And why?

 

What event or events would be a red-line for you?

 

Knowing you’re ready, and having your boundaries in place while things are still relatively quiet will bring you a sense of peace.

 

This way, you’re not forced to make decisions on the fly about certain high-pressure issues, because you’ll have already done it.

 

Then, in the event your red-line gets crossed, you’ll know exactly what to do, and you can calmly go about enacting your plans.

 

By doing these simple things now, today, before the storm hits the shore.

 

You’ll give yourself the best chance at both physical and mental peace.

 

In other words, never stop planning and preparing to protect your family.

 

Stay Safe.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 


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Antifa is real. It’s violent. And you need to plan for it.

American diplomat George Messersmith found himself in an awkward situation while attending a luncheon in Kiel, Germany in August of 1933.

As lunch came to a close, the attendees erupted into song with arms outstretched in the Nazi salute.

First they belted out Germany’s national anthem, followed by the anthem of the Stormtroopers– the paramilitary ”Brownshirts” who violently enforced Germany’s new social rules.

Messersmith was the US Consul-General overseeing America’s diplomatic ties with Germany, so he politely stood at attention. But he did not salute or sing along.

Germans were required by law to render the Nazi salute, especially during the anthem; Hitler had been awarded supreme executive authority only a few months before, and he made the mandatory salute law of the land.

Foreigners, however, were explicitly exempt from saluting or singing the anthem.

But that didn’t help Messersmith.

Even though he was legally excused from making the Nazi salute, angry Brownshirts menacingly glared at him for not participating in their rituals.

Messersmith later wrote in his memoirs that he felt threatened, as if the Brownshirts were ready to attack him.

“I felt really quite fortunate that the incident took place within doors. . . For if it had been in a street gathering, or in an outdoor demonstration, no questions would have been asked as to who I was, and that I would have been mishandled is almost unquestionable.”

Messersmith was one of the few US officials who grasped just how dangerous the Nazis were in 1933. Others had to witness it first hand before they understood.

A similar event unfolded when a US radio host and his family found themselves amidst an impromptu Nazi parade in Berlin.

And in order to avoid Hailing Hitler, they turned their backs to the parade and gazed into a store window.

But several Brownshirts quickly surrounded the family and demanded to know why they did not salute.

The family explained that they were from the US and didn’t know the customs in Germany. But the Brownshirts didn’t care. The family was assaulted as police officers watched… and did nothing to stop the violence.

News of these sorts of incidents quickly made their way overseas, and foreigners read about Americans traveling in Germany being savagely beaten or threatened for not engaging in Nazi rituals.

But more surprising is that many foreigners actually sided with the Nazis.

Even the daughter of the US Ambassador to Germany defended the Nazis and their Brownshirt enforcers.

She said that news reports of these assaults and beatings were “exaggerated by bitter, close-minded people” who ignored the “thrilling rebirth” Hitler had ushered in for Germany.

Of course, we know in retrospect that these early warning signs were not at all an exaggeration. They were a small preview for what would come next.

Today we are obviously in a different time dealing with totally different circumstances.

But it would be foolish to ignore the early warning signs and pretend as if what’s happening now is not a preview for what could come next.

This is perhaps best illustrated by a CNN reporter in Kenosha, Wisconsin back in August who stood in front of burning cars and buildings, with a violent mob all around him, yet declared the protests “fiery but mostly peaceful.”

image

This willful ignorance of the undercurrent coursing its way through the Western world will not save anyone from the destruction it brings.

For example, just this past Monday, “peaceful protesters” in Portland, Oregon celebrated Columbus Day with an “Indigenous People’s Day of Rage.”

They weren’t even pretending to be peaceful. They called it what it is: RAGE. That’s literally the name they gave to their own actions.

Hundreds of people dressed in all black, covered their faces, and armed themselves with shields and nightsticks. They marched their way through the city, smashed windows, and forced any witnesses to stop filming and delete photographs.

A man who filmed from his apartment’s terrace had lasers shined in his eyes and was doused in some sort of liquid.

The protesters tore down statues of Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. They smashed the windows of the Oregon Historical Society building, and unfurled a banner that said “stop honoring racist colonizer murderers.”

Police did not even attempt to intervene until the rioters had been on the streets for hours and had already caused havoc and destruction.

(Ironically, much of the mainstream media still refuses to acknowledge that this group ‘antifa’– the fascists who call themselves anti-fascists– even exists.)

It’s obvious that a small, fringe, ideological minority has started to take control.

They have squashed civil discourse and free speech. Dissent is met with violence and intimidation. And if you dare to speak out, you become a target.

That could mean being “cancelled” by the Twitter mob. Or being accosted in public and forced to raise your fist. Several people have already been killed in protests across the nation.

When people like the former CEO of Twitter are calling for capitalists to be “lined up against the wall and shot,” it’s time to take the threat seriously.

This is far from the first time in history that a tiny fraction of the population has resorted to violence and extremism to force their agenda on an entire nation.

But you don’t have to watch helplessly as the born-again Brownshirts destroy everything you have worked for.

The first step is to recognize that the radical movement will not simply go away on its own. This has been growing for some time, and history tells us that it could become much worse.

Second, have a rock solid Plan B. This means deciding– in advance, when you’re still calm and rational– what steps to take in order to secure your family’s safety, your prosperity, and your freedom in a worst case scenario.

After all, you don’t want to be thinking about your next move when some antifa thug ‘peacefully’ hurls a molotov cocktail through your window.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

via: SovereignMan.com


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World War II memorial cancelled for being too white

Just when you think it couldn’t get more bizarre… we give you this week’s absurdity.


Mural dedicated to WWII Vets cancelled for being too white


70 years ago, a decorated Veteran from World War II painted a mural on the campus of the University of Rhode Island to honor the fallen who lost their lives in the war.

The 95 year old artist is still alive today, to see his artwork being cancelled.

Students complained that the lack of diversity in the mural made them feel uncomfortable. There were too many white people depicted, and not enough minorities.

The university quickly bowed to the mob, covered up the painting, and plans to remove it entirely.

It’s ironic that in 2020, questioning the woke mob is liable to have you labeled a Nazi.

So a man who had the balls to fight the actual Nazis will have his memorial painting destroyed to appease the snowflakes who can’t even look at a painting without an emotional fit.


Click here to read the full story.


Former Marine commits suicide after the mob targets him


A Nebraska bar owner, Jake Gardner, was inside his bar when the windows were shattered by “peaceful protesters.”

Gardner, a former Marine who served in Iraq, went outside to try to diffuse the situation. He saw his father (a man in his 60s) shoved violently to the ground by peaceful protestors. But still, Gardner maintained his composure.

A video then shows that Gardner tried backing away from three men when they attacked him.

Gardner ends up on the ground, with an attacker on top of him. Gardner fired his weapon, and the attacker died.

The county prosecutor reviewed the video evidence and confirmed that Gardner acted properly and in self defense. The video confirms this. And he stated that he would NOT charge Gardner.

But the mob was not willing to accept this outcome. So they surrounded the courthouse and peacefully protested… at which point the Grand Jury caved and decided to charge Gardner with manslaughter.

This sadly appeared to put Gardner over the edge. And he took his own life last week.


Click here to read the full story.


Escaped Prisoner in UK tried to turn himself in seven times


An British inmate incarcerated in the UK recently escaped; apparently he was worried about his mother and wanted to visit her.

But once the visit was over, he was ready to go back to prison and serve out the remainder of his sentence.

So he went down to the local police station to turn himself in. But they refused to arrest him. It appeared there was no outstanding warrant for his arrest.

It took SEVEN tries before this escaped convict was able to successfully turn himself in to police.

Perhaps the cops were too busy trying to catch people illegally watching TV without a license (seriously, that’s a thing in the UK).


Click here to read the full story.


Election supervisor investigates a toilet


A homeowner in Michigan put a toilet on his front lawn, along with a sign that says “place mail-in ballots here.”

For anyone familiar with the debate about whether mail-in ballots increase voter fraud, the display is an obvious joke.

However the local election supervisor thinks it’s a crime, so she called the police to investigate.

She said, “It is a felony to take illegal possession of an absentee ballot… Elections in this country are to be taken seriously and there are many people who are voting by mail for the first time this election.”

Such sensitive little authoritarians…

Let’s hope that any eligible voter would not mistake the front yard toilet for an actual official ballot depository.

And if that’s the level of intelligence among voters, we have bigger problems to worry about.


Click here to read the full story.


New Jersey Doubles Down on Chasing the Rich Away


About 4 years ago, billionaire David Tepper left New Jersey and moved to Florida.

New Jersey instantly lost hundreds of millions of dollars every year in tax revenue just from this one guy.

But it wasn’t only Tepper fleeing New Jersey’s 8.97% income tax rate. In 2018, for example, New Jersey lost 5,700 millionaires.

Not coincidentally, 2018 was the same year that New Jersey hiked it’s income tax rate to 10.75% for those earning more than $5 million.

And now, with a massive government budget shortfall thanks to COVID shutdowns, New Jersey will double down on its bad idea.

They didn’t learn their lesson in 2018… so now the state will increase its tax rate to 10.75% for everyone earning more than $1 million per year.


Click here to read the full story.


Tased and arrested for not wearing a mask


An Ohio mother sat with her family in the stands at her son’s middle school football game.

They were outside, and a good 15 feet from any other fan.

But the school resource officer confronted the woman, and asked her to put a mask on.

She refused, citing asthma. She wasn’t sitting near anyone and was properly distanced, so she clearly posed no threat.

That really should have been the end of it. But instead the woman ended up being tased and forcibly removed from the stands.

Ironically the police officer had his mask hanging around his neck the whole time (instead of covering his nose and mouth), and another officer who also responded wasn’t wearing a mask at all.

In the end, it doesn’t even appear that the school’s mask mandate was legally enforceable. So they charged the mom with ‘trespassing’… at her son’s football game.


Click here to read the full story.


To your freedom.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.




via: SovereignMan.com


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Prep Your Apartment or Suburban Home for Riots and Civil Unrest: How to Get Ready FAST

When you live in an urban or suburban location and it looks like all heck is about to break loose, how can you prepare your place fast for the potential of unrest? As we’ve seen in cities across the country, a peaceful protest can turn into a violent riot in the blink of an eye. How do you prepare when the spark is lit in your hometown?

While our first recommendation on this website is always “don’t be there” we know there are some situations in which leaving isn’t an option.

Therefore, this article is based on the premise that, for whatever reason, you’re going to need to hunker down in your home. The reason you’re there doesn’t matter – the concept is simply that you’re there. With only a couple of exceptions, we’re also going to use things you can commonly find in homes with no special trips to the store.

For a detailed overview of civil unrest and riots, check out Selco’s on-demand webinar on the topic.

Timing is essential

The first thing to consider is that speed is of the essence. If there’s something going on in your hometown that could cause unrest, like the announcement of a verdict or sentencing, you will probably know about it at least a day ahead of time. This allows you a bit more leeway in gathering supplies.

But we don’t always get that warning. Sometimes the response of outrage is immediate, as we’ve seen in the cases of several police shootings recently. In these cases, sometimes the outrage is warranted, and other times it’s not, but that part doesn’t matter when there are people who want to destroy, loot, and burn.

It’s best if you have an idea of how you’re going to prepare ahead of time. If you know this, then you can have on hand the supplies that you need. If not, you’ll be using what you have on hand.

As soon as you feel that unrest is a possibility, it’s time to take action if you plan to stay in place. Don’t just “wait and see.” Assume that bad things are coming your way and act accordingly.

Blend in

We’ve talked a lot about the gray man principle in the preparedness world. You can learn more about it in this article. In situations of unrest, it’s helpful if your home is also “gray.”  But it’s important to understand that gray isn’t always just non-descript or non-memorable. It can mean you are adapting to the baseline of your area. And sometimes that means adapting to it whether you agree with it or not.

How do you do that? Well, it depends where you are and who the potential threat is.

Many of the recent riots in the United States have been related to race and police brutality. These two things give you some hints on what you might want at your home and also what you might not want.

An important thing to note: I’m well aware this advice will not be popular in our circles, but remember that we’re talking about survival. Not about right vs. wrong, free speech, or your love of the United States of America. You have to be the one to make the decision whether you place precedence on the lives of your family or on your patriotism and principles. Sometimes, like matter, the two cannot occupy the same space at the same time. I can’t tell you what is right or what is wrong. I can simply point out things that could make your home a target.

First, consider the things you may want to remove temporarily.

It’s a sickening fact that homes flying American flags have been targeted by arsonists. It’s practically unbelievable that this is happening in the United States, but it is.  Due to this, you may want to remove anything that is obviously patriotic from the exterior of your home.

If you’ve got a “Thin Blue Line” sticker on your car, you’ll want to park it in the garage. In these harrowing times, obvious support of law enforcement is a sure way to capture the ire of a mob that wants to see the police eradicated. The same thing goes for flags and exterior decorations that show support of LEOs. In Minneapolis, it was discovered that police officers were being followed home and their families and properties were targeted.

Depending on the situation in your area, you may want to add some things to make your home a less desirable target. A small sign in the window that says something like “Racial Equality” may indicate the residents are sympathetic to the cause of those rioting and could be enough to deter them from smashing your windows and setting your home on fire. I’m not suggesting you have to go full-on BLM with your signage. But consider something small and relatively innocuous to use as a type of “camouflage.” I don’t see this as very different from the quarantine tape I have stashed away to make my home look undesirable in the midst of a pandemic.

Unless others in the neighborhood are boarding up their windows, you may not want to batten down the hatches with plywood on the exterior. Keep reading for more information on boarding up your windows.

Aside from these things, be sure to remove anything from the front of the house that could be used to break the windows, like planters and lawn furniture.  Secure your belongings like bicycles and toys indoors or you may discover they’ve been taken by self-entitled rioters.

Finally, if you are home during the riots, gather in one room. This way you know where everybody is if things get crazy and you know that everyone is practicing proper light control. Keep the lights off – some rioters really want a confrontation, so they’ll be looking for homes that look occupied. Keep your blinds or curtains closed and make sure any light you use is dim and not very noticeable. Before an event occurs, test things out. Can you still see the television in the family room from the outside when the curtains are closed? How bright is that nightlight in the bathroom? Can you identify people walking around inside through the blinds? Make the appropriate adjustments before any violence erupts.

Be harder to get to

The next thing to do is to harden your home. You don’t want to be an easy target. When discussing this, a lot of folks immediately think “booby traps.” I’m not recommending anything like that. We’re not in a Mad Max situation right now, even though it could feel like it in the moment. Booby traps are illegal and you will be held both criminally and civilly liable for any injury or death that occurs from a trap you set.

As per the Geneva Convention:

Without prejudice to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict relating to treachery and perfidy, it is prohibited in all circumstances to use:

a. any booby-trap in the form of an apparently harmless portable object which is specifically designed and constructed to contain explosive material and to detonate when it is disturbed or approached, or

b. booby-traps which are in any way attached to or associated with:

1. internationally recognized protective emblems, signs or signals;

2. sick, wounded or dead persons;

3. burial or cremation sites or graves;

4. medical facilities, medical equipment, medical supplies or medical transportation;

5. children’s toys or other portable objects or products specially designed for the feeding, health, hygiene, clothing or education of children;

6. food or drink;

7. kitchen utensils or appliances except in military establishments, military locations or military supply depots;

8. objects clearly of a religious nature;

9. historic monuments, works of art or places or worship which constitute the cultural or spiritual heritage of peoples;

10. animals or their carcasses.

It is prohibited in all circumstances to use any booby-trap which is designed to cause superfluous injury or necessary suffering.” (source)

Explosives, sharpened items, devices that cause guns to fire, and devices that produce toxic fumes upon contact are all prohibited.

While some folks may be bitterly disappointed that they can’t spear their adversaries with a custom-made booby trap, you can still protect your home

This happens in layers.

Securing the outside

First things first, anything outside that keeps people further away from the home itself is good. Lots of folks have fences around the front but leave their gates unsecured. If there is any inkling your neighborhood could be a target of unrest, lock your gate! Do this with a padlock or with a bar secured across the inside of the gate.

In nearly every situation, I’d advise you not to leave pets outside to “guard” the home. Pets can be seriously injured or killed. They can also be used like a hostage by unsavory people to lure the homeowners out. Keep your pets inside during times of unrest.

As mentioned above, remove anything from the exterior that could be used to gain access by breaking a window.

Many people board up all their windows with plywood. If you plan to do this, get the plywood well ahead of time and pre-drill the holes so you can install it quickly. You can store plywood between your mattress and box springs, or under your bed. I’ll go into this more in a moment but do not cover every single window of your home with plywood. You don’t want to create a prison from which you have no escape. Generally, just cover the front windows and sidelights by your doors.

Make sure alternative entrances are protected with warning devices. I hang windchimes on windows and decorative bells on doorknobs. Even when I travel, I carry a little windchime to hang on the doorknob of my Airbnb or hotel room to alert me to potential trouble. When my daughter and I faced the potential of unrest in Virginia, I set up a tripwire at the back gate that fired 22 caliber blanks when triggered. Notice – I said blanks. As I mentioned above, you don’t want to set up anything that might hurt someone. 22 caliber isn’t overly loud but it’s enough to alert you that something is going on, and may even scare away less hardy intruders.

Deterring entry

If your home is breached, all is not lost. Your next goal is to make it difficult to get to you. We’ve already discussed that your lights should be turned off. This gives you the advantage of knowing the layout while those who broke in have no idea what they’re walking into.

But darkness isn’t your only advantage. When I was staying with my daughter in her downtown apartment during the COVID lockdowns, we realized that our front hallway was a true weak spot. The front door was solid glass and there were also glass sidelights. The door frame of the old building wasn’t of the highest quality and I could easily see the door being breached, either by the glass being broken or by a strong person simply breaking through due to the weak frame. As renters this is not something we could replace. So, we got plywood cut to fit and I added spacers that allowed the blinds to be between the plywood and the glass, making it look less obvious that we had boarded things up.

However, this didn’t do anything to prevent someone from breaking down the door, so our next step was to make the hallway harder to navigate. I came across this solution accidentally. We had come home late one day and dropped our purchases on the floor right inside the door, along with a purse and a backpack. I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and fell facefirst over a giant box of industrial trashbags. When I tried to catch myself, my foot got tangled in the long strap of my daughter’s purse. This, of course, was all gracefully executed. But as I sat there on the floor with my knee throbbing, I thought, hey, they call these things “stumbling blocks” for a reason.

The next day, I created my own stumbling blocks. I took some of our carry-on luggage and weighted them down with hard cover books. I lined these suitcases along the side of the hallway most of the time, but when unrest was nearby, I could easily roll them where I wanted and lay them down at different angles to make the hallway a bit more difficult to traverse. At the very least, these things will make some racket and slow people down before they get to your refuge.

Setting up a safe zone

And that leads us to the safe zone. You may not have time to create an entire safe room, but you can at least designate one room as a safe zone. Make this room the furthest from the most likely point of entry. (For us the most likely entry would have been the front door and the best option for a safe zone was a bedroom in the back part of the house.) The room needs to have a door to the rest of the house and an emergency way to exit.

You want your safe zone to be comfortable enough for the whole family to hang out in – this could mean pulling an extra mattress into a bedroom or rearranging the furniture. Plan to spend the evening together in this room.

Adults should be armed and prepared in the event that their home is breached. If your home is breached your priority is the safety of those under your care. If you have small children or anyone who is unfamiliar with the safe handling of firearms, please keep your gun on your person for safety purposes. In fact, I recommend that you keep your gun on your person at all times during these situations anyway. You’re not going to be able to say to intruders, “Oh, hold on, I forgot my Glock in the master bedroom.” A gun is like a trauma first aid kit. If you need it, you need it instantly, not in in five minutes.

You should have a plan to barricade the door to the safe zone.  This could mean relocating a heavy piece of furniture near the entrance where you can quickly push it in front of the door if necessary. Your goal here is to slow down and deter intruders.

While you should definitely call 911 if your home is breached to have it on record that you did call for official help, don’t rely on them to dispatch assistance with sirens blaring.  As a woman from Kenosha, Wisconsin recounts of her experience during the riots, “It was apparent from the beginning there was no help. No police, no fire trucks no ambulances. None.” Don’t expect your situation to be any different.

If you have intruders, you may wish to issue a verbal warning letting them know you are armed and will open fire if they continue to try and breach your safe room. For some people that will serve as enough of a deterrent. For others, swept up in the mob mentality, it could serve to enflame them further.

For the love of all things cute and fluffy, remember that you are probably not John Rambo. You might be able to take out a few intruders, but if dozens of people are swarming into your home, you won’t be able to take out all of them. Read this article for more information on escaping an angry mob. You may have family members who will suffer due to your actions, so think things through ahead of time. Don’t just blindly react.

Create a funnel

If, despite your best efforts, people do get into your home, there are things that you can do to manage where they go. Most people in mobs are participating in more of a group mentality – you won’t see a lot of critical thinkers. This means that you can often strategically guide them to the place where you want them.

Where you want them depends upon your goal and this is where the conversation gets tricky. Do you want them to head to the opposite side of the house from where your safe zone is to give yourself more time to escape? Do you want them to be in an area where you can take defensive action from a protected position?

I cannot advise you on a public website to set up some kind of shooting gallery in your home. But consider the following thoughts.

  1. Think about backstops. In the event that you have no option but to defend yourself, what is behind the intruders after you funnel them into your desired location? Would gunfire go through to the next apartment? Out into the street? Or would it be stopped by a concrete wall?
  2. Understand the difference between cover and concealment. Television has done us a terrible disservice when it shows someone tipping over a wooden kitchen table and taking “cover” behind it to survive the intruders opening fire with fully automatic weapons. Concealment means you’re hidden. Cover means you’re protected from most gunfire. If you ARE planning to take aggressive defensive action, you’ll want to do it from a place of cover.
  3. Understand that there will be legal ramifications. Even if you are innocent of all charges, you must prepare yourself for a lengthy and expensive court battle. Any set up you’ve done in advance will likely be used against you in such a battle. If your area is more sympathetic toward rioters than us average folks, you could be in for a barrage of negative publicity and harassment.

Consider all of these things before taking defensive actions. And perhaps reconsider leaving if that remains a possibility it all.

Now, back to our funnel. It’s fairly easy to guide people to where you want them to go. Most people, especially those who are untrained, will take the path that looks most direct and easiest. Figure out all of the options a person in your funnel might have. Options might include open rooms, doors to closed rooms, and exits.

Once you’ve considered what the options are, then make the options you want them to choose EASY and the options you don’t want them to choose CHALLENGING.

Going back to our long front hallway in my daughter’s city apartment, we wanted people in our hall for as long as possible, not scattering to rooms off the hallway. One bedroom near the door had a second door that led to the back part of the house. We definitely didn’t want intruders going that way because we’d end up flanked in our safety zone. I solved this issue by putting a bookcase loaded with books in front of the bedroom door that led to the hallway. Who is going to try and move a giant bookcase when there’s a hallway with 3 open doors ahead of them?

What you’re really doing here is using psychology to manipulate your potential attackers to the place where you want them. This article has a lot of excellent in-depth guidance on preparing your space for such a siege.

Be prepared for fire

One of the most common weapons we’re seeing used in the current spate of riots is fire.

Fires are very common during incidents of civil unrest. Generally, vehicles and commercial properties are where fires are set but in some incidents, homes have been burned too.

Fire is a cowardly attack that doesn’t require any interaction on the part of the arsonist. It flushes out the family inside, leaving you vulnerable to physical assaults. This is the one area in which you may need to make some advance purchases. However, all of these fire-related items are good things to have in your home during ordinary circumstances as well. You probably already have at least one fire extinguisher. If that is all you have, keep it with you in your safe zone.

  • Have fire extinguishers mounted throughout your home. You can buy them in 4-packs from Amazon.
  • During tense times, keep a fire extinguisher right beside your bed. You can use it as both a way to extinguish fires and a weapon if necessary.
  • Be sure to test them frequently and maintain them properly. (Allstate has a page about fire extinguisher maintenance.)
  • Have fire escape ladders that can be attached to a windowsill in all upper story rooms.  Drill with them so that your kids know how to use them if necessary. When I travel by vehicle, I have a fire-escape ladder in with my preps. Hotel fires are not uncommon and I want to have options.

Fires can easily spread from one building to the next, especially if firefighters can’t respond safely or can’t get their fire truck through the mob. Be on the watch for fires in your vicinity.

Fire can also be used as a weapon. Here’s an article about dealing with firebombs and Molotov cocktails should such an event arise.

Don’t close off your escape routes

Something I see a lot are plans that keep everybody out and firmly secure every possible point of entry. And I thought that was a fantastic idea until I took an urban survival course with Selco in Croatia and he pointed out that this can also be appropriately considered a “trap.”

If you put bars on every door and window, you’ve created a prison for those inside. What happens if your home is set on fire? What happens if your home is breached? You need some exits. They don’t have to look obvious and can take only minimal preparation.

For example, I told a family member living in a downtown area to remove the screens from her windows. That saves precious seconds and allows for a far more silent exit than if she were to have to remove the screens while rioters were breaching her front door. She can easily slip through the window, close it back so that nobody immediately realizes where she exited, and head out the back with a minimum of noise.

At the same time, her windows are secured with shatter-resistant film and a bar to prevent them from being raised. That bar can be instantly removed from the inside if she needs to make her escape.

Never ever make your home so difficult to breach that you cannot escape. While your plan may be to stand your ground no matter what, being burned alive would be a terrible way to go.

How would you quickly secure your home if tensions broke out nearby?

I’ve generally lived in places where I had a bit more control over my situation, but when unrest broke out in Virginia near the home I shared with my daughter during the lockdown, I had to creatively secure the apartment using things we had on hand. I hope that some of the ideas we’ve used are useful to you.

We all live in different settings and some of us are more likely than others to face the scenarios mentioned in this article. But take a moment and imagine that “peaceful protesters” were bussed into your neighborhood (or were expected.) Do you have a plan? Does your family know the plan? Do you have any ideas to add to the ones above?


Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.




via: theorganicprepper


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