Sunday, December 20, 2020

CHINAS ANTI-TRUMP ELECTION MEDDLING RAISES NEW ALARM.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

 2020 AMERICAN ELECTION RESULTS BY STATE TRUMP VS LOSER LIBERAL SLEEPY (SLOPPY JOE) BIDEN.

ON D-48 OF THE TRUMP WIN OF THE PRESIDENCY. SUN DEC 20,20.

Key dates for the Electoral College and what they mean-AEIdeas-DECEMBER 14,20

What are the key dates for the workings of the Electoral College?

November 3 — Election Day

Election Day is November 3. We may or may not know the winner of the presidential contest on election night, but we certainly will not have a final tally and certified results until weeks later. States vary widely in the time they allot for certifying their election results. Some may give a final certification the week after Election Day. Others may take over 30 days. And there is the possibility of recounts and judicial contests of elections which could extend the time to determine an official winner of a state.
Ballots are passed out to 16 Electors on the Michigan Senate floor for them to cast their formal votes for the president and vice president of the United States in Lansing, Michigan, U.S., December 19, 2016. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

December 8 — Safe Harbor

December 14 — The meeting of the Electors

Two key dates loom in December. On December 14, presidential electors must have been selected by the states and will meet as a group in their states to cast electoral votes for president and vice president. But December 8 is also a significant date, the so-called “safe harbor” date. The Electoral Count Act sets this date as an important date for states to make their official selection of electors, as those electoral votes will be given greater protection from challenge when Congress counts the electoral votes in January. The Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore assigned great significance to this date in Bush v. Gore.

January 3 — The convening of the new Congress

January 6 — Congress counts the votes

January 20 — Inauguration Day. The new presidential term begins at noon.

On January 3rd, the new Congress will take office, and on January 6th it will meet to count the electoral votes and declare a president- and vice president-elect. On January 20th at noon, the current presidential term will end and the next one will begin.
This is excerpted from the new fourth edition of After the People Vote, edited by John Fortier, senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and a member of AEI’s Election Watch team.John C. Fortier-AEI Adjunct Scholar-SENOIRFELLOWKarlyn Bowman-Senior Fellow

Historic peace is the fruit of the Netanyahu Doctrine-Fueled by President Trump's Mideast policy, the PM's tenets of 'peace through strength' and 'peace (not land) for peace' are transforming the region-DEC 20, 2020, 3:27 PM

With Morocco becoming the fourth Arab country in three months to normalize relations with Israel, the Netanyahu Doctrine of peace through strength and peace in exchange for peace continues to bear fruit.Imagine if I had written in this space last year that tens of thousands of Israelis would be traveling for their winter vacations openly on direct flights to Dubai. That would have sounded unrealistic. Yet here we are, witnessing so much historic peace that the term “historic peace” is starting to get a little redundant.How did this sea change occur? Some 25 years ago, Netanyahu argued that peace with the greater Arab world would only be achieved by first strengthening Israel economically, militarily and diplomatically. Netanyahu’s leadership brought Israel to previously unimagined heights, laying the foundation for Arab states to orient themselves toward Israel.As prime minister and finance minister, Netanyahu revolutionized Israel’s economy with free-market reforms that transformed the Jewish state into a global technological powerhouse. He brought Israel to its position as a world leader in cyber, developed Israel’s gas reserves and turned Israel into an energy exporter. He cultivated Israeli relations with dozens of countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, often being the first sitting Israeli prime minister to visit those nations.Over the years, Netanyahu also built relations with Arab states at times quietly and other times more openly. In one of many such examples, it was reported that Netanyahu held secret talks with senior officials from Morocco. Two years ago, he publicly visited Oman and met the Arab nation’s late ruler, Sultan Qaboos.Gulf nations rightly viewed Israel as an indispensable ally after witnessing Netanyahu’s global leadership in resisting Iran’s aggression and its attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.Netanyahu stood at times alone on the world stage exposing Iran’s support for terrorism and its illicit nuclear program. We saw it with Netanyahu’s 2015 address before a joint session of the US Congress to warn about the Iran nuclear deal and the Israeli premier’s decision to order the January 2018 raid on Iran’s secret nuclear archive that exposed the extent of Iran’s dangerous nuclear project.It is safe to say that Iran would probably have obtained nuclear weapons by now were it not for Netanyahu’s courageous actions, which led to an unprecedented sanctions regime on the tyrants of Tehran.Another force that fueled the Abraham Accords was President Trump’s reality-based approach toward Mideast peace and his intrepid leadership in the region. President Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to where it should be in Jerusalem; rightly recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; and affirmed Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The Trump administration removed the loaded “occupation” label from Israel’s ancient and historic Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. And President Trump’s Peace to Prosperity plan created a blueprint for real-world Mideast peace.It is clear many more countries in the Arab world want to sign peace deals with the Jewish state. There is every reason to be hopeful that these alignments will continue in the months and years ahead as the current deals have already blossomed into warm peace.Look at the outpourings of camaraderie on social media in Israel and so many Arab states. Jewish delegations are touring the Gulf while Arab missions are arriving here in Israel on an almost daily basis. Diplomatic deals are being signed. More direct flights are opening. Economic agreements are being forged at a fevered pitch.While the news media tend to focus on the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco deals, the Sudan agreement is a massive turning point, too. We are talking about a country that in 1948 sent army companies to a war aimed at destroying Israel. More recently, Sudan was an important ally of Iran and a base from which Iranian weapons were smuggled to Gazan terrorist groups to murder Israelis. Normalization with Sudan isolates Iran even further and brings economic benefits to Israel and Sudan.When the peace agreement with Morocco was announced on the first night of Hanukkah, Prime Minister Netanyahu captured the moment at a candle-lighting ceremony at the Western Wall. He stated: “On this Hanukkah, the light of peace has never shone brighter than today in the Middle East.” That light will only grow stronger.

Iran-linked group claims to hack Israeli defense firm, releases employee data-Elta, a subsidiary of state-owned Israeli Aerospace Industries, says it is investigating the latest in a series of suspected Iranian cyberattacks-By JUDAH ARI GROSS-DEC 20,20-Today, 9:52 pm

An Iran-linked hacking group on Sunday claimed to have breached the Israeli Aerospace Industries’ computer systems, in the latest in a series of cyberattacks on Israeli firms.The group, known as Pay2Key, revealed its alleged hack in a tweet.“Knock Knock! Tonight is longer than longest night for @ILAerospaceIAI,” the group wrote cryptically.The state-owned Israeli Aerospace Industries said it was looking into the matter.Knock Knock! Tonight is longer than longest night for @ILAerospaceIAI New logo appeared in #Pay2Key directory, check it out! — Winter is coming (Pay2Key) (@PKeytwt) December 20, 2020The hacking group, which has been tied to Iran, also mentioned a systems administrator at the defense contractor’s Elta subsidiary by name, Koby Fiada, revealing his password. Pay2Key specializes in a form of hacking known as ransomware, in which it encrypts the victim’s computer system and forces them to pay to regain access.According to Karine Nahon, an Israeli information scientist, Pay2Key released employee data files, on Sunday night, on the so-called dark web, parts of the internet that are not indexed by search engines.One of them, belonging to a Zvika Weiss, included his username. Nahon said hundreds of these files were distributed online.hack of the Elta subsidiary came after a major cyberattack earlier this month hit dozens of Israeli logistics companies, with hackers making off with information from servers, according to a report of the incident by one of the victims, Amital Data, filed to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.An investigation found that there may have been 15-20 additional companies, not Amital clients, that were also targeted in the attack, although the full list is still unknown, the Calcalist website reported.Iran was believed to be the likely culprit.There have been at least five suspected Iranian cyberattacks on the country during 2020, including one that targeted Israel’s water infrastructure.Iran and Israel have reportedly been engaged in a cyber-war that has become more intense over the past year.In October, a pair of cybersecurity firms reported that Iranian hackers, contracted by the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, targeted prominent Israeli companies in a series of ransomware attacks during the previous month.That report came in the same week that Iranian officials said that the country’s Port Authority had been hit in a cyberattack, and vaguely confirmed that two governmental departments had also been attacked.A major cyberattack in May at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port was also blamed on Israel, which was apparently responding  to an alleged Iranian attempt to hack into its water infrastructure system.Separately, last week, hackers who had stolen a mass of personal details on clients of the Shirbit Insurance company apparently began selling the information on the internet.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Biden transition team blasts ‘abrupt halt’ in cooperation from Pentagon-US Department of Defense officials say temporary stop to meetings was a mutual decision, a claim rejected by incoming administration: ‘There’s no time to spare’ By KEVIN FREKING and LOLITA C. BALDOR-19 December 2020, 1:29 am

WILMINGTON, Delaware (AP) — US President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team expressed frustration Friday with the level of cooperation they’re getting from political appointees at the Department of Defense, saying there has been “an abrupt halt in the already limited cooperation there.”Biden’s transition team has been meeting with officials at various agencies to get detailed reviews of the programs and challenges the new administration will inherit, a process that was initially delayed when the General Services Administration declined to issue an official ascertainment that Biden had won the election. The delay occurred as US President Donald Trump, whose appointee ran the GSA, refused to concede.
Yohannes Abraham, executive director of the transition, told reporters that Biden agency review teams at the Department of Defense learned Thursday of meetings “being pulled down” and immediately reported it. Abraham called for meetings and requests for information to resume immediately.“A failure to work together can have consequences well beyond January,” Abraham said.The Pentagon on Friday offered a different assessment. It issued a statement saying there was a “mutually-agreed upon holiday pause,” which begins Saturday.Defense officials said that some meetings had been postponed so that department personnel could concentrate on the issues associated with the possibility of a government shutdown Friday evening if Congress is unable to agree on COVID-19 relief legislation. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.“Our key focus in the next two weeks is supporting essential requests for information” on Operation Warp Speed and COVID-19 to “guarantee a flawless transition,” said acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller.Acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller speaks at the Pentagon in Washington, November 17, 2020. (Defense.gov via AP)-“Let me be clear: There was no mutually agreed upon holiday break,” Abraham countered. “In fact, we think it is important that briefings and other engagements continue during this period as there’s no time to spare.”Miller was put in the job a little over five weeks ago, after Trump fired then-Pentagon chief Mark Esper. Miller quickly replaced a number of top policy advisers with Trump loyalists who may be less willing or able to participate effectively in the transition process.Miller said the department remains committed to a full and transparent transition and is working to reschedule about 20 interviews with 40 officials until after January 1. He said the department has already done 139 interviews and provided 5,300 pages of nonpublic or classified information.Abraham made it clear that Biden’s transition team was not satisfied with that decision. Biden becomes president the afternoon of January 20.“There have been many agencies and departments that have facilitated the exchange of info and meetings over the past few weeks,” Abraham said. “There have been pockets of recalcitrance, and DOD is one of them.”

US cyber-attack: Around 50 firms 'genuinely impacted' by massive breach-Published-DEC 20,20

The cyber-security firm that identified the large-scale hacking of US government agencies says it "genuinely impacted" around 50 organisations.Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye, said that while some 18,000 organisations had the malicious code in their networks, it was the 50 who suffered major breaches.The US Treasury and departments of homeland security, state and defence are known to have been targeted.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed Russia for the hack.So too have the chairs of the Senate and House of Representatives' intelligence committees.However, President Trump cast doubt on Russia's role in two tweets on Saturday, hinting instead at Chinese involvement.Mr Mandia told CBS News that the cyber attack "was very consistent" with what US officials know about the work of Russia's foreign intelligence agency, the SVR."I think these are folks that we've responded to in the '90s, in the early 2000s. It's a continuing game in cyberspace," he said.He said the attack on the Texas-based SolarWinds Orion, the computer network tool at the source of the breach, had the "earliest evidences of being designed".It started with a "dry run" in October 2019 when "innocuous code" was changed. "Then sometime in March, the operators behind this attack did put malicious code into the supply chain," he said, "injected it in there and that is the backdoor that impacted everybody".What is being said about Russia's involvement? Despite Russia's denials of the "baseless" claims, many in the US intelligence community suspect the Russian government is responsible.Increasingly clear that Russian intelligence conducted the gravest cyber intrusion in our history-The process of determining its extent & assessing the damage is underway-Remediation will take time & significant resources-Our response must be proportional but significant— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 19, 2020-The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter-1px transparent line-Mr Pompeo said on Friday: "We can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity."He said that Russia was trying to "undermine our way of life", and that Russian President Vladimir Putin "remains a real risk".Mr Pompeo has taken a strong line against Russia before. In his time as secretary of state, the US has pulled out of a key nuclear treaty and the Open Skies Treaty on aerial surveillance flights.The Republican Chair of the Senate intelligence committee, Marco Rubio, tweeted that it is "increasingly clear that Russian intelligence conducted the gravest cyber intrusion in our history". He said the response "must be proportional but significant".Adam Schiff, Democrat chair of the House intelligence committee, echoed these views, saying on Sunday: "I don't think there's any question that it was Russia".And he took a swipe at President Trump for his comments on the issue saying they were "just uniformly destructive and deceitful, and injurious ... to our national security."The president has long been ambivalent towards Moscow, downplaying such incidents as allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill US troops.In his tweets on Saturday, Mr Trump again turned on what he labels the "fake news media" for exaggerating the matter.He wrote: "The Cyber Hack is far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality."I have been fully briefed and everything is well under control. Russia, Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens because Lamestream is, for mostly financial reasons, petrified of discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!)."President-elect Joe Biden, who is due to be sworn in on 20 January, has vowed to make cyber-security a "top priority" of his administration."We need to disrupt and deter our adversaries from undertaking significant cyber-attacks in the first place," he said on Thursday."We will do that by, among other things, imposing substantial costs on those responsible for such malicious attacks, including in co-ordination with our allies and partners."What do we know about the hacking campaign? Hackers managed to gain access to major organisations by compromising network management software developed by the Texas-based IT company SolarWinds.The access could have allowed the hackers to take a high degree of control over the networks of organisations using that software, but appears to have been used to steal data rather than for any disruptive or destructive impact.The US government agencies hacked-It is thought they targeted a narrow number of organisations in an attempt to steal national security, defence and other related information.However, while software may have been downloaded, that does not necessarily mean data was taken.SolarWinds Orion earlier said that 18,000 of its 300,000 customers might have been affected, but there is no indication that significant theft of customer or citizen data was an aim of the cyber-attack.Researchers, who have named the hack Sunburst, say it could take years to fully comprehend it.For more than three decades, hackers linked to Moscow are believed to have tried to steal US secrets online.Several other organisations around the world, including in the UK, are understood to have been targeted by hackers using the same network management software.

China's anti-Trump election meddling raises new alarm, as DNI calls country biggest threat-'China poses a greater national security threat to the U.S. than any other nation,' DNI says-By Brooke Singman | Fox News-DEC 20,20

Gen. Jack Keane: Other countries undermining the American people’s confidence in election process-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told Fox News that China poses “a greater national security threat” to the United States “than any other nation,” detailing a web of threats that includes “election influence and interference.”Intelligence officials say they are increasingly concerned about interference in the U.S. election by China, adding to existing concerns about meddling by Russia that have been around since 2016, as well as the threat of meddling from Iran.INTEL COMMUNITY HAS DELIVERED NEARLY 20 CLASSIFIED BRIEFINGS TO TRUMP, BIDEN, DNC, RNC, CONGRESS“China poses a greater national security threat to the U.S. than any other nation – economically, militarily and technologically. That includes threats of election influence and interference,” Ratcliffe told Fox News in a statement.While Russia was widely seen as favoring now-President Trump and generally seeking to sow chaos in America during the 2016 election, the difference with China is it is seen to be seeking a Trump loss in November. Yet congressional Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who ever since 2016 have issued dire warnings about Russian meddling, have not been quite so vocal about China’s potential to interfere in the 2020 election.Pelosi, D-Calif., last week said the threats of interference from Russia and China are “not equivalent,” while urging the intelligence community to put out more information about Russian efforts, saying Moscow is “actively 24/7 interfering in our election.”Ratcliffe said the threat from China is actually significant, and he is “committing the IC resources needed to fully understand the threat posed by China and provide U.S. policymakers with the best intelligence to counter China’s broad and deep malign activities.”“China is concerned that President Trump’s reelection would lead to a continuation of policies that they perceive to be ‘anti-China,’” Ratcliffe explained, noting that the intelligence community has briefed “hundreds of members of Congress” to raise their concerns about China “and its increased efforts to impact the U.S. policy climate in its favor.”“Fair and free elections are a bedrock of American democracy, and the IC remains vigilant against the various activities by China, as well as other threat countries and actors, which seek to affect our electoral process,” Ratcliffe said.ODNI 'PRIMARILY CONCERNED' WITH CHINA, IRAN, RUSSIA 'SEEKING TO COMPROMISE' 2020 ELECTION -The intelligence community has acknowledged that Russia’s meddling remains a threat in 2020, but specifically mentioned China’s efforts, which an official within the intelligence community told Fox News has been ramping up in the last several months, citing rhetoric between the U.S. and China.China’s cyber efforts, with relation to efforts to influence the election, are anti-Trump administration and largely include fake social media accounts to amplify certain anti-American beliefs.According to a report released this month by Graphika, social media accounts from the pro-Chinese political spam network Spamouflage Dragon began posting English-language videos that attacked American policy and the Trump administration in June.The report revealed that some of the accounts made on YouTube and Twitter used artificial intelligence-generated profile pictures, which is a common technique in disinformation campaigns, and did not appear to receive any engagement from “authentic users” across social media platforms.The efforts also did not appear to “seriously attempt to conceal its Chinese origin as it pivoted toward messaging related to U.S. politics,” the report stated.Specifically, the report revealed that some of the anti-Trump messaging is related to the coronavirus pandemic and racial justice protests across the U.S.A video titled “Who is responsible for this national disaster in the United States?” posted on July 12, called Trump a “firm and creative ally” of the coronavirus, according to the report. The tone, according to Graphika, “wavered between scathing criticism of the American government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and apparent sympathy for everyday American citizens exposed to the pandemic and the anti-racism protests.”Meanwhile, as for the intelligence community’s preparedness in the 2020 election versus 2016 to handle malign influence activities, an ODNI official told Fox News that the intelligence community is “significantly ahead of where it was in 2016 in terms of providing updates to the American people on election threats, including China.”The ODNI official also told Fox News that the intelligence community supports the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI in their efforts to support state and local officials in protecting election infrastructure.The official also said that the ODNI is working with the FBI and its field office network to bring intelligence insights to state and local officials.Earlier this month, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center Bill Evanina, who is leading the intelligence community in election security, warned that rival nations once again are attempting to influence U.S. policy and elections in a variety of ways, declaring that Iran wants to “undermine” President Trump, while Russia is working to “primarily denigrate” former Vice President Joe Biden.INTEL COMMUNITY SAYS IRAN SEEKING TO 'UNDERMINE' TRUMP, RUSSIA WORKING TO 'DENIGRATE' BIDEN IN NOVEMBER-That election threat update also noted that China “prefers” that Trump “does not win reelection” in November-Evanina said earlier this month that Bejing prefers a Trump loss because Chinese officials view him as unpredictable, adding that China has been expanding its attempt to influence the general election and shape U.S. policy, by pressuring political figures Chinese officials view as opposed to their country's interests.“Although China will continue to weigh the risks and benefits of aggressive action, its public rhetoric over the past few months has grown increasingly critical of the current administration’s COVID-19 response, closure of China’s Houston consulate, and actions on other issues,” Evanina said earlier this month.China “has harshly criticized the administration’s statements and actions on Hong Kong, TikTok, the legal status of the South China Sea, and China’s efforts to dominate the 5G market," Evanina said. "Beijing recognizes that all of these efforts might affect the presidential race.”Last month, the Trump administration moved to close the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas, partially because of the Chinese Communist Party’s targeting of U.S. energy firms.Later the same day, China ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in the western city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, in apparent retaliation.As for TikTok, the Trump administration has taken a tough stance on the Chinese social media platform, issuing an executive order this month that would see the platform banned in the U.S. within 45 days.The U.S. ban put pressure on the China-based company to sell the app’s U.S. platform – Microsoft is reportedly a leading contender, but the deal will be closely monitored by the Trump administration.Evanina has delivered nearly 20 classified briefings to both Trump and Biden’s presidential campaigns, political committees and members of Congress – including members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees and congressional leadership – on election threats since mid-May.An ODNI official told Fox News that the briefings are led by Evanina and his team, but said that FBI and the Department of Homeland Security officials and other agencies often are present.As for the FBI, Director Christopher Wray has been warning of Chinese efforts to influence U.S. opinion, and economic espionage, for months.Earlier this summer, Wray told Fox News that China “certainly” has an interest “in influencing our political thought” and policies and is trying “to shift them in a more friendly, pro-China, pro-Chinese Communist party direction.” He warned that those efforts sometimes get “wrapped up in election issues.”Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Schiff, D-Calif., has warned that China could be using different ways of influencing the election than Russia and Iran, telling NBC News that the Chinese could use trade negotiations with the U.S.But a spokesman for Schiff did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment on whether his committee would initiate an investigation into potential Chinese election interference, as the panel did with Russian election meddling efforts – an investigation that stretched throughout the Trump administration.A GOP aide told Fox News that Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, though, have had an investigation focused on China dating back to previous congressional sessions, noting that China is something "we're very concerned about.""We're looking at it and we've never stopped," the GOP aide told Fox News.The Trump campaign, meanwhile, said the Trump administration has been tough on Russia while claiming China and Iran oppose Trump because he's been tough with them too.“We don’t need or want foreign interference, and President Trump will beat Joe Biden fair and square,” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement. "The intelligence community’s assessment that both China and Iran are trying to stop President Trump’s reelection is concerning, but clearly because he has held them accountable after years of coddling by politicians like Joe Biden.”
Brooke Singman is a Politics Reporter for Fox News. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeSingman.

Opinion-Why Downplaying China's Election Interference Could Backfire | Opinion-Craig Singleton , Adjunct fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies-On 10/1/20 at 7:00 AM EDT-BY Craig Single

Following the release of U.S. intelligence assessments exposing Russian, Chinese and Iranian interference in the 2020 election—as well as revelations that cyber actors from all three countries were actively targeting the Biden and Trump campaigns—Republicans and Democrats predictably wasted little time in making partisan fodder of the new information.The White House, eager to avoid new allegations about Russia's preference for President Donald Trump, used the intelligence community's findings to claim that former vice president Joe Biden was China's preferred candidate. Democrats, still frustrated about Russian interference in 2016, countered that Donald Trump and his advisers were distorting assessments about China's influence operations in an attempt to distract the public from Russia.Neither argument does China's meddling justice.Years before the advent of Facebook and Twitter, Beijing initiated a well-resourced and multi-pronged campaign to positively influence public opinion about China worldwide and neutralize potential threats to the regime's carefully crafted international image. Such efforts began with relatively benign person-to-person exchanges and the cultivation of discreet relationships with influential U.S. business executives and decision makers. In the intervening years, these efforts have expanded to include disinformation; coercion; threats of retaliation; clandestine operations and the weaponization of the West's regulatory, legal and lobbying loopholes.The goal of these interference operations extends far beyond safeguarding Chinese business interests and promoting one candidate or party over another. At their core, they seek to achieve political outcomes in the United States and other democracies that are beneficial to Beijing.On nearly every issue, from public health and commerce to global governance and even human rights, China's influence efforts have been fairly successful. In some cases, they even resulted in revisions of history, including cultural whitewashing of atrocities in Tiananmen, Tibet and Xinjiang. That is, until COVID-19, when Beijing's overt coercion and intimidation of politicians, businesses and populations alike seriously undermined attempts to repair China's international image. The message was suddenly clear—cross Beijing at your own risk.Beijing's newfound aggressiveness has resulted in surprisingly unified pushback from many unexpected corners of the world. And yet, in a trend reminiscent of 2016, the issue of China's efforts to interfere in the U.S. presidential election has divided the American political class, largely because Beijing's efforts appear on paper to be less threatening than Moscow's brutish maneuvers. In reality, of course, the threat from both Russia and China has less to do with the tactics used and more with the desired end state—undermining Americans' trust in our public institutions and form of governance.With phrases like "deep fakes" and "bot farms" now mainstays of our political lexicon, it has become easy to overlook the seemingly unsophisticated ways in which China is attempting to influence democratic elections around the world. Yes, efforts by Russia to weaponize social media platforms deserve attention, particularly in the lead up to the 2020 election. But the far simpler methods China and other authoritarian regimes use to influence electoral outcomes and shape public opinion in liberal democratic countries can be even more effective.Hasty attempts by some Democratic lawmakers to downplay China's election interference run the real risk of signaling to China—and American voters—that the U.S. government considers Beijing's meddling troublesome but not treacherous. Beyond potentially normalizing China's behavior, such a move almost certainly emboldens Beijing to continue such operations as far as it can, short of provoking direct U.S. intervention. China has of course employed similar strategies in pursuit of other geopolitical objectives, including its increasingly maximalist approach in the South China Sea.Premature remarks by executive and legislative officials about Chinese election interference also ignore the stark reality that the U.S. government's knowledge of this topic appears limited at best. Currently, the West largely lacks the ability to expose and disrupt malign Chinese actors in real time, in stark contrast to advanced technologies developed by social media and cybersecurity companies to address the Russian threat.If Chinese political interference operations in Australia—Beijing's other top interference target—are any guide, it can often take years to unravel complicated Chinese political influence operations. Worse yet, the hyper-partisan political environment in the United States does not easily lend itself to the same investigative framework employed in Canberra, which relies heavily on unbiased contributions from civil society, academia and the intelligence and business communities.In the absence of a more unified approach to China's U.S. election meddling, as well as a concerted effort by both political parties to educate the general public about the scope of the threat, it appears all but certain that the United States will find itself facing a similar situation in 2022 and 2024, if not beyond. Other democracies will be at risk of confronting similar interference. That is, unless, liberal democracies adjust their approach to China's influence operations and devise appropriate, apolitical countermeasures.Bipartisan acknowledgement of the threat in the United States would be as good a place to start as any.Craig Singleton, a former U.S. diplomat and national security expert, is an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he also contributes to FDD'sCenter on Military and Political Power (CMPP). FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

US election 2020: China, Russia and Iran 'trying to influence' vote-Published-8 August-US election 2020

China, Russia and Iran are among countries seeking to influence the US presidential election this year, a top US intelligence chief has warned.A statement issued by the director of US counterintelligence said foreign states were using "covert and overt influence measures" to sway the vote.It said China did not want President Donald Trump's re-election while Russia wanted to hurt Democrat Joe Biden.Intelligence chiefs accuse Russia of interfering in the 2016 election.They say Russia wanted to help boost Mr Trump's campaign, including by spreading disinformation online. Russia has denied the allegations.Asked at a press conference on Friday what he planned to do about the report on election interference, President Trump said his administration would look "very closely" into it.The announcement comes amid claims by Mr Trump about the dangers of mail-in or postal ballots. He has suggested that the vote be delayed to prevent "the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history", prompting a backlash even among members of his own party.It also follows complaints by Democratic lawmakers that US intelligence agencies are not releasing information to the public about foreign interference in this year's vote.The Republican president Mr Trump is seeking to win a second term in office. His challenger is Democratic candidate and former vice president Joe Biden.What does the statement say? William Evanina, head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), released the statement on Friday.Foreign countries are trying to sway voter preferences, change US policies, "increase discord" in the country "and undermine the American people's confidence in our democratic process", Mr Evanina said.The counterintelligence chief however added that it would be "difficult for our adversaries to interfere with or manipulate voting results at scale.".@NCSCgov Director William Evanina issued an election threat update for the American public: https://t.co/3EgVTOBnjU pic.twitter.com/77pEAwb98R— Office of the DNI (@ODNIgov) August 7, 2020-Transparent line-Many countries "have a preference for who wins the election", he said, but the counterintelligence director said they were "primarily concerned" about China, Russia and Iran:China "prefers that President Trump - whom Beijing sees as unpredictable - does not win re-election", the statement says, and has been "expanding its influence efforts" ahead of the vote-Russia is seeking to "denigrate" Mr Biden's candidacy and other members of a perceived "anti-Russia 'establishment'". Mr Evanina added that some other actors linked to Russia "are also seeking to boost President Trump's candidacy on social media and Russian television"Iran is trying to "undermine US democratic institutions", Mr Trump, and "divide the country" ahead of the vote by spreading disinformation and "anti-US content" online. Their efforts are driven partially by a belief a second term for the president "would result in a continuation of US pressure on Iran in an effort to foment regime change"At Friday's press conference, Mr Trump said Russia "could be" meddling in this year's election, but dismissed the idea the country might be trying to help him win a second term. "I think the last person Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump," he said, saying that "nobody's been tougher on Russia than I have, ever."He also said China would "love" if he lost the election, alleging that "they would own our country" if Joe Biden won.The release of the statement comes after members of the Democratic party voiced concern about attempts by foreign nations to influence the vote.US imposes sanctions on Hong Kong chief executive-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said the intelligence about current efforts to sway the vote "should be available to the American people".In his statement, Mr Evanina said his agency "has and will continue to provide classified election threat briefings" to candidates and politicians."The steps we have taken thus far to inform the public and other stakeholders on election threats are unprecedented for the IC [Intelligence community]."What happened in 2016? A number of US intelligence agencies and officials have concluded that Russia helped influence the 2016 presidential election.Former FBI director Robert Mueller - appointed as a special counsel to investigate that vote - did not establish that Mr Trump colluded with that effort, but said the president was not exonerated by his report.A number of people on Mr Trump's campaign have been jailed due to a variety of charges linked to Mr Mueller's investigation.Charges against ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn - convicted of lying about contacts with Russian government officials - were dropped in July. An appeals court will rehear arguments later this month.And Roger Stone, a long-time ally of Mr Trump, had his jail sentence for witness tampering and lying to Congress commuted the president in July.

ELECTORAL VOTES MON DEC 14, 2020

2020 PRESIDENT DONALD J TRUMP 271 ELECTORAL VOTES.(AFTER ALL THE LIBERAL STALLING,CRYING AND THERAPY GETTING ALREADY. AND TRUMP IS NOT DECLARED WINNER YET) (D6 USA ELECTION) SUN NOV 08,20

The United States of America is a federal republic[1] consisting of 50 states, a federal district (Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States), five major territories, and various minor islands.[2][3] The 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., are in North America between Canada and Mexico, while Alaska is in the far northwestern part of North America and Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. Territories of the United States are scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.States possess a number of powers and rights under the United States Constitution, such as regulating intrastate commerce, running elections, creating local governments, and ratifying constitutional amendments. Each state has its own constitution, grounded in republican principles, and government, consisting of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.[4] All states and their residents are represented in the federal Congress, a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state is represented by two senators, while representatives are distributed among the states in proportion to the most recent constitutionally mandated decennial census.[5] Additionally, each state is entitled to select a number of electors to vote in the Electoral College, the body that elects the president of the United States, equal to the total of representatives and senators in Congress from that state.[6] Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1 of the Constitution grants to Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union. Since the establishment of the United States in 1776, the number of states has expanded from the original 13 to the current total of 50, and each new state is admitted on an equal footing with the existing states.[7] As provided by Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress exercises "exclusive jurisdiction" over the federal district, which is not part of any state. Prior to passage of the 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which devolved certain Congressional powers to an elected mayor and council, the district did not have an elected local government. Even so, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs.[8] As it is not a state, the district does not have representation in the Senate. However, since 1971, its residents have been represented in the House of Representatives by a non-voting delegate.[9] Additionally, since 1961, following ratification of the 23rd Amendment, the district has been entitled to select three electors to vote in the Electoral College.

Number of electoral votes for each state
ECR ALABAMA 09 PR TRUMP 09 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 09 HARRIS 00
EDR Alabama - 9 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 232 - 538 - BIDEN 306 - 538
ECR ALASKA 03 PR TRUMP 03 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 03 HARRIS 00
EDR Alaska - 3 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 223 - 529 - BIDEN 306 - 529
ECR ARIZONA 11 PR BIDEN 11 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 11 TRUMP 00
EDR Arizona - 11 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 306 - 526 - TRUMP 220 - 526
ECR ARKANSAS 06 PR TRUMP 06 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 06 HARRIS 00
EDR Arkansas - 6 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 220 - 515 - BIDEN 295 - 515
ECR CALIFORNIA 55 PR BIDEN 55 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 55 PENCE 00
EDR California - 55 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 295 - 509 - TRUMP 214 - 509
ECR COLORADO 09 PR BIDEN 09 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 09 PENCE 00
EDR Colorado - 9 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 240 - 454 - TRUMP 214 - 454
ECR CONNECTICUT 07 PR BIDEN 07 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 07 PENCE 00
EDR Connecticut - 7 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 231 - 445 - TRUMP 214 - 445
ECR DELAWARE 03 PR BIDEN 03 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 03 PENCE 00
EDR Delaware - 3 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 224 - 438 - TRUMP 214 - 438
ECR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 03 PR BIDEN 03 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 03 PENCE 00
EDR District of Columbia - 3 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 221 - 435 - TRUMP 214 - 435
ECR FLORIDA 29 PR TRUMP 29 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 29 HARRIS 00
EDR Florida - 29 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 214 - 432 - BIDEN 218 - 432
ECR GEORGIA 16 PR BIDEN 16 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 16 PENCE 00
EDR Georgia - 16 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 218 - 403 - TRUMP 185 - 403
ECR HAWAII 04 PR BIDEN 04 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 04 PENCE 00
EDR Hawaii - 4 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 202 - 387 - TRUMP 185 - 387
ECR IDAHO 04 PR TRUMP 04 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 04 HARRIS 00
EDR Idaho - 4 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 185 - 383 - BIDEN 198 - 383
ECR ILLINOIS 20 PR BIDEN 20 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 20 PENCE 00
EDR Illinois - 20 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 198 - 379 - TRUMP 181 - 379
ECR INDIANA 11 PR TRUMP 11 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 11 BIDEN 00
EDR Indiana - 11 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 181 - 359 - BIDEN 178 - 359
ECR IOWA 06 PR TRUMP 06 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 06 HARRIS 00
EDR Iowa - 6 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 170 - 348 - BIDEN 178 - 348
ECR KANSAS 06 PR TRUMP 06 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 06 HARRIS 00
EDR Kansas - 6 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 164 - 342 - BIDEN 178 - 342
ECR KENTUCKY 08 PR TRUMP 08 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 08 HARRIS 00
EDR Kentucky - 8 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 158 - 336 - BIDEN 178 - 336
ECR LOUISIANA 08 PR TRUMP 08 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 08 HARRIS 00
EDR Louisiana - 8 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 150 - 328 - BIDEN 178 - 328
ECR MAINE 04 PR BIDEN 03 TRUMP 01 - VP HARRIS 03 PENCE 01
EDR Maine - 4 electoral votes - BIDEN - 3,TRUMP 01 - BIDEN - BIDEN 178 - 320 - TRUMP 142 - 320
ECR MARYLAND 10 PR BIDEN 10 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 10 PENCE 00
EDR Maryland - 10 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 175 - 316 - TRUMP 141 - 316
ECR MASSACHUSETTS 11 PR BIDEN 11 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 11 PENCE 00
EDR Massachusetts - 11 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 165 - 306 - TRUMP 141 - 306
ECR MICHIGAN 16 PR BIDEN 16 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 16 PENCE 00
EDR Michigan - 16 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 154 - 295 - TRUMP 141 - 295
ECR MINNESOTA 10 PR BIDEN 10 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 10 PENCE 00
EDR Minnesota - 10 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 138 - 279 - TRUMP 141 - 279
ECR MISSISSIPPI 06 PR TRUMP 06 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 06 HARRIS 00
EDR Mississippi - 6 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 141 - 269 - BIDEN 128 - 269
ECR MISSOURI 10 PR TRUMP 10 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 10 HARRIS 00
EDR Missouri - 10 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 135 - 263 - BIDEN 128 - 263
ECR MONTANA 03 PR TRUMP 03 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 03 HARRIS 00
EDR Montana - 3 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 125 - 253 - BIDEN 128 - 253
ECR NEBRASKA 05 PR TRUMP 03 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 03 HARRIS 00
EDR Nebraska - 5 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP 03,BIDEN 00 - TRUMP 121 - 250 - BIDEN 127 - 250
ECR NEVADA 06 PR BIDEN 06 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 06 PENCE 00
EDR Nevada - 6 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 127 - 245 TRUMP 118 - 245
ECR NEW HAMPSHIRE 04 PR BIDEN 04 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 04 PENCE 00
EDR New Hampshire - 4 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 121 - 239 - TRUMP 118 - 239
ECR NEW JERSEY 14 PR BIDEN 14 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 14 PENCE 00
EDR New Jersey - 14 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 117 - 235 - TRUMP 118 - 235
ECR NEW MEXICO - 05 PR BIDEN 05 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 05 PENCE 00
EDR New Mexico - 5 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 103 - 221 - TRUMP 118 - 221
ECR NEW YORK 29 PR BIDEN 29 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 29 PENCE 00
EDR New York - 29 electoral votes - BIDEN - BIDEN 98 - 216 - TRUMP 118 - 216
ECR NORTH CAROLINA 15 PR TRUMP 15 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 15 HARRIS 00
EDR North Carolina - 15 electoral votes -  DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 118 - 187 - BIDEN - 69 - 187
ECR NORTH DAKOTA 03 PR TRUMP 03 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 03 HARRIS 00
EDR North Dakota - 3 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 103 - 172 - BIDEN - 69 - 172
ECR OHIO 18 PR TRUMP 18 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 18 HARRIS 00
EDR Ohio - 18 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - TRUMP 100 - 169 - BIDEN 69 - 169
ECR OKLAHOMA 07 PR TRUMP 07 BIDEN 00 - PENCE 07 HARRIS 00
EDR Oklahoma - 7 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP - 82 - 151 - BIDEN 69 - 151
ECR OREGON 07 PR BIDEN 07 TRUMP 00 - HARRIS 07 PENCE 00
EDR Oregon - 7 electoral votes - BIDEN - 69 - 144 - TRUMP 75 - 144
ECR PENNSYLVANIA - 20 PR BIDEN 20 - TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 20 PENCE 00
EDR Pennsylvania - 20 electoral votes - BIDEN 62 - 137 - TRUMP 75 - 137
ECR RHODE ISLAND - 04 PR BIDEN 04 - TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 04 PENCE 00
EDR Rhode Island - 4 electoral votes - BIDEN 42 - 117 - TRUMP 75 - 117
ECR SOUTH CAROLINA 09 PR TRUMP 09 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 09 BIDEN 00
EDR South Carolina - 9 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP-75 - 113 - BIDEN 38 - 113
ECR SOUTH DAKOTA 03 PR TRUMP 03 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 03 BIDEN 00
EDR South Dakota - 3 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP-66 - 104 - BIDEN 38 - 104
ECR TENNESSEE 11 - PR TRUMP 11 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 11 HARRIS 00 (02)
EDR Tennessee - 11 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP-63 - 101 - BIDEN 38 - 101
ECR TEXAS 38 - 38 PR TRUMP 38 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 38 HARRIS 00
EDR Texas - 38 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP-52 - 90 BIDEN 38 -90
ECR UTAH 06 PR TRUMP 06 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 06 HARRIS 00
EDR Utah - 6 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP-TRUMP 14 - 52 - BIDEN 38 - 52
ECR VERMONT 03 - PR BIDEN 03 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 03 PENCE 00 (01)
EDR Vermont - 3 electoral votes - BIDEN-38 - 46 - TRUMP 08 - 46
ECR VIRGINIA 13 - PR BIDEN 13 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 13 PENCE 00
EDR Virginia - 13 electoral votes -  BIDEN-35 - 43 - TRUMP 08 - 43
ECR WASHINGTON 12 PR BIDEN 12 TRUMP 00 - VP HARRIS 12 PENCE 00
EDR Washington - 12 electoral votes - BIDEN-22 - 30 TRUMP 08 - 30
ECR WEST VIRGINIA 05 PR TRUMP 05 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 05 HARRIS 00
EDR West Virginia - 5 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP -08 - 18 - BIDEN - 10 - 18
ECR WISCONSIN 10 PR TRUMP 10 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 10 BIDEN 00
EDR Wisconsin - 10 electoral votes - BIDEN-10 - 13 - TRUMP 03 - 13
ECR WYOMING 03 PR TRUMP 03 BIDEN 00 - VP PENCE 03 HARRIS 00
EDR Wyoming - 3 electoral votes - DONALD TRUMP-03 - 03 - BIDEN 00 - 00
EDR - ELECTION DAY RESULTS
ECR - ELECTORAL COLLEGE RESULTS
(  ) - ORDER OF COLLEGE VOTES

 

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