OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap

News is picking up:
"CNN — 

The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol has decided to make criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, the panel’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, told reporters Tuesday."

Legume

I read today that the drones that struck the Russian airfields were most likely old Soviet recon drones from the 70’s and 80’s that Ukraine refurbished and loaded with explosives.  Resourceful and cheeky.

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The U.S. is not encouraging Ukraine to attack targets inside Russia, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said yesterday. However, he stopped short of condemning such attacks, instead emphasizing U.S. support for operations inside Ukraine. His comments came after two days of what appeared to be Ukrainian drone strikes on military bases deep in Russia. Michael Crowley reports for the New York Times. 

Russia has blamed Ukraine for the strike on an airfield in the Russian city of Kursk yesterday - the third strike on air bases in Russian territory in two days. Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday gathered his national-security council for a meeting on how to guarantee “internal security,” according to state media. The Ukrainian government has not commented on this week's strikes, but officials have hinted that their weapons were capable of reaching the targets. Yaroslav Trofimov reports for the Wall Street Journal. 

The strikes that hit two air bases in Russia on Monday used Soviet-era, jet-powered drones, Moscow’s Ministry of Defense has said. Arms experts confirmed it was highly likely that the craft used was the Tupolev TU-141 Strizh, a surveillance drone developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and repurposed by the Ukrainians. Lara Jakes reports for the New York Times.

Plunging temperatures in Ukraine have frozen the ground in the east of the country, allowing Ukrainian forces to escalate their offensive in the Luhansk region. This is according to military officials, who say that the frozen ground has allowed vehicles previously bogged down by muddy ground to pick up the pace. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times. "

Edit to add the following link regarding the attacks inside Russia:

https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2022/12/explosions-russian-air-bases-may-change-several-nations-calculations/380521/

lousubcap

Good read by Tom Nichols of The Atlantic regarding the R's and what the party has devolved into:

"Win or lose, all of the criticisms of Herschel Walker obscure a larger point: The Republicans have acclimated the American public to ghastly behavior from elected officials and candidates for high office. The result is lasting damage to our political system no matter what happens in Georgia or in the 2024 races.

We have come to the end of the 2022 midterms with a final contest in Georgia. By the time you read this, we will likely know whether Herschel Walker will become a United States senator. (I suspect he will not, but terrible things that seem improbable can still happen.) Yards of columns have been written about Walker’s palpable, cinder-block denseness; yesterday, he seemed confused about whether he was running for the House or the Senate. And, as my friend Jill Lawrence pointed out today, supporting an allegedly abusive rake like Walker makes a mockery of Republicans who once extolled virtue and character as the most important qualities in a public servant.

The larger problem, however, is that Walker’s candidacy is a reminder of just how much we’ve acclimated ourselves to the presence of awful people in our public life. Although we can be heartened by the defeat of Christian nationalists and election deniers and other assorted weirdos, we should remember how, in a better time in our politics, these candidates would not have survived even a moment of public scrutiny or weathered their first scandal or stumble.

And yet, here we are: An entire political party shrugs off revelations that a man running on an anti-abortion platform may have paid for an abortion (possibly two), has unacknowledged children, and may also be a violent creep. Not long ago, Walker would have been washed out of political contention as a matter of first principles.

Think of how much our civic health has declined in general. Only 35 years ago, during the long-ago Camelot of the late 1980s, Gary Hart had to pull out of the Democratic primaries for getting caught with a pretty lady on a boat named “Monkey Business,” and the televangelist Jimmy Swaggart stood with tears streaming down his face because he’d been caught with a prostitute in a Louisiana motel. In 1995, Senator Bob Packwood (again, more tears) resigned in the aftermath of revelations of sexual misconduct just before being expelled from the Senate.

The Republicans were once an uptight and censorious party—something I rather liked about them, to be honest—and they are now a party where literally nothing is a disqualification for office. There is only one cardinal rule: Do not lose. The will to power, the urge to defeat the enemy, the insistence that the libs must be owned—this resentment and spite fuels everything. And worst of all, we’ve gotten used to it. I’m not sure who said it first, but the Doobie Brothers said it again in the title of their 1974 album: What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits.

There’s a lot of blame to go around, but no one did more to pioneer the politics of disgust than Donald Trump, who took the outrageous moments of his two presidential campaigns and turned them into virtues. Trump ran, and still runs, as something of a dare, a challenge to see if we’re just a bunch of delicate scolds who get the vapors over things like veterans or foreign influence or nepotism. Are you really going to let the commies and immigrants from the “shithole countries” take over? he seems to ask at every turn, just because of little nothing-burgers like whether I’m keeping highly classified documents in the magazine rack next to my gold toilet?

As usual, however, the real problem lies with the voters. The Republicans are getting the candidates they want. This is not about partisanship—it’s about an unhinged faux-egalitarianism that demands that candidates for office be no better than the rest of us, and perhaps even demonstrably worse. How dare anyone run on virtue or character; who do they think they are?

This is a tragedy of insecurity, because what it really means is that GOP voters don’t think very much of themselves. At some point, some of them may realize what they have done, but by then it’s too late. The only thing worse than making a mistake is admitting it was a mistake, and facing the humiliation of being a sucker.

Other voters can help raise the bar by inflicting serial defeats on such candidates in the general elections and giving oxygen to arguments on the right that it’s time to stop nominating—in the words of New Hampshire’s Republican governor, Chris Sununu—“crazy, unelectable candidates.” Perhaps from there, the GOP can start fusing electability back to character, but that process will take a while. In the meantime, we should all refuse to normalize terrible and often scummy candidates. If Walker is elected, it will be a tragic day in the history of the Senate. But the fact that he ran at all—and garnered millions of votes from perfectly normal American citizens—is the larger tragedy, and the damage will last a lot longer than Walker’s bizarre political career."

HeavyG

https://twitter.com/DougSaunders/status/1600522928419966977

Seems like Germany also has a problem with right-wing extremist groups.

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The death toll in a Russian artillery barrage that hit a market in the Ukrainian town of Kurakhove has risen to 10. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack “very brutal,” and accused Russia of targeting civilians. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times. 

President Vladimir Putin warned Russians yesterday that the country’s war in Ukraine would likely be “a long process.” He also said that for now, the Kremlin had no plans to call up more combat troops to serve in what the government still describes as a “special military operation.” Ivan Nechepurenko, Anatoly Kurmanaev and Andrew E. Kramer report for the New York Times. 

The risk of Russia using nuclear weapons in its war in Ukraine has lessened “for the time being,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said. "Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons in response to the international community marking a red line," he said. Yesterday Putin suggested that Moscow would only use nuclear weapons in retaliation. Laura Gozzi reports for BBC News. 

The Biden administration has been weighing up Ukrainian requests for controversial cluster munitions and has not rejected the requests outright, CNN has learned. Cluster munitions, which are banned by more than 100 countries, have been used by Russia to devastating effect inside Ukraine. Natasha Bertrand, Alex Marquardt, and Zachary Cohen report for CNN. 

Colonel General Alexander Zhuravlyov, who oversaw atrocities in Syria, led cluster bomb attacks on civilians in Ukraine, CNN has discovered. The attacks in the Kharkiv region were carried out using Smerch cluster rockets, which could be traced back to a base in Russia’s Belgorod region. Multiple military experts told CNN that Zhuravlyov – the Russian equivalent of a theater commander in the US military – is the only officer with the authority to order a Smerch rocket attack in this district. Nima Elbagir, Barbara Arvanitidis, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Katie Polglase, Tamara Qiblawi, Alex Platt, Victoria Butenko, Darya Tarasova and Maria Avdeeva report for CNN. "

lousubcap

A little information on the negotiated prisoner trade:

"For the last few weeks, President JOE BIDEN has been tasked with deciding the immediate futures of two Americans in Russian captivity, with a catch — he can’t free them both.

Biden was convinced it was now or never, and he made the “very painful decision” to solely secure the release of basketball star BRITTNEY GRINER, a senior administration official said. While Biden scored a major diplomatic victory, he again disappointed the family of PAUL WHELAN.

The scramble that ensued between the U.S. and Russia to finalize the remaining details resulted in a movie-like scene unfolding Thursday morning on an Abu Dhabi tarmac. Griner and VIKTOR BOUT , a Russian arms dealer nicknamed the “Merchant of Death,” passed each other during a prisoner swap. They made no eye contact as they walked to their respective aircraft.

Since Griner’s detention in February, U.S. negotiators spoke regularly with their Russian counterparts about a grand bargain. Kremlin aides made clear they wanted Bout, the notorious arms dealer in American custody since 2010. In exchange, the Biden administration pushed for the release of Griner and Whelan, a former Marine who Russia has held since 2018 on unproven charges of espionage.

Discussions spanned the globe. MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED AL-NAHYAN, the leader of the United Arab Emirates, spoke with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN about the hostage swap during a meeting in October. CIA Director WILLIAM BURNS spoke with his Russian counterpart about striking a deal. And the Saudi government also counseled Moscow against holding foreign prisoners.

Still, Russia rejected the U.S. proposal and came back in the last few weeks with a final answer: It was Griner for Bout, and only Griner for Bout.

Biden’s team briefed the president on the situation, presenting him with potential next-step options. He decided “to provide the clemency necessary to get this done and, indeed, to get it done,” the senior administration official said.

Griner is expected to arrive in San Antonio within the next 24 hours."

ColbyLang

Appreciate the move on the topic Frank. Still absolute ****

HeavyG

https://twitter.com/juliaioffe/status/1600967584832458753

nolaegghead

HeavyG said:

https://twitter.com/juliaioffe/status/1600967584832458753

Boy, if only the department that does nothing but negotiate these types of repatriations remembered that other guy!

Ozzie_Isaac

dmchicago

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Ahhhh, but the strawberries!

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have shelled the entire front line in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine as part of what appeared to be Russia’s scaled-back ambition to secure only the bulk of lands it has claimed.

The Ukrainian general staff said its forces attacked Russian positions and troop assembly points in at least half a dozen towns in southern Ukraine.

In the settlement of Posad-Pokrovske in the southern region of Kherson, retaken by Ukraine, some villagers have returned to homes damaged or reduced to rubble by Russian shells.

The US is preparing to send Ukraine a $275m military aid package offering new capabilities to defeat drones and strengthen air defences, according to a document seen by the Reuters news agency and people familiar with the package."

Battleborn

lousubcap

Some polling on the 2024 potential Presidential Nominees:
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/09/majority-of-americans-dont-want-biden-or-trump-to-run-again-in-2024-cnbc-survey-shows.html  

littlerascal56

Biden is 80, but looks more like a 90 year old.  Not sure his health will make it 2 more years.  He is in bad shape.

Trump is 76, and really doesn’t need a job.  Golf should be his full time job now, just as it is mine! He still hits the ball hard.

Lets get some young blood next time!

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine launched missile attacks on the illegally occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine, according to reports from officials on both sides of the conflict. According to Russian state media, 20 missiles also hit the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic yesterday. There have also been reports of multiple explosions in illegally-annexed Crimea, including at a military barracks in Sovietske. Josh Pennington, Julia Kesaieva, Tim Lister and Mariya Knight report for CNN. 

Ukrainian forces have struck a headquarters of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, the governor-in-exile of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine has said. The strike on a hotel in Kadiivka, Luhansk, where the group allegedly meet, has caused Russia “significant losses” Serhiy Haidai said, adding that he expected “at least 50%” of the surviving forces to die due to lack of medical treatment. Phelan Chatterjee and Sam Hancock report for BBC News.  

Russia launched an aerial assault on the already battered cities of Odesa, Kherson, and Mykolaiv. The attacks used advanced Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles, the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement. The U.K.’s intelligence agency warned that Iran’s support to the Russian military was likely to grow in the coming months. Marc Santora reports for the New York Times. "

lousubcap

More Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Waiting for a colder war: Ukraine's military chief publicly signaled a relative freeze in ground operations until the winter's coldest months, closer to February. That was Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov's message Sunday when his Swedish counterpart visited the port city of Odesa, which was hit with a barrage of Russian missile strikes Saturday (BBC), cutting power to more than a million residents. 

"We have watched rain and very difficult conditions for offensives from any side," Reznikov said according to a translation provided by Ukrainian newspaper Pravda, "Therefore, using the moment, when the ground is firmer, I am convinced that we will resume our counter offensives and the campaign on liberating our land."

Ukraine has still liberated just 54% of the land Russian forces seized since late February. That's according to the British military, which on Monday assessed that "Russia's current minimum political objectives of the war remain unchanged." That is, "Russia is likely still aiming to extend control over all of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Oblasts," and the Russians will probably try "advancing deeper into Donetsk Oblast" in the days ahead, the Brits predict.

From London's POV, the Russians are "unlikely to make operationally significant advances within the next several months" because of well known personnel shortages and some lesser-known tactical decisions around Donetsk, which are at times puzzling to some outsiders and scholars like Michael Kofman of CNA, for example. 

Ceasefire watch: "Russia and Ukraine are extremely far apart" when it comes to any potential cessation of hostilities, according to the Institute for the Study of War, writing Friday. And presently, "it is almost impossible to imagine a ceasefire being agreed to, let alone implemented, for some months, which would deprive Russia of the opportunity to pause Ukrainian winter counter-offensives and reset before spring," they write. 

After all, Kyiv's military chief said Sunday his goal "is very simple; it is the liberation of all temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to 1991 levels, when Ukraine's borders were internationally recognised." (It should be noted that retaking so much land—especially the peninsula—is a considerably ambitious goal, as our colleagues reported nearly one month ago.)"

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"
Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian artillery hammered nearly 20 front-line settlements around the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Moscow seeks to capture but which is now largely in ruins because of incessant bombardment.

At least two people were killed and five wounded in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson after what the regional governor said was “massive shelling” by Russian forces.

Russia is turning to decades-old ammunition with high failure rates, a senior US military official said.

A Russian-appointed deputy governor of Ukraine’s Kherson region, Vitaly Bulyuk, was wounded when his car exploded, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.

British defence minister Ben Wallace said he would be “open minded” about supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles to target launch sites for Russian drones if Moscow carried on targeting civilian areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has canceled his annual press conference for the first time in a decade. According to the U.K.’s Defense Ministry, the decision to cancel was “likely due to concerns about the prevalence of anti-war feeling in Russia.” “Kremlin officials are almost certainly extremely sensitive about the possibility that any event attended by Putin could be hijacked by unsanctioned discussion about the ‘special military operation,” the ministry added. AP reports. "

Edit to add:

"Russian forces could find themselves out of artillery and rocket ammunition within months, a senior U.S. military official said Monday. 

“We assess that at the rate of fire that Russia has been using its artillery and rocket ammunition, in terms of what we would call fully serviceable artillery and rocket ammunition, they could probably do that until early 2023,” the official told reporters.

Because their ammunition stocks are “rapidly dwindling,” Russian forces are likely using more ammunition in “degraded conditions,” which may not fire or explode correctly, the official said.

Russia has used older munitions, some up to 40 years old, since its February invasion, the official said.

As for precision-guided munitions, the official said, the Russians “have used quite a bit of their stockpile,” which has “really diminished their ability to sustain their current rate of fire.”

Pentagon officials also believe that “the Russian military will very likely struggle to replenish its reserve of fully serviceable artillery and rocket ammunition through foreign suppliers, increased domestic production, and refurbishment,” the official said.

U.S. officials and analysts have been saying for months that Russia is running low on certain ammunition, including precision munitions, forcing it to buy replacements from Iran or North Korea."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The U.S. is finalizing plans to send its most advanced ground-based air defense systems to Ukraine, according to U.S. officials. The plans to send the Patriot missile defense system still need to be approved by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin before they are sent to President Biden for his signature. Once the plans are finalized, the Patriots are expected to ship quickly in the coming days and Ukrainians will be trained to use them at a U.S. Army base in Germany. Barbara Starr and Oren Liebermann report for CNN. 

Ukrainian air defense systems shot down 13 Iranian-made drones fired by Russia over Kyiv yesterday, according to Ukrainian authorities. Debris from the downed drones hit one administrative building and four more residential buildings suffered minor damage, Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military-civilian administration, said. Roman Olearchyk reports for the Financial Times.

Russian commander Alexander Khodakovsky said yesterday that Russia can’t “defeat the NATO bloc” in Ukraine without using nuclear weapons. Khodakovsky, who is commander of the Russian militia in the Donetsk region, also claimed that Russia is now fighting the entire Western world, which is why nuclear escalation is necessary. Khodakovsky made his comments on state television. Philip Wang reports for CNN. 

The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog will maintain a permanent presence at all of Ukraine’s nuclear power stations, the agency and Ukraine’s prime minister said yesterday. The International Atomic Energy Agency already has inspectors stationed at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and will now install permanent teams of safety and security experts at four other plants, including the defunct Chernobyl plant. Anushka Patil report for the New York Times.

Three Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea were back up and running again yesterday, three days after Russian strikes on the southern city of Odesa forced the ports to shut down. “Port workers resumed loading ships with export agricultural products,” Olena Hiriayeva, a spokeswoman for the organization, told the Ukrinform news agency. Carly Olson reports for the New York Times. "

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Okraine update:

"Russia launched fresh strikes on the city of Kherson this morning. The southern Ukrainian city has been hit 86 times with “artillery, MLRS, tanks, mortars and UAVs," in the past 24 hours, the regional head of the Kherson military administration said. Olga Voitovych reports for CNN. 

Ukrainian forces have carried out the biggest attack on the illegally occupied Donetsk region since 2014, according to a Russian-installed official. Donetsk has been held by Russian-backed separatists since 2014 and it is one of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow attempted to annex in October, in violation of international law. CNN reports. 

Ukraine is preparing for a possible Russian invasion from Belarus, Ukraine’s defense minister has said. His comments come after Belarus, a Russian ally, announced military drills on its border with Ukraine. Will Ripley reports for CNN. 

Russia launched another wave of drone attacks on Kyiv yesterday, the second such assault in a few days. The strikes ended a three-week lull in attacks by Iranian-made drones, which Ukrainian officials and military experts said could have been caused by the devices malfunctioning. Andrew E. Kramer and Marc Santora report for the New York Times. "

Edit to add the following link to a Poll of Russians and the war:

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/12/russians-still-support-war-are-less-certain-what-its-about/380917/

lousubcap

More on the Russia-Ukraine front:

"Putin's long war is already here, Ukraine's military says. Russia's military appears to be fully intent on "turn[ing] the conflict into a long-term armed confrontation aimed at exhausting Ukraine and our partners." That's what Ukrainian Army Brig. Gen. Oleksiy Gromov told reporters at a briefing Thursday. It's not a terribly new message; but it's one that Ukrainian leaders seem to sense needs to be repeated for the benefit of Ukraine's allies and partners. President Volodymir Zelenskyy conveyed similar themes in his recent conversation with David Letterman for the latter's Netflix show. 

"In the near term, the enemy's main efforts will be focused on the strategic task of establishing full control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine," Gromov said. That had been known previously, but we're now beginning to see more and more evidence that Russia is actively digging in across occupied territories in an effort to stop any ground offensives like the ones that won back regions surrounding Kharkiv and Kherson, to the east and the south. For example… 

Check out numerous trenches and a range of obstacles the Russian military appears to be digging and emplacing according to an array of imagery obtained by the New York Times on Wednesday. Their tease: "Trenches are not new to Ukraine…But the pace and the scale of Russian construction over the last couple of months is unmatched," including a notable assortment completed in just six days near the city of Bakhmut. 

One view from Washington: "Russian forces could most readily relaunch offensive operations along two main axes of advance in the coming months—along the Kharkiv-Luhansk border in northeastern Ukraine, or in Donetsk Oblast," analysts at the D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War wrote Wednesday evening. They believe this because "Russian troops appear to be moving heavy equipment from rear areas in Luhansk Oblast to areas near the current frontline along the Kharkiv-Luhansk Oblast border and have reshaped and reconsolidated their force grouping along this line." What's more, "A recent drop in temperatures in this area to consistently below-freezing has allowed the ground to solidify, likely setting conditions for increasing the pace of offensive operations." Troops withdrawn from the Kherson capital could be used for just such an offensive, ISW warns. 

There's also the distracting specter and spectacle of Belarus. Belarussian President Alexander "Lukashenko's regime is probably preparing for war, but at the moment all the necessary components are missing," Gromov said. Russia has been sending its troops to the territory of Belarus since mid-October, as satellite images appeared to reveal about five weeks ago; but most Ukraine-watchers don't view these developments as terribly ominous yet, given Minsk's reluctance to overtly join Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Last week, one battalion of [Russian] tanks each was moved to [Belarus's] Obuz-Lesnovsky and Losvido training grounds," Gromov said Thursday. "This week, the enemy dropped three MiG-31K aircraft carrying Kinjal hypersonic missiles, as well as an A-50U long-range radar detection aircraft, at the Machulischi airfield," just south of Minsk. According to Gromov, this suggests Russia is planning to carry out more airstrikes on Ukraine from Belarussian soil. Still, he added, "the probability of the enemy conducting an offensive [ground] operation from the territory of the Republic of Belarus remains low."

lousubcap

A different issue-Electric cars and your radio reception options-
"

In a Future Filled With Electric Cars, AM Radio May Be Left Behind

Carmakers say electromagnetic interference causes static and noise on AM transmissions, annoying customers. Broadcasters say they could lose a connection to their core listeners, who rely on the radio for emergencies.

Carmakers say that electric vehicles generate electromagnetic interference, causing static, noise and a high-frequency hum.Credit...Roger Kisby for The New York Times.

By Michael Levenson

Dec. 10, 2022

For nearly 100 years, drivers have been listening to AM radio, an American institution crackling with news, traffic, weather, sports and an eclectic variety of other programs.

But that dashboard staple could be going the way of manual-crank windows and car ashtrays as electric vehicles begin to grab more of the American marketplace.

An increasing number of electric models have dropped AM radio in what broadcasters call a worrisome shift that could spell trouble for the stations and deprive drivers of a crucial source of news in emergencies.

Carmakers say that electric vehicles generate more electromagnetic interference than gas-powered cars, which can disrupt the reception of AM signals and cause static, noise and a high-frequency hum. (FM signals are more resistant to such interference.)

“Rather than frustrate customers with inferior reception and noise, the decision was made to leave it off vehicles that feature eDrive technology,” BMW said in a statement, referring to the system that powers its electric vehicles.

Tesla, Audi, Porsche and Volvo have also removed AM radio from their electric vehicles, as has Volkswagen from its electric S.U.V., ID.4, according to the carmakers and the National Association of Broadcasters. Ford said that the 2023 F-150 Lightning, its popular electric pickup truck, would also drop AM radio."

Those electric vehicles are just so F' ing wonderful.  What hose job next??!!

fishlessman

Not many listen to am anymore, not sure it's a problem going forward

nolaegghead

Only radio I listen to is FM….and 99% of the time I’m tuned into NPR.  AM is a cesspool of Alex Jones types and preachers.  Now that we can stream anything on the internet, I don’t see this as a big deal.   Seriously who spends $60,000 on an electric car that doesn’t have a smart phone?

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"At least half of Ukraine is without power after Russia launched another 76 missiles at its democratic neighbor on Friday. Ukraine's military says 72 cruise missiles and four guided air-to-surface missiles were used in Friday's barrage, which was trimmed down to 16 missiles after Kyiv says it shot down 60 of the projectiles with anti-aircraft and air defense weapons. Some of the missiles appear to have been visible from a passenger plane flying over Moldova on Friday; see that video shared on Twitter by European outlet Visegrád 24.  New: Ukraine says it thinks Russia will launch a new and wide-ranging offensive sometime around February, since that's when some 150,000 newly mobilized troops are expected to become available for service. Ukraine's defense chief said as much to The Guardianon Thursday, and Kyiv's top uniformed officer said much the same in an interview this week with the Economist.  "I have no doubt they will have another go at Kyiv," said General Valery Zaluzhny. That may come later, though, he predicted. Other large-scale offensives—possibly in the south, maybe from the east—are expected "in February, at best in March and at worst at the end of January," Zaluzhny told the Economist. "The enemy shouldn't be discounted. They are not weak," said Kyiv's ground forces commander, ​​Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrsky. "They have very great potential in terms of manpower," he added.  "I know that I can beat this enemy," Zaluzhny boasted. "But I need resources. I need 300 tanks, 600-700 IFVs [infantry fighting vehicles], 500 Howitzers." (The Economist noted those figures alone are "bigger than the total armored forces of most European armies.") Meanwhile across the Atlantic: The White House isn't keen on speaking about what might lie ahead, according to a Friday morning phone call with reporters. "We have seen nothing that tells us Putin has moved off his maximalist goals with respect to Ukraine," said National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby. However, he stressed, "We aren't seeing any indication that there is an imminent move on Kyiv, but we're watching it closely." Big picture: "Nothing has shown us any indication that [Putin] is willing or serious at all about trying to end this war with diplomacy or some sort of negotiated settlement," said Kirby. "In fact, everything the guy does tells us quite the opposite—continuing to buy drones from Iran, now looking to deepen that defense relationship with Iran, still looking for sources of ammunition from other places around the world," and Friday's barrage on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. "On every single front, you see a guy who is determined to continue to prosecute this war against Ukraine; and more specifically these days, against the Ukrainian civilian population." In other words, all parties apparently continue to plan on this conflict lasting a long while. "

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia launched another round of drone attacks on Kyiv and other cities. The Ukrainian Air Force said that it had shot down 20 of 35 drones that Russia launched, though those that evaded air defenses had hit power plants, electrical systems, and other civilian targets. Andrew E. Kramer reports for the New York Times.  

A rocket strike killed at least one person in Russia’s Belgorod region near Ukraine, local officials said. The rocket was intercepted by Russian air defenses, but falling debris killed one resident and injured eight others, according to the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. Alan Cullison and Yaroslav Trofimov report for the Wall Street Journal. 

A senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned yesterday that Russia is planning a new onslaught in Ukraine, including mass infantry attacks. Russia has already drafted and is training soldiers who might be deployed in such attacks, Mykhailo Podolyak said. Podolyak’s comments come as Ukraine’s top military and political leaders have been warning in a series of recent interviews that Russia is massing troops and armaments to launch a renewed ground offensive by spring that very likely would include a second attempt to seize Kyiv. Andrew E. Kramer reports for the New York Times. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Belarus today. The rare visit by Putin comes amid mounting pressure on Lukashenko to expand support for Russia’s war. Whilst the two leaders have met at least six times since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, none of these meetings have taken place in Belarus. Andrew Higgins reports for the New York Times.

Putin made a visit to a command post coordinating the Russian war effort in Ukraine. In a rare demonstration of hands-on involvement in the military campaign’s execution and planning, Putin spent the day on Friday presiding over a general meeting with Russia’s top military officers. He also held separate meetings with various commanders, according to a statement by the Kremlin. Ivan Nechepurenko reports for the New York Times. "

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged “extremely complicated” conditions in four eastern and southern Ukrainian territories. In a transcript of a video address published early today, Putin also called on Russian security agencies to intensify their effort “to put a firm stop to the activities of foreign special services and to promptly identify traitors, spies and diversionists.” Putin’s comments are a rare admission from Moscow of the military challenges it faces as its war in Ukraine passes its three hundredth day. Carly Olson reports for the New York Times. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Belarusian counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenko yesterday. Appearing after their talks, Putin and Lukashenko spoke about the need for the two countries to withstand Western economic pressure and maintain close military ties. Putin said the leaders discussed the creation of a “unified defensive space,” although he did not give details as to what that would entail.  He also said they agreed to continue joint military exercises and to manufacture new military equipment. Anatoly Kurmanaev reports for the New York Times. 

Ukraine is increasing the defense of its border with Belarus over fears that Russia may be preparing a fresh attack. Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin told the BBC Ukraine would be bolstering the Belarusian border with armed forces and ammunition. Thomas Mackintosh reports for BBC News. 

Russian forces shot down four U.S.-made anti-radiation missiles over a region in southern Russia, the Russian defense ministry said yesterday. “Four American anti-radar ‘HARM’ missiles were shot down in the airspace of the Belgorod region,” said Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for Russia's Defense Ministry. This is the first such claim to be made by Moscow since the start of the war. Anna Chernova and Sebastian Shukla report for CNN. 

The Pentagon’s Cyber National Mission Force has been supporting Ukraine’s digital defense with daily consultations, a top U.S. cyber commander said yesterday. According to Maj. Gen John Hartman, the collaboration has helped unearth thousands of warning indicators of potentially compromised Ukrainian computer networks. Julian E. Barnes reports for the New York Times. "

lousubcap

A good read about abandoned off-shore oil wells- 
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lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet President Biden at the White House today, before delivering a prime-time address to a joint session of Congress. The trip by Zelenskyy to Washington is intended to “underscore the United States’ steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Michael D. Shear and Emily Cochrane report for the New York Times. 

Biden is expected to announce a $1.8 bil aid package for Ukraine today, senior administration officials said. The package will include, for the first time, a Patriot missile battery, the most advanced U.S. ground-based air defense system. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will send a Patriot battery that is already overseas to Ukraine, the officials said. Helene Cooper reports for the New York Times.   

There is no conclusive evidence that Russia was responsible for the September attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. This is according to over 20 diplomatic and intelligence officials across nine countries. Some officials went so far as to say they didn’t think Russia was responsible. Others who still consider Russia a prime suspect said positively attributing the attack to any country may be impossible. No one doubts, however, that the damage to the two Baltic Sea pipelines was deliberate. Shane Harris, John Hudson, Missy Ryan, and Michael Birnbaum report for the Washington Post. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to hold a meeting with the expanded board of Russia’s Defense Ministry today. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will present a detailed report on the invasion of Ukraine, and military targets for the upcoming year will be discussed. The meeting will be attended by military district commanders and chiefs of federal military authorities. An additional 15,000 military officials will join via videoconference. Niha Masih reports for the Washington Post. 

Deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev held surprise talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. In a video posted on Telegram Medvedev said he and Xi had discussed the two countries' "no limits" strategic partnership, as well as Ukraine. Reuters reports. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced visit to the front-line city of Bakhmut yesterday. During the visit, Zelenskyy handed out awards to Ukrainian forces defending the city. Fierce fighting had raged in the city for nearly six months. Isabel Coles reports for the Wall Street Journal. "