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Nov 20, 2024 - World

President-elect Donald Trump's decision to select a former Rose Bowl tight end embroiled in a masculine toilet scandal to represent the nation abroad was received with the all the decorum such an announcement could expect. "UPDATE: Trump picks Matthew Whitaker for NATO ambassador," the news outlet Tennessee Holler told readers Wednesday. "You may remember him as the acting attorney general who was on the board of a company that boasted toilets for 'well-endowed men.'"Whitaker was indeed acting attorney general during Trump's first administration and, as multiple reports show, subjected to intense media scrutiny for pedaling toilets purportedly designed to keep large penises from touching human waste, as a "MASCULINE TOILET" press release explained in 2014. But as Vanity Fair, the Washington Post, Miami New Times, the Wall Street Journal and GQ reported in 2018, the former federal prosecutor ran a Florida-based invention company that the news outlets, customers and investigators described as "a scam.""Whitaker was also a cartoonish, grifting dope who shilled for a company that hawked time-travel cryptocurrencies, Bigfoot dolls, and toilets specially designed for men with big d----," GQ reported at the time. "[It] was shut down for good and paid a $26 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission earlier this year for its alleged wrongdoing."The Post added, "The FTC alleged in a 2017 complaint that the company bilked customers with fraudulent promises that it would help them market their invention. The FBI has also investigated World Patent Marketing."It appears political spectators have not forgotten these reports, as responses to Trump's latest appointment pick show. ."Everything old and disastrous is new and disastrous again," replied writer Polly Sigh. "Trump’s former inept acting-AG and 'masculine toilet' salesmen, Matthew Whitaker, will be Trump’s NATO Ambassador.""The guy who ran a major toilet scam is now Trump’s nominated US Ambassador to NATO," wrote American public health scientist Eric Feigl-Ding. "That is all."ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man"Trump's choice for Ambassador to NATO was out here running toilet scams and intimidating people who complained," wrote Brandon Weathersby, of the anti-Trump political group American Bridge. "Another [poo emoji] pick." "This isn’t a nomination—it’s a sabotage mission," Democratic activist Chris D. Jackson replied. "This move is a direct attack on the foundation of our global partnerships." "He has no foreign policy experience of any kind that I can find in his bio, announcement or wiki," added NBC News reporter Garrett Haake, "but appears to be the only NATO ambassador who would have played in a Rose Bowl."However Brooke Rollins, of the influential conservative political group America First Policy Institute, said she was thrilled."FOR THE WIN! Strength. Smarts. Dedication. MAGA. All the qualities in our own [Whitaker] that will make him an outstanding United States Ambassador to NATO," Rollins wrote. "Congratulations, my friend!!! You are the right man to represent America in a continent at war and under threat."

Nov 20, 2024 - World

On Wednesday morning, MSNBC's Jonathan Lemire reported that current and former domestic and foreign intel officials are expressing extreme alarm over the nomination by Donald Trump about his choice of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence (DNI).Following a discussion on other problematic nominees, including ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, Lemire stated there is a growing consensus that Gabbard is completely unacceptable and key U.S. allies are sending out warnings they will not share intel with her."What do you hear in talking to your sources in Washington at the edge of the intelligence community?" Morning Joe regular Mike Barnicle asked. "Do you hear the same thing that a lot of other people are hearing: that the British, the French, the Israelis, are coming in with hints that, you know, we're not going to share intelligence, our intelligence with Tulsi Gabbard?"ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man"Yes. Current and former intelligence officers have expressed that fear and have heard that from their colleagues overseas saying there is going to be real reluctance to share some of their, those nation's, top secrets and intel with the United States," Lemire replied. "There are some concerns about Trump who, as we know, revealed intel, but Tulsi Gabbard in particular –– someone who voiced talking points that emanated from Moscow, has cozied up with the Syrians.""There is real concern here that the nation will be less safe because allies aren't going to trust us with their intel," he added.You can watch below or at the link here. - YouTube youtu.be

Nov 20, 2024 - World

Ukraine is having a tough time as its neighbor Russia wages war against it and "it’s going to get so much worse under the Trump administration," according to a Trump family member.Donald Trump's niece, trained psychologist Mary Trump, on Wednesday wrote about the war in Ukraine. Specifically, she talked about all the terrible things Ukraine has already gone through, and then issued a warning about what could come next."Of all the unthinkable scenarios we’ve been forced to consider since Donald won the election on November 5th is the possibility that all of this will have been for naught," Mary Trump wrote. "After all, the fate of Ukraine and Zelesnkyy may rest with Donald Trump, Putin’s puppet, a man who is enamored of and beholden to the very autocrat who wants to destroy our ally."ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven manMary Trump went on to note that Trump ally Elon Musk has been on calls with foreign leaders, including Zelesnkyy and Putin. Musk has also mocked Zelesnkyy."As unthinkable as it may be, we must contemplate how the world will react if, as seems likely, Donald withdraws the United States’ support from Ukraine in order to appease Vladimir Putin, his puppet-master—and our enemy. What will happen to Ukraine and Zelenskyy when one of their staunchest allies betrays them?" she asked."Ukraine has been through hell, but they remain an example of how to beat extraordinary odds. Remember this?" Mary Trump wrote before reminding readers that Ukraine once said, "Russian warship, go f--- yourself.”She added, "It’s going to get so much worse under the Trump administration so we must continue to support Ukraine in whatever way we can."She then continued, "And we can start by saying to my uncle, “Go f--- yourself.”

Nov 20, 2024 - World

For world leaders and diplomats at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, US President-elect Donald Trump was the man who cannot be named.Almost nobody would mention the next occupant of the White House directly, even as his impending return to power hung over the meeting.Leaders would instead talk in coded terms about the "next administration," "turbulence" and "change."But it was clear what they meant, even as they sought to avoid falling out with the man who will be at work in the Oval Office from January 20.French President Emmanuel Macron, who expended considerable effort trying to win over Trump during the American's first term, made veiled comments at the summit about tariffs and climate."Any fragmentation or fracturing of the international order by tariff policies which are carried out by the strongest simply leads all others not to respect it," Macron said -- without referring to Trump by name.Trump has pledged to impose sweeping tariffs on imports into the United States, including on goods from Europe and as much as 60 percent on goods from China.Macron also referred to "fragile" climate policies, with Trump threatening to take the United States back out of the Paris accords that are aimed at reducing global warming.- Swerve -It was the same whenever leaders spoke, as they seemingly treated Trump like the villain Voldemort in the Harry Potter films and books, whose name the heroes cannot mention.UN chief Antonio Guterres swerved any head-on mention of Trump when he talked of the "very important" U.S. role on climate and how he was "deeply confident" that America would "move in the direction of climate action."The only places Trump's face could be seen were on placards held by protesters outside the summit venue -- and on the social media feed of Argentina's right-wing, Trump-supporting president.Javier Milei reposted a meme contrasting a photo of himself meeting the smiling Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort after the election, with another of Milei beside a grim-faced Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.Behind the scenes, officials were circumspect.One European diplomat said that the continent had "worked with him before" and would do so again.- 'Decisions' -US officials insisted time and again that Trump's name did not come up in outgoing President Joe Biden's final meetings with his counterparts, or even that it was a major consideration."I don’t think we are expecting some major reorientation of how other countries look at the world or look at their relationship with us," Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer told reporters."They will make those decisions for themselves based on their interests, in January."Perhaps it was partly out of deference to Biden, making his swan song on the international stage.Biden himself skirted round the issue -- in fact he has long resisted mentioning the name of the man he often calls "my predecessor," who is now his successor.The 81-year-old Biden tried to shore up his legacy while his fellow summiteers looked over his shoulder.As Biden remarked that it was his final summit, he called for leaders to "keep going -- and I’m sure you will, regardless of my urging or not."On the final day, Biden seemed to realize that the return of he-who-cannot-be named was nigh."I have much more to say," Biden said, before stopping himself and adding: "I'm not going to."

Nov 20, 2024 - World

Peruvian authorities said Tuesday they have tightened security at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu after tourists there were filmed dispersing what were believed to be human ashes.Last week, citizens in Peru were outraged by a non-dated video on Tiktok in which a woman at the tourist site took ashes from a plastic bag and threw them in the air, then hugged another woman.The video had a caption about "saying goodbye with much love at Machu Picchu" and hashtags with the words "ashes" and "spreading ashes."The 30-second video was first shown on the account @IncaGoExpeditions, belonging to a travel agency, before it was removed from TikTok.Cesar Medina, the head of Machu Picchu archeological park, told AFP that officials were going to hire more guards and install more surveillance cameras.He said there was nothing in local laws barring people from spreading human ashes in public.But this will now be barred at Machu Picchu for health reasons, Medina said.Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the site welcomes an average of 5,600 visitors a day but until now had only four cameras and a small team of security guards.The ancient citadel, built in the 15th century by Incan emperor Pachacuti, sits at an altitude of 2,438 meters in the Peruvian Andes.