Beltway Insider: Biden/Earth Day, Ukraine War, Macron Wins, COVID/Vaccine Totals, Queen Elizabeth, Orrin Hatch

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President Biden celebrated Earth Day on the west coast speaking with Washington State Governor Jay Inslee on the need to bolster the nations resilience in the face of catastrophic wildfire and to further clean energy use.

 

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending April 24, 2022 increased by 0.7% to 42.3% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness increased by 0.8% to 53.0% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.


 

Beltway Insider: Biden/Ukraine War, Putin Bullies Allies, COVID/Vaccine Totals, U.S. Gun Violence


U.S. Officials Head to Ukraine

On the heels of the Military Summit in Ramstein Germany, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met today with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Reports of the meetings outcome have not been published as of press time. 

Defense Department to Hold Summit

The Defense Department has announced a military summit will be held in Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss the long-term military needs of Ukraine. More than 20 of the forty nations invited have agreed to attend, with additional RSVPs expected.

As NATO is not directly providing military assistance to Ukraine, the summit is outside of the NATO rubric, and will be attended by nations who are not NATO members as well as those who are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

With the Ukraine war entering its third month, the idea of a quick end seems less likely, and long-term military needs, currently and post war are part of the expected agenda. The concept is clear, Russia can not be allowed to randomly at whim or will move its forces into any nation it chooses.

With the drawdown authority issued by Congress earlier this year nearly exhausted with this latest Ukrainian aid package, it is expected the President will again reach out to Congress to increase the drawdown authority or find other means to supply the Ukraine with the military and ammunition it needs to defend itself as well maintain military sales commitments to other nations.

The drawdown authorization allows the president to take military equipment from U.S. stockpiles, surmise its value, and create an aid package dependent on the needs of the request. This also allows for U.S. to replenish its military stockpiles, which creates a stronger U.S. economy, through weapons contracts and suppliers.

Former U.N. ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute explained, the "imbalance in quantitative factors like tanks, artillery and so forth is beginning to get righted in favor of the Ukrainians," Lute said on ABC News's "This Week," reported The Washington Post.

The recent announcement by the Department of Defense Phoenix Ghost drones were included in the $800mm Aid package. The Phoenix Ghost drones are tactical, unmanned aerial support with limited training needed. It will be immediate available for use by the Ukrainian military.

Zelenskyy Leads IMF Discussion

With the announcement this week by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the International Monetary Fund, (IMF) World Bank, announcing his need for $7bn a month to defend itself against Russian aggression, and rebuild the Ukraine post-war.

"The World Bank has estimated that about $60bn of physical damage has so far been inflicted on Ukraine," reported the BBC.com. The expectation from the IMF meeting, that included Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen, was that Ukraine would need a post-war rebuilding plan like the Marshall Plan, the World War II rebuild plan.

Debate arose when Yellen suggested that seized Russian Assets should be used to rebuild Ukraine especially as she indicted it would need to be secured in triplicate, with much discussion, debate in conjunction with international partners.

Military Equipment Undergirds Aid Packages

With the recent influx of military aid to the beleaguered nation, the military battlefield is closer to evening up. The amount of aid packages heading to the Ukraine, include military supplies such as the $800mm released last week from the United States, and other nations delivering similar supplies including military hardware, tanks, ammunition and other battlefield necessities, to additional support supplies including armored plated ambulances, field hospital needs, medical supplies and humanitarian needs for citizens still in-county and refugees.

Humanitarian organizations have attempted to reach the besieged city of Mariupol and according to the International Red Cross came with 12 miles and were unable to travel any further. Daily teams from a dozen nations work tirelessly to aid refugees with necessities and psychological support.

"The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was "deeply alarmed" by the ongoing situation in Mariupol, calling for "immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access" to allow civilians to exit the city," CBNC.com reported.

Suicides on USS George Washington

A rash of suicides by sailors on board the USS George Washington, has brought the military and mental illness to the forefront, as ten deaths, over the past two years, have been attributed to suicide with one additional death still under investigation.

Suicide prevention has become an open conversation with a top-down directive, from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Department of Defense press secretary John Kirby explained during a recent press conference the measures in which the Department of Defense were undertaking to address the issues of mental health.

"Suicide is a -- a significant concern inside the department, it certainly is a concern for Secretary Austin. You've heard him say many times that mental health is health, period, and that's how he wants the department to look at this," Kirby said.

The USS George Washington, since 2017, has been docked at Newport News, Virginia, Shipbuilding for a major overhaul.

Putin Tests ICBM

Russia Military forces, this week, tested an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile billed as a superweapon, which allegedly can be equipped with nuclear warheads. According to The Washington Post, Putin himself warned that Russia's missile would "make those, who in the heat of frantic aggressive rhetoric try to threaten our country, think twice."

Under a notification agreement between the United States and Russia, Putin did send word to the United States of its intent to test the missile. The United States has a similar notification agreement with China.


World News: French Elections - Demagoguery or Rationalism


French President Emmanuel Macron Projected Winner

Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron is the project winner in the French President Election garnering more than 58% of the vote. Marine Le Pen, the far-right opposition with alliance to Russia opposed the more moderate Macron and the voters responded to the current climate and Macron's leadership through the tumultuous last three years.

Earth Day 2022

The world once again focused on the planet with renewed effort to force those with a sedentary mindset to accept the need for change and begin, even with one small effort to address climate change in their home, community, region, nation.

"In a report released in September that surveyed 10,000 young people in 10 countries, almost six in 10 respondents said they were very or extremely worried about climate change, and nearly half said their climate anxiety impacted their daily life and functioning. Four in 10 said they were hesitant to have kids of their own," reported MarketWatch.

Whether it be a dedication to recycling, which has over the years become common place, to sustainability efforts in reusable refuse to even composting plastics. Covid curbed a full scale global #schoolstrike but the dedication to change remains at the forefront for Swedish activist Greta Thurnberg.

Her continued efforts which began small, a dedicated effort, one month, every day, and a cardboard sign, eventually turned into a global movement. Which concluded one year later with more than 4million students protesting global warming, climate ignorance, and the need for each person to be dedicated to making one change.

Vaccine Totals

Bloomberg.com has built a vaccine tracker which can be seen here. "In the U.S., 572 million doses have been given so far. During the last week, shots were administered at an average rate of 96,738 doses a day," Bloomberg.com reported.

Coronavirus Totals

Mandates have been altered or lifted in most urban areas with limited exceptions, and the population is encouraged to maintain personal protective practices. Masks are optional and tolerated. Vaccines and boosters are still considered the most effective agents against contracting the Coronavirus.

For the one-week period ending April 24, 2022, coronavirus cases globally increased by 4,988,562 new confirmed cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases worldwide to 509,068,545 people with a total worldwide death toll of 6,215,526 deaths, and a 7-day death rate increase of 19,779. (Data from The New York Times).

COVID US Totals

Infections rates in the United States are also on the rise. For the seven-day period ending April 24, 2022, the total confirmed cases rose to 80,855,787 people with new confirmed cases increasing by 331,450 with a 7-day average of 47,350 cases per day. The coronavirus has claimed 989,678 total deaths, adding 2,467 more deaths over the 7-day period. (Data from The New York Times).

Pentagon's Diary Gets Personal

Protecting for gain of function knowledge only aides those who initiated the constitutional violations. It does nothing to combat the homegrown terrorism or the narcissist above the law belief. The best obtainable version of the truth.


Justice Watch: And They Got Away With It (Part 4)


Queen Elizabeth Celebrates Birthday

Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 96th Birthday April 21, 20222. The longest reigning monarch released an official photograph, of her holding the reins of two white horses, commemorating the occasion. For those who scrutinize every detail of Royal life, one could say she was presenting a dual image of her love for horses, and she is still holding the reigns of the monarch even while she slowly transfers power to her son, Prince Charles.

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration is schedule to culminate with her "official" birthday usually celebrated on the second Saturday in June with the annual Trooping the Colour, the yearly military parade to celebrate the Queen's birthday, which is attended by the entire Royal family, the Platinum Jubilee will conclude with a four-day bank holiday.

After riding out the initial and most difficult days of the pandemic, with her husband Prince Phillip, the Queen was recently diagnosed with a variant of the original strain. She has since recovered and admitted it left her a bit weak. She has passed on several events as of late transferring more royal duties to Prince Charles, his wife, Duchess of Cornwall, and her son, Prince William and his wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Prince Harry's recently visited England, after stepping away from royal life with his wife, Megan, Duchess of Sussex, and was granted a royal visit with the Queen. Whether fences have been mended or not, it is expected both he and Megan and possibly their son Archie will be given a balcony invitation to the Trooping the Colour celebration.


World News: Russia and Post-War Options


Senator Orrin Hatch, Longest Serving Senator Dies

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, the longest serving Republican senator, has died in Salt Lake City, his foundation announced. No immediate cause was listed. He was 88.

Serving his constituents for more than 42 years, he by length of service became the senate president pro tempora, a constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the vice president.

Fighting against what he believed were democratic attempts to send the nation into socialism and chose, he said on several occasions he ran for senate to fight the likes of former Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, who embodied everything Hatch thought was wrong with America. The two eventually became allies working on legislation that furthered the goals of the nation.

"He was a tough partisan, a solid conservative, but he could make strategic alliances to get legislation passed," former Senate historian Donald Ritchie said in an interview. "No one questioned his ideology, so he could deal. People on his side of the aisle trusted him, and people on the other side respected him," reported The Washington Post.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. No funeral plans have been announced.

 

For more information on President Joe Biden www.whitehouse.gov.

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