Beltway Insider: Biden Wins SC Primary, Responds to Houthi Strikes, Sinn Fein, Ukraine, Trump Legal, Prisoner Labor/Food Production

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Published on Sunday, 04 February 2024 11:46; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden, gearing up for his 2024 reelection campaign, swept the winner take all South Carolina Democratic primary gaining 55 delegates as he marches toward securing the democratic party's presidential nomination as he seeks a second term.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending February 2, 2024 decreased by 0.01% to 39.0% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by 0.05% to 55.0% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

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Biden Sweeps South Carolina Dem Primary

The Biden-Harris administration continue to persuade the people of the United States of the accomplishments over the past four years and encourage the American people to help them "finish the job" by electing them to four more years.

As the political process continues to heat up, February will hold Nevada and Michigan democratic primaries. Republicans will hold South Carolina and Michigan primaries which are crucial for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. As former President Donald Trump now leads the delegate pool by 33, these primaries including Haley's home state of South Carolina are imperative wins for the former U.S. Ambassador and South Carolina governor.

The American people are expecting a WWE style political smack down as Trump continues to fight to become more than a footnote in American politics. While he expects to be remembered as a preeminent leader that revolutionized the political process, his presidency will no doubt be reduced to his post presidency criminal trials, and the fact that nearly every political operative and the majority of his reelection campaign cabinet members have been ruined, either financially or reputationally, and been marked as political pariahs.

Biden Orders Retaliatory Strike

President Biden ordered military strikes against targets in Iran and Syria this week in retaliation for the drone strike on an American installation in northern Jordan which killed three American soldiers and wounded dozens.

The airstrikes, which included 125 precision guided munitions targeting 85 targets at seven locations, came a week after Iranian backed Houthi's, who have been repeatedly firing drone missiles on U.S. military warships stationed in the Red Sea, struck a U.S. outpost with an unmanned ariel drone attack.

"Target facilities included command and control centers, as well as headquarters buildings and intelligence centers; rocket, missile, and drone storage facilities; and logistics ammunition supply chain facilities. These targets were carefully selected to avoid civilian casualties and based on clear, irrefutable evidence that they were connected to attacks on U.S. personnel in the region," said John Kirby, United States National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications.

The official White House policy, which has been reiterated frequently since the October 7, 2024, attack on ally Israel, remains that the United States does not wish to go to war with any middle eastern nation, but made it clear that when fired upon they will retaliate.

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Northern Ireland Installs Sinn Fein Leader

Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill, after two years of waiting, has been installed as the first minister, which came as a result of an election held on 2022 when the people of both United Kingdom's Northern Ireland and the independent Republic of Ireland rejected then Prime Minister Boris Johnson policies and overwhelming cleaned house causing the loss of majority representation and embracing the possibility of a united Ireland.

"To the assembly, O'Neill emphasized that she would be "a first minister for all" — including unionists and republicans, Protestants and Catholics, those who want a "united Ireland" and those who want to remain "British forever" (alongside a growing number in the middle ground)," The Washington Post reported.

The delay in Ms. O'Neill's installation as first minister appears to be two-fold, the first is remnants of Brexit trade agreements and the other the underlying concern of Sinn Fein gaining power in the pollical process and national direction.

With Northern Ireland considered one of the four main nations of the British Commonwealth, and Irish leaders hoping one day for a united Ireland, without division, the unification may be simply resolved as the monarchy transitions to a more modern contemporary thought.

Ukraine Military Shakeup Causes Concern

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with President Biden this week, regarding his decision to remove his top military strategist, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who informed the Ukrainian leader is was his choice to make and the United States would support the nation's effort in their war against the territorial violations of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Zelensky has yet to issue a formal decree announcing the ouster of Zaluzhny, and it is uncertain when that might happen. The advance notice to Washington, which has not been previously reported, reflects the influential role of the United States as Ukraine's most powerful military and political backer," reported The Washington Post.

The decision, which is tricky for Zelenskyy, as General Zaluzhnyi is popular both among the military and the general public, and the war has made him somewhat of a well-known figurehead standing against Russian aggression, especially his recent comments that include examining defense production capabilities, and approaches to training and ground strategy, this all coming on the wake of Putin's decree to send 400,000 more troops to the Ukraine.

Zelenskyy, who has become known as a master strategist, and has been able to rally the world and his people in fighting Putin's military, is risking abandonment in his efforts, which create an opening for the Russian Armed Forces to gain ground, inching forward into the Ukraine toward the capital of Kyvi which they have yet been able to conquer.

The unfortunate popularity, which both men have encountered because of this war, now entering two years on February 24, has created jealousy and the potential for a showdown between the two in the March 31, 2024, Ukraine presidential election.

In a thorough breakdown of the war in Ukraine, writing by the Center for Preventive Action and published on the Global Conflict Tracker organization website, "In the almost two years since Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has recaptured 54 percent of occupied territory, while Russia still occupies 18 percent of the country. Ukraine's 2023 offensive has achieved minor territorial gains, but the frontlines have remained stable for almost a year," CFR.org reported.

The success of the Ukraine war strategy is equally a victory for General Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the pair should remain unified against the tyrannical aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Coronavirus Totals

According to the World Health Organization the increase in cases resulting from the variant JN.1 have migrated in a similar pattern as the original Covid-19 virus with positive cases in Italy increased by 62,665 cases to 74,807 reported cases and Greece jumped to 56,475, far exceeding the positive cases reported throughout the entirety of the European Continent. Even Russia, who frequently withholds information, reported 85,955 positive cases. Positive cases reported in Singapore at 92,300 are the highest the Western Pacific region.

The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens, should receive at least one shot of an updated covid vaccine. Vaccines and boosters are still considered the most effective agents against contracting the Coronavirus.

For the 7-day period ending February 2, 2024, the total of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reached 774,395,593 confirmed cases, an increase over the past 7 days of 104,306 cases worldwide. The total worldwide death toll increased by 3,567 to 7,023,271 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated January 21, 2024, from The World Health Organization).

COVID U.S. Totals

As hospitalizations and infection rates continue to rise in the United States, some jurisdictions are suggesting new mask mandates. For the 7-day period ending February 2, 2024, new Covid hospitalizations in the U.S. increased by 21,386 to 6,771,932. The coronavirus has claimed 1,174,626 total U.S. deaths, adding 2,397 deaths, over the past 7 days. (Data updated January 27, 2024, posted February 2, 2024, from the CDC).

Road to the White House 2024 - Trump Legal Troubles Mount

Although Trump lawyers are petitioning the courts to show leniency and not allow the former president, who may be the republican nominee to face a Georgia Trial in August, as it would be "unfair," if a potential republican presidential nominee were unable to campaign to secure the trust of the people while facing a criminal trial. The conflict is obvious.

"Outside of Georgia, Trump has a March 25 trial date in New York, where he faces state charges over alleged hush-money payments to an adult film star. There is also a trial scheduled for May in Florida, where Smith charged Trump with mishandling classified documents," reported The Wall Street Journal.

His March 4, 2024, Washington, DC trial has been postponed while it is on appeal as the former president has said, he is protected by presidential immunity over any actions from the time he took office until January 6, 2021.

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January 6 Conspirator Sentenced

Five additional January 6 Conspirators were found guilty after a bench trial of crimes associated with the January 6, 2021, capitol insurrection.

The men, Ryan Samsel, 39, of Bristol, PA., James T. Grant, 31, of Cary, N.C., Paul R. Johnson, 38, of Lanexa, VA.; Stephen C. Randolph, 34, of Harrodsburg, KY.; Jason B. Blythe, 28, of Fort Worth, TX., who were unknown to each other before January 6, were convicted together after Samsel unlocked steel police barricades, and the five picked up the unlocked barricades and hurdled them at the Capitol police officers, knocking a female officer into the air. She was momentarily unconscious.

The breech then allowed the mob to swarm the U.S. Capitol.

"All five defendants were convicted of felony civil disorder and one count of assaulting a police officer in addition to multiple trespassing-related misdemeanors. Samsel, Grant and Johnson were convicted of obstructing an official proceeding, but Cobb acquitted Blythe and Randolph of those counts," reported The Washington Post.

Samsel has been in jail on unrelated domestic violence charges since 2021, as does Grant. Johnson, Blythe, and Randolph are expected to be sentenced June 13, 2024.

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Prison Labor Market Linked to Major Retailers, Fast Food Chains

From eggs to beef and major retailers such as Kroger, Target, and Aldi's and even fast-food chains like McDonalds, products farmed, slaughtered, and dressed are handled by the incarcerated at prison labor camps, where the incarcerated are paid nothing, and it is perfectly legal.

The article, "Prisoners in the US are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands," by Robin McDowell and Margie Mason, walk readers through their two year investigation by exposing "The goods these prisoners produce wind up in the supply chains of a dizzying array of products found in most American kitchens, from Frosted Flakes cereal and Ball Park hot dogs to Gold Medal flour, Coca-Cola and Riceland rice. They are on the shelves of virtually every supermarket in the country, including Kroger, Target, Aldi, and Whole Foods. And some goods are exported, including to countries that have had products blocked from entering the U.S. for using forced or prison labor."

The article also exposes egregious workplace violations including sexual assaults against female prisoners by their civilian supervisors, and worse employment law violations as inadequate training in machine use resulted in death of a prisoner incarcerated for a minor offense.

For more information on President Joe Biden w ww.whitehouse.gov.