Trump era: Fascist dawn, or road to liberation?

[Divide by Zero]

With the new tax cuts on the rich that Trump is doing, I don't buy his change. He even said that rich should pay more taxes, but then flips it. What a phony or boot licker for the right wing.


While cutting taxes on the rich, there is an increase in taxes for those who live in high tax states/localities. Normally we can write off state/local taxes on federal, so it reduces taxable federal tax (no double taxing). But WHY does he want to remove this? Keep in mind that these states also tend to overpay their federal taxes as related to benefits that they take in from the federal government.


Guys, Trump is a sham, a fake "outsider" in the same feeling as Reagan, who turned from a "pro working class" hero into a pro corporate jerk.

 

[goyacobol]

With the new tax cuts on the rich that Trump is doing, I don't buy his change. He even said that rich should pay more taxes, but then flips it. What a phony or boot licker for the right wing.


While cutting taxes on the rich, there is an increase in taxes for those who live in high tax states/localities. Normally we can write off state/local taxes on federal, so it reduces taxable federal tax (no double taxing). But WHY does he want to remove this? Keep in mind that these states also tend to overpay their federal taxes as related to benefits that they take in from the federal government.


Guys, Trump is a sham, a fake "outsider" in the same feeling as Reagan, who turned from a "pro working class" hero into a pro corporate jerk.

I think that "is" a possibility but it is also a possibility that he has completely painted himself into a corner and can't get out. Or he was put in the corner by the PTB. Who knows what concessions he is making or is given no choice in the matter. Whatever the truth is it looks like they will continue to go after him for impeachment proceedings if they get can enough ammunition. It will only be that much worse I think if they do impeach him or do a JFK scenario. While the economy affects us all there are other portents of things in the air that seem just as alarming to me like false flag dirty bombs, continued wars and atrocities not to mention global weather changes and more frequent meteor showers.

It is not much encouragement but I think "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" might be a better way to think of Trump. There is a reason they don't stop going after him even with the little progress, if any, that he has made.

 

[JGeropoulas]

Just saw this article about Trump inviting all 100 senators to the White House for a special briefing about looming war with North Korea--as if he had nothing better to do than launch a nuclear war against a "potential" threat.

_http://alt-market.com/articles/3177-prepare-for-war-trump-asks-all-100-us-senators-to-attend-rare-white-house-briefing-on-north-korea

But to me, the readers comments were more interesting than the article:

Distraction for Pending Worldwide Economic Collapse?
written by clarkzkent , April 26, 2017

While I know the young leader of North Korea is a out of control dipshit, all I have read is what the national mainstream corporate globalist controlled media has said stating what North Korea has threatened the US and its allies, it sounds like fear porn propaganda. Does anyone read or hear evidence directly from North Korea of them threatening the USA?

I say perhaps pending war with North Korea is nothing but a distraction to cover up for the pending worldwide economic Ponzi scheme collapse. After all, our same government was as party to 9/11 and said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, as well as numerous other factual false flags that started other wars.

I fear Trump has been taken over by the Deep State and Globalists, and larger world war looms as a distraction..... I know Brandon has said Trump was put in for the Globalists to blame for the economic collapse on, but I wanted to have hope, and war proves Trump may be on the dark side.

Pure Propaganda.
written by Chris Jacob , April 26, 2017

The truth is this...Korea as a whole North and South is a threat to Zionist Hegemony on Earth. South Korean k-pop, drama, movies, fashion, electronics (samsung) etc have taken over the world.

They want to finish both Korea's.

This would be the third time, US would be attacking Korea

Historical Context: Korea, a Pawn for Big Power, Brutalized by the United States

The history between Korea and the United States goes back to the late 1800s when the US had completed its manifest destiny across North America and was beginning to build a global empire. In 1871, more than 700 US marines and sailors landed on Kanghwa beach in west Korea, seeking to begin US colonization (a smaller US invasion occurred in 1866).

They destroyed five forts, inflicting as many as 650 Korean casualties. The US withdrew, realizing it would need a much larger force to succeed, but this was the largest military force to land outside the Americas until the 1898 war in the Philippines. S. Brian Willson reports that this invasion is still discussed in North Korea, but it has been erased from the history in South Korea as well as in the United States.

Alternative Media is a Shil?
written by Chris Jacob , April 26, 2017

North Korea is Not a Despot, Kim is sane.

You don't need to go any further than weed and Hemp.

Both are legal in North Korea. North Korea has not forced vaccination, No autism, No Central Bank, No credit card debt, Koreans are by far the smartest people on earth. Imagine when North and South join which is what North Korea wants.

It is the US which do not want a Unified Korea. The korean war started because US installed Puppet regime comprising of elites of korea and brought in Singen Ree an Korean America as a president.

There is absolutely nothing North Korea have ever done to the world.

The Korean War that lasted from June 1950 to July 1953 was an enlargement of the 1948-50 struggle of Jeju Islanders to preserve their self-determination from the tyrannical rule of US-supported Rhee and his tiny cadre of wealthy constituents. Little known is that the US-imposed division of Korea in 1945 against the wishes of the vast majority of Koreans was the primary cause of the Korean War that broke out five years later.

The War destroyed by bombing most cities and villages in Korea north of the 38th Parallel, and many south of it, while killing four million Koreans – three million (one-third) of the north’s residents and one million of those living in the south, in addition to killing one million Chinese. This was a staggering international crime still unrecognized that killed five million people and permanently separated 10 million Korean families.”

What most people in America do not know –and which is particularly relevant when assessing the “threats” of the DPRK to World peace– is that North Korea lost thirty percent of its population as a result of US led bombings in the 1950s. US military sources confirm that 20 percent of North Korea’s population was killed off over a three period of intensive bombings:

“After destroying North Korea’s 78 cities and thousands of her villages, and killing countless numbers of her civilians, [General] LeMay remarked, “Over a period of three years or so we killed off – what – twenty percent of the population.” It is now believed that the population north of the imposed 38th Parallel lost nearly a third its population of 8 – 9 million people during the 37-month long “hot” war, 1950 – 1953, perhaps an unprecedented percentage of mortality suffered by one nation due to the belligerance of another.” (quoted in Richard Rhodes, “The General and World War III,” The New Yorker, June 19, 1995, p. 53.)

Russia & China real target, not North Korea
written by Quintus Sertorius , April 27, 2017

As Jay Dyer suggests, Kim Jong Un is likely a CIA asset, who's working with us to conjure up the illusion that the forces we're sending to Korea are meant to be used against North Korea:

_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH19w9TVB9Y

Furthermore, the South Koreans just impeached their pro-US President, which thus weakens US interests in SK and the justification for continuing US occupation, something which a number of SK resent. US saber rattling can be seen as a tacit way to intimidate the anti-US opposition in South Korea by saying "hey, you SK need us, else big bag wolf NK will eat you up":

_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH19w9TVB9Y

In October 2016, there was an incident between NK and Russia:

_http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/722144/russia-north-korea-fishermen-sea-of-japan-kim-jong-un-vladimir-putin

Strategically, increased US military presence in the Korean peninsula furthers the encirclement of Russia on its eastern, Pacific side: it's a double whammy because it further contains China - the THAAD missile defense system clearly threatens both Russia and China.

North Korea is merely a convenient excuse. The Russians and the Chinese know this and are preparing accordingly against the real enemy: our out-of-control Military Security Complex / Bankers' Zionist complex.

 

[goyacobol]

JGeropoulas,

Those were interesting comments about North Korea.

Here are some recent SOTT articles that give some of the history:

Why North Korea hates America

The Korean War: Americans have forgotten what we did to North Korea

A history of the Koreas - The dangerous tone of US media

I was stationed at Camp Casey, South Korea in 1971 which is 8 miles from the DMZ. The Korean people have suffered much. If I had known the history better I would have learned more probably. I did see the resilience, creativity and kindness of the people in spite of their struggles in everyday life. I got the impression that many families were split up by the war and still hope to re-unite.

 

[Palinurus]

Here's the view of the Simpsons on Trump's first 100 days in office:

http://<iframe width="560" height="...Hs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[angelburst29]

Michelle Obama tried to register to run for President in 2020 with the Secretary of State’s office this morning, the first step on a long to-do list to get a person on the ballot.

Michelle Obama Just Tried To Register To Run For President But Was DENIED!
_http://www.usapoliticstoday.com/michelle-obama-register-run-president-denied/

Once certified as a potential candidate, the process of gathering signatures and getting on the ballots in the individual states begins. The State Department’s only job is to make sure that the candidate meets the three constitutional requirements to be president.

This looks like fake news. It's sensational and doesn't provide any sources.

_www.usapoliticstoday.com?

No doubt.

Democratic hearts around the nation broke on Thursday, when during her first public speech since leaving the White House, Michelle Obama announced that she will not run for office.

Sorry Democrats: Former First Lady Rules Out Run for Public Office
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201704281053123882-michelle-obama-wont-run-office/

The announcement came at the American Institute of Architects' annual convention in Orlando, Florida.

Politics is tough, and it's hard on a family," the former First Lady said. "I wouldn't ask my children to do this again because, when you run for higher office, it's not just you, it’s your whole family."

When it was mentioned that she left the White House with a 68 percent favorability rating, Obama brushed it off saying that, “it’s all well and good until you start running, and then the knives come out.”

Plus, there's just so much more we can do outside of the office, because we won't have the burden of political baggage," Obama added.

Back-dated Feb. 9, 2017:
Supporters of the US Democratic Party, frustrated by the first political initiatives of Republican US president of Donald Trump, want former US first lady Michelle Obama, also known as the "mother-in-chief," to run for president in the next presidential election.

Americans Want 'Mom-in-Chief' Michelle Obama to Become US President in 2020
https://sputniknews.com/art_living/201702091050522122-michelle-obama-us-president/

In late 2016, Facebook users created several communities named "Michelle Obama For President 2020."

The groups consist of more than 1.5 million people who consider Michelle to be a perfect candidate for the post of US President in the next election.
Disappointed about Trump's policy, some social media users discussed the strengths of US ex-president Barack Obama's wife.

Michelle Obama herself repeatedly said she is not going to take part in the election.

"I don't believe in playing games. It's not something I would do, but it also speaks to the fact that people don't really understand how (being in the White House is). I mean, the next family that comes in here, every person in that family, every child, every grandchild, their lives will be turned upside down in a way that no American really understands," she said in an interview with the US media in December.

However, the Internet users have not given up and are calling on Michelle to reconsider her position.

On the same day that former President Barack Obama gave his first post-presidency speech, encouraging youth leadership to change the world, it was revealed that he has also agreed to speak at a Wall Street conference in September – for a whopping $400,000.

Obama Tells Students to Change the World, While Agreeing to $400k Wall St Speech
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201704261052998196-obama-wall-street-paid-speech/

While preaching his signature “hope and change” message at the University of Chicago, the former president spoke extensively about the need for public service.

The single most important thing I can do is to help in any way I can to prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton,” Obama said, “and to take their own crack at changing the world.”

Meanwhile, details were being worked out for him to be the keynote speaker at the Cantor Fitzgerald LP’s healthcare conference.

Sources revealed to Fox Business that the former president has already signed the contract with the financial services firm to appear at their company event. His speaking fee will be nearly double what twice-failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton charges for her Wall Street speeches.

“Obama, a progressive Democrat, spoke frequently about Wall Street greed during his eight years as president, and now he’s accepting a speaking fee from the industry he singled out as the main culprit of the banking collapse,” Fox Business noted in their report.

During his presidency, Obama often referred to the Wall Street set as “fat cats.” It looks like we may have found their newest feline friend.

Senators unanimously passed a short-term funding measure to prevent a government shutdown.

US Senate Unanimously Passes Short-Term Funding to Prevent Gov't Shutdown
https://sputniknews.com/us/201704281053117472-us-senate-funding-government-shutdown/

The US Senate passed by unanimous consent on Friday a short-term funding measure that will prevent a government shutdown, an official with the US Senate Press Gallery told Sputnik on Friday.

"They [senators] passed it by unanimous consent," the official stated.

The measure will give Congress one week to work out a funding deal or pass another continuing resolution to temporarily extend US government funding at current levels.

Without a deal, the current funding for US government agencies and departments would have run out at midnight on Friday.

 

[JEEP]

This kinda sums it up:

 

[angelburst29]

All 100 US senators demand end to UN’s ‘anti-Israel agenda’
_http://www.jns.org/news-briefs/2017/4/28/all-100-us-senators-demand-end-to-uns-anti-israel-agenda#.WQOrB4jyuM8=

All 100 U.S. senators signed a letter, sent to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, demanding that the world body end its “anti-Israel agenda.”

The letter, (pdf. link below) authored by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), called on Guterres to “ensure that Israel is treated neither better nor worse than any other U.N. member in good standing.”

Further, the letter noted that “too often, the U.N. is exploited as a vehicle for targeting Israel rather than as a forum committed to advancing the lofty goals of its founders. These actions have at times reinforced the broader scourge of anti-Semitism, and distracted certain U.N. entities from their original missions."

The letter condemns several U.N. bodies, including the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, the Human Rights Council and the cultural body UNESCO. The senators urged the Human Rights Council to address “the many pressing human rights challenges of our time in countries such as Russia, China, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, and South Sudan,” rather than singling out Israel for criticism. UNESCO, meanwhile, last year passed two resolutions denying Jewish ties to the Temple Mount holy site.

While the letter does not mention an end to any U.S. funding for the world body, the senators wrote, “As both the U.N.’s principal founding member and its largest contributor, the United States should insist on reform....Continued targeting of Israel by the U.N. Human Rights Council and other U.N. entities is unacceptable. This situation must change.”

Here is the letter: Letter from all 100 U.S. senators urging UN to end -anti-Israel agenda-
_https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/f6c7c142-8655-4c34-907b-ffe91b033f34/83A98BDD8379F7A35D6207DCB0D74B38.4-27-2017-rubio-coons-ltr-to-unsg-re-israel.pdf

As for Israel's equality and HUMAN rights:
Israel planning 15,000 more settlement homes in Jerusalem
_http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-settlements-idUSKBN17U1OS

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acts to bring Nikki Haley, the US's out of control UN ambassador, to heel, instructing her to coordinate her comments in future with the State Department.

Tillerson puts Nikki Haley in her place. Tells her to clear comments with State Department
http://theduran.com/tillerson-haley-state-department-comments/

Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, who has this month started to find his feet as the US’s foreign minister, has finally acted to assert his authority over Nikki Haley, the US’s out of control UN ambassador.

It has become increasingly clear over the last few weeks that Nikki Haley, who is a politician with Presidential ambitions not a diplomat, has been abusing her position as the US’s UN ambassador to grandstand in preparation for what I am sure is an intended Presidential bid.

I have previously discussed Nikki Haley’s behaviour and the exaggerated role she has been allowed to carve out for herself.

That doubtless also explains the increasingly undisciplined behaviour of Nikki Haley. Not only is she being allowed to wander around the television studios unchecked, firing off comments which she has clearly not coordinated either with the White House or the State Department, but she is gaining a level of prominence which is completely out of proportion to her supposed role as the US’s UN ambassador. At the moment, instead of being obviously subordinate to Tillerson and McMaster, she appears to be their equal.

It is difficult to avoid the impression that Haley, who is a politician not a diplomat, and who was previously governor of South Carolina and was apparently seriously considered by Mitt Romney for his Vice-Presidential running mate, is running what is in effect an election campaign, with her sights ultimately on the White House. Thus the publicity stunts, like the waving of photos of dead children during a UN Security Council session, which annoyed the veteran diplomats present, but which was clearly aimed at the US television audience.

One result of Haley’s undisciplined behaviour is that the administration either finds itself pulled along by her comments, with the result that Haley is in effect making policy for the White House, or officials like McMaster have to find some way of reconciling what she says with the administration’s actual policies, which may be completely different. A perfect example of this was McMaster elaborate explanation during his Fox News interview explaining why despite the obvious differences between the things Haley and Tillerson are saying, on the subject of regime change in Syria they are actually saying the same thing.


WALLACE: The Trump administration seems to be sending mixed signals this weekend. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley says that getting rid of Assad is a priority. On the other hand, Secretary of State Tillerson says that first, we have to get rid of ISIS, destroy ISIS, Assad can wait.

So, which is it? How does the president see this playing out in Syria?

MCMASTER: Well, both Secretary Tillerson and Ambassador Haley are right about this. What we really need to do, and what everyone who’s involved in this conflict needs to do is to do everything they can to resolve this civil war, to halt this humanitarian catastrophe, this political catastrophe, not only in Syria, but the catastrophe is affecting the greater Middle East, it’s affecting Europe and it’s a threat to the American people as well.

And so, to do that, what’s required is some kind of a political solution to that very complex problem. And what Ambassador Haley pointed out is it’s very difficult to understand how a political solution could result from the continuation of the Assad regime.

Tillerson has now clearly signalled that he has had enough, and his officials have apparently informed Haley, who is technically Tillerson’s subordinate, that she should clear her comments on contentious issues in future with the State Department before she makes them.

This has been confirmed in this article in The New York Times, which reads in part as follows:

The United States ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, has often been the first, most outspoken member of the Trump administration to weigh in on key foreign policy issues, on everything from military strikes on Syria to sanctions against Russia and how to approach human rights.

Much of that has come as a surprise to the State Department, and the Secretary of State, Rex W. Tillerson, has often been far from the limelight.

Now, in an apparent attempt to foster greater coherence in American foreign policy, State Department officials are urging her aides to ensure her public remarks are cleared by Washington first.

An email drafted by State Department diplomats urged Ms. Haley’s office to rely on “building blocks” written by the department to prepare her remarks.

Her comments should be “re-cleared with Washington if they are substantively different from the building blocks, or if they are on a high-profile issue such as Syria, Iran, Israel-Palestine, or the D.P.R.K.,” added the email, the text of which was seen by The Times. D.P.R.K. refers to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea.

In a further sign that Haley is being brought to heel, Tillerson has signalled that he will personally attend and lead the US delegation at the UN Security Council session at which the North Korean issue will be discussed.

There is a widespread tendency to treat Nikki Haley as a reincarnation of her predecessor, Barack Obama’s UN ambassador Samantha Power. As someone who has given himself the tedious task of following and comparing the comments of both, I have to say that I disagree.

Samantha Power is in my opinion an ideological fanatic who sincerely believes that the US has a ‘duty’ to intervene all over the world as part of some great liberal crusade to spread ‘democracy’ (as she defines it) everywhere. Nikki Haley by contrast comes across to me as simply a politician on the make.

Regardless of that, Tillerson – one presumes with the President’s agreement – is finally acting to bring Nikki Haley to heel. Not before time I might add.

 

[goyacobol]

Thanks for another interesting news story angelburst29. I try to share your discoveries on Twitter as much as I can.

https://twitter.com/goyacobol/status/858413167390707712

 

[JGeropoulas]

This is the first reasonable liberal commentary about Trump that I've read--and it is a nice change of pace from the usual hysterical rantings.

Dreaming Of Impeachment? Be Careful What You Wish For.

Huffington Post
By Jason Linkins
04/28/2017

Perhaps the toughest thing to grapple with right now is the realization that the presidency of Donald Trump is not actually some freak, black-swan event that rose from the ether to shock our system unexpectedly. Rather, it is the natural consequence of decades of choices that we made together.
…
This is not, by any means, a call to give up on pursuing truth and justice, inquiry and investigation, wherever evidence may lead. It’s merely a reminder that the solution to this particular moment probably does not lie over the next horizon. It’s also an admonition to remember that should Trump be removed from office, it will likely be due to some sort of traumatizing event. So, if you’re sitting at home, fingers crossed in the hope that this is all to end some time in the near future, think about what you’re wishing for, when you wish for a quick fix.
…
Should Democrats, at some point, retake the majority in one or both houses of Congress, oversight could accelerate considerably. But either way, we are not looking at something that’s going to get Trump tossed from office any time soon. And while the Trump administration has brought a lot of attention ― and even some public affection ― to the Office of Government Ethics, this agency is not out there setting impeachment traps. If the OGE gets its way, Trump’s critics won’t even be able to make a case based on his business holdings, because he will be in compliance with OGE advice.

The other area on which Trump is vulnerable is the ongoing investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the extent to which Trump and his coterie were knit up in that alleged plot. This particular case has all the high-tension trimmings, complete with the frisson of treason. But again, nothing has reached the point where anyone is moments away from being clapped in irons. This matter will also take time to resolve. And while new speculation into the matter seems to be generated on an hourly basis, depending on who you follow on Twitter, these sorts of cases can be hard to make when they seem makeable.

In the end, this whole tawdry affair could end with no one being able to prove a case against Trump and his associates. It could even potentially end with their exoneration. These are outcomes for which you should intellectually and emotionally be prepared to accept. Hopefully, the outcome is the result of a thorough and professional inquiry in which we can have faith, whatever it is.
And what about the other kinds of things that might suddenly end a presidency? Most of them involve an event that causes widespread damage, misery, or injury. We should be clear-eyed about this. If you’re rooting for a quick end to Trump’s presidential tenure, remember: You’re also rooting for something that will likely bring widespread anguish to your fellow Americans.

We ought to pursue the truth, serve just ends, and punish wrongdoers, but we shouldn’t be up at night, hoping for wrong to be done, just because it will facilitate the electoral outcomes we prefer
…
So it’s telling that in the penultimate chapter of The Case For Impeachment, Lichtman opts out of shaking the pom-poms for impeachment. Instead, he addresses Trump directly, urging him to simply change his ways, by following “a blueprint for surviving as president.” Lichtman advises Trump to divest his assets, become more forward-thinking on policy, achieve a greater level of grace and generosity in his temperament, suspend his autocratic approach, and stop lying his way out of problems.

And there is a lesson here for Trump’s critics and opponents as well. This is time for some fearless inventory-taking, for the generation of bold ideas, and for keeping all of your fellow citizens foremost in your thoughts.

Should Trump’s term be shortened by wrongdoing, let it be the result of justice being served as clearly and as honestly as possible. In the meantime, everyone would be well-advised to spend a lot less time and labor crossing their fingers in the hopes of a quick fix. Quick fixes don’t exist.

In fact, it can be argued that it was the search for this quick fix that led us to this point in the first place.

_http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/100-days-trump-impeachment_us_58ffcce6e4b0af6d71898443

 

[angelburst29]

All 100 US senators demand end to UN’s ‘anti-Israel agenda’
_http://www.jns.org/news-briefs/2017/4/28/all-100-us-senators-demand-end-to-uns-anti-israel-agenda#.WQOrB4jyuM8=

All 100 U.S. senators signed a letter, sent to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, demanding that the world body end its “anti-Israel agenda.”

The letter, (pdf. link below) authored by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), called on Guterres to “ensure that Israel is treated neither better nor worse than any other U.N. member in good standing.”

The former UN undersecretary general who was forced to resign for calling out Israel's treatment of Palestinians as "Apartheid" gave her first interview and said she has "no regrets".

No Regrets for UN Director Responsible for Labeling Israel ‘Apartheid State’
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960210000951

Rima Khalaf said the international community had failed the Palestinian people and called for sanctions against Israel, New Arab reported.

"We are not here for defamation," Khalaf said. "We are here for solving the problem."

Khalaf, bureau chief for the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut, famously described Israel's treatment of Palestinians as an 'Apartheid' system in a UN document.

Apartheid is considered a "crime against humanity" under the International Criminal Court's (ICC) law and the matter deserves "serious examination", Khalaf said.

Israel disputed the apartheid charge at the time as a "big lie," and described the report as anti-Semitic.

The ICC has not made a charge of Apartheid against Israel and evidence of dicrimination is not enough in order to bring a charge.

The broader question is whether taken as a whole the entire system constitutes apartheid," said Sari Bashi, Israel/Palestine advocacy director at Human Rights Watch.

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, originally wanted Khalaf's report to be removed, and when she refused to comply, was forced to step down.

Days after she resigned in March, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas awarded her Palestine's Medal of the Highest Honor.

Her report described a "regime that dominates the Palestinian people as a whole" and the system by which people were segmented and treated differently according to race.

Khalaf, who holds Kuwaiti nationality but is of Palestinian descent, said Israel "can be a Jewish state" as long as every citizen enjoys equal rights in the eyes of the law.

"If this is the case, then the label really doesn't matter," she said. Khalaf is currently living in Jordan, where she once worked in Jordan.

An open-ended mass hunger strike by Palestinians to draw the world's attention to harsh conditions at Israeli prisons has entered its second week, with some of those refusing food experiencing health decline.

Mass Hunger Strike by Palestinian Prisoners Enters 2nd Week
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960210001128

The media committee of the hunger strike, dubbed the Freedom and Dignity Strike, said that several of the hunger-striking inmates had lost 10 kilograms of their weight, Ma'an reported.

A number of the hunger strikers held in the Israeli Ofer prison are suffering from low blood pressure, severe headaches as well as stomach and joint problems, the report added.

It further noted that the Israeli authorities do not allow the Palestinian prisoners to drink cool water and instead force them to drink warm water.

On Sunday, Palestinian churches were expected to ring bells in solidarity with the hunger strikers.

The long-planned mass strike, which is led by a jailed leader of the Fatah Movement, Marwan Barghouti, began on April 17.

The strike initially began with 1,500 prisoners, but now some 2,000 people are believed to be refusing food to denounce the inhumane treatment of the Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

According to figures provided by the Palestinian prisoners’ rights group Addameer in January, 6,500 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli jails, 536 of them arbitrarily.

Palestinian prisoners have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes in an attempt to voice their outrage at the so-called administrative detention, which is a form of imprisonment without trial or charge that allows Israel to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months,

Palestinian detainees complain that they have been subjected to assault and torture at Israeli prisons.

As a massive hunger strike among Palestinian prisoners in Israel reached its fourth day, right-wing Israeli activists held a barbecue outside the Ofer Prison in an attempt to break their willpower.

Right-Wing Israelis Try to Break Palestinians’ Hunger Strike With Smell of BBQ
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201704201052828918-israeli-bbq-prison-hunger-strike/

The strike was launched by 57-year-old imprisoned Palestinian activist Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five consecutive life sentences for murder. His strike was announced in a controversial op-ed for the New York Times, where he accused Israel of torture.

“Having spent the last 15 years in an Israeli prison, I have been both a witness to and a victim of Israel’s illegal system of mass arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners. After exhausting all other options, I decided there was no choice but to resist these abuses by going on a hunger strike,” Barghouti wrote.

The prisoners are seeking improved conditions and prisoner rights, such as increased family visits and an end to detention without trial.

Many have speculated that Barghouti is attempting to gain support and position himself to take over as the new leader of the Palestinian people, as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is now 82-years-old and will soon need a replacement.

“Barghouti rose to prominence during the second intifada as the architect and senior leader of al-Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade. Israeli authorities have long claimed that Barghouti is responsible for several acts of terrorism, and he was finally arrested in Ramallah by Israeli Defense Forces in 2002,” Vice News reported.

“Two years later he was convicted on five counts of murder. He refused legal representation, claiming the trial was illegal and illegitimate, and was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences and an additional 40 years in prison. During the first intifada, Barghouti was a strong supporter of the peace process and non-violent resistance.”

Despite his imprisonment, Barghouti has remained one of the most popular Palestinian political voices.

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the characterization of Barghouti as a leader, and called the striking prisoners "murderers and terrorists."

The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate denounced the violent suppression of a peaceful sit-in in occupied East Jerusalem, saying in a statement that the attack "will not prevent journalists from delivering Palestinians' message to the world."

13 Palestinian Journalists Injured while Attempting to Cover Jerusalem Sit-in
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960210000707

The group said in a statement Sunday morning that 13 Palestinian journalists were injured while attempting to cover the demonstration, Ma'an reported.

Israeli police had forcibly evacuated a peaceful sit-in organized at the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City, held to express support for approximately 1,500 Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike in Israeli prisons for the past 14 days.

After marching through the streets, chanting slogans in solidarity with the hunger strikers, demonstrators were chased by Israeli police on horseback, with Israeli police officers also ripping up and confiscating pictures of Palestinian prisoners that protesters were carrying.

Some demonstrators also attempted to march towards Herod’s Gate and Salah al-Din street, but were stopped and suppressed by Israeli forces.

Israeli forces detained four activists, identified by locals as Yassin Subieh, Luay Jaber, Suhaib Saiyam, and Amer al-Qawasmi, after they were physically and verbally assaulted by Israeli police officers, witnesses told Ma'an.

Israeli forces also assaulted at least 13 journalists in an attempt to stop them from covering the attacks on demonstrators, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.

Among the injured was a reporter, Ahmad Gharabla, who was severely bruised on his chest after being assaulted by Israeli police on horseback, while Israeli police also beat Ammar Awad, a photographer, with the butts of their rifles.

Footage published by the Jerusalem-based news outlet al-Quds Network showed mounted police charging at demonstrators and journalists.

According to the statement from the journalists’ syndicate, Israeli forces also confiscated cameras and other equipment from journalists at the rally.“ This attack is just one of series of attacks committed by Israeli forces against journalists in an attempt to prevent them from exposing Israeli crimes.

These attacks will not prevent journalists from delivering Palestinians' message to the world,” the statement said. Israeli police spokeswoman Luba al-Samri said in a written statement Saturday evening that Israeli police officers deployed in the area dispersed the crowds "without any noteworthy or exceptional events occurring." The assault came days after Reporters Without Borders condemned Israeli forces for violating the rights of Palestinian and foreign journalists, particularly those that cover demonstrations, in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index compiled by the international press freedoms NGO.

“Under Israel’s system of administrative detention, Palestinian journalists can be held indefinitely without trial, without formal charge, and without notifying a lawyer. They are often accused of inciting violence, cooperating with terrorist organizations, or otherwise posing a threat to Israel’s security,” the group wrote in the report, which ranked Israel 91 out of 180 countries according to the level of freedom available to journalists.

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) documented 249 press freedoms violations committed by Israeli authorities in the group’s annual 2016 report. Israeli violations involved the “injuring and arresting of dozens of Palestinian journalists, raiding, confiscating, and sabotaging media outlets, including the shutdown of 12 Palestinian media outlets and printing houses.”

On Tuesday the United Nations announced that they would be keeping a close eye on the 1,100 Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli jails who recently went on hunger strike.

UN Keeps Watch as More Than 1,000 Palestinian Prisoners Hunger Strike
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201704201052798278-un-watches-palestinian-hunger-strike/

The strike began on Monday by Marwan Barghouti, a jailed leader of the Intifada uprisings who is considered a terrorist by Israel. The move is intended to pressure officials into furnishing prisoners with telephone access and better medical treatment and to meet other demands.

The UN is appealing for calm as violence involving the prisoners’ supporters has arisen in the West Bank. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, "We are obviously aware of the situation and following the developments closely … We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint."

She added that, "as a matter of principle, wherever it may be, we always call for prisoners to be treated in a humane way."

Government officials have shown little interest in meeting the prisoners’ demands, as Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has said that prison officials will not negotiate with the striking prisoners.

Barghouti, founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and former head of Fatah’s armed Tanzim wing, is being kept in solitary confinement at Kishon Prison after being moved from Hadarim Prison. Fatah is a secular, nationalist political party formerly known as the Palestinian National Liberation movement.

Barghouti is serving five life terms for being implicated in four terror attacks, five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, for which he was sentenced to an additional 40 years.

Following an article Barghouti published in the New York Times explaining the strike, Israeli prison representatives announced that strikers would be punished.

He wrote, "Palestinian prisoners and detainees have suffered from torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, and medical negligence. Some have been killed while in detention. According to the latest count from the Palestinian Prisoners Club, about 200 Palestinian prisoners have died since 1967 because of such actions. Palestinian prisoners and their families also remain a primary target of Israel’s policy of imposing collective punishments."

Israel Prisons Service spokesman Assaf Librati said on Tuesday that, "The Prisons Service has started taking disciplinary measures against the strikers, and in addition a number of prisoners have been transferred to separate wings … It is to be emphasized that the [Prisons Service] does not negotiate with prisoners."

 

[angelburst29]

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov held phone talks with the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Monday, agreeing on the date of their next meeting in May.

Russian FM Lavrov, US State Secretary Tillerson Agree on Date of Next Meeting
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201705011053174058-lavrov-tillerson-phone-talks/

The two diplomats have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the ministerial Arctic Council talks on May 10-11.

Over the phone, Lavrov discussed with Tillerson the upcoming Astana talks on Syria, as well as some issues of bilateral relations, Russian Foreign Ministry revealed in a statement.

Just ahead of meeting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin had stressed on Russian TV that trust (between Russia and the US) is “at a workable level, especially in the military dimension, but it hasn’t improved. On the contrary, it has degraded.” Emphasis on a pedestrian “workable,” but most of all “degraded” – as in the National Security Council releasing a report essentially accusing Moscow of spreading fake news.

Cold War 2.0: There will be No Russophobia Reset
http://www.globalresearch.ca/cold-war-2-0-there-will-be-no-russophobia-reset/5587803

At the apex of the Russia-gate hysteria, even before the extremely the controversial chemical incident in Syria and the subsequent Tomahawk show – arguably a cinematographic show-off — a Trump-conducted reset on Russia was already D.O.A., tomahawked by the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and media-misguided public opinion.

Yet only armchair Dr. Strangeloves would argue it’s in the US national interest to risk a direct hot war against Russia — and Iran — in Syria. Russia has all but won the war in Syria on its own terms; preventing the emergence of an Emirate of Takfiristan.

The notion that Tillerson would be able to issue an ultimatum to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov – you’re either with us or with Damascus and Tehran – is laughable. Moscow simply is not going to yield its hard-earned sphere of influence in Southwest Asia to the Trump administration or the US deep state. What Moscow really wanted to know is who’s making Russia policy in Washington. Now they’ve got their answer.

And then, there’s the Big Picture. The Iran-Russia strategic partnership is one of the three key nodes, along with China, in the big story of the young 21st century; Eurasia integration, with Russia and Iran closing the energy equation and China as the investment locomotive.

That leads us to the real heart of the matter: the War Party’s fear of Eurasia integration, which inevitably manifests itself as acute Russophobia.

Russophobia is not monolithic or monochord though. There’s room for some informed dissidence – and even civilized inflections.

Enter Dr. K - Exhibit A is Henry Kissinger, who as a Lifetime Trustee recently spoke at the annual meeting of the Trilateral Commission in Washington.

The Trilateral Commission, created by the late David Rockefeller in 1974, had its members meticulously selected by Dr. Zbigniew “Grand Chessboard” Brzezinski – whose whole career has been a slight variation on the overarching theme that the US should always prevent the emergence of a “peer competitor” in Eurasia – or, worse still, as today, a Eurasian alliance.

Kissinger is the only geopolitical practitioner that manages to get President Trump’s undivided attention. He had been, so far, the top facilitator of a dialogue — and possible reset — between Washington and Moscow. I have argued this is part of his remixed balance of power, Divide and Rule strategy – which consists in prying away Russia from China with the ultimate aim of derailing Eurasia integration.

Kissinger felt compelled to tell his supposedly well-informed audience that Putin is not a Hitler replica, does not harbor imperial desires, and to describe him as a global super-evil is an “error of perspective and substance.”

So Kissinger favors dialogue – even as he insists Moscow cannot defeat Washington militarily. His conditions: Ukraine must remain independent, without entering NATO; Crimea is negotiable. The key problem is Syria: Kissinger is adamant Russia cannot be allowed to become a major player in the Middle East (yet with Moscow backing up Damascus militarily and conducting the Astana peace negotiations, it already is). Implicit in all that is the difficulty of negotiating an overall “package” for Russia.

Now compare Kissinger with Lavrov who, while quoting Dr. K, recently issued a diagnostic that would make him cringe: “The formation of a polycentric international order is an objective process. It is in our common interest to make it more stable and predictable.”

Once again, it’s all about Eurasia integration.

Putin was already outlining it, in detail, five years ago, even before the Chinese fully fleshed out the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) concept in 2013. OBOR can certainly be interpreted as an even more ambitious variation of Putin’s idea:

“Russia is an inalienable and organic part of Greater Europe and European civilization… That’s why Russia proposes moving towards the creation of a common economic space from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, a community referred to by Russian experts as ‘the Union of Europe’ which will strengthen Russia’s potential in its economic pivot toward the ‘new Asia.'”

The West – or, to be more precise, NATO – vetoed Russia. And that, in a flash, precipitated the Russia-China strategic partnership and its myriad subsequent declinations. It’s this symbiosis that led the recent report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission to admit China and Russia are experiencing what is arguably their “highest period of bilateral [military] co-operation.”

The War Party never sleeps - Exhibit B, on a par with Kissinger stressing that Putin is no Hitler, reveals the theoretically preeminent professional journal of American diplomacy compelled publish a quite remarkable essay by Robert English from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in politics at Princeton.

Under careful examination, the inevitable conclusion is that Prof. English did something very simple, but unheard of: with “careful scholarship,” he challenged “the prevailing groupthink” and “thrashed the positions” of virtually the whole US foreign policy establishment addicted to Russophobia.

The Russia-China strategic partnership – uniting the Pentagon’s avowed top two threats to America — does not come with a formal treaty signed with pomp and circumstance. There’s no way to know the deeper terms Beijing and Moscow have agreed upon behind those innumerable Xi-Putin meetings.

It’s quite possible, as diplomats have let it slip, off the record, there may have been a secret message delivered to NATO to the effect that if one of the strategic members is seriously harassed — be it in Ukraine or in the South China Sea – NATO will have to deal with both. As for the Tomahawk show, it may have been a one-off; the Pentagon did give Moscow a heads up and Tillerson, in Moscow, guaranteed the Trump administration wants to keep all communication channels open.

The War Party though never sleeps. Notoriously disgraced neocons, re-energized by Trump’s Tomahawk-with-chocolates show, are salivating over the “opportunity” of an Iraq Shock and Awe remix on Syria.

The War Party’s cause célèbre is still a war on Iran, and that now conflates with the neoliberalcon’s Russophobia – deployed via the currently “disappeared” but certainly not extinct Russia-gate. Yet Russia-gate’s real dark story, for all the hysterics, is actually about the Orwellian surveillance powers of the US deep state, as stressed by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern and whistleblower Bill Binney.

Whatever the practical outcome, in the long run, of the turbulent, two-hour, trilateral Putin-Lavrov-Tillerson meeting, ultimately Russophobia – and its sidekick, Iranophobia – won’t vanish from the US-NATO geopolitical spectrum. Especially now that Trump may have finally shown his real face, a “housebroken dog to neocon dogma.”

The masks, at least, have fallen — and these relentless intimations of Cold War 2.0 should be seen for what they are: the War Party’s primal fear of Eurasia integration.

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign released its first television ad, a press release from the campaign said on Monday.

Trump Re-election Campaign Releases First TV Ad
https://sputniknews.com/us/201705011053171797-us-trump-campaign-ad/

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign released its first television ad, which celebrates Trump's first 100 days in office, a press release from the campaign said on Monday.

Today, Donald J. Trump for President released a new television ad and a series of digital targeted ads to voters with specific support of agenda items from President Trump's first 100 days," the release stated.

The campaign is using the ad to fight back against "continued media bias," as well as to show how Trump kept the promises made to the American people during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The release noted the campaign spent $1.5 million to air the television ad in major markets throughout the United States as well as to specific groups online.

Update: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer seems very positive on the bipartisan agreement too (but can't resist a few jabs at President Trump)... "This agreement is a good agreement for the American people, and takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table.

The Bill "ensures taxpayer dollars aren’t used to fund an ineffective border wall, excludes poison pill riders, and increases investments in programs that the middle-class relies on, like medical research, education, and infrastructure" "Early on in this debate, Democrats clearly laid out our principles.." and the deal "reflects those principles."

Congress Reaches Deal To Keep Government Open Through September
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-04-30/congress-reaches-deal-keep-government-open-through-october-1

As we detailed earlier, one of the biggest political overhangs facing the market may have just been removed, when moments ago AP and other newswires reported that House Democrats and Republicans are said to have reached a $1 trillion spending deal to keep the government - which is currently operating thanks to a last minute one-week stopgap measure enacted on Friday - open until October 1.

{...} There is a non-trivial chance the Sunday night announcement is merely a trial balloon, because as the WaPo adds "the details of the agreement were not yet clear on Sunday night" which would suggest that there is a high likelihood that whatever tentative deal was reached, ultimately falls through.

For now, however, this is good news, and it has sent both the pound and yen sliding, and the dollar rising on hopes that politics will not be a major risk factor for at least 5 months.

 

[angelburst29]

Trump just signed an Executive Order that's reopening the Arctic waters to oil and gas drilling. What that signals in laymen terms, he's gravitating away from Oil Shale Production. I know several areas in my State of Pennsylvania that have suffered extensively from contamination of ground water, lakes and streams. These Shale Companies selected rural and mostly productive farm land, to set up their rigs for drilling, destroying the environment around them and producing small pockets of ghost towns. The water isn't fit to drink and the land is so polluted that food staples can't be grown on them.

What this article doesn't point out in it's reference to "Exxon Mobil reapplied to the US Department of the Treasury for a waiver from US sanctions on Russia to resume its business with Rosneft" is that Rex Tillerson was the CEO of Exxon Mobil that was working with Russia/Rosneft when Obama's sanctions on oil and gas drilling - put Rosneft in "limbo" with it's joint venture to drill in Alaska. I don't know how this Executive Order will affect Rosneft, for the sanctions are still in place?

Russian Minister of Natural Resources comments on US President Donald Trump's recent executive order.

Trump’s Order on Offshore Drilling Marks ‘End of Shale Era’ – Russian Minister
https://sputniknews.com/us/201705021053202776-us-arctic-oil-shale/

US President Donald Trump's recent executive order, which is aimed at reopening Arctic waters to oil and gas drilling, indicates not only "the end of shale era," but also that the focus of the US administration has moved toward oil production in the Northern region, Russian Minister of Natural Resources Sergei Donskoi said Tuesday.

On Friday, Trump signed an executive order that directs the Department of Interior to conduct a review of the existing five-year program for oil and gas development for the US Outer Continental Shelfб which was approved in the final days of former US President Barack Obama's administration.

“The end of shale era. On April 28, Trump signed a new five-year program of licensing the US continental shelf in the waters of Alaska, Middle and South Atlantic, in the Mexican Gulf. It means that the new administration is focusing on the offshore production, despite a significantly higher volume of expenditure in comparison to the projects of oil shale drilling,” Donskoi wrote on his Facebook.

The shift in the administration's policy explains why Washington is trying to block Russia’s offshore projects, the Russian minister continued while referring to US Treasury Department's recent refusal to issue waivers to authorize drilling, prohibited by the US sanctions against Russia, to US companies. One such company is Exxon Mobil, which happens to be part of a joint project with Russian oil giant Rosneft, Donskoi said.

“Currently the US continental shelf provides 18 percent of oil production and 4 percent of natural gas production, while only 26,000 square miles of overall 2,7 million are licensed for drilling,” Donskoi added.

The issue of extending offshore drilling has long been controversial in the United States due to numerous environmental concerns. In December 2016, Obama banned oil and gas drilling off the northern shores of Alaska in both the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, as well as along the East Coast of the United States. One month later, Ryan Zinke, who was a nominee for US Interior Secretary at that time, said the new administration should revise Obama's regulations on new gas or oil drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean.

In April, according to media reports, Exxon Mobil reapplied to the US Department of the Treasury for a waiver from US sanctions on Russia to resume its business with Rosneft. Exxon has been seeking to return to its projects with the Russian company since 2015, but efforts for cooperation were blocked by the former US administration.

A bipartisan US Senate bill to impose sanctions on Russia has been put on hold until further investigation, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said.

US Senate Puts Russia Sanctions Bill on Hold - Committee Chairman
https://sputniknews.com/world/201705021053194061-us-russia-sanctions-/

"[The Senate will wait] to get some facts [before it can proceed with the bill]… I mean you do have a detailed hearing process and an investigation that’s underway. Does it not make sense to get those facts, let them be known, and deal with it accordingly? I think it does," Corker told The Washington Post newspaper.

The newspaper noted that the sanctions bill was introduced in January by Democrat Benjamin Cardin who was supported by Republican John McCain and another 20 senators.

America’s largest oil refinery is now fully owned by Saudi Arabia.

Saudis take 100% control of America’s largest oil refinery
http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/01/investing/saudi-arabia-buys-largest-oil-refinery-port-arthur/

Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s state-owned oil behemoth, took 100% control of the sprawling Port Arthur refinery in Texas on Monday, completing a deal that was first announced last year.

Port Arthur is considered the crown jewel of the US refinery system. The Gulf Coast facility can process 600,000 barrels of oil per day, making it the largest refinery in North America.

Aramco previously owned 50% of Port Arthur through a joint venture co-owned with Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) called Motiva Enterprises.

But the two oil giants had a rocky relationship and reached a deal in March 2016 to separate their assets. Shell put out a statement on Monday confirming the “completion” of that break-up.

In addition to Port Arthur, Aramco is acquiring full ownership of 24 distribution terminals. Aramco also gets the exclusive right to sell Shell-branded gasoline and diesel in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, the eastern half of Texas and the majority of Florida.

Since the start of OPEC’s production cuts, oil market analysts and experts have been focusing on how US shale would respond to the relatively higher and stable oil prices, possibly eating up some of the cartel’s global market share while the cuts last.

OPEC deal backfires: Saudis lose market share to Iran, Iraq
https://www.rt.com/business/386799-saudis-lose-market-share-iran/

The market share war is also going on a micro level within OPEC itself – a diverse group of producers, with each pushing and pursuing their own agenda in every meeting and collective decision. This time around it is no different.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s biggest producer and de facto leader, is losing market share, while Iran and Iraq have so far emerged as winners of the cuts with in the cartel in a battle for market share, according to Christof Ruehl, former chief economist at BP who is currently Global Head of Research at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).

“If you’re talking about winners, you can count Iran and Iraq,” Ruehl said at a Dubai conference last week, as quoted by Bloomberg.

The Saudis were aware that they would be ceding some market share with the OPEC deal, but opted for higher and more stable oil prices by signing up to a deal that allowed Iran to slightly lift its output, while others — especially Riyadh—would have to cut.

The lower-for-longer oil prices have led to a considerable deficit in Saudi Arabia’s budget, and the Kingdom had to draw from reserves and increase the issue of debt to finance the gaps in its oil-dependent government revenues.

The Saudis now need higher oil prices if they want their oil giant Aramco to be valued in next year’s IPO anywhere in the vicinity of US$1 trillion, let alone the US$2-trillion valuation that Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has mentioned.

The Saudi 2017 budget sees higher oil prices this year lifting oil revenues by 46 percent compared to the 2016 estimates.

A directive requiring U.S. pipeline companies to use American steel and iron in their projects is testing President Donald Trump’s ability to keep his promises to two industries on opposing sides of the issue.

Pipeline Companies Push Back Against Trump’s ‘Buy American’ Rule
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-01/pipeline-companies-push-back-against-trump-s-buy-american-rule

In comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce, which is crafting the so-called “Buy American” plan, pipeline companies and their trade groups argued the change would increase costs and disrupt operations. Steel companies, meanwhile, embraced the policy as an opportunity to take advantage of the country’s surging oil and gas production. And Trump has vowed to support both.

The debate goes to how the president will be able to reconcile the conflicting edges of his America-first platform. During his campaign, Trump promised to break energy loose from the leash of regulation and protect steel from the bite of unfair competition. Market forces, though, may force him to make a choice, according to Stefanie Miller, a senior analyst at Height LLC.

Sebastian Gorka who has been serving as an adviser to President Donald Trump on the "Strategic Initiatives Group" is leaving the White House. Gorka has been under pressure for his alleged links to Hungarian far-right groups, and has been bedeviled by allegations of Islamophobia.

Senior Trump Adviser Sebastian Gorka to Be Booted From the White House
https://sputniknews.com/us/201705021053197474-sebastian-gorka-trump-aide/

Previously, Gorka was a counterterrorism analyst for Fox News and an editor at Breitbart News Network, where he met now Trump administration Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon.

Gorka was hired as a member of the Strategic Initiatives Group, which was an advisory panel created by Bannon to sit alongside the National Security Council. Reportedly, Gorka was to be hired for National Security Council, but was unable to get clearance due to being charged in 2016 with concealing a weapon at an airport in Washington.

Gorka's short-lived career has however been harassed by allegations of ties to a Nazi-linked Hungarian group, called the Hungarian Guard. Critics have also lambasted his approach to terrorism, which he argues is rooted in Islamic theology, and has nothing to do with geopolitics.

He reportedly left a European diplomat nonplussed by suggesting that the best solution to solving the political deadlock in Libya is by partitioning the country into three parts.

 

[Voyageur]

Since you have some oil news here, this got me looking further into this - it is a crazy business; petrodollars and economic engines, and it is a very real economic game with horrible consistences for many as has been seen.

is considered the crown jewel of the US refinery system[/b]. The Gulf Coast facility can process 600,000 barrels of oil per day, making it the largest refinery in North America. {that's 200 odd million b/yr.}

Aramco previously owned 50% of Port Arthur through a joint venture co-owned with Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) called Motiva Enterprises.

But the two oil giants had a rocky relationship and reached a deal in March 2016 to separate their assets. Shell put out a statement on Monday confirming the “completion” of that break-up.

In addition to Port Arthur, Aramco is acquiring full ownership of 24 distribution terminals. Aramco also gets the exclusive right to sell Shell-branded gasoline and diesel in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, the eastern half of Texas and the majority of Florida.

OPEC deal backfires: Saudis lose market share to Iran, Iraq
https://www.rt.com/business/386799-saudis-lose-market-share-iran/

The market share war is also going on a micro level within OPEC itself – a diverse group of producers, with each pushing and pursuing their own agenda in every meeting and collective decision. This time around it is no different.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s biggest producer and de facto leader, is losing market share, while Iran and Iraq have so far emerged as winners of the cuts with in the cartel in a battle for market share, according to Christof Ruehl, former chief economist at BP who is currently Global Head of Research at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).

“If you’re talking about winners, you can count Iran and Iraq,” Ruehl said at a Dubai conference last week, as quoted by Bloomberg.

The Saudis were aware that they would be ceding some market share with the OPEC deal, but opted for higher and more stable oil prices by signing up to a deal that allowed Iran to slightly lift its output, while others — especially Riyadh—would have to cut.

The lower-for-longer oil prices have led to a considerable deficit in Saudi Arabia’s budget, and the Kingdom had to draw from reserves and increase the issue of debt to finance the gaps in its oil-dependent government revenues.

The Saudis now need higher oil prices if they want their oil giant Aramco to be valued in next year’s IPO anywhere in the vicinity of US$1 trillion, let alone the US$2-trillion valuation that Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has mentioned.

The Saudi 2017 budget sees higher oil prices this year lifting oil revenues by 46 percent compared to the 2016 estimates.

A directive requiring U.S. pipeline companies to use American steel and iron in their projects is testing President Donald Trump’s ability to keep his promises to two industries on opposing sides of the issue.

Pipeline Companies Push Back Against Trump’s ‘Buy American’ Rule
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-01/pipeline-companies-push-back-against-trump-s-buy-american-rule

In comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce, which is crafting the so-called “Buy American” plan, pipeline companies and their trade groups argued the change would increase costs and disrupt operations. Steel companies, meanwhile, embraced the policy as an opportunity to take advantage of the country’s surging oil and gas production. And Trump has vowed to support both.

The debate goes to how the president will be able to reconcile the conflicting edges of his America-first platform. During his campaign, Trump promised to break energy loose from the leash of regulation and protect steel from the bite of unfair competition. Market forces, though, may force him to make a choice, according to Stefanie Miller, a senior analyst at Height LLC

Interesting all this news (and much more in the world) on oil. And I profess to be at a loss as to what is going on most of the time other than shift dominance and acquisitions (purchase or by war) and then the means of shipment (trains, boats and pipelines).

Interesting also that the Saudis acquired the remaining 50% stake from Royal Dutch Shell - a question might be why would RDS sell? Especially with these predictions being made for 2017. Other than Iraq and Iran mentioned, there is also mention of Libya spinning up restarts (well known what happened in Libya - who really controls it now?), Canadian drilling growing and U.S. staying the course and expanding. Previously, the Arctic drilling program pledged requires a very high price for oil to be reached before it would even be considered (and they are studying coastal shelf lease programs) as does all that tar-sand oil in Alberta need some petrodollar growth. So what is going on? The Crown Jewel U.S. efinery can process 600,000 b/d yet they need delivered oil - from where? Northern pipelines can deliver copious amounts of oil - in the near future.

One person to know is T-Rex, an old blue-eyed sheik of the industry, among others. Having a look at one of the go-to oil sites and the articles there for just five days might reveal a few things or not - have a look at the titles (bold mine) - each title is a link that can be checked out independently:

Wold Oil - _http://www.worldoil.com/news?page=1

News ///
5/2/2017 Total brings Badamyar gas project on stream in Myanmar
5/2/2017 Xvision software launches cloud-based technology for offshore field development
5/2/2017 Linn Energy announces $581.5 million sale of western Wyoming assets
5/2/2017 Total signs agreements to explore Senegal's deepwater potential
5/2/2017 Oil falls as expected U.S. fuel-supply gain counters crude drop
5/2/2017 BP expands digital rocks technology
5/2/2017 Pipeline companies push back on Trump's `Buy American' rule {heavily invested in by the banks}
5/2/2017 Minister sees `glaring' problems in South African oil stock sale
5/2/2017 BP debt rises again as Gulf oil spill payouts soak up profit
5/2/2017 UAE minister sees `logic' in oil-cuts extension beyond June
5/2/2017 North America's busiest oil dealmaker turns focus to production
5/2/2017 Elliott said to meet BHP shareholders as fund urges overhaul
5/2/2017 Trump's U.S. looks past energy independence, to global dominance
5/2/2017 Probe extends downhole conveyance tool range
5/2/2017 Emerson launches new salinity system for increased flow assurance, to maximize oil & gas production
5/2/2017 Norway announces licensing round for mature areas on NCS
5/2/2017 Lundin Petroleum releases 2016 sustainability report
5/2/2017 Mexico stays the course on the opening of its hydrocarbon sector
5/1/2017 At OTC 2017, Secretary Zinke signs orders implementing new offshore energy strategy
5/1/2017 Expro showcases a range of new technology solutions at OTC 2017
5/1/2017 Baker Hughes introduces multi-stage fracturing service for deep water
5/1/2017 Weatherford, US Synthetic launch new deepwater drilling reamer at OTC 2017
5/1/2017 OPEC may need to extend production cuts to end of next year
5/1/2017 Oil falls as U.S. drillers boost rigs, Libya expands output

{worth noting}

Libya’s output rose to more than 700,000 bpd as the OPEC member’s biggest oil field and another deposit in its western region resumed pumping after a halt.[...] “The return of Libyan supply makes the job of OPEC more challenging,” Giovanni Staunovo, a Zurich-based commodities analyst for UBS Group AG, said by email. “However, renewed supply disruption in Libya remains possible.”

5/1/2017 Oil price optimism wears off as Texas wildcatters drill on
5/1/2017 Aramco cuts Asia oil pricing as Saudis seen losing market share
5/1/2017 Libya oil output rebounds as Sharara, Feel fields restarted
5/1/2017 UAE's Adnoc will cut oil sales to buyers by 10% in June
5/1/2017 Gulf Publishing Company acquires 109-year-old Oildom Publishing
4/28/2017 PSAC raises Canadian drilling forecast by more than 2,500 wells for 2017
4/28/2017 New API safety standards developed to enhance O&G industry equipment, operations

That is five days of oil news and only a small fraction of what is going on. There are production cuts, new starts, deep-water licenses and programs, Arctic assessments by Norway, Russia (Canada says it is out) and the U.S., pipelines (and what will happen with pipelines in the Middle East and into Europe - both oil and gas?), South America, China etc.

I don't know what to say or what will happen, yet it feels like another shift is going to play out in the Middle East. Why RDS sold its stake is a further question (liquidity?). Probably paying attention to T-Rex and the other players to see what there intentions are may reveal more. Russia is another question as are the demands from Asia and where they will inevitably get their supply from. Does the reference "5/2/2017 Trump's U.S. looks past energy independence, to global dominance" contain something that will take on further meaning?

Last reference: Oil supermajors dig out of doldrums as cash poised to surge _http://www.worldoil.com/news/2017/4/26/oil-supermajors-dig-out-of-doldrums-as-cash-poised-to-surge

Oil supermajors dig out of doldrums as cash poised to surge
By Rakteem Katakey on 4/26/2017

LONDON (Bloomberg) -- Oil majors' struggle against crude’s collapse is starting to ease, giving some companies enough cash to pay shareholders without piling on more debt.

The world’s five biggest non-state oil producers, known as the supermajors, probably increased cash from operations by a combined 67% last quarter from a year earlier, according to HSBC Bank Plc analysts Gordon Gray and Kim Fustier. That may allow some to cover dividends and capital spending without borrowing for the first time since 2012, they said.

In the past three years, Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Chevron Corp., Total SA and BP Plc have canceled billions of dollars of projects, dumped thousands of jobs and amassed towering debts to weather crude’s decline. While prices are still half their 2014 level, a partial recovery, coupled with spending cuts, contributed to “sweet-spot” conditions in the first quarter that probably drove up earnings, according to Morgan Stanley.

The “macro environment was favorable for the majors during the first quarter,” said Martijn Rats, an analyst at Morgan Stanley in London, citing higher prices and resilient refining margins. “In addition, cost reductions are still coming through,” helping bring a “significant improvement in net income,” he said.

The five companies combined are expected to more than double first-quarter net income, according to analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Chevron will return to profit while Shell’s earnings will rise to a seven-quarter high, the estimates show. Exxon, Total and BP may post their biggest profits since September 2015.

“The oil price is a big thing, but the other thing is they’ve also been helping themselves by taking operating costs out of the business,” said Jason Gammel, a London-based analyst at Jefferies International Ltd. “We are at oil-price levels where most of these companies are pretty close to covering their dividend.”

The big five oil producers also operate refineries and petrochemical plants, giving them a safety net during crude’s downturn when earnings from oil and gas production sank. Refining margins rose during the worst of the slump as the cost of the raw material -- crude oil -- fell while demand for fuels stayed strong. Margins have since narrowed but remain buoyant.

Yet doubts remain. Oil’s recovery has stalled this year as a revival in U.S. shale production threatens an attempt by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies to eliminate a global oversupply. Although benchmark Brent crude rose more than 50% last year, prices are down about 9% in 2017.

Amid concern that OPEC and its partners will fail to reduce stockpiles significantly, energy companies have performed worst in the MSCI World Index this year, tumbling from pole position in 2016. After rising 44% last year, BP’s shares are down 12% in 2017, while Shell’s B shares are about 11% lower in London. Exxon has dropped 9.5%, Chevron 9.3% and Total 2.2%.

The majors won’t come roaring back until oil prices rally further, according to Alastair Syme, an analyst at Citigroup Inc.

“The sweet-spot of financial firepower -– and therefore higher returns to shareholders –- still requires significant price recovery,” Syme said in an April 19 note, downgrading both Shell and BP. While the companies have offered shareholders stock in place of cash, and implemented hefty cost cuts, they still haven’t adequately tackled the high cost of dividends, he said.

Dividend yields at Shell and BP, which fell through 2016 as crude started to recover, have risen this year, typically a signal that investors fear a cut in payouts.

BP declined to comment when contacted by email. Shell referred Bloomberg to Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden’s comments earlier this year, when he said free cash flow “more than covered our cash dividend” in the fourth quarter.

France’s Total will kick off the supermajors’ first-quarter earnings season on April 27, with Exxon and Chevron following the next day. BP will report on May 2 and Shell on May 4.

“You’d hope by now the cost and spending cuts start showing up in the accounts,” said Iain Armstrong, an analyst at Brewin Dolphin Ltd., which owns BP and Shell shares. “Benefits of oil prices will be a major factor and how much of that the companies have been able to capture with lower costs.”

 

[JGeropoulas]

Political Establishment Seeks to Co-opt Trump
_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tA1-Ib_zZ4

Roger Stone interview: couldn’t discredit Trump so now co-opting him. Justice Anthony Kennedy will retire in June. Charles Grassley has the hammerlock on Trump to appoint Judge Steven Colleton to replace him, but Trump intends to appoint conservative Anthony Napolitano. Kushner’s property at 666 Fifth Ave. recently was partially refinanced by George Soros. FOX News being deconstructed to eliminate conservative opinion.

Clinton Cash’ Author Sounds The Alarm Over Jared Kushner’s Partnership With George Soros
_http://dailycaller.com/2017/05/03/clinton-cash-author-sounds-the-alarm-over-jared-kushners-partnership-with-george-soros/

“Clinton Cash” author and Breitbart News editor Peter Schweizer said in a radio interview that Kushner’s ties to Soros — who funds a network of left-wing activists — as well as his billion-dollar loans, both of which he failed to include in his financial disclosure forms, present a “massive, massive problem” for the White House. Schweizer called for an independent audit of Kushner’s finances, which he said likely contain similar bombshells. Steve Bannon calls Jared Kushner is a “cuck” and a globalist behind his back.

Bribes Tie Jared Kushner To Communist China
_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arZp4qPBJog

At a German women’s conference Ivanka Trump opposed her father by advocating Germany accept more refugees despite the fact that only 11% of refugees are women, and incidents of rape by male refugees have been rampant in Europe. Steve Pieczenik says Kushner has been compromised by the Communist Chinese. NYT elaborates in recent article, “Bribe cases, a Jared Kushner partner, and potential conflicts”