QResear.ch

#20765932 at 2024-04-23 15:05:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #25470: E-BAKE

@DJT

HIGHLY CONFLICTED, TO PUT IT MILDLY, JUDGE JUAN MERCHAN, HAS TAKEN AWAY MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH. EVERYBODY IS ALLOWED TO TALK AND LIE ABOUT ME, BUT I AM NOT ALLOWED TO DEFEND MYSELF. THIS IS A KANGAROO COURT, AND THE JUDGE SHOULD RECUSE HIMSELF!
11:00 ET
https://truthsocial.com/users/realDonaldTrump/statuses/112321129168247640

Every single Legal Scholar and Expert said that Soros backed prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, has "no case." This list includes Jonathan Turley, Gregg Jarrett, Byron York, Andrew McCarthy, Mark Levin, Alan Dershowitz, Mike Davis, David Rivkin, Kristin Shapiro, Brad Smith, Andrew Cherkasky, and many more. SO WHY WON'T THEY DROP THIS CASE? Alvin Bragg never wanted to bring it - thought it was a joke. Was furious at lawyer MARK POMERANTZ (will he be prosecuted?) for what he did!
10:57 ET
https://truthsocial.com/users/realDonaldTrump/statuses/112321119728503760

#20269244 at 2024-01-19 22:55:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24870: Hunter High Edition

Microsoft executive emails hacked by Russian intelligence group, company says
JAN 19 20244:49 PM EST

Microsoft said in a Friday regulatory filing that a Russian intelligence group accessed some of the software maker's top executives' email accounts. Nobelium, the same group that breached government supplier SolarWinds
in 2020, carried out the attack, which Microsoft detected last week, according to the company.

It isn't the first time Russian hackers have gained entry into Microsoft's systems. State-sponsored attacks that can result in the dissemination of sensitive data becomes a greater risk during periods of armed conflict, and Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for almost two years now. On Thursday Russia said Ukrainian forces conducted drone strikes in multiple Russian locations.

Microsoft's announcement comes after new U.S. requirements for disclosing cybersecurity incidents went into effect. A Microsoft spokesperson said that while the company does not believe the attack had a material impact, it still wanted to honor the spirit of the rules.

In late November, the group accessed "a legacy non-production test tenant account," Microsoft's Security Response Center wrote in the blog post. After gaining access, the group "then used the account's permissions to access a very small percentage of Microsoft corporate email accounts, including members of our senior leadership team and employees in our cybersecurity, legal, and other functions, and exfiltrated some emails and attached documents," the corporate unit wrote.

The company's senior leadership team, including finance chief Amy Hood and president Brad Smith, regularly meets with CEO Satya Nadella.

Microsoft said it has not found signs that Nobelium had accessed customer data, production systems or proprietary source code.

The U.S. government and Microsoft consider Nobelium to be part of the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR. The hacking group was responsible for one of the most prolific breaches in U.S. history when it added malicious code to updates to SolarWinds' Orion software, which some U.S. government agencies were using. Microsoft itself was ensnared in the hack.

Nobelium, also known as APT29 or Cozy Bear, is a sophisticated hacking group that has attempted to breach the systems of U.S. allies and the Department of Defense. Microsoft also uses the name Midnight Blizzard to identify Nobelium.

It was also implicated alongside another Russian hacking group in the 2016 breach of the Democratic National Committee's systems.

Last year, a vulnerability in Microsoft software allowed China-aligned hackers to access the email accounts of senior government officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, ahead of a critical U.S.-China meeting. The company's "negligent cybersecurity practices" led to the attack, Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, wrote in a letter to Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and other federal officials.

"We are continuing our investigation and will take additional actions based on the outcomes of this investigation and will continue working with law enforcement and appropriate regulators," the Microsoft blog post said.

CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/19/microsoft-executive-emails-hacked-by-russian-intelligence-group-company-says.html

#19910627 at 2023-11-13 21:22:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24446: Gender Policy Council/Women's Health? Edition

Microsoft and Meta Detail Plans To Combat "Election Disinformation" Which Includes Meme Stamp-Style Watermarks and Reliance on "Fact Checkers"

And so it begins. In fact, it hardly ever stops - another election cycle in well on its way in the US. But what has emerged these last few years, and what continues to crop up the closer the election day gets, is the role of the most influential social platforms/tech companies.

Pressure on them is sometimes public, but mostly not, as the Twitter Files have taught us; and it is with this in mind that various announcements about combating "election disinformation" coming from Big Tech should be viewed.

Although, one can never discount the possibility that some - say, Microsoft - are doing it quite voluntarily. That company has now come out with what it calls "new steps to protect elections," and is framing this concern for election integrity more broadly than just the goings-on in the US.

From the EU to India and many, many places in between, elections will be held over the next year or so, says Microsoft, however, these democratic processes are at peril.

"While voters exercise this right, another force is also at work to influence and possibly interfere with the outcomes of these consequential contests," said a blog post co-authored by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith.

By "another force," could Smith possibly mean, Big Tech? No. It's "multiple authoritarian nation states" he's talking about, and Microsoft's "Election Protection Commitments" seek to counter that threat in a 5-step plan to be deployed in the US, and elsewhere where "critical" elections are to be held.

Critical more than others why, and what is Microsoft seeking to protect - it's all very unclear.

But one of the measures is the Content Credentials digital metadata scheme, similar to meme stamp watermarking. However, considering that the most widely used browser, Chrome, is not signed up to the group (C2PA) that spawned Content Credentials, the question remains how helpful it will be to political campaigns using this tech in their images or videos, "to show how, when, and by whom the content was created or edited, including if it was generated by AI."

Meta (Facebook) also announced its own effort in the same vein, seeking to combat altered content such as deepfakes - in case they "merge, combine, replace, and/or superimpose content onto a video, creating a video that appears authentic (... and) would likely mislead an average person."

As ever, a very clear and concise, easy to enforce definition - not.

And who will help enforce it? No surprises there.

According to reports, Meta will "rely on 'independent fact-checking partners' to review media for fake content that slipped through the company's new disclosure requirement."

https://reclaimthenet.org/microsoft-and-meta-detail-plans-to-combat-election-disinformation

#19910363 at 2023-11-13 20:30:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24446: Gender Policy Council/Women's Health? Edition

ALL pb
Microsoft Election Steal Dig

>>19908404 Microsoft, Meta reveal plans to combat so-called 'election disinformation' using 'fact checkers'
>>19908445 a 5-step 'Election Protection Commitments' plan. Content Credentials. meme stamp watermarks and C2PA
>>19908497, >>19908536 maybe one of the reasons they lost their shit when Musk took over twitter?? The Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) was announced by Adobe in 2019 in partnership with Twitter and the New York Times
>CAI > C_A
>>19908445 There is no Step 5
>>19908628 Microsoft announces new steps to help protect elections. Blog post by Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, and Teresa Hutson, Corporate Vice President, Technology for Fundamental Rights
>>19908628 Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) and steps 1 and 2 of their "5 step plan"
>>19908638 steps 3 and 4. Looks at these clowns they list in their "step 5"
>>19908661 M$ teaming up with NASED, Megan Wolfe, Dominion, ES&S, Hartintercivic, knowink
Runbeck, Smartmatic and others to "protect our elections"
>>19909690 Teresa Hutson M$ VP of ESG & CSR. On a what looks like a weird discussion forum website where diversity niggers can "have confidential conversations you can't have anywhere else."
>>19909728 This looks like some sort of United Nations or EU connected? Vienna+30 Symposium
>>19909769, >>19909801, >>19909908 The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (formerly Miburo) team and old friend Clint Watts of Hamilton 68 fame
>>19909879 Devex speaks to Microsoft's Teresa Hutson about the company's new Journalism Hub and the role of technology in the future of journalism. M$ partners with the like of NewsGuard
>>19909985 Connections to most old frenz like Michael McFaul, Michael Morrell, and Podesta via the Alliance for Securing Democracy
>>19910243 Teresa Hutson collaborating with the University of Washington. Uof W was one of thefounding partners for the Election Integrity Partnership

#19909728 at 2023-11-13 18:20:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24445: Still No Step 5 Edition

>>19909690
>>Microsoft announces new steps to help protect elections

>Brad Smith's Co-author on the "protect election" blog post

>>Nov 7, 2023 | Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, andTeresa Hutson,Corporate Vice President, Technology forFundamental Rights

This looks like some sort of United Nations or Eurofag connection.
Vienna+30 Symposium

Teresa Hutson
Teresa Hutson

Vice President of Microsoft's Technology and Corporate Responsibility Group

In her current role, Teresa Hutson helps to realise Microsoft's mission through initiatives that support and protect the fundamental rights of people around the world. Utilising data and technology, the group focuses on priorities related to safeguarding democratic institutions to ensure healthy information ecosystems, advance racial justice and equality, protect human rights through responsible business practices in its supply chain, and enable the right to meaningful connectivity and accessible technology.

Before joining Microsoft in 2008, Teresa Hutson worked in private practice. Over the years, she has held various positions within the company, including Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Microsoft's HR Legal Group. In this role, shemanaged the Immigration, Employment Law, and Employment Compliance teams.

Teresa's commitment to fundamental rights and an equitable society extends beyond her role at Microsoft.She dedicates her time to pro-bono work in support of immigrationand veterans' rights and is an active participant in the business community, collaborating with local Seattle businesses and associations to highlight and advance important local issues.


>https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/european-foreign-policy/human-rights/vienna-30/symposium/teresa-hutson/


"Vienna+30"
Vienna+30 Logo

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights, a high-level symposium entitled "Vienna World Conference 30 Years On: Our Rights - Our Future" took place in Vienna on 6 June 2023. At this event, organised by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), human rights stakeholders from diverse backgrounds discussed current and future challenges as well as best practices in the promotion and protection of human rights.

In addition to the high-level symposium, the Foreign Ministry co-organised the Vienna Youth Human Rights Defenders Conference and cultural events with a human rights focus. For the general public, the Vienna-based International Organisations together with the Foreign Ministry presented their engagement in the field of human rights on 5 and 6 June in Vienna's MuseumsQuartier.

#19909690 at 2023-11-13 18:11:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24445: Still No Step 5 Edition

<dig continued
all lb
>>19908517
>>19908404
>>19908445
>>19908497
>>19908536
>>19908517

>>19908628
>>19908638
>>19908661
>There is no Step 5
>>19908628
>Microsoft announces new steps to help protect elections
Brad Smith's Co-author on the "protect election" blog post
>Nov 7, 2023 | Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, andTeresa Hutson,Corporate Vice President, Technology forFundamental Rights



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Teresa Hutson takes on new role at Microsoft

Teresa Hutson became the Vice President of Tech and Corporate Responsibility Group at Microsoft.


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https://board.org/esg-csr/leaders/teresa-hutson-takes-on-new-role-at-microsoft/

#19908628 at 2023-11-13 14:23:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24444: Last Gasps of the Old Guard Edition

dig continued
all lb
>>19908517
>>19908404
>>19908445
>>19908497
>>19908536
>>19908517
>There is no Step 5
muh principles
They are using the same language as the Censorship Industrial Complex


Microsoft announces new steps to help protect elections

Nov 7, 2023 | Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, and Teresa Hutson, Corporate Vice President, Technology for Fundamental Rights



Over the next 14 months, more than two billion people around the world will have the opportunity to vote in nationwide elections. From India to the European Union, to the United Kingdom and United States, the world's democracies will be shaped by citizens exercising one of their most fundamental rights. But while voters exercise this right, another force is also at work to influence and possibly interfere with the outcomes of these consequential contests.

As detailed in a new threat intelligence assessment published today by Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center (MTAC), the next year may bring unprecedented challenges for the protection of elections. As described in this report, "Protecting Election 2024 from Foreign Malign Influence," the world in 2024 may see multiple authoritarian nation states seek to interfere in electoral processes. And they may combine traditional techniques with AI and other new technologies to threaten the integrity of electoral systems.

Given the technology-based nature of the threats involved, it's important for governments, technology companies, the business community, and civil society to adopt new initiatives, including by building on each other's work. That's why today we are announcing five new steps to protect electoral processes in the United States and other countries where critical elections will take place in 2024.

We are grounding Microsoft's Election Protection Commitments in a set of principles to help safeguard voters, candidates and campaigns, and election authorities worldwide. These principles are:

Voters have a right to transparent and authoritative information regarding elections.
Candidates should be able to assert when content originates from their campaign and have recourse when their likeness or content is distorted by AI for the purpose of deceiving the public during the course of an election.
Political campaigns should protect themselves from cyber threats and be able to navigate AI with access to affordable and easily deployed tools, trainings, and support.
Election authorities should be able to ensure a secure and resilient election process and have access to tools and services that enable this process.

Staying ahead and responding to threats against voters, candidates, political campaigns, and election authorities willrequire a combination of steps, including a range of tools and tactics.

First, Microsoft will help candidates and campaigns maintain greater control over their content and likeness by launchingContent Credentialsas a Service. This new tool enables users to digitally sign and authenticate media using the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity's (C2PA) digital watermarking credentials, a set of metadata that encode details about the content's provenance using cryptography. Users can attach Content Credentials to their images or videos to show how, when, and by whom the content was created or edited, including if it was generated by AI. These credentials become part of the content's history and travel with it, creating a permanent record and context wherever it's published. When a user encounters an image or video that contains Content Credentials, they can learn about its creator and origin by clicking on an embedded pin that reveals the asset's history.

These watermarking credentials empower an individual or organization to assert that an image or video came from them while protecting against tampering by showing if content was altered after its credentials were created. Built by Azure engineering, this service will launch in the spring as a private preview, which will first be made available to political campaigns.

Second, Microsoft will help political campaigns navigate cybersecurity challenges and the new world of AI by deploying a newly formed "Campaign Success Team" within Microsoft Philanthropies' Tech for Social Impact organization. This team will advise and support campaigns as they navigate the world of AI, combat the spread of cyber influence campaigns, and protect the authenticity of their own content and images. The Campaign Success Team will also continue to promote existing cyber protection programs such as M365 for Campaigns and AccountGuard.

#19788657 at 2023-10-23 20:41:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24298: Trump on a Roll! Edition

Talk about the fox and the henhouse FFS

Microsoft to help Australia build 'cyber shield', Anthony Albanese announces on Washington trip

Tech giant Microsoft will help Australia build a "cyber shield" to fend off global online threats under a plan to sink billions of dollars into securing and expanding the national digital economy.

Key points:
Anthony Albanese is in the US at the invitation of Joe Biden
He joined Microsoft's president to announce the tech giant's $5 billion investment in Australia
The company will work with Australia's online security agency on the cyber-shield project
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Microsoft president Brad Smith unveiled the plan at the Australian embassy in Washington, DC on the first day of the PM's official visit to the US.

Microsoft says the project is part of its biggest investment in Australia in its 40-year history: a $5 billion plan to expand infrastructure and skills, with a focus on cloud technology and artificial intelligence.

The company will work with the Australian Signals Directorate - the national agency responsible for cybersecurity and online warfare - to build the cyber shield.

Mr Albanese said it was one of the first steps in the Australian Cyber Security Strategy, announced after last year's Optus and Medibank hack scandals and aimed atmaking Australia "the world's most cyber-secure nation" by 2030.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-24/anthony-albanese-in-washington-dc-microsoft-deal/103012802

#19555470 at 2023-09-15 14:12:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24016: TGIF File The F*cking Motion Edition

>>19555395

President Trump Awards Presidential Commendations to Operation Warp Speed Team

Issued on: January 19, 2021

Today, President Donald J. Trump awarded Presidential Commendations to the below individuals in recognition of their exceptional efforts on Operation Warp Speed:

General Mark Milley
Secretary Alex Azar
Jared Kushner
Dr. Moncef Slaoui
General Gustave Perna
Dr. Deborah Birx
Dr. Anthony Fauci
Adam Boehler
Brad Smith
David Norquist
Chuong Huynh
Janssen Kimberly Taylor
David Simon
Rebecca Kurna
Jonathan Seals
Merck Daniel Wolfe
Christopher Houchens
Robert Johnson
Matthew Hepburn
Jason Roos
David Boucher
John Mascola
Barney Graham
Emily Erbelding
Mary Marovich
Richard Gorman
Christy Ventura
Joseph Chapman
Deacon Maddox
Christine Oshansky
Tremel Faison
Mike Angelastro
Carlo De Notaristefani
Anita Patel
Nancy Messonnier
Greg Hand
Meghan Pennini
Marina Kozak
Rachel Overman
Efrain Garcia
Amy Jenkins
Karl Erlandson
Sean O'Neil
Mary Homer
John Redd
Janet Woodcock
Kevin Bugin
Deydre Teyhen
Kimberly Armstrong
Tremel Faison
Mike Angelastro
Carlo De Notaristefani

https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-trump-awards-presidential-commendations-operation-warp-speed-team/

#19547450 at 2023-09-14 03:14:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #24006: WHO Wants To Shut Down The Gubmint? Edition

>>19547405
Today, President Donald J. Trump awarded Presidential Commendations to the below individuals in recognition of their exceptional efforts on Operation Warp Speed:

General Mark Milley
Secretary Alex Azar
Jared Kushner
Dr. Moncef Slaoui
General Gustave Perna
Dr. Deborah Birx
Dr. Anthony Fauci
Adam Boehler
Brad Smith
David Norquist
Chuong Huynh
Janssen Kimberly Taylor
David Simon
Rebecca Kurna
Jonathan Seals
Merck Daniel Wolfe
Christopher Houchens
Robert Johnson
Matthew Hepburn
Jason Roos
David Boucher
John Mascola
Barney Graham
Emily Erbelding
Mary Marovich
Richard Gorman
Christy Ventura
Joseph Chapman
Deacon Maddox
Christine Oshansky
Tremel Faison
Mike Angelastro
Carlo De Notaristefani
Anita Patel
Nancy Messonnier
Greg Hand
Meghan Pennini
Marina Kozak
Rachel Overman
Efrain Garcia
Amy Jenkins
Karl Erlandson
Sean O'Neil
Mary Homer
John Redd
Janet Woodcock
Kevin Bugin
Deydre Teyhen
Kimberly Armstrong
Tremel Faison
Mike Angelastro
Carlo De Notaristefani

#19537116 at 2023-09-12 17:53:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #23994: Rollin Wit Da Trollin Edition

2:30 PM EDT
Oversight of A.I.: Legislating on Artificial Intelligence
Senate Judiciary Committee
^
WITNESSES:
Woodrow Hartzog
Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law
Fellow, Cordell Institute for Policy in Medicine & Law, Washington University in St. Louis
Boston, MA
^
William Dally
Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President of Research
NVIDIA Corporation
Santa Clara, CA
^
Brad Smith
Vice Chair and President
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond, WA
^
https://www.congress.gov/event/118th-congress/senate-event/334767
https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-activity/hearings/oversight-of-ai-legislating-on-artificial-intelligence
-
Hearing on Regulating Artificial Intelligence
Microsoft President Brad Smith joins a law professor and a scientist to testify on proposed legislation that regulates artificial intelligence. The hearing takes place before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?530327-1/hearingon-regulatingartificial-intelligence

#19511536 at 2023-09-08 13:09:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #23963: [DS] PANIC Mode Edition

Sean McHugh Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison After Ray Epps Knocked Down His Mother When Epps Was Hurling Giant Metal Sign at Police on J6 - Yet, Ray Epps Walks Free Today - Please Help Sean Below!

by Jim Hoft Sep. 7, 2023 8:20 pm

Sean McHugh was found guilty in a DC kangaroo court earlier this year for assaulting, impeding, or interfering with violent police officers on January 6.
On Thursday Sean McHugh was sentenced to six and one-half years in prison. It was another outrageous sentencing against another unlucky Trump supporter.
** Please donate to Sean McHugh and his young family here.
The Gateway Pundit has covered Sean McHugh's story previously before his trial.
McHugh has spent 28 months in jail since his arrest by the Biden FBI.In a previous interview with Kelly Wilde for The Gateway Pundit Sean McHugh said that there is more video of law enforcement pushing innocent women and elderly people down, shooting rubber bullets that left holes in people's faces, and bloody scenes from officers' point-blank violence.
"I know it's kind of explicit, but these are the things that people need to have access to," McHugh said.

Video has been withheld that even defendants do not know about, like this gruesome one from Victoria White:

New Bodycam video withheld from me pic.twitter.com/IItrAVmctc

- ?Victoria White ? (@Vis4Victorious) January 19, 2023
McHugh previously told The Gateway Pundit he wants the CCTV footage of Ray Epps to be made public.
As previously reported, Epps brought McHugh and multiple others into the fray that day.
Sealed footage McHugh has seen shows Epps forcefully shoving a large metal sign into a line of police officers-activity prosecutors have labeled a felony assault of an officer with a deadly weapon.Anyone who touched the sign -"an enormous battering ram," according to prosecutors- was denied bond and subject to lengthy prison sentences: Charles "Brad" Smith (41 months), Marshall Neefe (41 months), Thomas Hamner (30 months), Howard Richardson (46 months), Alan Byerly (34 months), Jose Padilla (held 25 months) and Jonathan Copeland.Although many were trying to avoid being hit by it themselves, Epps clearly shoves the sign so hard that it knocks McHugh's mom to the ground.
McHugh was charged with touching the sign but not Ray Epps who was the one hurling the sign at police.McHugh, seen in plaid backing away at the 11 second mark of this Twitter video, has been denied bond for two years with this charge while Epps walks free:

As @FreeStateWill reported in December, Ray Epps was one of the members of the crowd who helped lift up a large Trump sign and push it into the line of police officers on the West Side of the Capitol around 1:40 pm
(original video by Just Another Channel and Savanah Hernandez) pic.twitter.com/T0jE9rZksw
- Stephen Horn (@stephenehorn) March 30, 2022

"His body language is much different than my mother and I. We're getting knocked over by the sign. My knees are not bent, I don't have both hands on the sign, I'm not charging. I'm actually to the side of it, trying to prevent it from getting knocked over by him," McHugh said.

Yet Epps, bizarrely "orchestrating it," -twice breaching police lines, repeatedly urging others to commit crimes, and caught lying under oath- gets a free pass.

With prosecutors lying to the court, blaming upload errors, withholding evidence and more, defendants are relying more and more on citizen journalists who have already broken major stories despite limited access.In the interview, McHugh mentions Gary McBride, a citizen journalist whose investigative work has been invaluable to the Jan 6 defendants -most of whom have no investigator working for them at all, and rely on prosecutors to ethically fulfill their disclosure obligations. (Did you choke on your coffee when you read that?)
Imagine being on trial in the fight of your life, looking out into courtroom, seeing no one and feeling so alone.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/09/sean-mchugh-sentenced-6-5-years-prison-after/

#18700197 at 2023-04-15 19:32:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #22942: American Badass! Fuk Yeah vs Taiwan Honey Up For Grabs? Edition

Russian intelligence, Wagner PMC infiltrate gaming chats, Microsoft President claims

These communities include Discord channels on Minecraft, among others, Brad Smith claimed
NEW YORK, April 13. /TASS/. Microsoft President Brad Smith claims that Russian intelligence agencies and the Wagner PMC have been trying to infiltrate gaming chats, including on the Discord platform, in the recent months.

"Around games, you have a community of gamers. They come together, they talk to each other, including when they're playing a game. And for the last several months, our digital threat analysis team has been identifying efforts by the Russians to basically penetrate some of these gaming communities," Smith said at the World Economic Summit 2023 Thursday. "We've been advising governments about this. I mean, it's the Wagner group and the Russian intelligence, and they're in part using this as a place to get information into circulation."

These communities include Discord channels on Minecraft, among others, Smith claimed.

Previously, the US media reported that the Pentagon's classified documents could have been leaked via Discord.

https://tass.com/world/1603931

2476
Q !!mG7VJxZNCI No.450 ?

#18558545 at 2023-03-22 12:25:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #22762: u mad bro? edition

President Trump Awards Presidential Commendations to Operation Warp Speed Team

HEALTHCARE

Issued on: January 19, 2021

Today, President Donald J. Trump awarded Presidential Commendations to the below individuals in recognition of their exceptional efforts on Operation Warp Speed:

General Mark Milley
Secretary Alex Azar
Jared Kushner
Dr. Moncef Slaoui
General Gustave Perna
Dr. Deborah Birx
Dr. Anthony Fauci
Adam Boehler
Brad Smith
David Norquist
Chuong Huynh
Janssen Kimberly Taylor
David Simon
Rebecca Kurna
Jonathan Seals
Merck Daniel Wolfe
Christopher Houchens
Robert Johnson
Matthew Hepburn
Jason Roos
David Boucher
John Mascola
Barney Graham
Emily Erbelding
Mary Marovich
Richard Gorman
Christy Ventura
Joseph Chapman
Deacon Maddox
Christine Oshansky
Tremel Faison
Mike Angelastro
Carlo De Notaristefani
Anita Patel
Nancy Messonnier
Greg Hand
Meghan Pennini
Marina Kozak
Rachel Overman
Efrain Garcia
Amy Jenkins
Karl Erlandson
Sean O'Neil
Mary Homer
John Redd
Janet Woodcock
Kevin Bugin
Deydre Teyhen
Kimberly Armstrong
Tremel Faison
Mike Angelastro
Carlo De Notaristefani

https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-trump-awards-presidential-commendations-operation-warp-speed-team/

#18180936 at 2023-01-20 15:35:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #22294: Friday Thrills, Chills, n Spills Edition

VALL-E - text to speech

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/microsofts-vall-e-can-imitate-any-voice-with-just-a-three-second-sample

Windows Central take: Impressive but scary

While VALL-E is undoubtedly impressive, it raises several ethical concerns. As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, the voices generated by VALL-E and similar technologies will become more convincing. That would open the door to realistic spam calls replicating the voices of real people that a potential victim knows.

Politicians and other public figures could also be impersonated. With the speed social media travels and the polarity of political discussions, it's unlikely that many would stop to ask if a scandalous recording were genuine, as long as it sounded at least somewhat authentic.

Security concerns also come to mind. My bank uses my voice as a password when I call. There are measures in place to detect voice recordings and I'd assume the technology could sense if a VALL-E voice was used. That beings said, it still makes me uneasy. There's a good chance that the arms race will escalate between AI-generated content and AI-detecting software.

While not a security concern, some have brought up the fact that voice actors may lose work to VALL-E and competing tech. While it's unfortunate to see people lose work, I don't see a way around this. If VALL-E reaches a point where it can replace voice actors for audio books or other content, companies are going to use it. That's just the reality of technology advancing. In fact, Apple recently announced a feature that uses AI to read audio books.

Like any technology, VALL-E will be used for good, evil, and everything in between. Microsoft has an ethics statement on the use of VALL-E, but the future of its usage is still murky. Microsoft President Brad Smith has discussed regulating AI in the past (via GeekWire). We'll have to see what measures Microsoft puts in place to regulate the use of VALL-E.

https://valle-demo.github.io/

#18116838 at 2023-01-10 16:39:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #22209: The Blinken Bejiing Bonanza Edition

Pope Francis: A Person's Life Must Not Be 'Entrusted to an Algorithm'

ROME - Pope Francis warned Tuesday of the dangers of impersonal algorithms taking control of important aspects of people's lives.

In an address to participants in a conference on ethics in artificial intelligence (AI), the pontiff noted how AI "is increasingly present in every aspect of daily life, both personal and social" and "affects the way we understand the world and ourselves."

"Innovation in this field means that these tools are increasingly decisive in human activity and even compelling in human decision-making," he added.

The pope also called for the presence of representatives of the great world religions along with other men and women of goodwill "so that 'algor-ethics' - ethical reflection on the use of algorithms - will be increasingly present not only in public debate, but also in the development of technical solutions."

Since algorithms have the potential for unjust outcomes we must "be vigilant and work to ensure that the discriminatory use of these instruments does not take root at the expense of the most fragile and excluded," Francis insisted.

"Let us always remember that the way we treat the last and least of our brothers and sisters speaks of the value we place upon all human life," he said.

As an example of such potential discrimination, the pope indicated the case of asylum seekers, asserting that "it is not acceptable that the decision about someone's life and future be entrusted to an algorithm."

"The scope and acceleration of the transformations of the digital era have in fact raised unforeseen problems and situations that challenge our individual and collective ethos," he said.

Among those present for the pope's address were Microsoft President Brad Smith, IBM Global Vice-President Dario Gil, and Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist of FAO

https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2023/01/10/pope-francis-a-persons-life-must-not-be-entrusted-to-an-algorithm/

#17984077 at 2022-12-20 01:38:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #22032: Absolutely Unstoppable Edition

Anyone want to go with me?

Davos 2023 will feature BlackRock & TikTok CEOs, with WEF demanding more censorship and tyranny

The programme for Davos 2023 includes events such as:

"Why We Need Battery Passports"

"Leading The Charge Through Earth's New Normal" (Featuring Al Gore)

"A Living Wage For All"

"Enabling An Equitable Transition"

"Beyond The Rainbow: Advancing LGBTQ Rights"

"Advancing Racial and Ethnic Equity" (Moderated by CNN)

"Decarbonizing Supply Chains" (Moderated by Chinese state television)

"Finding The Right Balance For Crypto"

"Tackling Harm In The Digital Era"

Speakers for Davos 2023 include:

WHO Director Tedros Adhanom
Laurence D. Fink, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BlackRock Inc.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO
Shou Zi Chew, Chief Executive Officer, TikTok
Shamina Singh, President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Mastercard
Former Vice President Al Gore
Hilde Schwab, Klaus Schwab's wife
Tian Wei, Host, China Global Television Network
Elena Cherney, Chief News Editor of The Wall Street Journal
Ina Fried, ChiefTechnology Correspondent, Axios
Brad Smith, President and Vice-Chair, Microsoft Corp.
Hadley Gamble, Anchor, CNBC
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Stacy-Marie Ishmael, Managing Editor, Crypto, Bloomberg News
Larry Madowo, Correspondent, CNN
Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle
Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple

https://dossier.substack.com/p/exclusive-davos-2023-will-feature

#17910056 at 2022-12-09 02:02:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21949: A Prayer Is Called For: Maggie Was Walked Out Of NYT Edition

The FTC's Effort to Block Microsoft's Activision Acquisition Will Test Biden's Antitrust Legacy

It's official. After months of rumors, the Federal Trade Commission this week voted 3-1 in favor of suing to block Microsoft's estimated $69 billion acquisition of video game giant Activision Blizzard.

The forthcoming legal battle represents the most significant antitrust challenge from the Biden-era FTC to date that has, up until now, had few tangible victories to back up its progressive, anti-monopolist rhetoric. The challenge's success or failures could play a large factor in determining whether or the Biden administration can live up to its image as an aggressive antitrust maverick.

In a press release Thursday, the FTC argued the acquisition, if allowed to occur, would let Microsoft suppress competitors to its own Xbox gaming console and its growing cloud gaming business. Microsoft, according to the FTC, had already demonstrated a pattern of acquiring big name game studios like Bethesda only to make their titles exclusive to Microsoft's platform.

"Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals," FTC Bureau Director of Competition Holly Vedova said in a statement. "Today we seek to stop Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio and using it to harm competition in multiple dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets."

The FTC vote comes just days after Microsoft announced it intended to bring Activision's massively popular Call of Duty franchise to Steam and Nintendo consoles. Sony, Microsoft's primary competitor in the console gaming sector, shot down an offer to keep the franchise on Playstation for 10 years. Sony has opposed the acquisition outright and claimed the deal would have, "major negative implications for gamers and the future of the gaming industry."

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith commented publicly on the FTC's decision and expressed confidence in the acquisition which he believes would, "expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers."

"We have been committed since Day One to addressing competition concerns, including by offering earlier this week proposed concessions to the FTC," Smith said on Twitter. "While we believe in giving peace a chance, we have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present it in court."

The FTC's vote to block the Activision acquisition was praised by consumer advocacy groups, some of which had spent months urging regulators to take a more proactive approach towards large acquisition attempts.

"Microsoft's attempt to acquire Activision is unlawful, and it's not particularly close," American Economic Liberties Project Executive Director Sarah Miller said in a statement sent to Gizmodo. "The FTC made the right call. Microsoft's flurry of last-minute promises to not abuse the market power that they'd gain from this deal reinforce its underlying illegality."

The agency's decision also received praise from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who's previously introduced antitrust legislation targeting growing consolidation across multiple industries.

"Corporate monopolies have had free rein to hike prices and harm workers, but now the Biden admin is committed to promoting competition," Warren said.

https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-xbox-call-of-duty-activision-blizzard-1849871936
https://twitter.com/BradSmi/status/1600940065399533568?
https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/1600943443408457730?

#17909066 at 2022-12-08 23:00:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21948: Will The Merchant of Death Talk? Spinless With Balls Kneel? Edition

FTC to sue Microsoft to block purchase of Activision

Microsoft has previously restricted some major titles to use on its own devices, which the FTC alleges worked to stifle competition.

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday voted to sue Microsoft over its impending purchase of game developer Activision Blizzard on anti-trust grounds.

Should the $69 billion deal go through, the FTC contends, Microsoft could undercut competition by withholding access to developer content and manipulating prices, The Hill reported.

"Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals," said the agency's Bureau of Competition director. "Today we seek to stop Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio and using it to harm competition in multiple dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets."

Activision Blizzard is one of the world's leading game developers and has produced major series such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, Guitar Hero, and Overwatch.

Microsoft has previously restricted some major titles to use on its own devices, which the FTC alleges worked to stifle competition. Microsoft produces the popular Xbox console series and the operating systems on most gaming PCs.

Microsoft President Brad Smith responded to the FTC suit, saying "We have been committed since Day One to addressing competition concerns, including by offering earlier this week proposed concessions to the FTC. While we believed in giving peace a chance, we have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present our case in court."

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick was also optimistic the deal would go through, telling employees that "[t]his sounds alarming, so I want to reinforce my confidence that this deal will close," per The Hill. "The allegation that this deal is anti-competitive doesn't align with the facts, and we believe we'll win this challenge."

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/ftc-sue-microsoft-block-purchase-activision

#17799061 at 2022-11-22 16:28:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21820: AZ Ereection Ain't Over Yet Edition

>>17799060
>>17799060
Bankruptcy court starts @11am ET according to this yahoo video report…

Yahoo Finance Video
FTX heads to bankruptcy court Tuesday: What to expect
Tue, November 22, 2022 at 8:21 AM

Brad Smith: FTX is expected to make its first appearance in bankruptcy court today in an attempt to recount what led to the fallout of the company. High stakes for the crypto exchange with filings showing numerous creditors are due hefty sums here.

For more, let's bring in Yahoo Finance's Alexis Keenan. Alexis, what do we know from the legal proceedings that are about to commence here?

ALEXIS KEENAN: Yeah, Brad, a lot at stake here. So FTX's attorneys and its managers, they'll appear in bankruptcy court in Delaware that's where this case is being handled at 11:00 AM Eastern time today. And what they're gonna do is they're gonna make a series of requests to spend what's left of the company's money. Traditionally, in a bankruptcy case, this would have happened already within days.

And what the management needs is approval to pay its lawyers, its bankers, its employees, some of whom, many of whom have already left the company, and also things like utilities. Let's just keep the lights on. That's what they need here.

You can expect to hear also a narrative of FTX's collapse in this hearing. And also the steps that the company is making to shore up its assets. Now, as for its broader financial health, we're getting glimpses of that. But the picture is still far from complete.

The CEO of the company John J. Ray, he said that the company might need until January to complete that picture, to tabulate the company's assets and liabilities. The reasons cited there, last week, Ray had said that he was looking at a complete failure of corporate controls and also an absence of trustworthy financial information that existed at the company.

Though, in a filing on Saturday, FTX identified 216 bank accounts that hold approximately $564 million. The company also identified its top 50 creditors. These were all customers of FTX. And they owned, the company said, a collective $3.1 billion.

Now, here's the problem. The company further identified some of its cash on hand. Its combined cash balance, it said, was $1.2 billion. So we'll be watching in this hearing for what exactly the finances look like at this date and time. But we're certainly not expecting to get a whole picture today.

JULIE HYMAN: Yeah, especially since John J. Ray had said what a mess the finances were, right? That it's gonna take some time.

Talk to us about sort of the logistics or what we need to know today. When does this thing start? How long could it last? And who else is testifying? I mean, Sam Bankman-Fried, this is not, we won't be hearing from him today, right?

ALEXIS KEENAN: No, no, that's not expected. And this is really an omnibus procedure in bankruptcy court. Like I said, this would have usually happened within days of the filing. And the delay of it just speaks to how disorganized this company's finances are and its accounting across the board really must be.

Now, we might learn a little bit more at 11:00 AM. That's when this starts. And Julie, how long it goes, it shouldn't take the entire day. Although, the complexity of this case, I could see it definitely going until the court closes, probably around 5:00 PM.

We might learn, though, more about the $477 million in unauthorized transfers that went from FTX's Bahamas entity, that FTX Digital Markets right after the bankruptcy was filed, that flowed out of the company. Now, that entity is not part of the bankruptcy estate or the bankruptcy filing in the US. It's now managed by liquidators in the Bahamas.

It's said to have once held about $16 billion. And the Bahamas Security Commission, the regulator there, they said they indeed authorized that transfer. But that they only authorized it so far as to go into a government wallet for safekeeping.

We should also expect there to be some jurisdictional issues, perhaps, because the Bahamas authorities have said that local, the local entity is the one that controls the entire business. So we could definitely see a fight over where all of these bankruptcy proceedings across the board, across entities, will end up playing out, the US or the Bahamas.

JULIE HYMAN: And people who are missing their funds are going to be watching all of this very closely, as we will be. Thanks so much, Alexis. Appreciate it.
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/ftx-heads-bankruptcy-court-tuesday-142110102.html

#17491279 at 2022-09-03 23:02:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21440: RALLY, AIM, MEME! Edition

U.S. Army approves order for thousands of Microsoft combat goggles

https://www.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-us-army-combat-hololens-goggles-military-152855161.html

LONDON - The U.S. Army has approved an order to buy thousands of HoloLens combat goggles made by Microsoft - years after employees of the tech giant demanded the company cancel its contract with the military.

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Microsoft would begin to deliver some of the 5,000 Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) goggle units after "encouraging results from testing in the field."

The order for 5,000 goggles was initially placed in March 2021 but had been put on hold over concerns about their performance. Army spokesman Jamal Beck said that Douglas Bush, assistant secretary for acquisition, has now "cleared the Army to begin accepting" the new technology.

The augmented reality goggles, a customized version of the HoloLens goggles, give the user a "heads-up display" - meaning that a hologram is placed over their environment, giving them more information about what they can already see.

The Army expects to spend around $21.9 billion on the goggles over the next 10 years. A final test on the goggles is not expected until October, but Bush said: "The Army remains confident that the program will succeed."

Soldiers in the woods at Fort Pickett wearing IVAS prototypes.
Soldiers in the woods at Fort Pickett wearing IVAS prototypes. (Courtney Bacon/U.S. Army via Reuters)
The HoloLens goggles are commercially available and go for $3,500 per set. The goggles are used in a number of industries, including health care, and are used by NASA.

Microsoft and the Army brokered the original deal in 2018 for $480 million. Months later in 2019, a group of Microsoft employees called on the company to cancel the contract, as the technology would be designed "to help people kill." In a letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith, workers said the company had failed to inform the engineers of "the intent of the software they are building."

"We are alarmed that Microsoft is working to provide weapons technology to the U.S. Military, helping one country's government 'increase lethality' using tools we built," the workers wrote in the letter. "We did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used."

Smith replied in a blog post saying that the company believes in "the strong defense of the United States" and that it wants the people "who defend it to have access to the nation's best technology."

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Yahoo News.

#16779994 at 2022-07-22 12:07:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #21166: POTUS spits fire on TS Edition

>>16779990
12:10 PM EDT
RSBN Livestream Begins
Save America Rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona
https://rumble.com/v1bxqkb–president-donald-trump-rally-live-in-prescott-city-az-71622.html

12:25 PM EDT
A New Frontier: National Security, Artificial Intelligence, and Misinformation
Eric Schmidt, Chairman, National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence
Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair, Microsoft
Senator Mark Warner, Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Moderator: Anja Manuel, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security
2022 Aspen Security Forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryuaQwcKZwY

12:30 PM EDT
Vice President Harris participates in a conversation and discusses significant issues facing the American people during the National Urban League Annual Conference.
Washington, DC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTE9s3mUL3Y

1:00 PM EDT
H.R. 3771-South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022; H.R. 5118-Continental Divide Trail Completion Act [Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act]; H.R. 6929-Susan Muffley Act of 2022
House Rules Committee
https://www.congress.gov/event/117th-congress/house-event/115047

1:00 PM EDT
Physics Department Summer Lectures 2022 "Silicon Detectors" (Block 5)
Brookhaven National Laboratory
https://indico.bnl.gov/event/15829/timetable/

1:00 PM EDT
Indo-Russia Relations, Energy Ties, and Crude Flows in the Post-Invasion Period
Atlantic Council
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/indo-russia-in-the-post-invasion-period/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xasFvp9keH0

1:15 PM EDT
The 21st Century Nuclear Arms Race
Emma Belcher, President, Ploughshares Fund
Rose Gottemoeller, Former Deputy Secretary General, NATO
Moderator: Dafna Linzer, Executive Editor, POLITICO
2022 Aspen Security Forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMAQC7ZNR0

1:45 PM EDT
Fireside Chat on the Future of Taiwan with Mark Esper
Mark Esper, 27th Secretary, U.S. Department of Defense
Moderator: Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times
2022 Aspen Security Forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIW59wuYKfs

2:15 PM EDT
Former U.S. National Security Advisors Reflect on the State of the World
Thomas Donilon, 22nd U.S. National Security Advisor
Stephen Hadley, 20th U.S. National Security Advisor
Condoleezza Rice, 66th Secretary, U.S. Department of State, and 19th U.S. National Security Advisor
Moderator: Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times
2022 Aspen Security Forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsts5ePyTtU

2:20 PM EDT
CISM World Women's Football Championship - Bronze Medal Match
The 13th Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) World Women's Football Championship hosted by Fairchild Air Force Base and the United States Delegation in Spokane, Washington. Ten nations from Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Mali, Netherlands, South Korea, and the United States will compete from 9-24 July for the gold.
https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/29190

3:00 PM EDT
Closing Fireside Chat with Jake Sullivan
Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Moderator: Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief, The Atlantic
2022 Aspen Security Forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0M4vYSPUO4

3:00 PM EDT
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and COVID Response Coordinator Ashish Jha
The White House
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrJpJb5Bih4

6:20 PM EDT
CISM World Women's Football Championship - Gold Medal Match
The 13th Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) World Women's Football Championship hosted by Fairchild Air Force Base and the United States Delegation in Spokane, Washington. Ten nations from Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Mali, Netherlands, South Korea, and the United States will compete from 9-24 July for the gold.
https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/29191

7:00 PM EDT
Marine Barracks Washington Evening Parade
Our gates will open at 7 p.m. and close at 8 p.m.
https://www.barracks.marines.mil/Parades/2022-Parade-Schedule-Reservations/

10:00 PM EDT
Save America Rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona
Doors Open: 11:00 AM MST
https://events.donaldjtrump.com/events/save-america-rally-in-prescott-valley-arizona

RSBN Livestream begins: Jul 22, 12:10 PM EDT
https://rumble.com/v1bxqkb–president-donald-trump-rally-live-in-prescott-city-az-71622.html

Donald J Trump Livestream: Saturday, July 22, 2022, at 10:00PM EDT
https://rumble.com/v1c967h-live-president-donald-j.-trump-in-prescott-valley-az.html

Current Local Time in Prescott, Arizona, USA
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/usa/prescott

- - - - - - - - -
2/3

#16128944 at 2022-04-22 15:42:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #20401: Your Voting Rights Under Attack in GA Edition

>>16128888
Potato quote "Christ, they're going after Mickey Mouse": Biden criticizes 'ugly' Republicans for going to war with Disney, says the 'far right has taken over the party' and insists Democrats can GAIN two seats in the Senate in November
April 22, 2022

"resident Joe Biden criticized 'ugly' Republicans for targeting Disney at his two west coast fundraisers Thursday. 'This is not your father's Republican Party,' Biden said Thursday afternoon at a high-dollar fundraiser at the Portland Yacht Club, co-hosted by The New Republic's owner and editor Win McCormack and his political consultant wife, Carol Butler. 'This is the MAGA party.' The president said the Republican Party is 'not even conservative in the traditional sense of conservatism.' 'I mean it's ugly. I mean, look at what's happening now in Florida. Christ, they're going after Mickey Mouse,' Biden said. He made similar pro-Disney remarks at his second fundraiser in Seattle, Washington, headlining an affair at the lakefront home of Mary Snapp and Spencer Frazer hosted by Microsoft's President and Vice Chair Brad Smith and his wife Kathy Surace-Smith. 'There's nothing conservative about throwing Disney out of its current posture... over saying gay?' the president mused to the Seattle crowd. Earlier Thursday, Florida Republicans started the process of dissolving Disney's special status that allowed Walt Disney World to act as its own government. Disney publicly criticized the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill backed by the state's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Biden's trip out west marked the first time he traveled to raise campaign dollars since becoming president. "

sauce/moar: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10743273/Biden-criticizes-ugly-Republicans-targeting-Disney.html

#15997526 at 2022-04-02 17:15:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #20232: General Flynn's Army Of Digital Soldiers Stand At The Ready Edition

Ivanka Trump gets more aid to Ukraine, fills five C-130s

| April 01, 2022 01:15 PM
Ivanka Trump has done it again.

On the heels of helping deliver 1 million meals to Ukrainians stuck in the war-ravaged nation, the former first daughter has organized enough medical aid to fill several massive C-130 Hercules cargo jets.

In a tweet to the Polish president, who is helping to get the goods to the Ukrainians, and the companies involved, Trump said: "I feel humbled to have been asked to assist in sending critical medical supplies to Ukraine via Poland. The remaining supplies - enough to fill over 4 more C-130 Hercules cargo planes - will soon be on their way! Grateful to all involved!"

A key organizer and doer in her father's White House, she has turned her attention to Ukrainian refugees since the war broke out.

An associate told Secrets that in Trump's latest effort, she got industry and nonprofit organizations to contribute critical medicines, medical supplies, and equipment needed by Ukraine and Poland.

The idea for the medical goods came from Poland's ambassador to the United Nations, Krzysztof Szczerski, who told Trump that in addition to the need for meals, Ukraine was in dire need of medical supplies.

"Within the course of a week and a half, hundreds of pallets of medicines, medical supplies, and equipment had been committed - enough to fill 5 C-130 planes," said the associate.

Donors such as Ike and Laurie Perlmutter provided critical medical equipment, including patient monitors, defibrillators, nebulizers, and electrocardiographs.

Other items include azithromycin, bandages, syringes, first aid kits, intravenous supplies, burn packs, and dressings.

The first cargo aircraft went out over a week ago, and Trump is helping to organize the rest.

The Polish president's website read: "Thanks to the quick response to the appeal of the Polish president's wife for the organization of medical aid for Ukraine, donations from the USA have already reached Ukrainian hospitals and partially supported Polish institutions that receive refugees from Ukraine."

It listed Trump as a key organizer, as well as the Perlmutters, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, former Sen. Bill Frist, Marc Benioff of Salesforce, Brad Smith, and Rachel Craddock.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/washington-secrets/ivanka-trump-gets-more-aid-to-ukraine-fills-5-c-130s

#15884593 at 2022-03-17 17:19:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #20086: Question Everything Edition

>>15884582
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/worldwide-leaders-gather-2021-global-130000896.html

Global leaders including Vice President Kamala Harris, President Bill Clinton, Director General of the WTO Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, Senator Chris Coons, Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever, Brad Smith, President of Microsoft and more to participate

PURCHASE, N.Y., October 11, 2021(BUSINESS WIRE)The 2021 Global Inclusive Growth Summit will take place on Thursday, October 14 as a free online event presented by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Aspen Institute. The half-day "Rebuilding for All" summit will bring together leaders from across sectors to catalyze new partnerships and shine a spotlight on solutions that advance inclusive and sustainable economies around the world. A number of organizations are expected to announce significant commitments at the event.

Among the speakers:

Vice President Kamala Harris

Former President Bill Clinton

H.M. Queen M?xima of the Netherlands, UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (to be confirmed)

Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard

Ajay Banga, Executive Chairman, Mastercard

Dan Porterfield, President & CEO of the Aspen Institute

Michael Bennet, United States Senator for Colorado

Marla Blow, President and COO of Skoll Foundation

Raphael Bostic, President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation

Chris Coons, United States Senator for Delaware

Makhtar Diop, Managing Director & EVP, International Finance Corporation

Heather Higginbottom, Co-Head of Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase Head of Research & Policy for Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan Chase

Will Hurd, Former United States Representative (2015-2021)

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO

Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO, AARP

Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health

Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever

Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce

Lata Reddy, SVP of Inclusive Solutions at Prudential Financial

Reeta Roy, President and CEO of Mastercard Foundation

Brad Smith, President of Microsoft

Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa

Francis Suarez, Mayor of Miami

Anthony Tan, Group CEO & co-founder of GRAB

And many more. View the full list of confirmed speakers here.

Preliminary Agenda & Plenary Session Start Times

9:30 a.m. - welcome remarks by Mike Froman, vice chairman, Mastercard and Dan Porterfield, President & CEO of the Aspen Institute

9:35 a.m. - framing remarks on inclusive and sustainable growth, Ajay Banga, Executive Chairman, Mastercard

9:45 a.m. - Rebuilding for All: Inclusive by Design

Former President Bill Clinton

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO

Raphael Bostic, President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce

10:30 a.m. - Plenary Session 1: People, Planet and Prosperity: Creating Growth that Sustains. Select participants include:

Brian Deese, Director, National Economic Council

Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever

Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation

Francis Suarez, Mayor of Miami

11:45 a.m. - Plenary Session 2: The Global Agenda for Financial Security. Select participants include:

H.M. Queen M?xima of the Netherlands, UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (to be confirmed)

Moderator, Ida Rademacher, vice president and executive director of the Aspen Financial Security Program, the Aspen Institute

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)

1:45 p.m. - Plenary Session 3: TechTonic Shifts: Putting Technology to Work for the Common Good. Select participants include:

William Hurd, Former United States Representative (2015-2021)

Anthony Tan, Group CEO & co-founder of GRAB

Marla Blow, President and COO of Skoll Foundation

Reeta Roy, President and CEO, Mastercard Foundation

Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa

2:45 p.m. - Trusting Tech in a Post-Pandemic Recovery

Michael Miebach, CEO, Mastercard

Makhtar Diop, Managing Director & EVP, International Finance Corporation

3:15 p.m. - Closing Plenary

Shamina Singh, founder and president, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Heather Higginbottom, Co-Head of Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase Head of Research & Policy for Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan Chase

3:25 p.m. - Closing Remarks, Vice President Harris

#15486723 at 2022-01-29 00:05:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #19587: Arizona hires Kek to review router logs

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-donald-trump-can-say-he-ll-be-the-47th-president-of-the-united-states-without-having-to-declare-himself-an-official-candidate/ar-AATg590

Why Donald Trump can say he'll be the 47th president of the United States - without having to declare himself an official candidate
cdechalus@businessinsider.com (Camila DeChalus,Nicole Gaudiano) - 2h ago

Former President Donald Trump this week all but declared he'll run for president in 2024.
But experts say it takes more than hints for him to be legally required to register with election regulators.
Trump gains advantages by delaying a formal announcement that he's running for office, some experts say.

Clad in a white polo shirt and red "Make America Great Again" hat, Donald Trump lined up to hit a golf ball.

"First on tee - 45th president of the United States," a man off-camera declares in a now-viral video.

Trump then interjects: "The 45th and the 47th."

It's the latest in a litany of hints, suggestions, and near-declarations that Trump's offered about whether he'll run for president in 2024.

But Trump must make more than a few indicative remarks for the federal government to require him to officially register as a presidential candidate and begin adhering to financial disclosure and fundraising limit requirements, election experts say.

"There's no law against joking, bloviating, speculating, or predicting, said Brad Smith, chairman and founder of the Institute for Free Speech and a former Federal Election Commission chairman.

To become an official candidate, Trump needs to put money where his mouth is.

He would have to raise or spend more than $5,000 specifically in support of a presidential campaign effort to officially register as a presidential candidate, according to Federal Election Commission guidelines.

Even though Trump has conducted campaign-style political rallies and raised tens of millions of dollars for his collection of post-presidential political committees - most notably, Save America PAC - he hasn't expressly declared that these committees exist in service to his presidential ambitions.

"If he starts to spend money pursuing a run for office, that could trigger candidacy," Ken Gross, former associate general counsel of the FEC, wrote in an email to Insider. "Making such a statement on a golf course, possibly in jest, about becoming the 47th president doesn't quite get you there."

#15278324 at 2021-12-30 14:37:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #19324: The Wonderful World of Nightshift Edition

The stupidest VP ever, just put back all Trumps policies

Kamala Harris Asks Big Tech, Wall Street to Join Hillary Clinton in Crafting Policy Advice
Simon Kent30 Dec 2021

Vice President Kamala Harris has tapped Wall Street and Silicon Valley CEOs for advice on how to tackle the porous southern border and stem the inflow of illegal immigrants fast defining her struggling tenure of office.

Those called on for help include Microsoft President Brad Smith, Cisco Systems Chief Executive Chuck Robbins and Citigroup C.E.O. Jane Fraser, according to Bloomberg News.

The revelation comes just days after it was revealed Harris sought the counsel of twice-failed presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton on the best way to reverse diving approval ratings while at the same navigating the travails of public life, as Breitbart News reported.

"The vice president has worked closely with business leaders across a range of issues - and throughout her career she has viewed the business community as an important partner when it comes to getting things done, with speed and impact in mind," said Harris economic adviser Mike Pyle in a statement seen by the Daily Mail.

In the spring, Harris asked the executives - including Mastercard Chairman Ajay Banga and Chobani C.E.O. Hamdi Ulukayi - how to address poverty and corruption in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, as a way of mitigating the "supply side" of illegal immigrants trying to breach the U.S. border.

They reportedly described what they saw as some of the key issues pushing migration, and said their charitable contributions would be more effective if they worked in unison.

"She latched on to that and kind of said, 'That's interesting. How many ideas can we come up with? How could a team of people get together?"' Banga told Bloomberg News.

Harris aides say she has also held calls with the heads of big banks, such as Bank Of America C.E.O. Brian Moynihan, J.P. Morgan Chase and Co C.E.O. Jamie Dimon, and Truist Financial Corp. C.E.O. Kelly King.

The effort comes during a year of record breaking numbers of arrivals at the southern border and Harris's own office is beset by rumors of dissent from workers looking to exit her employ.

While Harris has remained passive on illegal immigration at the southern border, the Biden administration is set to welcome nearly two million border crossers and illegal aliens by the end of the year, new analysis projects.

Such a level of illegal immigration would "set an annual record by a very large margin, coming in almost 300,000 above the next highest year, 1986, when 1.6 million apprehensions were recorded," the analysis notes.

Numbers released this month alone show the agency's officers encountered some 173,620 illegal crossers in November - a 140 percent increase in illegal crossings from the same month last year, when there were 72,113 encounters.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/12/30/kamala-harris-asks-big-tech-wall-street-to-join-hillary-clinton-in-crafting-policy-advice/

#14818796 at 2021-10-20 08:58:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #18745: Queen Elizabeth without mask in crowded room, What virus? Edition

THE WALL IS COMING DOWN, ITS HAPPENING

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/19/tech/bill-gates-microsoft-employee-emails-report/index.html

Bill Gates was told to stop 'inappropriate' emails with Microsoft employee in 2008, report says

New York (CNN Business)Years before Microsoft's board investigated a romantic relationship that founder Bill Gates had with an employee, Gates was told by fellow executives to stop inappropriately emailing with a different employee, Microsoft (MSFT) confirmed on Monday.

In 2008, when Gates was still a Microsoft (MSFT) employee and chairman of the board, executives discovered emails sent a year earlier between him and a mid-level female employee in which he asked her to meet outside of work, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal Monday citing people familiar with the matter. At the time, then-general counsel Brad Smith and then-chief people officer Lisa Brummel met with Gates to tell him the behavior was inappropriate and should stop, and Gates agreed, the Journal reported.
Microsoft confirmed the Journal's report to CNN Business but declined to comment. Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw told the Journal that "while flirtatious, [the emails] were not overtly sexual, but were deemed to be inappropriate," and that the employee never made a complaint about the incident.
A spokeswoman for Gates, Bridgitt Arnold, denied the claims in a written statement to the Journal. "These claims are false, recycled rumors from sources who have no direct knowledge, and in some cases have significant conflicts of interest," she said. Representatives for Gates' did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CNN Business.
Bill Gates says he regrets the time spent with Jeffrey Epstein: &#39;It was a huge mistake&#39;
Bill Gates says he regrets the time spent with Jeffrey Epstein: 'It was a huge mistake'
Gates, one of the richest people in the world, was Microsoft's chief executive until 2000. He left day-to-day duties at the company in 2008 and served as chairman until 2014. In March 2020, Gates gave up his seat on Microsoft's board, saying he wanted to dedicate more time to philanthropy.
Monday's report follows other allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior by Gates when he worked at Microsoft, which surfaced earlier this year amid his divorce from his wife of 27 years, Melinda French Gates. (CNN has not independently confirmed all of the allegations.)
In May, the Journal reported that Gates' 2020 resignation from Microsoft's board of directors came after the board hired a law firm to investigate a romantic relationship he'd had years earlier with a Microsoft employee.
"Microsoft received a concern in the latter half of 2019 that Bill Gates sought to initiate an intimate relationship with a company employee in the year 2000," a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to CNN Business in May. "A committee of the Board reviewed the concern, aided by an outside law firm, to conduct a thorough investigation. Throughout the investigation, Microsoft provided extensive support to the employee who raised the concern."
A spokesperson for Gates called the 2000 relationship "an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably," in a statement to the Journal at the time and said the company's investigation was unrelated to Gates' decision to leave the board.

#14808664 at 2021-10-18 17:42:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #18731: E-bake Colin Powell is "A real stiff" Edition

Microsoft busted Bill Gates for 'inappropriate' emails to female staffer: report

Microsoft executives once ordered Bill Gates to stop sending flirty emails to a female subordinate, according to a new report.

The alleged misbehavior occurred more than a decade before the Microsoft board learned of an affair between Gates and another female employee, which preceded Gates' divorce and resignation from the Microsoft board.

Gates allegedly sent the frisky emails to a mid-level female Microsoft employee in 2007, while he was working as a full-time employee, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

He also reportedly asked her to meet up outside work hours and off the Microsoft campus.

In 2008, other Microsoft executives found out about the alleged emails and met with Gates, according to the report.

At the meeting, then-general counsel Brad Smith and then-chief people officer Lisa Brummel reportedly told Gates the emails were inappropriate and ordered him to stop.

Gates admitted that sending the emails was a bad idea and agreed to stop, according to the Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter.

The board reportedly decided against further action because Gates did not have physical contact with the employee.

Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Post but told the Journal that the claims in Monday's report were "false, recycled rumors from sources who have no direct knowledge, and in some cases have significant conflicts of interest."

Microsoft also did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Post. A spokesperson for the company, Frank Shaw, told the Journal that the employee never made a complaint about the incident.

"While flirtatious, they were not overtly sexual, but were deemed to be inappropriate," Shaw said of the emails.

The alleged workplace misconduct came more than a decade before Microsoft's board reportedly received a letter in 2019 from a female Microsoft engineer who said she had an affair with Gates. As directors investigated the allegations, Gates resigned from the board last year and announced he and his wife, Melinda, were divorcing this May.

Gates has since admitted that the divorce was his fault, The Post first reported. The duo were seen together for the first time since their divorce over the weekend at their daughter Jennifer's wedding.

https://nypost.com/2021/10/18/bill-gates-sent-flirty-emails-to-a-female-microsoft-worker-report/

#14558406 at 2021-09-11 13:57:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #18416: #NeverForget #NeverSurrender #NeverQuit -Anonymous Edition

https://www.bridgespan.org/about-us/our-funders

Abhay Havaldar
American Express Foundation
Amit Chandra
Anita and Josh Bekenstein
Bain & Company
Ballmer Group
Barb and Ted Rouse
Barbara and Amos Hostetter
Barr Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill Lewis
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Deborah and Steve Quazzo
Deerbrook Charitable Trust
Desh Deshpande
Donald Graham
Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation
Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
Evelyne Rozner and Matt Griffin
Fidelity Charitable
Fidelity Foundation
Ford Foundation
Frank J. Williams
Goldman Sachs Foundation (GS Gives)
Harris Philanthropies
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
John & Eileen Donahoe
Joshua and Lisa Bernstein
Kathy Surace-Smith and Brad Smith
Laurene and Scott Sperling
Lewis Sebring Family Foundation
Mark Nunnelly and Denise Dupré
Mary and Paul Finnegan
Mary Menell Zients
Morgan Fund
Nonami Foundation Inc
Omidyar Network
Patty Stonesifer
Polk Bros. Foundation
Pritzker Foundation
Raikes Foundation
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Robert Stewart
Robert W. Woodruff Foundation
Robertson Foundation
San Francisco Foundation Skoll Foundation
Steven and Roberta B. Denning Surdna Foundation
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
The Atlantic Philanthropies
The Boston Foundation
The Case Foundation
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation
The James M. Cox Foundation
The JPB Foundation
The Kendeda Fund
The Krehbiel Family
The Lynch Foundation
The Marcus Foundation
The New York Community Trust
The Pew Charitable Trusts
The Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation
The Seattle Foundation
The Whitehead Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Tim Schwertfeger and the Best Portion Foundation
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Walker Family Foundation
Wendy Goldberg
William (Bill) Price

#14547592 at 2021-09-09 19:55:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research #18402: Let Audits Ring Edition

Microsoft Exec Sounds Alarm About Chinese Tech Abuses as Company Collaborates With China

Company's top scientist says China's use of AI is 'chilling'

Microsoft's top scientist is warning Congress about the dangers of Chinese artificial intelligence even as his company deepens its collaboration with China.

Dr. Eric Horvitz this year reported to Congress that "China's domestic use of AI is a chilling precedent for anyone around the world who cherishes individual liberty." The report was the result of Horvitz's work on a panel tasked with advising Congress on artificial intelligence. The report comes as Microsoft CEO Brad Smith is meeting with top Chinese officials to discuss deepening ties in digital technology and Microsoft's work in China

Microsoft is one of many companies that capitulate to China in exchange for access to the country's lucrative market. The National Basketball Association supports political activism among its players and coaches but remains silent on China's human rights abuses and suppression of free speech. Apple allows Chinese officials to physically monitor its facilities and data centers in the country. Tech companies have also faced pressure from within their ranks to downplay Chinese human rights abuses. Apple employees have called on the company to condemn Israel for its actions in the Gaza Strip but not China for its use of slave labor.

Microsoft allows China to heavily censor LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary. LinkedIn creates both a Western and a Chinese profile for Western users and shutters the Chinese versions when users post phrases banned by the Chinese government. In March, LinkedIn took a step further and banned a China critic based in the United Kingdom.

https://www.conservativereview.com/microsoft-exec-sounds-alarm-about-chinese-tech-abuses-as-company-collaborates-with-china-2654957663.html

#14351950 at 2021-08-14 19:26:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #18156: [#ForensicAudit] is the Only Way Edition

https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/top-democrats-took-massive-donations-from-big-tech-as-they-considered-anti-trust-legislation/

Top Democrats Took Massive Donations from Big Tech as They Considered Anti-Trust Legislation.
August 14, 2021Catherine Salgado

As the US Congress considered legislation which could "reshape" the Big Tech industry in recent months, the biggest tech companies in America gave very large donations to key Democrat Party lawmakers.

The tech industry was opposed to antitrust legislation, which would, if passed into law, make it "easier for regulators to break up tech giants." Besides the huge donations, tech companies "lobbied Senate leaders to prioritize a bill to provide $52 billion toward U.S. semiconductor manufacturing."

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), according to April-June Federal Election Commission filings, received the largest donations from the tech companies' executives. Over two dozen executives from Microsoft gave over $116,000 combined to the Schumer campaign in June. Among these executives, 13 gave the maximum legally allowed donation, $5,800. Two of the max-out donors were Microsoft President Brad Smith and also Fred Humphries, who leads Microsoft's Washington lobbying team.

A Microsoft spokesperson has insisted, "These were contributions made by executives in their personal capacity."

Schumer will be running for reelection in 2022 and is currently leading the legislative efforts of Democrats while "simultaneously raising big money to ward off potential primary challengers." Between April and June, Schumer raised a record of over $11.5 million. According to The Hill:

"Google executives and its PAC donated nearly $92,000 to Schumer's campaign in the second quarter of 2021. Cisco Systems executives gave nearly $100,000. Apple executives gave $28,000. Executives at Microsoft, Cisco and Apple previously had not made large donations to Schumer through the first three months of the year."

<more>

#14351669 at 2021-08-14 18:45:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #18156: [#ForensicAudit] is the Only Way Edition

Top Democrats Took Massive Donations from Big Tech as They Considered Anti-Trust Legislation.

As the US Congress considered legislation which could "reshape" the Big Tech industry in recent months, the biggest tech companies in America gave very large donations to key Democrat Party lawmakers.

The tech industry was opposed to antitrust legislation, which would, if passed into law, make it "easier for regulators to break up tech giants." Besides the huge donations, tech companies "lobbied Senate leaders to prioritize a bill to provide $52 billion toward U.S. semiconductor manufacturing."

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), according to April-June Federal Election Commission filings, received the largest donations from the tech companies' executives. Over two dozen executives from Microsoft gave over $116,000 combined to the Schumer campaign in June. Among these executives, 13 gave the maximum legally allowed donation, $5,800. Two of the max-out donors were Microsoft President Brad Smith and also Fred Humphries, who leads Microsoft's Washington lobbying team.

A Microsoft spokesperson has insisted, "These were contributions made by executives in their personal capacity."

Schumer will be running for reelection in 2022 and is currently leading the legislative efforts of Democrats while "simultaneously raising big money to ward off potential primary challengers." Between April and June, Schumer raised a record of over $11.5 million. According to The Hill:

"Google executives and its PAC donated nearly $92,000 to Schumer's campaign in the second quarter of 2021. Cisco Systems executives gave nearly $100,000. Apple executives gave $28,000. Executives at Microsoft, Cisco and Apple previously had not made large donations to Schumer through the first three months of the year."

Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who also received many donations from tech executives, is running for reelection in 2022 as well and is the number three Democrat in the Senate. Murray was given about $67,000 in total from the Amazon PAC and Amazon employees and about $48,000 from Microsoft.

Amazon lobbied the Senate, successfully, to pass a bipartisan bill "to bolster U.S. competitiveness with China" without requiring the collection and verification of third-party sellers' information by online retailers. The Semiconductors in America Coalition was formed in May by Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Cisco to make sure that billions for semiconductor manufacturing were included in this same bill and that other industries, for instance carmakers, did not receive priority for the production of semiconductors.

"Federal investments in semiconductor technology will help ensure more of the chips America needs are produced on U.S. soil and accessible to the many critical sectors of the U.S. economy that depend on them, benefiting American workers, businesses, and consumers," the tech coalition commented after the bill was passed.

https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/top-democrats-took-massive-donations-from-big-tech-as-they-considered-anti-trust-legislation/

#14043467 at 2021-07-03 13:51:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17771: BECOME THE MONSTER THEY TELL US WE ARE Edition

Kamala Harris opens an employment agency, don't worry its all good

The Partnership welcomes additional commitments to join this initiative and promote economic opportunity in the Northern Triangle.

The Partnership will be led by an Executive Committee that includes: Luis von Ahn, Co-founder & CEO, Duolingo; Ajay Banga, Chairman, Mastercard; Børge Brende, President, World Economic Forum; Maria Cavalcanti, President & CEO, ProMujer; Ray Chambers, WHO Ambassador for Global Strategy & Health Financing; Guillaume Le Cunff, CEO, Nespresso; Éfrain Forero, CEO, Davivienda Bank; Michael Froman, Vice Chairman & President of Strategic Growth, Mastercard; Dr. Helene Gayle, President & CEO, The Chicago Community Trust; Alfonso Gonzalez, CEO, Nespresso North America; Kenneth Hersh, President, CEO & Board Member George W. Bush Presidential Center; Jack Leslie, Chairman, Weber Shandwick; Jonathan Fantini Porter, co-Founder & Executive Founder, The Partnership for Central America; Michael Schlein, President & CEO, Accion; Klaus Schwab, Founder & Chairman, The World Economic Forum; Brad Smith, President, Microsoft; Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani and Tent Partnership for Refugees; Dr. Michelle Williams, Dean of the Faculty, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

For more information, please visit: https://www.centampartnership.org/

https://www.tent.org/resources/us-refugee-hiring-guide/

U.S. Employers' Guide to Hiring Refugees
By Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) | January 2018

Employing refugees is an impactful and sustainable way for companies to support refugees and benefit their business at the same time. The U.S. Employers' Guide to Hiring Refugees is a practical toolkit intended to help employers who are interested in hiring refugees in the United States but don't know where to start. The guide is intended to help companies design and implement refugee employment programs that will be maximally successful for employers and refugees alike. It contains essential information related to refugee recruitment and employment

https://test-tent-site.pantheonsite.io/general-michael-hayden/

OUR ADVISORY COUNCIL
General Michael Hayden
Principal, The Chertoff Group & former Director, CIA

#14022840 at 2021-06-30 18:04:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17745: If (You) #DemandAudits, 'They' will Seethe Edition

Microsoft, Google Abandon "Truce" As Tech Giants Turn On Each Other Amid Anti-Monopoly Push

Now that humbling America's tech giants has become an issue with bipartisan support, a package of restrictive new measures targeting Big Tech is slowly moving through Congress, while President Biden prepares to slap the industry with a new executive order empowering regulators to tighten scrutiny of any anti-competitive behaviors.

While all the money firms like Facebook, Amazon and Google spend on lobbying may have saved them from being forcibly broken up, the new restrictions will unquestionably hurt the bottom line of big tech, while making it more difficult for the biggest firms to simply buy out any competitors who might threaten their dominance. While Facebook recently won a major court victory when a judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the DoJ and a handful of State attorneys general, Google has once again found itself squarely in the sight of regulators hoping to humble the company's display ads business, an integral piece of Google's dominance of the digital advertising space.

Despite recently becoming one of only a small handful of American tech giants to see its market capitalization top $1 trillion, Microsoft has largely escaped scrutiny from Congress and the Biden Administration. And while one might expect Big Tech to close ranks in response to the antitrust scrutiny, to the contrary, Microsoft and Google are abandoning a longstanding "truce" that ended an extensive conflict between the two companies, according to the FT.

One source said the agreement wasn't an attempt to screw competitors, but rather an agreement between Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai (CEOs of Microsoft and Google) to end "dirty tricks" that the companies were playing on each other. The truce also involved settling outstanding lawsuits, along with a deal to abandon further litigation. Additionally, Microsoft dropped its infamous "Scroogled" ad campaign attacking its rival.

https://youtu.be/R_6bSCW_UI0

https://youtu.be/56GbFjB2PHk

Still, some academics can't help but be suspicious of the deal.

"It's always a little puzzling when you see direct competitors working on private agreements," Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University, said of the 2015 pact. However, he said that ending the "dirty tricks" employed by both sides appeared to be a way to end the destructive rivalry without necessarily weakening competition.

"The tricks Microsoft was playing on Google were hurting the entire industry - including Microsoft," Goldman added.

Signs of renewed rivalry have cropped up recently with Brad Smith, Microsoft's president, publicly attacking Google over its threats to withdraw its search service in Australia over a ruling that it must compensate publishers. It's exactly these types of ruthless advertising practices that have attracted scrutiny from international regulators.

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/microsoft-google-abandon-truce-tech-giants-turn-each-other-amid-anti-monopoly-push

#13983636 at 2021-06-25 22:16:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17698: Ebake again edition

Rep. Jordan lays into Microsoft for censoring stories about Hunter Biden, China, Dems' abuse of executive orders, and climate change

Conservatives have long been arguing that Big Tech has shown an anti-Republican, anti-right bias by censoring, silencing, and banning stories that could hurt the media's chosen narratives.

Americans have witnessed it in the censorship of reports on COVID-19 treatments and infections, Hunter Biden's infamous laptop, claims of election fraud, the "consensus" on climate change, and more.

In a recent letter to Microsoft President Brad Smith, Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan called out the tech company for its "increasingly aggressive editorial control" over stories it doesn't like.
What did the letter say?

Jordan's letter, written from his perch as GOP ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, began by questioning why Democrats "curiously did not significantly examine Microsoft's conduct" during a recent investigation of "competition in digital markets."

Interestingly, Democrats "excluded Microsoft from scrutiny in their large package of bills to radically rewrite American antitrust law," Jordan said.

The lack of examination by the majority party is notable to Republicans, considering the fact that Microsoft has taken increasingly frequent and stronger steps to censor stories that are unfavorable to China and the Democratic Party.

"On behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, Microsoft has censored Bing search engine results of Tank Man on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests - including results for users in the United States - and has muzzled the voices of China critics on LinkedIn," Jordan wrote, citing a June 4 article from Vice.

In its story, "Bing Censors Image Search for 'Tank Man' Even in US," Vice reported:

Bing, the search engine owned by Microsoft, is not displaying image results for a search for "Tank man," even when searching from the United States. The apparent censorship comes on the anniversary of China's violent crackdown on protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

"There are no results for tank man," the Bing website reads after searching for the term. "Tank man" relates to the infamous image of a single protester standing in front of a line of Chinese tanks during the crackdown.

China censors and blocks distribution of discussion of tank man and Tiananmen Square more generally. This year, anniversary events in Hong Kong have dwindled in size after authorities banned a vigil.

Jordan also noted that the tech company had censored posts on LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, related to Hunter Biden, including a story "about an official U.S. Senate committee report concerning" the son of the president. Microsoft also reportedly suppressed a post "about Big Tech's suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal" written by a former general counsel of the National Security Agency.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/jordan-microsoft-censorship-china-covid-hunter-biden

#13981877 at 2021-06-25 18:16:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17696: #GAaudit > Bqqms = Enable Edition

Microsoft Exemption From Antitrust Bill Followed Company Donation to Top Democrat

Rhode Island congressman David Cicilline swore off big tech money in 2019

Rep. David Cicilline (D., R.I.) exempted Microsoft from a bill he sponsored to regulate big tech three months after he received $5,800 in donations from Microsoft president Brad Smith, FEC filings show.

Cicilline's decision to accept the money marked an about-face for the Rhode Island congressman, who swore off big tech money in 2019. Cicilline is the lead sponsor of the American Choice and Innovation Online Act, which would ban tech companies above a certain size from using their platforms to unfairly promote their own products. The bill originally applied to platforms with 500,000 monthly active users. Earlier this month, the threshold was quietly changed to 50 million active users, a change that would exempt Microsoft.

Cicilline did not explain why the bill text had changed to exclude Microsoft. But the donation from Microsoft's CEO raises questions of how much influence tech companies have over bills designed to regulate their industry. In 2019, Cicilline announced he would not take money from big tech companies.

On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee debated a package of bills that would force big tech companies to provide data to competitors and give the Federal Trade Commission more tools to regulate them. Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) displayed an early draft of the bill marked "confidential Microsoft" obtained from a whistleblower, and suggested that Microsoft had received an early copy. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D., Calif.) proposed an amendment that would make Microsoft subject to the bill once again, which was defeated in an 18-25 vote.

Brad Smith has bragged about his company's close ties to the Hill, telling CNBC "there are times when I call people who I don't personally know, and somebody will say 'you know, your folks have always shown up for me at my events. And we have a good relationship. Let me see what I can do to help you.'" When Microsoft attempted to buy TikTok, Smith personally called dozens of lawmakers to push the bid through.

As pressure on tech from Washington has increased over the past year, so has aggressive lobbying from big tech companies. Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly called Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday to complain that the antitrust bills were rushed. The bills are the products of an 18-month House investigation into market power in the tech industry.

The lobbying pressure has not gone unnoticed on the Hill. In a June 22 Senate hearing, Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah) was visibly frustrated as he blasted "well compensated lobbyists and their nonprofit proxies" who "pervert conservative economic and legal philosophy into a defense of big tech monopoly." Facebook and Amazon are now the largest corporate lobbying spenders in the country.

Cicilline's spokesman claimed in April 2021 that he does not accept money from executives at tech firms. At the time, Politico noted that Cicilline had received $1,000 from a lobbyist for Apple. Smith has praised Cicilline in the past.

Microsoft has recently censored terms offensive to the Chinese Communist Party, including "Tiananmen Square" and "tank man," from its search engine Bing. It also banned discussion of the "lab leak" hypothesis from LinkedIn, the social networking platform it owns.

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/microsoft-exemption-from-antitrust-bill-followed-company-donation-to-top-democrat/

#13955480 at 2021-06-22 07:03:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17663: The 'Treason Inferno' Edition

#7
Rep. Jordan files letter to Microsoft's president over company's alleged bias against conservatives Jordan alleged Microsoft through LinkedIn censored posts about Hunter Biden, the Wuhan lab, and more. Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan is pressing Microsoft's President Brad Smith for information about the company's alleged bias toward conservatives. Jordan made his concerns clear in a letter Monday to Smith in which he said: "Big Tech, including Microsoft, Inc., is out to get conservatives." Jordan's letter comes as the House Judiciary Committee prepares to discuss on Wednesday a series of bills regarding anti-trust laws that take aim at Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. The legislation would make it harder for tech companies to complete mergers, according to CNBC News. Jordan, the committee's top Republican, says in the letter that multiple LinkedIn users alleged that the company, which Microsoft owns, has censored posts related to stories about a laptop belonging to President Biden's son Hunter Biden, including ones by the conservative-leaning Washington Times newspaper, and has restricted accounts related to COVID-19 and the origin of the virus. He also argued that Microsoft has been "exerting editorial control over user-generated content in its word processing program, Microsoft Word." Jordan says that its processing program "urges users to avoid language that Microsoft dislikes and instead to adopt language Microsoft considers to be appropriate," such as "gender-neutral" language.
Jordan asked for Smith and Microsoft to "provide an accounting of all content moderation decisions" and whether the new anti-trust legislation would apply to the company.
https://justthenews.com/government/congress/rep-jordan-files-letter-microsofts-president-over-companys-alleged-bias-against

#13953810 at 2021-06-22 00:28:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17661: Night Time is the Right Time Edition

Rep. Jordan files letter to Microsoft's president over company's alleged bias against conservatives

Jordan alleged Microsoft through LinkedIn censored posts about Hunter Biden, the Wuhan lab, and more.



Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan is pressing Microsoft's President Brad Smith for information about the company's alleged bias toward conservatives.

Jordan made his concerns clear in a letter Monday to Smith in which he said: "Big Tech, including Microsoft, Inc., is out to get conservatives."

Jordan's letter comes as the House Judiciary Committee prepares to discuss on Wednesday a series of bills regarding anti-trust laws that take aim at Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.

The legislation would make it harder for tech companies to complete mergers, according to CNBC News.

Jordan, the committee's top Republican, says in the letter that multiple LinkedIn users alleged that the company, which Microsoft owns, has censored posts related to stories about a laptop belonging to President Biden's son Hunter Biden, including ones by the conservative-leaning Washington Times newspaper, and has restricted accounts related to COVID-19 and the origin of the virus.

He also argued that Microsoft has been "exerting editorial control over user-generated content in its word processing program, Microsoft Word." Jordan says that its processing program "urges users to avoid language that Microsoft dislikes and instead to adopt language Microsoft considers to be appropriate," such as "gender-neutral" language.

Jordan asked for Smith and Microsoft to "provide an accounting of all content moderation decisions" and whether the new anti-trust legislation would apply to the company.

https://justthenews.com/government/congress/rep-jordan-files-letter-microsofts-president-over-companys-alleged-bias-against

#13789899 at 2021-05-30 06:29:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17456: Ghost Bake, God Wins.

Microsoft 1984

George Orwell's 1984 has made waves in the cultural world, even if it's someone comparing the dystopian novel to why they can't buy a breakfast meal after 11 am. However, Microsoft believes that real-life technology may soon replicate Big Brother's in the coming years.

Microsoft's Bold Claim for the Future of AI
Microsoft's president, Brad Smith, made the somewhat scary prediction on BBC Panorama. In it, the UK news giant explored how China uses artificial intelligence to keep an eye on its citizens.

RELATED:
Common Myths About Artificial Intelligence That Aren't True
Smith said that the government needs to keep up-to-date on how technology can spy on people and create laws to protect citizens' privacy as it develops. If it fails to do so, the technology runs the risk of "racing ahead," and once it gets a headstart, it will be "very difficult to catch up."

Smith is afraid of what might happen if things went unchecked:

I'm constantly reminded of George Orwell's lessons in his book 1984. You know the fundamental story... was about a government who could see everything that everyone did and hear everything that everyone said all the time.

Well, that didn't come to pass in 1984, but if we're not careful that could come to pass in 2024.

The US and China: a Cold War for AI
Other people seem to agree with Smith. Eric Schmidt, a former Google chief executive and current member of the US National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, said that China was the country to beat in terms of AI.

That's because China is gunning to be the world leader of AI technologies by 2030. It already has had a fantastic start, with more AI-based patents than the US in 2019 and 54 of the 770 million CCTV cameras in the world pointed at Chinese citizens.

As such, US experts are worried that China's values will seep into the Western world if left unchecked. However, China claims that it has no such plans on the table as of right now.

Dr. Lan Xue, an advisor for the Chinese government, said that its face-scanning technology would prove "tremendously helpful" should something bad happen. Xue also claims that the US's fears are less based on an invasion of Chinese values and more about the US wanting to dethrone China as the number one player for AI technology.

The US doesn't buy China's claims. Seth Moulton, chair of the US Future of Defence Task Force, is currently rallying US tech companies to boost the country's AI capabilities. And Moulton doesn't deny that this "AI arms race" may end in conflict with China in the future.

A Global Race for the Best AI
As China's AI capabilities begin to grow, researchers and experts are worried that its surveillance values will eventually arrive in the West. If that happens, Microsoft feels we may see the dystopian world depicted in 1984 come true.

Given how far technology has advanced, it's easy to feel as if we have eyes on us 24/7. Fortunately, there are ways you can fight back, such as making sure that someone isn't hijacking your webcam without you knowing.

https://www.makeuseof.com/microsoft-warns-1984-true-in-three-years

#13772471 at 2021-05-28 05:25:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research General # 17436: Ebake, addendum

Microsoft president Brad Smith: Orwell's 1984 could happen in 2024

Speaking to BBC's Panorama, Brad Smith said it will be "difficult to catch up" with the rapidly advancing technology.

The programme explores China's increasing use of AI to monitor its citizens.

Critics fear the state's dominance in the area could threaten democracy.

"If we don't enact the laws that will protect the public in the future, we are going to find the technology racing ahead, and it's going to be very difficult to catch up," Mr Smith said.

Brad Smith
image captionMicrosoft President Brad Smith made the comments to BBC Panorama
"I'm constantly reminded of George Orwell's lessons in his book 1984. You know the fundamental story...was about a government who could see everything that everyone did and hear everything that everyone said all the time.

"Well, that didn't come to pass in 1984, but if we're not careful that could come to pass in 2024."

China's AI
In certain parts of the world, reality is increasingly catching up with that view of science fiction, he added.

China's ambition is to become the world leader in AI by 2030, and many consider its capabilities to be far beyond the EU.

In 2019, China beat the US at the number of patents secured by academic institutions for innovation in AI technologies.
54% of the world's 770 million CCTV cameras are in China, according to research by Comparitech.
Eric Schmidt, former Google chief executive who is now chair of the US National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, has warned that beating China in AI is imperative.

"We're in a geo-political strategic conflict with China," he said. "The way to win is to marshal our resources together to have national and global strategies for the democracies to win in AI.

"If we don't, we'll be looking at a future where other values will be imposed on us."

Eric Schmidt
image captionDr Eric Schmidt chairs the US National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.
Dr Lan Xue, who advises the Chinese Government, said facial recognition could prove "tremendously helpful" in identifying people in mass gatherings if there is a "major accident".

"China indeed has made tremendous progress in technology development," Dr Xue added. "[The US] feels that this is a threat... and they wanted to start this Cold War on technology."

Although China has "huge differences" in its values and politics, the country's "vision of the world is not convergence but co-existence," said Dr Keyu Jin, associate professor at the London School of Economics.

"China does not seek to export its values," she added.

Project Maven
Dr Schmidt became an adviser to the Pentagon in 2016, while retaining a position as executive chairman of Alphabet, Google's parent company.

In the following years, Google started a contract with the Pentagon, allowing it to use some of its image recognition technologies as part of a military project.

Project Maven used machine learning to distinguish people and objects in drone videos.

"Maven at the time was...a way of replacing human eyes by automatic vision for the drone footage that was being used in the various Arab conflicts," Dr Schmidt said. "I viewed the use of that technology as a net positive for national security and a good partnership for Google."

'Blood on my hands'
But the project received criticism from Google employees who resigned, and petitioned against the project.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57122120

#13488206 at 2021-04-22 19:21:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17084: EBAKE

LinkedIn censors ex-DHS senior official's posts decrying censorship of Hunter Biden laptop story

Microsoft-owned professional social network won't explain why content was removed, but Stewart Baker suspects his use of "rigged" in connection with 2020 election triggered algorithm.

When the U.K.'s Daily Mail published a bombshell report on the verified contents of Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop earlier this month, sharing the "shocking details" the president's son left out of his low-selling memoir, Stewart Baker tried to share it.

Baker, a former National Security Agency general counsel and Department of Homeland Security subcabinet appointee now in private practice, took to LinkedIn.

"The social media giants that won't let you say the 2020 election was rigged are the people who did their best to rig it: Hunter Biden laptop was genuine and scandalous - Daily Mail," Baker wrote, providing the report link.

The post didn't last long. The Microsoft-owned professional social network told Baker it had removed the post for violating its Professional Community Policies, and warned him that depending on "the severity of the violation, your account may be restricted indefinitely."

The policies vaguely state that posted content "should be professionally relevant and meant to contribute to the LinkedIn community in a constructive manner." They ask users to report content that may be "unsafe, untrustworthy, or unprofessional."

Its guidelines ask users not to post anything "misleading, fraudulent, obscene, threatening, hateful, defamatory, discriminatory, or illegal."

Baker was alarmed. "I've got more than 5000 contacts on Linkedin, and I use it in business almost every day," he wrote in a blog post this week. "Losing my account would be a blow."

It's been about 10 days since LinkedIn first threatened to suspend Baker's account, and it still hasn't told him how his post violated its rules, the lawyer told Just the News on Tuesday. "I've also been looking for a mechanism to appeal the original suppression, and I haven't found one," he wrote in an email.

LinkedIn declined to tell Just the News how Baker's post violated the network's rules, including whether his use of the word "rigged" triggered an algorithmic response.

"Misleading and false information has absolutely no place on our platform," a spokesperson wrote in an email.

"While we can't comment on the specifics of a member's account due to our privacy policy, we can confirm that we only remove content if it's in violation of our policies," the email continued. "Every LinkedIn member has the right to a safe, trusted, and professional experience on our platform. We're committed to making sure conversations remain respectful and professional."

Baker's blog post demanded an explanation from none other than Microsoft president Brad Smith, its longtime general counsel and familiar face at D.C. tech policy events.

https://justthenews.com/nation/free-speech/linkedin-blocks-posts-former-homeland-security-leader-about-hunter-biden-laptop

#13480296 at 2021-04-21 19:01:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17075: 40 days & 2.1 million ballots edition

Woke Companies and Individuals Donate Millions to Joe Biden's Inaugural Committee



Dozens of woke corporations and wealthy individuals donated millions of dollars to President Joe Biden's Inaugural Committee, totaling a sum of $61 million.

Inaugural committees, unlike congressional and presidential campaigns, are free to accept corporate donations, providing an unusual occasion to give candidates huge money.

"The list included companies with major business before the federal government - on everything from taxes to regulations - such as Uber, Lockheed Martin, Comcast, AT&T, Bank of America, Pfizer, and Qualcomm, all of which gave the maximum $1 million," Politico reported.

It's worth noting Biden did not take any money from fossil fuel companies, foreign agents, or lobbyists.

As compared to former Presidents Trump and Obama's hauls, Biden's diverged. Trump out raised Biden by $46 million in 2017, while Biden over-performed Obama's second term committee by $18 million. Obama did bring in nearly $53 million with his first committee in 2007.

According to Tuesday's FEC report, the filings indicate three tranches of donations to Biden: One million cap, $100,000 plus, and notable individuals.

One Million Bracket:

Uber
Lockheed Martin
Comcast
AT&T
Bank of America
Pfizer
Qualcomm
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers labor union
Sherwood Foundation (Susie Buffett)
Levantine Entertainment LLC
Masimo Corporation

At Least $100,000 Bracket:

Amazon
Google
United Airlines
Ford
Doordash
Airbnb
Charter Communications
Anheuser-Busch
Walmart
Verizon
Yelp
Anthem
Microsoft
PepsiCo
Holland & Knight
Dow Chemical
General Motors
FedEx
Amgen
Quicken Loans
National Football League
United Association
United Food
Commercial Workers International Union
American Federation of Teachers

Notable Individuals Bracket:

Brad Smith, Microsoft
David Zapolsky, Amazon
Ken Griffin, hedge fund billionaire and Republican megadonor
Constance Williams, former Pennsylvania state senator
Jean-Pierre Conte, private equity executive
John Foley, Peloton
Haim Saban and Donald Sussman, Democrat megadonors
Chris Sacca and Crystal Sacca, venture capitalists
Bill and Melinda Gates
Bill Austin, hearing aid billionaire
Laurene Powell Jobs, billionaire heiress
Arthur Blank, Home Depot
Amy Goldman Fowler, billionaire heiress
Jonathan Gray, The Blackstone Group
John and Ann Doerr, venture capitalists
Chris Larsen, angel investor
Thomas Tull, entrepreneur and film producer
Neil Bluhm, real estate
James Chambers, billionaire heir
Penny Pritzker, businesswoman
Lukas Walton, billionaire heir
Hamilton "Tony" James, The Blackstone Group
Reid Hoffman, internet entrepreneur

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/04/21/woke-companies-individuals-donate-millions-joe-bidens-inaugural-committee/

#13377800 at 2021-04-07 15:05:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16947: Impeach Cuomo, Recall Newsom, Save the FIlibuster Edition

>>13377798

JOBS FOR THE FUTURE
Maria Flynn
CEO
https://www.jff.org/
https://archive.ph/KUTvX

JUNTO HEALTH
Douglas Hayes
CEO
https://www.juntohealth.org/
https://archive.ph/7IXXA

JUSTLAWS
Steve Masters, Esq.
President
https://justlaws.org/
https://archive.ph/l6Nse

JW PLAYER
Dave Otten
CEO
https://www.jwplayer.com/
https://archive.ph/2AXjp

KARGO
Harry Kargman
Founder & CEO
https://kargo.com/
https://archive.ph/IxbX4

KEURIG DR PEPPER
Bob Gamgort
Chairman & CEO
https://www.keurigdrpepper.com/
https://archive.ph/e1WAi

KIDS IN THE GAME
Matt Murphy
CEO
https://www.kidsinthegame.com/
https://archive.ph/x6zQ8

KINESIS
Shawn Busse
Founder / CEO
https://www.kinesisinc.com/
https://archive.ph/Bm2GQ

KOACORE
Theodore P. Raskin
CEO
https://www.koacore.com/
https://archive.ph/RjGVB

KULE
Jim Kuerschner
President
http://www.kule.com/
https://archive.ph/0oUXu

LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHOCOLATES
Eric Lampman
President
https://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/
https://archive.ph/AiCc3

LASERONICS
Kyle Garner
Owner
https://www.laseronics.com/
https://archive.ph/3FnNc

LEANPATH, INC.
Andrew Shakman
Co-Founder, CEO
https://www.leanpath.com/
https://archive.ph/XppI2

LEGACY VACATION RESORTS
Jared Meyers
Chairman
https://www.legacyvacationresorts.com/
https://archive.ph/lHl3l

LEVI STRAUSS & CO.
Chip Bergh
President & CEO
https://www.levistrauss.com/
https://archive.ph/gSSLK

LEVICK
Richard Levick
President & CEO
https://levick.com/
https://archive.ph/nU9Sm

LIME
Wayne Ting
CEO
https://www.li.me/
https://archive.ph/hIIKo

LINKEDIN
Blake Lawit
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
https://www.linkedin.com/
https://archive.ph/ebZo8

LIVE IN THEIR WORLD
Robin S. Rosenberg, Ph.D.
CEO
https://www.liveintheirworld.com/
https://archive.ph/wueaP

LONGPATH LABS
Ari Wallach
Founder and Executive Director
https://www.longpath.org/
https://archive.ph/ahBRU

LYFT
Logan Green & John Zimmer
Co-Founders; CEO & President respectively
https://www.lyft.com/
https://archive.ph/CMonG

MACHER
Derek Hydon
President
https://macher.com/
https://archive.ph/nsUmO

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Robert D. Manfred, Jr.
Commissioner
https://www.mlb.com/

MEDIACOMBO, INC.
Robin White Owen
President
https://www.mediacombo.net/

MELIORA
Mike Mayer
President
https://meliorameansbetter.com/
https://archive.ph/sOHdU

MENTOR COLLECTIVE
Jackson Boyar
CEO
https://www.mentorcollective.org/
https://archive.ph/J37w1

MENTOR: THE NATIONAL MENTORING PARTNERSHIP
David Shapiro
CEO
https://www.mentoring.org/
https://archive.ph/vnlkC

MERGE4
Cindi Busenhart
Founder / CEO
https://merge4.com/
https://archive.ph/orm5q

METEORITE ADVISORS
Stephen Massey and Steven Levine
Co-Founders
https://www.wearemeteorite.com/
https://archive.ph/OeWLvs

METROPOLITAN GROUP
Eric Friedenwald-Fishman
creative director/CEO
https://www.metgroup.com/
https://archive.ph/7a6eI

MICROSOFT
Brad Smith
President
https://www.microsoft.com/
https://archive.ph/KnJQU

MIMOTO
Kris Bondi
CEO & Co-Founder
https://www.mimoto.ai/
https://archive.ph/22dE2

MISCHIEF MANAGEMENT
Melissa Anelli
Founder/CEO
http://www.mischiefmanagement.com/
https://archive.ph/oyqXO

MONDEL?Z INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Glen Walter
EVP & President, North America
https://www.mondelezinternational.com/
https://archive.ph/KlqDg

MORNINGSTAR, INC.
Kunal Kapoor
Chief Executive Officer
https://www.morningstar.com/
https://archive.ph/MmYAw

MYZOLVE
Meme Scott
Founder & CEO
https://www.myzolve.com/
https://archive.ph/Uk06N

NAMASTE SOLAR
Jason Sharpe
CEO
https://www.namastesolar.com/
https://archive.ph/R3Z9C

NATIONSWELL
Greg Behrman
Founder + CEO
https://nationswell.com/
https://archive.ph/hZ3Dk

NEIL KELLY COMPANY
Tom Kelly
President
https://www.neilkelly.com/
https://archive.ph/zK4id

NEW BELGIUM BREWING
Steve Fechheimer
CEO
https://www.newbelgium.com/
https://archive.ph/k4BTO

NO EVIL FOODS
Mike Woliansky
Co-Founder & CEO
https://www.noevilfoods.com/
https://archive.ph/vKFwa

NUCLEUS
Elizabeth Talerman
CEO, Managing Partner
https://www.thenucleusgroup.com/
https://archive.ph/YxKqH

#13227474 at 2021-03-15 23:42:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16763: Courage Not Censorship Edition

House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on the Media Industry (March 12, 2021)

The president of Microsoft and media experts testified on a "free and diverse press" before a House Judiciary subcommittee. Committee members pressed the witnesses on concerns about the future of the media industry, layoffs and closures of local news companies, and what some members expressed as the growing trend of "cancel culture." The influence of Facebook and Google dominated many of the questions during the hearing.

Opening statements: David Cicilline (1:05), Ken Buck (9:40), Jim Jordan (15:25). Witnesses introduced (18:55).

Witness opening statements (26:15, 5 minutes each):
David Chavern (President, News Media Alliance),
Brad Smith (President, Microsoft),
Jonathan Schleuss (President, Newsguild-CWA),
Emily Barr (President, Graham Media Group),
Glenn Greenwald (journalist, Intercept co-founder),
Clay Travis (sports journalist, Outkick founder),

Representatives question the witnesses (56:05). Highlights:

1:00:45 - Matt Gaetz - Glenn Greenwald
1:33:10 - Jim Jordan - Clay Travis, David Chavern, Glenn Greenwald
1:44:20 - Greg Steube - Clay Travis, Glenn Greenwald
1:50:05 - Pramila Jayapal - Brad Smith, David Chavern
2:27:40 - Burgess Owens - Clay Travis, Glenn Greenwald
2:38:35 - Ken Buck - Clay Travis, Brad Smith

https://www.c-span.org/video/?509810-1/house-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing-media-industry

#13187767 at 2021-03-11 21:28:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16731: Reminder #ImpeachCuomo for Mass Murder Edition

Putin Warns Against US 'Retaliation' Over Alleged SolarWinds Hack

A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the United States should it retaliate for the alleged SolarWinds hack.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman told the TASS news agency on Tuesday that the "alarming information" would constitute a "pure international cybercrime" and is condemned under international law.

"The Russian state has never had anything to do with cybercrimes and cyberterrorism it is being accused of," Peskov stated.

A report from the New York Times, citing unnamed Biden administration officials, claimed the United States will carry out a cyberattack against Moscow in the coming weeks. The report will come along with new economic sanctions, the officials said.

Peskov, in reference to the NY Times' article, stated that "these reports are alarming" and said the cyber attack would be "nothing but international cybercrime."

In a rare joint statement in January, the FBI, National Security Administration (NSA), the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the SolarWinds hack was "likely Russian in origin."

The departments said it's "responsible for most or all of the recently discovered, ongoing cyber compromises of both government and non-governmental networks." They added: "At this time, we believe this was, and continues to be, an intelligence-gathering effort. We are taking all necessary steps to understand the full scope of this campaign and respond accordingly."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and FBI Director Christopher Wray in recent days have suggested harsh punishments would be meted out against Russia.

However, former SolarWinds CEO Brad Smith in late February told a House hearing that there was no evidence the Pentagon was actually impacted by the hack. "There is no indication, to my knowledge, that the DoD was attacked," he said.

In recent days, cybersecurity experts blamed the Chinese regime for a hack that exposed tens of thousands of servers running Microsoft's Exchange email program to possible security breaches.

They said the Chinese regime also unleashed an indiscriminate, automated second wave of hacking that opened the way for ransomware and other cyberattacks. The second wave, which began Feb. 26, is highly uncharacteristic of Beijing's elite cyber spies and far exceeds the norms of espionage, said Kevin Mandia of FireEye.

"You never want to see a modern nation like China that has an offense capability-that they usually control with discipline-suddenly hit potentially a hundred thousand systems," Mandia said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press.

https://m.theepochtimes.com/putin-warns-against-us-retaliation-over-alleged-solarwinds-hack_3729576.html

#13034110 at 2021-02-23 23:19:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16600: On This Day In 1945... Edition

Microsoft President Blames Russia Intelligence Agency for SolarWinds Hack

Microsoft President Brad Smith told a US Senate panel there is substantial evidence that a Russian intelligence agency was involved in the massive SolarWinds hacking attack and there are no leads that would incriminate other suspects.

"I do think we can say this. At this stage we have seen substantial evidence that points to the Russian foreign intelligence agency. And we have found no evidence that leads us anywhere else," Smith said in a testimony to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

US officials have said they agree that Russian hackers are likely behind a massive cyberattack that targeted at least nine federal agencies and 17,000 private companies. The suspects reportedly embedded malware in SolarWinds updates and patches to penetrate the networks in search for sensitive data. Russia has denied the allegations.

"We will wait for the rest of formal steps to be taken by the government and others. But there is not a lot of suspense at this moment," Smith said.

President and CEO of the CrowdStrike cybersecurity company George Kurtz agreed that there is no information available to him that would suggest that suspicions against Russia are incorrect.

"We are aware that the US government has stated this threat actor is likely of Russian origin. While we are currently unable to corroborate that finding, we have no information to suggest it's incorrect," he said during the Senate hearing.

Smith, whose company analyzed the attack in great detail, estimated that at least a thousand very skilled, capable engineers participated in it.

"We haven't seen this kind of sophistication matched with this kind of scale," he said.

Smith denounced the attack as an indiscriminate "act of recklessness" without "clear analogy or precedent." He called for attribution and accountability for the culprits.

"The world relies on the patching and updating of software… for everything. For physical infrastructure, for hospitals, roads, airports, because they are all run on software. To disrupt, to damage, to temper with that kind of software updating process is my opinion to tamper with what is in effect the digital equivalent of our public health service. It puts the entire world at a greater risk," he said.

The White House confirmed on Monday that it is weeks away from responding to the SolarWinds attack.

https://sputniknews.com/us/202102231082165100-microsoft-president-blames-russia-intelligence-agency-for-solarwinds-hack/

#13033521 at 2021-02-23 21:51:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16599: Really Bros? Edition

Brad Smith, MS president and chief legal officer.

strange combination, Huh?

#12933649 at 2021-02-15 17:33:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16508: The 'The Importance Is In The Details' Edition

'Largest-ever the world has seen': Microsoft president claims 1,000+ software engineers must have worked on SolarWinds breech

The SolarWinds breach was the largest and most sophisticated ever discovered, Microsoft's Brad Smith told CBS. The network framed the breach as a reckless Russian hack attack that the NSA was unable to spot in time.

The multifaceted breach, best-known for the company SolarWinds and its software, affected thousands of government and private computers in the US. It was first made public in December 2020 and was quickly blamed by people in Washington on Moscow. Microsoft was among companies whose electronic credentials were exploited.

Speaking to CBS's '60 Minutes' program, Microsoft President Brad Smith said that "from a software engineering perspective, it's probably fair to say that this is the largest and most sophisticated attack the world has ever seen."

The company tasked 500 software engineers to analyze what had happened. Smith said "certainly more than 1,000" similar specialists were involved in working on the breach itself. "Almost certainly, these attacks are continuing," he added.

Smith was one of several guests interviewed for the program, which purports to explain how "Russian spies" hacked key departments of the US government and learned their secrets. The experts helped paint a picture of an intelligence operation that was "unprecedented in audacity and scope" and part of an under-the-radar "cyber war" between the US and Russia.

Moscow has "outsmarted" the DHS and "circumvented" the NSA, which "gathers intelligence overseas, but is prohibited from surveilling US computer networks," according to the program.

https://www.rt.com/news/515617-solarwinds-breach-largest-ever/

#12683979 at 2021-01-23 17:50:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16194: (You) are Q Edition

Microsoft suspends donating to politicians using MSPAC

What you need to know
Microsoft President Brad Smith discussed Microsoft's donations to politicians through its MSPAC.
Smith says "you have to write a check and then you're invited and participate" when speaking about political donations.
Microsoft recently paused donations through the MSPAC in response to criticism from its employees.
Microsoft President Brad Smith defended Microsoft's donations to political campaigns through its Microsoft Political Action Committee (MSPAC) in a meeting with employees on Thursday, January 21, 2021. These statements come from a meeting that has been transcribed by Pinboard and reviewed by CNBC. Smith states that donating to politicians is "the way the political process works" and that working with politicians benefits Microsoft in several areas.

Microsoft employees can donate some of their income to the MSPAC, but don't directly influence where funds are donated. It came under fire from several Microsoft employees who criticized the company for donating to politicians that had gone against the certifying the Electoral College results of President Biden. Smith shared a tweet on January 4, 2021 about the importance of the peaceful transition of power, but people accused Microsoft of hypocrisy.

Following criticism, Microsoft announced that it is pausing political donations through the MSPAC. Microsoft normally pauses donations during the first quarter of a new U.S. Congress, but in this case, Microsoft is also taking time to consult with employees and consider recent events.

In a meeting with Microsoft employees that has been transcribed and saved by Maciej Ceglowski on Pinboard, Smith discussed why Microsoft donates to politicians.

He said to employees at the meeting, "The questions that are being considered are exactly I think what you would expect. Should the PAC suspend donations to the members who voted against the Electoral College? If so, for how long?"

He also gave a long answer that bluntly explains how donating to politicians helps Microsoft:

I can tell you it plays an important role. Not because the checks are big, but because the way the political process works. Politicians in the United States have events, they have weekend retreats, you have to write a check and then you're invited and participate. So if you work in the government affairs team in the United States, you spend your weekends going to these events; you spend your evenings going to these dinners, and the reason you go is because the PAC writes a check.

But out of that ongoing effort a relationship evolves and emerges and solidifies, and I can tell you as somebody who sometimes is picking up the phone, I'm sometimes calling members and asking for their help on green cards, or on visa issues, or help to get an employee or family member who is outside the United States during Covid back into the country because of an immigration restriction.

Or the issues around national security, or privacy, or procurement reform. Or the tax issues that our finance team manages. And I can tell you, there are times when I call people who I don't personally know, and somebody will say 'you know, your folks have always shown up for me at my events. And we have a good relationship. Let me see what I can do to help you.'

Microsoft has not issued a statement or comment in response to Smith's statements at this time.

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-president-defends-controversial-donations-us-politicians

#12615158 at 2021-01-20 00:08:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16106: By Lawful Means Edition

President Trump Awards Presidential Commendations to Operation Warp Speed Team

Today, President Donald J. Trump awarded Presidential Commendations to the below individuals in recognition of their exceptional efforts on Operation Warp Speed:

General Mark Milley
Secretary Alex Azar
Jared Kushner
Dr. Moncef Slaoui
General Gustave Perna
Dr. Deborah Birx
Dr. Anthony Fauci
Adam Boehler
Brad Smith
David Norquist
Chuong Huynh
Janssen Kimberly Taylor
David Simon
Rebecca Kurna
Jonathan Seals
Merck Daniel Wolfe
Christopher Houchens
Robert Johnson
Matthew Hepburn
Jason Roos
David Boucher
John Mascola
Barney Graham
Emily Erbelding
Mary Marovich
Richard Gorman
Christy Ventura
Joseph Chapman
Deacon Maddox
Christine Oshansky
Tremel Faison
Mike Angelastro
Carlo De Notaristefani
Anita Patel
Nancy Messonnier
Greg Hand
Meghan Pennini
Marina Kozak
Rachel Overman
Efrain Garcia
Amy Jenkins
Karl Erlandson
Sean O'Neil
Mary Homer
John Redd
Janet Woodcock
Kevin Bugin
Deydre Teyhen
Kimberly Armstrong
Tremel Faison
Mike Angelastro
Carlo De Notaristefani

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-trump-awards-presidential-commendations-operation-warp-speed-team/

#12296009 at 2021-01-03 17:52:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #15697: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD Edition

Microsoft Says Source Code Was Accessed During SolarWinds Hack

"This latest cyber-assault is effectively an attack on the United States and its government and other critical institutions, including security firms."

Microsoft announced that their source code was accessed as a result of the SolarWinds breach in a statement on December 17.

"The attack is ongoing and is being actively investigated and addressed by cybersecurity teams in the public and private sectors, including Microsoft," said Microsoft President Brad Smith. "As our teams act as first responders to these attacks, these ongoing investigations reveal an attack that is remarkable for its scope, sophistication and impact."

JUST IN - Microsoft: @SolarWinds hackers gained access to source codes.

- Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) December 31, 2020

Smith noted in the statement that the cyber attack is still ongoing, but the company "has identified and has been working this week to notify more than 40 customers that the attackers targeted more precisely and compromised through additional and sophisticated measures."

Microsoft asserts that the bad actors were unable to edit the source code, but did not say how many source code repositories were compromised or how long the source code was accessed for.

While many have suggested that Russia and/or Russian actors are responsible for the SolarWinds cyber attack, President Donald Trump has suggested that China may have been involved, as National File reported.

President Trump also said that the cyber attack could have impacted "our ridiculous voting machines" during the 2020 US election, adding that the election was a "corrupted embarrassment for the USA."

This comes after several days of the mainstream media repeatedly blaming Russia or Russian actors for the devastating attack.

The Cyber Hack is far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality. I have been fully briefed and everything is well under control. Russia, Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens because Lamestream is, for mostly financial reasons, petrified of....

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2020

....discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!). There could also have been a hit on our ridiculous voting machines during the election, which is now obvious that I won big, making it an even more corrupted embarrassment for the USA. @DNI_Ratcliffe @SecPompeo

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2020

https://nationalfile.com/microsoft-says-source-code-was-accessed-during-solarwinds-hack/

#12087500 at 2020-12-19 03:44:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #15432: Deep State Start A War Avoid Arrest Edition

Massive Russia-linked cyberattack grows beyond US, heightening fears

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A devastating cyberattack on US government agencies has also hit targets worldwide, with the list of victims still growing, according to researchers, heightening fears over computer security and espionage. Microsoft said late on Thursday (Dec 17) that it had notified more than 40 customers hit by the malware, which security experts say came from hackers linked to the Russian government and which could allow attackers unfettered network access. "While roughly 80 per cent of these customers are located in the United States, this work so far has also identified victims in seven additional countries," Microsoft president Brad Smith said in a blog post. Smith said the victims were also found in Belgium, Britain, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Spain and the United Arab Emirates. "It's certain that the number and location of victims will keep growing," Smith said, echoing concerns voiced this week by US officials on the serious threat from the attack. "This is not 'espionage as usual,' even in the digital age," Smith said. "Instead, it represents an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world." John Dickson of the security firm Denim Group said many private sector firms which could be vulnerable are scrambling to shore up security, even to the point of considering rebuilding their servers and other equipment. "Everyone is in damage assessment now because it's so big," Dickson said. "It's a severe body blow to confidence both in government and critical infrastructure."

The threat comes from a long-running attack which is believed to have injected malware into computer networks using enterprise management network software made by the Texas-based IT company SolarWinds, with the hallmarks of a nation-state attack. James Lewis, vice-president at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the attack may end up being the worst to hit the US, eclipsing the 2014 hack of US government personnel records in a suspected Chinese infiltration. "The scale is daunting. We don't know what has been taken so that is one of the tasks for forensics," Lewis said. "We also don't know what's been left behind. The normal practice is to leave something behind so they can get back in, in the future."

NSA warning The National Security Agency called for increased vigilance to prevent unauthorised access to key military and civilian systems. Analysts have said the attacks pose threats to national security by infiltrating key government systems, while also creating risks for controls of key infrastructure systems such as electric power grids and other utilities. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said government agencies, critical infrastructure entities, and private sector organizations had been targeted by what it called an "advanced persistent threat actor." CISA did not identify who was behind the malware attack, but private security companies pointed a finger at hackers linked to the Russian government. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also suggested involvement by Moscow on Monday, saying the Russian government had made repeated attempts to breach US government networks.
Moar Here:
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/russia-linked-solarwinds-hack-snags-widening-list-of-victims

Anons are we sure this is a Russia hack.. they seem to get blamed quite a bit for things they had nothing to do with.. Not trusting that Microsoft is saying this. Feels like this hack is an attempt to deflect attention away from Solarwinds.

#12086712 at 2020-12-19 02:33:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #15431: Anon TOGTFO Extravaganza Edition

Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith discusses "the attack"

Dec.18 – A suspected Russian cyber attack struck a number of federal government agencies and, it is believed, gained access to corporate networks by installing malicious code in a widely used software program from SolarWinds Corp. Microsoft Corp. said that its systems were also exposed as part of the attack. Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith discusses the attack on "Bloomberg Technology."


Bloomberg Technology
Hundreds Likely Hit by SolarWinds Hack: Microsoft's Smith
Dec 18, 2020
295 views
12-minutes
https://youtu.be/1FE9cBOyPhs

#12080886 at 2020-12-18 18:13:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #15424: Lexington Patriots Are Gathered In Formation Edition

Microsoft says it identified 40+ victims of the SolarWinds hack

Microsoft says 80% of the victims it identified were located in the United States.

Microsoft said it identified more than 40 of its customers that installed trojanized versions of the SolarWinds Orion platform and where hackers escalated intrusions with additional, second-stage payloads.

The OS maker said it was able to discover these intrusions using data collected by Microsoft Defender antivirus product, a free antivirus product built into all Windows installations.

Microsoft President Brad Smith said his company is now in the process of notifying all the impacted organizations, 80% of which are located in the United States, with the rest being spread across seven other countries – namely Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Spain, the UK, Israel, and the UAE.

While the current list of known victims of the SolarWinds hack mostly includes US government agencies, Smith said the government sector is only a small portion of the victim list, with 44% being IT companies, such as software firms and equipment providers.

The Microsoft President also said the attack is ongoing, with the hackers trying to compromise new companies still, despite the incident being public and actively investigated.

"It's certain that the number and location of victims will keep growing," Smith said.

The latest victim on this list is Microsoft itself, which, hours before Smith's analysis, admitted to having installed trojanized version of the SolarWinds app inside its own infrastructure.

Reuters reported that hackers accessed Microsoft's internal network, but Microsoft denied that they were able to reach production systems and impact its business customers and end-users.
SolarWinds hack summary and fallout

Five days later, the breadth of the SolarWinds hack continues to grow.

This entire incident began last week when security firm FireEye said that a state-sponsored hacking group accessed its internal network, stole pen-testing tools and tried to access documents on its government contracts.

While investigating the breach, FireEye tracked down the intrusion to a malware-laced version of SolarWinds Orion, a network monitoring tool used inside large enterprise networks.

Notified by FireEye, SolarWinds admitted on Sunday to getting hacked, disclosing that several Orion app updates released between March and June contained a backdoor trojan.

A day later, SolarWinds admitted in SEC documents that around 18,000 customers had installed the trojanized updates, triggering a massive search inside enterprise networks, with IT personnel looking to see if they had installed the malware-laced Orion app version and if second-stage malware payloads were used to escalate attacks.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-says-it-identified-40-victims-of-the-solarwinds-hack/?ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=21735961543072688253262375158449&mid=13206382&cid=717936240

#11313835 at 2020-10-28 00:42:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #14451: Q CLEARANCE BOBULINSKI Edition

Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced For Numerous Offenses Against Over a Dozen Children

TYLER, Texas - U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox announced that a 40-year-old Ore City, Texas man has been sentenced to 840 months in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

Jeremy OKieth Kyle, also known as Corey Webster, also known as Rick, also known as Derrick Willis, also known as Eric Sanders, also known as Brad Smith, also known as Jason, also known as J, pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2020, to three counts of coercion and enticement and was sentenced to 840 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle today.

According to information presented in court, between 2013 and 2018, Kyle, a convicted sex offender, committed numerous offenses against eighteen minor female victims and four adult female victims. He used a variety of false personas and promises of love and money to convince the victims to meet him and engage in sexual encounters. He acquired images and videos of the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct and threatened to distribute those images and videos in order to coerce more sexual encounters.

"What this man did is a tragedy. These young victims were treated in ways no person should ever be treated," said U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox. "This case also serves as a warning to parents: exploitation and abuse can be one click away in today's social media and technological environment. Parents should take strong precautions to protect children from victimization."

"Predators are targeting children of all ages online by using threats and manipulative tactics. The FBI will continue working with our partners to hold these online predators accountable for their dangerous behavior," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. "We encourage potential victims and their parents to contact the FBI or local law enforcement if they are targeted online."

Anyone who had contact, in person or on social media, with an individual who identified himself as Jeremy OKieth Kyle, Corey Webster, Rick, Derrick Willis, Eric Sanders, Brad Smith, Jason, or J, is urged to contact the U.S. Attorney's Office at 1-800-804-3547. The U.S. Attorney's Office will take the necessary steps to protect the individuals' identities and confidential information.

https://breaking911.com/convicted-sex-offender-sentenced-for-numerous-offenses-against-over-a-dozen-children/

#10924419 at 2020-10-05 01:45:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13979: Saluting Our Commander in Chief Edition

https://greece.greekreporter.com/2020/10/04/microsoft-reportedly-plans-massive-e1-billion-investment-in-greece/

Microsoft is expected to announce on Monday a massive ?1bn ($1.17bn) investment in Greece for the establishment of its new activities in Europe, including cloud services, Greek media report.

The announcement will be made during an event at the Acropolis Museum attended by Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the head of the American technology giant Brad Smith.

According to a report in Kathimerini, the investment concerns the installation of an important part of the new technological infrastructure of the company that is related, among other things, to the activities of cloud services.

#10768346 at 2020-09-24 14:12:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13781: Hold On To Yer Butts Edition

>>10768323
You mean his name isnt Brad Smith?

#10623476 at 2020-09-13 00:25:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13594: Saturday Evening Get Ready for Rally Edition

Netflix Board of Directors:

Richard Barton - Founded Zillow and Expedia (within Microsoft).

Rodolphe Belmer - CEO of Eutelsat, the leading satellite operator in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Formerly McKinsey.

Mathias Döpfner - Chairman,CEO Axel Springer - German brands include BILD, DIE WELT, BUSINESS INSIDER and POLITICO Europe.

Timothy Haley - Co-founder of Redpoint Ventures.

Reed Hastings - Co-CEO and co-founder of Netflix. On the board of several educational organizations including The City Fund, KIPP, and Pahara.

Jay Hoag - General Partner at Technology Crossover Ventures.

Leslie Kilgore - Former Netflix CMO.

Ann Mather- On the boards of Netflix, Glu Mobile, Google, MGM Holdings Inc., Shutterfly, Inc., Arista Networks, Veem, Planet and AirBnB. Previously a director of Central European Media Enterprises Group, Zappos.com, Ariat International, Inc., MoneyGram International, Inc., andSolazyme, Inc.Former Pixar and Disney exec.

Ambassador Susan Rice- NSC (Obama admin), Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Special Assistant (Clinton admin), former McKinsey.

Ted Sarandos- Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer at Netflix. Stranger Things, Dark (Germany) La Casa De Papel (Spain), Sacred Games (India) To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Bright, Bird Box, etc. Ted is married to U.S. Ambassador Nicole Avant – formerUnited States Ambassador to the Bahamasfrom 2009 to 2011.

Brad Smith - Microsoft

Anne Sweeney- Former CEO of Disney. Negotiated Disney content deal inChina.


https://www.netflixinvestor.com/governance/officers-and-directors/default.aspx

#10619390 at 2020-09-12 18:10:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13589: Never Apologize For Being A Patriot Edition

>>10619168
Richard Barton

Rodolphe Belmer

Mathias Döpfner

Timothy Haley

Reed Hastings

Jay Hoag

Leslie Kilgore

Ann Mather

Ambassador Susan Rice

Ted Sarandos

Brad Smith

Anne Sweeney

#10115455 at 2020-07-29 17:43:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #12946: The Bell Tolls For Silicon Valley Edition

When were the seeds of Censorship and Democrat manipulation/domination of tech media sown?

I say it started on February 2011 over toasts if Champagne with then President Obama.

It would be a shame if Judicial Watch ever got a FOIA on those meetings and memorandums and emails of the Obama Administration after the meetings were held.

https://www.businessinsider.com/people-at-obamas-tech-dinner-2011-2?amp
Notables at this champagne dinner are:

-John Doerr, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and his spouse Ann Doerr.
- Carol Bartz, President and CEO, Yahoo Inc.
- John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems Inc.
-Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter Inc.
- Larry Ellison, Co-Founder and CEO, Oracle Corp.
- Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix Inc.
-John Hennessy, President, Stanford University
-Steve Jobs, Chairman and CEO, Apple Inc.
- Art Levinson, Chairman and former CEO, Genentech Inc.
-Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google Inc.
-Steve Westly, Managing Partner and Founder, The Westly Group
-Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Facebook Inc.

Pres. Obama met again on December 2013:
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/12/17/obama-meets-with-tech-ceos-amid-nsa-concerns/amp/

According to the White House, here are the bigwigs expected to attend:
· Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
· Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter
· Chad Dickerson, CEO, Etsy
· Reed Hastings, Co-Founder & CEO, Netflix
· Drew Houston, Founder & CEO, Dropbox
· Marissa Mayer, President and CEO, Yahoo!
· Burke Norton, Chief Legal Officer, Salesforce
· Mark Pincus, Founder, Chief Product Officer & Chairman, Zynga
· Shervin Pishevar, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Sherpa Global
· Brian Roberts, Chairman & CEO, Comcast
· Erika Rottenberg, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, LinkedIn
· Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook
· Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google
· Brad Smith, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Microsoft
· Randall Stephenson, Chairman & CEO, AT&T

Obama also met the same tech giants in Mar 2013 and in Mar 2017.

#9975257 at 2020-07-16 02:49:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #12765: You are watching a movie Edition

>>9975192
Why the Great Reset also means fighting racism

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/why-the-great-reset-also-means-fighting-racism/

o Great Reset launched on 3 June by Klaus Schwab and Prince Charles.
o IMF chief says it will mean "greener, smarter, fairer world".
o Schwab cites Mandela on link between racism and fair economy and society.

The Great Reset - rebuilding the global economy in a fairer, greener way as we come out of the coronavirus pandemic - will also require societies to battle and beat racism.

In his closing words at Wednesday's launch of the project, World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab chose to cite Nelson Mandela, a man imprisoned for years for fighting institutional racism in apartheid South Africa and who became the country's president.

"I stood, 21 years ago, together with Nelson Mandela in Davos on the stage when he said: 'We should lay the scourge of racism, of divisiveness to rest. This requires strong, democratic institutions and (the) will of everybody and the culture of compassion. None of this is possible without a strong economy and a cohesive society."

While much of the Great Reset will be about environmental sustainability and the better use of technology, it is also about seeking greater fairness and less inequality.

"The COVID-19 crisis has shown us that our old systems are not fit any more for the 21st century," Schwab said in his opening statement. "It has laid bare the fundamental lack of social cohesion, fairness, inclusion and equality."

We could try to go back to the world we had before the pandemic, he said, but that risked "the amplification of many of the trends we see today: polarisation, nationalism, racism and ultimately social unrest and conflicts."

A great reset of how the economy and society run would do the opposite, he said.

It was also a time to support those who had been left behind. Juliana Rotich, Venture Partner at Atlantica Ventures in Nairobi, said we were at an inflection point.

"There's an opportunity to centre the reset on those who are most vulnerable, those on the edge where it only takes something like a pandemic to slide into poverty."

Other speakers at the launch echoed Schwab's concerns about inequality and racism.

Microsoft President Brad Smith made a direct reference to the racial conflict in his own country, and how the Great Reset could be part of the solution.

"Data, and technology more broadly, are indispensable tools to solving almost any of the problems that we confront," he said.

"And so when it comes to protecting people's fundamental rights, as we are seeing in the United States today, we have been focused for several years on using data to shine a light on disparities, for example, between the practices of police on African-Americans and blacks in the United States in comparison with other populations - that is a slice of what we'll need to address around the world."

In a passionate address, Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund said the Great Reset would result in a "greener, smarter, fairer world".

"We know this pandemic, if left to its own devices, will deepen inequality," she said.

"But if we were to concentrate in investing in people, in the social fabric of our societies, in access to opportunities and education for all, in expansion of social programmes - then we can have a world that is a better world for all."

#9672830 at 2020-06-19 19:07:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #12381: Hypocrits Need A Safe Space....hhmm....... Edition

Newsfags, you caught this?
Microsoft President Calls for Antitrust Review of Apple

In a recent interview with Politico Microsoft President Brad Smith discussed tech rival Apple and how antitrust regulators should focus on the company following recent controversy about the firm's App Store pricing and policies. Smith believes that it's time for Apple's App Store, and the app store of other companies, to face regulation.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/06/19/microsoft-president-calls-for-antitrust-review-of-apple/

#9595625 at 2020-06-13 08:43:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #12281: Ghost Protocol Edition

Trump Opens New Front in War on Big Tech: Microsoft

https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/techwatch/alexander-hall/2020/06/12/trump-opens-new-front-war-big-tech-microsoft

Now that Microsoft has joined other Big Tech companies in refusing to help police, President Donald Trump has retweeted a call to have them barred from government contracts.

Microsoft followed the lead of IBM and Amazon in vowing to stop supplying police with facial recognition technology. An emailed letter from 250 Microsoft employees may also have forced their leadership's hand. Since then, former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell slammed Microsoft for caving in, writing that they should be "barred from federal government contracts." Grenell added that "there should be consequences for not selling technology to police departments." Trump since retweeted the June 12 post in what appears to be an agreement.



Grenell himself retweeted a Twitter thread by the ACLU's Twitter account. The ACLU observed how "Microsoft just announced it will not sell face recognition technology to the police."

The same thread by the ACLU was unabashed in its preaching:

When even the makers of face recognition refuse to sell this surveillance technology because it is so dangerous, lawmakers can no longer deny the threats to our rights and liberties.

The thread explicitly brought this move into context of the George Floyd riots:

It should not have taken protests against police brutality and for Black lives, and the deployment of military-grade surveillance equipment on those protests, for these companies to wake up to the everyday realities of police surveillance for Black and Brown communities.

Microsoft President Brad Smith responded to the letter from approximately 250 of his employees by proclaiming his company's commitment to social justice in an interview during a Post Live event. "We've decided that we will not sell facial recognition technology to police departments in the United States until we have a national law in place grounded in human rights that will govern this technology," he said.

Smith later added: "The bottom line for us is to protect the human rights of people as this technology is deployed."

The email Microsoft employees sent to their leadership was a wishlist of politically radical requests, which included, as OneZero summarized as "increasing Microsoft's employee donation matches; the cancellation of contracts with SPD and other law enforcement agencies; support for defunding the SPD; signing a petition for the resignation of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan; and support for a list of demands from BLM Seattle."

#9580253 at 2020-06-12 00:16:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #12261: The Source Edition

>>9579961
Big Tech are protecting them from facial recognition by Police:

June 11, 2020 at 8:30 p.m. GMT+2
SEATTLE - Microsoft has joined the list of tech giants that have decided to limit the use of its facial-recognition systems, announcing that it will not sell the controversial technology to police departments until there is a federal law regulating it.

The move, which Microsoft President Brad Smith confirmed at a Washington Post Live event Thursday, follows similar decisions by Amazon and IBM as protesters nationwide press for an end to police brutality and racial profiling.

Smith said Microsoft has not sold its facial-recognition technology to police departments. And the company has backed legislation in California that would allow police use of the technology with some restrictions.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/11/microsoft-facial-recognition/

#9365645 at 2020-05-29 20:37:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #11986: DS in Panic, Shills Be Burning Friday Edition

Info on industry leaders roundtable

Today, President Donald J. Trump will lead a roundtable discussion with industry leaders on reopening the American economy in the State Dining Room of the White House. President Trump built the greatest economy in American history before COVID-19 and is already at work on the "transition to greatness" to restore well-paying jobs and prosperity to all Americans.

The following individuals are expected to attend:

The White House
President Donald J. Trump
Larry Kudlow, Assistant to the President and Director of the National Economic Counsel
Ambassador Debbie Birx, M.D., White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator
'Kevin Hassett, Senior Advisor
Tim Pataki, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Liaison

Trump Administration
Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Department of the Treasury
Secretary Eugene Scalia, Department of Labor

External Participants
Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Brian Goldner, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Hasbro
David Hoffmann, CEO, Dunkin' Brands
Gary Kelly, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Southwest
Rodney McMullen, Chairman and CEO, Kroger
Oscar Munoz, Executive Chairman, United
Brad Smith, President, Microsoft
Sonia Syngal, CEO, Gap Inc.


https://publicpool.kinja.com/subject-in-town-pool-report-11-roundtable-details-1843761563

#8940319 at 2020-04-27 21:52:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #11443: Stay Strong POTUS. WRWY Edition

From the White House, a
List of attendees at Industry Executives meeting today

White House
President Donald J. Trump
The Vice President
Mark Meadows, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
Dan Scavino, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for
Communications
Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
Marc Short, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President
Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy

Trump Administration
Secretary Alex Azar, Department of Health and Human Services
Administrator Seema Verma, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Dr. Stephen Hahn, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Food and Drug Administration
Admiral Brett Giroir, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health, Department
of Health and Human Services
Brad Smith, Deputy Administrator & Director, Center for Medicare &
Medicaid Innovation
Adam Boehler, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International
Development Finance Corporation

External Participants
Richard Ashworth, President, Walgreens
Marc Casper, Chairman, President, and CEO, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Heyward Donigan, CEO, Rite-Aid
Julie Khani, President, American Clinical Laboratory Association
John Nims, President and CEO, U.S. Cotton
Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart
Rodney McMullen, CEO, Kroger
Larry Merlo, CEO, CVS
Stephen Rusckowski, Chairman, President, and CEO, Quest Diagnostics
Adam Schecter, CEO, LabCorp

https://publicpool.kinja.com/subject-in-town-pool-9-full-list-of-attendees-1843114776

#8761740 at 2020-04-11 23:07:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #11217: For I know the plans I have for you Edition

April 11, 2020, 5:05 PM CDT
By Jonathan Allen, Phil McCausland and Cyrus Farivar

WILMINGTON, Del. - The coronavirus presented DuPont, the chemical giant based here, with a golden business opportunity.
In January, the company convened a crisis team to figure out how to ramp up global production of personal protective equipment, including suits made out of its patented Tyvek material, which normally sell for about $5 apiece to hospitals. By early March, as the disease began to spread in the United States, DuPont's factory in Richmond, Virginia, was cranking out Tyvek.

It usually takes up to three months to ship the material to Vietnam, where it is sewn into body suits, and get it back. When the federal government offered to pay for chartered flights to reduce the roundtrip for 750,000 items to 10 days, DuPont agreed.

'The Children' and the '40-40-20' formula

The two priorities that officials say have not been sacrificed by Trump or his supply chain task force, dubbed "the children" inside FEMA's headquarters, are private profit and the ability of the White House to choose where supplies go.
Members of the team include friends and close allies of Kushner, who is also the president's son-in-law. Brad Smith, described as a "volunteer" because he is on loan from his job as deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a Kushner friend who has been involved in its work.

The supply chain task force leaders pushed aside the existing federal emergency management response teams that had long-established methods for engaging assistance from the public and private sectors. Instead, they first reached out to personal contacts, according to people familiar with their operations. To the extent that they have absorbed some of the old practices over the course of time, with the help of career officials intent on bringing their actions in line with protocol, it has taken time to figure out their own system.

"Jared and his friends decided they were going to do their thing," said the senior government official involved in the response effort. "It cost weeks."

The senior administration official familiar with the task force's work described a race to procure supplies of ventilators, test kits and protective equipment in the midst of a chaotic moment in which governors, mayors and hospital systems were demanding more than they needed. The supply-chain team had the ability to win bids and then either distribute the goods to directly, allocate them through the federal share of purchases or simply turn over contracts to states, this person said.

But when it comes to determining need, the source said, Kushner and his team have taken their time to require that governors and mayors have a handle on how much equipment they already have at their disposal and what they can get their hands on - some governors are smarter and more resourceful than others, the source added.

In one wrinkle that has had repercussions for small businesses and communities around the country, the task force ended FEMA's long-running practice of using its regional offices to locate, pay for and acquire goods from smaller local vendors in an emergency, preferring instead to contract with heavyweights.

One potential supplier whose officials spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity to avoid hurting future contract opportunities was originally contacted by a FEMA regional official in mid-March about producing face shields, which are needed by medical personnel to avoid being sprayed with virus particles by patients.
The supplier initially bought $20,000 of material and told the regional office that production could be ramped up to 10,000 face shields per day, using a supply chain based fully in the U.S., almost immediately. But word came back that under the new system, the regional office couldn't approve the buy. The application would have to go through the main federal acquisition system, where it still sits.

"That was a hell of an investment on our part that was met with layer upon layer upon layer of resistance and difficulty," one official from the small supplier said Friday.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-s-coronavirus-task-force-amassed-power-it-boosted-industry-n1180786

#8208048 at 2020-02-21 18:36:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10508: Nothing Can Stop What is Coming, Nothing! Edition

White House plans 5G summit with global tech leaders as battle with Huawei continues

The Trump administration is planning a 5G summit with global tech leaders in April at the White House, officials said.

The meeting is part of the White House's efforts to keep Chinese telecom giant Huawei from becoming dominant in next generation communications technology.

Behind the scenes, tech executives such as Microsoft President Brad Smith have been meeting with Trump to discuss maintaining American communications dominance.

The Trump administration is planning a 5G summit at the White House in early April as part of its global effort to ensure that Chinese telecom giant Huawei does not become dominant in next generation communications technologies, officials told CNBC.

The event has not been officially announced yet. The president's top economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, told reporters Friday that such a meeting would happen.

"We're going to have a lot of them in the White House to have a discussion. I'm sure the president will join us in part. That would include Samsung, that would include all of our guys," Kudlow said.

The development comes at a crucial moment for U.S.-Chinese relations. China, which is grappling with the coronavirus outbreak, last month signed a "phase one" trade deal with Trump as both sides look to complete additional phases.

Behind the scenes, a senior administration official said telecom and technology CEOs have been visiting with President Donald Trump at the White House to explain their views on how to make sure that American firms continue to dominate the communications industry.

Particularly influential in shaping White House thinking has been Microsoft President Brad Smith, who has discussed the issue face to face with Trump.

"We've been working with him," the senior administration official said of Smith. "He spoke to POTUS about a month ago and they saw each other in Davos."

The input of Smith and other tech CEOs who have met with the president has helped shape an emerging view that the 5G issue is as much about software as it is about physical infrastructure.

"They're smarter than we are, and they're patriots," the official said of the CEOs. "They want to help the U.S. be in the lead on 5G. Software and the cloud are going to revolutionize infrastructure."

The upcoming 5G summit is intended to gather information from the tech industry to help the White House press its case with allied countries that they should not allow Huawei equipment into their telecommunications networks. The administration fears that the Chinese government has installed "back doors" in the gear that will allow for spying on sensitive communications.

Despite pressure from the U.S., the U.K. has decided to allow Huawei equipment in its 5G networks.

The White House plans to invite foreign companies based in allied countries, including Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung, the official said.

Attorney General William Barr suggested earlier this month that the United States should go as far as purchasing a controlling stake in Nokia and Ericsson in order to provide a safe harbor for non Chinese telecommunications equipment.

But other officials within the White House quickly shot that idea down privately, worrying that it was inappropriate for taxpayers to buy large stakes in private firms.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/21/trump-plans-5g-summit-with-global-tech-leaders-in-huawei-battle.html

#7966959 at 2020-01-30 18:50:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10196: "State of the Union" ~Q Edition

>>7966643
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-relents-says-it-would-be-okay-with-probation-for-michael-flynn
Q

"In truth, I never lied," Flynn wrote in a new supplemental motion to withdraw his guilty plea filed Wednesday. "My guilty plea has rankled me throughout this process, and while I allowed myself to succumb to the threats from the government to save my family, I believe I was grossly misled about what really happened."

Flynn also blamed his former lawyers for providing him with bad information that led him to plead guilty.
——
Former lawyers:
→ Covington & Burling
"Swampy" as hell.

Notable current and former attorneys[edit]
David Campion Acheson
Brad Smith
Dean Acheson
Donald Alexander
Richard S. Arnold
Howard Berman
Stephanos Bibas
John R. Bolton
Kit Bond
Michael Boudin
Steven G. Bradbury
Lanny Breuer
William Bundy
Edward B. Burling
Vince Girdhari Chhabria
Abram Chayes
Michael Chertoff
W. Graham Claytor, Jr.
Christopher Reid Cooper
John Sherman Cooper
J. Harry Covington
Malik R. Dahlan
Roderick Allen DeArment
Joan Donoghue
John W. Douglas
John C. Dugan
Stuart E. Eizenstat
Leecia Eve
Adrian S. Fisher
Roger Fisher
Ivan K. Fong
Gerhard Gesell
Haywood Stirling Gilliam, Jr.
Jack L. GoldSmith
Lino Graglia
Coleman Hicks
Donald Hiss
Eric Holder
Charles Antone Horsky
Philip K. Howard
Nicholas Johnson
Michael Karlan
Harold Hongju Koh
Alex Kozinski
Jon Kyl
Robert D. Lenhard
Robert Lighthizer
Eugene Ludwig
Kenneth W. Mack
Gerard Magliocca
David Marchick
Burke Marshall
James C. McKay
David E. McGiffert
Roderick R. McKelvie
Alfred H. Moses
David Nason
Dawn Clark Netsch
Kevin Newsom
John W. Nields Jr.
John Lord O'Brian
Mary Ellen O'Connell
Roberts Bishop Owen
David Remes
Gary R. Roberts
George Rublee
Charles Ruff
Arjun Singh Sethi
Andrew J. Shapiro
Cameron Stracher
Paul Tagliabue
Phyllis D. Thompson
Alan Vinegrad
Paul Warnke
Togo D. West, Jr.
Sarah L. Wilson
Wesley Williams
Robert Eric Wone
Diane Wood
Yale Kamisar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covington_%26_Burling#Notable_current_and_former_attorneys

#7915508 at 2020-01-26 02:17:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10129: MagaMania is On! Edition

The new Washington Privacy Act raises the bar for privacy in the United States

This month, a bipartisan group of legislators in Washington state presented new legislation that could soon become the most comprehensive privacy law in the country. The centerpiece of this legislation, the Washington Privacy Act as substituted, goes further than the landmark bill California recently enacted and builds on the law Europeans have enjoyed for the past year and a half.

As Microsoft President Brad Smith shared in his blog post about our priorities for the state of Washington's current legislative session, we believe it is important to enact strong data privacy protections to demonstrate our state's leadership on what we believe will be one of the defining issues of our generation. People will only trust technology if they know their data is private and under their control, and new laws like these will help provide that assurance. We're encouraged that privacy legislation in Washington has been welcomed by privacy advocates such as Consumer Reports and the Future of Privacy Forum.

To date, the U.S. has taken the approach of enacting privacy law in just a few key areas, such as financial services, children and some health data. However, on average, people today produce 25 times the online data they did in 2010, and this data no longer just records our medical checkups or banking activities but just about every aspect of our lives. The Washington Privacy Act addresses these significant gaps by creating comprehensive baseline protections. As the United States Congress continues to work on these safeguards, states such as Washington have the opportunity to move faster and give people the protections they deserve.

https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/01/24/washington-privacy-act-protection/

#7265706 at 2019-07-30 23:32:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9296:Scan you lane, anons! Eyez On! Edition

THE SILICON VALLEY ANTI-AMERICA, ELECTION INTERFERING PROPAGANDA MACHINE

Zuckerberg has led a bunch of tech industry leaders in launching a political group called FWD.us, which is supposed to be focused on building support for immigration reform. But for their first big TV ads they have decided to run messages that applaud legislators for supporting the dangerous Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and pushing for drilling in the Arctic Refuge. Seriously, what the heck are they thinking? This is a group of people who understand the importance of technology, innovation, and science. They should be leading the fight on climate change and clean energy innovation, not bankrolling ads for dirty energy projects.

https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/56204

WASHINGTON, DC - FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement today on the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling, at the Department of Justice's request, to prohibit the addition of a citizenship question for the first time since 1950 to the upcoming 2020 Census:
WASHINGTON, DC - "We are grateful that the Supreme Court has rejected the Administration's attempts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 United States Census and remanded this to the lower court. The Court has made very clear that the reasons given by the U.S. government for adding a citizenship question were clearly, entirely, and simply false - which they were. Adding a citizenship question could have led to a dangerous under-counting of the U.S.' real population, particularly in immigrant communities and communities of color. Given the Administration's own timeline for printing, it is clear that this question cannot be on the 2020 Census."

https://www.fwd.us/news/fwd-us-statement-on-scotus-decision-to-prohibit-adding-a-citizenship-question-to-the-united-states-census/

https://www.fwd.us/

Founders:
Aditya Agarwal ; Dan Benton ; Jim Breyer ; Matt Cohler ; Ron Conway ; John Doerr ; Bill Gates ; Joe Green ; Reid Hoffman ; Drew Houston ; Chamath Palihapitiya ; Sean Parker ; Ruchi Sanghvi ; Jeff Rothschild ; Mark Zuckerberg ;

Major Contributors:
Tim Armstrong ; George Bousis ; Juan Calle ; Garrett Camp ; Steve Chen ; Brian Chesky ; Stan Chudnovsky ; Chris Cox ; Lars Dalgaard ; Bita Daryabari ; Faquiry Diaz ; Barry Diller ; Stanley F. Druckenmiller ; John Fisher ; Paul Graham ; Noosheen Hashemi ; Reed Hastings ; Chad Hurley ; Irwin Jacobs ; Josh James ; Peter Kellner ; Dick Kramlich ; Max Levchin ; Doug Leone ; Jeremy Levine ; Phil Libin ; Michael Loeb ; Joe Lonsdale ; Andrew Mason ; Marissa Mayer ; Mary Meeker ; Dave Morin ; Jon Oringer ; Hadi Partovi ; Greg Penner ; Alison Pincus ; Mark Pincus ; Keith Rabois ; Hosain Rahman ; Dan Rosensweig ; Yuda Saydun ; Justin Shaffer ; Eric Schmidt ; Rishi Shah ; Darian Shirazi ; Brad Smith ; Kevin Systrom ; Gary Vaynerchuk ; Padmasree Warrior ; Fred Wilson

Co-Chairs:
Nima Asgharbeygi ; Tom Baruch ; Frank Baxter ; Seth Berman ; Seth Cassel ; Rameet Chawla ; Trevor Cornwell ; Anton Diego ; Matteo Franceschetti ; Carlos Garcia ; Sloan Gaon ; Brian GoldSmith ; Will Harlan ; James Hong ; Xavier Hughes ; Yun-Fang Juan ; David Kidder ; Dave Krupinski ; Brian Manning ; Rick Marini ; Andrew McAfee ; Mike McCue ; Babak Pahlavan ; Suraj Rajwani ; Alex Rampell ; Tali Rapaport ; James Robinson ; Brett Rochkind ; Seth Rogin ; Ian Rountree ; Reshma Saujani ; Hemant Taneja ; Greg Tseng ; Josh Wiseman ; Rus Yusupov ; Rony Zarom ; Oren Zeev

#6695659 at 2019-06-07 19:41:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8562: Happy Birthday Vice President Mike Pence Edition

Microsoft deletes massive face recognition database

Microsoft has deleted a massive database of 10 million images which was being used to train facial recognition systems, the Financial Times reports. The database was released in 2016 and was built of online images of 100,000 well-known people. The database is believed to have been used to train a system operated by police forces and the military. The deletion comes after Microsoft called on US politicians to do a better job of regulating recognition systems.

Active use Microsoft told the FT the database was no longer available, because the person who curated it had now left the company. Last year Microsoft President Brad Smith asked the US Congress to take on the task of regulating the use of facial recognition systems because they had "broad societal ramifications and potential for abuse" More recently, Microsoft rejected a request from police in California to use its face-spotting systems in body cameras and cars.

The massive set of images, called the MSCeleb database, was compiled from images of celebrities found online. The Megapixels project, which tracks face databases, said the "majority" of images were of American and British actors, but it added that it also included a lot of people who "must maintain an online presence for their professional lives". This meant that it included journalists, artists, musicians, activists, policy makers, writers and researchers.

Even though the data is no longer available from Microsoft, it is probably still being used by people who downloaded a copy. "You can't make a data set disappear," Adam Harvey from the Megapixels site told Engadget. "Once you post it, and people download it, it exists on hard drives all over the world."

In the UK, police forces have been criticised for trialling home-grown facial recognition systems that have proved to be bad at recognising people. One trial was wrong in 92% of the cases it flagged. Big Brother Watch said the way facial recognition had "crept" on to the UK's streets was "dangerously irresponsible"

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48555149

#6542958 at 2019-05-20 15:54:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8366: Monday Forecast: Shilly with a Chance of PAIN Edition

>>6542924
This should worry everybody that cares about freedom


Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, YouTube Working on 'Global Censorship Database'


Social media platforms and Big Tech companies have been slowly working to censor content on their platforms more efficiently.

Emma Llanso, Director of Free Expression at the Center for Democracy and Technology, wrote in an op-ed for Wired that the response to the New Zealand mass shooting in March brought the internet to a terrifying reality. Tech companies have only emphasized more "increasingly centralized and opaque censorship of the global internet."



Llanso pointed out that Facebook's announcement detailing plans of countering terrorism is already taking steps towards automatic censorship. The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, composed of Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube, was launched in 2017 to help sites regulate themselves and remove content that could potentially be illegal. However, the forum has "a shared database of hashes of files identified by the participating companies to be "extreme and egregious" terrorist content."

Facebook wrote in a blog post on March 18 that it was adding more content to this database. The company stressed "industry cooperation" and wrote that it helpfully "identified abusive content" on other sites.

But Facebook was not alone: Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote that he was interested in building a "safe search engine" that "blocked the accessing of such content at the point when people attempt to view and download it." Smith emphasized "healthier online environments," and said that "it doesn't help when online interaction normalizes in cyberspace standards of behavior that almost all of us would consider unacceptable in the real world."

https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/techwatch/corinne-weaver/2019/04/19/facebook-microsoft-twitter-youtube-working-global

#6253121 at 2019-04-20 16:06:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7996: So Baked Right Now. Found another Lost Bread. The 4/20 AM Edition

>>6251637 (pb)
Brad Smith is a piece of shit and a stupid jew faggot. He's probably the hedge fund sycophant of choice, the one daddy Rothschild chooses to taint all the product lines while the company itself gets the blame. You're going to hear this piglet's name with a lot of bad Microsoft news in times to come.

#6252419 at 2019-04-20 14:47:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7995: Saturday Morning Edition

>>6251637

NZ SHOOTER VIDEO IS EXCUSE FOR EXPANDING SECRET BIG TECH CENSORSHIP EFFORTS - "BLOCKADE"

https://www.wired.com/story/platforms-centralized-censorship/

A clue - the big social platforms are using hashes of digital files to create real-time "suppression list" of images and videos (((they))) want to censor.

Memes aren't easily "read" by computers yet. BUT once fingerprinted (a "hash" is basically a digital fingerprint) - and then added to the GIFCT database (see below) and marked as "censored" (or whatever) - it's immediately "machine readable" and can be suppressed automatically across multiple big social platforms.

To circumvent this sort of censorship scheme, one needs to alter the digital file (usually in a minimal way), so that the files new hash no longer matches the old hash - but it basically looks and acts exactly the same for human consumption.

Most "hashes" I know of changes significantly with even a minor change in file content.

To change an image's hash (a meme), it could be as easy as changing a pixel in the image, resizing, re-applying compression, applying a filter, directly editing the file header in some minor way, etc…

If the "hashing" algo is more sophisticated than the ones I'm familiar with, bigger changes to the file may be required. Sophisticated hashes take time (in additional CPU cycles), so if they are hashing "everything" as it comes across the wire - they are probably using a simple algo to match for it… even if their initial algo has more time to pick the file apart in detail.

—

related copypasta from pb

Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, YouTube Working on 'Global Censorship Database'

Social media platforms and Big Tech companies have been slowly working to censor content on their platforms more efficiently.

Emma Llanso, Director of Free Expression at the Center for Democracy and Technology, wrote in an op-ed for Wired that the response to the New Zealand mass shooting in March brought the internet to a terrifying reality. Tech companies have only emphasized more "increasingly centralized and opaque censorship of the global internet."

Llanso pointed out that Facebook's announcement detailing plans of countering terrorism is already taking steps towards automatic censorship. The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, composed of Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube, was launched in 2017 to help sites regulate themselves and remove content that could potentially be illegal. However, the forum has "a shared database of hashes of files identified by the participating companies to be "extreme and egregious" terrorist content."

Facebook wrote in a blog post on March 18 that it was adding more content to this database. The company stressed "industry cooperation" and wrote that it helpfully "identified abusive content" on other sites.

But Facebook was not alone: Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote that he was interested in building a "safe search engine" that "blocked the accessing of such content at the point when people attempt to view and download it." Smith emphasized "healthier online environments," and said that "it doesn't help when online interaction normalizes in cyberspace standards of behavior that almost all of us would consider unacceptable in the real world."

Llanso wrote that the hash database suffered from a complete lack of transparency and accountability. "No one outside of the consortium of companies knows what is in the database," she said. "People whose posts are removed or accounts disabled on participating sites aren't even notified if the hash database was involved."

https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/techwatch/corinne-weaver/2019/04/19/facebook-microsoft-twitter-youtube-working-global

#6251637 at 2019-04-20 13:00:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7994: Principle Conclusion Edition

>>6251499
Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, YouTube Working on 'Global Censorship Database'

Social media platforms and Big Tech companies have been slowly working to censor content on their platforms more efficiently.

Emma Llanso, Director of Free Expression at the Center for Democracy and Technology, wrote in an op-ed for Wired that the response to the New Zealand mass shooting in March brought the internet to a terrifying reality. Tech companies have only emphasized more "increasingly centralized and opaque censorship of the global internet."

Llanso pointed out that Facebook's announcement detailing plans of countering terrorism is already taking steps towards automatic censorship. The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, composed of Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube, was launched in 2017 to help sites regulate themselves and remove content that could potentially be illegal. However, the forum has "a shared database of hashes of files identified by the participating companies to be "extreme and egregious" terrorist content."

Facebook wrote in a blog post on March 18 that it was adding more content to this database. The company stressed "industry cooperation" and wrote that it helpfully "identified abusive content" on other sites.

But Facebook was not alone: Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote that he was interested in building a "safe search engine" that "blocked the accessing of such content at the point when people attempt to view and download it." Smith emphasized "healthier online environments," and said that "it doesn't help when online interaction normalizes in cyberspace standards of behavior that almost all of us would consider unacceptable in the real world."

Llanso wrote that the hash database suffered from a complete lack of transparency and accountability. "No one outside of the consortium of companies knows what is in the database," she said. "People whose posts are removed or accounts disabled on participating sites aren't even notified if the hash database was involved."

https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/techwatch/corinne-weaver/2019/04/19/facebook-microsoft-twitter-youtube-working-global

#5924492 at 2019-03-27 19:03:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7579: Doubling Down on Loud Screaming Edition

Mission Creep: Microsoft Boss Suggests Joint Big-Tech Center After New Zealand Attacks Go Viral

In the wake of the tragic mass murders in Christchurch, New Zealand, tech companies and lawmakers are wrestling with how to manage mass communication and the travails of the connected digital world.

Just before beginning his rampage on March 15, the shooter began streaming live video of the attacks. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube rushed to take the content down but new versions immediately popped up to fill the void. The incident showcased the full virality of the internet and the limits of big technology companies for policing their own platforms.

"Across the tech sector, we need to do more," Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote in a blog post Sunday. "Especially for those of us who operate social networks or digital communications tools or platforms that were used to amplify the violence, it's clear that we need to learn from and take new action based on what happened in Christchurch."

Smith offers a range of suggestions, including building better tech to combat these issues and generally cultivating a "healthier online environment." But he also suggests a more immediate, tangible option: establishing a joint response center where big tech companies can come together during major incidents.

https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/71834/mission-creep-microsoft-boss-suggests-joint-bigtech-center-after-new-zealand-attacks-go.html

#5858037 at 2019-03-24 04:05:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7494: High Standards Edition

Police To Ocasio-Cortez: Please Resign Before We're Forced To Arrest You

Editor note: The following article was submitted by a group of cops in the greater NYC area that have asked to remain anonymous so they don't get fired. Remember, at Law Enforcement Today, the opinions of our writers don't necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff and police officers who work at Law Enforcement Today.
Note, we specifically said don't necessarily.
Enjoy.
-
Dear Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,


————- Bunch of funny observations then this: —————–

But no... we're asking you to resign because it appears you broke the law. And that's not ok. And truth be told, we don't trust your fellow congressmen and congresswomen to do the right thing and have you removed.
We saw the move that your people pulled last week. The Daily Caller let us know that you and your Chief of Staff were quietly removed from your roles as board members on the PAC Justice Democrats.
Tsk, tsk, Alexandria. You should have known better. Everything that happens on the internet now stays on the internet.
One might wonder if it's a coverup. After all, it happened shortly after a complaint was filed with the FEC alleging that you and Saikat Chakrabarti committed campaign finance violations that helped you win the 2018 midterm elections.
I'll put this in a way that my 6-year-old would understand: "that's a big no-no". Now listen - the boys and I aren't prosecutors. Trust me... Chief reminds us of that every day. And we're well aware that after we arrest bad people who are public facing, politicians and power brokers usually step in and screw up our hard work.
But the thing is, Alexandria, you and your Chief of Staff could be facing multiple civil penalties or even jail time due to an investigation into whether you hid control of an outside PAC that helped solidify your win in the 2018 midterm elections.
According to the Daily Caller, you two gained majority control of the Justice Democrats PAC in late 2017. And it was just last week, on March 15, when you two were officially taken off the Justice Democrats' board, according to a corporate document to the Washington, D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
Like I said... we're just a bunch of dumb cops - isn't that right? God knows you have no respect for law enforcement.
But the thing is... we heard what the former FEC Commissioner had to say about it... and it's not good.
Brad Smith said that if you two are found to have been in control of the PAC, which helped raise over $1.8 million before the June Primary vote, you could face punishments from "massive reporting violations, probably at least some illegal contribution violations exceeding the lawful limits."
Justice Democrats helped raise funds for 12 Democrats in total, with you being the only one to win your race.
Oh, man - the optics on that sure aren't good, are they? Those damn paper trails manage to trip up the best of them.


MUCH MORE IN ARTICLE

With Love,
Sgt. A. Merica and the other cops in the locker room

https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/police-ocasio-cortez-please-resign/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork

#5829532 at 2019-03-22 19:38:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7457: AIPAC vs CAIR Edition

Plutocrats Unite: Big Tech, Business Lobby, Outsourcers Demand Amnesty

Executives from the country's largest tech conglomerates, the big business lobby, and multinational corporations synonymous with outsourcing American jobs are demanding Congress pass the latest Democrat plan giving amnesty to millions of illegal aliens.

A new plan by House Democrats known as the "Dream and Protection Act" gives amnesty to nearly three million illegal aliens who are eligible and enrolled in former President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Aside from the nearly three million DACA-enrolled and DACA-eligible illegal aliens who would be able to permanently stay in the U.S. - providing a flooded market with lower wages for the business lobby - the amnesty would be extended to the nearly 500,000 foreign nationals who are currently living in the country on Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

The signers of the letter include:

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Apple CEO Tim Cook
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon
General Motors CEO Mary Barra
Microsoft Corporation President Brad Smith
U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Thomas Donohue
Koch Industries' Martin Slark

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/03/21/plutocrats-unite-big-tech-business-lobby-outsourcers-demand-amnesty/

#5651251 at 2019-03-13 02:20:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7227: JUSTICE Edition

THERE'S ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO OCASIO-CORTEZ, FORMER FEC COMMISSIONER SAYS

Former FEC Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky called for an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations by Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her top aide.
"There seems to be enough evidence here to justify opening a criminal investigation," von Spakovsky wrote in a Fox News op-ed Sunday.
Ocasio-Cortez and her top aide Saikat Chakrabarti have since December 2017, controlled the outside PAC credited with being the central force behind her June 2018 primary victory.
A former member of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) called for an investigation Sunday into alleged campaign finance violations by Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her top aide Saikat Chakrabarti.

Ocasio-Cortez and Chakrabarti have, since December 2017, held legal authority over Justice Democrats, the outside PAC credited with orchestrating her upset primary victory over incumbent Democratic New York Rep. Joe Crowley in June 2018, The Daily Caller News Foundation reported last week.

The conservative National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) also filed an FEC complaint last week, first reported by the Washington Examiner, alleging that Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, another PAC controlled by Chakrabarti, funneled $1 million into two private companies under his control during the 2018 midterms.

"As a former FEC commissioner who has studied the complaint against Ocasio-Cortez and Chakrabarti, I have concluded that there is unquestionably more than enough evidence to justify the FEC opening a civil investigation," Hans von Spakovsky, now a Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow, wrote in a Fox News op-ed Sunday.

"There seems to be enough evidence here to justify opening a criminal investigation," he added.

Ocasio-Cortez never disclosed to the FEC that she and Chakrabarti, who served as her campaign chair, controlled Justice Democrats while it was simultaneously supporting her primary campaign. If the FEC finds that her campaign and the political action committee were operating in affiliation, it could result in her campaign receiving excessive contributions, former FEC commissioner Brad Smith told TheDCNF.

Full article: https://dailycaller.com/2019/03/11/fec-commissioner-ocasio-cortez/

#5636666 at 2019-03-12 06:33:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7208: All Roads Lead To Rome Edition

There's Enough Evidence To Justify A Criminal Investigation Into Ocasio-Cortez, Former FEC Commissioner Says

Former FEC Commissioner Hans von Spakovsky called for an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations by Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her top aide.
"There seems to be enough evidence here to justify opening a criminal investigation," von Spakovsky wrote in a Fox News op-ed Sunday.
Ocasio-Cortez and her top aide Saikat Chakrabarti have since December 2017, controlled the outside PAC credited with being the central force behind her June 2018 primary victory.

A former member of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) called for an investigation Sunday into alleged campaign finance violations by Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her top aide Saikat Chakrabarti. Ocasio-Cortez and Chakrabarti have, since December 2017, held legal authority over Justice Democrats, the outside PAC credited with orchestrating her upset primary victory over incumbent Democratic New York Rep. Joe Crowley in June 2018, The Daily Caller News Foundation reported last week.

The conservative National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) also filed an FEC complaint last week, first reported by the Washington Examiner, alleging that Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, another PAC controlled by Chakrabarti, funneled $1 million into two private companies under his control during the 2018 midterms. "As a former FEC commissioner who has studied the complaint against Ocasio-Cortez and Chakrabarti, I have concluded that there is unquestionably more than enough evidence to justify the FEC opening a civil investigation," Hans von Spakovsky, now a Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow, wrote in a Fox News op-ed Sunday. "There seems to be enough evidence here to justify opening a criminal investigation," he added.

Ocasio-Cortez never disclosed to the FEC that she and Chakrabarti, who served as her campaign chair, controlled Justice Democrats while it was simultaneously supporting her primary campaign. If the FEC finds that her campaign and the political action committee were operating in affiliation, it could result in her campaign receiving excessive contributions, former FEC commissioner Brad Smith told TheDCNF. "If someone gave Ocasio-Cortez a $2,700 contribution and then gave another contribution to either of the other two PACS that Ocasio-Cortez and/or Chakrabarti were running, her campaign violated federal law by receiving and keeping a contribution above the legal limit," von Spakovsky explained.

Ocasio-Cortez called the NLPC's complaint a "conspiracy theory" propagated by conservative groups looking to receive airtime on Fox News. However, she hasn't addressed TheDCNF's reporting surrounding her and Chakrabarti's "legal control over" Justice Democrats starting in December 2017. The two continue to serve as "governors" of Justice Democrats, according to the PAC's business filings in Washington D.C.

CNN, ABC News, NBC News and The Washington Post also didn't disclose the facts surrounding Ocasio-Cortez's control over Justice Democrats in stories about the freshman Democrat's mounting campaign finance scandals. Von Spakovsky said Chakrabarti's use of two LLCs under his control to fund "campaign infrastructure and fundraising" services for his PACs and 12 political candidates, including Ocasio-Cortez, runs counter to Ocasio-Cortez's call for more transparency in government. "Is the New York congresswoman - who claims to be an honest and upstanding crusader for good government and transparency - really a hypocrite who improperly hid her own campaign spending in a complex maze of fundraising groups?" von Spakovsky asked.

Von Spakovsky said he expects the four active FEC commissioners, two Republicans, one Democrat and one independent, will vote in favor of opening an investigation into Ocasio-Cortez "given all the evidence of possible violations of the law that has already been made public." "We don't know what further investigation will find," he said. "But it is clear an investigation is needed to determine if Ocasio-Cortez and Chakrabarti broke the law."

https://www.dailycaller.com/2019/03/11/fec-commissioner-ocasio-cortez/

STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION
http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/460/201802069094263460/201802069094263460.pdf

#5557223 at 2019-03-07 15:24:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7105: Fresh Bread! Dig in! Edition

>>5557215

So, what now?

In the weeks since the PRISM documents leaked, a widespread international public debate about the United States government's surveillance and spying programs has engulfed the NSA, Congress, and the Obama administration in controversy. While outspoken supporters of NSA surveillance in Congress and the White House -including President Obama - have defended the legality and necessity of the programs, some US lawmakers are pushing back. In June, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled a bill that aims to rein in the problematic legal provisions that give US intelligence agencies nearly unfettered authority to conduct warrantless surveillance on domestic and foreign communications. Several other lawmakers have introduced their own measures, but legislative reform is still in early stages.
""An illegal and unconstitutional program of dragnet electronic surveillance.""

Meanwhile, a diverse coalition of interest groups and private organizations are directly challenging some of the NSA's surveillance programs in court. On July 16th, a broad coalition of plaintiffs sued the US government for "an illegal and unconstitutional program of dragnet electronic surveillance," in which the NSA scoops up all telephone records handled by Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint in the US. Separate suits brought by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the American Civil Liberties Union are also in the works, but the government hasn't responded to the allegations in court yet.

The companies at the heart of PRISM's controversy are also acting out, but the specific details regarding their involvement in government surveillance on US citizens is still unclear. Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and others have stepped up pressure on the government in the past month to declassify the process which compels them to hand over user data to the government. In an impassioned plea made by Microsoft on July 16th, the company's general counsel Brad Smith said: "We believe the US constitution guarantees our freedom to share more information with the public, yet the government is stopping us."

Finally, there's the group of people most affected by PRISM and its sibling programs: the American public. On July 4th, "Restore the Fourth" rallies in more than 100 US cities protested the government's surveillance programs, focusing on electronic privacy. It's not clear if public outrage will result in reform, but thanks to the dramatic actions of a young intelligence contractor, we now at least have the opportunity to discuss what the US government has been hiding from the public in the name of national security.


Link to article: https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/17/4517480/nsa-spying-prism-surveillance-cheat-sheet

#5514485 at 2019-03-05 05:35:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7051: Dark Patterns Active Edition

Ocasio-Cortez And Her Chief Of Staff 'Could Be Facing Jail Time' If Their Control Over PAC Was Intentionally Hidden, Former FEC Commissioner Says

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a top aide appear to control an outside PAC credited with being the central force behind her June 2018 primary victory.
One former Federal Election Commission member thinks there would be a "serious investigation" if a complaint were filed, noting that the probe could potentially result in civil penalties or even jail time for Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff.
A second former commissioner said there were possibly "multiple violations of federal campaign finance law."
Justice Democrats ran campaigns for Ocasio-Cortez and 11 other Democrats, but the New York Democrat was the only one to win her general election.

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti obtained majority control of Justice Democrats PAC in December 2017, according to archived copies of the group's website, and the two appear to retain their control of the group, according to corporate filings obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. If the Federal Election Commission (FEC) finds that the New York Democrat's campaign operated in affiliation with the PAC, which had raised more than $1.8 million before her June 2018 primary, it would open them up to "massive reporting violations, probably at least some illegal contribution violations exceeding the lawful limits," former FEC commissioner Brad Smith said.

Ocasio-Cortez never disclosed to the FEC that she and Chakrabarti, who served as her campaign chair, controlled the PAC while it was simultaneously supporting her primary campaign, and former FEC commissioners say the arrangement could lead to multiple campaign finance violations. The group backed 12 Democrats during the 2018 midterms, but Ocasio-Cortez was the only one of those to win her general election.

"If the facts as alleged are true, and a candidate had control over a PAC that was working to get that candidate elected, then that candidate is potentially in very big trouble and may have engaged in multiple violations of federal campaign finance law, including receiving excessive contributions," former Republican FEC commissioner Hans von Spakovsky told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

And fellow former FEC commissioner Brad Smith told TheDCNF that if "a complaint were filed, I would think it would trigger a serious investigation." He also noted that such a probe could potentially result in jail time for Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff, Chakrabarti.

Republican election attorney Charlie Spies told TheDCNF: "It looks like the campaign and PAC are under common control and the PAC was funding campaign staff and activities as an alter-ego of the campaign committee, which would be a blatant abuse of the PAC rules."

Ocasio-Cortez and Chakrabarti could face prison if the FEC determines that they knowingly and willfully withheld their ties between the campaign and the political action committee from the FEC to bypass campaign contribution limits, according to Smith.

"At minimum, there's a lot of smoke there, and if there are really only three board members and she and [Chakrabarti] are two of them, sure looks like you can see the blaze," Smith, a Republican, told TheDCNF. "I don't really see any way out of it."

https://dailycaller.com/2019/03/04/ocasio-cortez-justice-democrats/

1/2

#5511627 at 2019-03-05 02:24:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7047: Symbolism Will Be Their Downfall Edition

OCASIO-CORTEZ AND HER CHIEF OF STAFF 'COULD BE FACING JAIL TIME' IF THEIR CONTROL OVER PAC WAS INTENTIONALLY HIDDEN, FORMER FEC COMMISSIONER SAYS







Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a top aide appear to control an outside PAC credited with being the central force behind her June 2018 primary victory.
One former Federal Election Commission member thinks there would be a "serious investigation" if a complaint were filed, noting that the probe could potentially result in civil penalties or even jail time for Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff.
A second former commissioner said there were possibly "multiple violations of federal campaign finance law."
Justice Democrats ran campaigns for Ocasio-Cortez and 11 other Democrats, but the New York Democrat was the only one to win her general election.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti obtained majority control of Justice Democrats PAC in December 2017, according to archived copies of the group's website, and the two appear to retain their control of the group, according to corporate filings obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. If the Federal Election Commission (FEC) finds that the New York Democrat's campaign operated in affiliation with the PAC, which had raised more than $1.8 million before her June 2018 primary, it would open them up to "massive reporting violations, probably at least some illegal contribution violations exceeding the lawful limits," former FEC commissioner Brad Smith said.

Ocasio-Cortez never disclosed to the FEC that she and Chakrabarti, who served as her campaign chair, controlled the PAC while it was simultaneously supporting her primary campaign, and former FEC commissioners say the arrangement could lead to multiple campaign finance violations. The group backed 12 Democrats during the 2018 midterms, but Ocasio-Cortez was the only one of those to win her general election.

"If the facts as alleged are true, and a candidate had control over a PAC that was working to get that candidate elected, then that candidate is potentially in very big trouble and may have engaged in multiple violations of federal campaign finance law, including receiving excessive contributions," former Republican FEC commissioner Hans von Spakovsky told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

And fellow former FEC commissioner Brad Smith told TheDCNF that if "a complaint were filed, I would think it would trigger a serious investigation." He also noted that such a probe could potentially result in jail time for Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff, Chakrabarti.

Republican election attorney Charlie Spies told TheDCNF: "It looks like the campaign and PAC are under common control and the PAC was funding campaign staff and activities as an alter-ego of the campaign committee, which would be a blatant abuse of the PAC rules."

Ocasio-Cortez and Chakrabarti could face prison if the FEC determines that they knowingly and willfully withheld their ties between the campaign and the political action committee from the FEC to bypass campaign contribution limits, according to Smith.

"At minimum, there's a lot of smoke there, and if there are really only three board members and she and [Chakrabarti] are two of them, sure looks like you can see the blaze," Smith, a Republican, told TheDCNF. "I don't really see any way out of it."

Full here https://dailycaller.com/2019/03/04/ocasio-cortez-justice-democrats/

#5406700 at 2019-02-27 03:30:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6911: Wield the Sword of God

Nadella: Microsoft will sell war tech to democracies to "protect freedoms"

A growing number of employees feel that the military project crosses a line.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says that company's $480 million contract to supply HoloLens technology to the military is a "principled decision" and that the company will not "withhold technology" from democratic governments.

The deal, signed last year, could see Microsoft supplying as many as 100,000 HoloLens headsets to the military as part of its "Integrated Visual Augmentation System" (IVAS) project. The intent is to integrate the HoloLens hardware with thermal-imaging, weapons-targeting, and health-monitoring systems to, among other things, provide "increased lethality" of the soldiers using it. A number of Microsoft employees have signed an open letter saying that the company should cancel the contract, arguing that it crosses a line into weapons development. Some 250 staff are said to have signed the letter.

Speaking to CNN Business, Nadella defended the decision to enter the contract, saying, "We made a principled decision that we're not going to withhold technology from institutions that we have elected in democracies to protect the freedoms we enjoy," adding, "We were very transparent about that decision and we'll continue to have that dialogue [with employees]."

Microsoft selling software to the military is not new. The US Department of Defense is a large organization with all the standard productivity requirements that any large organization would have; as such, it runs Windows and other Microsoft software, just like any civilian organization might. But Microsoft software is also found in weapons systems and other areas that are exclusive to the military. Both Windows and Linux have been used in this capacity, with commodity software used to run critical command systems.

The employees behind the open letter say that even with these contracts, Microsoft itself was never engaged in weapons development; it was selling general-purpose software that others then used and adapted. The IVAS contract is perceived to be different, with Microsoft, rather than third parties, working to increase battlefield effectiveness and lethality. The employees also criticize the company's review process for ethical development and selling of machine-learning systems, claiming it is opaque and inadequate to prevent weapons development.

Even the selling of productivity software and services has come under fire from Microsoft staff. Last year another open letter called on Microsoft to end its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in response to the aggressive policy of separating children from their parents adopted by the Trump administration. At the time, Nadella insisted that the contract only covered regular office messaging, document management, and similar workloads and that there was no involvement with the child separations, nor any use of facial recognition or other more contentious services.

In the wake of the ICE complaint, Microsoft's chief legal officer Brad Smith wrote last year that any employees that felt unable or unwilling to work on certain projects would be assisted in finding alternative roles within the company.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/02/nadella-microsoft-will-sell-war-tech-to-democracies-to-protect-freedoms/

#5348735 at 2019-02-23 20:24:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6836: Energy Delta Edition

Microsoft : workers demand it drop $480 million U.S. Army contract

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Some Microsoft Corp employees on Friday demanded that the company cancel a $480 million hardware contract to supply the U.S. Army, with 94 workers signing a petition calling on the company to stop developing "any and all weapons technologies."

The organizing effort, described to Reuters by three Microsoft workers, offers the latest example in the last year of tech employees protesting cooperation with governments on emerging technologies.

Microsoft won a contract in November to supply the Army with at least 2,500 prototypes of augmented reality headsets, which digitally display contextual information in front of a user's eyes. The government has said the devices would be used on the battlefield and in training to improve soldiers "lethality, mobility and situational awareness."

In the petition to Microsoft executives, posted on Twitter, the workers said they "did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used." They called on the company to develop "a public-facing acceptable use policy" for its technology and an external review board to publicly enforce it.

Microsoft said in a statement that it always appreciates employee feedback. It also referred to an October blog post by its president, Brad Smith, in which he said the company remained committed to assisting the military and would advocate for laws to ensure responsible use of new technologies.

The U.S. Army did not provide immediate comment.

Shares of Microsoft fell 7 cents to $110.90 after hours on Friday.

Though many governments want to draw upon the expertise of the biggest U.S. tech companies, employee resistance has added a new challenge to already complicated relationships.

Worker pushback led Alphabet Inc last year to announce it would not renew a Pentagon contract in which its artificial intelligence technology is used to analyze drone imagery.

In other cases, employee criticism has invited greater public scrutiny to deals, such as $10 billion cloud computing contract yet to be awarded and various contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

https://www.marketscreener.com/MICROSOFT-CORPORATION-4835/news/Microsoft-workers-demand-it-drop-480-million-U-S-Army-contract-28054301/?countview=0

cap 2 sauce
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-20/microsoft-plans-to-repurchase-up-to-another-40-billion-in-stock

#5347909 at 2019-02-23 19:21:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6835: Anniversary Of Iwo Jima Edition

Microsoft staff protest over Pentagon contract for augmented reality tech 'designed to kill people'

Dozens of Microsoft employees have demanded the company pull out of a contract with the US military to provide augmented reality technology, stating that they refuse to be complicit in "warfare and oppression."

Microsoft workers released a letter on Friday addressed to CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith, in which they voiced opposition to the $479 million contract that aims to equip the US Army with up to 100,000 augmented reality headsets to be used in combat and for training. The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) will be based on a preexisting Microsoft technology called HoloLens. Released in March 2016, HoloLens is capable of interposing digital images on whatever its wearer sees.

Signed by more than 50 employees, the letter states that the IVAS contract marks the first time that Microsoft has "crossed the line into weapons development."

"The application of HoloLens within the IVAS system is designed to help people kill," they wrote. "It will be deployed on the battlefield, and works by turning warfare into a simulated 'video game,' further distancing soldiers from the grim stakes of war and the reality of bloodshed."

The employees said that they "did not sign up to develop weapons," and demanded more control over "how our work is used."

Microsoft acknowledged the petition - but insisted that the company has always been transparent and open to feedback from its workers.

"We always appreciate feedback from employees and provide many avenues for their voices to be heard," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement responding to the petition. "In fact, we heard from many employees throughout the fall. As we said then, we're committed to providing our technology to the US Department of Defense, which includes the US Army under this contract."

The statement promised that Microsoft, as an "active corporate citizen," would remain engaged in "the important ethical and public policy issues" surrounding artificial intelligence and the military.

Workers at America's tech giants have increasingly spoken out against their companies' business dealings with intelligence agencies and the Pentagon. Firms such as Apple, Google and Amazon have all faced scrutiny from employees and the public alike for their shady dealings with the US government.

In June, Google backed out of a contract with the Pentagon after facing internal dissent from angry workers. The tech giant had been enlisted to provide the US military with an advanced AI that would improve the targeting capabilities of weaponized drones.

Microsoft, however, seems to be sticking to its Pentagon-friendly guns. In December, the company's president said that Microsoft would "provide the US military with access to the best technology… all the technology we create. Full stop." He added that he wanted "Silicon Valley to know just how ethical and honorable a tradition the military has."

https://www.rt.com/usa/452227-pentagon-microsoft-hololens-petition/

#5164917 at 2019-02-14 04:42:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6598: We Say Anything We Want Edition

Pope Francis, Microsoft Chief Discuss Prospects of AI Development - Holy See

Pope Francis received Microsoft's president Brad Smith in the Vatican City and discussed prospects of the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with the official, Alessandro Gisotti, the spokesman of The Holy See, has said.

During the meeting on Wednesday, Smith emphasized that AI should be used for the well-being of society. Moreover, Microsoft's chief spoke about some ways to overcome a global gap in the development of digital technologies.

Smith was accompanied by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, during his visit to Vatican City. Smith and Paglia told Pope Francis that Microsoft together with the academy planned to establish an international prize on AI ethics.

The Pontifical Academy for Life is actively engaged in public discussions on issues dedicated to AI. On 25-26 February, the academy will hold a workshop dubbed Roboethics: Humans, Machines and Health. In addition, it plans to carry out another workshop focused on the development of AI in 2020. Sputnik has learned that Smith has agreed to attend the meeting.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies involved in research and development to prioritize AI in upcoming funding requests for fiscal 2020 to help protect US leadership in the next technology frontier.

https://sputniknews.com/society/201902141072404356-vatican-usa-pope-francis-microsoft-ai-development/

#5157412 at 2019-02-13 18:19:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6588: Moar Indictments are Being Unsealed Edition

Pope discusses ethics of artificial intelligence with Microsoft chief

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Microsoft President Brad Smith met Pope Francis on Wednesday to discuss the ethical use of artificial intelligence and ways to bridge the digital divide between rich and poor nations, the Vatican said.

The head of the global tech giant and the 81-year-old Roman Catholic leader, who once said he is a "disaster" when it comes to technology, spoke for about 30 minutes in the pontiff's residence.

The pair discussed "artificial intelligence at the service of the common good and activities aimed at bridging the digital divide that still persists at the global level", according to a statement.

Smith, 60, told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano in an interview that "strong ethical and new, evolved laws" were needed so that technological advances such as artificial intelligence do not fall into the wrong hands.

The Vatican said its Academy for Life would jointly sponsor a prize with Microsoft for the best doctoral dissertation in 2019 on the theme of "artificial intelligence at the service of human life".

http://www.foreigndesknews.com/world/us/pope-discusses-ethics-of/

#5015097 at 2019-02-03 18:14:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6403: Focus the Narrative Edition

Denying govt agencies facial recognition tech would be 'cruel', claims Microsoft president

Microsoft's chief shot down calls to stop selling facial recognition tech to governments, saying it would be "cruel" to deprive state agencies of the ability to monitor the public's every move - despite his own misgivings.

More than 85 human rights groups wrote to Microsoft, Amazon and Google in January urging them to stop selling facial recognition software to government agencies over fears of state surveillance and the potential threat to activists, immigrants and others.

However, Microsoft President Brad Smith told Business Insider - apparently without any irony - that such a move would itself be "cruel in its humanitarian effect."

"I do not understand an argument that companies should avoid all licensing to any government agency for any purpose whatsoever," he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week.

"A sweeping ban on all government use clearly goes too far," the software giant's president added.

While Smith went on to cite the example of facial recognition being used in research to diagnose the rare DiGeorge syndrome, he also referred to it being used to find missing children in India. Unfortunately for Smith, this latter claim is actually contradicted by the Delhi High Court, which last week slammed the system because it had "not borne any results" or "helped in cracking any missing children case."

Privacy advocates and civil liberties groups fear facial recognition software will be used to monitor or track people, and are concerned that it can erroneously identify someone as a suspect, not to mention that it has been shown to exhibit racial biases.

https://www.rt.com/news/450500-microsoft-cruel-facial-recognition-gov/

#4893107 at 2019-01-25 00:00:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6246: A Draft to Declare Edition

Here's what Sheryl Sandberg's been telling the global elite about the radical change coming Facebook's way

https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-coo-sheryl-sandbergs-message-for-davos-about-regulation-2019-1

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has been on a European charm offensive, which has culminated in some strategic speeches to the global elite in Davos.
Sandberg admits Facebook needs to win back trust following a catastrophic year, but is also positioning the firm for a "period of rewriting the rules of the internet."
Facebook is letting the world know it's ready for regulation. It has also made clear that it does not want to be too tightly controlled.

"We are in a period of rewriting the rules of the internet," Sandberg said at the Die Zeit event. It was a reference to all kinds of new legislation coming big tech's way, including the very real possibility of US federal privacy laws and potential plans to crack down on hate speech in countries like the UK.

Privacy has been one of the major talking points of Davos, with tech firms recognizing that they need to rebuild trust in the way they manage personal information. Microsoft President Brad Smith told Business Insider that new regulation could come into force as early as this year.

#4587999 at 2019-01-04 02:48:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5852: We Love Our Planefags Edition

Blake Nordstrom, 58, co-president of retail giant Nordstrom, dies suddenly after announcing battle with cancer just last month
The company revealed Blake Nordstrom had been diagnosed with lymphoma in December but said his condition was 'treatable'
He had planned to 'continue to work throughout this process as normal' at his family's Seattle-based company
But on Wednesday Nordstrom said in a statement 'it is with deep sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of Blake Nordstrom'
Blake, a lifelong employee of Nordstrom after working his way up from the stockroom, had been co-president of the group alongside brothers Pete and Erik
He was the great-grandson of company founder John W. Nordstrom

Blake Nordstrom, the co-president of his family retail company Nordstrom, has died suddenly after announcing his battle with cancer just last month.

The company revealed the 58-year-old had been diagnosed with lymphoma in December but said his condition was 'treatable'.

He had planned to 'continue to work throughout this process as normal' as his family's Seattle-based company.

But on Wednesday Nordstrom said in a statement 'it is with deep sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of Blake Nordstrom'.

Chairman Brad Smith said in a statement: 'My heart goes out to the Nordstrom family and everyone at the company during this difficult time. Everyone who worked with Blake knew of his passion and deep commitment to employees, customers and the communities we serve
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6556185/Blake-Nordstrom-58-president-Nordstrom-dies-suddenly-announcing-cancer-battle.html

#4534437 at 2018-12-31 14:17:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5783: Vatican Loses Its Voice Edition

>>4534424
Notables are different.

>>4534208, >>4534279, >>4534299 NY Ball says Chongqing? Stars the clock?
>>4534204 Microsoft's Brad Smith calls for regulation of facial recognition.
>>4534199 DoD Tweets: Top 3 Tweet recap. Countdown?
>>4534259 Russia's FSB said it has detained an American citizen on suspicions of espionage.
>>4533621 Head of Saudi Arabia's national TV channel fired for "live coverage of a music concert"
>>4533652, >>4533663, >>4533701, >>4533748 TIME magazine announce famous employees will "drop the ball"
>>4533675, >>4534109 The spokesman for the Vatican and his deputy resigned suddenly on Monday
>>4533702, >>4533879 Bomb outside shopping center kills two, wounds 28 in Philippines
>>4533705 Laura Loomer Uncovers Court Docs That Blows The Lid Off Vegas Massacre's Official Story
>>4533912 What if Bolsonaro's "stabbing" was all faked?
>>4533925 Only 42% of people trust the European Union, poll shows
>>4533907 France to deploy 147,000 security forces to counter yellow vest protests
>>4533928 A G1-class geomagnetic storm erupted last night Dec. 28th
>>4533971 The data breach against North Korean Defectors hackers targeted computer at Resettling agency
>>4533989, >>4533977 4 dead, 68 missing after gas explosion rocks Russia high-rise >>4534117
>>4534117 S. Korean presidential top secretary refutes civilian surveillance claim
>>4534143 Suspected Ransomware Outbreak Disrupts US Newspapers
>>4534315 #5782

#4534315 at 2018-12-31 14:00:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5782: Six barges & Spy Action Edition

#5782
>>4534208, >>4534279, >>4534299 NY Ball says Chongqing? Stars the clock?
>>4534204 Microsoft's Brad Smith calls for regulation of facial recognition.
>>4534199 DoD Tweets: Top 3 Tweet recap. Countdown?
>>4534259 Russia's FSB said it has detained an American citizen on suspicions of espionage.
>>4533621 Head of Saudi Arabia's national TV channel fired for "live coverage of a music concert"
>>4533652, >>4533663, >>4533701, >>4533748 TIME magazine announce famous employees will "drop the ball"
>>4533675, >>4534109 The spokesman for the Vatican and his deputy resigned suddenly on Monday
>>4533702, >>4533879 Bomb outside shopping center kills two, wounds 28 in Philippines
>>4533705 Laura Loomer Uncovers Court Docs That Blows The Lid Off Vegas Massacre's Official Story
>>4533912 What if Bolsonaro's "stabbing" was all faked?
>>4533925 Only 42% of people trust the European Union, poll shows
>>4533907 France to deploy 147,000 security forces to counter yellow vest protests
>>4533928 A G1-class geomagnetic storm erupted last night Dec. 28th
>>4533971 The data breach against North Korean Defectors hackers targeted computer at Resettling agency
>>4533989, >>4533977 4 dead, 68 missing after gas explosion rocks Russia high-rise >>4534117
>>4534117 S. Korean presidential top secretary refutes civilian surveillance claim
>>4534143 Suspected Ransomware Outbreak Disrupts US Newspapers

#4534204 at 2018-12-31 13:43:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5782: Six barges & Spy Action Edition

Closer Everyday . suggest people stop scoffing and start paying attention … No where to run to. No where to hide

Revelation 13:16

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:"

Could '1984' become reality by 2024? Microsoft's Brad Smith calls for regulation of facial recognition

Microsoft President Brad Smith is optimistic about the potential of facial recognition technology to solve a range of societal issues, like finding missing children and diagnosing diseases. But he also has serious concerns about a future in which facial recognition spreads without strong regulations.

Smith outlined his fears during a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. Thursday.

"Technology is making possible a new type of mass surveillance," he said. "It is becoming possible for the state, for a government, to follow anyone anywhere. It's making it impossible for the government or state to follow everyone everywhere."

Smith raised three key concerns about the future of facial recognition. The technology has the potential to amplify bias against women and people of color. It can lead to invasions of privacy and, critically, it allows governments to monitor citizens in ways never before seen.

"The future I just described has been written about," Smith said. "It was almost 70 years ago that it was addressed by George Orwell and he painted a picture of Big Brother watching our every move."

Microsoft is calling for the federal government to enact laws governing facial recognition technology that focus on issues like consent, third-party testing, fairness, and privacy to avoid a future "with tech companies forced to choose between social responsibility and market success."

https://www.geekwire.com/2018/1984-become-reality-2024-microsofts-Brad-Smith-calls-regulation-facial-recognition/

#4121287 at 2018-12-03 00:34:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5246: Peace is the Prize Edition

Microsoft vows to hand over all its technologies to 'ethical & honorable' US military

As big tech in the US faces increased opposition from its own employees over Pentagon contracts, the head of Microsoft Corporation appears to have decided to throw his weight behind the US military and to offer them full support.

Microsoft is "going to provide the US military with access to the best technology … all the technology we create. Full stop," Brad Smith, the president of the tech giant, said at the Reagan National Defense Forum, held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Smith also sought to explain his decision, saying his company actually wants "Silicon Valley to know just how ethical and honorable a tradition the military has." He argued that the military should not be left out of global technological progress in the field of artificial intelligence, which is "of importance to everybody and not just young people who happen to live on the West Coast."

However, he was still unable to totally ignore the ethical concerns expressed by Microsoft employees, amid the growing opposition to the tech giant's cooperation with the Pentagon among the company's own staff members.

"There is some angst" among "some" workforces, Smith admitted, adding that Microsoft would "engage to address the ethical issues that new technology is creating." However, he did not say a word about Microsoft potentially changing its policies following the employees' concerns.

https://www.rt.com/usa/445406-microsoft-technologies-us-military/

#4108119 at 2018-12-02 01:37:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5229: Only The Comfy Will Ride The Storm Edition

As tech companies such as Google wrestle with employee objections to working with the U.S. military, Microsoft Corp.'s president is throwing his company's support behind the Pentagon.

Microsoft is "going to provide the U.S. military with access to the best technology ... all the technology we create. Full stop," Brad Smith said Saturday during a panel at the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

Smith acknowledged that "there is some angst" in some workforces, including Microsoft's, about tech companies' involvement in military contracts.

In June, after thousands of employees voiced objections to a contract that allowed the military to use Google's artificial intelligence tools to analyze drone footage, Google decided not to renew the contract.

Smith said he wanted to quell such concerns. "We want Silicon Valley to know just how ethical and honorable a tradition the military has," he said.

The future and use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems have broad implications, he said, and are "of importance to everybody and not just young people who happen to live on the West Coast."

Smith expressed openness to hearing his workers' opinions, saying that Microsoft would "engage to address the ethical issues that new technology is creating."

More:
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tn-microsoft-military-20181201-story.html

#3649423 at 2018-10-29 09:13:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4632: Viva O Nacionalismo Edition

>>3646554 (notable)
Brad Smith of Microsoft looks like a bigger and bigger NPC clown each passing day. There is no such thing as "responsible use of AI in warfare". They are trying to build an evil digital god who doesn't make the mistakes Satan-worshippers usually make. They have been stifling and dumbing down human-driven software development until this AI can outthink and destroy us. It shouldn't be encouraged with contracts it should be stopped dead and cold like a baby SkyNet. There is no reason the military should be using a corporate AI cloud. That's the most foolish thing I ever heard of.

#3245541 at 2018-09-29 06:26:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4110 - Mormon Corn Flakes Edition

Brad Smith on Microsoft's $40M AI for Humanitarian Action Program
https://www.voanews.com/a/Brad-Smith-on-microsoft-s-40m-ai-for-humanitarian-action-program/4591163.html

#3020260 at 2018-09-14 14:25:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3821: First Responders Faithful Responders Edition

>>3020224
https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/28/17788130/microsoft-Brad-Smith-gab-shutdown

#2718048 at 2018-08-24 01:34:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3432: @POTUS_Schedule: "TRUST THE PLAN" Edition

Brad Smith, the CEO of $54 billion Intuit, is stepping down after an impressive 11 year run at the company

Becky Peterson
24m

Intuit CEO Brad Smith will leave his role after 11 years at the company.
Smith, who will stay on through the end of 2018, is replaced by Sasan Goodarzi, the Intuit exec behind strong growth in the company's QuickBooks business.
Intuit will also change chief technology officers at the end of the year. Tayloe Stansbury is replaced by Marianna Tessel, the chief product development officer from Goodarzi's team.

https://www.businessinsider.com/intuit-ceo-Brad-Smith-to-step-down-after-11-years-2018-8

#2716731 at 2018-08-23 23:36:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3431: Bread's Too Big Without Q Edition

"In a surprise move, one of Silicon Valley's champion CEOs is stepping down. After 11 years at the helm, Intuit chief Brad Smith will hand over the job to Executive V.P. Sasan Goodarzi on January 1 and will oversee the transition as executive chairman."

https://fortune.com/2018/08/23/intuit-ceo-Brad-Smith-departs/

#2716433 at 2018-08-23 22:59:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3430: Patriots Fight Edition

I haven't seen this one on the boards yet, so here goes:

"In a surprise move, one of Silicon Valley's champion CEOs is stepping down.

After 11 years at the helm, INTUIT chief Brad Smith will hand over the job to Executive V.P. Sasan Goodarzi on January 1 and will oversee the transition as executive chairman."

https://fortune.com/2018/08/23/intuit-ceo-Brad-Smith-departs/

#2687764 at 2018-08-21 12:44:24 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3393 Last Bake Edition

>>2687710

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/us/politics/russia-cyber-hack.html
https://archive.is/J952U

(not in its entirety)

Microsoft said it had seized fake websites, linked to a Russian military intelligence unit, meant to trick people into thinking they were sites for Republican-leaning think tanks that have criticized President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.CreditGulshan Khan/Agence France-Presse -
Getty Images
By David E. Sanger and Sheera Frenkel

BOSTON - The Russian military intelligence unit that sought to influence the 2016 election appears to have a new target: conservative American think tanks that have broken with President Trump and are seeking continued sanctions against Moscow, exposing oligarchs or pressing for human rights.

In a report scheduled for release on Tuesday, Microsoft Corporation said that it detected and
seized websites that were created in recent weeks by hackers linked to the Russian unit formerly known as the G.R.U. The sites appeared meant to trick people into thinking they were clicking through links managed by the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute, but were secretly redirected to web pages created by the hackers to steal passwords and other credentials.

Microsoft also found websites imitating the United States Senate, but not specific Senate offices or political campaigns.

The shift to attacking conservative think tanks underscores the Russian intelligence agency's
goals: to disrupt any institutions challenging Moscow and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia

"We are now seeing another uptick in attacks. What is particular in this instance is the broadening of the type of websites they are going after," Microsoft's president, Brad Smith, said Monday in an interview.

"These are organizations that are informally tied to Republicans," he said, "so we see them broadening beyond the sites they have targeted in the past."

The International Republican Institute's board of directors includes several Republican leaders who have been highly critical of Mr. Trump's interactions with Mr. Putin, including a summit meeting last month between the two leaders in Helsinki, Finland.

Among them are Senator John McCain of Arizona; Mitt Romney, a former presidential candidate; and - though he was silent on Mr. Trump's appearance in Helsinki - Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, who was replaced in the spring as the White House national security adviser.

"This is another demonstration of the fact that the Russians aren't really pursuing partisan attacks, they are pursuing attacks that they perceive in their own national self-interest," said Eric Rosenbach, the director of the Defending Digital Democracy project at Harvard University, on Monday. "It's about disrupting and diminishing any group that challenges how Putin's Russia is operating at home and around the world."

The State Department has traditionally helped fund both Republican and Democratic groups that engage in promoting democracy.

"It is clearly designed to sow confusion, conflict and fear among those who criticize Mr. Putin's authoritarian regime," Mr. Twining said in a statement.

The goal of the Russian hacking attempt was unclear, and Microsoft was able to catch the spoofed websites as they were set up.

But Mr. Smith said that "these attempts are the newest security threats to groups connected with both American political parties" ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

"These attacks are seeking to disrupt and divide," he said. "There is an asymmetric risk here for democratic societies. The kind of attacks we see from authoritarian regimes are seeking to fracture and splinter groups in our society."
–
Microsoft says it is expanding its effort to help political candidates counter foreign influence. It is starting an initiative it calls "AccountGuard" to bolster protections to candidates and campaign offices at the federal, state and local level, as well as think tanks and political organizations.
—-
A single letter, or even a punctuation mark, was often the only difference between the real and fake websites.

The fake websites were used as the conduit for a number of attacks, including persuading victims to download harmful malware or to reveal passwords and other personal information.

But for the past year, Microsoft has grown increasingly aggressive in countering them.

In 2016, a federal judge in Virginia agreed that the group Microsoft calls "Strontium" and others call "APT 28," for "advanced persistent threat," would continue its attacks. The judge appointed a "special master" with the power to authorize Microsoft to seize fake websites as soon as they are registered. As a result, the hackers have lost control of many of the sites only days after creating them.

But it is a constant cat-and-mouse game, as the Russian hackers seek new vectors of attack while Microsoft and others seek to cut them off.

#2081323 at 2018-07-08 16:55:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2625: When The Going Gets Tough... Edition

(repost from Lb)

More fuckery it seems.
Help needed.
Requesting diggers to help make connections.

Kids as young as 1 in US court, awaiting reunion with family
The 1-year-old boy in a green button-up shirt drank milk from a bottle, played with a small purple ball that lit up when it hit the ground and occasionally asked for "agua."
Such children don't have a right to a court-appointed attorney, and 90 percent of kids without a lawyer are returned to their home countries, according to Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a group that provides legal representation.
In the end, Johan was granted a voluntary departure order that would allow the government to fly him to Honduras so that he could be reunited with his family. An attorney with the Florence Project, an Arizona-based nonprofit that provides free legal help to immigrants, said both his mother and father were in Honduras.
https://apnews.com/4cb60fc06ca34160bf7445fdc1f47eed

Ok, so started looking at these "helper" organizations and fell into The Rabbit Hole:

1. Kids In Need of Defense=KIND
Founders: Angelina Jolie and Brad Smith (Microsoft)
BOD, Leadership and Partners here: https://supportkind.org/about/

2. The Florence Project
The Florence Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal service organization providing free legal services to men, women, and unaccompanied children in immigration custody in Arizona.

BOD includes Philip R. Higdon, Esq., Perkins Cole, LLP - which activated almonds.

https://firrp.org/who/board/

#2081078 at 2018-07-08 16:26:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research #2624: The Harder (((They))) Shill, The Deeper We Drill Edition

>>2080923
KIND

Board of Directors

Brad Smith, Chair
President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft Corporation
Pamela Passman, Treasurer
President and CEO, Center for Responsible Enterprise and Trade - CREATe.org
Lydia Tamez, Secretary
Attorney and Counsel at Law
Maya Ajmera
President and CEO of Society for Science & the Public (SSP)
Rima Alaily
Assistant General Counsel, Competition Law Group, Microsoft Corporation
Rafael Borrás
Partner, A.T. Kearney
Rachel Brass
Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Aurora Cassirer
Partner, Troutman Sanders, LLP
Robert Cundall
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Carole Geithner
Author and Clinical Social Worker
Kurt W. Hansson
Global Vice-Chairman, Litigation Department, Paul Hastings LLP
Sonia Nazario
Author, Enrique's Journey
Kathleen Newland
Director, Migrants, Migration, & Development & Refugee Protection Programs, Migration Policy Institute
Ronald A. Schechter
Partner, Arnold & Porter
Mark Srulowitz, Esq.
Managing Partner, Brookfield Asset Management
Elpidio Villarreal
Senior Vice President, Global Litigation, GlaxoSmithKline.
Gary M. Wingens
Chairman and Managing Partner, Lowenstein Sandler LLP

#2080970 at 2018-07-08 16:16:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research #2624: The Harder (((They))) Shill, The Deeper We Drill Edition

>>2080923 Anon asks for help on digging into Angelina Jolie/Brad Smith & Philip R. Higdon/Perkins Coie related Child "Helper" Organization
Suggested notable

#2080923 at 2018-07-08 16:12:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research #2624: The Harder (((They))) Shill, The Deeper We Drill Edition

More fuckery it seems.
Help needed.
Requesting diggers make the connections.

Kids as young as 1 in US court, awaiting reunion with family

The 1-year-old boy in a green button-up shirt drank milk from a bottle, played with a small purple ball that lit up when it hit the ground and occasionally asked for "agua."
Such children don't have a right to a court-appointed attorney, and 90 percent of kids without a lawyer are returned to their home countries, according to Kids in Need of Defense, a group that provides legal representation.

In the end, Johan was granted a voluntary departure order that would allow the government to fly him to Honduras so that he could be reunited with his family. An attorney with the Florence Project, an Arizona-based nonprofit that provides free legal help to immigrants, said both his mother and father were in Honduras.

https://apnews.com/4cb60fc06ca34160bf7445fdc1f47eed

Ok, so started looking at these "helper" organizations and fell into The Rabbit Hole:

1. Kids In Need of Defense=KIND

Founders: Angelina Jolie and Brad Smith (Microsoft)

BOD, Leadership and Partners here: https://supportkind.org/about/

2. The Florence Project

The Florence Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal service organization providing free legal services to men, women, and unaccompanied children in immigration custody in Arizona.

BOD includes Philip R. Higdon, Esq., Perkins Coie, LLP - which activated almonds.
https://firrp.org/who/board/

#1942808 at 2018-06-28 18:34:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2448 The Hearing Continues Edition

>>1942745
>In January, Netflix named Rodolphe Belmer, former CEO of Canal Plus Group, to the board.
>The other Netflix directors are:
>Reed Hastings
>Anne Sweeney, former president of Disney-ABC Television Group
>Richard Barton, executive chairman of Zillow Group and founder of Expedia
>A. George (Skip) Battle, former executive chairman of Ask Jeeves and executive at Andersen Consulting
>Timothy Haley, managing director at Redpoint Ventures
>Jay Hoag, general partner at Technology Crossover Ventures
>Leslie Kilgore, former Netflix chief marketing officer
>Ann Mather, ex-CFO of Pixar and Village Roadshow Pictures, former Disney exec
>and Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer, Microsoft.

#1892390 at 2018-06-24 23:54:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2384: Name: Barack Hussein Obama. Occupation: Child Exploiter

Saw this organization mentioned previously….probably needs some eyes

KIND

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

We protect children alone

Founders

Angelina Jolie
Co-Founder & Patron UNHCR Special Envoy

Brad Smith
Co-Founder & Board Chair, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft Corporation

hafsat abiola-costello
President/CEO, Women in Africa; Founder, KIND; fmr Sp Adv to OgunStateGov; YGLalum of WEF; Councillor, World Future Council; rights & democracy activist.

Program officer Asst. Coordinator

Ajibo Taiwo also
Director Genius Breeders

Rasheed Owonifari

Head of Administration and Finance (KIND)
OR Another KIND–2 different KIND's
Kudirat Initiative for Nigerian Democracy - SourceWatch
https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Kudirat_Initiative_for…

Kudirat Initiative for Nigerian Democracy (KIND) is an organization with offices in Lagos, Nigeria and East Elmhurst, New York and describes its vision as "An Africa where women and youth are full participants in the continent's social, economic, and political development." [1 …

#878637 at 2018-04-03 12:57:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #1091: Tippy Top Edition

>>878572

Bayer, Miracle-Ear, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Ruby Tuesday, Atlantis, Paradise Island, Jenny Craig, Nutrish, Hulu, TripAdvisor, Wayfair, Stitch Fix, Expedia, Nestlé, Johnson & Johnson, Office Depot, are the lost advatisers. I suggest boycotting them, since there all likely cabal run companies.


I had dug a bit on trip-advisor, total cabal, picture related.

Re post of my old dig.

>Found one, commercial playing with the volume off but I noticed >this Owl, and it fucking winked!

Stephen Kaufer https: //twitter.com/kaufer CEO and co-founder, TripAdvisor, made 1.5b in 2015. Went to Harvard and has several patents on travel software. Based out of needham mass. Company is owned by Libery Media.

His twitter is just like all the other lib bots, bashing Trump, democrats are all mighty. Didn't dig to deep.

Noticed he spoke at this https: //bsr17.org/speakers/view/stephen-kaufer. Look who else spoke at this, Al Gore, Brad Smith (microsoft lawyer), Cecile Richards (Planned Parenthood) among many others that look interesting.

Found a Huffpost profile

Steve co-founded TripAdvisor in 2000 with the mission to help travelers around the world plan and book the perfect trip. Under his leadership, TripAdvisor has grown into the largest travel site in the world. As CEO, Steve has led the growth of TripAdvisor, Inc., which includes 24 other travel media brands that operate in 48 markets worldwide. Prior to co-founding TripAdvisor, Steve was president of CDS, Inc., an independent software vendor, and prior to that, was co-founder and vice president of engineering of CenterLine Software. Steve holds several software patents. Over the years Steve has won a number of awards for his entrepreneurship and leadership in the travel industry including being inducted into the 2015 British Travel & Hospitality Hall of Fame, receiving the 2015 Pioneer Award by the International Society of Hospitality Consultants and 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Steve is on the board of directors at Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com); CarGurus (www.cargurus.com); and the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (www.netrf.org). He's a fan of his brother-in-law's robot sculptures at Lipson Robotics (www.lipsonrobotics.com). Steve has a degree in computer science from Harvard University.


He's a fan of his brother-in-law's robot sculptures at Lipson Robotics, ok wtf. AI God idols perhaps. Checked his website, sells pretty cool looking robot sculpture, no obvious satanic symbols, so he may just be autist.

Looked at netrf for a few, looks like DNA and stem cel shit, not a medicalfag.

Www. glassdoor.com, job networking sight. Will dig more on this.




Post 2

other co founder Langley Steinert, Georgetown, Tuck School of Buisness at Datmouth. Now owns Cargurus, Cambridge Mass


n November 2017, TripAdvisor was cited in two reports from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel[66] and CBS News[67] that it was responsible for deleting numerous reviews that raised red flags of complaisant criminal responsibility by resorts in Playa del Carmen, a popular tourist resort in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. The reports cited that the company deleted reviews from two women who were raped at the Iberostar Paraiso Maya in separate incidents 2010 and 2015 respectively, one of which involved a hotel security guard. After assurances from hotel staff they would help out and contact the authorities but failed to take any follow-up action, the women took their advisories and warnings to TripAdvisor, which deleted their reviews. The first victim, Kristie Love, had her review eventually put back up on TripAdvisor's site successfully, while in the case of the second victim, Jamie Valeri, the company refused to budge after citing her report as "hearsay."


From http:// www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/jobs/stephen-kaufer-of-tripadvisor-is-an-average-traveler.html



I picked up fencing in high school partly because it attracted the craziest bunch of people. I helped start my high school team, recruiting students with the pitch, "Wouldn't it be fun if you learned how to stab your friends?"

Found his wife https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Kaufer, died 2005

#265827 at 2018-02-04 16:10:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #324: Amtrak Wrecks Again Edition

Their need for symbolism will be their downfall.
Follow the Owl & Y head around the world.
Identify and list.
They don't hide it.
They don't fear you.
You are sheep to them.
You are feeders.
Godfather III.
Q

Found one, commercial playing with the volume off but I noticed this Owl, and it fucking winked!

Stephen Kaufer https: //twitter.com/kaufer CEO and co-founder, TripAdvisor, made 1.5b in 2015. Went to Harvard and has several patents on travel software. Based out of needham mass. Company is owned by Libery Media.

His twitter is just like all the other lib bots, bashing Trump, democrats are all mighty. Didn't dig to deep.

Noticed he spoke at this https: //bsr17.org/speakers/view/stephen-kaufer. Look who else spoke at this, Al Gore, Brad Smith (microsoft lawyer), Cecile Richards (Planned Parenthood) among many others that look interesting.

Found a Huffpost profile

Steve co-founded TripAdvisor in 2000 with the mission to help travelers around the world plan and book the perfect trip. Under his leadership, TripAdvisor has grown into the largest travel site in the world. As CEO, Steve has led the growth of TripAdvisor, Inc., which includes 24 other travel media brands that operate in 48 markets worldwide. Prior to co-founding TripAdvisor, Steve was president of CDS, Inc., an independent software vendor, and prior to that, was co-founder and vice president of engineering of CenterLine Software. Steve holds several software patents. Over the years Steve has won a number of awards for his entrepreneurship and leadership in the travel industry including being inducted into the 2015 British Travel & Hospitality Hall of Fame, receiving the 2015 Pioneer Award by the International Society of Hospitality Consultants and 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Steve is on the board of directors at Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com); CarGurus (www.cargurus.com); and the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (www.netrf.org). He's a fan of his brother-in-law's robot sculptures at Lipson Robotics (www.lipsonrobotics.com). Steve has a degree in computer science from Harvard University.


He's a fan of his brother-in-law's robot sculptures at Lipson Robotics, ok wtf. AI God idols perhaps. Checked his website, sells pretty cool looking robot sculpture, no obvious satanic symbols, so he may just be autist.

Looked at netrf for a few, looks like DNA and stem cel shit, not a medicalfag.

Www. glassdoor.com, job networking sight. Will dig more on this.