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Russia Launches Surprise Offensive In Kharkiv, Aims To Extend Border 10km Deep Into Ukraine

Russia Launches Surprise Offensive In Kharkiv, Aims To Extend Border 10km Deep Into Ukraine

Following several more cross-border attacks from Ukraine, including direct drone hits on Russian oil facilities over the past 48 hours, Russian forces have launched a surprise ground offensive which seeks to break through front lines in the northeastern Kharkiv border region on Friday.

“Russia launched a new wave of counteroffensive actions… Ukraine met them there with our troops, brigades, and artillery,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed of the new action in a briefing. “Now there is a fierce battle underway.”

Via Reuters

Civilians have also been witnessed fleeing border areas in droves as heavy fighting ensues. Already Moscow forces have penetrated at least 1 kilometer deep in what’s being described as an effort to create a larger ‘buffer zone’ in order to help prevent Ukrainian attacks from reaching Russian territory.

Ukraine’s defense ministry said that the new offensive began at 5am local time with armored vehicles leading the charge of infantry troops in this major effort to effectively push the border itself deeper into Ukraine territory.

Kharkiv region on fire amid a major surprise Russian offensive:

But Ukraine defense officials have claimed, “As of now, these attacks have been repulsed; battles of varying intensity continue.”

The AFP has written, “If Moscow’s advances are confirmed, it would represent the Russian military’s largest land operation in the region since sending thousands of troops across the border in February 2022.”

Below: the center of Vovchansk after heavy fighting…

Heavy shelling is also taking place, especially in the vicinity of Vovchansk, which is a border town of a few thousand people but which had a pre-war population of 17,000. According to further unfolding details:

Kharkiv region’s governor said the length of the border and the settlements in it were a “grey zone” and confirmed active fighting taking place.

A senior Ukrainian military source who declined to be named said Russian forces had pushed 1 km (0.6 mile) inside the Ukrainian border near Vovchansk.

The source said Russian forces were aiming to push Ukrainian troops as far back as 10 km inside Ukraine as part of an effort to create a buffer zone, but that Kyiv’s troops were trying to hold them back.

Kharkiv, which is Ukraine’s second-largest city and sits very close to the border, has been attacked heavily by airstrikes for months, and has had its energy infrastructure severely downgraded in the attacks.

Via BBC

Ukraine regional governor Oleg Synegubov described that “Enemy shelling from various types of weapons has been intensifying in Kharkiv region in the northern area for the last day.” He further wrote on Telegram while confirming at least two civilians killed, “In Kharkiv region, evacuation routes have been developed since 2022, and a system of humanitarian aid distribution, temporary resettlement.”

The Russian side is also urging civilians to seek immediate safety amid the heavy border fighting. “There is fighting on several parts of the line of contact, including in the border areas of Kharkiv region,” Vitaliy Ganchev, a Russian officials overseeing the Kharkiv region stated on Telegram. “In this regard, I ask residents living in these areas to be careful and not to leave shelters without an urgent need.”

This week at least eight Russian civilians have died in the Belgorod region after Ukraine forces sent more drones across the border. Also, Ukrainian drone slammed into an oil refinery in central Russia’s Kaluga region south of Moscow overnight.

And the day prior, a drone struck an oil refinery in Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, which is a first of the conflict. It reportedly involved a long-range, slow moving drone flying at a low altitude. This has raised questions of the current state of Russia’s anti-air defenses.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 14:40

FBI Officials Told To ‘Stand Down’ The Day Before Jan. 6: Report

FBI Officials Told To ‘Stand Down’ The Day Before Jan. 6: Report

Authored by Ken Silva via Headline USA,

Jan. 6, 2021. PHOTO: Wikipedia

The FBI released on Tuesday a new batch of records about its investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill uprising—raising more questions about the event in the process.

Among the 107 pages of new records is a series of emails with the subject line, “Stand down. See below.” The emails are heavily redacted, and the individuals in the email thread are not identified. Only one person’s title was revealed: a supervisory intelligence analyst for the FBI’s DC office. Even the date and times of the emails are redacted, with the exception of one that was sent at 5:46 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021.

The limited information in the emails suggests that law enforcement was investigating a group of people who travelled to Washington DC on Jan. 5.

We are standing down in [REDACTED]. The predicated subjects have been [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] is being informed. The only people from the group who are continuing to DC are non-subjects, who are not carrying weapons, and appear to be solely involved in legal First Amendment protesting,” one email from the thread stated.

In response to that email, someone else said, “Thank you all for quickly stepping up today!

Law enforcement did have to deal with some armed individuals on Jan. 5, 2021, as noted by Jan. 6 defendant William Pope.

For instance, the DC Metropolitan Police Department reportedly stopped a “Hippies for Trump” bus on Jan. 5, arresting a protestor during that stop. Officers said they found a pistol, a rifle, more than 300 rounds of ammunition and fireworks.

Another would-be protestor, Colorado man Harlan Boen, was reportedly arrested on Jan. 5 for carrying a pistol at Freedom Plaza.

The batch of FBI emails released Tuesday also includes discussions between Joint Terrorism Task Force, or JTTF, members on Jan. 5, 2021, forewarning possible violence.

“Hi all, [REDACTED] asked earlier about [REDACTED] subjects coming to the [National Capitol Region] this week who have been [REDACTED]. Per [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] (cc’d), below is information regarding [REDACTED] subjects travelling to the NCR [REDACTED].”

Yet another heavily redacted email from Jan. 4, 2021, shows that the JTTF treating the upcoming Stop the Steal rally as a “usual” event.

“Usual early [warning order] for something brewing. There are a few people posting intent to come down to DC to do harm on the 6th. [REDACTED] are working in which [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] … and there are likely to be others … That is all I have. You should at least be [REDACTED] from here on out,” the Jan. 4 email said.

The FBI has declined to comment on its Jan. 6 investigation in response to emails from Headline USA.

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 14:15

“Something Super Weird Is Going On”: Musk Reacts To ‘Anticapitalist’ Attack On Berlin Gigafactory

“Something Super Weird Is Going On”: Musk Reacts To ‘Anticapitalist’ Attack On Berlin Gigafactory

Update (1340ET): Some are wondering why the so-called ‘anticapitalist’ protesters who attacked the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin are ignoring other automakers whose brands cater the the upper class they claim to oppose.

“Why not protest factories making BMW 7 series and Mercedes S Class or Maybach?” asks X user ‘Warren Redlich,’ adding “Because they’re full of crap.

To which Tesla owner Elon Musk replied: “Something super weird is going on, as Tesla was the *only* car company attacked!”

*  *  *

All hell is breaking out at Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg on Friday as hundreds of woke Marxist extremists storm the property. 

Videos on X show hundreds of people running towards the massive factory. 

Most of those demonstrators do not come from Grünheide if any at all, they are not just against Tesla but against any form of capitalism and that’s a pretty ridiculous claim as its the best system to balance capital between poor and rich that exist. Its a wild mixture of people mainly believing in the lies of the media and activated from environmental organisations who amplify an ill designed protest,” one X user said. 

In March, the far-left militant/environmental group known as “Vulkangruppe” (Volcano Group) claimed responsibility for sabotaging the power grid near the Tesla factory

Power was restored to the factory days later. 

The West has to have a very serious conversation about shady non-governmental organizations funding chaos across Europe and the US. 

From eco-terrorist attacks in Germany to migrant invasions across Europe – and across the Atlantic, migrant invasion on the southern border to BLM protests during Covid to pro-Palestinian demonstrations shutting down critical infrastructure (bridges, highways, and airport terminals) and colleges and universities – this chaos is all funded by Marxist NGOs that all have one goal: kill capitalism and America. 

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 13:39

SEC Doesn’t Want Ethereum To Transform Banking Landscape, Says Joseph Lubin

SEC Doesn’t Want Ethereum To Transform Banking Landscape, Says Joseph Lubin

By Gareth Jenkinson of CoinTelegraph

Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin believes the United States Securities and Exchange Commission is intentionally hindering innovation, which threatens the country’s existing financial landscape.

Speaking at FT Live’s Crypto and Digital Asset summit in London, Lubin unpacked Consensys’s decision to sue the SEC after receiving a Wells notice from the U.S. securities regulator.

“The SEC appears to have reclassified Ether as a security without telling anybody that that’s the case. They are going about a strategic series of enforcement actions rather than open discourse and clear rulemaking,” Lubin said.

The CEO of Consensys — which developed the MetaMask wallet — said the enforcement actions intend to create fear, uncertainty and doubt for the cryptocurrency industry “in an attempt to paralyze” and force the company offshore.

Lubin said the firm’s counteraction against the SEC is aimed at getting more clarity from U.S. courts, considering that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission had previously classified Ether as a commodity.

Timing is suspicious

The Consensys CEO also highlighted the upcoming deadline for the SEC to issue a decision over the approval of Ether spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as a driving force behind the regulator’s renewed enforcement action against Ethereum.

“We believe that there’s a flurry of activity designed to enable them to say that their action wasn’t capricious in the very likely event that they deny the Ether spot ETFs,Lubin explained.

Lubin said the SEC had noticed how much capital had flowed into the ecosystem following the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs:

“I think they’re concerned that so much attention and capital will flow to our ecosystem, considering it is improving enormously in terms of scalability and usability.”

Lubin also speculated that the prospect of the banking industry’s customers moving assets into digital forms using decentralized finance constructs could scare many banks and other financial institutions.

“The SEC probably doesn’t want to see a wave of innovation that will really transform the landscape,” he said.

Why Consensys needs to win the case

The importance of a positive outcome against the SEC could also have wide-reaching implications for the cryptocurrency and technology landscape in the United States.

Lubin said the SEC’s claims that Coinbase and MetaMask’s wallets are acting as broker-dealers are setting a dangerous precedent. He added that the thought of a piece of software acting as a broker-dealer was a “preposterous notion.”

“We’re at odds over whether we should register MetaMask as a broker-dealer. Should every MetaMask user have to register their wallet as a broker-dealer, it’s chilling,” Lubin added.

The Consensys CEO concluded that the entire technology industry in the U.S. could be impacted by the actions of the securities regulator.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 13:25

ICE Expected To Roll Out ID Program For Illegal Immigrants This Summer

ICE Expected To Roll Out ID Program For Illegal Immigrants This Summer

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to roll out a controversial ID card pilot program for illegal immigrants being released into the US, with the stated objective of ‘modernizing the documentation process for removal proceedings,’ Fox News reports.

Images show the ICE Secure Docket Card program. (Fox News)

First reported in 2022, the ‘Secure Docket Card’ pilot program is expected to begin this summer with around 10,000 cards in a limited rollout at three or four locations in the US. The agency claims that the program is “pre-decisional” and subject to change. According to the report, Houston and Atlanta are two potential locations.

Officials claim that the program will “modernize documentation provided to some noncitizens” but it will not be an official form of federal ID.

Images show the ICE Secure Docket Card program. (Fox News)

“While the specifics of the card and pilot are under development, it is important to note the secure card will not be an official form of federal identification,” the agency said. “The secure card will indicate it is for use by DHS agencies and would be provided only after national security background checks have been performed.”

When illegal immigrants cross the border and are released into the interior, they are often given a number of paper documents depending on their status and situation. ICE says that such documents pose a security risk and can be lost and degraded, and the new program will make the agency more efficient.

It would also allow for an easier verification of identity through DHS systems via officials. -Fox News

“Moving to a secure card will save the agency millions, free up resources and ensure information is quickly accessible to DHS officials while reducing the agency’s FOIA backlog,” a spokesperson told the outlet. “For provisionally released noncitizens, the digital modernization will provide ongoing access to important immigration documents through the secure card and connected portal.”

The program is expected to face serious opposition from Republicans and conservatives who have criticized the Biden administration for regular releases of illegal immigrants.

“Just in time for the election, the Biden administration is quietly legitimizing a government-sanctioned invasion of our nation,” said RJ Hauman, president of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) and a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Providing illegal aliens with identification will undoubtedly lead to obtaining other documents, benefits and rights — or create an entirely new identity. After all, most who cross the border have no identification information in their possession. So, how do we even know who they are?

On Wednesday, Republicans moved forward with legislation that would require a citizenship question on the census in order to prevent noncitizens from being counted.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 13:00

FDA Preparing For Possible Bird Flu Spread Among Humans: Commissioner

FDA Preparing For Possible Bird Flu Spread Among Humans: Commissioner

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf in Washington in a file image. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing for a scenario in which the highly pathogenic avian influenza starts spreading among humans, the agency’s commissioner said on May 8.

This virus, like all viruses, is mutating. We need to continue to prepare for the possibility that it might jump to humans,” Dr. Robert Califf, the commissioner, told senators during a hearing in Washington.

The influenza, also known as the bird flu or H5N1, has recently started spreading among cattle and other species. One person in Texas has had a confirmed case this year.

So far, genetic sequencing and other data indicate that influenza poses little risk to people, and there are no signs that the flu is transmitting from person-to-person, according to U.S. officials. But they are working on getting treatments, tests, and vaccines ready in case that changes.

We’ve been busy getting prepared for if the virus does mutate in a way that jumps into humans on a larger level,” Dr. Califf told the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.

The patient in Texas primarily experienced one symptom: inflamed eyes. Neither the patient nor many of the cows that have been infected have suffered respiratory symptoms. H5N1 commonly infects the respiratory tracts of birds.

“The real worry is that it will jump to the human lungs, where, when that has happened in other parts of the world for brief outbreaks, the mortality rates have been 25 percent,” Dr. Califf said. The worry is based in part on how viruses typically mutate, such as in the case of COVID-19.

From 2003 to April 1, 2024, 889 cases of H5N1 have been confirmed across the globe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Of the patients, 52 percent have died.

WHO chief scientist Jeremy Farrar said recently that H5N1 has developed into a “global zoonotic animal pandemic” and that scientists are concerned that the virus could evolve to spread among humans.

Tedros Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the organization, said Wednesday that “the virus does not show signs of having adapted to spread among humans, but more surveillance is needed.”

Many experts consulted by the U.S. government are concerned about the jump of the influenza to cattle and other species and how cattle intermingle with pigs, chickens, and humans on farms, according to Dr. Califf. A May 3 study from U.S. and Danish researchers said testing of tissues from cattle indicated the animals could serve as a “mixing vessel” for avian influenza because receptors from chickens, ducks, and humans were expressed in the cows.

While the risk is still low, “if we institute the countermeasures now and reduce the spread of the virus now, then we’re much less likely to see a mutation that jumps to humans for which we’re ill-prepared,” Dr. Califf added.

Current U.S. rules mandate testing of some cattle before being moved to another state. The guidance includes advising workers on farms to wear protective equipment when dealing with animals that may be or are sick with the bird flu.

The FDA is focusing in part on ensuring the country’s milk supply is safe to drink. The agency and its partners have tested samples of milk from grocery stores. Although some samples tested positive, no live virus has been detected, meaning the milk supply is safe, according to the agency.

Test results from beef have also found beef is safe, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The agency has confirmed H5N1 infections in 36 herds across nine states, including Colorado, Kansas, and Michigan. Data from affected cows indicate H5N1 began circulating in cattle in late 2023, according to a preprint paper from the department.

About 70 farm workers are being monitored in Colorado, officials said in a briefing this week, but none have displayed symptoms as of yet.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 12:35

“Worst Case Scenario”: MacroGenics Crashes After Five Patient Deaths In Experimental Drug Trial 

“Worst Case Scenario”: MacroGenics Crashes After Five Patient Deaths In Experimental Drug Trial 

A Rockville, Maryland-based biotech company called MacroGenics crashed in premarket trading in New York after it revealed five deaths in a clinical trial of its investigative therapy for prostate cancer, according to Bloomberg.  

MacroGenics finished enrolling participants for the TAMARACK Phase 2 study of vobra duo in November 2023. This study involves patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have previously received one treatment targeting the androgen receptor pathway. These participants might also have had one prior treatment, including taxane, but no other chemotherapy. The study aims to test two different doses of vobra duo, either 2.0 mg/kg or 2.7 mg/kg, given every four weeks. 

“The interim safety and anti-tumor activity observed to date in the TAMARACK study look very promising for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer,” Johann DeBono, Regius Professor of Cancer Research and Professor in Experimental Cancer Medicine at The Institute of Cancer Research, London and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, stated in a release.

DeBono continued, “With the limited treatment options currently available to these patients, this novel ADC molecule could potentially become the first therapy targeting B7-H3 in patients with prostate cancer and would represent an important new treatment for this population.”

Further in the release, MacroGenics revealed five deaths in the study. They said two deaths have been considered unrelated to the study, while the other three are being investigated. 

A total of five events with fatal outcome occurred as follows: one Grade 5 event in the 2.0 mg/kg dosing cohort: acute myocardial infarction (considered unrelated to study drug by the investigator); three Grade 5 events in the 2.7 mg/kg dosing cohort: one •  cardiac arrest (considered unrelated to study drug by the investigator) and two events of pneumonitis. In addition, a patient in the 2.7 mg/kg dosing cohort had a Grade 3 pleural effusion that is recorded as having a fatal outcome. The latter three deaths are being investigated, as follow-up is incomplete on this ongoing trial. 

In premarket trading, shares crashed 67% on fears of updated efficacy and safety information regarding the clinical trial. 

Wall Street analysts were very sour about the new developments. Here’s what they’re saying (list courtesy of Bloomberg):

BMO Capital Markets (downgrades to market perform from outperform)

  • Analyst Etzer Darout has lower conviction on MacroGenics’ prostate cancer program, with both efficacy and safety updates for TAMARACK falling short of expectations

Stifel (downgrades to buy from hold)

  • Analyst Stephen Willey’s primary concerns are not efficacy- driven, but rather reflect safety and tolerability data

  • The data doesn’t appear meaningfully differentiated from the prior P1 dose-expansion experience

SVB Securities (outperform)

  • TAMARACK data was notable for its meaningfully deteriorated safety profile which “likely represent one of the worst case scenarios,” says analyst Jonathan Chang

… bears shorted 16.29% of the float or 10 million shares. 

This sets up for a high volume day and wild volatility. 

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 12:10

Bidenomics Implodes: Consumer Sentiment Unexpectedly Craters In Biggest Miss On Record

Bidenomics Implodes: Consumer Sentiment Unexpectedly Craters In Biggest Miss On Record

Moments ago the University of Michigan released the latest “report card” on Bidenomics, and to nobody’s surprise – except perhaps a certain senile teleprompter reading, diaper wearing puppet in the White House – it was a total disaster, as Sentiment “unexpectedly” plunged from 77.2 to 67.4, the 9.8 point drop the biggest since August 2021…

… and was not only a 7-sigma miss to expectations of a 76.2 print…

… but was the biggest miss on record!

The collapse in sentiment was broad based, and hammered both current conditions – which plunged from 79.0 to 68.8, badly missing estimates of 79.0 – and also expectations, which plunged from 76.0 to 66.5 (and far below the 75.0 estimated).

The decline in sentiment was broad across age, income and education groups, and also reflected growing concerns about high interest rates. While the labor market has driven economic growth over the last year, the downbeat assessment highlighted in the report adds to evidence of a slowdown.

“Strength in household incomes has been the primary source of support for robust consumer spending over the past couple of years, so a softening in labor market expectations is concerning and — if it continues — may lead to a pullback in consumers’ willingness to spend,’’ Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, said in a statement.

But wait there’s more, because if that was the “stag” part of the report, the UMich report also confirmed that the “flation” isn’t far behind, as the inflation outlook suddenly deteriorated quite dramatically, to wit: 1Year inflation expectations jumped from 3.2% to 2.5%, the highest since November 2023 (and far above estimates of 3.2%), while 5-10 Year inflation expectations also rose from 3.0% to 3.1%, the highest since November.

If that wasn’t enough, the university’s measure of buying conditions for durable goods, some of which are financed, also decreased to a one-year low. And finally, consumers’ perception of their financial situation, as well as short- and long-term economic outlooks, decreased this month.

“Worse yet, consumers expect the pain to continue, as expectations for interest rates deteriorated considerably this month,” Hsu said. “Only one quarter of consumers expect interest rates to fall in the year ahead, compared with 32% in April.”

One possible reason for the shocking collapse in the print is that, as Pantheon Macro noted ahead of the print, UMich is in the process of switching from phone to an online survey, which according to Pantheon was, get this, “likely to weigh on the headline sentiment because people on the phone are more optimistic than the online applications.” Riiight. If anything the transition from phone to online just means that people are actually more truthful in their responses and, well… we just saw the result!

In short: the verdict for Bidenomics is in, and it’s a complete disaster, as for Powell’s recent laughable comment that he can’t see the “stag” nor the “flation”… well, Fed chair, they just bit you on the ass.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 10:26

Watch: Hundreds Of Marxist Extremists Storm Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin

Watch: Hundreds Of Marxist Extremists Storm Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin

All hell is breaking out at Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg on Friday as hundreds of woke Marxist extremists storm the property. 

Videos on X show hundreds of people running towards the massive factory. 

Most of those demonstrators do not come from Grünheide if any at all, they are not just against Tesla but against any form of capitalism and that’s a pretty ridiculous claim as its the best system to balance capital between poor and rich that exist. Its a wild mixture of people mainly believing in the lies of the media and activated from environmental organisations who amplify an ill designed protest,” one X user said. 

In March, the far-left militant/environmental group known as “Vulkangruppe” (Volcano Group) claimed responsibility for sabotaging the power grid near the Tesla factory

Power was restored to the factory days later. 

The West has to have a very serious conversation about shady non-governmental organizations funding chaos across Europe and the US. 

From eco-terrorist attacks in Germany to migrant invasions across Europe – and across the Atlantic, migrant invasion on the southern border to BLM protests during Covid to pro-Palestinian demonstrations shutting down critical infrastructure (bridges, highways, and airport terminals) and colleges and universities – this chaos is all funded by Marxist NGOs that all have one goal: kill capitalism and America. 

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 09:55

Dog Gone: Kristi Noem Cuts Short Book Tour Citing ‘Bad Weather’

Dog Gone: Kristi Noem Cuts Short Book Tour Citing ‘Bad Weather’

Authored by Philip Wegmann via RealClear Wire,

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has cut short a disastrous book tour after receiving withering criticism for her story of shooting an ill-behaved puppy and unverified claims of meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un, RealClearPolitics is first to report. The book, released Tuesday, is titled “No Going Back.”

Noem sat for a series of in-person interviews in New York and was scheduled to travel later in the week to Washington, D.C., before canceling the tour, citing inclement weather.

“Gov. Noem has sold a lot of books on this tour and is back in South Dakota to be prepared for some potential emerging bad weather systems,” spokesman Ian Fury told RCP. Tornadoes touched down in the state Monday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Noem sat for interviews Monday and Tuesday in New York before returning home.

Noem was slated to sit down with RealClearPolitics on Thursday before her team canceled the interview and declined to make her available over the phone.

Once heralded as a rising star on the right, in one week the governor was reduced to a punchline. She provided all the material. “We were supposed to have Gov. Kristi Noem on the show tonight, but she canceled. Her staff blamed bad weather,” deadpanned Greg Gutfeld Tuesday night. “We go to locals for reaction.” The Fox News funnyman then cut to a clip of barking dogs.

Noem had billed her book as “a how-to guide” for political activism, pegging its publication to the ongoing veepstakes to join former President Trump on the GOP ticket. Calamity followed when an excerpt leaked to The Guardian, and what was planned as a national audition was overshadowed by the grisly stories the governor told about herself.

Noem writes of dragging a 14-month-old dog into a gravel pit on her property after the poorly trained animal spoiled a pheasant hunt and attacked a neighbor’s chickens. She killed the puppy named “Cricket” with a shotgun. After dispatching the dog, she turned her attention to an unruly goat. Noem took a shot, but the billy jumped. She writes in her memoir that she left the goat tethered, retrieved more ammunition, then “hurried back to the gravel pit and put him down.”

Despite a growing firestorm of criticism, the author went ahead with her tour, sitting down on Sunday with Margaret Brennan of CBS News. The story from two decades ago, Noem insisted, showed her willingness to make tough decisions.

“This dog was a working dog and had come from a family that had issues with this dog and I had put months and months of training into this dog. This dog had gone to other trainers as well,” Noem said.

“So all of that is the facts of the story, and all of that shows that when you put someone in a position where they have to make a decision and they want to protect their family and protect children and other people from getting attacked from an animal that has attacked others and killed livestock, that’s the choice I made over 20 years ago. And that I didn’t ask somebody else to take that responsibility for me,” she continued.

Noem also appeared to joke in the book about euthanizing President Biden’s dog, Commander, who was removed from White House grounds after numerous biting incidents.

“What would I do if I was president on the first day in office in 2025? Thanks for asking. I happen to have a list. The first thing I’d do is make sure Joe Biden’s dog was nowhere on the grounds (‘Commander, say hello to Cricket for me’),” Noem wrote. The White House was not amused.

“We learned last week, obviously like all of you, in her book that she killed her puppy,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday. “You heard me say that was very, very sad. We find her comments from yesterday disturbing. We find them absurd.”

Perhaps more disastrous was the claim Noem made about traveling to North Korea and meeting Kim Jung Un when she served on the House Armed Services Committee in Congress.

“I’m not going to talk about my specific meetings with world leaders. I’m just not going to do that. This anecdote shouldn’t have been in the book and as soon as it was brought to my attention, I made sure that that was adjusted,” she said when pressed about whether the meeting took place.

The publisher of the book, Center Street, announced that subsequent printings of the book would not include the reference. An audiobook, which the governor narrated, is also expected to be edited and updated. The passage in question is brief and sparse in detail.

The North Korean anecdote is two sentences in a 260-page book: “I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all).”

Prior to the book tour, Noem made little secret about her ambitions for national office. She was quick to criticize the field challenging Trump for the nomination, and in February, the governor traveled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump and pitch him on joining the ticket. According to sources with knowledge of the meeting, Noem showed Trump polling from Kaplan Strategies that showed her boosting his chances in Wisconsin and Michigan with her as a running mate.

Doug Kaplan, the pollster who conducted the survey, cautioned in a brief interview with RCP that those positive numbers were from “a lifetime ago.”

Noem is now haunted by the dog she dispatched two decades ago. During a Tuesday interview with Stuart Varney on Fox Business, the governor became impatient with the host when he kept returning the conversation to how the dead puppy affected her chances at the vice presidency.

“Enough, Stuart. This interview is ridiculous, which you are doing right now,” Noem said. “So you need to stop. It is OK. It is. Let’s talk about some real topics that Americans care about.”

“I’m afraid we’re out of time,” Varney responded.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/10/2024 – 09:30