Happening just recently . . .

@cdog8043

 Educate yourself & look up the meaning of the snowball effect.

Canada joins Biden, the UK, and EU in announcing direct sanctions on Putin

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday a set of sanctions on Russia, which include imposing sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, his chief of staff, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"Canada is announcing our third set of severe, coordinated sanctions," Trudeau said. "First, we will be imposing sanctions on President Putin and his fellow architects of this barbaric war, his chief of staff and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov."

"Additionally, I am confirming Canada's support to remove Russia from the SWIFT payment system, a critical part of the global banking system," he added.

Excluding Russian banks from SWIFT, a high security network that connect thousands of financial institutions around the world, "would make it even more difficult for President Putin to finance his brutalities," according to Trudeau.

"Canada is also announcing that we will levy additional sanctions on Belarus and its leaders for abetting Putin's invasion of a free and sovereign nation," he said.

Miami Herald & @elnuevoherald reporters knocked on 340 doors in Hialeah and Little Havana last week.

Four out of five voters they interviewed–141 total–had their party affiliation changed to Republican by GOP canvassers without their consent. Most were elderly non-English speaking voters.

The GOP is so worried about the coming elections they will stop at nothing in an attempt to win.

SHOCKING HEADLINE today:

Russia blocks UN Security Council resolution condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine

The vote was 11 in favor, one against, and three abstentions. China, which has declined to criticize Russia’s attack, was among the abstentions at the United Nations' headquarters in New York City on Friday.

We don't expect that from any president

HEADLINES today:

Russia's objective is to gain control of Ukrainian population and "change the regime," UK official says

HEADLINE today:

US lobbying firms rush to cut ties with Russian businesses hit with sanctions

(CNN)

In the years leading up to Russia's attack on Ukraine, US lobbyists have raked in millions of dollars from Russian banks and financial firms paying to push their interests in Washington.
Now, in the wake of the Russian invasion and new sanctions announced by President Joe Biden, many of those lobbying firms are rushing to cut ties and drop their lucrative contracts.

At least six lobbying firms that previously represented now-sanctioned Russian banks and companies tied to a Russian natural gas pipeline terminated their contracts or representation this week, according to statements and federal lobbying disclosures.

The exodus marks the rupture of a Moscow-to-K-Street conduit that has long employed former federal officials and members of Congress of both parties, experts said.

Some of the banks Biden targeted with sanctions, including VTB, Russia's second-largest, were put under "full blocking" sanctions, which freeze organizations' US assets and prohibit them from doing business in the country.

That means it would be illegal for lobbyists to work for them, according to legal experts.
Dropping contracts with fully blocked banks "is not a gesture in solidarity with Ukraine, this is a requirement under US law," said Erich Ferrari, an attorney who specializes in US economic sanctions. Lobbyists could face prosecution for running afoul of sanctions laws, he said.

HEADLINES TODAY:

More Countries Ban Russian Flights
From Their Airspace

A growing number of countries announced Sunday that they were closing their airspace to Russian planes in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain joined at least a dozen European countries that had made similar announcements.

“There is no room in Dutch airspace for a regime
that applies unnecessary and brutal violence,”
the infrastructure minister for the Netherlands,
Mark Harbers, said on Twitter.

Britain has banned all flights by Russia’s flagship carrier, Aeroflot, from its airspace, and German airline Lufthansa said Saturday that it would not use Russian airspace for the next week.

Germany banned Russian aircraft, with the exception of humanitarian flights, from its airspace starting Sunday for the next three months.

HEADLINE TODAY:

Russia faces financial meltdown as
Biden-led sanctions slam its economy

London/Moscow (CNN Business)
Russia was scrambling to prevent financial meltdown Monday
as its economy was slammed by a broadside of crushing
Western sanctions imposed over the weekend - led by
U.S. President Biden - in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin was due to hold crisis talks with his top advisers after the ruble crashed to a record low against the US dollar, the Russian central bank more than doubled interest rates to 20%, and the Moscow stock exchange was shuttered for the day.

HEADLINES TODAY:

Ban on Ice Hockey
This is a very big deal in Russia, Belarus

In a move meant to “strongly condemn the use of military force” in Ukraine, the International Ice Hockey Federation has suspended all Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs from participating in its events, including the upcoming men’s and women’s world championships.

The IIHF also will relocate the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, which would have been hosted in Russia.

The FDA has approved a condom specifically for anal sex.

Lindsay Graham is taking credit for participating in the testing.

"Israel refuses to back UN resolution condemning Russia"

WTF 

HEADLINES TODAY:

E.U. Commits To First-Ever Weapons Purchase

REUTERS -
The European Union will buy and deliver weapons to Ukraine, marking the first arms purchase in E.U. history, said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the E.U.’s European Commission, on Sunday. The E.U. also announced several new sanctions Sunday, barring state-backed Russian media firms Russia Today and Sputnik in E.U. countries, sanctioning Belarus for assisting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and blocking Russian planes from the E.U.’s airspace. The E.U. will spend $507 million on supplying weapons for Ukraine, an anonymous E.U. source told Reuters.

Mid... you come up with some funny stuff..

HEADLINES TODAY:

Military weapons aide

Italy joins growing list of weapon donors to help Ukraine’s defense

The pledge by Rome took the number of nations in line to deliver military hardware and funding to Kyiv to over a dozen, including the United States and Canada.

The Italian cabinet signed off on a measure authorizing the dispatch of Stinger surface-to-air missiles, mortars and Milan, or Panzerfaust, anti-tank weapons.

Meanwhile, Germany has broken its long standing rule on not supplying weapons to countries at war with a promise to send 1,000 anti-tank weapons, 500 Stinger missiles, nine howitzers and 14 armored vehicles to Ukraine.

Sweden has pledged to send 5,000 anti-tank weapons, while Finland is is dispatching 1,500 rocket launchers and 2,500 assault rifles.

Norway is also reversing a policy of not supplying combatant countries by delivering up to 2,000 2,000 M72 anti-tank weapons. “Norway has strict policies regarding exports of military equipment, but Ukraine now faces extraordinary circumstances,” said prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

The Netherlands will also send 200 Stinger missiles following a specific request to the European Union for the surface-to-air weapon.

The EU has in turn established a fund of 450 million euros ($504m) to reimburse member states for weapons they send to Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the move “a turning point in the history of European integration,” on Monday.

And now we can add FINLAND to this growing list.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld Act 77, reinstating voting by mail in Pennsylvania.

sanity            its a wonderful thing 

HEADLINES TODAY:

Biden sanctions effective

Sberbank (SBRCY), Russia’s biggest lender, said Wednesday
it was quitting Europe, with the exception of Switzerland,
after banking regulators in Austria forced the closure
of its Vienna-based EU subsidiary.

The Biden-led banking sanctions are part of a broader package
of measures the West has taken, unprecedented in scale against
an economy of Russia’s importance, with the aim of cutting off
funding for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort.

France estimates that $1 trillion worth of Russian assets
have been frozen, including about half of the Russian
government’s war chest of reserves. 

The Russian stock market was shuttered Monday and hasn’t reopened since.

The central bank said it would remain closed Wednesday.

The London-listed shares of Sberbank (SBRCY) plunged 83%, while

those of Russia’s leading oil company, Rosneft, were down 68%!

The government has ordered exporters to exchange 80% of their foreign currency revenues for rubles, and banned Russian residents from making bank transfers outside the country.

On Tuesday, the government said Putin was working on a decree that would prevent foreign companies exiting their Russian assets — a bid to prevent an exodus that has gathered pace this week. Putin also signed a decree banning people from taking more than $10,000 or equivalent in foreign currency from the country, state news agencies TASS and RIA reported.

The central bank went further on Wednesday in its attempt to staunch the flow of money out of the country. It suspended transfers abroad from accounts held by non-resident corporate entities and individuals from a number of countries.

chumps  butt-buddy putin was counting on having that "war chest" available to counter any western sanctions 

RT America ceases productions and lays off most of its staff. "Unfortunately, we anticipate this layoff will be permanent, meaning that this will result in the permanent separation from employment of most T&R employees at all locations."

More oil supply could stop massive price spikes.
But US producers won’t fill that gap

New York CNN Business —

Oil prices are soaring to seven-year highs, but don’t expect US oil producers to ramp up supply.
And other major producers like Saudi Arabia have indicated they won’t fill the global supply gap.

Several issues are stopping U.S. companies from scaling up production.
Like many industries during the pandemic, oil producers are struggling with a shortage of workers.

They’re also having big trouble sourcing some of the critical equipment they would need to ramp up production, including pipes and specialized sand used in fracking to extract shale oil.