News Vérité

You thought “Star Wars” changed cinema as we know it. Well, here comes the real-deal, real-life version of Star Wars, courtesy of the U.S. Space Force. Turns out, the U.S. has weaponized outer space, or is it inner space? Whatever it is, they’re out there, ready to exact a toll on miscreants like Russia, China, North Korea, or Iran. China’s boss Xi Jinping has already warned President Trump, in advance of their meeting next week, that arming space is a no-no. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink disclosed the deployment on September 14 at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. Officials did not identify the weapons, say how many are deployed, or state when they reached orbit. The weaponization is ostensibly part of President Trump’s initiative to create a Golden Dome defense shield above the United States. “It’s time to talk about that — we have the capabilities to make sure that we can do what the joint force needs us to do,” Gen. Douglas Schiess, the Space Force’s top officer, said during the conference. Schiess said the space-based defensive employment was in response to efforts by China and Russia to interfere with U.S. satellites. He said

Not only does President Trump repeatedly kowtow to Putin — for instance, laying peace in Ukraine on concessions by Volodymyr Zelenskyy — but his son, Don Jr., has Russian ties too. These ties include substantial sums of money a Russian oligarch with ties to Putin supplied for Junior’s wedding. It turns out that Umar Kremlev paid for two nights of lavish partying for the couple in the Bahamas earlier this year after Son Number One tied the knot with Bettina Anderson. “It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful,” wife Bettina wrote on Instagram after the news broke. “It’s unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from,” she also wrote. Neither Trump Sr. nor wife Melania attended the wedding and deny any knowledge of Russian involvement. How much the oligarch contributed remains unclear, but it is rumored to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  

President Trump is once again siding with his ally in power politics, Vladimir Putin, as he calls on Ukraine to pull back on its attacks on Russian oil refineries. When I say that, it’s a bit of a stretch because Sir Donald’s underlying motivation is to bring oil prices down, especially diesel. “Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing,” Trump said. “He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia; let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he’s causing a shortage of diesel fuel.” Because of the attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure ordered by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that nation’s oil production in August dropped from 5 million barrels a day to 3.8 million. Meanwhile, Russia yesterday struck a stationary train near the Polish border, shortly before another train carrying diplomats, including former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, passed through the station. Trump, of course, is worried about the upcoming midterms and the effect oil prices will have on GOP chances.

President Trump is on a golfing weekend in Ireland, where he owns the Trump International Dunbeg luxury golf course. While there, he felt compelled to meet with Prime Minister Micheál Martin. According to reports I’ve watched on BBC World, during a Q&A after the meeting with the PM, Trump advocated for the unification of Ireland with Northern Ireland, a controversial view given the bloody civil war that the two nations were involved in for decades. That aside, Ireland is one of the United States’ primary trade partners and, unlike Canada, is not at odds politically or economically with Sir Donald. Remember how Trump argued that Canada should become America’s 51st state. My suggestion is that he consider Ireland instead, given its trade clout and deep immigration ties with the United States. Here is a rundown of the essential items that Ireland supplies us: Pharmaceuticals & Organic Chemicals: This accounts for the vast majority of Irish exports to the U.S. Ireland is a major global hub for top multinational pharma companies, exporting active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), vaccines, and finished medications. Medical Devices & Diagnostics: Optical, photographic, technical, and advanced medical equipment form another major sector. Technology & Information Services: Ireland exports