Russia seizes first Ukrainian city, plus news on China, Trump’s border wall, and more

By  Team DML

Today is March 3 and I am Dennis Michael Lynch. Below are my opinions on the stories grabbing headlines this morning. I hope you share this briefing as doing so will make you the smartest person in the room, in my opinion.

1 – Russia takes control of key port city in Ukraine as Kremlin vows a fight to ‘the end’
The New York Post reports: Russian forces have captured their first major Ukraine city, Kherson, local officials have confirmed — as the Kremlin vowed to continue the war until “the end.”

Local officials had initially contested Russia’s claims that it had taken control of the crucial Black Sea port city of about 300,000 people early Wednesday.

But they conceded defeat late Wednesday, when Mayor Igor Kolykhaiev detailed a series of new rules for citizens after “armed visitors” stormed the city council, which included locals allowed to go out only in pairs and drivers having to go slow and being “ready to show the contents of the transport at any moment.”

“The military will not be provoked. Stop at the first demand,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

“So far this is how it is,” he conceded. He said that the Ukrainian flag was still flying, stressing, “And to keep it the same, these requirements must be met.”

Meanwhile, the people of Russia are continuing to blast Putin for his invasion of Ukraine:

DML: Putin is a sick dude, and he’s trying to take the world down with him.

2 – China Asked Russia to Delay Ukraine War Until After Olympics, U.S. Officials Say
The New York Times reports: A Western intelligence report said senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials in early February not to invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to senior Biden administration officials and a European official.

The report indicates that senior Chinese officials had some level of direct knowledge about Russia’s war plans or intentions before the invasion started last week. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia met with President Xi Jinping of China in Beijing on Feb. 4 before the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Moscow and Beijing issued a 5,000-word statement at the time declaring that their partnership had “no limits,” denouncing NATO enlargement and asserting that they would establish a new global order with true “democracy.”

The intelligence on the exchange between the Chinese and Russian officials was classified. It was collected by a Western intelligence service and considered credible by officials. Senior officials in the United States and allied governments passed it around as they discussed when Mr. Putin might attack Ukraine.

However, the Associated Press reports: China on Thursday denounced a report that it asked Russia to delay invading Ukraine until after the Beijing Winter Olympics as “fake news” and a “very despicable” attempt to divert attention and shift blame over the conflict.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also repeated China’s accusation that Washington provoked the war by not ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine.

“We hope the culprit of the crisis would reflect on their role in the Ukraine crisis, take up their responsibilities, and take practical actions to ease the situation and solve the problem instead of blaming others,” Wang told reporters at a daily briefing.

“The New York Times report is purely fake news, and such behaviors of diverting attentions and shifting blames are very despicable,” Wang said.

DML: I TOLD YOU SO!

3 – Trump’s border wall has been breached more than 3,000 times by smugglers, CBP records show
The Washington Post reports: NACO, Arizona — Mexican smuggling gangs have sawed through new segments of border wall 3,272 times over the past three years, according to unpublished U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintenance records obtained by The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act.

The government spent $2.6 million to repair the breaches during the 2019 to 2021 fiscal years, the CBP records show. While the agency has acknowledged that smugglers are able to hack through the new barriers built by the Trump administration, the maintenance records show damage has been more widespread than previously known, pointing to the structure’s limitations as an impediment to illegal crossings.

Smuggling gangs typically cut the barrier with inexpensive power tools widely available at retail hardware stores, including angle grinders and demolition saws. Once the 18-to-30-foot-tall bollards are severed near the ground, their only remaining point of attachment is at the top of the structure, leaving the steel beam dangling in the air. It easily swings open with a push, creating a gap wide enough for people and narcotics to pass through.

DML: As I’ve said over and over for YEARS, if you don’t cut off the incentive for people to come, no wall is going to stop them.

4 – ’AXIS OF AMNESTY’ Bush Center, Chamber of Commerce, Koch Network Unite to Lobby for Mass Immigration Expansion
Breitbart reports: The George W. Bush Institute, the Chamber of Commerce, and the billionaire Koch brothers’ network of donor class organizations are banding together with other mass migration groups to demand President Joe Biden expand overall immigration to the United States.

The groups, along with others, have teamed up to create the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus that will lobby Biden and members of Congress to pass amnesty for illegal aliens, increase security at the southern border, and increase the ability of businesses to import foreign workers.

“Employers are also struggling to find workers to fill jobs in many industries,” the coalition writes in a letter to congressional leaders and Biden. As of January, more than 12 million Americans are jobless and another 3.7 million are underemployed, but all want full-time jobs.

The coalition includes:

• AmericanHort
• American Hotel & Lodging Association
• Americans for Prosperity
• Asian American Christian Collaborative
• Bethany Christian Services
• Bipartisan Policy Center Action
• Business Roundtable
• Council on National Security and Immigration
• Essential Worker Immigration Coalition
• The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
• Evangelical Immigration Table
• Gaby Pacheco
• George W. Bush Institute
• Idaho Dairymen’s Association
• International Fresh Produce Association
• National Association of Evangelicals
• National Association of Manufacturers
• National Immigration Forum
• National Latino Evangelical Coalition
• National Retail Federation
• Niskanen Center
• Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
• The Episcopal Church
• The LIBRE Initiative
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Western Growers
• World Relief
• Migration and Refugee Services, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Also…. The Hill reports: Two groups within mega-donor Charles Koch’s political network on Thursday launched a campaign to push lawmakers toward a broad immigration reform bill. The groups, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and the Libre Initiative, will spend seven figures on digital ads, mailers and local events to call on senators to move forward with immigration legislation.

DML: Open your eyes, America! Don’t fall for this!

5 – Journalist group hits CNN for lack of diversity in streaming lineup
The Hill reports: A leading group of Hispanic Journalists is criticizing CNN for a lack of Latino representation as part of its newly-announced lineup of hosts for its soon-to-be-launched streaming service.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists, in a statement this week, said it is “appalled by the lack of Latino journalists” hired to host programs on CNN+, which is scheduled to go live this month.

“This lack of representation is not only disrespectful to our diverse community, but also disregards the well-qualified Latino talent pool within the organization,” the organization said. “We expect Chris Licht to do better to ensure that CNN hosts delivering the news reflect the communities they cover, and that diverse candidates are given equal opportunity.”

DML: Oh, the irony!

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