Everything In Limbo Till After January 5th.

Everything in limbo until after Jan 5th results are known.

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When lawlessness and intimidation is allowed to stand you can bet money that society is in decline.

A small family-run hotel already on its knees as a result of the pandemic was suddenly occupied by a homeless advocacy group which booked 16 rooms and then refused to pay the bill.

“On Christmas Eve, a homeless advocacy group booked 16 rooms at the Travelodge Motel at 3518 Pacific Hwy. E. and paid for one night,” reports KIRO 7.

“But now, the group told the motel’s manager they have no plans to check out, or to pay the bill.”

Tacoma Housing Now subsequently sent volunteers to deliver food and supplies for the more than 40 people occupying the 16 rooms, some of whom have “severe infections” and one later tested positive for COVID-19. Motel manager Shawn Randhawa told city authorities that the motel only has 10 employees and is already struggling as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns. The occupation could be the final straw that forces Randhawa to shut the business down.

“They may have to close up shop because with no revenues coming in, with their margins where they are, they may have to close operations,” said Fife City Manager Hyun Kim. “So, I’m trying to buy some time. It starts with conversations with both sides.”

However, the occupiers are demanding nothing less than permanent free shelter and refuse to leave, saying that the city should pay the motel bill.

Despite Fife Police Chief Peter Fisher asserting that the group is committing theft and criminal trespassing, the owner has not asked for them to be forcibly removed.

“In the current climate of media-endorsed leftist terrorism (a.k.a. mostly peaceful protests), he may be trying to avoid the place getting burned down,” writes Dave Blount.

And:

VIDEO: George Gascon Is Behind Soros' Progressive Prosecutor Movement, Encouraged $50M Seed Donation to ACLU

By Jennifer Van Laar 

https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2020/12/29/video-george-gascon-is-behind-soros-progressive-prosecutor-movement-encouraged-50-seed-donation-to-aclu-n297716

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 Snakes know no boundaries (right click on title for rest of article.)

What’s behind Erdoğan’s sudden warming towards Israel?

ARIEL BEN SOLOMON / JNS

It’s unlikely that Jerusalem will jettison its new Arab allies after a wave of normalization agreements, bolstered by its relations with Greece, Cyprus and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean, in exchange for some recent warm words from the Turkish president. +++ Schlichter's dour view: https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2020/12/31/my-prediction-for-2021-is-pain-n2582295 +++ Don't sweat the small things: Salena Zito Sometimes, it is the small things that make the loudest sounds. Sometimes, it is the loudest things that make insignificant impacts. It is in the former where we can find peace, meaning, and purpose. It is in the latter that we find confusion and distrust. Click here for the full story. +++ I seriously doubt this will come to pass unless Iran's leaders are stupid enough to do something that would provoke a response: Israel, Saudi Arabia reportedly pressuring Trump to strike Iran in final days According to Arab media's report, which is based on anonymous US sources, Riyadh and Jerusalem want to sabotage Biden's plan to re-enter negotiations with the ayatollah regime According to the report, which is based on anonymous US sources, Riyadh and Jerusalem have "exerted heavy pressure on the president to take out Iran's nuclear installations in a surgical strike" in order to sabotage Biden's plan to re-enter negotiations with the ayatollah regime on a long-term deal regarding its atomic project and other matters.  The two countries supposedly told that such was justified in light of Iran's recent breaches of the nuclear accord from 2015 and that the decision to ramp up enrichment of uranium to 20% purity was a legitimate pretext for hostilities.  According to the report, the United Arab Emirates has not been party to this lobbying effort despite seeing eye-to-eye regarding the threat posed by Iran on the region. The UAE essentially rebuffed the Israeli and Saudi officials' attempts to get it on board because it worries taking such a stance would cause a strain on its already complicated relationship with Tehran +++ The vaccines are being delivered but the private sector is unprepared to get them into arms. Biden knows since Trump had COVID the doctors will not allow him to get the vaccine for several more months. Breaking: Joe Biden’s phony vaccine outrage And: Will Biden have the good sense to build upon what Trump achieved? https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/12/31/israel-arab-alliance-bidens-greatest-opportunity-for-a-foreign-policy-triumph/ OR, will petulance drive him  in the opposite direction? https://nypost.com/2020/12/29/middle-east-peace-deals-were-trumps-mission-possible-goodwin/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nypevening&utm_content=20201230&tpcc=evening_update&mpweb=755-9230164-720347910   This has received no coverage on mainstream press or TV, have only ever seen it on FOX.  If Trump stayed in office he would have had all mid-east countries aligned with Israel and all against Iran and the Palestinians.  It was a genius way to go about it - instead of negotiating directly with the Palestinians, negotiate with all of the other countries to make peace with Israel.  Now stupid jackass Biden wants to resurrect the Obama Iran deal and screw the peace deals that Trump has established.  +++ Finally: Rising in the East: The Evolution of the Islamic State in the Philippines Amira Jadoon, Nakissa Jahanbani, and Charmaine Willis December 30, 2020 In 2017, the five-month “Battle of Marawi” waged by Islamic State-affiliated groups in the southern Philippines highlighted the gravity of the Islamic State threat within the country. Moreover, it highlighted the likelihood that the Philippines would remain the epicenter of the Islamic State threat in the region. Since the recovery of Marawi, it has become even more critical to understand the evolving nature of Islamic State-linked activity in the country, and its regional implications. As the second of a four-part series on the Islamic State in Southeast Asia, this report provides an overview of the characteristics of Islamic State-linked operations in the Philippines between 2014 and 2019, highlighting the instrumental value of the Islamic State brand for local groups. Drawing on open-source materials, the report examines the factors that contributed to the rise of the Islamic State’s influence and activity, specifically within the context of the Philippines, and analyzes its impact on local militancy during and after the Battle of Marawi. The losses experienced by Islamic State affiliates during the Battle of Marawi deeply changed the structure of Islamic State-linked militancy in the Philippines, moving from the united front of the Maute Group and ASG-Basilan led coalition during the battle to an increasingly decentralized structure. The findings of this report underline the Islamic State’s evolving nature and the appeal of allegiance for local groups in an environment that is marked by numerous other challenges such as poverty, clan rivalries, criminal violence, as well as a long-running communist insurgency. The change in the nature of the Islamic State’s presence in the country indicates fewer Marawi-style sieges and more targeted attacks, and an increase in the use of suicide attacks. READ MORE About the CTC The Combating Terrorism Center is an independent, privately funded, research and educational institution located in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy, West Point. The Center is uniquely situated at the nexus of theory and practice, which enables it to serve as a focal point and an independent voice on terrorism and counterterrorism strategy within the government as well as the academic community. WWW.CTC.USMA.EDU +++