Important Takeaways:
- Strike on oil or nuclear sites could lead Tehran to take drastic measures for fear of seeming weak, but attack on weapons depots or military bases may not warrant further response
- Citing four Iranian officials, The New York Times reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered Iran’s armed forces to formulate numerous plans based on the potential outcome of an expected retaliatory attack by Israel, which has been weeks in the making. “Iran has ordered the armed forces to be prepared for war but also to try to avoid it,” the report said.
- The officials, two of whom belong to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that if Israel were to inflict significant damage on sensitive sites, such as oil and nuclear facilities, or if it were to target senior Iranian officials, Iran would without a doubt escalate further.
- In this instance, the sources said, Iran could fire a barrage of up to 1,000 ballistic missiles — a significant step up in comparison to the 200 it fired on October 1 — or even disrupt global energy supplies and international trade routes.
- However, if Jerusalem were to limit its response to striking weapons warehouses or military bases, Tehran may conclude that it is in its best interest to do nothing, bringing an end to the latest round of direct conflict between the two countries.
- Israel’s plans for retaliation were said to have been thrown off course recently after confidential US documents on the matter were leaked last Friday, revealing US observations of measures taken by the Israeli Air Force on October 15-16 in the lead-up to an attack.cn
- Amid reports that Israel had been forced to change tactics and delay its plans as a result of the leak, Army Radio quoted an unnamed Israeli official on Thursday who insisted that this was not the case.
- “There’s no connection between the leaking of the documents from the Pentagon and the choice of timing for the attack on Iran,” the official said.
- While several windows had been discussed, the official said that no final date had been set for Israel’s response and the decision would be made “according to operational opportunities.”
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Important Takeaways:
- The National Weather Service’s Boston/Norton office said in its weekend forecast discussion that there is an “elevated fire weather risk” because of dry weather.
- “Dry conditions will continue this weekend with increasing winds, which will lead to renewed elevated fire weather risk,” the forecast said.
- Fire weather outlooks issued by the NWS are intended to indicate areas where forecast weather conditions “will result in a significant threat for the ignition and/or spread of wildfires,” according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. An elevated risk is based on wind and relative humidity.
- The wildfire risk in Massachusetts this weekend is elevated, not critical, so it is not an urgent risk to residents. However, there are still ways to stay safe in the event of an elevated fire risk.
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Important Takeaways:
- I must admit upfront that this article is personally troublesome. This bothers me deeply. Why? Because I know what I am about to talk about is something the general population is going to embrace with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement. This technology will be something people will rave about, which will cause even more people to jump on the bandwagon. However, my deep concern is that this new technology is going to cause people to eventually be placed into bondage.
- I ponder verses such as 1 John 4:1 and 2 Corinthians 11:3. First John 4 warns us to “not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
- Second Corinthians 11 warns, “As the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”
- Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 to “See to it that no one misleads you.”
- Federal agencies use Login.gov to verify people’s identities when logging in to access government benefits and services. This site already has over 100 million users across over 50 federal and state agencies. This is how future users will have to verify their identity to access information and benefits.
- Login.gov, a secure sign-in and identity verification service for US government services, has announced the rollout of facial recognition services to streamline access. In a public statement, a GSA Administrator said:
- Proving your identity is a critical step in receiving many government benefits and services, and we want to ensure we are making that as easy and secure as possible for members of the public. After months of testing and delays in 2023, users will now be able to verify their identity using a “proven facial matching technology” approved by the General Services Administration, which will follow the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and will rely on “best-in-class facial matching algorithms.”
- Did you catch that? “Proving your identity is a critical step in receiving many government benefits and services, and we want to ensure we are making that as easy and secure as possible for members of the public.” They are not hiding what their plans are. You will be controlled. You will have no personal freedom. If you need a hospital, if you wish to attend a university, if you want to get a marriage or driver’s license, or if you want to travel, you will need to abide by these rules.
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Important Takeaways:
- The minister, Andrei Belousov, delivered this stark warning during a high-stakes meeting with Belarusian defense officials in Minsk. “The increasing involvement of Western countries in the conflict in Ukraine creates global risks,” he declared. “The desire to inflict maximum damage on Russia could lead to a direct military clash between nuclear powers.” This statement is one of Russia’s clearest indications yet that it views the Ukraine conflict as a potential flashpoint for global warfare, particularly as NATO members continue to supply Ukraine with weapons and military aid.
- Belousov’s remarks have raised fears that Russia may resort to using nuclear weapons in response to any attack on Belarus, its closest military ally. “Changes in the military-political situation have necessitated the clarification of the Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence,” Belousov stated, hinting at a possible nuclear retaliation if Belarus is threatened. He added that Moscow is adapting its defense strategies to new global realities, heightening concerns that the Ukraine war could spiral into a wider and more catastrophic conflict.
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Important Takeaways:
- Meteorologists predicted a tropical storm could form in an area of high pressure that would push it on the same path as Helene and Milton that struck Florida earlier this month.
- The pressure system could also create a funnel, allowing it to travel up the Eastern Seaboard.
- Meteorologist Michael Lowry told USA Today: ‘Named storms affecting us here in the states in November only happen about once every 15 years on average.
- ‘They’re an uncommon occurrence but when they do strike, they almost invariably strike Florida.’
- While rare, the Sunshine State has seen three hurricanes in November since 2005, with the most recent in 2022
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Important Takeaways:
- Multiple wildfires are sweeping across the prairies and badlands of western North Dakota, leaving devastation in their wake.
- Two people have died, and eight have been injured. The Williams County Sheriff’s Office reported that Johannes Nicolaas Van Eden, 26, a ranch hand in the Tioga area, was killed in the fires. Edgar Coppersmith, 47, of Tioga, also died from injuries sustained in the fires. Driven by high winds and dry conditions, the fires have burned through more than 120,000 acres.
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Important Takeaways:
- One in four Americans fear a civil war could break out following the presidential election, a new poll has found.
- A YouGov poll of 1,266 registered voters has found that 84 percent of citizens believe America is more divided today than ten years ago.
- Of the bipartisan voters surveyed for The Times newspaper in the UK, 27 percent say they fear violence is ‘very or somewhat likely’ after ballots are cast for the next President in 11 days.
- Twelve percent of respondents claimed to know someone who ‘might take up arms’ if they believed Donald Trump is ‘cheated’ of an election victory. Five percent said they knew someone who would do the same for Kamala Harris.
- The new poll follows a bombshell prediction of a psychological catastrophe across the country if Trump beats Harris.
- Voters believe that the upcoming bid for the White House is ‘very likely’ (6 percent) or ‘somewhat likely’ (21 percent) to cause a second civil war.
- [Dr. Ben Carson] We need to understand that we are not each other’s’ enemies in this country. And it is only the political class that derives its power by creating friction. It is only the media that derives its importance by creating friction… that uses every little thing to create this chasm between people. This is not who we are.
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Important Takeaways:
- Denny’s has abruptly announced the closure of 150 locations in an effort to counteract poor sales.
- The chain announced 50 store closures are set to take place this year and the remaining 100 locations will be shut in 2025.
- The news comes after 15 of the chain’s locations closed this summer alone and 70 in total have closed in the last two years.
- Previously, inflation was blamed as a significant factor for the recent closures.
- Steve Dunn, Denny’s executive vice president and chief global development officer, has now said the affected planned locations are either too old to be remodeled or in areas that have become unprofitable.
- Many dine-in restaurants have felt the effects of changing consumer habits as money gets tighter and habits changed post pandemic.
- Stores like Denny’s have begun releasing offer value options to lure in customers, such as Applebee’s ‘Whole Lotta Burger’ with fries deal for $9.99 and Chili’s $10.99 burger meal that is bigger and cheaper than the Big Mac.
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Important Takeaways:
- South Korea warned Tuesday it could consider supplying weapons to Ukraine in response to North Korea allegedly dispatching troops to Russia, as both North Korea and Russia denied the movements. NATO’s secretary general said that would mark a “significant escalation.”
- South Korean officials worry that Russia may reward North Korea by giving it sophisticated weapons technologies that can boost the North’s nuclear and missile programs that target South Korea.
- The officials agreed to take phased countermeasures, linking the level of their responses to progress in Russian-North Korean military cooperation, according to the statement.
- Possible steps include diplomatic, economic and military options, and South Korea could consider sending both defensive and offensive weapons to Ukraine, a senior South Korean presidential official told reporters on condition of anonymity in a background briefing.
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Important Takeaways:
- The IDF announced on Wednesday that six journalists actively working for Al Jazeera were members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
- The IDF says that due to intelligence recovered from the Gaza Strip during military operations, they can reveal that Anas Al-Sharif, Alaa Salama, Hossam Shabat, Ashraf Saraj, Ismail Abu Amr, and Talal Aruki are all affiliated with the military wings of either Hamas or PIJ.
- Ismail Abu Amr was injured several months ago in Gaza by an IDF attack; during that period, Al Jazeera denied his membership in Hamas. Documents recovered by the IDF showed this was untrue.
- Some of the documents include personnel tables, terrorist training courses, phone books, and salary documents for terrorists.
- The IDF said that this “unequivocally proves that they function as military terrorist operatives of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.”
- The IDF also said that these documents prove Al Jazeera has employed them simultaneously.
- The exposed journalists are part of Hamas’s military wing operating as the vanguard of Hamas’s propaganda war against Israel.
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