John Barnett, 62, had been giving evidence against his former employer Boeing in recent days
— Read on www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/john-barnett-boeing-whistleblower-dead-allegations-b2511119.html
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Ed Pierson is an aviation manager who used to work on Boeing’s 737 Max production line. When a door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight, Pierson wasn’t surprised.
— Read on www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/02/15/boeing-whistleblower-speaks-alaska-airlines -
Former workers of aviation giant Boeing allege the aircraft manufacturer has cut corners on its production line to meet deadlines, resulting in defects going unnoticed and compromising safety.
— Read on www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-30/boeing-737-max-production-defects-ignored-aviation-regulator/103400468 -
Back in 2019, Mr Barnett said that faulty parts were deliberately fitted to planes by a line of production workers at one of the Boeing factories.
— Read on www.ndtv.com/world-news/john-barnett-death-john-barnett-dies-what-whistleblower-john-barnett-revealed-about-boeing-before-his-death-5223218 -
John Barnett made international headlines when he went public with his story, saying he wouldn’t trust planes made in North Charleston, S.C., to be safe and airworthy.
— Read on www.npr.org/2024/03/12/1238033573/boeing-whistleblower-john-barnett-dead -
NEWS NOTES
HAITI: NYT
- Prime Minister Ariel Henry says he will resign as soon as a transitional council was established. It is unclear when this will happen.
- Blinken said that the US would provide an additional $100 million toward a “United Nations-backed multinational security mission planned to deploy to Haiti.” He also pledged $33 million in humanitarian aid.
- Henry left Haiti for Kenya in early March to finalize an agreement on a multinational force to help take on the gangs who have taken control of Haiti. He has been unable to return because gangs have attacked and now control the airport.
- Mr. Henry is in Puerto Rico.
- Haiti and Kenya signed an agreement to deploy 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti. (Note: There have been objections within Kenya about the deployment of these police officers).
- The unrest in Haiti spiraled upward after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. This has now led to widespread gang violence.
- Henry was sworn in as prime minister two weeks after the assassination.
- Gangs have attacked not only the airport, but police stations. There have been “coordinated assaults” on two prisons.
US: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: NYT
- Trump’s allies are imposing massive layoffs in the RNC.
- This amounts to “gutting of the party apparatus eight months before the November election…”
- Nikki Haley claimed last week that Trump was going to his the committee as “his piggy bank for his personal court cases.”
- Charlie Kirk who leads the pro-Trump youth organization, Turning Point USA cheered the cuts and said that it was a “bloodbath at the RNC.”
UKRAINE: NYT
- Armed Russian exiles who operate in coordination with Ukraine, crossed into southern Russia and were fighting on the border region. Also, drone strikes hit a Russian oil refinery and fuel depot.
- The Ukrainians want the Russians to know, as they are voting for the presidency (in a show, sham election) that this war was not over.
- The groups saying they crossed the border are the Free Russian Legion, the Russian Volunteer Corps, and the Siberian Battalion. Some of the members of the groups including the leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps, hold far-right nationalist views.
- Ukraine also reported drone attacks throughout central Russia, including a “strike on and oil refinery near Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow.”
- Russia is relying on a network of critical arms suppliers and drastically increased its supply of technology from China.
US HOUSE COMMITTEE MEETING (Cable News coverage of Hearing)
Rep Seila Jackson Lee (Texas)
- Republican colleagues are “grasping at straws.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz
- Trying to demonstrate Biden lied to investigators. (Note: God, what a sleazy fuck he is). The “senile cooperator” theory you are operating under.
- (Note: Fox News is covering this hearing live.)
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Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, 62, was reportedly found dead on Saturday. He was scheduled to undergo more questioning about Boeing after previously testifying.
— Read on www.foxbusiness.com/markets/boeing-whistleblower-john-barnett-found-dead-days-testifying-against-company -
Their job is to guarantee that Haredi mothers and fathers will continue to sleep well at night, while secular and non-Haredi religious parents shake in fear every time the doorbell rings. All the other arguments are just a charade. Therefore, the secular response must be no less sharp and clear: Conscription of all of the Haredim, at the age of 18, without exemptions, without tricks and without contrivances like “alternative civilian service.”
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SUNDAY 10 MARCH 2024
SUNDAY News Notes:
UKAINE
- The Moscow Times (3/9/2024) is reporting on growing sentiments in Finland that the Kremlin has been engaging in a “hybrid attack” to punish Finland for moving from its traditional neutral status to a NATO ally.
- Finland had to close down its border with Russia because of the mobilization of thousands of asylum seekers by the Kremlin.
- For decades, people had moved back and forth over the border between the two countries, Russians going over to buy cherished Western goods. Dual-citizens traveled to see relatives.
- This has now become much more difficult.
- Dual citizens feel as if they are being regarded as a threat.
- In the recent presidential campaign, seven out of nine candidates said they would support retroactively revoking dual citizen status if people refused to relinquish their Russian citizenship.
- This is partly because of Putin’s repeated threat to “protect” Russians no matter where they live. (Note: This argument is used for invading Ukraine. Putin maintains that Ukraine is part of Russia.)
- There are also threats to bar dual nationals from buying property arguing that this provides a “soft spot” for Putin to use.
- To give up Russian citizenship, the person has to file extensive documentation to prove they have no unfulfilled military service, debts, etc. To file these papers, they have to go to a Russian embassy.
- The irony here is that people who have been most critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are the people who would have the most difficulty in dealing with a Russian embassy staff.
- Note: Finland has a Prime Minister. It shares a 1300 kilometer border with Russia.
ISRAEL: NYT
- Biden continues to criticize Netanyahu.
- Army ship has been sent to build pier. (Note: I think this is going to be a disaster).
- Columnist Thomas Friedman:
US: POLITICS: NYT
- Trump’s campaign begins with Trump mocking Biden’s stutter.
- Thomas Friedman (Note: I know, I hate to quote him).
- “Americans may not know they’re at war with Iran, but Iran’s Revolutionary Guards know for sure they are in a shadow war with America through their proxies.”
- This is what Friedman calls the “other Middle East war.” This other Middle East war kicked into high gear after October 7. Under the cover of the war on Gaza, the Iranians “clearly took a decision to rev up all its proxies” and “tried to see if it could significantly degrade the US network of facilities in Iraq, eastern Syria and northers Jordan.”
US: MONEY IN POLITICS: NYT
- Musk’s “charitable donations” benefit himself.
Law, Power, and Justice 