2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 pound white candy coating
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, optional
Directions
THECOCONUTWHISPERER. General News and Conservative Politics. Strictly no Anti-Semitism, Nazism, Communism, Racism, or Conspiracy Theories including Anti-Vax & 911 conspiracies. Email : Admin_News@mail2world.com
Friday 25 February 2022
2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge
Farm murder: Woman (79) found murdered on her farm, Bultfontein
South Africa: Farm murder: Woman (79) found murdered on her farm, Bultfontein
Oorgrens veiligheid
A farm murder took place on the weekend of 20 February 2022, on a farm in the Bultfontein area, in the Free State province of South Africa. The body of Lettie de Ru (79) was discovered in her farmhouse by her son.
It was first thought that de Ru had died of natural causes. There was also no forced entry to the home.
After investigating it was established that items had been stolen.
The autopsy confirmed that de Ru had been strangled to death.
The police are investigating the murder but there have been no arrests.
There is no other information available at this stage.
Read about more farm attacks here
Information supplied by Oorgrens veiligheid
South Africa Today – South Africa News
https://southafricatoday.net/south-africa-news/free-state/farm-murder-woman-79-found-murdered-on-her-farm-bultfontein/
Labour MP Says Invasion of Ukraine Same as Situation Between Israel and Pallys
Labour MP is told she is 'historically wrong, factually wrong and morally wrong' to make comparison between Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Israel and Palestine
The Labour MP for Sunderland Central Julie Elliott was told she was 'historically wrong, factually wrong and morally wrong' to make the comparison between Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Israel and Palestine.
Ms Elliott insisted international law was 'as relevant' in both situations as she pressed the Government to consider recognising the state of Palestine alongside Israel in pursuit of a two-state solution to the conflict in the region.
She told MPs: 'My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people. Quite rightly we talk about international law. In fact I listened to the minister (Amanda Milling) only a few minutes ago and the vital importance of the sovereignty of states. Yet when Palestinians hear that - how must they feel?'
The Labour MP for Sunderland Central Julie Elliott was told she was 'historically wrong, factually wrong and morally wrong' to make the comparison between Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Israel and Palestine
Conservative former work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb intervened to describe her comparison as 'historically wrong, factually wrong and morally wrong', and added that it did 'a huge disservice not just to the people of Ukraine but also to the people of Palestine and the people of Israel as well, who face a unique situation and set of challenges'.
Ms Elliott replied: 'What I was talking about was the upholding of international law which your own minister talked about a few minutes ago and the right of upholding international law is as relevant in Ukraine as it is in Palestine.'
She called for a 'complete and total ban of illegal Israeli settlements' in the West Bank and said that recognising Palestine was the 'bare minimum' of what the UK should do as part of a two-state solution to the conflict.
Co-sponsoring the calls to recognise Palestinian statehood, SNP MP Philippa Whitford said: 'After 55 years of occupation, 15 years of Gaza blockade, and the ongoing annexation of the West Bank, the two-state solution is simply becoming unviable unless there is a reversal of current Israeli policy.'
Ms Elliott insisted international law was 'as relevant' in both situations as she pressed the Government to consider recognising the state of Palestine alongside Israel in pursuit of a two-state solution to the conflict in the region. Palestinian supporters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP) are seen holding flags during a rally in Gaza city in February
Dr Whitford (Central Ayrshire) said: 'Palestinians face constant harassment and obstruction. Their homes are demolished while settlements are relentlessly expanded, in what is de facto annexation and conquest by concrete.'
However, Conservative MP Scott Benton said the motion 'asks the UK Government to undermine its commitment to the peace process by predetermining the outcome of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians'.
The MP for Blackpool South said recognition is not 'merely an empty gesture' and said supporting the motion 'gives a greenlight to the intransigence of the Palestinian Authority and the terrorism of Hamas in Gaza by suggesting that the current policies of Palestinian leadership befit a sovereign state, which they clearly do not.'
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He said: 'A peaceful Palestinian state is in Israel's best interest and important for its long-term security, but we must be clear that the biggest obstacle to peace is Hamas, whose stated aim to wipe Israel and the Jewish people off the face of the earth.'
Foreign Office minister Amanda Milling said the UK will recognise a permanent Palestinian state 'at a time when it best serves the objective of peace'.
She told the Commons: 'We firmly believe that a just and lasting solution delivering peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue. We also believe that the best way to make progress towards this is through negotiations between both sides, which take account of the their legitimate concerns.'
Thursday 24 February 2022
World News: Three big trends and ramifications of Russia’s war on Ukraine - analysis
Three big trends and ramifications of Russia’s war on Ukraine - analysis
Global economies will shutter, wars may increase and the West could be shattered by the Ukraine crisis.
An armoured vehicle drives along a street, after Russian President
Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in
the town of Armyansk, Crimea, February 24, 2022.
(photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)
The war unleashed on Thursday against Ukraine will unleash and accelerate many global trends. This is because Russia is an important country and by attacking Ukraine it is not only attacking a country of forty million people, it is also increasing the major tensions between Russia and the West. This is the near-peer rivalry that the US national defense strategy has warned about and said the US must prepare for.
One of the first major issues that will be affected by the war is the global economy. Brent crude prices of oil are already going up and have passed $100 in the first time since 2014. Oil prices were at record lows back in 2020. That was during the pandemic when it looked like people wouldn’t be using as much oil because so many parts of the transit systems around the world had shut down.
Now oil is back and prices are going up. At the same time world stock markets will likely be beaten down by this conflict. Global chaos and uncertainty will drive volatility in markets. What this means also is that while oil and some other goods, like gold, may become more expensive, there would be add-on ripples. One ripple is inflation. Inflation is already going up globally in part due to the pandemic and epic pandemic spending. Supply chain chaos has also driven up prices. Car prices are skyrocketing in places like the United States amid reports of chip shortages and other issues affecting automakers. This means the used car market is also increasing in prices. Housing is also much more expensive than in years past. All of this has major ramifications for inflation. With inflation will come other strains if salaries do not keep up with the price rises. Bankruptcies may rise and there will be other issues.
For China and Russia the economic chaos that is fed by the Ukraine crisis is more good news. Weak western economies will not be able to impose sanctions effectively. Inflation in the US or a weaker dollar will be challenged as China and Russia exploit this chaos. China already exploited the pandemic chaos to put the screws to western countries and expand China’s footprint in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Recently Australia said China even targeted one of its planes with a laser.
War being unleashed in Ukraine will also lead to other wars in other places. As Russia appears to be successful in its airstrikes we will see other countries challenge the global order. If Russia enjoys impunity for attacking Ukraine in an unprovoked aggression then many other countries may feel they can move forward with attacks. Iran has already carried out these kinds of attacks. However Iran may become even more bold. China may also be emboldened. This could mean a laundry list of more wars and chaos.
With the increase in war we will see a decline in the post Cold War global security framework, this so-called liberal international world order or “new world order” that the US helped construct in 1990 and 1991. The US at the time was standing up to Saddam Hussein aggression. Now experts are predicting a new world of “might makes right.” It could mean that China will challenge Australia more and create a similar stratagem to invading Taiwan that Russia used in Ukraine. Turkey may also increase its attacks in Syria and Iran may encourage proxies to attack the US in Iraq and Syria. For Israel this is worrying because Hezbollah may be emboldened. We have already seen how impunity has emboldened Iran in Syria and the Syrian regime, now there may be an increased sense that Iran can do as it wants in Syria. Syria says there was an airstrike near Damascus on Thursday morning that led to three of its soldiers being killed. This could be one indication that Syria tensions may rise.
People walk at the border crossing between Poland and Ukraine,
after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation
in eastern Ukraine, in Medyka, Poland, February 24, 2022.
(photo credit: KACPER PEMPEL/REUTERS)
The Ukraine crisis is a major test for the western powers. There are questions about how this may reverberate across the West and whether NATO will stand strong and show that it is ready to do what is necessary to stand up for partners and friends. However if there are major divisions in Europe and countries do not agree to stand up to Russia then the Ukraine crisis could be a symbol of the further decline of western democratic unity.
The Ukraine invasion is a major incident because Russia openly built up forces and attacked. Russia recognized two parts of Ukraine as independent countries and then sent “peacekeepers” into those new states. A day later Russia began the bombing of Ukraine. It didn’t have any pretense of why it began to attack and did so in an unprovoked manner. This is a big test for Europe. Will the US try to put in place a “no fly zone.” Will any air defense or weapons be sent. Or will western countries do nothing.
This means that the war in Ukraine will not only bring with it rising global economic chaos, but also potential for more wars and increasing decline of the world’s remaining democracies. This hinges on western and US-led responses. However if the US only pushes sanctions on Russia and Russia is able to weather those sanctions or shrug them off; and if the West is not united on the Ukraine issue, the message will be sent that more of these kinds of invasions and redrawing of borders could occur.
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| The easiest way to open a Coconut is to whisper it a joke & it will crack up with laughter |
Wednesday 23 February 2022
Marxist Mayor Pete: History of Pay for Play (Dad translated Gramsci to English)
EXCLUSIVE: Pete Buttigieg accepted $250,000 and gifts from mayoral campaign donors who were later awarded $33million in city contracts, raising concerns of 'pay to play' as Transportation Secretary doles out $210billion in infrastructure plan
- Documents obtained by DailyMail.com reveal former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg's campaign took a total of $253,750 from 23 companies
- Company executives were then awarded a combined $33,310,426 in city contracts from the Board of Public Works whose members Buttigieg appointed
- Buttigieg, 40 - now the US Transportation Secretary - will oversee $210billion in discretionary grants under the new bipartisan infrastructure bill
- But government watchdogs say the Democrat's pattern of donations and contracts as mayor could present the appearance of a 'pay to play' scandal
- 'This is alarming, and very concerning, because this is the swamp personified,' Taxpayers Protection Alliance president David Williams told DailyMail.com
Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg's top political donors received millions of dollars in city contracts after giving thousands to his campaigns while he was mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
Buttigieg's political action committees took money from 23 companies who then got jobs from South Bend's Board of Public Works whose members he appointed, documents obtained by DailyMail.com reveal.
On two occasions, the former presidential candidate received donations the same day the companies were awarded contracts.
Other city contractors gifted the mayor cigars, alcohol and golf trips worth hundreds of dollars.
The companies, their executives and spouses donated a total $253,750 to Buttigieg's campaigns, and received a total of at least $33,310,426 in city contracts between 2011 and 2019.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's pattern of donations and contracts during his time as South Bend, Indiana mayor raises concerns over the billions of dollars he can dish out under the bipartisan infrastructure bill
| COMPANY | TOTAL $ DONATED | TOTAL CONTRACTS AWARDED |
|---|---|---|
| American Structurepoint | $35,850 | $790,177 |
| Bradley Company | $11,790 | Part of a $6M development project and leasing agreements with the city* |
| Abe Marcus/Ivy Tower | $25,360 | Part of a $7M public-private partnership to develop commercial buildings* |
| DLZ Indiana | $14,150 | $885,030 |
| Lawson-Fisher Associates | $13,610 | $1,342,590 |
| Troyer Group | $9,000 | $1,772,344 |
| Arcadis | $10,150 | $1,879,283 |
| Christopher M Burke Engineering | $7,600 | $86,000 |
| Jones Petrie Rafinski | $6,550 | $922,280 |
| McCormick Engineering | $450 | $110,385 |
| Selge Construction | $4,250 | $4,049,996 |
| HRP Construction | $2,770 | $4,438,289 |
| Pyramid Equipment | $4,100 | $434,207 |
| Peerless Midwest | $3,200 | $532,763 |
| EnFocus | $8,970 | $285,000 |
| United Consulting | $27,835 | $558,420 |
| Abonmarche | $12,870 | $616,790 |
| Walsh & Kelly | $8,100 | $7,668,822 |
| Lochmueller Group | $22,600 | $1,105,050 |
| Donohue & Associates | $12,045 | $433,000 |
| Earth Designs | $6,000 | $400,000 |
| Panzica Building Corporation | $3,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Matthews LLC | $3,500 | Part of a $4.9M contract to develop a nine-story building for apartments, a grocery store, and a parking garage* |
| TOTAL | $253,750 | At least $33,310,426 |
| * = not included in total |
After Buttigieg appointed one former company executive to city's Public Works department, the firm was then handed multiple infrastructure jobs, and became one of Mayor Pete's largest donors.
Buttigieg served as the mayor of South Bend from 2012 to 2020. He was appointed transportation secretary by President Joe Biden early last year.
Government watchdogs say the pattern of donations and contracts could present the appearance of a 'pay to play' scandal – and raises concerns over the $210billion earmarked in the bipartisan infrastructure bill for Buttigieg to dish out in discretionary grants as transport secretary, part of a $1.2trillion budget.
'The pattern of contracts and donations appears to be a huge conflict of interest,' Taxpayers Protection Alliance president David Williams told DailyMail.com.
'This really doesn't bode well for the secretary of transportation when he has access to almost $1.2trillion in infrastructure money.
'This is alarming, and very concerning, because this is the swamp personified. You don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to look at this and think that something's wrong here.
'Was there a quid pro quo? Was there some sort of backroom deal for these projects? taxpayers deserve answers.'
The City of South Bend told DailyMail.com that Buttigieg 'was not involved in the awarding of engineering and construction contracts' and that all contracts are awarded 'through a professional procurement process that is public and transparent', and given 'to the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder per State Law'.
The Department of Transport said they have 'consistently made transparency and accountability to the American people a top priority' and that the federal grant money in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law awards funding to cities, states, ports, and local entities, not contractors.
The spokesperson told DailyMail.com any suggestion of corruption in Buttigieg's US government department was 'absurd'.
The former Indiana mayor, 40, cultivated close relationships with construction firms during his tenure in South Bend, which became a large source of funding for his political campaigns.
Greg Henneke, (left) Marlin Knowles, (center) and Eric Horvath (right) - are all previous or current executives of Indiana infrastructure firm American Structurepoint. The company received thousands of dollars in city jobs and contracts after its executives donated to Buttigieg's campaign, documents reveal
Documents obtained by DailyMail.com show American Structurepoint co-owner Marlin Knowles donated $1,500 to Buttigieg's campaign on March 31, 2011
Buttigieg's schedule shows he had an meeting with American Structurepoint two months before naming the firm's executive Eric Horvath as director of the South Bend Department of Public Works
Senior VP Greg Henneke donated $1,000 on February 13, 2017 to Buttigieg's campaign to become Democratic National Committee chair, Pete For DNC
In 2011 a co-owner of Indiana infrastructure firm American Structurepoint, Marlin Knowles, gave $1,500 to Buttigieg's mayoral campaign.
In November 2012, two months after meeting with representatives of the company in his office, Mayor Pete announced former American Structurepoint executive Eric Horvath as director of the South Bend Department of Public Works (BPW).
As part of his role, Horvath also became executive director of the Board of Public Works – the city committee that grants public money for large construction jobs.
The following year, American Structurepoint was awarded a contract for the South Bend Smart Streets Project, which had a total budget of $25million.
Between January 2014 and March 2019, senior executive vice president at the company, Greg Henneke, donated $31,850 to Mayor Pete's campaigns.
Over the same period, the company was awarded more than $790,000 in city contracts by the BPW, whose members Buttigieg appointed, and where former Structurepoint executive Horvath is executive director.
American Structurepoint was given $98,860 in two contracts on February 14, 2017, just one day after Henneke donated $1,000 to Buttigieg's campaign to become Democratic National Committee chair, Pete For DNC.
A spokesman for South Bend said all construction projects 'are bid through a professional procurement process that is public and transparent when approved by the Board of Public Works, which is a separate 5-member citizen board that approves City contracts and is governed by state law.'
'Public Works construction projects are publicly bid through the BPW and are awarded to the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder per State Law. Engineering contracts are also approved by the Board of Public Works during open public meetings,' mayoral communications director Caleb Bauer said.
'Each of the firms named are well-respected and have a reputation locally for delivering high quality services for the city and South Bend residents.'
Schedules from Buttigieg's mayoral office show several of his largest donors regularly enjoyed face to face access with him and were invited to holiday parties and other events.
The day after Henneke's contribution, American Structurepoint was given two contracts worth a total of $98,860
In 2011 construction company DLZ Indiana donated $750 to Buttigieg's mayoral campaign, and the next year invited him to a golf outing and a 'holiday open house' the company hosted.
Then in 2013, the city hired DLZ for a study into converting four downtown streets to two-way.
After Buttigieg attended another DLZ golf luncheon in July 2013, the company was awarded the bid for construction worth $113,000.
DLZ continued to donate to Buttigieg's campaigns, with $4,200 in 2014 as well as a gift of $700 worth of alcohol and cigars.
The firm's subsidiary DLZ Industrial LLC gave a further $600 to the mayor's campaign in August 2016, and a month later DLZ Indiana was awarded a $17,430 contract from the BPW.
In February 2017 DLZ Industrial gave $5,000 to Pete For DNC, and a slew of further contracts followed.
The same month, they received two jobs totaling $218,900, and in March, April and May that year they were approved for a further $276,110 of city contracts.
After the half-million dollars of city jobs were awarded, DLZ gave Buttigieg's campaign another $1,600 and took him on a $250 golf trip.
That fall, the BPW approved three more contracts worth $94,090.
Construction company DLZ contributed $250 on March 3, 2011
It added another $500 contribution on April 6, 2011
The mayor's July 30, 2012 calendar shows he had lunch with DLZ at a golf outing
Schedules from Buttigieg's mayoral office show several of his largest donors regularly enjoyed face to face access with him and were invited to holiday parties and other events
DLZ continued to donate to Buttigieg's campaigns, with $4,200 in 2014 as well as a gift of $700 worth of alcohol and cigars on August 28
In total, available records show the company has given $14,150 to Buttigieg's campaigns and received $885,030 in city contracts.
Ram Rajadhyaksha, a senior vice president at DLZ, said all contributions to Buttigieg's campaigns 'complied with Indiana state election laws.'
'DLZ takes pride in providing quality engineering and architectural services at highly competitive fees, and has done so for many years prior to Mayor Buttigieg holding elected City office,' Rajadhyaksha told DailyMail.com.
A source close to Buttigieg's former election campaign team said some of his construction firm donors, including Martell Electric, lost contract bids while Buttigieg was mayor, and others, such as MHW, worked on projects like the Smart Sewers program that saved the city hundreds of millions of dollars..
According to documents, executives at construction consultancy company United Consulting gave Buttigieg's mayoral and DNC campaigns $16,055 between 2014 and 2017, with the CEO Bill Hall meeting the mayor for lunch in March 2016.
In March 2017 the BPW approved a $378,300 two-part contract to the firm.
Over the next three years Hall and his vice president Michael Rowe gave a further $11,780 to Buttigieg's mayoral campaigns, and received two more contracts worth $180,120 from the BPW.
Two construction firms, Abonmarche and Donohue & Associates, also received city contracts the same day their executives donated to Buttigieg's mayoral campaign, according to documents.
Donohue & Associates president Craig Brunner and his wife Sandra gave $1,000 to the campaign on August 8, 2017, the same day Brunner's company was awarded a $150,000 job by the city.
Two weeks later on August 22 that year, Abonmarche's board chairman John Linn gave $2,000 to Mayor Pete's campaign. The same day, the South Bend BPW approved a $75,700 contract for the company.
Abonmarche executives gave a total $12,870 to Buttigieg's political funds between 2012 and 2018, and the company won $616,790 in city contracts. Donohue & Associates gave $12,045 and won $433,000 in jobs from the BPW.
In February 2017 DLZ subsidiary DLZ Industrial LLC gave $5,000 to Pete For DNC, and a slew of further contracts followed
After the half-million dollars of city jobs were awarded in 2017, DLZ gave Buttigieg's campaign another $1,600 and took him on a $250 golf trip
None of the companies or their executives - besides DLZ - responded to DailyMail.com's requests for comment.
Some donation records have already been destroyed.
St. Joseph's County - whose county seat is South Bend - did not keep any campaign finance records for the Pete For South Bend Committee dating before 2015, meaning data on any donations from 2012 to 2014 are lost.
United Consulting received city contracts from the Board of Public Works after it contributed to Buttigieg's mayoral and DNC campaigns between 2014 and 2017. Its CEO Bill Hall (pictured) met the mayor for lunch in 2016
United Consulting received two more contracts over the next three years following vice president Michael Rowe's (pictured) additional donations
Buttigieg's first act as mayor in 2012 was to create a formal ethics code for all city employees, including himself.
But the code did not include any clauses against the 'revolving door' of city officials working at companies they dealt with in office, and did not outlaw the city awarding large contracts to political donors.
A spokesman for anti-corruption organization Transparency International denounced the 'obvious stench' of Buttigieg's long practice of taking money from businesses his public works board awarded city contracts to.
'I'm stunned if it is true that South Bend Indiana doesn't have laws on the books that prohibit this,' said Scott Greytak, Director of Advocacy for the nonprofit's US branch.
'At the federal level, this would be entirely illegal. A federal contractor cannot make a contribution to a candidate, because of the obvious conflict of interest,' he added.
According to the FEC: 'Federal government contractors are prohibited from making contributions or expenditures in connection with federal elections.'
'The laws in South Bend should be just as strong,' Greytak said.
'You're not going to find a smoking gun in how access, influence and power works in American politics. So campaign finance restrictions are supposed to serve as proxies for preventing corruption.
'The idea that a company that has either a potential or a pending contract, or recently was a government contractor, is able to so expressly and openly give money to the people involved in those decisions, is a fundamentally corrupt system.
'I'm stunned that the elected leaders there would want to operate in a system that allows for such potential perception of corruption.'
Craig Brunner (left) and John Linn were executives at construction firms Donohue & Associates and Abonmarche, respectively, both of which were awarded city contracts, according to documents
Abonmarche's board chairman John Linn gave $2,000 to Mayor Pete's campaign on August 22, 2017. That same day, the South Bend BPW approved a $75,700 contract for the company. Pictured: An August 8 compensation packet for the agreement
Donohue & Associates was awarded a $150,000 job by the city on August 8, 2017 - the same day president Craig Brunner and his wife Sandra donated $1,000
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During Buttigieg's 2020 presidential run, he was for a time the only major Democratic candidate still accepting money from lobbyists.
He later reversed his stance and gave back more than $30,000 from federal lobbyists, promising that special interests would have no influence on his candidacy or would-be presidency.
Mayor Pete was also embroiled in a campaign funding controversy when he disclosed his top fundraisers in 2019 – but left more than 20 off the list.
The public list featured over 100 people who raised at least $25,000 for Buttigieg.
But news site Politico obtained an internal list showing dozens more, including Boston power broker Jack Connors Jr., La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz, hedge fund investor John Petry, and former US ambassadors to the Bahamas and Italy.
Buttigieg's campaign said at the time they miscalculated and 'inadvertently' left the names off.
The Department of Transport told DailyMail.com: 'Sec. Buttigieg knows that the American people have put their faith in the Biden-Harris Administration to responsibly deliver the benefits of the [infrastructure bill] -- and that's exactly what he will do.'
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