Latest news with #SIPA
New York Post
31-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump-Russia probe whistleblower ‘pressured' by Obama intel officials to sign off of 2016 election report: ‘I need you to say you agree'
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a whistleblower's account Wednesday detailing the pressure an Obama-era intelligence official applied on a subordinate to get them to sign off on an assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump. 'I was pressured to alter my views,' the senior intelligence analyst-turned-whistleblower claimed in documents Gabbard used as evidence in her bombshell report earlier this month, detailing the 'treasonous conspiracy' Obama officials engaged in 'to subvert President Trump's 2016 victory.' 3 Gabbard released a whistleblower's account of the pressure the Obama intel community applied to get the whistleblower to sign off on a revised assessment of the 2016 presidential election. LENIN NOLLY/SIPA/Shutterstock Advertisement The analyst – who worked on a 2016 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) which determined 'foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome' – recalled that 'my concurrence was sought to enable [redacted] to sway the views of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)' — so that DIA would sign off on a revised ICA. The new, 2017 ICA relied on the discredited Steele dossier and claimed the Kremlin orchestrated hackings of Democratic National Committee emails and intervened in the presidential contest in favor of Trump. 'There is reporting you are not allowed to see, if you saw it, you would agree,' the analyst recalled a supervisor telling them in early January 2017, when they asked to review the new reporting in the alternative assessment. Advertisement 'Isn't it possible Putin has something on Trump, to blackmail and coerce him?' the supervisor continued. 'You need to TRUST ME on this.' When the whistleblower refused to sign off on the new assessment, the 'visibly frustrated' supervisor stated: 'I need you to say you agree with these judgements, so that DIA will go along with them!' 'I remember this conversation very clearly,' the whistleblower wrote in the account, 'as it was a difficult situation and I listened, and chose my responses, with care.' 'I was aware that I was defying the [National Intelligence Office's] direction to me (to misrepresent my views to DIA) based on a conscious decision to adhere to [Intelligence Community] standards, tradecraft, and ethics.' Advertisement 3 The 2017 intelligence community assessment determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump. AP The DIA did not end up joining the CIA, FBI, and National Security Agency (NSA) on the 2017 ICA. The documents also show the whistleblower made repeated attempts to report concerns about the information used in the 2017 ICA to multiple government officials, including the inspector general for the intelligence community, former Special Counsel John Durham, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), to no avail. 3 Gabbard described the Obama administration's efforts to discredit Trump's 2016 election win as a 'treasonous conspiracy.' Getty Images Advertisement 'The Whistleblower put their own well-being on the line to defend our democratic republic and ensure the American people learned the truth about how President Obama directed the creation of Intelligence Community Assessment that knowingly promoted falsehoods claiming Russia helped President Trump get elected in 2016,' Gabbard said in a statement. 'In doing so, the Obama Administration sought to delegitimize the 2016 election and President Trump's presidency, subverting the will of the American people and enacting essentially a years-long coup against President Trump and the American people,' she added. 'Thanks to this individual and other courageous whistleblowers, the American people are finally learning the truth about the dangerous consequences of weaponized intelligence.' 'Truth and accountability will help in ensuring this doesn't happen again.'
New York Post
26-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Israel wanted to assassinate Ayatollah Khamenei, but never got the chance, defense minister said
Israel was targeting Tehran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for assassination during the 12-day war with Iran, but the ideal opportunity never presented itself, its military chief said. The Jewish state's military had been actively hunting for Khamenei before President Trump helped broker the cease-fire that came into effect earlier this week, Defense Minister Israel Katz, who had vowed to kill the leader during the conflict, told Israeli TV. 'I estimate that if Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,' he said. 3 The Israeli military hoped to assassinate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the 12-day war with Iran. AP 3 The ayatollah hid underground following Israel's initial bombardments in Tehran. BERNO/SIPA/Shutterstock 'But Khamenei understood this, went underground to very great depths and broke off contacts with the commanders who replaced those commanders who were eliminated, so it wasn't realistic in the end,' he added. Khamenei became a prime target for Israel last week after an Iranian ballistic missile hit a medical center in Beersheba, injuring about 80 people and completely destroying several wards. Following the attack, Katz vowed that 'Khamenei will pay for his crimes,' with the defense minister claiming that future Israeli attacks would 'shake' Iran's regime. The ayatollah went into hiding when the Israeli bombardments against Iran began on June 13, with Khamenei only surfacing on Thursday to absurdly claim victory over Israel and America. 3 Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that the opportunity to kill Khamenei never presented itself during the days-long conflict. REUTERS 'The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America's face,' Khamenei said Thursday despite the heavy losses Iran suffered during the 12-day war. He also tried to downplay the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities following the American attack with 'bunker-busting' bombs, attempting to contradict reports from Washington and the United Nations. 'US hit nuclear sites but couldn't achieve much,' Khamenei said in a televised speech before calling out Trump. 'US President Trump needed to do showmanship,' he said in his first statements since the cease-fire began on Tuesday. The cease-fire agreement has held so far as the US and Qatar attempt to get Iran back to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear energy program. With Post wires
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Made in India: Explore GI-tagged products in ‘Guardians of Heritage'
It is one of those balmy days in the midst of an unrelenting Chennai summer when I meet Senthilkumar Chandrasekaran outside Anna Salai's Philatelic Bureau, once among the first cinema houses in South India. Seated under a spreading peepul tree Senthilkumar, 47, is quite at home, unsurprising for a man who is passionate about philately and the way the postal realm transports him to distant places interwoven with tales of heritage and history. 'The book has been two years in the making,' says Senthilkumar, a chemical engineer and general manager with a Chennai-based waste-water treatment company, and member of SIPA (South India Philatelists' Association). 'It highlights the rich tapestry of India's indigenous and region-specific products that have earned the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag through stamps, special covers, cancellations and other postal memorabilia.' Released in May 2025, Guardians of Heritage was born of a blog that Senthilkumar maintained during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'I was a stamp collector as a child,' he says, looking back at life as a Railways' kid in Karnataka. 'Back then, we received letters often, and as a 10-year-old, I used to peel off the stamps from envelopes and stick them in notebooks. Birthday indulgences were about buying sheets of Indian and foreign stamps from stationery shops. Much of my early collection had definitive stamps, but my love for commemorative stamps began with one on Sanjay Gandhi. I rediscovered philately to break the monotony and stress of modern life.' Senthilkumar joined SIPA and built his collection — the themes included stamps on water, 'twin stamps' on the Olympics, Mahatma Gandhi and Indian heritage, coins and currencies. 'Every day I check the India Post website for new releases. Weekends are spent solely on this. And friends of friends have become friends because of philately,' he laughs softly. 'And then, I discovered the world of special covers and other memorabilia related to GI-tagged products.' Senthilkumar flips through these special covers encased in album after album, their unique colour and creation a representation of the rich cultural diversity of India. 'This collection took two years. Six hundred and ninety seven products are registered with the GI registry and I have showcased 402 in the book. The need to catalogue these products helped me collect,' he says. The covers are unique, each one a celebration of the product in modes that are raised, flat or projected. The one on Kanchipuram silk has a piece of silk with a peacock motif encased on the cover, the Santipur saree has its famous folds, the one on Kaipad rice has a grain, the Chamba rumal cover has a piece inserted that tells the story of Radha Krishna, the Nachiyar Kovil lamp is tactile as is the Thanjavur pith work of the Brihadeeswarar temple. 'I first began collecting on Tamil Nadu,' says Senthilkumar, adding 'some states have GI-tagged products but no covers, those from the Northeast have plenty but are difficult to source. There are also foreign products registered in India.' Prices also vary between ₹60 and ₹200 a cover and most are accessible except some of the sponsored ones. 'Around 2,000 covers are issued and one needs to keep an eye to source them,' he says, adding that the dealer-enthusiast network is the best way to acquire them. All this is translated onto the book that serves as a ready reckoner for anyone who wishes to know more about GI-tagged products and to the trivia collector who'd like to toss out nuggets on say Bardhaman sitabhog at dinner. Arranged under the heads of agricultural products, food stuff, handicrafts, manufactured products and natural resources, a picture of each cover has a descriptor, GI tag number, the date and State. 'The GI tag registry office has a certifying authority to check on the authenticity of the product information after which a journal entry is issued,' he says. Senthilkumar who is awaiting a cover on East India Leather made in Pallavaram, Chennai, counts among his favourites the covers on Bastar iron work and Tanjore dolls. He says, 'Collecting and putting together this book, with support from my wife, has been an incredible cultural journey into the heart of India.' Guardians of Heritage is priced at ₹1,950 and is available for sale online.
New York Post
16-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Thousands of Iranians flee Tehran after Israel warns more attacks are coming
Thousands of Iranians are fleeing Tehran after the Israeli military warned civilians to evacuate the capital over more bombardments to come. Yesterday's exodus carried on into Monday with traffic jams out of Tehran becoming the norm as panicked citizens rush to avoid the looming airstrikes on the fourth day of missile exchanges between Israel and Iran. The exodus is mainly driven by the lack of public bomb shelters in Tehran, where residents are expected to hide out the strikes in either their basements or in the subway. 3 Map showing the approximate 1,500 kilometer distance between Israel and Iran. Israel Defense Forces 3 A series of explosions rocked Tehran on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Mohamed Ali BERNO/SIPA/Shutterstock 'My parents are scared. Every night there are attacks, no air raid sirens, and no shelters to go to,' fleeing resident Arishia, 29, told Reuters. 'Why are we paying the price for the Islamic Republic's hostile policies?' 3 Flames rise from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli missile in Tehran. AP Iranian authorities have dismissed the evacuation warnings from the Israel Defense Forces as nothing more than 'psychological warfare,' calling on residents at the capital to remain calm. Tehran's words, however, have done little to reassure its citizens as many fear they'll run out of time to evacuate before the next set of missiles hit. With Post wires
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wyoming lawmakers seek to eliminate SIPA, again, in effort to simplify budget process
CHEYENNE — Wyoming lawmakers will try again to eliminate the state's Strategic Investments and Projects Account (SIPA) in a continued effort to make the state's budget process more transparent for the public. Efforts have been made in past legislative sessions to eliminate Wyoming's many financial 'coffee cans.' In 2024, lawmakers successfully repealed the School Capital Construction Account and its related accounts. This year, the Legislature successfully eliminated the Budget Reserve Account (BRA) through Senate File 168 and nearly eliminated SIPA through the passage of SF 169. However, Gov. Mark Gordon line-item vetoed SF 169 and kept SIPA online. The governor maintained his long-term support of simplifying the state's budget process, but he disapproved of the Legislature's approach in SF 169. Gov. Mark Gordon Gov. Mark Gordon '(SIPA) was originally a compromise between a previous legislature and the then-serving governor,' Gordon wrote in his veto letter. He served as state treasurer in 2013, when SIPA was first created. 'The compromise recognized the value of the governor's authority to use some of the funds when making budget recommendations.' Gordon argued the original structure of the bill limited his ability to make budget recommendations. Currently, excess funds from the state's Permanent Mineral Trust Fund (PMTF) account are split evenly between SIPA and the state's main savings account (the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account, or LSRA). SF 169 originally eliminated SIPA by July 2026 and transferred all excess funds into the LSRA. Wyoming statute prohibits the governor from proposing appropriations from LSRA in excess of the 5% statutory reserve account. In other words, he can't make budget recommendations from this account. 'It is a cagey strategy to undermine a long-standing compromise between the executive and legislative branches and breach the original intent of SIPA,' Gordon wrote. One effect of Gordon's veto removed the split of funds flowing into SIPA and LSRA; now, all excess funds go directly into SIPA, effective immediately. He reasoned this action is necessary, as he expects the state will see greater pressure to fund public schools with the passage of more tax cuts and diversions, along with falling oil and natural gas prices. 'The combined effects of these factors create substantial pressure on the general fund to cover any school funding deficit and still meet the ongoing costs of government,' Gordon wrote, 'as well as provide services to Wyoming families and businesses.' Impact of veto During the Legislature's Select Committee on Capital Finance meeting on Thursday, lawmakers moved to draft a bill similar to SF 169 and, in a sense, make it 'veto-proof.' Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, who was the primary sponsor of SF 169, said Gordon's veto 'left … quite a dilemma here.' 'The net effect of this line-item veto, if we allow this to stay in statutes the way it currently is, it zeros out the reserve accounts,' Hicks said. Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs (2025) Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs Legislative budget and fiscal staff provided a comparison of the two versions of the bill and their long-term fiscal impacts, based on numbers from the January long-term forecast of the state's fiscal profile. The SIPA transfers 45% of what it retains to the School Foundation Program (SFP) account, the state's main spending account to fund public schools. If the SIPA is entirely repealed, the SFP loses that funding. Before SF 169 was signed into law, the LSRA and SFP were estimated to receive $124.1 million and $369.4 million, respectively, from SIPA over a six-year forecast period. Under the version passed by the Legislature, LSRA was estimated to receive $191.6 million in that same time period. The SFP would receive a total of $111.4 million in the first two fiscal years, and then not receive anything starting in fiscal year 2027 with the repeal of SIPA. Under Gordon's vetoes, the SFP is estimated to receive $470 million over the six-year forecast period, and the LSRA will receive no funding at all. 'But I want to point out that, starting in FY 28 the (PMTF) reserve account can't guarantee the full amount, and it falls short by about $60 million,' said LSO senior fiscal analyst Polly Scott. 'As Sen. Hicks did state … the estimate is that the reserve account is depleted somewhere in (fiscal year 2028).' Under the version adopted by the Legislature, the reserve account's life is extended beyond the six-year forecast, Scott added, because the state is relying on it less. Lawmakers respond State Treasurer Curt Meier noted that the PMTF reserve account is acting the way the LSRA should act. He suggested removing the 1.25% guarantee from the PMTF reserve account into SIPA so it can 'function (as) what it was supposed to do.' 'You're spending money you don't have and then you're trying to catch up … so you can spend it in this year's legislative session,' Meier said. 'Let the reserve account stand on itself, rather than putting more pressure on it than what it can afford to bear.' Then, the Legislature could move the unrealized capital gains into the LSRA, he said. The LSRA already provides $100 million to the school spending account once it drops below a certain threshold. Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne (2025) Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne Chairwoman Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, suggested also discussing lifting this cap from the LSRA into the SFP at the committee's next meeting in September. For now, committee members voted to draft a bill that eliminates the SIPA, with a provision to remove the 1.25% flow guarantee from the PMTF reserve account, and discuss it at the next meeting. 'The elimination of the SIPA account is important, I think, to the Legislature as a whole, in order to simplify and provide transparency to the budget process,' Nethercott said. 'Because the SIPA account has been butchered. It's been tortured ... and no longer serves its intended purpose, creating a transparency issue.'
