Category: Michael Novakhov – SharedNewsLinks℠

An invasion of dangerous three-foot rat-like creatures with orange teeth is wreaking havoc across California, threatening the safety of residents and the state’s economy.

Nearly 1,000 nutria – one of the largest rodent species – had already been hunted down in the Bay Area this year.

But the creatures have now made way into Contra Costa County’s California Delta – which is one the state’s most crucial water sources and ecological sites, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Also known as Coypu, the animals, which weigh around 20 pounds, pose a threat to humans, livestock and pets, and cause widespread destruction across wetlands. 

They are known to carry tapeworms and are hosts for potentially deadly diseases such as tuberculosis and septicemia. They are also carriers for blood and liver flukes that can lead to infection through exposure to contaminated water, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

Nutria look similar to beavers, with the distinction of highly arched backs and ‘long, thin, round, sparsely haired tails rather than wide, flat tails like that of a beaver,’ according to the CFWD. 

The rodents are usually found near permanent water sources and have large bright orange teeth as well as a white muzzle and whiskers. 

Since the first nutria, a pregnant female, was discovered on a private wetland in March of 2017 in California, 5,042 of the species have been killed in the state. 

Officials are urging locals to ‘immediately’ report and photograph any sightings or potential signs of their presence to their state wildlife department. 

California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Peter Tira told SFGate: ‘We cannot have nutria reproducing in the delta. The threat to California’s economy is too great.’

The spread is particularly alarming due to the animal’s prolific reproductive rate – with females giving birth to as many as 27 offspring per year. 

They also breed all year round, producing two to three litters each with two to nine young per litter. 

On top of this there is no natural predator keeping its population in check. 

In some states, including California, the rodents are listed on the prohibited species list, which outlaws their importation, possession, exchange, purchase, sale and transportation. 

It is legal to shoot the animal outside of city limits or wildlife control officers can kill them using humane euthanasia. 

The highly destructive species is known to cause significant losses in crops and weaken levees due to their burrowing. 

Their effect on ecosystems also poses a threat to rare and endangered species and plants that rely on the marshland.

Each nutria is able to consume up to 25 percent of its body weight per day. But Krysten Kellum of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said they ‘waste and destroy up to ten times as much’, according to SFGate.

The CFWD added: ‘Nutria do not construct dens, they burrow, frequently causing water-retention or flood control levees to breach, weakening structural foundations, and eroding banks,’ reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

The California Delta, where the nutria are now starting to inhabit, helps to channel water to cities and farms across the state, making it easier for rodents to spread into yet more regions. 

Tides push salt water into the Delta from the Pacific, and freshwater travels into the Delta from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and then through the leveed channels into San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. 

United States Geological Survey said that, when necessary, water from the Sacramento River is diverted and pumped through leveed canals toward California Aqueduct and the Delta-Mendota Canal. 

This water ends up being consumed by humans and used for agricultural purposes throughout Central and Southern California.

Since the aquatic invasion of the rodents, the California Department of Water Resources issued a dire – and equally hilarious – warning about the nutria.

Pitting the creature as a ‘two-faced creature’ straight out of a horror movie, the DWS created a movie-like poster that said that although the animal was ‘so cute,’ the rodent was a ‘monster’.

‘Behind that cure exterior lies a monster. Beware of the dark side of the nutria. They may look harmless, but they are invasive rodents that have the ability to destroy wetlands and damage levees,’ the DWS wrote.

Nutria are also causing problems beyond California, with reports of issues in Oregon.

In fact, feral populations have now become established in 17 states, including Louisiana, Washington, Oregon and California. 

–Analysis–

TEL AVIV — Anyone who wants to understand the Mossad should know about the very first operation conducted by a Jewish secret service. It happened quite a while ago and its coordinator was as prominent as it was unusual: God the Father.

This is what it says in the Holy Scripture, Numbers, Chapter 13: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Send men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites, and choose one from each tribe who is a prince.'” Moses followed the order from above, chose a nobleman from each of the twelve Israelite tribes and gave them the following instructions: “Go up the mountain and see the land, and the people, whether they are strong or weak, few or many, whether they live in tents or in fortresses… Look also at the condition of the ground, whether it is fat or lean.”

The twelve spies did an excellent job and after forty days they brought back insight that was both promising and threatening. “The land flows with milk and honey. But the people who live there are powerful and the cities are fortified.” Attack or retreat? The scouts could not agree on what should follow from these findings.

Today’s intelligence experts are critical of the biblical spying operation. “Nothing against old Moses,” Yaakov Caroz, the former deputy head of the Mossad, told me. “But we see three serious errors in his approach. Firstly, Moses should not have chosen the men exclusively from one social class, from the social elite — he should have ignored the boss’s orders. And secondly, he should not have chosen one representative from each tribe. It would have been much better to simply select the most capable men. Social or party-political proportionality is deadly in our business.”

And mistake number three, perhaps the worst in the opinion of the Mossad professional: “Instead of creating an impartial committee to check the news and coolly weigh it up, Moses left the evaluation to the men he had sent out. And that naturally led to a dispute between those who thought it was impossible to conquer the country and those who were in favor of an attack.”

The skeptics did not prevail at that time, otherwise history would look different: the children of Israel would never have entered the land of Canaan — and the Jewish people might have perished.

A top Russian official has admitted for the first time that Islamic State was behind a brutal attack on a concert hall in Moscow this year, having blamed Ukraine in its immediate aftermath.

Men with machineguns killed 145 people and wounded hundreds more in a rampage at Crocus City Hall, which was packed with concertgoers on a Friday night in March, before setting the building on fire.

Eleven Tajik citizens and a Kyrgyzstan-born Russian have been arrested in connection with the massacre including four gunmen.

An Isis offshoot in Afghanistan known as Islamic State-Khorasan, or Isis-K, claimed responsibility for the deadliest terrorist act in Russia in two decades.

On Friday, Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s domestic intelligence agency FSB, became the first senior Russian official to admit that the attack was masterminded by Isis’s Afghan branch and not by the Ukrainian intelligence services, as had been previously suggested by President Putin.

“We know for certain that the men who recruited the attackers are members of Islamic State- Khorasan who have been deliberately targeting the Tajik diaspora in Russia via the internet from Afghanistan,” Bortnikov told a meeting of intelligence chiefs of former Soviet nations in Moscow.

The marginalised Tajik community in Russia, who typically do menial, underpaid work, have faced more violence and discrimination since the gunmen were identified as Tajik migrant workers.

• Putin offers to drop criminal charges if suspects fight in Ukraine

Bortnikov also warned that migrant workers from central Asia were prone to radicalisation “both by terrorist recruiters and foreign intelligence agencies”.

However, he made no mention of any potential Ukrainian role in the attack that the Kremlin had been speculating about. In the aftermath of the shooting Bortnikov insisted on “Ukrainian involvement” as he claimed “Islamists alone could not have plotted such an attack”.

Putin never confirmed the overwhelming evidence of Isis’s role, insisting that Russia “cannot possibly be targeted by terrorist attacks of Islamic fundamentalists” because it was friendly to Muslim nations “on the international arena”.

Sean “Diddy” Combs wanted Justin Bieber to keep what took place during their hangouts under wraps, according to a resurfaced “Jimmy Kimmel Live” clip.

The disgraced music mogul appeared with the “Baby” singer on the late night talk show in 2011 when the latter was just 16. They discussed their close-knit bond with host Jimmy Kimmel at the time.

“What’s going on with you guys? Are you working together?” Kimmel asked in the clip, which is making the rounds online in light of Combs’ serious legal issues.

The former Bad Boy Records exec responded, “No … We’ve become friends in a strange way” before elaborating, “To a lot of us, he’s like a little brother … He’s not afraid to call and ask for advice.”

The “Bad Boy for Life” rapper explained that the music industry is “a strong family” and many people, including himself, want to have their “arms around” Bieber to “protect him” because he’s a “nice person.”

Combs continued to gush about the “Somebody to Love” singer, “Besides his talent, he’s one of the greatest kids that you could ever know.”

Bieber thanked the “Tell Me” rapper for his remarks as the audience clapped during the segment, and Kimmel, 56, pointed out that perhaps Combs could buy the young singer a car as he did with his son.

“He got me a Lamborghini — I just haven’t gotten it yet,” the “Never Say Never” chimed in, prompting Combs to look off to the side in annoyance.

“He had the Lamborghini for a day or two and he had access to the house,” the “Last Night” rapper then said, seemingly referencing when the two spent 48 hours together, per a YouTube video Bieber posted.

“He knows better than to be talking about the things that he does with big brother Puff on national television,” Combs added. “Everything ain’t for everybody.”

When Combs and Bieber spent those two days together back in 2009, the “Coming Home” rapper told the “Beauty and the Beat” singer that they were “gonna go full buck full crazy.”

“Where we hanging out and what we doing, we can’t really disclose, but it’s definitely a 15-year-old’s dream,” Combs added in the YouTube video.

Amid the former Sean John CEO’s sex crimes scandal, another clip of Combs with Bieber resurfaced online, which shows the latter appearing very uncomfortable at some of the former’s remarks.

Combs said in that second video, “Selling out arenas and everything? Starting to act different, huh? You haven’t been calling me and hanging out the way we used to hang out.”

Bieber is then seen awkwardly pulling out his phone and replying, “You tried to get in contact with me throughout all my [partners] and what not — but you never got my number, so want my number?”

A rep for the “Peaches” singer recently said, however, that while Bieber, now 30, is “aware of Diddy’s arrest and all the allegations,” he “just wants to focus on being a great dad and husband.”

Combs has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation of a prostitute. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum life sentence.

At a recent press conference, the “I Need a Girl” rapper was accused of sexually assaulting 120 people, including 25 minors. One of the alleged victims was only 9 years old at the time of the crime.

Attorney Tony Buzbee, who hosted the presser, warned that “many powerful people” are set to be exposed in connection to Diddy’s alleged misdeeds, claiming the names will “shock” the public.

Combs is currently awaiting his trial behind bars. No court date has been set yet.

As for Justin, he tied the knot with Hailey Bieber in September 2018 and the two welcomed their first child in August 2024.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing new allegations from more than 100 accusers, a Texas law firm revealed.

The Buzbee Law Firm and AVA Law Group said at a news conference Tuesday that it is representing 120 accusers.

“The biggest secret in the entertainment industry that really wasn’t a secret at all, has finally been revealed to the world. The wall of silence has now been broken, and victims are coming forward,” Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee said.

Mr. Buzbee said the team had more than 3,285 individuals contact the firm claiming that they were victimized by Mr. Combs. He said he plans to begin filing lawsuits in different states within the next 30 days.

“We will expose the enablers who enabled this conduct behind closed doors. We will pursue this matter no matter who the evidence implicates,” he said.

He said the allegations will include “violent sexual assault or rape, facilitated sex with a controlled substance, dissemination of video recordings, sexual abuse of minors.”

The victims he is representing include 60 men and 60 women. Of those, 62% identify as African American, 30% are white, and the rest are Hispanic and Asian. They come from more than 25 states, with the majority from New York, California, Georgia and Florida. 

He said that 25 of them were minors at the time of the incidents, with one as young as nine.

One of Mr. Combs’ lawyers, Erica Wolff, said the recording artist “emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors.” 

“He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation,” she said in a statement.

Mr. Combs was denied bail twice last month after being arrested on Sept. 16. He is charged with sex trafficking by force, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. The unsealed indictment painted a picture of Mr. Combs as an all-powerful sex fiend presiding over “Freak Offs.”

His lawyers filed a notice of appeal Monday to try and get him out of jail until his trial date.

His next court date is Oct. 9.

‘Significant escalation’: Jim Sciutto reacts to WH official’s claim Iran preparing missile attack on Israel

01:49

– Source:
CNN

CNN
 — 

Missiles have been launched from Iran toward Israel and sirens are sounding across the country, according to a statement from Israel’s military.

CNN teams on the ground in multiple locations across Israel have observed dozens of missiles flying above them. Some have been intercepted by Israel’s air defenses, although it is not clear how many.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted Israel in response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

After the barrage of missiles was launched, the Iranian mission to the United Nations said that Tehran carried out a response to “the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime.”

The mission said on X that if Israel should “dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue.”

Earlier on Tuesday the White House warned that Iran was poised to launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel soon, instantly ratcheting up fears of all-out war in the region.

People in Tel Aviv and other cities have been told to stay near shelters or other protected areas and the atmosphere on the streets was noticeably tense.

In a statement released mid-morning, the White House said it had “indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” adding the United States was “actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack.”

“A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” a senior White House official said in a statement.

Israel assessed that Iran was likely to attack three Israeli air bases and an intelligence base located just north of Tel Aviv, a person briefed on the matter said.

The intelligence base in Glilot was evacuated Tuesday afternoon, the person said, and the Israeli military has put contingency plans for the safety of personnel at those bases into effect.

The US warned Israel that an attack would likely come within the next 12 hours, the person said.

An Israeli source told CNN shortly after the White House’s warning that intense diplomacy is happening behind the scenes.

President Joe Biden convened a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and top national security officials Tuesday “to discuss Iranian plans to imminently launch a significant ballistic missile attack against Israel,” according to White House spokesperson Emilie Simons.

Simons added, “They reviewed the status of US preparations to help Israel defend against attacks and protect US personnel.”

After a year of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran’s proxies in the region — including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen — an attack by Iran toward Israel could further tip the region toward full-scale conflict.

US and Arab diplomats are already concerned about what might happen after Iran’s expected attack, including the scale of Israel’s response. One major concern on their mind is Israel possibly using a forthcoming Iranian strike to respond by striking inside Iran.

“There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that’s true of the entire Middle East,” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said during his speech at the United Nations last week.

The US was earlier prepared to do whatever it can to help Israel intercept anything Iran directed its way, similar to how the US offered its assistance in April, when Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles towards Israel — the vast majority of which were successfully intercepted, a US official said.

The US had anticipated that the attack from Iran against Israel could be similar in scope and scale to the one in April, a US official told CNN.

The US warned Israel early Tuesday morning ET (midday Israel time) that Iran was poised to launch an attack, according to a person familiar with the matter. The warning between the two countries came several hours before the White House announced publicly that it had indications Iran was preparing an attack.

The official said Iran has been postured to move quickly in an attack. After the onslaught of drones and missiles fired toward Israel in April, many of Iran’s assets remained in position.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks as Israel has stepped up its efforts against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, and Israel on Monday launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu asked Israelis to “stand together” and keep following the frontline commands as fears of an imminent attack from Iran grow.

Netanyahu said Israel is in the throes of a “campaign against Iran’s axis of evil” and made specific demands from the Israeli public.

“What I ask of you is two things: One – to strictly obey the directives of the frontline command, it saves lives. And second – to stand together,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

The United States is “tracking events in the Middle East very closely” and “is committed to Israel’s defense,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday.

“We’re watching developments, as I said, very carefully at this moment,” Blinken said in brief remarks alongside his Moroccan counterpart. Blinken did not make any specific reference to Iran or the potential attack.

The US Embassy in Israel directed all US government personnel and family members “to shelter in place until further notice” because of “the current security situation,” it said in a security alert Tuesday.

“This is provided for your information as you make your own security plans,” the alert said, without mentioning the specific warnings of an imminent attack from Iran.

CNN’s Pauline Lockwood and Niamh Kennedy contributed reporting.

This story has been updated with additional developments.