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Nevertheless, He Persisted: Sitting US President Shunned From Site of Recent Synagogue Massacre

A sitting US president has been shunned from visiting the scene of a horrific massacre. Pittsburgh mayor, Bill Peduto, urged the president not to come. A group of Pittsburgh Jewish leaders wrote in an open letter signed by more than 35,000 people “President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you fully denounce white nationalism.” Nevertheless, President Trump arrived in Pittsburgh earlier today despite repeated calls which have shunned his presence. Today is also the same day of the first funerals for those killed in Saturday’s massacre. At a Republican rally in Michigan, Vice-President Pence appeared with a cleric whose views offend mainstream Jewish thought, Rabbi Loren Jacobs. Following the deadliest synagogue massacre in recent history, Rabbi Jacobs described Jesus as the Messiah and led prayers for the victims but stopped short of naming them.

• BBC: Pittsburgh shooting: Anger at Pence rally \’Jesus prayer\’

• NPR: Trump To Visit Pittsburgh Despite Objections From Mayor, Jewish Leaders

• CNN: President Trump visits Pittsburgh after synagogue shooting

• The Times of Israel: Progressive Pittsburgh Jews say Trump not welcome in city

• The Washington Post: Shooting victim’s family shuns President Trump in Pittsburgh as top officials decline to join him

Khashoggi: Erdogan is pushing for Saudis to name names, US Military defends KSA-USA relationship

Earlier today Turkish President Erdogan announced that Turkish prosecutors are seeking the identity of the person(s) who sent the team involved in Khashoggi’s murder. Erdogan also pressed Saudi officials to reveal the identity of a ‘local cooperator’. Saudi and Turkish prosecutors met earlier today in Istanbul. In the US members of Congress have called for President Trump to respond to Khashoggi’s murder by ending arms sales to KSA, enacting sanctions, or withdrawing support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. However, Gen. Joseph Votel, the top commander of U.S. troops in the Middle East, has defended the US-Saudi relationship as well as Saudi’s role in the Yemen armed violence. UN human rights chief calls for international experts to be involved in an independent investigation into the killing of Khashoggi.

• The Guardian: Erdoğan claims people behind Khashoggi killing being protected

• Defense One: ‘Extraordinarily Important’: Top US General Defends Saudi Relationship, Yemen War

• Reuters: U.N. rights boss calls for international role in Khashoggi inquiry

Yahoo: Saudi prosecutor at Istanbul consulate where Khashoggi was killed

Yahoo: Khashoggi\’s fiancee hits out at Trump over \’cover-up\’

NATO War Games Updates

The NATO Trident Juncture 18 exercise is in the middle of its two-week run. Centered on defending the NATO territory from an invasion, attack, or other act of aggression, the exercise has primarily focused on readiness for operating in the harsh conditions off the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. Military experts say that, in the event of war or armed aggression, NATO would have to control to this body of water in order to effectively cut off Russian naval forces. As NATO has signed contracts with local businesses worth $184 million, attention has fallen on the Russian Naval fleet’s apparent maintenance problem since many of its ships (including its sole aircraft carrier) must leave port with a tug. Russia is known to rely heavily on an aging, insufficient fleets.

• Time: NATO Is in the Middle of an Expensive and Dangerous Military Exercise. Here’s Why Those War Games Are Worth It

• Al Jazeera: NATO war games: Technology changing strategies

• Business Insider: Russian ships sailing by NATO\’s war games have a tug with them — and it\’s a telltale sign of their surface fleet\’s biggest problem

China Is Secretly Enrolling Military Scientists in Western Universities

According to a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think-tank, since 2008, about 2,500 researchers from Chinese military universities spent time at western universities. The report found that, while studying in countries that share intelligence with the US, many researchers hid their military affiliations. Since 2013, researchers affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army published more joint papers with researchers from the UK and the US than with those of any other country. In June 2018, the newly established US Gov Office of Trade & Manufacturing released its first policy report which states that “China State actors recruit scholars, researchers, technology experts, and scientists” to “acquire key technologies and intellectual property from other countries, including the United States”.

• Defense One: China Is Secretly Enrolling Military Scientists in Western Universities

• Nature Magazine: China hides identities of top scientific recruits amidst growing US scrutiny

• Financial Times: Chinese military researchers exploit western universities

• Australian Strategic Policy Institute: Picking flowers, making honey: The Chinese military’s collaboration with foreign universities original report

• US Gov Office of Trade & Manufacturing: Policy Report Official

Military to Deploy 5,000+ Troops to Southern Border

The US will soon have more troops along the Mexican border than it has in both Iraq and Syria. In response to the migrant caravan that started in Honduras, the US military announced the deployment of 5,200 troops to the southwest US border. President Trump has made the migrant caravan and immigration a focal point of his midterm election political rallies, despite widespread right-wing violence in the US and the fact that he, as President, is not running in the midterm elections. As of last week, plans called for the deployment of only 800 troops. Already, there are 2,000 National Guard members at the border. The addition of 5,200 troops is a major escalation and exceeds the combined US military footprint in Iraq and Syria.

• Buzzfeed: The US will soon have more troops along the Mexican border than it has fighting in Iraq and Syria

• Politico: Trump’s troop deployment to the border comes under fire

• The Wall Street Journal: Military to Deploy 5,000 Troops to Southern Border

• Quartz: What is posse comitatus and why are Americans afraid Trump could suspend it?

• Defense One: Secretary Mattis, Defend This or Resign

President Trump targeting birthright citizenship with executive order

With a week to go before US midterm elections, President Trump upped his hardline immigration rhetoric. In an interview with Axios earlier today, President Trump indicated he would target birthright citizenship with an executive order but did not say when he planned to sign it. Trump\’s vow to end the 14th amendment of the US Constitution would revoke the right to citizenship for children of non-citizens and unauthorized immigrants born in the US. Analysts have called out this statement as mere political posturing meant to detract from the recent spate of right-wing fueled armed violence gripping the country. Given the president’s past of unfulfilled promises to use executive action, this announcement appears more like a stunt to refocus the midterm campaign on immigration than a serious attempt to alter the US Constitution.

• CNN: Trump claims he can end birthright citizenship

• Axios: Exclusive: Trump targeting birthright citizenship with executive order

• Library of Congress: 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Official

From Deep State Radio

1-ON-1 WITH EMY SHAYO: IT’S BOLSONARO’S BRAZIL NOW…WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE REST OF US?

J.P. Morgan’s Emy Shayo is one of Brazil’s most respected analysts.  With the election of right wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency in Brazil, the country and region have taken a disturbing turn.  That said, markets responded positively.  Is this another case of the markets getting bought off…only to allow a bad guy to do damage to civil liberties (See America, United States of) Tune in for a fresh and somewhat contrarian take to what you have heard thus far.

PODCAST: WHAT IF THE PROBLEM ISN’T THAT WE’RE LEADERLESS BUT THAT THEY ARE LEADING US IN THE WRONG DIRECTION?

Brazil elects a hard-right candidate who is a threat to democracy. The BRICs are no longer the harbingers of progress we thought them to be. Angela Merkel, who has stepped up in the Era of Trump to be the Leader of the Free World. And Donald Trump may see some encouraging election victories in next week’s elections. Kori Schake of IISS, Rosa Brooks of Georgetown and Evelyn Farkas of the Atlantic Council discuss who might step up to lead in the current era…or whether the bad guys are actually the leaders now. A vitally important and timely discussion. Tune in