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Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 12/05/2022 1:10:06 PM

12/2/22 Friday

This material is distributed by Ghebi LLC on behalf of Federal State Unitary Enterprise
Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, and additional information is on file
with the Department of Justice, Washington, District of Columbia.

As US Prepares to Unveil B-21 Stealth Bomber, Meet the World’s Other Strategic Bombers
By - Fantine Gardinier

Longread
The US Air Force is set to unveil the first of its forthcoming stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider,
which is being built by military aerospace firm Northrop Grumman, on Friday evening after years
of secretive development.
The new aircraft will become the US Air Force’s (USAF) newest strategic bomber, a class of
heavy aircraft rarely seen in the world today. Just the United States, Russian Federation, and
People’s Republic of China still operate such bombers, each of which has a unique story.
Northrop B-2 Spirit
The B-2 is the spiritual godfather of the B-21, also built by Northrop and bearing a very similar
“flying wing” design. When the B-2 was unveiled to the world in 1988, it was the first stealth
aircraft the public had ever seen and it shocked the world, which is why its nickname is simply
“The Stealth Bomber.”
The Spirit’s stealthy design disperses or absorbs most radar waves that hit the aircraft, making it
look like a small bird on enemy radar screens. Despite its sneaky ways, the Spirit packs a
massive punch, able to carry 80 J DAM 500-pound laser-guided bombs or up to 16 B83
thermonuclear bombs before they were retired. It can also carry large cruise missiles in its
internal bomb bay.
The B-2 project was controversial because it was top secret, was redesigned during
development as a low-level terrain-following infiltration aircraft instead of as a high-altitude
bomber, and became hard to justify after the Cold War ended in 1991. Just 21 were built, at a
cost of $1 billion each.
Rockwell B-1B Lancer
The B-1B or “Bone” (B-One) was built by Rockwell, now a part of Lockheed Martin, in the 1970s.
While the Bone is an impressive, swing-wing bomber with stealthy characteristics and
terrain-following technology, the initial plans for the aircraft were far grander.
The B-1 A was envisioned as the nuclear bomber to end all bombers. It was to be big and
ultra-fast, with a large bomb capacity, able to sprint past Soviet air defenses just above the
treetops and deliver a nuclear bomb to a target that would never see it coming. It would be the
spiritual successor to the Mach-2-capable B-58 Hustler nuclear bomber, and replace the bulky
B-52 Stratofortress, too.
However, the Lancer project lived in the B-2’s shadow: US President Jimmy Carter canceled the
B-1 A project in 1977, officially because it was over-cost and seemed to be made obsolete after
the West became aware of the Soviet Union’s ultra-advanced MiG-31 interceptor, but secretly it
was because the Stealth Bomber program was showing promising developments. The program
was later revived in 1981 after the B-2 encountered new delays, and the B-1B was reimagined

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as a less ambitious version of the B-1A. After the end of the Cold War, the B-1Bs were
converted to carry conventional bombs, and they were used so extensively in a close air support
role during the US war in Afghanistan that the fleet required extensive repair.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Affectionately known by its crews as the “Big Ugly Fat F**ker” (BUFF), the B-52 has been a
mainstay of the US Air Force since the 1950s. This lumbering beast, with a 185-foot wingspan,
can carry 70,000 pounds of weapons and has an 8,800-mile range without refueling.
It may look obsolete today, but when it first flew in 1952 its swept wings and turbojet engines
were state-of-the-art. The bomber’s massive load capacity and huge fuel tanks enabled it to
perform “loitering” patrols with nuclear bombs on the edge of Soviet airspace, ready to fly
towards their targets at a moment’s notice. However, it has only ever dropped conventional
bombs in anger.
In the 70 years since it first flew, the B-52 has seen almost every one of its systems upgraded
and replaced, enabling it to keep up with 21st century aircraft and carry new weapons like cruise
missiles, hypersonic missiles, and jamming pods.
The US Air Force expects to continue using the B-52 until the 2050s.
Tupolev Tu-95/Tu-142 “Bear”
Perhaps no other aircraft epitomized the image of Soviet Air Forces during the Cold War like the
Tu-95, which NATO assigned the reporting name “Bear.” However, Soviet air crews called it the
“Mixer,” because of how violently the aircraft shook.
Introduced in 1956, the “Bear” was intended to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike in
the same way US bombers were able to threaten the Soviet Union. Its debut shook the West,
which pushed forward on a new generation of surface-to-air missiles, interceptors, and nuclear
missiles to meet the challenge.
The Tu-95 has continued to serve in the Soviet, and now Russian airforces in the decades
since. It has been extensively modified to serve in reconnaissance and maritime patrol, where it
was designated as the Tu-142, and was even adapted into the Tu-116 passenger airliner. The
aircraft was most recently used in the opening stages of the special operation in Ukraine.
When the Soviet Union was dissolved in December 1991, a number of Tu-95s and Tu-142s
were inherited by the Ukrainian Air Forces, which later traded them to Russia as part of a gas
deal, or dismantled the rest. The Indian Navy also operated several Tu-142s until retiring them
in 2017.
It is the only turboprop-driven bomber still in service today. It is the loudest aircraft in existence,
thanks to its double-propeller engines, which are so powerful their blades break the sound
barrier.
Tupolev Tu-22M “Backfire”
The Tu-22M (NATO reporting name “Backfire”) emerged from a redesign of the earlier Tu-22
(NATO reporting name “Blinder”), which suffered major design flaws making it difficult to operate
and maintain. However, the Soviet Union needed a powerful, long-range, Mach-2-capable
bomber capable of carrying the deadly Kh-22 anti-ship cruise missile - a major threat to
American aircraft carriers. The new design was much more capable and featured variable
geometry “swing wings.”
The name deceived Western observers, who only realized it was a new aircraft when it was
unveiled to the public in Warsaw Pact war games in 1980. It was used extensively during the

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Soviet War in Afghanistan, and in the Chechen Wars by Russia after the dissolution of the
Soviet Union.
Ukraine also inherited several dozen Tu-22Ms, which were later scrapped under an agreement
with the US aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons during the USSR’s dissolution.
The aircraft remains in service with the Russian Air Force, and has been modified to carry
hypersonic missiles.
Tupolev Tu-160 White Swan
Like the US’ B-1B Lancer, the Tu-160 can be a “penetrator,” despite its immense size, and can
sprint at twice the speed of sound while hugging the ground with a special terrain-following
radar. However, its primary mission is serving as a massive platform for launching standoff
weapons like cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons, and its internal bomb bays can be fitted
to carry a rotary launcher for nuclear missiles.
Its NATO reporting name is “Blackjack,” following a simple formula used by the alliance, but is
known affectionately as the “White Swan” in Russia, due to its elegant shape and color, which
mimic the graceful water bird.
The Tu-160 is an aircraft of superlatives: it’s the largest, heaviest, and heaviest-lifting bomber
aircraft ever put into service by any nation. Its Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines
are the most powerful ever built.
The graceful weapon entered service in 1987, and due to the financial difficulties of the late
Soviet and early Russian Federation period, just 35 were built at first. Production was later
resumed in recent years, with the first new bomber being delivered in early 2022.
Ukraine inherited 19 Tu-160s from the USSR, which it then tried to sell back to Russia. When
Moscow refused the high price, Kiev scrapped several of the massive bombers, although it did
decide to sell seven of them back in the early 2000s.
Xi’an H-6 “Badger”
China’s strategic bomber, the H-6, began as a copy of the Soviet Tu-16 bomber from the late
1950s. However, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has keep the planes up-to-date with
modern avionics, equipment, and weapons, and constructed several new designs for the
bomber, including for maritime patrol and for carrying ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
NATO gave the Chinese H-6 the same reporting name as the Soviet Tu-16 - Badger - but the
modernized version, the H-6K, is called the “God of War” by Chinese pilots. The H-6K can
threaten American carrier fleets and bases across the region, being able to carry a wide variety
of cruise, hypersonic, and nuclear missiles.
Xi’an H-20(?) & J/H-XX(?)
A Chinese stealth bomber in known to be in development, which has been provisionally called
the H-20, but little is known about the program. A PLA promotional video in January 2021
teased its future debut, suggesting a flying-wing design similar to the American B-2 and B-21
aircraft. It is seen as a potential replacement for the aging H-6.
Rumors have also swirled about a second stealth bomber in development in China, which has
been provisionally dubbed the J/H-XX, but little is known about the aircraft.

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How Many Nuclear Submarines Does the US Have?
By - Ilya Tsukanov

Over half of America’s nuclear arsenal is based aboard its fleet of ballistic missile submarines,
with each one having enough nuclear firepower to destroy entire nations. How many nuclear
subs does the US have, and how strict are the conditions for their use under the nation’s nuclear
doctrine? The short answer is: worryingly lax.
Elements of the sea-based prong of America’s sea-based strategic deterrent made the news
repeatedly over the past week, with UK media reporting a doubling of sightings of US
Ohio-class nuclear subs at the British Naval Base Clyde in Faslane, western Scotland in 2022,
while US media detailed “a string of highly unusual public disclosures” about the movements
and activities of America’s nuclear subs in East Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea to
send a "message" to adversaries.
How Many Missile Subs Does the United States Have?
54 percent of the US’s total deployed nuclear arsenal of 1,744 nukes is carried aboard its
missile subs. Specifically, these are the General Dynamics Electric Boat-built Ohio-class nuclear
powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).
Built between 1976 and 1997 and commissioned through the 1980s and 1990s, the Navy’s 14
Ohio-class SSBNs constitute the entire sea-based component of America’s nuclear deterrent.
The subs carry up to 24 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), with each
missile capable of carrying nukes in the form of multiple independently targetable reentry
vehicles (MIRVs). These MIRVs carry a nuclear payload ranging from 5-7 kilotons (less than
half the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb) to warheads with a power of up to 475
kilotons, enough to decimate a major metropolitan area. Each Trident carries between one and
14 warheads. This means that a single Ohio-class submarine can hold up to 336 nuclear bombs
- enough to single-handedly devastate any nation on Earth.
What Does America’s Nuclear Doctrine Say About These Weapons’ Use?
In late October, the Biden administration released its long-awaited update to the US nuclear
doctrine, known as the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review. Like its predecessors, the 2022 posture
allows the United States to use nuclear weapons on a preemptive basis, given the
“unacceptable level of risk” of adversaries inflicting “strategic level damage” on the United
States and its allies and partners if the country rejected nuclear first use.
Washington promises to use nuclear weapons only in “extreme circumstances” to defend its
national interests. However, it doesn’t rule out using nukes against even “non-nuclear weapons
states” if they aren’t a party to and in compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty. For the latter,
“there remains a narrow range of contingencies in which US nuclear weapons may play a role in
deterring attacks which have strategic effect,” the document warns. Non-NPT countries include
India, Pakistan, Israel, South Sudan and North Korea.
The Biden Nuclear Posture Review does not reject the deployment of the W76-2 warhead - a
low-yield nuke introduced in the 2018 Trump Nuclear Posture Review and deployed aboard
Ohio-class subs in 2019, notwithstanding the danger such a weapon poses in lowering the
threshold of nuclear war. The warhead is counterintuitively described as an “important means to
deter limited nuclear use” in the document.

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How Many Cruise Missile Subs Does the US Have?
In addition to its SSBN fleet, the US Navy also operates four modified Ohio-class cruise missile
submarines (SSGNs)-the USS Ohio, USS Michigan, USS Georgia and USS Florida. The
boats were converted into SSGNs in the 2000s, fitted with vertical launch systems which enable
them to carry dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles. Each of the converted boats’ 22 tubes
carries up to seven Tomahawks, or 154 cruise missiles in every sub. The SSGNs can also carry
special operations (spec ops) personnel for stealthy missions on distant shores.
The Tomahawks aboard the four Ohio-class boats can be armed with both conventional
explosives and nuclear-tipped warheads, with the latter carrying a yield of between five and 150
kilotons. The Pentagon first used a converted Ohio-class SSGN in combat during the US war of
aggression in Libya -with the USS Florida raining dozens of conventional Tomahawk missiles
down on targets in the country in 2011 during Operation Odyssey Dawn, playing its small part in
turning the once prosperous North African nation into a failed state.
How Many Nuclear-Powered Attack Subs Does the US Have?
In addition to its strategic nuke-launching subs and cruise missile-quipped SSGNs, the United
States has over fifty fast attack subs - all of them powered by nuclear reactors. These include
29 Los Angeles-class subs, built between the early 1970s and 1996, and fitted with Mk 48
torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Tomahawk land attack missiles, 22 newer
Virginia-class subs, which began to be commissioned in the mid-2000s, and carrying the same
armament, and three boats of the Seawolf class, a nimble, $3 billion apiece sub, also armed
with the same weapons. The Navy planned to build 29 Seawolf-class boats when construction
began in the late 1980s, but scrapped 26 of them due to exorbitant costs (for comparison, a
single Los Angeles class cost about $1.61 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars).
What’s Next for the US Nuclear Submarine Fleet?
The Pentagon received nearly $100 million for R&D work on its next-generation nuclear attack
submarine, known as the SSN(X) program, in the 2022 budget, and has requested $237 million
in additional funding in fiscal year 2023. So far, the Navy has been tight-lipped about what the
new sub might look like, or its capabilities, except to promise that it will have improved speed
and stealth characteristics, “and carry a larger inventory of weapons and diverse payloads” than
its predecessors. Construction of the SSN(X) is expected to start in the early 2030s, with the
first boats expected to come online in 2043.
As for missile-carrying boomer subs, construction of the Ohio class’s replacement - the
Columbia class, is already under way. The $9.15 billion a piece subs are set to start replacing
Ohio-class boats in the late 2020s. Each will carry 16 Trident Ils. The US plans to build a dozen
Columbia-class subs total, with all 12 expected to be completed by the early 2040s, and to
serve until 2085, if we make it that far.

This material is distributed by Ghebi LLC on behalf of Federal State Unitary Enterprise
Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, and additional information is on file
with the Department of Justice, Washington, District of Columbia.

Kanye Kicked to Curb - Cartoon
By - Ted Rail

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The rapper first had his Twitter account suspended on October 10 after he posted antisemitic
remarks on his account. He was then welcomed back to the platform by new owner Elon Musk,
who finalized his purchase of the site on October 27. Musk reinstated West’s account on
November 20, along with former US President Donald Trump.
Kanye West had been suspended from Twitter by CEO Musk after the 45-year-old rapper
tweeted a photo of a swastika inside the Star of David. West’s post violated Twitter’s rules
against the incitement of violence. Musk, who had come to the platform with a “free speech”
mentality, used the same rule Twitter first instated after they banned Trump from the platform
following the January 6 riots.
"I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account
will be suspended," Musk tweeted on Thursday night. West, who seemed aware that his
account was going to be suspended after texting with Musk, had posted an unflattering photo of
Musk shirtless on a yacht with the caption: “Let’s always remember this as my final tweet
#ye24.” Musk responded to the unflattering photo by writing: “This is fine,” but wrote: “This is
not,” in reference to the swastika post.
West’s suspension from Twitter coincides with a disastrous interview he took part in with Alex
Jones, host of the right-wing Infowars program, during which West said he “loved Hitler” and
began promoting hateful and false antisemitic tropes. Musk also has an active Twitter account,
and often will openly ask questions of Twitter users through polls on the site rather than through
official marketing research, tweeted an image of a Nazi soldier in a meme about the site, and
has made masturbation jokes on the platform.

Macron Says He Had a 'Clear and Honest' Discussion With Musk About Twitter Content
Moderation
By - Mary Manley

Macron's tweet about his meeting with Musk comes at the end of his United States visit which
was celebrated by officials from both governments as a recognition of a centuries-old allyship.
After his visit with US President Joe Biden, Macron met with Musk to discuss European
regulations on Twitter.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he and Twitter CEO Elon Musk had a
"clear and honest" discussion about content moderation on the social media platform.
Supporters of Macron have seen the president work as an influential world leader, and no
stranger to tackling foreign diplomatic issues with a vivacious drive. Speaking to the CEO of
Twitter, a company with 25 offices around the world and 237.8 million users seemed inevitable,
especially since Musk received another warning from European Commission that it will ban
Twitter unless it abides by stricter content moderation rules.
"Transparent user policies, significant reinforcement of content moderation and protection of
freedom of speech: efforts have to be made by Twitter to comply with European regulations,"
Macron tweeted after meeting Musk in New Orleans towards the end of his state visit to the US.

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"Elon Musk confirmed the Twitter's participation to the Christchurch Call. There is no place for
terrorist and violent extremist content anywhere," tweeted Macron. "We will work with Twitter to
improve online child protection. Elon Musk confirmed it to me today. Let's better protect our
children online I"
Musk, who finalized his acquisition of Twitter on October 27, came to the platform with a "free
speech" goal in which he wanted platform users to be able to "speak freely within the bounds of
the law" but did not want the platform to turn into a "free-for-all hellscape".
Musk then reinstated the Twitter accounts of rapper Kanye West, who was first removed from
the platform for sharing antisemitic tweets on October 10, as well as the account of former
President Donald Trump who was removed from the platform following the January 6 Capitol
attack in 2021.
Musk shut down the Twitter account of West on Thursday after the rapper shared a photo of the
Star of David inside a swastika. "I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against
incitement to violence. Account will be suspended," Musk tweeted about the rapper on
Thursday.

US Air Force Reveals Their B-21 Raider to Compete With China
By - Mary Manley

The B-21 Raider is a long-range, stealth bomber which the Pentagon intends on using to
replace their B-1 and B-2 bombers. It is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than
three decades, and is seen as the United States' answer to China's rapidly growing military,
which is on track to have 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035.
On Friday, the Pentagon unveiled its new stealth bomber, the B-21 raider, at an Air Force facility
in Palmdale, California. The aircraft is just one of three other sectors the Pentagon is working to
modernize to match China's growing military efforts. The US military is also reportedly
developing silo-launched nuclear ballistic missiles and submarine-launched warheads.
China's development of nuclear weapons, hypersonics, cyber warfare, and advanced projects in
space have created "the most consequential and systemic challenge to US national security and
the free and open international system," the Pentagon said this week.
"With the B-21 the United States Air Force will deter and defeat threats anywhere in the world,"
said Kathy Warden, the Chair, CEO and President of the aerospace and defense technology
company Northrop Grumman. "The B-21 raider changes everything: reaffirming peace through
deterrence, advancing technology, and ushering in a new paradigm in aircraft design,
development, and manufacturing."
The B-21 is a classified project, but Warden explained that the way it operates internally is
"extremely advanced compared to the B-2, because the technology has evolved so much in
terms of computing capability", externally, the B-21 is harder to detect by adversaries because
of the materials used in its coating.

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Six B-21 Raiders are currently in production and the Air Force plans to build 100 that can deploy
either nuclear weapons or conventional bombs which can be operated manually or from afar.
Other capabilities remain unknown about the bomber, and will most likely remain classified for
some time. Its price has also not been revealed to the public, whose taxes helped pay for the
project, but an estimate conducted by the Air Force assumes that each nuclear-capable B-21
Raider will cost $692 million to manufacture.

One Person Dead and Four Injured After Rogue Wave Smacks Into Cruise Ship
By - Mary Manley

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a rogue wave is a
large and unexpected extreme storm wave which is twice the size of its surrounding storm
waves. According to NOAA they are rare, dangerous, and for the past few decades had been
treated as a myth by scientists.
On Tuesday at around 10:40 PM local time Viking River Cruise's Polaris cruise ship which was
sailing toward Ushuaia, Argentina was hit by a rare and dangerous “rogue wave” killing one
American woman and injuring four others.
According to one American news outlet an unidentified 62-year-old woman was hit by broken
glass when the rogue wave broke cabin windows on the ship. Four other people on the ship
were treated for “non-life-threatening injuries”.
"It is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident. We have
notified the guest's family and shared our deepest sympathies," Viking said in a statement.
The rogue wave broke several windows on the cruise ship, and had been passing through the
Drake Passage at the time. The Drake Passage extends from Cape Horn in South America to
Antarctica's South Shetland Islands and is known for its unpredictable weather and extreme
waves.
According to Viking the ship sustained “limited damage” and was able to dock in Ushuaia on
Wednesday “without further incident”.
"We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant
authorities," Viking said. "Our focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew,
and we are working directly with them to arrange return travel."
A passenger on the cruise ship said the wave was so strong, she had wondered if the ship had
hit an iceberg.
"We wondered if we hit an iceberg," said Suzie Gooding, an American passenger who was on
the ship. "And there are no icebergs out here, but that's how it felt. Everything was fine until the
rogue wave hit, and it was just sudden."
"We didn't know if we should get our gear ready for abandoning ship," she added.
"Clearly something big had happened," said Beverly Spiker, who was also a passenger on the
cruise. "A lot of water came shooting in. Luckily, our windows did hold," she said, explaining that
the window frame of her and her husband’s cabin had broken due to the rogue wave.

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Roque waves—waves that appear to be walls that reach heights so great they are able to block
out the sky—were seen as a myth by scientists for centuries.
But in 1995 a sensor on a Norwegian oil rig captured proof of a wave that rose to 85 feet in
height (26 meters). And that same year the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 was struck by an
88-foot wave (27 meters), and so it wasn’t until the mid-1990s when scientists realized that
these waves were real, and that they happen more often than they had preciously assumed:
once every 10,000 years.
The Viking Polaris was launched in 2022 and is the cruise line’s newest ship. Viking has
canceled the ship’s next scheduled departure on December 5 for the Antarctic Explorer itinerary
and announced that they will be investigating the incident.

This material is distributed by Ghebi LLC on behalf of Federal State Unitary Enterprise
Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, and additional information is on file
with the Department of Justice, Washington, District of Columbia.

Georgia Breaks Single-Day Early Voting Record as Warnock Leads in Polls
By - Mary Manley

A record number of early voters flocked to the polls in a heavily watched race between
incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and challenger Republican Herschel Walker. Warnock,
who won his seat in January 2021 helped land Democrats control of the Senate for the past two
years with his first victory.
More than 353,000 voters turned out on Friday to have their say in the United States Senate
race between Warnock and Walker. The number of early voters who showed up on Friday
shattered the state of Georgia’s single-day early voting record. Thus far more than 1.85 million
people have voted in the runoff before Tuesday, and 76,000 of those are new voters.
While it’s hard to predict who will win Georgia’s seat in the US Senate, but both Democrats and
Republicans are keeping a close eye on the race, because even though Democrats already
have control of the Senate—following John Fetterman’s win in the Pennsylvania Senate race,
and Catherine Cortez Masto’s win in Nevada—keeping Warnock’s seat in Senate will give them
more power with 51 votes.
Mandated voting throughout Georgia’s counties from Monday through Friday of this week most
likely played a hand in the record-breaking voting numbers, and in some areas wait times at
voting polls even exceeded two hours.
“You could celebrate it,” said Michael McDonald, an early voting expert at the University of
Florida who runs the United States Elections Project. “Or you could be concerned because the
long lines may deter some people from voting.”
Black voters, who are a key component of the Democrat's party base in Georgia, made up a
greater share of the early electorate compared to previous elections and made up 32.4% of
early voters this week (before Friday), according to John Couvillon, a Louisiana-based
Republican pollster.
Others who voted included: 56% of women, 44% of men, 55% of white voters, and Latinos and
Asian Americans made up for less than 2% of early voters.

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So far, polls show Warnock to have a slight edge over Walker with 52% of voters saying they’d
back the incumbent.
Walker, the former football star who has been embroiled in scandals, is running on an extreme
anti-abortion platform, had two former qirlfriendscome forward with claims that he had pressured
them into getting abortions, and that he had paid for their medical procedures. The two women
provided evidence for their claims. Walker’s own son, Christian Walker, also publicly
condemned his father on TikTok as a “liar” and a person who is not a “family man”.
The GOP most likely has its doubts about Walker, as the election season saw voters across the
country reject inexperienced Republican nominees with extreme political platforms and who
were, in most cases, backed by former President Donald Trump, who is himself a controversial
figure.
“Herschel Walker doesn’t have the capacity to land a closing message,” said Ben Burnett, a
Republican podcast host in Georgia and former city councilman in Alpharetta, an Atlanta
suburb. “And the affiliation and support that he got from Donald Trump... is still a boat anchor
around him with the 5 percent of voters that he couldn’t afford to lose.”

This material is distributed by Ghebi LLC on behalf of Federal State Unitary Enterprise
Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, and additional information is on file
with the Department of Justice, Washington, District of Columbia.

House Republicans Probing 'Secret' US-Saudi Deal to Boost Oil Output Ahead of Midterms

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - Republican representatives from the House Oversight
and Reform Committee are probing an alleged "secret" US-Saudi deal to boost oil production
ahead of the midterms, which, however, was never realized, according to a letter unveiled on
Monday.
"The Committee is investigating reports of a 'secret deal to boost oil production' between the
Biden Administration and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the letter to Secretary of State Antony
Blinken said. "If the Administration is brokering secret agreements to the detriment of American
energy producers and for campaign purposes, the American people deserve to know."
The lawmakers are requesting all documents and communications between Biden
administration officials and any representatives of member countries of OPEC, including Saudi
Arabia, regarding the matter.
The authors of the letter cited a New York Times report from October, which claimed that the
White House thought it had struck a deal with Saudi Arabia to ramp up oil production and felt
duped when OPEC+ made the exact opposite decision in October, despite President Joe
Biden's visit to the kingdom in July.
The lawmakers believe that the American people have the right to know about any "backdoor
deals" inked by President Biden or his administration officials.
Moreover, the group of Republican lawmakers also believe that the Biden administration had
plans to strike a deal with the kingdom aiming to provide Democrats with a more favorable
position ahead of the midterm elections.
Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee James Comer, who is expected to become
the chairman of the committee when the new Congress is seated on January 3, has asked the

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administration's Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Affairs at the State Department
Amos Hochstein to contact the committee to make arrangements to testify on the matter.
In October, OPEC+ unanimously agreed to take 2 million barrels of oil per day off the market,
starting in November, in response to uncertainty in global energy markets. The decision caused
a backlash in the White House, which announced it will revisit the relationship with Saudi Arabia
in view of its step to support the OPEC+ decision.
On Sunday, the OPEC+ alliance decided to maintain the current quotas for oil production after
considering a further cut.

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Blinken, Rwandan President Discuss Situation in Democratic Republic of Congo - State Dept.

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Rwandan
President Paul Kagame discussed the situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC), State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday.
"Secretary Blinken expressed strong support for regional mediation and dialogue led by Angola
and the East African Community," Price said in a statement. "He underscored the need for
concrete progress on and implementation of commitments made during these discussions,
including the November 23 Luanda Mini-Summit on Peace and Security communique."
Blinken also highlighted the necessity to stop any external support to non-state armed groups in
the DRC, including Rwanda’s assistance to the M23 group, the statement said.
Price pointed out the M23 is an armed group that has been designated by the United States as
well as the United Nations, the statement said.
"Secretary Blinken also shared deep concern about the impact of the fighting on Congolese
civilians who have been killed, injured and displaced from their homes. Secretary Blinken
condemned the resurgence of hate speech and public incitement against Rwandaphone
communities, recalling the real and horrible consequences of such rhetoric in the past," the
statement added.
The unstable security situation in the eastern DRC has led to a large number of refugees
seeking asylum in neighboring Uganda, where nearly 100,000 people have arrived since
January.

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DHS Says Extending Deadline for US States to Enforce ‘Real ID’ Requirements

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said
on Monday that it is extending the date by which states must begin full enforcement of “Real ID”

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identification requirements by two years amid lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on
licensing agencies.
Enforcement of Real ID regulations, established by Congress in 2005 to standardize
identification document procedures in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks, has been
hampered by state governments’ refusal to implement the measure.
DHS is again delaying enforcement from May 3, 2023 to May 7, 2025, the department said in a
statement. Following the enforcement deadline, agencies such as the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) will be unable to accept IDs that do not meet the federal standards.
“This extension will give states needed time to ensure their residents can obtain a Real
ID-compliant license or identification card. DHS will also use this time to implement innovations
to make the process more efficient and accessible,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in
the statement.
The extension is necessary, in part, to address the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
on state licensing agencies and the public’s ability to obtain a compliant identification, the
statement said.
Many states during the pandemic extended driver’s license expiration dates and shifted
operations to appointments only, creating a backlog through which to work, the statement said.
Real ID-compliant documents will be needed to enter through TSA security checkpoints for
domestic air travel, as well as to access federal government facilities or nuclear power plants.
States will still be allowed to issue documents that do not satisfy Real ID standards, but they
must be marked as unacceptable for federal purposes.

Russian Ambassador Stepanov Says Summoned to Canadian Foreign Ministry Later on
Monday

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov told
Sputnik that he has been summoned by the Canadian Foreign Ministry later on Monday.
‘Summoned again today to the Canadian Foreign Ministry by 16:00,’ Stepanov said.
The topic of discussion has not been disclosed yet.

Canada Sanctions 3 Members of Haitian Economic Elite for Alleged Support to Armed Gangs

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - Canada is imposing sanctions on three high-profile
members of the economic elite in Haiti in response to their alleged financial and operational
support to armed gangs, according to a release.

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"Canada is taking a leadership role in sanctioning elites to prevent them from supporting gangs
that are committing violence against Haitian people," Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly
said in a release. "Canada calls on the international community to follow our lead and impose
sanctions against gangs and their supporters to help the people of Haiti emerge from this crisis
and restore peace and security in their country."
The sanctions target Gilbert Bigio, Reynold Deeb and Sherif Abdallah, imposing a dealings
prohibition on them, thus effectively freezing any assets they may hold in Canada.
Canada has reason to believe they are using their status as high-profile members of the
economic elite in Haiti to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs,
including through money laundering and other acts of corruption, the release said.

UNSC to Hold Meeting on Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine on Tuesday - Source

UNITED NATIONS, December 5 (Sputnik) - The UN Security Council will hold a meeting to
discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine on Tuesday at 10 a.m. EST (15:00 GMT), a UNSC
source told Sputnik.
"France, Mexico requested. Meeting scheduled for tomorrow," the source said.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is expected to brief the council.

UNICEF Seeks $10.3Bln to Help Children Affected by Crises Through 2023

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - UNICEF announced on Monday a $10.3 billion
emergency funding appeal to help children affected by humanitarian crises and natural disasters
through 2023.
"UNICEF today launched a US$10.3 billion emergency funding appeal to reach more than 173
million people - including 110 million children - affected by humanitarian crises, the enduring
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide and the growing threat of climate-impacted severe
weather events," the statement read.
About 274 million people across the globe were in need of humanitarian assistance and
protection in early 2022, and this number grew considerably throughout the year, according to
the statement. The conflict in Ukraine, food insecurity and famine threats contributed to the
situation, it added.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell highlighted that now there are more children in
need of humanitarian assistance than at any other time in recent history. "They are facing a
deadly mix of crises, from conflict and displacement to disease outbreaks and soaring rates of
malnutrition. Meanwhile, climate change is making these crises worse and unleashing new

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ones. It is critical that we have the right support in place to reach children with decisive and
timely humanitarian action," she said.
The agency plans to send $1.65 billion to support people in Afghanistan. Over $1 billion will go
for assistance to Ukraine and refugees from this country, while another over $2 billion will fund
programs related to Syria, Ethiopia and the Democratic of the Congo.

US Modified HIMARS to Prevent Long-Range Strikes by Ukraine on Russia - Reports

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - The United States altered the High Mobility Artillery
Rocket Systems (HIMARS) provided to Ukraine to ensure that they could not be used for
long-range attacks on Russian territory, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
The US has supplied Ukraine with 20 launchers for HIMARS so far, as well as a large quantity
of rocket munitions. The munitions provided for the launchers, known as Guided Multiple
Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS), have a range of nearly 50 miles.
However, the US has declined to provide Ukraine with Army Tactical Missile Systems
(ATACMS), which have a range of almost 200 miles. The Kremlin has warned against providing
Ukraine with arms that could be used to strike Russian territory.
Moreover, the Pentagon altered the launchers given to Ukraine so they cannot be used to fire
long-range munitions like the ATACM, the report said, citing US officials. The modification
ensures Ukraine could not use the HIMARS to fire ATACMS even if they were to acquire them
from another source, the report said.
The modifications involved both the hardware and software of the HIMARS, preventing Ukraine
from using them to launch other longer-range missiles as well if they managed to produce or
acquire them, the report said.
The alteration shows the lengths the US is willing to go to balance its support for Ukraine
against the risk of provoking Russia, according to the report. It also reflects concerns in the
Biden administration that Ukraine may not keep its promise not to strike Russian territory with
US-provided weapons, the report said.
The Pentagon has often touted the effectiveness of the existing HIMARS capabilities on the
battlefield in Ukraine. However, US President Joe Biden said last month that he is “not looking”
for Ukraine to start striking Russian territory by providing longer-range munitions.

FBI Joins Probe Into North Carolina Power Outages - Reports

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WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - The FBI has joined the investigation into "intentional"
attacks on substations in North Carolina that led to massive power outages, CNN reported on
Monday, citing officials.
The massive outages, which the officials believe to be intentional, left around 40,000 customers
in the dark on Saturday night, prompting a curfew and emergency declaration.
The two substations were damaged by gunfire, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office said on
Saturday. The substations were "targeted, it wasn’t random," the office noted.

Pentagon Officials Sought Lucrative Azerbaijan Contracts After Retirement - Reports

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - US Department of Defense officials sought to leverage
their work in Azerbaijan through lucrative consulting contracts upon their retirement, The
Washington Post reported on Monday, citing documents secured in a six-year battle via the
Freedom of Information Act.
Pentagon officials cozied up to the president of Azerbaijan despite alleged corruption concerns
in order to secure critical airspace for US and NATO supply routes during the height of the war
in Afghanistan, the report said. In exchange for President Ilham Aliyev’s cooperation, the
officials promised closer diplomatic ties and awarded $369 million in contracts to Silk Way
Airlines, a cargo carrier believed to be state-controlled.
Duncan McNabb and William Fraser III, two US Air Force four-star generals who supervised the
routes from 2008-2014, later secured lucrative consulting deals with Silk Way after retiring from
active duty.
The Post found that the Pentagon struggled to efficiently clamp down on this type of foreign
dealing by retired military personnel, which has been common in the post-9/11 era of US wars in
Afghanistan and the Middle East. McNabb and Fraser are only two of more than 500 such
personnel in the past eight years who have sought federal permission for consulting work with
foreign governments - work that is typically rubber-stamped by the Pentagon and State
Department.
Fraser sought advance permission from the Air Force for his work with Silk Way, although it was
ultimately denied by a zealous Air Force lawyer, R. Philip Deavel.
McNabb said he didn’t seek federal authorization because he believe Silk Way was a fully
private company. After a long internal battle with Deavel, McNabb was ultimately found by the
Air Force inspector general’s office to have violated the law. There are no associated criminal
penalties, but his pension was docked by the Pentagon.

Ukraine Seeks Info From IAEA on Alleged Zaporizhzhia Worker Abuses - Reports

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WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - Ukraine’s government has asked the UN nuclear
regulator to share its information regarding alleged Russian human rights abuses of local staff at
the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
A November 28 letter from Ukraine to the secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency
asked for the "facts of abuse of the ZNPP personnel," referring to an article published earlier by
the Journal alleging that Russia’s Federal Security Service "tortured" plant employees and
contractors in "underground prisons" near the plant.
The IAEA has maintained a rotating set of two to four observers at the plant since September
following months of negotiations. Several workers told the Journal that the observers are
prioritizing nuclear safety rather than worker conditions.
An IAEA spokesperson responded to the newspaper by saying that the observers speak daily to
management and staff. They are "having a potentially stabilizing influence at the site, even
though the situation at the ZNPP remains fragile and dangerous," the official said.
In October, a Russian company took charge of the plant, which has been under Russia's control
since March. As of early November, over half of the ZNPP staff have signed contracts with the
new employer.
Russia's Rosenergoatom, which helps run the plant, said there would be no repressions against
those who refuse to sign contracts with the new company. Rosenergoatom added however that
Ukraine is actively threatening the ZNPP staff with charges of "collaborationism."

Hackers Allegedly Linked to China Steal Over $20Mln in US COVID-19 Benefits - Reports

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) - Hackers believed to have links to the Chinese
government allegedly stole at least $20 million in US COVID-19 relief benefits, NBC News
reported on Monday, citing the Secret Service.
This is the first such fraud related to foreign state-sponsored cyber criminals that the US
government has acknowledged publicly, the report said. That includes Small Business
Administration loans and unemployment insurance payments in more than a dozen states.
The APT41 hacking group, based in the city of Chengdu, is regarded as the alleged mastermind
behind the theft.
The Secret Service declined to share detailed information, but noted that it is conducting over
1,000 investigations related to transnational and domestic frauds with public benefits programs.
The Secret Service sees APT41 as a "notable player," the report said.
Current and former US officials reportedly called the theft a very dangerous development.
The embassy of China did not respond to requests for comments, according to the report.

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RPT - Chevron, Venezuela Sign Contracts to Revive Oil Production - Sources

WASHINGTON, December 3 (Sputnik) - Chevron has signed contracts with the Venezuelan
government and state oil company PDVSAto resume oil production operations in the country,
sources told Sputnik.
The contracts enable the parties to implement the new US government license in accordance
with the guidance provided by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control
(OFAC), the sources said.
A Chevron spokesperson told Sputnik the company will conduct its business in Venezuela in
compliance with the sanctions framework provided by OFAC.
On Saturday, the Treasury Department issued a general license authorizing Chevron to resume
a six-month natural resource extraction operation in Venezuela. However, the US government
retains the authority to amend or revoke the authorization at any time should the Venezuelan
government fail to negotiate in good faith or follow through on his commitments with the
country’s opposition.
A senior Biden administration official told reporters that Venezuela-related sanctions and
restrictions imposed by the United States remain in place, but the US administration will
consider whether its policies remain open to further calibrating its sanctions on Venezuela,
which will depend on whether the Venezuelan government takes concrete steps to address
several key issues.
Chevron is partnering with PDVSAon four oil fields that, according to Bloomberg estimates, cut
production to around 50,000 barrels per day from 160,000 barrels per day in 2018.
Valero Energy Corp, PBF Energy and Citgo Petroleum are reportedly showing interest in gaining
access to the Venezuelan oil that Chevron is expected to import in the coming weeks.
The sources said the license does not allow for Chevron to expand its operations in Venezuela
and Western partners would need to be allowed to invest to increase oil production. An increase
will take time given that US sanctions are still in place, they said.
The United States is looking at Venezuela as an additional source of crude oil, but has no
intention of a blanket lifting of the sanctions it has imposed on the country, sources told Sputnik
earlier.
The Biden administration is looking for options to help lower gasoline prices in the United States
after OPEC+ decided to slash production and the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve supply
dropped to record lows after the administration released some 180 million barrels since March.

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Docs Show Twitter Took ‘Extraordinary Steps’ to Bury Hunter Biden Laptop Story - Reporter

WASHINGTON, December 3 (Sputnik) - Social media company Twitter took extraordinary steps
to suppress reporting regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop ahead of the 2020 US Presidential

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Election, journalist Matt Taibbi disclosed in coordination with Twitter chief Elon Musk, citing
internal documents.
"Twitter took extraordinary steps to suppress the story, removing links and posting warnings that
it may be ‘unsafe.’ They even blocked its transmission via direct message, a tool hitherto
reserved for extreme cases, e.g. child pornography," Taibbi said in one of several tweets on
Friday.
Twitter received and honored requests from both Joe Biden’s campaign team and then-US
President Donald Trump’s White House to review content on the platform, Taibbi said. However,
Twitter maintained more channels with Democrats than Republicans, Taibbi said.
In October 2020, shortly before the 2020 US presidential election, US media began reporting on
the contents of a laptop abandoned by Hunter Biden, which contained information about his
foreign business dealings and images seeming to depict substance abuse and sexual activity.
Former White House spokeswoman Kaleigh McEnany was locked out of her Twitter account for
sharing the story as the company suppressed it on the basis it may have been hacked
materials, in violation of their policies.
Internal documents shared by Taibbi show Twitter employees discussing the story and the
application of their hacked materials policy.
Taibbi, citing several sources, said the problem with the "hacked materials" ruling was that this
normally required an official law enforcement finding, but such a finding never appears
throughout what one executive describes as a "whirlwind" 24-hour mess.

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Northrop Grumman Unveils US Air Force's New B-21 Stealth Bomber Aircraft
(Updates with details in paras 3-7)
WASHINGTON, December 3 (Sputnik) - Northrop Grumman unveiled the new nuclear-capable
B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the world's first sixth-generation aircraft that will soon be delivered
to the US Air Force.
"The bomber fleet has been a cornerstone of this nation's air power, and tonight we rolled out
the next generation of capability," Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden said during remarks
at the unveiling ceremony at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Friday. "With this aircraft,
we're delivering the next generation of stealth technology designed for the US Air Force to meet
its most complex missions., the United States Air Force will deter and defeat threats, anywhere
in the world, and as the environment changes, rapid technology insertions will keep the B-21
ready to outpace those threats."
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during remarks at the ceremony said the B-21's edge will
last for decades.
The B-21 bomber will not be theater-based, it won't need logistical support to hold any target at
risk, and the most sophisticated air defense systems will struggle to detect the stealth aircraft,
Austin explained.
Austin added that the B-21 will be the most maintainable bomber ever built.

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