This is really odd in the extreme. Multiple human-factors, and technological safeguards, would need to fail simultaneously -on both vessels- in order for this catastrophic impact to have happened at sea.

Seven U.S. Navy crew members are missing and one injured after a U.S. Navy destroyer Fitzgerald collided at approximately 2:00am (local) Saturday morning with the merchant vessel ACX Crystal (Philippine Registry) off the coast of Japan.  All nautical vessels have been requested to respond for maritime search and recovery efforts.

Footage and images from the Japanese TV network NHK showed heavy damage to the mid-right side (starboard) of the USS Fitzgerald and less severe damage to the left side (port) of ACX Crystal. The Crystal is 29,060 tons (w/out cargo) and is 222.6 meters (730 feet) long.

The land-based equivalent of a freight train (Crystal) hitting a school bus (Fitzgerald). By all rough photographic appearances the port-side bow anchor of the Crystal impaled a portion of the Fitzgerald near starboard side amid-ship just below her bridge. Anyone on the deck of the Fitzgerald would have been thrown from her almost immediately.

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Jordan’s King Abdullah III becomes the latest Arab leader to denounce Qatar and join the growing diplomatic boycott of the Islamic extremist sympathizers.

Jordan will downgrade its diplomatic representation with Qatar, it said on Tuesday, standing with several Arab powers that have cut ties with the tiny Gulf state.

The decision was made after Amman examined the “cause of the crisis” between Doha and the other Arab states, government spokesman Mohammed al Momani said.

He added that Jordan also revoked the TV license for Al Jazeera, Qatar’s influential state-owned satellite channel.  (link)

What we are seeing unfold is a seismic shift in Arab sentiment away from the extremist Muslim Brotherhood.  This action is 100% the result of months of careful diplomacy between the Trump Administration and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council in a modern coalition to confront political Islam and the extremist messaging that results in terrorism.

The U.S. and Western Media never reported on the frequency of high diplomatic engagement by President Trump in the lead-up to his historic visit to Saudi Arabia.  It is specifically because of this willfully blind and intentional void in prior diplomatic understanding that most media are missing how this approach was constructed.

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis are in Sydney, Australia, June 5–6, participating in the 2017 Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations hosted by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne.

T-Rex, Mattis and their Australian counterparts are discussing a full range of U.S-Australian cooperation on bilateral, regional, and global issues.

Press Conference Video:  (U.S. media show publicly why T-Rex dislikes them at 16:30, who was that idjit.)

Secretary Tillerson will then travel to New Zealand to discuss strategic interests with Prime Minister English and Foreign Minister Brownlee.

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It was 28 years ago tonight when the Chinese government sent the Mongolian Army into Tiananmen Square to crackdown on the mostly student protestors.

It is against the law in China to recognize today, memorialize the dead, or even speak publicly of this bloody anniversary.   Few people know the short and long-term political ramifications to this event which extended far beyond the borders of China.

Many people are familiar with this image:

However, not as many people are as familiar with the wide shot.

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Yesterday President Donald Trump signed two new bills into law.  One of the bills is something many people might be familiar with from 2015 and 2016 when it was initially proposed that returning U.S. military veterans should have an elevated opportunity, and prioritization (w/ supportive grants), to work on internal U.S. security, border security and local law enforcement.

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Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin delivered a press briefing earlier today providing an update on ongoing VA reform and answering questions.

As you can see from the empty seats and the journalists that were absent, most of the corporate media White House correspondents chose not to attend. Clear evidence of the MSM’s need to “create news” via the daily press briefing:

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One of the key elements to remember today -when reviewing articles and information about a successful ICBM intercept by a gound-based launch interceptor missile- is the actual interception happened in space (low earth orbit).

This shield program was the visionary “Star Wars” missile defense system originally proposed by President Ronald Reagan.

The development of Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) systems are in conjunction with an anticipated future ‘space-based’ orbiting intercept system – to create the ICBM defense shield.  Today’s GMD interceptor test was successful.  GMD monitors are on land, sea and in orbit.  Congratulations USAF

Around the clock, every day of the year, the GMD system acts as the nation’s shield and first line of defense to warn, alert and defend against the threat of ballistic missile attacks.

(CALIFORNIA)  […]  Today was the very first live-fire test against an ICBM class target for GMD and the United States defense system against ballistic missiles.

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After placing a wreath at the Tomb of The Unknown, and delivering a Memorial Day speech, President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence walked to place flowers on the headstone of First Lieutenant Robert Kelly -son of DHS Secretary General John Kelly- who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010.

Along the route through section #60 (reserved for Iraq and Afghanistan conflict) the President and Vice-President met with families of the fallen, our nation’s finest.

Obviously, many were overwhelmed and emotional as President Trump and VP Pence listened to them talk about their sons, daughters, spouses, moms and dads.

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President Donald J Trump delivers remarks in Arlington Cemetery honoring our nations finest and bravest on Memorial Day:

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Defense Secretary, General James “Mad Dog” Mattis, delivered a touching tribute to honor our nations finest on Memorial Day 2017 in Arlington:

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