JAV povandeninis laivynas yra po vandeniu

"Čia yra grėsminga augančių Amerikos saugumo problemų iliustracija: JAV karinio jūrų laivyno atakos povandeniniai laivai yra puikus ginklas naikinti Amerikos priešus, tačiau laivynas neturi pakankamai laivų ir yra labai apleistas. Kongreso respublikonai teisūs, prašydami prezidento Bideno išspręsti šią problemą. krizę, kaip dalį sandorio parduoti povandeninius laivus australams.

 

     Senatas ketvirtadienio vakarą priėmė kasmetinį gynybos politikos įstatymo projektą, o vienos diskusijos šią savaitę buvo Aukus susitarimas su JK dėl branduolinių povandeninių laivų pardavimo Australijai. Bideno planas – perleisti tris, o gal net penkis Virdžinijos klasės laivus, kurie yra didelis patobulinimas, palyginti su dyzeliniais povandeniniais laivais. Puiku, kad sąjungininkas nori, kad povandeniniai laivai atgrasytų Kinijos komunistų partiją Ramiojo vandenyno regione. Australai taip pat nori prisidėti prie pramoninės bazės gamybos ir priežiūros.

 

     Tačiau JAV kariniam jūrų laivynui jau trūksta atakuojančių povandeninių laivų. Karinio jūrų laivyno tikslas yra 66 korpusai, tačiau dabartinis atsargų kiekis yra 49, o tai gali sumažėti, nes senesni modeliai nebebus naudojami. Kongresas bandė nusipirkti du naujus laivus per metus, tačiau pramoninė bazė išleidžia tik 1,2. Nė vienas Bideno Pentagono narys neturi nė menkiausio pasiūlymo greitai padidinti mastą. Karinio jūrų laivyno laivų statybos planas šiemet numatė tris būsimo laivyno variantus, ir tik viename jūrų tarnyba pasiekia 66 atakos povandeninius laivus – 2049 m.

 

     Tai pablogėja. Remiantis naujausiais Kongreso tyrimų tarnybos duomenimis, 2023 m. buvo parengtas tik 31 JAV atakos povandeninis laivas. Maždaug 37 % šių transporto priemonių parko atlieka techninę priežiūrą arba renka rūdis ir laukia remonto. Tai yra beveik dvigubai daugiau, nei karinio jūrų laivyno 20 % techninės priežiūros tikslas, o 2015 m. fiskaliniais duomenimis – 19 %.

 

     Pekino keliama grėsmė didėja, nes prezidentas Xi Jinpingas nori, kad Taivanas grįžtų iki 2027 m. Atakos povandeniniai laivai suteikia konkurencinį pranašumą, nes gali paskandinti Kinijos laivyną Taivano sąsiauryje. Komunistų partija žino, kad kuo daugiau JAV povandeninių laivų slypi po bangomis, tuo sunkesnis būtų puolimas prieš Taivaną.

 

     „Aukus“ sandorį palaiko abi partijos, o Bideno komanda nori, kad Kongresas patvirtintų povandeninių laivų pardavimą Kanberai. Tačiau senatorius Rogeris Wickeris buvo teisus, neseniai šiuose puslapiuose teigdamas, kad prezidentas turi pasiūlyti papildomą finansavimą, kad padėtų JAV povandeninių laivų pramoninei bazei padidinti gamybą.

 

     Visa tai netrukdo australams, kurie supranta, kad didžioji lazda, atgrasanti Kiniją, yra galinga JAV kariuomenė. Australijos jūreiviai vis dar mokosi atominės energetikos mokykloje, o tai reiškia, kad J. Bidenas turi laiko skirti naujų investicijų.

 

     JAV povandeninių laivų pajėgų problemos kyla dėl dešimtmečius trukusio politinio ir institucinio aplaidumo: taikos metu perkama per mažai korpusų ir mažėja techninės priežiūros pajėgumai. Jų negalima greitai ar pigiai sutvarkyti, o vienas prioritetas yra pastatyti daugiau laivų statybos vietų.

 

     „Jei administracija rimtai nori, kad „Aukus“ pavyktų“, – ketvirtadienį Senato salėje sakė senatorius Mitchas McConnellas, „ji turėtų bendradarbiauti su Kongresu šį rudenį, kad skubiai būtų investuojama į karinius poreikius Indijos ir Ramiojo vandenyno regione“. JAV atakuojančių povandeninių laivų flotilės išplėtimas būtų nacionalinis laimėjimas, dėl kurio vandenynai ir JAV tėvynė taptų saugesni." [1]

 

1. The U.S. Submarine Fleet Is Underwater. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 29 July 2023: A.12.  

Biogen to Reduce Its Workforce by About 11%.

"Biogen said it is eliminating about 1,000 jobs, or about 11% of its workforce, after the drugmaker's new chief executive concluded it had too many costly drug-research projects that weren't likely to generate big returns.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based company said the cuts would help the company reduce its annual operating expenses by about $1 billion by 2025. It had 8,725 employees at the end of last year.

Of those savings, Biogen plans to invest about $300 million into new product launches and remaining research and development programs. One of the new products includes the Alzheimer's disease treatment Leqembi, with partner Eisai.

Biogen CEO Chris Viehbacher, who took over the company in November, said the company had been developing some high-risk, high-cost products, and it wants to narrow its focus to drugs with a higher probability of success."You have to be cost-efficient and you have to invest in growth," Viehbacher said on a conference call with analysts. "And that is a very tricky exercise."

The company is giving priority to experimental drugs for Alzheimer's disease, lupus, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It has exited eye-disease drugs and is narrowing its focus in gene-therapy treatments, a spokesman said.

Biogen has seen revenue decline in recent years partly because of increased competition for its multiple-sclerosis drugs. The company has also been beset by turnover in its R&D leadership, as well as a botched launch of a different Alzheimer's disease drug, Aduhelm.

Biogen said second-quarter sales fell 5% from a year earlier to $2.46 billion. Second-quarter net income fell to $591.6 million, or $4.07 a share, from $1.06 billion, or $7.24 a share." [1]

1. Biogen to Reduce Its Workforce by About 11%. Loftus, Peter. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 26 July 2023: B.1.

 

Biogenas sumažins savo darbo jėgą maždaug 11%

„Biogenas teigė, kad panaikina apie 1000 darbo vietų arba apie 11% savo darbuotojų, po to, kai naujasis vaistų gamintojos vadovas padarė išvadą, kad ji turi per daug brangių vaistų tyrimų projektų, kurie, greičiausiai, neduos didelės grąžos.

 

     Kembridže, Masačusetso valstijoje įsikūrusi bendrovė teigė, kad sumažinimas padės bendrovei iki 2025 m. sumažinti metines veiklos išlaidas maždaug 1 mlrd. JAV dolerių. Praėjusių metų pabaigoje joje dirbo 8 725 darbuotojai.

 

     Iš šių sutaupytų lėšų „Biogenas“ planuoja investuoti apie 300 mln. dolerių į naujų produktų pristatymą ir likusias mokslinių tyrimų bei plėtros programas. Vienas iš naujų produktų apima Alzheimerio ligos gydymą Leqembi su partneriu Eisai.

 

     „Biogen“ generalinis direktorius Chrisas Viehbacheris, perėmęs įmonę lapkritį, sakė, kad bendrovė kūrė kai kuriuos didelės rizikos, brangius produktus ir nori susiaurinti jos dėmesį į vaistus, kurių sėkmės tikimybė didesnė. "Turite būti ekonomiškai efektyvūs ir jūs turite investuoti į augimą“, – konferenciniame pokalbyje su analitikais sakė Viehbacheris. "Ir tai labai sudėtingas pratimas."

 

     Bendrovė pirmenybę teikia eksperimentiniams vaistams nuo Alzheimerio ligos, vilkligės, Parkinsono ligos ir amiotrofinės šoninės sklerozės. Ji atsisakė vaistų nuo akių ligų ir susiaurina jos dėmesį genų terapijos gydymui, sakė atstovas.

 

     „Biogen“ pajamos pastaraisiais metais sumažėjo iš dalies dėl padidėjusios konkurencijos dėl vaistų nuo išsėtinės sklerozės. Kompaniją taip pat slėgė MTTP vadovavimo problemos, taip pat nesėkmingai pradėtas gaminti kitas vaistas nuo Alzheimerio ligos, Aduhelm.

 

     „Biogen“ teigė, kad antrojo ketvirčio pardavimai sumažėjo 5%, palyginti su praėjusiais metais, iki 2,46 mlrd. Antrojo ketvirčio grynosios pajamos sumažėjo iki 591,6 mln. dolerių, arba 4,07 dolerių už akciją, nuo 1,06 mlrd. Udolerių arba 7,24 dolerių už akciją." [1]

1. Biogen to Reduce Its Workforce by About 11%. Loftus, Peter. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 26 July 2023: B.1.

The U.S. Submarine Fleet Is Underwater.

"Here's an ominous illustration of America's growing security problems: U.S. Navy attack submarines are excellent weapons for devastating America's enemies, but the fleet doesn't have enough boats and is in serious disrepair. Republicans in Congress are right to ask President Biden to address this crisis as part of a deal to sell subs to the Aussies.

The Senate passed an annual defense policy bill on Thursday night, and one debate this week has been the Aukus deal with the U.K. to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Mr. Biden's plan is to transfer three, and perhaps as many as five, Virginia-class boats, which are a big upgrade over diesel-powered subs. It's great that an ally wants the subs to deter the Chinese Communist Party in the Pacific. The Aussies are also willing to chip in for the industrial base production and maintenance.

But the U.S. Navy is already short on attack subs. The Navy's goal is 66 hulls, but the current inventory is 49, which may shrink as older models age out of service. Congress has been trying to buy two new boats a year, but the industrial base is churning out only 1.2. No one in the Biden Pentagon has the faintest proposal to scale up in short order. The Navy's shipbuilding plan this year featured three options for a future fleet, and in only one does the sea service ever reach 66 attack subs -- in 2049.

It gets worse. Only 31 U.S. attack subs were operationally ready in 2023, according to recent data from the Congressional Research Service. Some 37% of the fleet is either in maintenance or collecting rust awaiting repairs. That's nearly double the Navy's 20% maintenance goal, and it's up from 19% in fiscal 2015.

The threat from Beijing is rising as President Xi Jinping wants the return of Taiwan by 2027. Attack submarines offer a competitive edge in that they could sink the Chinese fleet in the Taiwan Strait. The Communist Party knows that the more U.S. subs there are lurking under the waves, the harder an assault on Taiwan would be.

The Aukus deal has bipartisan support, and the Biden Team wants Congress to approve the sale of subs to Canberra. But Sen. Roger Wicker was right to suggest recently on these pages that the President needs to propose supplemental funding to help the U.S. submarine industrial base increase production.

None of this is a knock on the Australians, who understand that the big stick to deter China is a powerful U.S. military. Australian sailors are still learning the ropes at nuclear-power school, which means Mr. Biden has the time to put forth new investment.

The problems in the U.S. submarine force are the product of decades of political and institutional neglect: buying too few hulls in peacetime and shrinking maintenance capacity. They can't be fixed quickly or on the cheap, and one priority is building more yards.

"If the Administration is serious about making Aukus a success," Sen. Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor on Thursday, "it should work with Congress this fall to make urgent supplemental investments in meeting military requirements in the Indo-Pacific." Expanding the U.S. attack submarine fleet would be a national achievement that would make the oceans and the U.S. homeland safer." [1]

1. The U.S. Submarine Fleet Is Underwater. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 29 July 2023: A.12.  

 

You'd Go to Prison for What Hunter Biden Did.

"While the U.S. attorney for Delaware was negotiating for Hunter Biden to plead to two misdemeanor tax charges, other things were happening in neighboring New Jersey. 

Last week U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler sentenced Gabriel M. Ferrari, owner of a Linden auto-repair shop, to one year and one day in prison after Mr. Ferrari pleaded guilty to filing a false company tax return. His return failed to include all his income and claimed deductions for personal expenses, including gambling on horse races. In addition to the prison term, he will be required to pay restitution.

Prison for tax crimes is real. In the 1990s, New York hotelier Leona Helmsley served nearly two years in prison for defrauding the government by having her business pay her personal expenses and claim tax deductions for them.

According to sworn and transcribed testimony that Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers provided to the House Ways and Means Committee and confirmed at last week's House Oversight Committee hearing, the IRS investigation of Hunter Biden began "as an offshoot of an investigation the IRS was conducting into a foreign-based amateur online pornography platform." Agents established that, for the six years 2014 through 2019, Mr. Biden failed to report or pay tax on perhaps $17.3 million he received from questionable sources. He filed returns several years late, and when he did file them, he claimed as business deductions the cost of his drug dealer's hotel room, call girls, sex-club dues and his daughter's tuition at Columbia University.

What has been called Hunter Biden's sweetheart plea deal, however, wasn't the subject of the House Oversight Committee's July 19 hearing, where the two whistleblowers testified. Instead, lawmakers intended to explore ways in which the IRS special agents said the Justice Department had thwarted their probe and violated law-enforcement norms -- among them:

-- Denying permission to execute search warrants for which prosecutors agreed probable cause had been established, including the guest house Hunter Biden had occupied at President Biden's Delaware home and the storage facility in Virginia where he reportedly had moved records of the numerous entities he had likely used to receive income from various sources.

-- Stalling investigative steps on account of an upcoming election six months away, whereas the Justice Department tradition is to refrain from indicting or taking overt investigative steps for only 60 days preceding an election.

-- Alerting the attorneys for the subject of the investigation that a search warrant would be executed to obtain documents and other evidence.

-- Denying authority to interview essential witnesses, including family members and business associates, including those who could shed light on the meaning of "10% held by H for the big guy."

Looked at with the full picture in mind, it is difficult not to wonder if those lines of investigation would have found evidence that Joe Biden was involved in his son's apparent shakedowns of foreign governments and entities. (The president has repeatedly denied ever discussing business matters with his son.)

Democrats on the Oversight Committee accused the witnesses of being overly enthusiastic about bringing criminal charges, and cited testimony that IRS criminal tax attorneys often disagreed with their prosecution recommendations. That's irrelevant. IRS criminal tax lawyers' timidity about recommending prosecution is common knowledge in the tax-enforcement community. Further, their views are advisory only. Officials in the Justice Department's Tax Division decide whether to authorize bringing criminal charges. They did.

The Special Agent Report was sent to the Tax Division in February 2021. It was more than 1,000 pages long, describing each element of each alleged crime for each year, each piece of the evidence supporting each element, and the venue in which those charges could be brought. More than a year after the Tax Division received the report, it produced a 99-page memorandum supporting the recommended charges, six felonies and five misdemeanors. Each of these charges can carry prison time, some of them as long as five years.

Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley testified that Mr. Weiss told the prosecution team he then approached the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia about filing the 2014 and 2015 charges there and was rebuffed. Notwithstanding that Hunter Biden's attorneys had extended the statute of limitations several times and would have again, Mr. Weiss let it expire.

For the government to permit the statute of limitations to expire is unheard of. When a taxpayer refuses a government request to extend the statute of limitations, the government goes ahead and brings the charges. According to the whistleblowers, that couldn't happen here because, contrary to Attorney General Merrick Garland's sworn statements to Congress, Mr. Weiss lacked the authority to bring charges in the District of Columbia.

For many years, it has been Justice Department policy to charge the most serious offense that can be proven. Mr. Garland changed that policy in December 2022. The Tax Division Manual, however, still provides that prosecutors are specifically prohibited from permitting a defendant to plead to a misdemeanor when the elements of a felony can be proven. Yet according to the whistleblowers' accounts, that is what is happening here.

In 2020 the Justice Department realized that the prosecution of Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn had been based on falsehoods and filed a motion in the federal district court to dismiss the charges. The judge believed the motion to dismiss was politically motivated, and appointed John Gleeson, a retired federal judge, to look into the matter. Judge Gleeson filed a brief asserting that the judge wasn't obligated to accept an attempt to embroil the judiciary in a "corrupt, politically motivated decision."

On Wednesday Judge Maryellen Noreika will be presented with the scandalously lenient plea deal Mr. Weiss worked out for Hunter Biden, under which he would suffer no penalty for years of serious and willful violations of U.S. tax laws. Will she accept it?

---

Ms. O'Connor, a Washington lawyer, headed the U.S. Justice Department's tax division, 2001-07." [1]

This matter is important not only for judge Noreika ( Noreika is a Lithuanian name).  This matter is important for all Lithuanians. Audacious foreign policy of our Lithuanian government makes life of our country very dependent on president Biden's (Hunter Biden's father) re-election next year.

1. You'd Go to Prison for What Hunter Biden Did. O'Connor, Eileen J. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 26 July 2023: A.19.